bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Navigating through the Lipid Metabolism Maze: Diagnosis and Prognosis Metabolites of Hepatocellular Carcinoma versus Compensated Cirrhosis
Authors: Nenu Iuliana , Stefanescu Horia , Procopet Bogdan , Sparchez Zeno , Minciuna Iulia , Mocan Tudor , Leucuta Daniel , Morar Corina , Grigorescu Mircea , Filip Gabriela Adriana , Socaciu Carmen
Published: February 2022

(1) Background: The pursuit of finding biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has never been so paramount in the days of personalized medicine. The main objective of our study is to identify new biomarkers for diagnosing HCC, and to identify which patients are at risk of developing tumor recurrence, decompensation, or even possesses the risk of cancer-related death. (2) Methods: We have conducted an untargeted metabolomics study from the serum of 69 European patients—32 compensated cirrhotic patients without HCC (controls), and 37 cirrhotic patients with HCC with compensated underlying liver disease (cases), that underwent curative treatment (surgery or ablation), performing ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF- (ESI+)-MS) with an emphasis on lipid metabolites. (3) Results: 1,25-dihydroxy cholesterol (m/z = 419.281), myristyl palmitate (m/z = 453.165), 25-hydroxy vitamin D2 (m/z = 413.265), 12-ketodeoxycholic acid (m/z = 391.283), lysoPC (21:4) (m/z = 558.291), and lysoPE (22:2) (m/z = 534.286) represent notable biomarkers that differentiate compensated cirrhosis from early HCC, and ceramide species are depleted in the serum of HCC patients. Regarding prognosis, no metabolite identified in our study could determine tumor relapse. To distinguish between the HCC patients that survived curative treatment and those at risk that developed tumor burden, we have identified two notable phosphocholines (PC (30:2); PC (30:1)) with AUROCs of 0.820 and 0.807, respectively, that seem to increase when patients are at risk. In a univariate analysis, arachidonic acid was the only metabolite to predict decompensation (OR = 0.1, 95% CI: 0–0.16, p < 0.005), while in the multivariate analysis, dismally, no variable was associated with decompensation. Furthermore, in the multivariate analysis, we have found out for the first time that the increased expression of 1,25-dihydroxy cholesterol, myristyl palmitate, 12-keto deoxycholic acid, lysoPC (21:4), and lysoPE (22:2) are independent markers of survival. (4) Conclusions: Our study reveals that lipids play a crucial role in discriminating compensated cirrhosis and early hepatocellular carcinoma, and might represent markers of survival and prognosis in personalized and minimally invasive medicine.
IL-1β Implications in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Progression: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Cano-Cano Fátima , Gómez-Jaramillo Laura , Ramos-García Pablo , Arroba Ana I. , Aguilar-Diosdado Manuel
Published: February 2022

During Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) progression, there is chronic and low-grade inflammation that could be related to the evolution of the disease. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate whether peripheral levels of pro-inflammatory markers such as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) is significantly different among patients with or without T1DM, in gender, management of the T1DM, detection in several biological fluids, study design, age range, and glycated hemoglobin. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, and 26 relevant studies (2186 with T1DM, 2047 controls) were included. We evaluated the studies’ quality using the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Meta-analyses were conducted, and heterogeneity and publication bias were examined. Compared with controls, IL-1β determined by immunoassays (pooled standardized mean difference (SMD): 2.45, 95% CI = 1.73 to 3.17; p < 0.001) was significantly elevated in T1DM. The compared IL-1β levels in patients <18 years (SMD = 2.81, 95% CI = 1.88–3.74) was significantly elevated. The hemoglobin-glycated (Hbg) levels in patients <18 years were compared (Hbg > 7: SMD = 5.43, 95% CI = 3.31–7.56; p = 0.001). Compared with the study design, IL-1β evaluated by ELISA (pooled SMD = 3.29, 95% CI = 2.27 to 4.30, p < 0.001) was significantly elevated in T1DM patients. IL-1β remained significantly higher in patients with a worse management of T1DM and in the early stage of T1DM. IL-1β levels determine the inflammatory environment during T1DM.
Nutritional Status Assessed with Objective Data Assessment Correlates with a High-Risk Foot in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Mineoka Yusuke , Ishii Michiyo , Hashimoto Yoshitaka , Yamashita Aki , Takemura Takahiro , Yamaguchi Sachiyo , Toyoda Machiko , Fukui Michiaki
Published: February 2022

