bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Atopic Dermatitis Patients
Authors: Sieniawska Joanna , Lesiak Aleksandra , Ciążyński Karol , Narbutt Joanna , Ciążyńska Magdalena
Published: February 2022

Atopic dermatitis (AD) can have a significantly negative impact on quality of life (QoL). The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the AD population is not yet well established. The study comprised 195 patients with diagnosed AD who were asked about their cognitive and preventive behaviors regarding COVID-19 and the accessibility of medical support, including online consultations. Moreover, the patients responded to the self-reported Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Most of the patients were worried about being infected with COVID-19. Most of the patients believed that people suffering from skin disease were more prone to be infected with COVID-19 compared with the general population. Most the patients negatively assessed the availability of dermatological treatment during the pandemic. Furthermore, 66.1% of the patients declared using telemedicine. Nearly 50% of patients were discontented with telemedicine, and 1/3 of the patients did not mind the use of telemedicine. AD during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a lower overall health rating and life satisfaction and impaired QoL related to mental health in a Polish population. These results provide original information that can be applied in dermatologic patient screenings to evaluate the state of depression and anxiety during the epidemic period.
The Impact of COVID-19 Protocols on the Continuity of Care for Patients with Hypertension
Authors: Lee Seo Yoon , Chun Sung Youn , Park Hyeki
Published: February 2022

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the continuity of care (COC) for patients with hypertension. Additionally, the factor of whether participants were treated via telemedicine was also considered. This study used the National Health Insurance and Medical Aid claims data of the Republic of Korea between 2019 and 2020. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify the differences in the number of visits and the most frequent provider continuity (MFPC) of hypertensive patients before and after the appearance of COVID-19 in Korea. Additional analysis was performed with data that excluded cases of patients who received telemedicine services. A total of 5,791,812 hypertensive patients were included in this study. The MFPC decreased by 0.0031 points after the appearance of COVID-19, and it showed the same decrease even when telemedicine cases were excluded. The number of outpatient clinic visit days decreased by 0.2930 days after the appearance of COVID-19. Without the telemedicine cases, the number of outpatient clinic visit days decreased by 0.3330 days after the appearance of COVID-19. Accordingly, the COVID-19 protocols did not affect hypertension patients’ COC but impacted the frequency of their outpatient visits. In other words, with or without telemedicine, the utilization of healthcare was not disrupted, but there was a significant difference in the volume of healthcare use depending on the inclusion of telemedicine cases.
A Cross-Sectional Survey of Labor Pain Control and Women’s Satisfaction
Authors: Pietrzak Jakub , Mędrzycka-Dąbrowska Wioletta , Tomaszek Lucyna , Grzybowska Magdalena Emilia
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Pain experienced during labor is a symptom of contractile activity and is a physiological feature of the uterus that occurs at the appropriate stages of labor. For the majority of women, labor pain is the most severe pain they will ever experience, and therefore should be relieved. Objective: (1) To evaluate labor pain intensity before and after using non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions; (2) to assess women’s satisfaction of labor pain management. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional survey study was performed on 500 women who gave birth in different reference level hospitals (i.e., I, II, III). Pain intensity was assessed according the Numeric Rating Scale (range 0–10), whereas women’s satisfaction was measured with a 5 point Likert scale. Results: The use of both non-pharmacological (median 6.7 (5; 8) vs. 4.5 (3.3; 5.5)) and pharmacological methods (median 8 (7; 9) vs. 5 (3; 6)) resulted in a significant reduction in pain (p < 0.01). Water immersion and epidural anesthesia proved to be the most effective non-pharmacological and pharmacological methods, respectively. In hospitals of reference I, analgesic management was based primarily on the use of non-pharmacological techniques, less often mixed, i.e., non-pharmacological and pharmacological techniques (27.5%). On the other hand, in hospitals with higher referentiality, mixed methods were used more often (level II—65.8%; level III—81.2%). Pain intensity was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) in hospitals with reference level I (median 5 (4; 6)) than in the hospitals with reference level II (median 4.2 (3; 5)) or level III (median 4.2 (3.3; 5.4)). Epidural anesthesia was most often performed (60%) in the hospital of reference II. Women’s satisfaction (median 4 (3; 5)), inter alia, was associated with the effectiveness of applied methods. Conclusions: The study findings suggest that women giving birth in hospitals of higher referentiality have better control of labor pain due to access to pharmacological methods. Epidural anesthesia remains the gold standard for relieving labor pain. The choice of a specific method is determined by the degree of hospital and associated with the pain referentiality.
A Comparative Study about Vertical Accuracy of Four Freely Available Digital Elevation Models: A Case Study in the Balsas River Watershed, Brazil
Authors: Ferreira Zuleide Alves , Cabral Pedro
Published: February 2022

