bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation between physician assistant students’ performance score of history taking and physical exam documentation and scores of Graduate Record Examination, clinical year grade point average, and score of Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam in the United States
Authors: Lolar Sara , McQueen Jamie , Maher Sara
Published: May 2020

Purpose: Learning to perform and document patient history taking and physical exam (H&P) entails a major component of the first year academic education of physician assistant (PA) students at Wayne State University, USA. The H&P is summative of multiple aspects of PA education, and students must master communication with patients and other health care providers. The objectives of this study were first, to determine if there was a correlation between scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) component testing and scores on graded H&Ps. The second objective was to identify a correlation between proficiency with H&P documentation and academic and clinical year grade point average (GPA) and Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) score.Methods: Subjects included 147 PA students from Wayne State University from 2014–2016. PA students visited local hospitals or outpatient clinics during the academic year to perform and document patient H&Ps. Correlation between the H&P mean scores and GRE component scores, GPAs, and PANCE scores were analyzed.Results: The subjects were 26.5 years-old (+6.5) and 111 females (75.5%). There was no correlation between the GRE component score and the H&P mean score. The H&P score was positively correlated with GPA 1 (r=0.512, P<0.001), with GPA 2 (r=0.425, P<0.001) and with PANCE score (r=0.448, P<0.001).Conclusion: PA student skill with H&P documentation was positively related to academic performance score during PA school and achievement score on the PANCE at Wayne State University, USA.
Voluntary assignments during the pediatric clerkship to enhance the clinical experiences of medical students in the United States
Authors: Krawiec Conrad , Myers Abigail Kate
Published: May 2020

Purpose: Pediatric clerkships that utilize off-campus clinical sites ensure clinical comparability by requiring completion of patient-focused tasks. Some tasks may not be attainable (especially off-campus); thus, they are not assigned. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of providing a voluntary assignment list to third-year medical students in their pediatric clerkship.Methods: This is a retrospective single-center cross-sectional analysis of voluntary assignment completion during the 2019–2020 academic year. Third-year medical students were provided a voluntary assignment list (observe a procedure, use an interpreter phone to obtain a pediatric history, ask a preceptor to critique a clinical note, and follow-up on a patient after the rotation ends). Descriptive statistics were used to assess the timing and distribution of voluntary assignment completion.Results: In total, 132 subjects (77 on the main campus, 55 off-campus) were included. Eighteen (13.6%) main-campus and 16 (12.1%) off-campus students completed at least 1 voluntary assignment. The following voluntary assignments were completed: observe a procedure (15, 11.4%), use an interpreter phone (26, 19.7%), ask a preceptor to critique a clinical note (12, 9.1%), and follow-up on a patient after the rotation ends (7, 5.3%). Off-campus students completed the assignments more often (29.1%) than on-campus students (23.4%)Conclusion: Our clerkship values specific patient-focused tasks that may enhance student development, but are not attainable at all clinical sites. When provided a voluntary assignment list, 34 out of 132 students (25.8%) completed them. Clerkships that utilize off-campus sites should consider this approach to optimize the pediatric educational experience.
Model Latihan Smash Bulutangkis Untuk Pemula Usia 8-10 Tahun
Authors: Ahmad Fandi
Published: May 2020

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk; 1) menghasilkan produk berupa model latihan smash bulutangkis untuk pemula usia 8-10 dan 2) memperoleh data empiris tentang keefektifan hasil produk model latihan smash bulutangkis terhadap keterampilan smash atlit pemula usia 8-10 tahun. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian Research and Development (R & D). Subyek uji coba dalam penelitian ini adalah atlit pemula. Uji efektifitas peneliti eksperimenkan kepada 65 subjek selama 16 kali pertemuan. Tahap ini menghasilkan bahwa produk pengembangan efektif keterampilan smash bulutangkis. Menguji keefektifan model data yag didapatkan dari kelompok eksperimen rata-rata 19,57 dan kelompok kontrol 16,66 dengan uji signifikansi perbedaan dengan SPSS 16 didapat hasil t-hitung = -11.320 < 1.669, df= 64 dan sig. 2-tailed = 0,000 < 0,05 yang berarti terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan keterampilan smash sebelum dan sesudah diberi model latihan smash bulutangkis. Dalam penelitian ini dapat diambil kesimpulan jadi produk berupa model latihan smash bulutangkis untuk usia 8-10, setelah diuji dalam uji efektifitas (1) Model telah terbukti meningkatkan keterampilan smash bulutangkis secara efektif dan efisien pada atlet pemula. (2) Penelitian telah berhasil dilaksanakan dan telah dihasilkan sebuah produk model latihan smash bulutangkis untuk pemula. (3) Dengan model latihan smash bulutangkis yang telah peneliti kembangkan, yang mana subyeknya atlet pemula usia 8-10 tahun dapat melakukan teknik smash bulutangkis dengan tepat dan benar.
Tolerancia en el empalme por solape (traslapo) de grupos (paquetes) de barras según el EC2 y la ACI-318
Authors: Hernández Montes Enrique , Pascual-Vicente Rosa María , Sénica José M , Gil-Martín Luisa María
Published: May 2020