Malnutrition and diabetes are likely to co-occur. There are few reports on the association between nutritional status and foot risk in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Therefore, we aimed to investigate this relationship in this cross-sectional study. We investigated the relationships between objective data assessment (ODA), especially Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score and foot risk, evaluated by the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF), in consecutive patients with T2D. Patients were divided into groups 0 to 3 by IWGDF, and groups 1 to 3 were defined as high-risk groups. Among 469 patients, 42.6% (n = 200) of them had high-risk foot. Patients with high-risk foot were significantly older (71.2 ± 11.3 vs. 64.2 ± 13.4 years, p < 0.001) and had a longer duration of diabetes (18.0 ± 12.0 vs. 11.5 ± 10.0 years, p < 0.001) than those in the low-risk group. In the high-risk group, serum albumin level, total lymphocyte count, hemoglobin, and CONUT score were significantly worse, especially in older patients (≥75 years). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between CONUT score and high-risk foot in older patients (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.05–1.86; p = 0.021). Our results indicated that nutritional status, assessed by ODA, correlated with high-risk foot, especially in older patients with T2D.
Differences in Atrial Remodeling in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Compared to Hypertensive Heart Disease and Athletes’ Hearts
Authors: Servatius Helge , Raab Simon , Asatryan Babken , Haeberlin Andreas , Branca Mattia , de Marchi Stefano , Brugger Nicolas , Nozica Nikolas , Goulouti Eleni , Elchinova Elena , Lam Anna , Seiler Jens , Noti Fabian , Madaffari Antonio , Tanner Hildegard , Baldinger Samuel H. , Reichlin Tobias , Wilhelm Matthias , Roten Laurent
Published: February 2022

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), hypertensive heart disease (HHD) and athletes’ heart share an increased prevalence of atrial fibrillation. Atrial cardiomyopathy in these patients may have different characteristics and help to distinguish these conditions. Methods: In this single-center study, we prospectively collected and analyzed electrocardiographic (12-lead ECG, signal-averaged ECG (SAECG), 24 h Holter ECG) and echocardiographic data in patients with HCM and HHD and in endurance athletes. Patients with atrial fibrillation were excluded. Results: We compared data of 27 patients with HCM (70% males, mean age 50 ± 14 years), 324 patients with HHD (52% males, mean age 75 ± 5.5 years), and 215 endurance athletes (72% males, mean age 42 ± 7.5 years). HCM patients had significantly longer filtered P-wave duration (153 ± 26 ms) and PR interval (191 ± 48 ms) compared to HHD patients (144 ± 16 ms, p = 0.012 and 178 ± 31, p = 0.034, respectively) and athletes (134 ± 14 ms, p = 0.001 and 165 ± 26 ms, both p < 0.001, respectively). HCM patients had a mean of 4.9 ± 16 premature atrial complexes per hour. Premature atrial complexes per hour were significantly more frequent in HHD patients (27 ± 86, p < 0.001), but not in athletes (2.7 ± 23, p = 0.639). Left atrial volume index (LAVI) was 43 ± 14 mL/m2 in HCM patients and significantly larger than age- and sex-corrected LAVI in HHD patients 30 ± 10 mL/m2; p < 0.001) and athletes (31 ± 9.5 mL/m2; p < 0.001). A borderline interventricular septum thickness ≥13 mm and ≤15 mm was found in 114 (35%) HHD patients, 12 (6%) athletes and 3 (11%) HCM patients. Conclusions: Structural and electrical atrial remodeling is more advanced in HCM patients compared to HHD patients and athletes.
Boronizing of CoCrFeMnNi High-Entropy Alloys Using Spark Plasma Sintering
Authors: Nakajo Hiroaki , Nishimoto Akio
Published: February 2022

In this study, we investigated the formation of a protective coating on a face-centered cubic high-entropy alloy (HEA). The coating was formed by a diffusion coating method. In the conventional diffusion coating method, the degradation of the mechanical properties of the base material owing to prolonged high-temperature treatment is a major issue. Therefore, we formed a ceramic layer using spark plasma sintering (SPS), which suppresses grain growth with rapid heating and enables fast, low-temperature processing. The objective of this study was to form borides on the surface of CoCrFeMnNi HEAs using the SPS method and to investigate their properties. A CoCrFeMnNi HEA prepared by the casting method was used as the base material, and a powdered mixture of B4C and KBF4 was used as the boron source. The analysis of the surfaces of the SPS-treated samples revealed the formation of M2B, MB, and Mn3B4-type borides on the HEA surface. The surface hardness was 2000–2500 HV owing to the formation of a ceramic layer on the HEA surface, and elemental analysis showed that certain elements exhibited characteristic diffusion behaviors.
The Hellenic Marine Observing, Forecasting and Technology System—An Integrated Infrastructure for Marine Research
Authors: Bourma Evi , Perivoliotis Leonidas , Petihakis George , Korres Gerasimos , Frangoulis Constantin , Ballas Dionysios , Zervakis Vassilis , Tragou Elina , Katsafados Petros , Spyrou Christos , Dassenakis Manos , Poulos Serafim , Megalofonou Persefoni , Sofianos Sarantis , Paramana Theodora , Katsaounis Georgios , Karditsa Aikaterini , Petrakis Stelios , Mavropoulou Apostolia-Maria , Paraskevopoulou Vasiliki , Milatou Niki , Pagonis Paris , Velanas Spyros , Ntoumas Manolis , Mamoutos Ioannis , Pettas Manos , Christodoulaki Sylvia , Kassis Dimitris , Sotiropoulou Maria , Mavroudi Aspasia , Moira Antigoni , Denaxa Dimitra , Anastasopoulou Gerasimi , Potiris Emmanuel , Kolovogiannis Vassilis , Dimitrakopoulos Agisilaos-Alexandros , Petalas Stamatios , Zissis Nikos
Published: February 2022