Digital elevation models (DEMs) provide important support to research since these data are freely available for almost all areas of the terrestrial surface. Thus, it is important to assess their accuracy for correct applicability regarding the correct use scale. Therefore, this paper aims to assess the vertical accuracy of ALOS PALSAR, GMTED2010, SRTM, and Topodata DEMs according to the Brazilian Cartographic Accuracy Standard through the official high accuracy network data of the Brazilian Geodetic System. This study also seeks to investigate whether the altimetric error is correlated with altitude and slope in the study area. Our results showed that the four assessed DEMs in this study demonstrated satisfactory accuracy to provide mappings in scales up to 1:100,000 because more than 90% of the extracted points presented altimetric errors of less than 25 m when compared with the reference points from the high accuracy network of the Brazilian Geodetic System. Regarding the altimetric error, we could not find a significant correlation with altitude or slope in the study area. In this sense, future DEMs assessments should be based on the investigation of other factors that may influence altimetric error.
Heritage Smart City Mapping, Planning and Land Administration (Hestya)
Authors: Suwardhi Deni , Trisyanti Shafarina Wahyu , Virtriana Riantini , Syamsu Adib Aulia , Jannati Shefi , Halim Rizky Syamsudin
Published: February 2022

A smart city is a concept of urban development that requires different technologies to integrate all city elements into a sustainable city system. Land administration, including three-dimensional (3D) cadaster and planning, is a pre-condition for having a smart city. Land administration in the smart city will be more attractive when the city has a cultural heritage area that must be preserved for economic, social, and territory benefits. This paper describes the development of a multipurpose land administration system prototype of a city, especially in the cultural heritage area. The first activity of this development is to create a 3D city map for documentation and management of cities, especially for cultural heritage areas, and involve the role of the community in participatory mapping. The participatory mapping method is used to form a more detailed 3D building model using simple techniques for measuring the room distance on a building. Then, the 3D city model is stored in a spatial database and management system to visualize, analyze, and manage the data. This research uses the complex area of Kasepuhan Palace, Cirebon City, West Java, Indonesia, as a case study. That area is a cultural heritage area with complicated objects and unique information to document.
SARS-CoV-2-Specific Immune Response and the Pathogenesis of COVID-19
Authors: Gusev Evgenii , Sarapultsev Alexey , Solomatina Liliya , Chereshnev Valeriy
Published: February 2022

The review aims to consolidate research findings on the molecular mechanisms and virulence and pathogenicity characteristics of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and their relevance to four typical stages in the development of acute viral infection. These four stages are invasion; primary blockade of antiviral innate immunity; engagement of the virus’s protection mechanisms against the factors of adaptive immunity; and acute, long-term complications of COVID-19. The invasion stage entails the recognition of the spike protein (S) of SARS-CoV-2 target cell receptors, namely, the main receptor (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, ACE2), its coreceptors, and potential alternative receptors. The presence of a diverse repertoire of receptors allows SARS-CoV-2 to infect various types of cells, including those not expressing ACE2. During the second stage, the majority of the polyfunctional structural, non-structural, and extra proteins SARS-CoV-2 synthesizes in infected cells are involved in the primary blockage of antiviral innate immunity. A high degree of redundancy and systemic action characterizing these pathogenic factors allows SARS-CoV-2 to overcome antiviral mechanisms at the initial stages of invasion. The third stage includes passive and active protection of the virus from factors of adaptive immunity, overcoming of the barrier function at the focus of inflammation, and generalization of SARS-CoV-2 in the body. The fourth stage is associated with the deployment of variants of acute and long-term complications of COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2’s ability to induce autoimmune and autoinflammatory pathways of tissue invasion and development of both immunosuppressive and hyperergic mechanisms of systemic inflammation is critical at this stage of infection.
Cardioprotection of Immature Heart by Simultaneous Activation of PKA and Epac: A Role for the Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore
Authors: Lewis Martin John , Khaliulin Igor , Hall Katie , Suleiman M. Saadeh
Published: February 2022

Metabolic and ionic changes during ischaemia predispose the heart to the damaging effects of reperfusion. Such changes and the resulting injury differ between immature and adult hearts. Therefore, cardioprotective strategies for adults must be tested in immature hearts. We have recently shown that the simultaneous activation of protein kinase A (PKA) and exchange protein activated by cAMP (Epac) confers marked cardioprotection in adult hearts. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of this intervention in immature hearts and determine whether the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) is involved. Isolated perfused Langendorff hearts from both adult and immature rats were exposed to global ischaemia and reperfusion injury (I/R) following control perfusion or perfusion after an equilibration period with activators of PKA and/or Epac. Functional outcome and reperfusion injury were measured and in parallel, mitochondria were isolated following 5 min of reperfusion to determine whether cardioprotective interventions involved changes in MPTP opening behaviour. Perfusion for 5 min preceding ischaemia of injury-matched adult and immature hearts with 5 µM 8-Br (8-Br-cAMP-AM), an activator of both PKA and Epac, led to significant reduction in post-reperfusion CK release and infarct size. Perfusion with this agent also led to a reduction in MPTP opening propensity in both adult and immature hearts. These data show that immature hearts are innately more resistant to I/R injury than adults, and that this is due to a reduced tendency of MPTP opening following reperfusion. Furthermore, simultaneous stimulation of PKA and Epac causes cardioprotection, which is additive to the innate resistance.
Chabazite Synthesis and Its Exchange with Ti, Zn, Cu, Ag and Au for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue Dye
Authors: González-Crisostomo José C. , López-Juárez Rigoberto , Yocupicio-Gaxiola Rosario Isidro , Villanueva Eric , Zavala-Flores Ethiel , Petranovskii Vitalii
Published: February 2022

