bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF 2024 ALUMINUM ALLOYS
Authors:   Trakya University, Misirli Cem
Published: April 2024

This study aims to give theoretical information about the production and characterization of mechanical properties of 2024 aluminum alloys. AA2024 alloy; It consists of components such as aluminum, copper, magnesium and manganese, and the production of the alloy is usually carried out by different methods such as casting, rolling, extrusion and powder metallurgy. The choice between production methods should be made by considering the purpose and properties of the alloy. While the casting method is used for the production of large-sized parts, the rolling method is suitable for the production of thin sheets and strips, and the extrusion method is suitable for the production of profiles and pipes of various shapes. The powder metallurgy method, on the other hand, is carried out by shaping the powdered components of the alloy with a special pressing process and then sintering at high temperature. Alloys produced by this method exhibit high strength properties with their high density and homogeneous microstructures. The mechanical properties of AA2024 alloy are generally determined using various characterization methods such as tensile test, hardness measurement and fatigue life tests. The tensile test is used to determine the tensile strength, tensile elongation ratio and elastic tension properties of the alloy. The hardness measurement is used to determine the surface hardness of the alloy. Surface hardness can be performed using Brinell, Vickers and Rockwell hardness measurement methods. The fatigue life test is used to determine the fatigue strength of the alloy. In this test, the fatigue life of the specimen under repetitive loads is determined. The mechanical properties of AA2024 alloy may vary depending on production methods, alloy components, temperature and environmental conditions. Therefore, the mechanical properties of the alloy must be optimized for a particular application. 2024 aluminum alloys produced by powder metallurgy method are expected to exhibit high density, homogeneous microstructure and high strength properties as a result of hardness, tensile and fatigue tests.
PARAMETER SCREENING IN LONGITUDINAL TURNING OF C45E STEEL FOR SURFACE ROUGHNESS ANALYSIS
Authors:   University of Niš, Trifunovic Milan , Madic Milos ,   University of Niš, Jankovic Predrag , Radovanovic Miroslav
Published: April 2024

Parameter screening refers to the identification of the most important controllable factors with respect to a given performance characteristic of a given system/process. In this study, PlackettBurman design was applied in order to identify the factors that significantly affect surface roughness in longitudinal turning of C45E steel. The experiment involved realization of geometric PlackettBurman design with eight trials and two replicates. Six turning controllable factors were considered in the design matrix (depth of cut, feed rate, cutting speed, insert nose radius, minor cutting edge angle and cooling/lubrication condition) and were varied at two levels. Analysis of the obtained results has shown that factors differently affect surface roughness and that their influences are in accordance with known theoretical knowledge. It was also observed that three factors have statistically significant impact on the machining quality, i.e., arithmetic surface roughness. These results can be considered as the first step for further experimental investigation of significant factors and their possible interactions effects
INVESTIGATION OF MICROSTRUCTURE OF AA7075 ALLOYS AFTER SEVERE PLASTIC DEFORMATION APPLICATION
Authors:   Trakya University, Misirli Cem
Published: April 2024

The aim of this study is to investigate the change of microstructural properties of AA7075 alloys after severe plastic deformation. Severe Plastic Deformation is a process used to improve the properties of the material by creating intense plastic deformations on the material surface. Equal channel angular compression molding (ECAP) was used for the severe plastic deformation process in our study. AA7075 alloy samples were primarily prepared for severe plastic deformation treatment. Then, the microstructural properties of the samples were investigated using various imaging techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The research results showed that significant microstructural changes occurred in AA7075 alloys after the severe plastic deformation process. The SPD process improved the mechanical properties of the material by transforming the crystalline structures of the material into a fine-grained structure. In addition, it was observed that deformation lines and pits occurred on the surface of the samples after the SPD process. It is seen that the SPD treatment increases the mechanical properties of the material such as strength, hardness and durability. Therefore, this study is an important step towards the development of the alloy's use in various industries.
AN OVERVIEW OF GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS
Authors:   Istanbul Rumeli University, Can Ahmet , Buyruk Ertan ,   Sivas Cumhuriyet University
Published: April 2024

As a natural consequence of the increase in the world population, energy needs are also increasing dramatically. At the present time natural gas and coal are generally used as energy sources. According to researchers, oil, natural gas and coal reserves will be run out in the near future. Therefore, new and renewable energy is needed to meet the energy needs for our countries. A lot of researchers have been carrying out about field of alternative energy sources. These studies generally; such as solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, wave energy and biomass energy. In addition to these energy conversion systems, it was also possible to mention about heat pumps with the features of low energy consumption, high coefficient of performance and environmental friendly. The presented paper is a study of general description and basic approaches on ground sources heat pumps. Ground source heat pump and history of it were explained. Some explanations were given about Ground Sources Heat Pump Systems such as Working principles, type of it, general view of advantage and disadvantage of it, hybrid type ground sources heat pump systems working principles, zero carbon footprint approach for it and also heat pump investment comparison with other systems.
DETECTION OF NON-RADIOCONTRAST FRAGMENTS IN MILITARY FIELD SURGERY BY THE NOISE EMITION METHOD
Authors:   National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sykorsky", Salenko O.F. , Оrel V.M. ,   Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, Salenko B.O. ,   National Center "SMALL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF UKRAINE”, Karpenko K.K. ,   National Military Medical Clinical Center, Cherniak V.A. ,   Kyiv National University named after Taras Shevchenko
Published: April 2024