Research infrastructures have been established throughout Europe in order to create robust organizations that will facilitate and enhance research and innovation processes and will advance society with innovative products and services. The Hellenic Integrated Marine Observing, Forecasting and Technology System (component of HIMIOFoTS RI) has been implemented in the framework of the National Roadmap for Research Infrastructures to form a large-scale infrastructure for the marine environment in Greece. It links together ocean observing and forecasting systems, coastal zone monitoring and management practices, as well as ocean engineering testing facilities. The overarching framework of the system supports the coordination of five organizations with expertise in the field of marine science and technology, the central management of research activities, and the common development of services and products. It comprises facilities and resources while it provides open access to research communities (academia, industry) to support the scientific advancements and innovation in their fields. The Hellenic Marine Observing, Forecasting and Technology System was further enhanced during its implementation through significant upgrades and developments in order to extend its observing capacity and the forecasting and technological abilities, while advancing the provided services and products.
Sea Level Fluctuations
Authors: Dolgikh Grigory Ivanovich
Published: February 2022

We do not consider sea level change due to global warming, but only sea level fluctuations in our time scale [...]
Numerical Study on the Mooring Force in an Offshore Fish Cage Array
Authors: Liu Zhongchi , Wang Shan , Guedes Soares C.
Published: February 2022

The mooring force in a fish cage array subjected to currents and waves is investigated using the finite element method. Firstly, the numerical model of a fish cage array with six gravity cages is built by Ansys/APDL. Collars and bottom rings are simulated with pipe and beam elements while the rest structure is simulated with link elements, including the net and mooring cables. Thus, the weight and hydrodynamic load on the cables can be considered. The initial shape of the mooring ropes is calculated based on mooring dynamics. Since each component is a slender structure in the cage array, the Morison equation is used to calculate the hydrodynamic load. Secondly, the mooring forces are assessed for the system in different sea states. The locations of the maximum mooring force on different parts in the mooring system are found. The mean values and amplitudes of maximum mooring forces on different parts are calculated. The main ropes have the maximum mooring forces under all sea states. The mean values of the maximum mooring forces increase with the current velocity and wave height. When the attack angle is 0° and 90°, the two adjacent bridle ropes do not play the role of pulling the cage together. One is pulled tight and the other one is slack.
Human Error Probability Assessment for LNG Bunkering Based on Fuzzy Bayesian Network-CREAM Model
Authors: Fan Hongjun , Enshaei Hossein , Jayasinghe Shantha Gamini
Published: February 2022

Liquified natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel has gained momentum as the maritime industry moves towards a sustainable future. Since unwanted LNG release may lead to severe consequences, performing quantitative risk assessment (QRA) for LNG bunkering operations has become mandatory according to some regulations. Human error is a main contributor to the risks, and the human error probabilities (HEPs) are essential for inclusion in a QRA. However, HEPs data are unavailable in the LNG bunkering industry so far. Therefore, this study attempts to infer HEPs through on-site safety philosophical factors (SPFs). The cognitive reliability and error analysis method (CREAM) was adopted as a basic model and modified to make it suitable for HEP assessment in LNG bunkering. Nine common performance condition (CPC) indicators were identified based on the fuzzy ranking of 23 SPF indicators (SPFIs). A Bayesian network (BN) was built to simulate the occurrence probabilities of different contextual control modes (COCOMs), and a conditional probability table (CPT) for the COCOM node with 19,683 possible combinations in the BN was developed according to the CREAM’s COCOM matrix. The prior probabilities of CPCs were evaluated using the fuzzy set theory (FST) based on data acquired from an online questionnaire survey. The results showed that the prior HEP for LNG bunkering is 0.009841. This value can be updated based on the re-evaluation of on-site SPFIs for a specific LNG bunkering project to capture the dynamics of HEP. The main innovation of this work is realizing the efficient quantification of HEP for LNG bunkering operations by using the proposed fuzzy BN-CREAM model.
Trichoderma hamatum Strain Th23 Promotes Tomato Growth and Induces Systemic Resistance against Tobacco Mosaic Virus
Authors: Abdelkhalek Ahmed , Al-Askar Abdulaziz A. , Arishi Amr A. , Behiry Said I.
Published: February 2022