El uso de grupos (o paquetes) de barras presenta ventajas tales como la descongestión de barras.  Sin embargo, el empalme de este tipo de barras requiere de mayor detalle tanto en el despiece como en la ejecución. El empalme más habitual en este tipo de barras es el empalme por solape (o traslapo), escalonando las barras individuales en la dirección longitudinal. El Eurocódigo 2 y la ACI-318-14 difieren en las formas de empalme por solape y en la longitud de solape necesaria. En esta nota técnica los autores analizamos la tolerancia mínima existente en función de los tipos de solape en paquetes de barras.
TREATMENT OF FATE IN SHAKESPEAREAN AND CLASSICAL GREEK TRAGEDIES: A COMPARISON
Authors: Chowdhury Takad Ahmed
Published: May 2020

Fate is regarded as a central component in tragedy. The significant role of fate is recognized when, despite a character's heroic acts and good intentions, they face death simply because they are doomed to die. But studies confirm that fate does not play a similarly critical role in the tragic denouement of each play. This paper attempts a critical comparison on the role and nature of fate in the downfall of protagonists in the classical Greek and Shakespearean tragedies. By reviewing research-based articles and books, and by reading through selected texts in reader-response approach, this paper attempts to identify the entirely different natures of fate that came into play for the tragic heroesâ€™ downfall as portrayed in these two different ages. The findings manifest that the force behind the collapse of the heroes in the classical Greek tragedies was predominantly fate where the hero had little to do but to become a pawn in the hands of external forces beyond his control, while the force behind the tragic events is not external in the Shakespearean tragedies. Rather, the heroes themselves were, on the whole, responsible for their tragic downfalls due to their internal triggers.
КРИМІНАЛІСТИЧНЕ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ 9,00-мм ПІСТОЛЕТА «GLOCK-17»
Authors: Бондар В. С.
Published: May 2020

У статті наведені конструктивні особливості та характеристики 9,0-мм пістолета «Glock-17», проаналізовані результати експериментів, отримані під час проведення пострілів із даної моделі зброї та результати дослідження слідів на кулях та гільзах. Виокремлені деталі, які утворюють сліди на гільзах та кулях патронів, стріляних у даному пістолеті, та є такими, що дозволяють провести ідентифікацію.На підставі експериментальної стрільби з 9,00-мм пістолетів «Glock-17», «Beretta 92FS» проведений порівняльний аналіз морфологічної картини слідів близького пострілу на визначених відстанях, виявлені певні закономірності, які дозволяють диференціювати певні групи слідів, що утворюються при стрільбі з 9,00-мм вогне-пальної зброї досліджуваних моделей. Описано комплекс інформаційно значущих ознак, які слід виявляти і приймати до уваги під час досліджень аналогічних пошкоджень у ході встановлення дистанції близького пострілу.
Sieve: An Ensemble Algorithm Using Global Consensus for Binary Classification
Authors: Song Chongya , Pons Alexander , Yen Kang
Published: May 2020

In the field of machine learning, an ensemble approach is often utilized as an effective means of improving on the accuracy of multiple weak base classifiers. A concern associated with these ensemble algorithms is that they can suffer from the Curse of Conflict, where a classifier’s true prediction is negated by another classifier’s false prediction during the consensus period. Another concern of the ensemble technique is that it cannot effectively mitigate the problem of Imbalanced Classification, where an ensemble classifier usually presents a similar magnitude of bias to the same class as its imbalanced base classifiers. We proposed an improved ensemble algorithm called “Sieve” that overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings through the establishment of the novel concept of Global Consensus. The proposed Sieve ensemble approach was benchmarked against various ensemble classifiers, and was trained using different ensemble algorithms with the same base classifiers. The results demonstrate that better accuracy and stability was achieved.
State-of-the-Art Integration of Decentralized Energy Management Systems into the German Smart Meter Gateway Infrastructure
Authors: Kroener Nils , Förderer Kevin , Lösch Manuel , Schmeck Hartmut
Published: May 2020

The German Smart Meter Gateway (SMGW) infrastructure enables digital access to metering data and distributed energy resources by external parties. There are, however, various restrictions in order to guarantee the privacy of consumers, and strong security requirements. Furthermore, in the current state of development, there are still several challenges to overcome in order to implement demand side management (DSM) measures. In this paper, we present a prototype enabling DSM measures within the SMGW infrastructure, using the smart grid traffic light concept. The prototype implements an automated decentralized energy management system (EMS) that optimally controls an electric vehicle charging station. In the development of this prototype, we did not only evaluate five of the seven available SMGW devices, but also push the limits of the infrastructure itself. The experiments demonstrated the successful implementation of the intended DSM measure by the EMS. Even though there are technical guidelines standardizing the functionality of SMGWs, our evaluation shows that there are substantial differences between the individual SMGW devices.
Multi-Strategy Ensemble Whale Optimization Algorithm and Its Application to Analog Circuits Intelligent Fault Diagnosis
Authors: Yuan Xianfeng , Miao Zhaoming , Liu Ziao , Yan Zichen , Zhou Fengyu
Published: May 2020

The whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is a new swarm intelligence (SI) optimization algorithm, which has the superiorities of fewer parameters and stronger searching ability. However, previous studies have indicated that there are shortages in maintaining diversity and avoiding local optimal solutions. This paper proposes a multi-strategy ensemble whale optimization algorithm (MSWOA) to alleviate these deficiencies. First, the chaotic initialization strategy is performed to enhance the quality of the initial population. Then, an improved random searching mechanism is designed to reduce blindness in the exploration phase and speed up the convergence. In addition, the original spiral updating position is modified by the Levy flight strategy, which leads to a better tradeoff between local and global search. Finally, an enhanced position revising mechanism is utilized to improve the exploration further. To testify the superiorities of the proposed MSWOA algorithm, a series of comparative experiments are carried out. On the one hand, the numerical optimization experimental results, which are conducted under nineteen widely used benchmark functions, indicate that the performance of MSWOA stands out compared with the standard WOA and six other well-designed SI algorithms. On the other hand, MSWOA is utilized to tune the parameters of the support vector machine (SVM), which is applied to the fault diagnosis of analog circuits. Experimental results confirm that the proposed method has higher diagnosis accuracy than other competitors. Therefore, the MSWOA is successfully applied as a novel and efficient optimization algorithm.
Quality of New Functional Powdered Beverages Enriched with Lyophilized Fruits—Potentially Bioaccessible Antioxidant Properties, Nutritional Value, and Consumer Analysis
Authors: Bochnak-Niedźwiecka Justyna , Świeca Michał
Published: May 2020

This study evaluates nutrients and health-promoting compounds responsible for antioxidant capacity in eight novel formulations based on lyophilized fruit and vegetable powders. The composition contained lyophilized carrot, pumpkin, lentil sprouts, raspberry, strawberry, and apple. The effect of functional additives on the antioxidant, nutritional, and functional characteristics of powdered beverages was determined in the powders and after rehydration followed by in vitro digestion. The antioxidant activity, phenols, vitamin C, and reducing power were significantly higher in the powders enriched with additives having potential functional properties. Furthermore, the analyses indicated that all the powdered formulations may be potential sources of total starch (100–112 mg/100 mL) and proteins (125–139 mg/100 mL). The designed powdered beverages after reconstitution exhibited high antioxidant content, reasonable consumer acceptance, and good in vitro bioaccessibility. The best results of antioxidant capacity were obtained for beverages enriched with raspberry, i.e., 10.4 mg Trolox equivalent (TE)/100 mL and 12.1 mg TE/100 mL rehydrated at 20 °C and 80 °C, respectively. Additionally, color characteristics were used as indicators of the quality of the powdered beverages. This research promotes the reduction of food waste, since whole plant tissues are used, thus allowing maximum exploitation of food raw materials; moreover, drying provides stable shelf life.
Synthesis of Novel Potent Biologically Active N-Benzylisatin-Aryl Hydrazones in Comparison with Lung Cancer Drug ‘Gefitinib’
Authors: Al-Salem Huda S. , Abuelizz Hatem A. , Issa Iman S. , Mahmoud Amany Z. , AlHoshani Ali , Arifuzzaman Md , Rahman A. F. M. Motiur
Published: May 2020

Developing anticancer therapeutics with no/few side effects is a challenge for medicinal chemists. The absence of antibacterial activity of an anticancer drug removes its detrimental effect toward intestinal flora and therefore leads to reduced side effects. Here, a series of novel N-benzylisatin-aryl-hydrazones was designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities with SAR and ADME studies, aiming to develop anticancer drugs with no antimicrobial, yet high antiproliferative activities. The results were then compared with the effects of first-line treatments for lung cancer drug Gefitinib. Novel N-benzylisatin-aryl-hydrazones were synthesized from isatin and benzyl bromide in three steps with good to moderate yields. Antimicrobial activity was tested with six Gram-positive/negative bacterial strains, antifungal activity with a fungal strain and antiproliferative activity against ‘A549’ and ‘HeLa cell lines’, respectively. As expected, synthesized hydrazones reveled no effects on any of the strains of bacteria and fungi up to 100-µg/disc concentration. However, four compounds showed two-to-four fold antiproliferative activity over Gefitinib. For instance, IC50 of a compound (6c) shows concentration of 4.35 µM, whereas gefitinib shows 15.23 µM against ‘A549.’ ADME predicted studies reveled that our synthesized hydrazones exhibited higher ADME values than the Gefitinib. Therefore, our synthesized hydrazones can be an excellent scaffold for the development of anticancer therapeutics after considering further investigations.
A Helmholtz Resonator with Spiral Neck for Analyte Concentration Measurement in Low Frequency Range
Authors: Chen Yugang , Lee Bomi , Park Yong-Hwa
Published: May 2020