A special tool for inspecting wound canals has been developed, consisting of a flexible probe for individual use and a handle-holder with a microphone capsule, the membrane of which is directly connected to the probe and reacts to mechanical contact with an obstacle, and the capsule itself is directly connected to the oscilloscope through a signal amplifier, which has spectral signal processing chains. Functional conditioning of the controlled signals from the shape and type of the foreign object in the wound channel was revealed. The expediency of using the frequency-amplitude characteristic of noise emission as a controlled parameter has been proven. Thus, the existence of a functional conditioning of the width of the spectrum of the noise emission signal at the time of mechanical contact with a foreign object in the wound, its shape and type is shown; it was determined that the use of an oscilloscope with a spectral analysis channel allows fairly accurate identification of a nonradiocontrast foreign object in a wound.
ELIMINATION OF THE DEFECTIVE LAYER AND STRESS CONCENTRATORS DURING MICROMACHINING OF HOLES IN THIN SHEET BLANKS OF METAL CELLULAR PANELS
Authors:   National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sykorsky", Salenko O.F. , Cholodny V.Yu. , Alnusirat W. , Habuzyan H.V. ,   Kremenchuk Mikhailo Ostrogradskyi National University,   Maan University college Al-balqa Applied University,   Vocational College of Kremenchuk Mikhailo Ostrogradskyi National University
Published: April 2024

Thin-sheet blanks made of aluminum (in particular, AMg2-N), titanium (VT-15, VT-19) or stainless (12X17) alloys are widely used in the production of honeycomb panels in the aviation and space industries. Foil (thickness 0.025-0.055 mm) is used for the production of fillers for cellular sandwich panels; it is pre-perforated with holes of 0.05-0.18 mm and laid out in a corrugated box with adhesive strips. The possibility of making holes by the laser jet method is considered, as it precedes the occurrence of mechanical damage and thermal defects of the surface adjacent to the treatment zone. It is shown that the Water Jet Guided Laser (WJGL) is an effective and efficient method of obtaining profile holes in the fillers of cellular panels and in the panels themselves, which is characterized by high productivity and allows obtaining holes without thermal and mechanical defects. The method can be used both for foil fillers and for metal panels made of stainless steel up to 1.5 mm thick.
DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH CAPACITY THREE HEADED COIL-SPOOL WINDING MACHINE
Authors:   DOMEKS Machinery A.S, Avci Beyza , Kavak Sercan , Dalmis Figan , Yimaz Serdar , Dalmis Ibrahim ,   TNKU, Vocational College of Technical Sciences,   TNKU, Çorlu Engineering Faculty
Published: April 2024

Cable packaging machines are machines that can automatically wrap long and thin materials such as wires, cables and pipes into regular packages. These machines play an important role in cable production and save time and labour in the production process. There are many types of cable packaging machines and they have different features, but in general, all of them ensure that the materials are wrapped in the correct size, tightly packed and transported quickly. In the machine designed and manufactured in this study, cables are packed in perforated spool, slotted spool and coil form. The system consists of 7 sections as unloader, traverse unit, dancer, cable winding heads, spool feeding, pliers group and main control panel. In the designed and manufactured machine, the number of cable winding heads was increased to 3 for the first time and the lost time during the cable winding process was minimized. In the research, the performance of the designed and manufactured machine was tested. As a result of the experiments, it was determined that the machine winds 10-12 coils/min at a cable length of 16,5-25 m and 4,5-5 spools/min at a cable length of 100 m.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE GEOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF WATERING ZONES FORMED BY A HANDLINE NOZZLE PROTEK-366
Authors:   Cherkasy Institute of Fire Safety named after Chornobyl Heroes, Stas S. , Bychenko A. , Myhalenko M. , Kolesnikov D.
Published: April 2024

The formation of the watering zone of the core of fire with a fire-extinguishing substance is primarily ensured by the design features of the handline nozzles, as well as the pressure and flow rate of the liquid. The conducted researches made it possible to reveal the dependence of the watering zone shape on the characteristics of the hydraulic system for generating fire extinguishing flows while using the typical handline nozzle Protek-366. During the exercises we studied differences in the shape of the watering zone during water supply and while using a wetting dilution of a foaming agent.
Features of translation of English-language horror filmonyms into Russian and German
Authors: Dondik Lyudmila Yurievna , Yuzhaninova Elena Vladimirovna
Published: April 2024