Trichoderma hamatum strain Th23, isolated from tomato roots, was molecularly identified using phylogenetic analysis based on ITS, tef1, and rpb2 gene sequences and evaluated for its efficiency in suppressing tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection for the first time. Under greenhouse conditions, the application of Th23 promoted tomato growth with significant increases in shoot and root parameters as well as improved total chlorophyll content. Compared to the nontreated tomato plants, the soil pretreatment of tomato plants 48 h before TMV inoculation produced a significant reduction in the TMV accumulation level by 84.69% and enhanced different growth parameters. In contrast, TMV had a deleterious impact on fresh and dry matter accumulation and inhibited photosynthetic capacity. Furthermore, the protective activity of Th23 was associated with a significant increase in reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes (PPO, CAT, and SOD) as well as decreased nonenzymatic oxidative stress markers (H2O2 and MDA) compared to the TMV treatment at 15 days post-viral inoculation (dpi). In addition, considerable increases in the transcriptional levels of polyphenolic genes (HQT and CHS) and pathogenesis-related proteins (PR-1 and PR-7) were shown to induce systemic resistance against TMV. Consequently, the ability of T. hamatum strain Th23 to promote plant growth, induce systemic resistance, and boost innate immunity against TMV infestation supported the incorporation of Th23 as a potential biocontrol agent for managing plant viral infections. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the antiviral activity of T. hamatum against plant viral infection.
Characterization of Two Fusarium solani Species Complex Isolates from the Ambrosia Beetle Xylosandrus morigerus
Authors: Carreras-Villaseñor Nohemí , Rodríguez-Haas José B. , Martínez-Rodríguez Luis A. , Pérez-Lira Alan J. , Ibarra-Laclette Enrique , Villafán Emanuel , Castillo-Díaz Ana P. , Ibarra-Juárez Luis A. , Carrillo-Hernández Edgar D. , Sánchez-Rangel Diana
Published: February 2022

Ambrosia beetles are insect vectors of important plant diseases and have been considered as a threat to forest ecosystems, agriculture, and the timber industry. Several factors have been suggested as promoters of the pathogenic behavior of ambrosia beetles; one of them is the nature of the fungal mutualist and its ability to establish an infectious process. In Mexico, Xylosandrus morigerus is an invasive ambrosia beetle that damages many agroecosystems. Herein, two different isolates from the X. morigerus ambrosia beetle belonging to the Fusarium genus are reported. Both isolates belong to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) but not to the Ambrosia Fusarium clade (AFC). The two closely related Fusarium isolates are pathogenic to different forest and agronomic species, and the morphological differences between them and the extracellular protease profile suggest intraspecific variability. This study shows the importance of considering these beetles as vectors of different species of fungal plant pathogens, with some of them even being phylogenetically closely related and having different pathogenic abilities, highlighting the relevance of the fungal mutualist as a factor for the ambrosia complex becoming a pest.
Allergy to Fungi in Veterinary Medicine: Alternaria, Dermatophytes and Malassezia Pay the Bill!
Authors: Martins Luís Miguel Lourenço
Published: February 2022

The fungal kingdom comprises ubiquitous forms of life with 1.5 billion years, mostly phytopathogenic and commensals for humans and animals. However, in the presence of immune disorders, fungi may cause disease by intoxicating, infecting or sensitizing with allergy. Species from the genera Alternaria, Aspergillus and Malassezia, as well as dermatophytes from the genera Microsporum, Trichophyton and Epidermophyton, are the most commonly implicated in veterinary medicine. Alternaria and Malassezia stand as the most commonly associated with either allergy or infection in animals, immediately followed by Aspergillus, while dermatophytes are usually associated with the ringworm skin infection. By aiming at the relevance of fungi in veterinary allergy it was concluded that further research is still needed, especially in the veterinary field.
Copula Modelling to Analyse Financial Data
Authors: Dewick Paul R. , Liu Shuangzhe
Published: February 2022

Copula modelling is a popular tool in analysing the dependencies between variables. Copula modelling allows the investigation of tail dependencies, which is of particular interest in risk and survival applications. Copula modelling is also of specific interest to economic and financial modelling as it can help in the prediction of financial contagion and periods of “boom” or “bust”. Bivariate copula modelling has a rich variety of copulas that may be chosen to represent the modelled dataset dependencies and possible extreme events that may lie within the dataset tails. Financial copula modelling tends to diverge as this richness of copula types within the literature may not be well realised with the two different types of modelling, one being non-time-series and the other being time-series, being undertaken differently. This paper investigates standard copula modelling and financial copula modelling and shows why the modelling strategies in using time-series and non-time-series copula modelling is undertaken using different methods. This difference, apart from the issues surrounding the time-series component, is mostly due to standard copula modelling having the ability to use empirical CDFs for the probability integral transformation. Financial time-series copula modelling uses pseudo-CDFs due to the standardized time-series residuals being centred around zero. The standardized residuals inhibit the estimation of the possible distributions required for constructing the copula model in the usual manner.
Dynamic and Static Volatility Interruptions: Evidence from the Korean Stock Markets
Authors: Eom Kyong Shik , Kwon Kyung Yoon , La Sung Chae , Park Jong-Ho
Published: February 2022

We conducted a comprehensive analysis on the sequential introductions of dynamic and static volatility interruptions (VIs) in the Korean stock markets. The Korea Exchange introduced VIs to improve price formation, and to limit risk to investors from brief periods of abnormal volatility for individual stocks. We found that dynamic VI is effective in price stabilization and discovery, while the effect of static VI is limited. The static VI functions similarly to the pre-existing price-limit system; this accounts for its limited incremental benefit.
Good Practice Principles in Modelling Defined Contribution Pension Plans
Authors: Dowd Kevin , Blake David
Published: February 2022