A chabazite-type zeolite was prepared by the hydrothermal method. Before ion exchange, the chabazite was activated with ammonium chloride (NH4Cl). The ion exchange process was carried out at a controlled temperature and constant stirring to obtain ion-exchanged chabazites of Ti4+ chabazite (TiCHA), Zn2+ chabazite (ZnCHA), Cu2+ chabazite (CuCHA), Ag+ chabazite (AgCHA) and Au3+ chabazite (AuCHA). Modified chabazite samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), N2 adsorption methods and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). XRD results revealed that the chabazite structure did not undergo any modification during the exchange treatments. The photocatalytic activity of chabazite samples was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) in the presence of H2O2 under ultraviolet (UV) light illumination. The photodegradation results showed a higher degradation efficiency of modified chabazites, compared to the synthesized chabazite. CuCHA showed an efficiency of 98.92% in MB degradation, with a constant of k = 0.0266 min−1 following a first-order kinetic mechanism. Then, it was demonstrated that the modified chabazites could be used for the photodegradation of dyes.
Metalloprotein-Specific or Critical Amino Acid Residues: Perspectives on Plant-Precise Detoxification and Recognition Mechanisms under Cadmium Stress
Authors: Li Dandan , He Tengbing , Saleem Muhammad , He Guandi
Published: February 2022

Cadmium (Cd) pollution in cultivated land is caused by irresistible geological factors and human activities; intense diffusion and migration have seriously affected the safety of food crops. Plants have evolved mechanisms to control excessive influx of Cd in the environment, such as directional transport, chelation and detoxification. This is done by some specific metalloproteins, whose key amino acid motifs have been investigated by scientists one by one. The application of powerful cell biology, crystal structure science, and molecular probe targeted labeling technology has identified a series of protein families involved in the influx, transport and detoxification of the heavy metal Cd. This review summarizes them as influx proteins (NRAMP, ZIP), chelating proteins (MT, PDF), vacuolar proteins (CAX, ABCC, MTP), long-distance transport proteins (OPT, HMA) and efflux proteins (PCR, ABCG). We selected representative proteins from each family, and compared their amino acid sequence, motif structure, subcellular location, tissue specific distribution and other characteristics of differences and common points, so as to summarize the key residues of the Cd binding target. Then, we explain its special mechanism of action from the molecular structure. In conclusion, this review is expected to provide a reference for the exploration of key amino acid targets of Cd, and lay a foundation for the intelligent design and breeding of crops with high/low Cd accumulation.
Effect of the Precursor on the Synthesis of ZnO and Its Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Limón-Rocha Isaias , Guzmán-González C. A. , Anaya-Esparza Luis M. , Romero-Toledo R. , Rico J. L. , González-Vargas O. A. , Pérez-Larios A.
Published: February 2022

Zinc nitrate (ZnON) and zinc acetate (ZnOA) were used as precursors for the synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles by the sol–gel method. The ZnO powder was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (UV–Vis DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), physisorption of nitrogen, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). On the other hand, the photocatalytic activity of the samples was tested in the degradation of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) under UV-light irradiation. The ZnON and ZnOA showed polycrystalline irregular structures and rod-like morphology with mean sizes of 40 and 99 nm, respectively. The precursor type influenced the bandgap, crystallite size, surface area, total pore volume, and pore diameter. The XPS results showed high contents of C and N in the ZnO samples, and as a consequence, the solids present remarkable differences in the C/N, O/C, and O/Zn atomic ratios, which significantly influenced the physicochemical characteristics. The ZnON and ZnOA exhibit photocatalytic properties against 2,4-D (74.7 and 90.9%, respectively) and 2,4-DCP (78.4 and 86.7%, respectively) and better performance of ZnOA. These results are promising and indicate the potential to use this material as a photocatalyst to degrade organic pesticides.
Response of Common and Rare Beetle Species to Tree Species and Vertical Stratification in a Floodplain Forest
Authors: Haack Nora , Borges Paulo A. V. , Grimm-Seyfarth Annegret , Schlegel Martin , Wirth Christian , Bernhard Detlef , Brunk Ingo , Henle Klaus , Pereira Henrique M.
Published: February 2022