Helmholtz resonators (HR) have been proven to have feasibility for sensor applications with good performance. However, for biosensor application, when the amount of test sample is limited, the operating frequency tends to be very high, which may bring challenges of resonance excitation and frequency measurement. In this paper, a modified HR was proposed for biosensor application at a lower frequency, by designing the neck of the HR as a type of an Archimedes spiral, which can increase the neck length as much as possible without occupying much space. The resonant frequency of the proposed HR was derived by treating it as an HR with a straight neck with the equivalent length. An analytical example was calculated and verified by acoustic finite element analysis, and the results clearly showed that the frequency decreases in comparison to that of the conventional HR. Based on the underlying theory, the measurement principle was proposed and the experiment setup was established using a 3D-printed structure. The experiment was done using test solutions with different glucose concentrations, whose results showed consistency with the analytical results and noticeable frequency increases with the glucose concentration. Prospective results of the proposed HR after miniaturization show an operating frequency around 3 kHz when the amount of test sample is 0.1 mL, which will facilitate use of the common acoustic power source and acoustic pressure sensors in the sensing system.
An Economic Analysis of An Innovative Floating Offshore Wind Platform Built with Concrete: The SATH® Platform
Authors: Baita-Saavedra Eugenio , Cordal-Iglesias David , Filgueira-Vizoso Almudena , Morató Àlex , Lamas-Galdo Isabel , Álvarez-Feal Carlos , Carral Luis , Castro-Santos Laura
Published: May 2020

The goal of this work is to carry out an economic analysis of a novel floating offshore wind structure, of which the main material is concrete: the SATH® platform. It takes a step forward in floating marine wind energy research, in which traditional platforms are mainly composed of steel. The technique to calculate the costs of the platform and the economic parameters to decide if the farm is economically feasible are explained in the paper. This case study analyzes a possible farm of 500 MW located in Portugal and several scenarios considering different electric tariffs and capital costs (Scenario 1: electric tariff of 50 €/MWh and 6% of capital cost; Scenario 2: electric tariff of 50 €/MWh and 8% of capital cost; Scenario 3: electric tariff of 150 €/MWh and 6% of capital cost; Scenario 4: electric tariff of 150 €/MWh and 8% of capital cost). Results show the economic feasibility of a farm with the characteristics of Scenarios 3 and 4. This work is significant in order to provide a new approach to analyzing traditional floating offshore wind structures, which can represent a path towards the future of floating offshore renewable energy technologies.
Motion Control and External Force Estimation of a Pneumatically Driven Multi-DOF Robotic Forceps
Authors: Zhou Dongbo , Tadano Kotaro , Haraguchi Daisuke
Published: May 2020

Robotic forceps with a rigid-link joint mechanism is orthodox for current robotic-assisted surgery systems. However, external force estimation without force sensors during operations is difficult for such electrically driven forceps. This work introduces a pneumatically driven multi-DOF (DOF: degree of freedom) forceps using a rigid-link mechanism with less interference of the wire drive between joints and realizes external force estimation by utilizing high back-drivability of pneumatic cylinders. We developed a position controller with dynamic compensation of the mechanical friction, in which the rotational angles of the three movable joints of the forceps are independently controlled. Moreover, we designed an external force observer in the position controller by applying the disturbance observer scheme. The results of the performance evaluation experiments are as follows. First, in the joint position control experiments, smooth and stable controllability is confirmed for sinusoidal reference inputs with the mean absolute errors of less than 2°. The resolution of the joint position control is approximately 1° for the response of step increasing reference inputs, which is acceptable for laparoscopic surgery. Second, the external force observer can correctly estimate the translational and the grasping forces with less than 20% errors of the maximum output forces. The practical sensitivities of the external force estimation are better than 0.5 N for translational forces and 0.2 N for grasping forces. The achieved performance of the developed forceps can be applicable for interactive force control in some particular surgical tasks such as suturing, ligation, organ traction and exclusion.
Analysis of Cross-Referencing Artificial Intelligence Topics Based on Sentence Modeling
Authors: Woo Hosung , Kim JaMee , Lee WonGyu
Published: May 2020

Artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing about enormous changes in everyday life and today’s society. Interest in AI is continuously increasing as many countries are creating new AI-related degrees, short-term intensive courses, and secondary school programs. This study was conducted with the aim of identifying the interrelationships among topics based on the understanding of various bodies of knowledge and to provide a foundation for topic compositions to construct an academic body of knowledge of AI. To this end, machine learning-based sentence similarity measurement models used in machine translation, chatbots, and document summarization were applied to the body of knowledge of AI. Consequently, several similar topics related to agent designing in AI, such as algorithm complexity, discrete structures, fundamentals of software development, and parallel and distributed computing were identified. The results of this study provide the knowledge necessary to cultivate talent by identifying relationships with other fields in the edutech field.
Bioremediation of PAH-Contaminated Soils: Process Enhancement through Composting/Compost
Authors: Sayara Tahseen , Sánchez Antoni
Published: May 2020

Bioremediation of contaminated soils has gained increasing interest in recent years as a low-cost and environmentally friendly technology to clean soils polluted with anthropogenic contaminants. However, some organic pollutants in soil have a low biodegradability or are not bioavailable, which hampers the use of bioremediation for their removal. This is the case of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which normally are stable and hydrophobic chemical structures. In this review, several approaches for the decontamination of PAH-polluted soil are presented and discussed in detail. The use of compost as biostimulation- and bioaugmentation-coupled technologies are described in detail, and some parameters, such as the stability of compost, deserve special attention to obtain better results. Composting as an ex situ technology, with the use of some specific products like surfactants, is also discussed. In summary, the use of compost and composting are promising technologies (in all the approaches presented) for the bioremediation of PAH-contaminated soils.
Numerical Analysis of Bicycle Helmet under Blunt Behavior
Authors: Sepulveda-Lopez David , Antona-Makoshi Jacobo , Rubio Ignacio , Rodríguez-Millán Marcos
Published: May 2020