The subject of the research of the article is the general features and specific features of the translation of horror discourse filmonyms from English into Russian and German. The object of the study is the original English-language and translated Russian- and German-language filmonyms of horror discourse. In our work, we will be interested in strategies and techniques for translating English-language horror discourse filmonyms, since the horror film genre is one of the most popular at the moment, and a large number of films are being released in English. When translating movie titles, a translator faces a number of difficulties and must solve them by choosing a translation technique and strategy. Often, the translation of a filmonym is accompanied by a shift in its leading function, or a change in the type of filmonym according to the peculiarities of its perception by the viewer. The work uses the continuous sampling method, comparative linguistic analysis of parallel filmonyms, as well as quantitative data processing methods. The research material was a sample including 150 original English-language horror-discourse filmonyms and their translation options into Russian and German. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that the features of the translation of film names are studied in a comparative aspect using the example of Russian- and German-language horror discourse based on the material of the titles of films released over the past two decades. A methodology is being developed for a comparative study of the features of translating film names into different languages. As a result of the analysis, it was concluded that the domestication strategy of filmonyms is high-frequency; for German-language translated filmonyms, the use of a forenization strategy is much more typical. A feature of the German film distribution is the high frequency of combining two translation strategies, when the first forenized part of the filmonym is combined with domestication in the second part of the movie title after the dash sign. Due to the fact that German translated film names undergo less transformations, they are less characterized by a functional shift compared to translated film names in the Russian film distribution. When translated into Russian, preference is given to tonal-type filmonyms, which corresponds to the peculiarities of the horror genre.
En una palabra. Entrevista. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak con Ellen Rooney
Authors: Spivak Gayatri Chakravorty , Rooney Ellen , Tuñón Soledad
Published: April 2024

In this interview, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak revisits the debate between essentialism and anti-essentialism by reconsidering various theoretical frameworks she has engaged with over her intellectual journey. These frameworks include deconstruction, Marxism, and feminisms, alongside reflections on the role of philosophy. One key focus of her reflection is the concept of strategic essentialism in understanding social movements, diverging from her previous stances. Spivak suggests viewing it as an ongoing critique of essentialist approaches, emphasizing the importance of maintaining critical, strategic, and indispensable elements within a minimalizable essence. She also stresses the significance of authorial positioning and autobiographical narratives, drawing on childhood lessons. She explores teaching as a practice that can convey the impossibility of fixed essences rather than engaging in theoretical debates. She examines her own place within the Subaltern Studies Group and the political connotations of the “Third World.” Towards the end, she delves into the practical perspective on essences concerning empirical realities and the dynamic between researchers and their audiences.
A Pvr–AP-1–Mmp1 signaling pathway is activated in astrocytes upon traumatic brain injury
Authors: Li Tingting , Shi Wenwen , Ho Margaret S. , Zhang Yong Q.
Published: April 2024

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by external mechanical forces is a major health burden worldwide, but the underlying mechanism in glia remains largely unclear. We report herein that
Drosophila
adults exhibit a defective blood-brain-barrier (BBB), elevated innate immune responses, and astrocyte swelling upon consecutive strikes with a high-impact trauma device. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of these astrocytes revealed upregulated expression of genes encoding PDGF and VEGF receptor-related (Pvr, a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)), adaptor protein complex 1 (AP-1, a transcription factor complex of the c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) pathway) composed of Jun-related antigen (Jra) and kayak (kay), and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (Mmp1) following TBI. Interestingly, Pvr is both required and sufficient for AP-1 and Mmp1 upregulation, while knockdown of AP-1 expression in the background of Pvr overexpression in astrocytes rescued Mmp1 upregulation upon TBI, indicating that Pvr acts as the upstream receptor for the downstream AP-1–Mmp1 transduction. Moreover, dynamin-associated endocytosis was found to be an important regulatory step in downregulating Pvr signaling. Our results identify a new Pvr–AP-1–Mmp1 signaling pathway in astrocytes in response to TBI, providing potential targets for developing new therapeutic strategies of TBI.The study provided RNA-seq data of astrocytes following traumatic brain injury (TBI)Genes involved in endocytic trafficking are upregulated in astrocytes after TBIA new Pvr–AP-1–Mmp1 pathway is activated in astrocytes following TBI.Inhibition of endocytosis in astrocytes upregulates the Pvr–AP-1–Mmp1 signaling.
Equivalent excitability through different sodium channels and implications for the analgesic efficacy of selective drugs
Authors: Xie Yu-Feng , Yang Jane , Ratté Stéphanie , Prescott Steven A.
Published: April 2024