Vertical stratification and host tree species are factors with a high influence on the structure of communities of xylobiont beetles. However, little is known about how this influence varies between common and rare species. Based on estimated species richness, we compared alpha and beta diversity patterns of common and rare species in the canopy of the Leipzig floodplain forest to assess their response to vertical stratification and tree species. We used two measures of rarity: threat level in red lists and abundance based on octaves. The understory displayed a significantly higher number of common species than the canopy strata. Conversely, the canopy strata harbored a higher number of rare species. Turnover was always dominant over richness differences in beta diversity partitions. Using Raup–Crick null models and non-metric multidimensional scaling, we found that the vertical strata accounted for 19% of the overall beta diversity of common species and for 15% of the overall beta diversity of rare species. The tree species accounted for 7% of the overall beta diversity of the common species and 3% of the beta diversity of the rare species. Our results indicate that studies carried out in the understory alone do not allow drawing conclusions regarding the biodiversity in the canopy strata, and thus regarding the overall community structure of xylobiont beetles in the canopy.
Left Ventricular Noncompaction Is Associated with Valvular Regurgitation and a Variety of Arrhythmias
Authors: Li Qing , Miao Lianjie , Xia Lihong , Abdelnasser Hala Y. , Zhang Fang , Lu Yangyang , Nusrat Anika , Tabassum Mantasha , Li Juxiang , Wu Mingfu
Published: February 2022

Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a type of cardiomyopathy characterized anatomically by prominent ventricular trabeculation and deep intertrabecular recesses. The mortality associated with LVNC ranges from 5% to 47%. The etiology of LVNC is yet to be fully understood, although decades have passed since its recognition as a clinical entity globally. Furthermore, critical questions, i.e., whether LVNC represents an acquired pathology or has a congenital origin and whether the reduced contractile function in LVNC patients is a cause or consequence of noncompaction, remain to be addressed. In this study, to answer some of these questions, we analyzed the clinical features of LVNC patients. Out of 9582 subjects screened for abnormal cardiac functions, 45 exhibit the characteristics of LVNC, and 1 presents right ventricular noncompaction (RVNC). We found that 40 patients show valvular regurgitation, 39 manifest reduced systolic contractions, and 46 out of the 46 present different forms of arrhythmias that are not restricted to be caused by the noncompact myocardium. This retrospective examination of LVNC patients reveals some novel findings: LVNC is associated with regurgitation in most patients and arrhythmias in all patients. The thickness ratio of the trabecular layer to compact layer negatively correlates with fractional shortening, and reduced contractility might result from LVNC. This study adds evidence to support a congenital origin of LVNC that might benefit the diagnosis and subsequent characterization of LVNC patients.
Immune Regulation of Mammary Fibroblasts and the Impact of Mammographic Density
Authors: Archer Maddison , Dasari Pallave , Walsh David , Britt Kara L. , Evdokiou Andreas , Ingman Wendy V.
Published: February 2022

Mammographic density is associated with a 4–6-fold increase in breast cancer risk independent of age and BMI. High mammographic density is characterized by breast tissue with high proportions of stroma comprised of fibroblasts, collagen, and immune cells. This study sought to investigate whether stromal fibroblasts from high mammographic density breast tissue contributes to increased extracellular matrix deposition and pro-tumorigenic signaling. Mammary fibroblasts were isolated from women with high and low mammographic density and exposed to immune factors myeloperoxidase (MPO), eosinophil peroxidase (EPO), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFA) for 72 h and profiled for expression of cancer-associated fibroblast and extracellular matrix regulation markers. No differences in gene expression profiles or collagen production were observed between fibroblasts with high or low mammographic density, and they did not have a differential response to immune mediators. MPO and EPO significantly increased the production of collagen 1. TGFB and TNFA induced variable changes in gene expression. Fibroblasts cultured in vitro from women with high mammographic density do not appear to be inherently different to those from women with low mammographic density. The function of fibroblasts in mammographic density-associated breast cancer risk is likely to be regulated by immune signals from surrounding cells in the microenvironment.
Ontological Ship Behavior Modeling Based on COLREGs for Knowledge Reasoning
Authors: Zhong Shubin , Wen Yuanqiao , Huang Yamin , Cheng Xiaodong , Huang Liang
Published: February 2022

Formal expression of ship behavior is the basis for developing autonomous navigation systems, which supports the scene recognition, the intention inference, and the rule-compliant actions of the systems. The Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) offers experience-based expressions of ship behavior for human beings, helping the humans recognize the scene, infer the intention, and choose rule-compliant actions. However, it is still a challenge to teach a machine to interpret the COLREGs. This paper proposed an ontological ship behavior model based on the COLREGs using knowledge graph techniques, which aims at helping the machine interpret the COLREGs rules. In this paper, the ship is seen as a temporal-spatial object and its behavior is described as the change of object elements in time spatial scales by using Resource Description Framework (RDF), function mapping, and set expression methods. To demonstrate the proposed method, the Narrow Channel article (Rule 9) from COLREGs is introduced, and the ship objects and the ship behavior expression based on Rule 9 are shown. In brief, this paper lays a theoretical foundation for further constructing the ship behavior knowledge graph from COLREGs, which is helpful for the complete machine reasoning of ship behavior knowledge in the future.
Experimental Study on Motion Characterisation of CALM Buoy Hose System under Water Waves
Authors: Amaechi Chiemela Victor , Wang Facheng , Ye Jianqiao
Published: February 2022