This study evaluates various safety aspects of standardized impacts that cyclists may suffer while wearing a bicycle helmet, by combining a partially validated finite element model of the cranio-cervical region and a newly developed commercial bicycle helmet model. Under EN 1078 standardized impact conditions, the results of simulated impact tests show that the helmet can absorb 40% to 50% of the total impact energy at impact velocities above 4 m/s. Further, based on a relationship between the head injury criterion and the risk of injury from field data, the results of the simulations suggest that minor injuries may occur at impact velocities of 10 km/h, serious injuries at 15 km/h, and severe injuries at 20 km/h. Fatal injuries will likely occur at impact velocities of 30 km/h and higher.
CMOS Fixed Pattern Noise Removal Based on Low Rank Sparse Variational Method
Authors: Zhang Tao , Li Xinyang , Li Jianfeng , Xu Zhi
Published: May 2020

Fixed pattern noise (FPN) has always been an important factor affecting the imaging quality of CMOS image sensor (CIS). However, the current scene-based FPN removal methods mostly focus on the image itself, and seldom consider the structure information of the FPN, resulting in various undesirable noise removal effects. This paper presents a scene-based FPN correction method: the low rank sparse variational method (LRSUTV). It combines not only the continuity of the image itself, but also the structural and statistical characteristics of the stripes. At the same time, the low frequency information of the image is combined to achieve adaptive adjustment of some parameters, which simplifies the process of parameter adjustment, to a certain extent. With the help of adaptive parameter adjustment strategy, LRSUTV shows good performance under different intensity of stripe noise, and has high robustness.
Prediction of Temperature Distribution for Previous Cement Concrete Pavement with Asphalt Overlay
Authors: Zhang Lijuan , Huang Jianwu , Li Peilong
Published: May 2020

In this study, the temperature distribution of a pavement was predicted by developing an analytic algorithm. The Laplace and inverse Laplace transform techniques and Gaussian quadratic formula were applied to a pavement system of an asphalt overlay placed over an existing concrete pavement. The temperature distribution of the previous cement concrete pavement with an asphalt overlay can be estimated with the proposed analytical method regardless of the depth and time. To conduct the method, the layer thicknesses, material thermal properties and climatic factors (including air temperature, wind velocity and solar radiation) were firstly input. Then, a discrete least-squares approximation of the interpolatory trigonometric polynomials was used to fit some specific measured climatic factors considered in the surface boundary condition, i.e., the measured solar radiation intensity and air temperature. The pavement surface convection coefficient can be approximately calculated by the wind speed. The temperature solutions are validated with the measured pavement temperature data of two different periods of a whole year (summer and winter). The obtained results demonstrate the feasibility of the developed analytical approach to predict the temperature distribution of the existing cement concrete pavement with an asphalt overlay in different weather conditions with acceptable accuracy.
The Effect of Air Pollution on the Healthy Growth of Cities: An Empirical Study of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region
Authors: Zhang Fan , Xu Ning , Wang Lishuang , Tan Qiu
Published: May 2020

In the context of sustainable development, air pollution poses challenges to the adjustment of the industrial structure in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. In order to explore the relationship between air pollution and urban industrial development, this paper uses a simultaneous equation model to empirically analyze the relationship between PM2.5 concentration and industrial development based on panel data from 2000 to 2017 on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The empirical results show that there is a two-way causal relationship between industrial development and air pollution. Secondary industry upgrades to tertiary industry, which will help improve the air quality in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. At the same time, air pollution has a significant adverse effect on the development of secondary industry and tertiary industry. An average increase of 1% in PM2.5 concentration will cause the proportion of secondary industry to increase by about 0.08% to 0.28%, and the proportion of tertiary industry to decrease by about 0.13% to 0.31%. Based on the results of the empirical model, this paper puts forward policy recommendations for environmental governance in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, aiming to achieving healthy development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
Numerical Investigation of Blast Performance of Plate-Reinforced Moment-Resisting Connection Using Large Concrete Filled Tubular Section
Authors: Shin Jinwon , Hwang Seong-Hoon , Kim Jinkyu
Published: May 2020

This paper presents a numerical study to investigate the blast performance of a plate-reinforced moment-resisting connection using a large concrete filled tubular (CFT) column with dimensions of 1000 × 1000 mm and a thickness of 40 mm. A steel H-section with dimensions of 700 × 300 × 13 × 24 mm is used for beam. The plate-reinforced large CFT connection is analyzed numerically using a finite element code to evaluate its blast resistance. The methodology of modeling the connection is validated based on a past experimental study and verified using an alternate finite element code. Five improvised explosive devices (IED) are considered as blast loadings. The blast resistance of the proposed connection against the IED attacks is investigated based on the design criteria specified in the U.S. government document, UFC 3-340-02, and in comparison to that of a widely used through-diaphragm moment connection. Local failure modes in the vicinity of the connections are also examined. Recommendation is provided for design practice.
Thermal Environment Map in Street Canyon for Implementing Extreme High Temperature Measures
Authors: Takebayashi Hideki , Okubo Mai , Danno Hiroki
Published: May 2020