Nociceptive sensory neurons convey pain-related signals to the CNS using action potentials. Loss-of-function mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel Na V 1.7 cause insensitivity to pain (presumably by reducing nociceptor excitability) but efforts to treat pain by inhibiting Na V 1.7 pharmacologically have largely failed. This may reflect the variable contribution of Na V 1.7 to nociceptor excitability. Contrary to claims that Na V 1.7 is necessary for nociceptors to initiate action potentials, we show that nociceptors can achieve equivalent excitability using different combinations of Na V 1.3, Na V 1.7, and Na V 1.8. Selectively blocking one of those Na V subtypes reduces nociceptor excitability only if the other two subtypes are weakly expressed. For example, excitability relies on Na V 1.8 in acutely dissociated nociceptors but responsibility shifts to Na V 1.7 and Na V 1.3 by the fourth day in culture. A similar shift in Na V dependence occurs in vivo after inflammation, impacting ability of the Na V 1.7-selective inhibitor PF-05089771 to reduce pain in behavioral tests. Flexible use of different Na V subtypes exemplifies degeneracy – equivalent function using different components – and compromises the reliable modulation of nociceptor excitability by subtype-selective inhibitors. Identifying the dominant Na V subtype to predict drug efficacy is not trivial. Degeneracy at the cellular level must be considered when choosing drug targets at the molecular level.Nociceptors can achieve equivalent excitability using different sodium channel subtypes. The analgesic efficacy of subtype-selective drugs hinges on which subtype controls excitability. This contingency likely contributes to poor clinical outcomes.
Reconfigurations of cortical manifold structure during reward-based motor learning
Authors: Nick Qasem , Gale Daniel J. , Areshenkoff Corson , De Brouwer Anouk , Nashed Joseph , Wammes Jeffrey , Zhu Tianyao , Flanagan Randy , Smallwood Jonny , Gallivan Jason
Published: April 2024

Adaptive motor behavior depends on the coordinated activity of multiple neural systems distributed across the brain. While the role of sensorimotor cortex in motor learning has been well-established, how higher-order brain systems interact with sensorimotor cortex to guide learning is less well understood. Using functional MRI, we examined human brain activity during a reward-based motor task where subjects learned to shape their hand trajectories through reinforcement feedback. We projected patterns of cortical and striatal functional connectivity onto a low-dimensional manifold space and examined how regions expanded and contracted along the manifold during learning. During early learning, we found that several sensorimotor areas in the Dorsal Attention Network exhibited increased covariance with areas of the salience/ventral attention network and reduced covariance with areas of the default mode network (DMN). During late learning, these effects reversed, with sensorimotor areas now exhibiting increased covariance with DMN areas. However, areas in posteromedial cortex showed the opposite pattern across learning phases, with its connectivity suggesting a role in coordinating activity across different networks over time. Our results establish the neural changes that support reward-based motor learning and identify distinct transitions in the functional coupling of sensorimotor to transmodal cortex when adapting behavior.
The neuron-specific IIS/FOXO transcriptome in aged animals reveals regulatory mechanisms of cognitive aging
Authors: Weng Yifei , Zhou Shiyi , Morillo Katherine , Kaletsky Rachel , Lin Sarah , Murphy Coleen T
Published: April 2024

Cognitive decline is a significant health concern in our aging society. Here, we used the model organism C. elegans to investigate the impact of the IIS/FOXO pathway on age-related cognitive decline. The daf-2 Insulin/IGF-1 receptor mutant exhibits a significant extension of learning and memory span with age compared to wild-type worms, an effect that is dependent on the DAF-16 transcription factor. To identify possible mechanisms by which aging daf-2 mutants maintain learning and memory with age while wild-type worms lose neuronal function, we carried out neuron-specific transcriptomic analysis in aged animals. We observed downregulation of neuronal genes and upregulation of transcriptional regulation genes in aging wild-type neurons. By contrast, IIS/FOXO pathway mutants exhibit distinct neuronal transcriptomic alterations in response to cognitive aging, including upregulation of stress response genes and downregulation of specific insulin signaling genes. We tested the roles of significantly transcriptionally-changed genes in regulating cognitive functions, identifying novel regulators of learning and memory. In addition to other mechanistic insights, a comparison of the aged vs young daf-2 neuronal transcriptome revealed that a new set of potentially neuroprotective genes is upregulated; instead of simply mimicking a young state, daf-2 may enhance neuronal resilience to accumulation of harm and take a more active approach to combat aging. These findings suggest a potential mechanism for regulating cognitive function with age and offer insights into novel therapeutic targets for age-related cognitive decline.
Tolmini piirkonna kadunud järvedest jutustavate muistendite motiivid
Authors:   Institute of Slovenian Ethnology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ivančič Kutin Barbara
Published: April 2024