The application of marine bonded hoses has increased in recent times, due to the need for more flexible conduits and flexible applications in the offshore industry. These marine structures include Catenary Anchor Leg Moorings (CALM) buoys and ocean monitoring buoys. Their attachments include floating hoses, submarine hoses and submarine cables. However, the structural performance challenges of a CALM buoy system from its hydrodynamics water waves and other global loadings, have led to the need for this investigation. In this study, a detailed presentation on the motion characterisation of the CALM buoy hose system is presented. The CALM buoy is a structure with six degrees of freedom (6DoF). A well-detailed experimental presentation on the CALM buoy hose model conducted in Lancaster University Wave Tank is presented using three novel techniques, which are: a digital image captured using Imetrum systems, using an Akaso 4K underwater camera, using wave gauges arranged in a unique pattern and using underwater Bluetooth sensors. The buoy model was also found to respond uniquely for each motion investigated under water waves. The results showed that the higher the profile, the higher the response of the buoy. Thus, this study confirms the existence of flow patterns of the CALM buoy while floating on the water body.
Statistical Analysis of Mesoscale Eddies Entering the Continental Shelf of the Northern South China Sea
Authors: Zhang Tao , Li Junyi , Xie Lingling , Zheng Quanan
Published: February 2022

An Archiving, Validation and Interpretation of Satellite Oceanographic data (AVISO) mesoscale eddy trajectory atlas product is used to analyze the path type and temporal variability of the eddies that entered the continental shelf area of the northern South China Sea (SCS) from 1993 to 2016. A total of 184 mesoscale eddies entered the continental shelf area of the northern SCS during a 24-year period. We classify the mesoscale eddies into four types according to the motion trajectories: along-the-isobath type, intrusion-of-continental-shelf type, local wandering type, and shelf-internal-generation type. The occurrence numbers of these four types were 87, 38, 23, and 36, respectively. The mean amplitude and radius of the along-the-isobath type are the largest, about 18 cm and 153 km, respectively; furthermore, their average lifetime is also the longest, about 93 days. The mean amplitude, radius, and lifetime are the smallest for the shelf-internal-generation type, about 16 cm, 146 km, and 74 days, respectively. The direction and velocity of the background flow field affects the intrusion path of the mesoscale eddies onto the continental shelf of the northern SCS. The seasonal distribution of the mesoscale eddies quantity is also related to the direction and velocity of the corresponding background flow field.
Applicability of Oculomotor Tests for Predicting Central Vestibular Disorder Using Principal Component Analysis
Authors: Wu Ching-Nung , Luo Sheng-Dean , Chen Shu-Fang , Huang Chi-Wei , Chiang Pi-Ling , Hwang Chung-Feng , Yang Chao-Hui , Ho Chun-Hsien , Cheng Wei-De , Lin Chung-Ying , Li Yi-Lu
Published: February 2022

The videonystagmography oculomotor test battery is considered useful method for diagnosing vertigo. However, its role in diagnosing central vestibular disorder has not been clarified due to variations in interpretation. Patients (n = 103) with vertigo or dizziness symptoms undergoing the oculomotor tests and brain MRI within 1 month were analyzed. Two otology specialists retrospectively interpreted the oculomotor tests, and three neurology and neuroradiology specialists determined whether central lesions were present on brain MRI. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors contributing to discordant interpretation between oculomotor tests and brain MRI. Oculomotor tests predicting central lesions were assessed using principal component analysis. The intra- and inter-rater reliability in oculomotor test interpretation was moderate to good. Age > 60 years and multiple comorbidities were significant predictors of a discordant interpretation between MRI and oculomotor tests. Positive neurological symptoms and a higher oculomotor index (according to saccade (vertical axis), smooth pursuit (horizontal axis), and gaze-evoked nystagmus (horizontal/vertical axes) tests) significantly predicted central vestibular disorder in vertigo patients. Caution is required when interpreting the results of the oculomotor test battery for diagnosis of central lesions in older patients, as well as in those with multiple comorbidities.
Coupling Coordination Analysis and Prediction of Landscape Ecological Risks and Ecosystem Services in the Min River Basin
Authors: Zhang Shihe , Zhong Quanlin , Cheng Dongliang , Xu Chaobin , Chang Yunni , Lin Yuying , Li Baoyin
Published: February 2022