The thermal environment map in street canyon is derived by using GIS building data and more detailed calculation, and its effectiveness is considered for implementing extreme high temperature measures. The influence of mean radiant temperature (MRT) is more dominant than the wind velocity on the distribution of standard new effective temperature (SET*) on the typical summer day in street canyon in the urban area of Kobe city, and the solar radiation shading is more effective in suppressing the rise of SET* in the daytime than improving the land coverage. The following strategy of extreme high temperature measures is derived by considering the thermal environment map in street canyon. Pedestrians may find the shaded places on the north-south road until 10:00 a.m. and after 3:00 p.m., due to the eastern building’s shade in the morning and the western building’s shade in the afternoon.
Kappa Free Light Chains and IgG Combined in a Novel Algorithm for the Detection of Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Gudowska-Sawczuk Monika , Tarasiuk Joanna , Kułakowska Alina , Kochanowicz Jan , Mroczko Barbara
Published: May 2020

Background: It is well known that the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of free light chains (FLC) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) are elevated in multiple sclerosis patients (MS). Therefore, in this study we aimed to develop a model based on the concentrations of free light chains and IgG to predict multiple sclerosis. We tried to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of the novel κIgG index and λIgG index, here presented for the first time, and compare them with the κFLC index and the λFLC index in multiple sclerosis patients. Methods: CSF and serum samples were obtained from 76 subjects who underwent lumbar puncture for diagnostic purposes and, as a result, were divided into two groups: patients with multiple sclerosis (n = 34) and patients with other neurological disorders (control group; n = 42). The samples were analyzed using turbidimetry and isoelectric focusing. The κIgG index, λIgG index, κFLC index, and λFLC index were calculated using specific formulas. Results: The concentrations of CSF κFLC, CSF λFLC, and serum κFLC and the values of κFLC index, λFLC index, and κIgG index were significantly higher in patients with multiple sclerosis compared to controls. CSF κFLC concentration and the values of κFLC index, λFLC index, and κIgG index differed in patients depending on their pattern type of oligoclonal bands. κFLC concentration was significantly higher in patients with pattern type 2 and type 3 in comparison to those with pattern type 1 and type 4. The κFLC index, λFLC index, and κIgG index were significantly higher in patients with pattern type 2 in comparison to those with pattern type 4. The κFLC index and κIgG index were significantly higher in patients with pattern type 2 in comparison to those with pattern type 1, and in patients with pattern type 3 compared to those with pattern type 4. The κIgG index was markedly elevated in patients with pattern type 3 compared to those with pattern type 1. In the total study group, κFLC, λFLC, κFLC index, λFLC index, κIgG index, and λIgG index correlated with each other. The κIgG index showed the highest diagnostic power (area under the curve, AUC) in the detection of multiple sclerosis. The κFLC index and κIgG index showed the highest diagnostic sensitivity, and the κIgG index presented the highest ability to exclude multiple sclerosis. Conclusion: This study provides novel information about the diagnostic significance of four markers combined in the κIgG index. More investigations in larger study groups are needed to confirm that the κIgG index can reflect the intrathecal synthesis of immunoglobulins and may improve the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.
The Performance Optimization of Oriented Strand Board Veneer Technology
Authors: Xiong Xianqing , Ma Qingru , Ren Jie
Published: May 2020

Oriented strand board (OSB) veneer technology and its performance have been widely studied in order to expand the range of OSB substrates. In this paper, OSB was a modified composite with boards as substrates, Myanmar old mahogany bark as the veneer material, and a cornstarch adhesive. Under such conditions, the optimal veneer technology was studied, and the index of the surface bonding strength and the veneer penetration rate were utilized in order to determine the performance. Two different processing technologies, cold pressing and hot pressing, were experimentally compared and hot pressing showed better performance. Subsequently, experiments were performed on the surface bonding strength and veneer penetration rate. The results show that the veneer performance of OSB is best when the unit pressure is 1.0 MPa, the hot-pressing temperature is 90 °C, and the hot-pressing time is 240 s. Furthermore, the magnitude of influence of the factors affecting the bonding strength is as follows: unit pressure > hot-pressing temperature > hot-pressing time. The research results have prospective significance for the performance optimization of OSB veneer technology.
Optimization of the Mechanical Performance of Titanium for Biomedical Applications by Advanced, High-Gain SPD Technology
Authors: Mertová Kateřina , Palán Jan , Németh Gergely , Fintová Stanislava , Duchek Michal , Studecký Tomáš , Veselý Josef , Máthis Kristián , Džugan Jan , Trojanová Zuzanka
Published: May 2020