The article discusses, from the content/motif aspect, 30 folk legends about the disappeared lakes in Tolmin region, Slovenia. The material covers different archival manuscripts and publications, mainly from Janez Dolenc’s student archive. In all the legends under study the location of the lake is specified. In addition to this, most of them feature at least one of the following motifs: emergence of settlements, existence of rings used for fastening water vehicles, water traffic, an explanation of who or what caused the disappearance of the lake and how and where it happened.
Kodumaalt lahkumise põhjuste kajastumisest Abhaasia eestlaste rändenarratiivis: kurja mõisniku kuju
Authors:   Estonian National Museum, Tartu, Estonia, Jürgenson Aivar
Published: April 2024

When adapting to a new host country, one of the most important issues is social belonging – the question on what basis people feel a sense of belonging. This is a question of group identity. Group identity is based on the group’s shared history and especially on myths of common and special origins. In the narratives of the Estonians of Abkhazia, the main reason for emigration is the difficult economic conditions in the old homeland. These stories are recorded in the written memories and village chronicles of the inhabitants of the Estonian settlements in the Caucasus, which date back to the 19th and 20th centuries, but they can be heard orally even today, because the stories have been heard from parents and grandparents. Both in earlier writings and in today’s oral presentations, the conditions in the old homeland of Estonia are depicted as poor, sometimes quite unbearable. An important figure in these stories is an evil and arrogant German landlord who oppressed the ancestors of the settlers. The first chapter of the article shows the historical background of the confrontation between the Estonian peasants and the German landlords in Estonia and how it was at least partially realized as an emigration movement under the influence of the peasant laws of the 19th century. The topic of the evil landlord was taken by the Estonian settlers to the settlements in Caucasus – these were stories told from personal experiences with the landlords. The formation and transmission of stories from generation to generation as founding narratives was facilitated by the opposition between Estonians and Germans in the Estonian national discourse. The second chapter focuses on the texts that reflect landlord-peasant conflicts in Estonia at the time of emigration – the texts of the leading figures of the national awakening movement in the school- and history books. These texts also influenced the developing identity of the Estonian colonists. The article then discusses the stories about the evil landlord told in various Estonian settlements on the Black Sea coast and finally the meaning of these stories in the formation of social belonging.
Uralist Aleksei Burõkin – ühe polühistori panus soome-ugri ja samojeedi rahvaste folkloori, etnoloogia ja keelte uurimisse
Authors:   University of Tartu, Tóth Szilárd Tibor
Published: April 2024

The article gives an overview of the contribution of Alexey Burykin (1954–2021), doctor of philology and history, to the study of the languages, folklore and ethnology of the Finno-Ugric and Samoyed peoples. Burykin, whose total number of publications exceeds 1,300, has researched the Uralic peoples in a comparative way, in the context of other peoples; above all, the indigenous peoples of Siberia. His field of interests has included the mention of the Uralic peoples in sources, old written texts, folkloristics and ethnology of the Uralic peoples (Ob-Ugric, Samoyed and Sami folklore, Siberian shamanism), etymology of common and proper names, kinship vocabulary and the problems of the Khanty phrasal verb.
Kabelid vepsa Šimjärve piirkonnas (19. sajandi lõpp, 20. sajandi algus)
Authors:   Institute of Language, Literature and History, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vinokurova Irina
Published: April 2024

In recent decades, a significant number of works have been published in Russian ethnology, devoted to the study of various forms of religiosity of the population in direct connection with certain territories in different historical periods, which has become established in science as a special concept and approach called “religious landscape”. This approach turned out to be productive in identifying the peculiarities of the spread of Orthodox traditions in a certain territory, as well as in solving modern all-Russian problems of preserving the cultural heritage of rapidly disappearing villages. The article, based on a significant set of sources, reveals the features of the topography of chapels in the cultural landscape of the Veps of Shimozerye, Lodeynopolsky district, Olonets province, at the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th centuries, the motives for their construction, the dedication of chapels and their functions in the parish life of Vepsian villages. Nowadays, this deserted territory with destroyed Orthodox shrines is constantly visited by tourists. During the study, the motives for the construction of chapels were identified, which provide an explanation for their placement in the cultural landscape of Shimozerye: distance from the church, vow, appearance of an icon, reconstruction on the site of a lost shrine, consecration of ancient burials of the ancestors of a given settlement. The chapels were used exclusively for church services during local holidays, and played an important role in strengthening social and kinship communications and, ultimately, uniting Vepsian villages. Their use in funeral services, in comparison with other territories, has not been identified. An analysis of the chapel dedications revealed the dominance of the names of Nicholas the Wonderworker, Elijah the Prophet, the Savior, and the Mother of God, who were considered the patrons of agriculture among the Veps. Hence, chapels as places of communication with these patrons, played an important role in ensuring the peasants’ future harvest. Single dedications to the patrons of livestock (Saints Florus and Laurus), driving livestock to the chapels, reveal another function of the chapels and the holidays associated with them – the protection of livestock. In the past, the abandoned Shimozersky region had exeptional holidays that captured the intermingling of unique folk and Christian events, for example: the baptism of the Veps of this area and the Nativity of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, lost in Russia; holiday of the harvest and the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
Neutrophil-lymphocyte and Platelet-lymphocyte Ratios of Pregnant Women Living with HIV/AIDS
Authors: B.C. Lebechukwu, , N.A. Mbachu, , G.U. Eleje, , E. C. Orji, , N.P. Obiegbu, , R.O Umennadi,
Published: April 2024