Watershed landscape ecological security and ecosystem service functions are the material basis and environmental guarantee for promoting socioeconomic development. Analyzing the spatiotemporal characteristics of landscape ecological risks (LERs) and ecosystem services (ESs) and exploring the coupling coordination relationship between the two are of great significance for promoting the construction of ecological civilization and achieving sustainable development in the watershed. With the Min River Basin as the study area, the landscape ecological risk assessment, Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST), and Carnegie Ames–Stanford Approach (CASA) models were used to evaluate the LERs and ESs based on the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), and the patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model was used to predict the land use distribution of the Min River Basin in 2030. On this basis, the coupling coordination degree model was used to explore the coupling coordination relationship between the LERs and ESs. The results show that, from 2000 to 2020, the LER of the Min River Basin gradually decreased, and the overall spatial distribution pattern was “high in the north and low in the south”. The ES of the Min River Basin initially decreased and then increased, showing a spatial distribution pattern of “low in the south and high in the north”. Among the SSPs in 2030, the LER is the largest under the SSP3 scenario and the smallest under the SSP4 scenario. The ES improvement is the most significant under the SSP1 scenario and the lowest under the SSP3 scenario. From 2000 to 2030, the coupling coordination degree of the Min River Basin first decreased and then increased, showing a spatial distribution pattern of “high in the south and low in the north”. Among the five SSPs, the coupling coordination degree was the highest under SSP1. The spatial distribution of urban area is the main driving factor affecting the coupling coordination relationship between the LER and ES, and the development of social and economy is the beginning of landscape pattern optimization.
Opportunities for Mitigating Soil Compaction in Europe—Case Studies from the SoilCare Project Using Soil-Improving Cropping Systems
Authors: Piccoli Ilaria , Seehusen Till , Bussell Jenny , Vizitu Olga , Calciu Irina , Berti Antonio , Börjesson Gunnar , Kirchmann Holger , Kätterer Thomas , Sartori Felice , Stoate Chris , Crotty Felicity , Panagea Ioanna S. , Alaoui Abdallah , Bolinder Martin A.
Published: February 2022

Soil compaction (SC) is a major threat for agriculture in Europe that affects many ecosystem functions, such as water and air circulation in soils, root growth, and crop production. Our objective was to present the results from five short-term (<5 years) case studies located along the north–south and east–west gradients and conducted within the SoilCare project using soil-improving cropping systems (SICSs) for mitigating topsoil and subsoil SC. Two study sites (SSs) focused on natural subsoil (˃25 cm) compaction using subsoiling tillage treatments to depths of 35 cm (Sweden) and 60 cm (Romania). The other SSs addressed both topsoil and subsoil SC (˃25 cm, Norway and United Kingdom; ˃30 cm, Italy) using deep-rooted bio-drilling crops and different tillage types or a combination of both. Each SS evaluated the effectiveness of the SICSs by measuring the soil physical properties, and we calculated SC indices. The SICSs showed promising results—for example, alfalfa in Norway showed good potential for alleviating SC (the subsoil density decreased from 1.69 to 1.45 g cm−1) and subsoiling at the Swedish SS improved root penetration into the subsoil by about 10 cm—but the effects of SICSs on yields were generally small. These case studies also reflected difficulties in implementing SICSs, some of which are under development, and we discuss methodological issues for measuring their effectiveness. There is a need for refining these SICSs and for evaluating their longer-term effect under a wider range of pedoclimatic conditions.
Optimization of Large Vessel Occlusion Detection in Acute Ischemic Stroke Using Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Tarkanyi Gabor , Tenyi Akos , Hollos Roland , Kalmar Peter Janos , Szapary Laszlo
Published: February 2022

The early detection of large-vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes is increasingly important as these patients are potential candidates for endovascular therapy, the availability of which is limited. Prehospital LVO detection scales mainly contain symptom variables only; however, recent studies revealed that other types of variables could be useful as well. Our aim was to comprehensively assess the predictive ability of several clinical variables for LVO prediction and to develop an optimal combination of them using machine learning tools. We have retrospectively analysed data from a prospectively collected multi-centre stroke registry. Data on 41 variables were collected and divided into four groups (baseline vital parameters/demographic data, medical history, laboratory values, and symptoms). Following the univariate analysis, the LASSO method was used for feature selection to select an optimal combination of variables, and various machine learning methods (random forest (RF), logistic regression (LR), elastic net method (ENM), and simple neural network (SNN)) were applied to optimize the performance of the model. A total of 526 patients were included. Several neurological symptoms were more common and more severe in the group of LVO patients. Atrial fibrillation (AF) was more common, and serum white blood cell (WBC) counts were higher in the LVO group, while systolic blood pressure (SBP) was lower among LVO patients. Using the LASSO method, nine variables were selected for modelling (six symptom variables, AF, chronic heart failure, and WBC count). When applying machine learning methods and 10-fold cross validation using the selected variables, all models proved to have an AUC between 0.736 (RF) and 0.775 (LR), similar to the performance of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (AUC: 0.790). Our study highlights that, although certain neurological symptoms have the best ability to predict an LVO, other variables (such as AF and CHF in medical history and white blood cell counts) should also be included in multivariate models to optimize their efficiency.
The Influence of Slag/Fly Ash Ratio and Sodium Silicate Modulus on the Properties of 1-3-2 Alkali-Based Piezoelectric Composite
Authors: Cai Jiayi , Peng Zhanyi , Zhao Ruohong , Xu An , Zhou Xinyu
Published: February 2022