This recent study deals with the optimization of the mechanical performance of Grade 2 and Grade 4 titanium with Conform severe plastic deformation (SPD) processing and subsequent rotary swaging. A comprehensive study of the materials behaviour and characterisation during and after processing is given by (finite element method - FEM) numerical simulation, microscopy methods and mechanical testing. The mechanical and fatigue properties are discussed in terms of texture and microstructure evolution. It is shown that the combination of Conform SPD and rotary swaging is a promising technique for economically reliable, high-gain production of titanium alloys fulfilling requirements for biomedical applications. Such a processing can improve the mechanical properties of the unalloyed titanium to the level of the commonly used Ti-6Al-4V.
Multi-Layer Anti-Reflection Film Based on SiOx and NbOx by DC Pulse Sputter System with Inductively Coupled Plasma Source
Authors: Lee Hanbin , Park Minjeong , Jeon Minhyon , Kim Byeongcheol
Published: May 2020

The research on anti-reflection (AR) optical thin film has long sought to obtain high-performance reflection and transmission properties in photovoltaic and photonic devices. The study of multi-layer AR (M-AR) film with low- and high-refractive-index materials is essential to increase the selective transmittance and reflectance at visible light wavelengths. However, M-AR film exhibits low substrate adhesion and slow deposition rates. We developed a DC pulse sputter system incorporating an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source of high density to obtain high-quality M-AR film. Six-layer AR optical thin film was simulated using SiOx as a low-refractive-index material and NbOx as a high-refractive-index material. The multi-layer AR film based on SiOx and NbOx (M-SiNb) was fabricated using DC pulse sputtering which incorporated an ICP source. M-SiNb film exhibited better properties than the optical simulation results at 550 nm (transmittance: 99.19%, reflectance: 0.87%). Similarly, the M-SiNb film fabricated using the ICP source had high transmittance and reflectance in the visible light region and excellent adhesion to the substrate notwithstanding the various mechanical tests it was subjected to. Consequently, the development of the DC pulse sputter system included the ICP source, and this study represents important research in the field of optical film.
Effects of Temperature Rise on Multi-Taxa Distributions in Mountain Ecosystems
Authors: Viterbi Ramona , Cerrato Cristiana , Bionda Radames , Provenzale Antonello
Published: May 2020

Mountain biodiversity is associated with rare and fragile biota that are highly sensitive to climate change. To estimate the vulnerability of biodiversity to temperature rise, long-term field data are crucial. Species distribution models are an essential tool, in particular for invertebrates, for which detailed information on spatial and temporal distributions is largely missing. We applied presence-only distribution models to field data obtained from a systematic survey of 5 taxa (birds, butterflies, carabids, spiders, staphylinids), monitored in the northwestern Italian Alps. We estimated the effects of a moderate temperature increase on the multi-taxa distributions. Only small changes in the overall biodiversity patterns emerged, but we observed significant differences between groups of species and along the altitudinal gradient. The effects of temperature increase could be more pronounced for spiders and butterflies, and particularly detrimental for high-altitude species. We observed significant changes in community composition and species richness, especially in the alpine belt, but a clear separation between vegetation levels was retained also in the warming scenarios. Our conservative approach suggests that even a moderate temperature increase (about 1 °C) could influence animal biodiversity in mountain ecosystems: only long-term field data can provide the information to improve quantitative predictions, allowing us to readily identify the most informative signals of forthcoming changes.
Low Diversity of Intertidal Canopy-Forming Macroalgae at Urbanized Areas along the North Portuguese Coast
Authors: García Marcos Rubal , Torres Catarina A. , Veiga Puri
Published: May 2020

Canopy-forming macroalgae are the main component in some of the most diverse and productive coastal habitats around the world. However, canopy-forming macroalgae are very sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances. In coastal urban areas, intertidal organisms are exposed to the interactive effect of several anthropogenic disturbances that can modify the community’s structure and diversity. Along the North-East Atlantic shores, many studies explored the effect of anthropogenic disturbances on canopy-forming macroalgae, but mainly focused on kelps and fucoids. However, along the intertidal rocky shores of the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, the most abundant and frequent canopy-forming macroalgae belong to the family Sargassaceae. To explore the effect of urbanization on these intertidal canopy-forming species the diversity and assemblage structure of canopy species were compared between four urban and four non-urban shores in the north of Portugal. Intertidal canopy assemblages on urban shores were dominated by the non-indigenous Sargassum muticum that was the only canopy-forming species on three of the four studied urban shores. Canopy assemblages on all non-urban shores were more diverse. Moreover, stands of canopy-forming species on urban shores were always monospecific, while at non-urban shores multi-specific stands were common. Therefore, results suggest that urbanization reduces canopy´s biodiversity.
Inertial Sensors as a Tool for Diagnosing Discopathy Lumbosacral Pathologic Gait: A Preliminary Research
Authors: Glowinski Sebastian , Łosiński Karol , Kowiański Przemysław , Waśkow Monika , Bryndal Aleksandra , Grochulska Agnieszka
Published: May 2020