Background: Chronic inflammation, a factor for high mortality, persists throughout the pregnancy period of women living with human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Aim: To determine whether pregnancy alone or the combined effects of HIV and pregnancy are the sources of the inflammation, this study evaluated the predictive variables for inflammation, lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR).

Materials and Methods: A population of 128 women, aged 15-49 years were grouped into 4; Group A- 32 HIV positive and pregnant, Group B- 32 HIV negative and pregnant, Group C- 32 HIV positive not pregnant, Group D- 32 HIV negative not pregnant (control group). Differential white blood cell and platelet count methods were used to determine the neutrophil (N), Lymphocyte (L) and platelet (P) counts. The ratio calculation method was used to derive the NLR and PLR.

Results: NLR was significantly higher for group A (2.62±0.41) compared to groups B (2.25 ± 0.18); C (0.95 ± 0.07); D (1.68 ± 0.19) at p ≤ 0.00. However, the NLR of groups A and B (p ≤ 0.05) were not significantly different, PLR was significantly higher for group A (9.86±1.12) compared to groups B (6.65 ± 1.12); C (5.35 ± 0.47); D (6.34 ± 0.43). There was no significant difference in blood pressure across the groups, significant difference was however observed in their Body Mass Index.

Conclusion: Hence, Inflammation may have been caused by pregnancy alone.
Gravity Compensation Techniques for Enhancing Optical Performance in Satellite Multi-band Optical Sensor
Authors: Yoon Do-hee
Published: April 2024

This paper discusses a gravity compensation technique designed to reduce wavefront error caused by gravity during the assembly and alignment of satellite multi-band optical sensor. For this study, the wavefront error caused by gravity was analyzed for the opto-mechanical structure of multi-band optical sensor. Wavefront error, an indicator of optical performance, was computed by using the displacements of optics calculated through structural analysis and optical sensitivity calculated through optical analysis. Since the calculated wavefront error caused by gravity exceeded the allocated budget, the gravity compensation technique was required. This compensation technique reduces wavefront error effectively by applying the compensation load to the appropriate position of the housing tube. This method successfully meets the wavefront error budget for all bands. In the future, a gravity compensation equipment applying this technique will be manufactured and used for assembly and alignment of multi-band optical sensor.
Korean Lip-Reading: Data Construction and Sentence-Level Lip-Reading
Authors: Cho Sunyoung , Yoon Soosung
Published: April 2024

Lip-reading is the task of inferring the speaker’s utterance from silent video based on learning of lip movements. It is very challenging due to the inherent ambiguities present in the lip movement such as different characters that produce the same lip appearances. Recent advances in deep learning models such as Transformer and Temporal Convolutional Network have led to improve the performance of lip-reading. However, most previous works deal with English lip-reading which has limitations in directly applying to Korean lip-reading, and moreover, there is no a large scale Korean lip-reading dataset. In this paper, we introduce the first large-scale Korean lip-reading dataset with more than 120 k utterances collected from TV broadcasts containing news, documentary and drama. We also present a preprocessing method which uniformly extracts a facial region of interest and propose a transformer-based model based on grapheme unit for sentence-level Korean lip-reading. We demonstrate that our dataset and model are appropriate for Korean lip-reading through statistics of the dataset and experimental results.
A Study on the Improvement of Durability of Push Switches for Rotorcraft Control
Authors: Koo Jeongmo , Son Wonae , Seo Jeongmi , Shim Daeho , Nam Kibong
Published: April 2024

In this study, we propose a method to improve the durability of rotorcraft switches. Additionally, the appropriate verification test results are presented. As a result of analyzing the defective switch, it was found that the contact was defective due to long-term use. It was confirmed that stable contact of the terminal is necessary to achieve appropriate performance. We manufactured a switch with one spring and a switch with two springs. As a result of the verification test using this, it was found that the durability of the improved shape was improved by 15 % compared to the existing shape. Those numbers have merit from an operational perspective. This has the effect of reducing the number of replacements per aircraft.
Research on the Layered Architecture for Electronic Warfare System Software based on Attribute-Driven Design 3.0
Authors: Lee Jeongwoo , Kim Sujin , Heo Jinhyuk , Jang Hyojeong , Han Jinwoo
Published: April 2024