In this paper, a comprehensive experimental investigation on the effect of the slag-to-fly ash ratio (hereafter referred to as SL/FA) and sodium silicate modulus on the properties of a 1-3-2 piezoelectric composite was carried out. The influence of the SL/FA ratio on various properties was initially investigated. Compared with other specimens, specimens with SL/FA = 40%:60% had the highest electromechanical coupling coefficient (Kt = 77.67%, Kp = 71%). Therefore, the specimen with SL/FA = 40%:60% was chosen to explore the effect of the sodium silicate modulus. Additionally, the specimen with SL/FA = 40%:60% and a sodium silicate modulus of 1.3 had the best electromechanical conversion efficiency with Kt = 75.68% and Kp = 75.95%. The 1-3-2 alkali-based piezoelectric composite proved to have the characteristics of a low cost, optimal piezoelectric and mechanical properties, higher tunability, and better compatibility with concrete. It is a potential alternative to cement-based piezoelectric composites and may be widely utilized to monitor the health of concrete structures.
Theoretical Mechanism on the Cellulose Regeneration from a Cellulose/EmimOAc Mixture in Anti-Solvents
Authors: Ju Zhaoyang , Yu Yihang , Feng Shaokeng , Lei Tingyu , Zheng Minjia , Ding Liyong , Yu Mengting
Published: February 2022

The experiments on cellulose dissolution/regeneration have made some achievements to some extent, but the mechanism of cellulose regeneration in ionic liquids (ILs) and anti-solvent mixtures remains elusive. In this work, the cellulose regeneration mechanism in different anti-solvents, and at different temperatures and concentrations, has been studied with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The IL considered is 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EmimOAc). In addition, to investigate the microcosmic effects of ILs and anti-solvents, EmimOAc-nH2O (n = 0–6) clusters have been optimized by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. It can be found that water is beneficial to the regeneration of cellulose due to its strong polarity. The interactions between ILs and cellulose will become strong with the increase in temperature. The H-bonds of cellulose chains would increase with the rising concentrations of anti-solvents. The interaction energies between cellulose and the anions of ILs are stronger than that of cations. Furthermore, the anti-solvents possess a strong affinity for ILs, cation–anion pairs are dissociated to form H-bonds with anti-solvents, and the H-bonds between cellulose and ILs are destroyed to promote cellulose regeneration.
Optimization of Heat Treatment Parameters of AlSi7Mg Alloy
Authors: Pezda Jacek
Published: February 2022

Constantly growing requirements concerning the quality of poured machinery components give rise to the need to find new solutions to improve their mechanical and technological properties, considering economic and ecological aspects resulting from energy consumption of the casting and heat treatment processes. This study presents the investigation of the effect of heat treatment on mechanical properties (tensile strength Rm, elongation A5, hardness HBW) of the AlSi7Mg alloy without modification and modified with strontium. Obtained results allowed us to determine T6 heat treatment parameters associated with the improvement of mechanical properties of the alloy with simultaneous limitation of duration of solutioning and aging treatments. The maximum increase in Rm was 67%, and 55% in the case of HBW, with a slight decrease in elongation (approx. 10%) in relation to an alloy not subjected to heat treatment in the adopted scope of tests for the total time of heat treatment of 4–6 h. The increase in elongation of up to 250% requires aging at a temperature exceeding 300 °C, which also causes a decrease in durability and hardness by 20%. Modification of the alloy using strontium before heat treatment facilitates the process of fragmentation and balling of silicone precipitates.
Ga2O3 and Related Ultra-Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductor Oxides: New Energy Electronics Solutions for CO2 Emission Mitigation
Authors: Chi Zeyu , Asher Jacob J. , Jennings Michael R. , Chikoidze Ekaterine , Pérez-Tomás Amador
Published: February 2022

Currently, a significant portion (~50%) of global warming emissions, such as CO2, are related to energy production and transportation. As most energy usage will be electrical (as well as transportation), the efficient management of electrical power is thus central to achieve the XXI century climatic goals. Ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors are at the very frontier of electronics for energy management or energy electronics. A new generation of UWBG semiconductors will open new territories for higher power rated power electronics and solar-blind deeper ultraviolet optoelectronics. Gallium oxide—Ga2O3 (4.5–4.9 eV), has recently emerged pushing the limits set by more conventional WBG (~3 eV) materials, such as SiC and GaN, as well as for transparent conducting oxides (TCO), such asIn2O3, ZnO and SnO2, to name a few. Indeed, Ga2O3 as the first oxide used as a semiconductor for power electronics, has sparked an interest in oxide semiconductors to be investigated (oxides represent the largest family of UWBG). Among these new power electronic materials, AlxGa1-xO3 may provide high-power heterostructure electronic and photonic devices at bandgaps far beyond all materials available today (~8 eV) or ZnGa2O4 (~5 eV), enabling spinel bipolar energy electronics for the first time ever. Here, we review the state-of-the-art and prospects of some ultra-wide bandgap oxide semiconductor arising technologies as promising innovative material solutions towards a sustainable zero emission society.
A Fluorescent Tracer Based on Castor Oil for Monitoring the Mass Transfer of Fatliquoring Agent in Leather
Authors: Wen Hongmei , Wang Yulu , Zhu Hongxia , Jin Liqiang , Zhang Feifei
Published: February 2022