We establish 16 good practice principles for modelling defined contribution pension plans. These principles cover the following issues: model specification and calibration; modelling quantifiable uncertainty; modelling member choices; modelling member characteristics, such as occupation and gender; modelling plan charges; modelling longevity risk; modelling the post-retirement period; integrating the pre- and post-retirement periods; modelling additional sources of income, such as the state pension and equity release; modelling extraneous factors, such as unemployment risk, activity rates, taxes and welfare entitlements; scenario analysis and stress testing; periodic updating of the model and changing assumptions; and overall fitness for purpose.
Combining 10 Matrix Pressure Sensor to Read Human Body’s Pressure in Sleeping Position in Relation with Decubitus Patients
Authors: Pranjoto Hartono , Miyata Andrew Febrian , Agustine Lanny
Published: February 2022

This work uses piezoresistive matrix pressure sensors to map the human body’s pressure profile in a sleeping position. This study aims to detect the area with the highest pressure, to visualize the pressure profile into a heatmap, and to reduce decubitus by alerting the subject to changes in position. This research combines ten matrix pressure sensors to read a larger area. This work uses a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B with 8 GB memory as the data processor, and every sensor sheet uses ATMEGA 2560 as the sensor controller for data acquisition. Sensor calibration is necessary because each output must have the same value for the same weight value; the accuracy between different sensors is around 95%. After the calibration process, the output data must be smoothed to make visual representations more distinguishable. The areas with the highest pressure are the heel, tailbone, back, and head. When the subject’s weight increases, pressure on the tailbone and back increases, but that on the heel and head does not. The results of this research can be used to monitor people’s sleeping positions so that they can reduce the risk of decubitus.
A Review on the Overall Optimization of Production–Living–Ecological Space: Theoretical Basis and Conceptual Framework
Authors: Lin Gang , Jiang Dong , Fu Jingying , Zhao Yi
Published: February 2022

The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China put forward the optimization of territorial space development patterns as the primary measure of ecological civilization construction, and put forward the goal of “promoting intensive and efficient production space, livable and moderate living space, and beautiful (picturesque scenery) ecological space”. Through literature research and summing induction, this paper combs the research progress of the overall optimization of “Production–Living–Ecological” space (PLES) systematically. It is found that the existing work mainly focuses on the overall optimization of PLES from the perspectives of land-use quality, land-use suitability evaluation, resource and environmental carrying capacity, and comparative advantages. However, due to the lack of understanding of the scientific connotation of PLES, and the imperfect construction of quantitative identification methods and classification system, there are many problems in the technical approaches of the overall optimization of PLES, which remain to be clarified. In the future, the technological approach to the overall optimization of PLES should be guided by the vision of building a beautiful China, with the theory of a human–Earth coupling system as the core, and systematically build a theoretical system and technical framework to identify and optimize territorial space.
Land-Use/Landscape Pattern Changes and Related Environmental Driving Forces in a Dong Ethnic Minority Village in Southwestern China
Authors: Qin Fanya , Fukamachi Katsue , Shibata Shozo
Published: February 2022

This paper outlines land-use/landscape pattern changes and relationships between land-use change trajectories and environmental variables in the Dong ethnic-minority village of Gaoyou in southwestern China. In the study, landscape metrics were applied to evaluate changes in land use and landscape patterns using GeoEye-1 satellite imagery for 2009/2020 and drone imagery for 2019, and redundancy analysis (RDA) was applied to clarify the relationship between land-use change trajectories and environmental variables. The 10–30% change in land use observed across each time sequence indicated rapid development in the area, resulting in increased fragmentation and reduced aggregation. The findings showed efficient usage of land resources in Gaoyou. Accessibility to land tended to govern the characteristics of land-use change, with natural variables influencing the type of development. The results also indicated that farmers responded quickly to government subsidies promoting tea and camellia plantations, unplanned road construction was causing fragmentation, and official land-use map content differed from the authors’ observations. Accordingly, the government should make integrated long-term plans for the development of ethnic-minority villages and engage in remote-sensor monitoring of local land-use change.
NDVI Threshold-Based Urban Green Space Mapping from Sentinel-2A at the Local Governmental Area (LGA) Level of Victoria, Australia
Authors: Aryal Jagannath , Sitaula Chiranjibi , Aryal Sunil
Published: February 2022

Obtaining accurate, precise and timely spatial information on the distribution and dynamics of urban green space is crucial in understanding livability of the cities and urban dwellers. Inspired from the importance of spatial information in planning urban lives, and availability of state-of-the-art remote sensing data and technologies in open access forms, in this work, we develop a simple three-level hierarchical mapping of urban green space with multiple usability to various stakeholders. We utilize the established Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) threshold on Sentinel-2A Earth Observation image data to classify the urban vegetation of each Victorian Local Government Area (LGA). Firstly, we categorize each LGA region into two broad classes as vegetation and non-vegetation; secondly, we further categorize the vegetation regions of each LGA into two sub-classes as shrub (including grassland) and trees; thirdly, for both shrub and trees classes, we further classify them as stressed and healthy. We not only map the urban vegetation in hierarchy but also develop Urban Green Space Index (UGSI) and Per Capita Green Space (PCGS) for the Victorian Local Government Areas (LGAs) to provide insights on the association of demography with urban green infrastructure using urban spatial analytics. To show the efficacy of the applied method, we evaluate our results using a Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform across different NDVI threshold ranges. The evaluation result shows that our method produces excellent performance metrics such as mean precision, recall, f-score and accuracy. In addition to this, we also prepare a recent Sentinel-2A dataset and derived products of urban green space coverage of the Victorian LGAs that are useful for multiple stakeholders ranging from bushfire modellers to biodiversity conservationists in contributing to sustainable and resilient urban lives.
Farmer Heterogeneity and Land Transfer Decisions Based on the Dual Perspectives of Economic Endowment and Land Endowment
Authors: Cheng Ying , Hu Yuan , Zeng Weizhong , Liu Zhongbao
Published: February 2022