Development of electronic warfare(EW) software has become increasingly challenging due to stricter regulations, shorter development cycles, and increased reliability testing. Consequently, software development often proceeds without proper architecture design, which can lead to missing critical quality requirements and potential system redesigns. In this study, we propose using Attribute-Driven Design(ADD) 3.0 to design software architecture specifically tailored for EW systems, enabling a more systematic approach to address quality requirements. The paper presents an overview of EW software and ADD 3.0 methodology, followed by an analysis of the architecture design results using static and dynamic views. The paper concludes by discussing the effectiveness of the proposed architecture design.
Adaptive Mission Control Architecture with Flexible Levels of Autonomy
Authors: Park Wonik , Lee Hojoo , Choi Joonsung , Choe Tokson , Kim Chonghui
Published: April 2024

The future battlefield operation concept does not focus on advanced and complete weapon systems, but requires a new battlefield operation concept that can effectively demonstrate offensive power by combining a large number of low-cost, miniaturized weapons. Recently, research on the autonomous application of major technologies that make up the mission control system is actively underway. However, since the mission control system is still dependent on the operator's operating ability when operating multiple robots, there are limitations to simply applying the automation technology of the existing mission control system. Therefore, we understand how changes in operator capabilities affect multi-robot operation and propose an adaptive mission control architecture design method that supports multi-robot integrated operation by adjusting the level of autonomy of the mission control system according to changes in operator capability.
Deployment Actuator Logic Design for Enhancing Aircraft Armament Stability
Authors: Jeon Seonjae , Lee Kidu , Lee Jinwoo , An Hyodeuk , Song Wonjong , Lee Jinhyeok
Published: April 2024

For the high reliability of guidance weapon, it is important to maintain the stable supply voltage for guidance system while the bomb is gliding. However, the DC motor drive for guidance control in the low temperature can lead to the critical voltage drop due to a large inrush current.In this paper, we propose the wing deployment logic design to enhance the guidance system stability. To derive the stable drive logic based on PWM, we controlled the duty cycles for input voltage of DC motor in low temperature. The initial duty cycle was set to 40 % to relieve the inrush current. Moreover, the proper time, which is less than 1 second for controlling duty cycles, was determined by the iterative wing deployments of guidance kit. Finally, the validity of proposed logic was confirmed from the result the maximum voltage drop for the wing deployment was decreased by 23 %.
A Study on the Interception using Fine Fragments and Particles to Hypersonic Vehicles
Authors: Kim Insoo , Kang Bongjoo , Kim Seongpyo , Yoon Jongwon , Kim Sunghoon
Published: April 2024

This paper describes the interception using fine fragments and particles to hypersonic vehicles which have a vulnerability in thermal and pressure during glide-phase flight. This interception concept is based on the fast relative velocity and the flight vulnerability of hypersonic vehicles. For the density calculation of fragmentation and particle in interception, error analysis of end-phase was performed including radar, intercept missile and target maneuvering errors. In relation to the vulnerability and error analysis, the penetration characteristics of fine fragments in high temperature were analyzed. Presented the interception in glide-phase could be applied to the concept of horizontal multi-layer defense to hypersonic vehicles.
Development of Non-toxic Recombinant Ricin Vaccine and Evaluation of Vaccine Efficacy
Authors: Yun Hyeongseok , Joe Hae-Eun , Song Dong Hyun , Yu Chi Ho , Song Young-Jo , Hur Gyeung Haeng
Published: April 2024

Ricin is a highly toxic protein which is produced in the seeds of the castor oil plant. Ricin toxin A chain has ribosomal RNA N-glycosylase activity that irreversibly hydrolyses the N-glycosidic bond of the adenine residue at position 4324 within the 28S rRNA. In this study, we developed non-toxic recombinant ricin vaccine(R51) in E. coli expression system, and evaluated efficacy of the R51 according to adjuvants. When the R51 was administered using aluminum hydroxide as an adjuvant, the vaccine efficacy was higher than that of TLR agonists or aluminum phosphate. Because it is time-consuming to administer the vaccine three times at three-week intervals, we investigated the survival rate and antibody titer of mice according to the change of time interval of vaccination. Interestingly, there was no difference in survival rate and antibody titer when R51 was administered at 0, 1, and 3 weeks or 0, 2, and 4 weeks compared to when administered at 0, 3, and 6 weeks. Therefore, the developed R51 vaccine is promising to protect soldiers from Ricin attack.
A systematic approach for on‐line identification of second‐order process model from relay feedback test
Authors: Liu Tao , Gao Furong , Wang Youqing
Published: April 2008