Fatliquoring is one of the most important processes in leather making, in which the collagen fibers are split effectively, while the crust acquires a good softness and mechanical strength. The effectiveness of fatliquoring depends not only on the variety and dosage of fatliquoring agent but also on its distribution in hierarchical collagen fiber layers. Up to now, the research about the mass transfer of fatliquoring agent in leather is very limited because quantifying the distribution of invisible fatliquor in leather is very difficult. In this paper, a fluorescent tracing technique based on modified castor oil was established and send used to investigate the mass transfer of fatliquor in leather. The crucial fluorescent tracer was synthesized favorably by the reaction of castor oil, successively with maleic anhydride and 5-aminofluorescein, which was confirmed by FTIR, 1H NMR and DSC. The fluorescent tracer was pH-sensitive and emitted an intense fluorescent signal at pH 8–10. Then, it was applied to monitor the fatliquoring process in real-time. Compared with Sudan IV or Nile Blue sulphate dyeing tests, this fluorescent tracing technique could conveniently visualize and quantify the penetration and distribution of fatliquor in leather process.
Selection Criteria for Overlapping Binary Models—A Simulation Study
Authors: Aparicio Teresa , Villanúa Inmaculada
Published: February 2022

This paper deals with the problem of choosing the optimum criterion for selecting the best model out of a set of overlapping binary models. The criteria we studied were the well-known AIC and SBIC, and a third one called C2. Special attention was paid to the setting where neither of the competing models was correctly specified. This situation has not been studied very much but it is the most common case in empirical works. The theoretical study we carried out allowed us to conclude that, in general terms, all criteria perform well. A Monte Carlo exercise corroborated those results.
A Generalized Net Model of the Prostate Gland’s Functioning
Authors: Lubich Martin , Papazov Velimir , Popov Elenko , Georgieva Radostina , Dmitrenko Dmitrii , Bojkov Borislav , Slavov Chavdar , Vassilev Peter , Atanassova Vassia , Todorova Lyudmila , Atanassov Krassimir T.
Published: February 2022

Over the last 20 years, many Generalized Net (GN) models of the ways of functioning of the different systems and organs in the human body and models related to the description of biomedical processes in living organisms have been constructed. In this paper, a GN model of the prostate gland’s functioning was developed, as a continuation of the previous research. The model provides the possibility to trace the logical relations of the interactions of the prostate gland and various individual organs in the human body. The model shows the possibility for the existence of currently unknown feedback loops.
Age-Invariant Adversarial Feature Learning for Kinship Verification
Authors: Liu Fan , Li Zewen , Yang Wenjie , Xu Feng
Published: February 2022

Kinship verification aims to determine whether two given persons are blood relatives. This technique can be leveraged in many real-world scenarios, such as finding missing people, identification of kinship in forensic medicine, and certain types of interdisciplinary research. Most existing methods extract facial features directly from given images and examine the full set of features to verify kinship. However, most approaches are easily affected by the age gap among faces, with few methods taking age into account. This paper accordingly proposes an Age-Invariant Adversarial Feature learning module (AIAF), which is capable of factoring in full facial features to create two uncorrelated components, i.e., identity-related features and age-related features. More specifically, we harness a type of adversarial mechanism to make the correlation between these two components as small as possible. Moreover, to pay different attention to identity-related features, we present an Identity Feature Weighted module (IFW). Only purified identity features are fed into the IFW module, which can assign different weights to the features according to their importance in the kinship verification task. Experimental results on three public popular datasets demonstrate that our approach is able to capture useful age-invariant features, i.e., identity features, and achieve significant improvements compared with other state-of-the-art methods on both small-scale and large-scale datasets.
A Derivative-Free Line-Search Algorithm for Simulation-Driven Design Optimization Using Multi-Fidelity Computations
Authors: Pellegrini Riccardo , Serani Andrea , Liuzzi Giampaolo , Rinaldi Francesco , Lucidi Stefano , Diez Matteo
Published: February 2022

The paper presents a multi-fidelity extension of a local line-search-based derivative-free algorithm for nonsmooth constrained optimization (MF-CS-DFN). The method is intended for use in the simulation-driven design optimization (SDDO) context, where multi-fidelity computations are used to evaluate the objective function. The proposed algorithm starts using low-fidelity evaluations and automatically switches to higher-fidelity evaluations based on the line-search step length. The multi-fidelity algorithm is driven by a suitably defined threshold and initialization values for the step length, which are associated to each fidelity level. These are selected to increase the accuracy of the objective evaluations while progressing to the optimal solution. The method is demonstrated for a multi-fidelity SDDO benchmark, namely pertaining to the hull-form optimization of a destroyer-type vessel, aiming at resistance minimization in calm water at fixed speed. Numerical simulations are based on a linear potential flow solver, where seven fidelity levels are used selecting systematically refined computational grids for the hull and the free surface. The method performance is assessed varying the steplength threshold and initialization approach. Specifically, four MF-CS-DFN setups are tested, and the optimization results are compared to its single-fidelity (high-fidelity-based) counterpart (CS-DFN). The MF-CS-DFN results are promising, achieving a resistance reduction of about 12% and showing a faster convergence than CS-DFN. Specifically, the MF extension is between one and two orders of magnitude faster than the original single-fidelity algorithm. For low computational budgets, MF-CS-DFN optimized designs exhibit a resistance that is about 6% lower than that achieved by CS-DFN.