Background: the goal of the study is to ascertain the influence of discopathy in the lumbosacral (L-S) segment on the gait parameters. The inertial sensors are used to determine the pathologic parameters of gait. Methods: the study involved four patients (44, 46, 42, and 38 years). First, the goal of the survey was to analyze by a noninvasive medical test magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of each patient. Next, by using inertial sensors, the flexion-extension of joint angles of the left and right knees were calculated. The statistical analysis was performed. The wavelet transform was applied to analyze periodic information in the acceleration data. Results: in the patients with discopathy, the amount of knee flexion attained during stance phase is significantly lower than that of normal (health side), which could indicate poor eccentric control or a pain avoidance mechanism. The biggest differences are observed in the Initial Swing phase. Bending of the lower limb in the knee joint at this stage reaches maximum values during the entire gait cycle. Conclusions: It has been difficult to quantify the knee angle during gait by visual inspection. The inertial measurement unit (IMU) system can be useful in determining the level of spine damage and its degree. In patients in the first stages of the intervertebral disc disease who may undergo conservative treatment, it may also partially delay or completely exclude the decision to perform a complicated imaging examination which is MRI, often showing a false positive result in this phase of the disease.
Simulated Sensor Based Strategies for Obstacle Avoidance Using Velocity Profiling for Autonomous Vehicle FURBOT
Authors: Masood Khayyam , Molfino Rezia , Zoppi Matteo
Published: May 2020

Freight Urban Robotic Vehicle (FURBOT) is an autonomous vehicle designed to transport last mile freight to designated urban stations. It is a slow vehicle designed to tackle urban environment with complete autonomy. A slow vehicle may have slightly different strategies for avoiding obstacles. Unlike on a highway, it has to deal with pedestrians, traffic lights and slower vehicles while maintaining smoothness in its drive. To tackle obstacle avoidance for this vehicle, sensor feedback based strategies have been formulated for smooth drive and obstacle avoidance. A full mathematical model for the vehicle is formulated and simulated in MATLAB environment. The mathematical model uses velocity control for obstacle avoidance without steering control. The obstacle avoidance is attained through velocity control and strategies are formulated with velocity profiling. Innovative techniques are formulated in creating the simulated sensory feed-backs of the environment. Using these feed-backs, correct velocity profiling is autonomously created for giving velocity profile input to the velocity controller. Proximity measurements are assumed to be available for the vehicle in its given range of drive. Novelty is attained by manipulating velocity profile without prior knowledge of the environment. Four different type of obstacles are modeled for simulated environment of the vehicle. These obstacles are randomly placed in the path of the vehicle and autonomous velocity profiling is verified in simulated environment. The simulated results obtained show satisfactory velocity profiling for controller input. The current technique helps to tune the existing controller and in designing of a better velocity controller for the autonomous vehicle and bridges the gap between sensor feed-back and controller input. Moreover, accurate input profiling creates less strain on the system and brings smoothness in drive for an overall safer environment.
Improving the Healthcare Effectiveness: The Possible Role of EHR, IoMT and Blockchain
Authors: Girardi Francesco , De Gennaro Gaetano , Colizzi Lucio , Convertini Nicola
Published: May 2020

New types of patient health records aim to help physicians shift from a medical practice, often based on their personal experience, towards one of evidence based medicine, thus improving the communication among patients and care providers and increasing the availability of personal medical information. These new records, allowing patients and care providers to share medical data and clinical information, and access them whenever they need, can be considered enabling Ambient Assisted Living technologies. Furthermore, new personal disease monitoring tools support specialists in their tasks, as an example allowing acquisition, transmission and analysis of medical images. The growing interest around these new technologies poses serious questions regarding data integrity and transaction security. The huge amount of sensitive data stored in these new records surely attracts the interest of malicious hackers, therefore it is necessary to guarantee the integrity and the maximum security of servers and transactions. Blockchain technology can be an important turning point in the development of personal health records. This paper discusses some issues regarding the management and protection of health data exchanged through new medical or diagnostic devices.
Spatial Estimation of the Latent Heat Flux in a Tropical Dry Forest by Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Authors: Marzahn Philip , Flade Linda , Sanchez-Azofeifa Arturo
Published: May 2020

In this paper, we address the retrieval of spatially distributed latent heat flux ( λ E) over a tropical dry forest using multi-spectral and thermal unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery. The study was carried out in the Santa Rosa National Park Environmental Monitoring Super-Site, Costa Rica, in June 2016. The triangle method was used to derive λ E from the UAV imagery and the results were compared to λ E measurements of an eddy covariance system within the coincident eddy flux tower footprint. The tower footprint was derived using a two-dimensional parameterization model for flux footprint prediction. The comparisons with the flux tower measurements showed a mean relative difference of 10.98% with a slight overestimation of the UAV-based flux retrievals by nearly 7.7 Wm − 2 . The results are in good agreement with satellite-based retrievals, as provided by the literature, for which the triangle method was initially developed and mostly used so far. This study proved to be a promising approach for transferring the triangle method to UAV imagery in ecosystems such as tropical dry forests. With the presented approach, new details in spatially distributed latent heat flux estimates at ultra-high resolution are now possible, thereby potentially closing the gap in spatial resolution between satellites and flux towers. Even more, it allows tracing the latent heat flux from single trees at leaf level. Besides, this approach also opens new perspectives for the monitoring of latent heat fluxes in tropical dry forests.