Guiding qualified farmers to transfer their land is an important way to alleviate the problem of land abandonment, improve land use efficiency, and achieve moderately large-scale land management. Based on the dual perspectives of economic endowment and land endowment, this paper uses the 2015 data of the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), using the semilogarithmic ordinary least-squares method and the logit model, to explore differences in land transfer decisions under the effect of farmer heterogeneity. The circulation trading market was further improved to provide a reference. The heterogeneity of economic endowment and land endowment significantly affects the decision-making behavior of farmers in transferring land. The higher the land endowment is, the greater the probability that farmers transfer the land out and successfully trade, and they are more inclined to transfer the cultivated land to cooperatives, village collectives, and other institutions through formal channels, leading to a higher unit income of the transfer. Further research shows that land endowment has no significant difference in the impact of land endowment on whether farmers with different livelihood endowments transfer their land, but under the same land endowment, farmers with economic endowment advantages are more able to use their own endowment advantages to transfer their land out through formal channels and obtain higher gains income. Therefore, focusing on improving the conditions of land resources and increasing the endowment of farmers are important means to promote successful transactions in the land transfer market, ensure its sustainable operation, and promote further increase in the income of transfer farmers.
A Mesoscopic Simulation Approach Based on Metal Fibre Characterization Data to Evaluate Brake Friction Performance
Authors: Varriale Francesco , Riva Gabriele , Wahlström Jens , Lyu Yezhe
Published: February 2022

The coefficient of friction (COF) is an important parameter when evaluating brake system performance. It is complex to predict friction due to its dependence on parameters, such as sliding velocity, contact pressure, temperature, and friction material mixtures. The aim of this work is to evaluate the macroscopic COF of a disc brake system under specific braking conditions by a meso-scale approach, using a cellular automaton simulation where the friction material mixture is modelled starting from its basic components. The influence of the local components in contact is taken into account. Simulated COF values are in line with the experimental values.
Texture Identification and Object Recognition Using a Soft Robotic Hand Innervated Bio-Inspired Proprioception
Authors: Yan Yadong , Cheng Chang , Guan Mingjun , Zhang Jianan , Wang Yu
Published: February 2022

In this study, we innervated bio-inspired proprioception into a soft hand, facilitating a robust perception of textures and object shapes. The tendon-driven soft finger with three joints, inspired by the human finger, was detailed. With tension sensors embedded in the tendon that simulate the Golgi tendon organ of the human body, 17 types of textures can be identified under uncertain rotation angles and actuator displacements. Four classifiers were used and the highest identification accuracy was 98.3%. A three-fingered soft hand based on the bionic finger was developed. Its basic grasp capability was tested experimentally. The soft hand can distinguish 10 types of objects that vary in shape with top grasp and side grasp, with the highest accuracies of 96.33% and 96.00%, respectively. Additionally, for six objects with close shapes, the soft hand obtained an identification accuracy of 97.69% with a scan-grasp method. This study offers a novel bionic solution for the texture identification and object recognition of soft manipulators.
A Variable-Length Rational Finite Element Based on the Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation
Authors: Ding Zhishen , Ouyang Bin
Published: February 2022

The variable-length arbitrary Lagrange–Euler absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ALE-ANCF) finite element, which employs nonrational interpolating polynomials, cannot exactly describe rational cubic Bezier curves such as conic and circular curves. The rational absolute nodal coordinate formulation (RANCF) finite element, whose reference length (undeformed length) is constant, can exactly represent rational cubic Bezier curves. A new variable-length finite element called the ALE-RANCF finite element, which is capable of accurately describing rational cubic Bezier curves, is proposed and was formed by combining the desirable features of the ALE-ANCF and RANCF finite elements. To control the reference length of the ALE-RANCF element within a suitable range, element segmentation and merging schemes are proposed. It is demonstrated that the exact geometry and mechanics are maintained after the ALE-RANCF element is divided into two shorter ones, and compared with the ALE-ANCF elements, there are smaller deviations and oscillations after two ALE-RANCF elements are merged into a longer one. Numerical examples are presented, and the feasibility and advantages of the ALE-RANCF finite element are demonstrated.
A Comparative Study to Predict Bearing Degradation Using Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT), Tabular Generative Adversarial Networks (TGAN) and Machine Learning Models
Authors: Bhavsar Keval , Vakharia Vinay , Chaudhari Rakesh , Vora Jay , Pimenov Danil Yurievich , Giasin Khaled
Published: February 2022

Prognostics and health management (PHM) is a framework to identify damage prior to its occurrence which leads to the reduction of both maintenance costs and safety hazards. Based on the data collected in condition monitoring, the degradation of the part is predicted. Studies show that most failures are caused by faults in rolling element bearing, which highlights that a bearing is one of the most important mechanical components of any machine. Thus, it becomes important to monitor bearing degradation to make sure that it is utilized properly. Generally, machine learning (ML) or deep learning (DL) techniques are utilized to predict bearing degradation using a data-driven approach, where signals are captured from the machine. There should be a large amount of data to apply either ML or DL techniques, but it is difficult to collect that amount of data directly from any machine. In this study, health assessment is carried out using the correlation coefficient to divide the bearing life into two degradation stages. The raw signal is processed using discrete wavelet transform (DWT), where mutual information (MI) is used to rank and select the base wavelet, after which tabular generative adversarial networks (TGAN) are used to generate the artificial coefficients. Statistical features are calculated from the real data (DWT coefficients) and the artificial data (generated from TGAN). The constructed feature vector is then used as an input to train machine learning models, namely ensemble bagged tree (EBT) and Gaussian process regression with the squared exponential kernel function (SEGPR), to estimate bearing degradation conditions. Both the machine learning models were validated on the publicly available experimental data of FEMTO bearing. Obtained results showed that the developed EBT and SEGPR models accurately predicted the bearing degradation conditions with the average lowest RMSE value of 0.0045 and MAE value of 0.0037.
Experimental Methods for Evaluating Components of Turbomachinery, for Use in Automotive Fuel Cell Applications
Authors: Vanhaelst Robin , Begerow Dominik , Timmann Kay Bastian , Liebe Tim Kristian
Published: February 2022

This paper describes methods and test beds for components of turbomachinery, for use in automotive fuel cell applications at the Ostfalia University of applied sciences. Turbomachinery for use in fuel cell applications is subject to different requirements than those of conventional turbochargers. Therefore, the turbine and the air bearings of an electrical turbocharger will be subject to evaluation. The different boundary conditions in comparison to conventional turbochargers, with less heat and high humidity from the fuel cell, are especially of interest. Air bearings affect the friction and the vibrations/oscillations of the shaft. The methods and test beds need to fulfill the requirements of these types of turbomachinery. The friction test bed is modified with a new coupling solution, to ensure that the driving electric motor in combination with the shaft of the test component complies with the strict tolerances. For this, a magnetic coupling, for use in high-speed applications, is developed and tested on the friction test bed. The fuel cell turbine was adapted to the hot gas test bed and extended turbine maps are determined. To reach high humidity conditions of a fuel cell application, a water injection system is integrated into the test bed.
On Triangular Multisets and Triangular Fuzzy Multisets
Authors: Syropoulos Apostolos
Published: February 2022

The basic set operations between fuzzy sets are defined using the min and max functions; however, later on, new operators were introduced that used other functions, which, nevertheless, had similar properties to functions min and max. The resulting fuzzy set theories are more suitable for the description and processing of specific data sets. Crisp and fuzzy multisets have found numerous applications but still the basic operations are based on functions min and max. It is straightforward to replace these functions in the fuzzy part of fuzzy multisets; however, it is not as easy but is feasible to do the same with the multisets and the “crisp” part of fuzzy multisets. The new mathematical structures are called triangular multisets and triangular fuzzy multisets, respectively. The aim is to facilitate the processing of certain data sets so they can be used in multi-criteria decision making and computing.
Effect of Lithology on Mechanical and Damage Behaviors of Concrete in Concrete-Rock Combined Specimen
Authors: Liu Kewei , Jin Shaobo , Rui Yichao , Huang Jin , Zhou Zhanxing
Published: February 2022

A concrete structure built on rock foundation works together with the connected rock mass, which has a significant effect on the mechanical behaviors of the concrete structure. To study the effect of lithology on the mechanical and damage behaviors of concrete in a concrete-rock combined specimen (CRCS), first, a test method for measuring the concrete part (concrete in CRCS) is adopted, then, uniaxial compression tests on seven types of specimens are performed and acoustic emission (AE) events are simultaneously monitored. Test results show that the low-strength concrete part plays a major role in the fracture behavior of CRCS. When the CRCS is failed, a sudden stress drop happens in CRCS, and the rock part (rock in CRCS) experiences a rapid axial strain recovery and intensifies the failure of the concrete part. The load-bearing and deformation capacities of the concrete part increase with the strength of the rock part, but the rock part shows the opposite behaviors under the influence of the concrete part. Furthermore, the damage of CRCS is mainly formed in the concrete part, and the damage extent of the concrete part is positively correlated with the strength of the rock part. Finally, a damage constitutive model of the concrete part is established and validated. This model can be used to accurately describe the effect of lithology on the mechanical response of the concrete part under uniaxial compression loading.
R-LWE-Based Distributed Key Generation and Threshold Decryption
Authors: Alborch Ferran , Martínez Ramiro , Morillo Paz
Published: February 2022

Ever since the appearance of quantum computers, prime factoring and discrete logarithm-based cryptography have been questioned, giving birth to the so-called post-quantum cryptography. The most prominent field in post-quantum cryptography is lattice-based cryptography, protocols that are proved to be as difficult to break as certain hard lattice problems like Learning with Errors (LWE) or Ring Learning with Errors (R-LWE). Furthermore, the application of cryptographic techniques to different areas, like electronic voting, has also nourished a great interest in distributed cryptography. In this work, we will give two original threshold protocols based in the lattice problem R-LWE: one for key generation and one for decryption. We will prove them both correct and secure under the assumption of hardness of some well-known lattice problems. Finally, we will give a rough implementation of the protocols in C to give some tentative results about their viability, in particular our model generates keys in the order of 103 ms and decrypts and encrypts in the order of 102 ms.
An Optimal H-Infinity Controller for Left Ventricular Assist Devices Based on a Starling-like Controller: A Simulation Study
Authors: Bakouri Mohsen , Alassaf Ahmed , Alshareef Khaled , Abdelsalam Saleh , Ismail Husham Farouk , Ganoun Ali , Alomari Abdul-Hakeem
Published: February 2022

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are emerging innovations that provide a feasible alternative treatment for heart failure (HF) patients to enhance their quality of life. In this work, a novel physiological control system to optimize LVAD pump speed using an H-infinity controller was developed. The controller regulates the calculated target pump flow vs. measured pump flow to meet the changes in metabolic demand. The method proposes the implementation of the Frank–Starling mechanism (FSM) approach to control the speed of an LVAD using the left ventricle end-diastolic volume (Vlved) parameter (preload). An operating point was proposed to move between different control lines within the safe area to achieve the FSM. A proportional–integral (PI) controller was used to control the gradient angle between control lines to obtain the flow target. A lumped parameter model of the cardiovascular system was used to evaluate the proposed method. Exercise and rest scenarios were assessed under multi-physiological conditions of HF patients. Simulation results demonstrated that the control system was stable and feasible under different physiological states of the cardiovascular system (CVS). In addition, the proposed controller was able to keep hemodynamic variables within an acceptable range of the mean pump flow (Qp) (max = 5.2 L/min and min = 3.2 L/min) during test conditions.
A New Nonparametric Filled Function Method for Integer Programming Problems with Constraints
Authors: Ma Suxia , Gao Yuelin , Zhang Bo , Zuo Wenlu
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we investigate and develop a new filled function method for solving integer programming problems with constraints. By adopting the appropriate equivalent transformation method, these problems are transformed into a class of box-constrained integer programming problems. Then, an effective nonparametric filled function is constructed, and a new global optimization algorithm is designed using the discrete steepest descent method. Numerical experiments illustrate that this algorithm has effectiveness, feasibility, and better global optimization ability.
How Many Fractional Derivatives Are There?
Authors: Valério Duarte , Ortigueira Manuel D. , Lopes António M.
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we introduce a unified fractional derivative, defined by two parameters (order and asymmetry). From this, all the interesting derivatives can be obtained. We study the one-sided derivatives and show that most known derivatives are particular cases. We consider also some myths of Fractional Calculus and false fractional derivatives. The results are expected to contribute to limit the appearance of derivatives that differ from existing ones just because they are defined on distinct domains, and to prevent the ambiguous use of the concept of fractional derivative.
Enumeration of Optimal Equidistant Codes
Authors: Bogdanova Galina , Todorov Todor
Published: February 2022

Problems of search and enumeration of binary and ternary equidistant codes are considered in the paper. We investigate some combinatorial algorithms and develop specialized computer packages to find non-equivalent optimal binary and ternary equidistant codes for 3 ≤ d ≤ n ≤ 9.
Liouville-Type Results for a Three-Dimensional Eyring-Powell Fluid with Globally Bounded Spatial Gradients in Initial Data
Authors: Díaz José Luis , Rahman Saeed , Nouman Muhammad , González Julián Roa
Published: February 2022

The analysis in the present paper provides insights into the Liouville-type results for an Eyring-Powell fluid considered as having an incompressible and unsteady flow. The gradients in the spatial distributions of the initial data are assumed to be globally (in the sense of energy) bounded. Under this condition, solutions to the Eyring-Powell fluid equations are regular and bounded under the L2 norm. Additionally, a numerical assessment is provided to show the mentioned regularity of solutions in the travelling wave domain. This exercise serves as a validation of the analytical approach firstly introduced.
A Note on an Integral Transformation for the Equivalence between a Fractional and Integer Order Diffusion Model
Authors: Pérez-Pinacho Claudia A. , Verde Cristina
Published: February 2022

This note tackles the equivalence problem between the fractional and integer order diffusion models. Unlike existing approaches, the existence of a unique integral transformation mapping the solution of the integer order model to a solution of the fractional order model of α=1/2 is proven. Moreover, the corresponding inverse integral transformation is formally established to guarantee the equivalence and well-posedness of the solutions of these models. Finally, as an example, the solution of a fractional order diffusion model α=1/2, obtained through the solution of its integer order counterpart and the proposed transformation, is compared with the solution derived by using the Fourier transform.