Low‐order process modeling provides a basis for control system design and on‐line autotuning in process control. A systematic on‐line identification method is proposed in this article to obtain a second‐order‐plus‐dead‐time (SOPDT) model from a single biased/unbiased relay feedback test. The relay response shapes of the three types of SOPDT model, overdamped, critically damped, and underdamped, are first examined and categorized for model structure selection before proceeding with the corresponding parameter identification. Exact expressions of the corresponding limit cycles are derived for assessing process response under relay feedback test. By using the measurable parameters of these limit cycles, the corresponding identification algorithms are subsequently derived in a transparent manner. Two denoising methods are given to cope with measurement noises. Illustrative examples are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness and merits of the proposed identification algorithms. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 54, 2008
Process analysis of CO2 capture from flue gas using carbonation/calcination cycles
Authors: Zhen‐shan Li , Ning‐sheng Cai , Croiset Eric
Published: April 2008

Process analysis of CO2 capture from flue gas using Ca‐based carbonation/calcination cycles is presented here. A carbonation/calcination system is composed essentially of two reactors (an absorber and a regenerator) with Ca‐based sorbent circulating between the two reactors (assumed here as fluidized beds). CO2 is, therefore, transferred from the absorber to the regenerator. Because of the endothermicity of the calcination reaction, a certain amount of coal is burned with pure oxygen in the regenerator. Detailed mass balance, heat balance and cost of electricity and CO2 mitigation for the carbonation/calcination cycles with three Ca‐based sorbents in dual fluidized beds were calculated and analyzed to study the effect of the Ca‐based sorbent activity decay on CO2 capture from flue gas. The three sorbents considered were: limestone, dolomite and CaO/Ca12Al14O33 (75/25 wt %) sorbent. All results, including the amount of coal and oxygen required, are presented with respect to the difference in calcium oxide conversion between the absorber and the regenerator, which is an important design parameter. Finally, costs of electricity and CO2 mitigation costs using carbonation/calcination cycles for the three sorbents were estimated. The results indicate that the economics of the carbonation/calcination process compare favorably with competing technologies for capturing CO2. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008
Surface temperature and time‐dependent measurements of black liquor droplet combustion
Authors: Ip Leong‐Teng , Baxter Larry L. , Mackrory Andrew J. , Tree Dale R.
Published: April 2008

Black liquor droplets, initially 1–3 mm in diameter, were burned while simultaneously measuring surface and internal temperature, mass loss, and diameter to gain insight into the physical processes of single droplet combustion. Data were collected by weighing a droplet hanging on a thermocouple wire within a heated furnace. Two‐color images of the droplet were obtained to determine a surface temperature and particle size. The data suggest that models of droplet combustion should treat drying, devolatilization, and char oxidation as occurring simultaneously, though typically in different regions of the particle. Isothermal models should be avoided as temperature differences in excess of 300 K exist between the surface and interior, with larger gradients along the surface. Droplet swelling increased at lower ambient temperatures, and is greater for softwood than hardwood liquors. Additional unidentified factors also influence swelling, meaning it is still highly unpredictable and may be a function of initial droplet shape, size, and chemical composition. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008
Mitochondrial DNA and craniofacial covariability of Chad Basin females indicate past population events
Authors: Hájek Martin , Černý Viktor , Brůžek Jaroslav
Published: April 2008

The Chad Basin lies in the middle of the Sudanic African belt between the Sahara and the tropical rain forests. Its present‐day settlement is a result of Holocene climatic changes and human immigrations from different parts of Africa. This study presents a statistical analysis of the relationships of physical features (stature and five main craniofacial measurements) and mitochondrial (mtDNA) haplogroup classifications in a sample of 282 adult individuals belonging to seven populations of different ethno‐linguistic groups living in the Chad Basin. Drawing on the analysis of variance, we identified a female‐specific DNA association between mtDNA haplogroup assignment and facial height. More specifically, the mtDNA haplogroups of East‐African origin occur more frequently in females with relatively longer faces and, conversely, the mtDNA of West‐African origin are found more frequently in females with lower faces. Interestingly, this kind of association is not found in the males of the same populations. Our interpretation refers mainly to population history; we suggest that facial height and mtDNA haplogroup co‐variance in Chad Basin females reflects a long‐term east–west population distribution in the past that made the facial differentiation possible. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bipolar disorder in the Bulgarian Gypsies: Genetic heterogeneity in a young founder population
Authors: Kaneva Radka , Milanova Vihra , Angelicheva Dora , MacGregor Stuart , Kostov Christian , Vladimirova Rositza , Aleksiev Spiridon , Angelova Mina , Stoyanova Vessela , Loh Angeline , Hallmayer Joachim , Kalaydjieva Luba , Jablensky Assen
Published: April 2008

We report the results of follow‐up analyses of 12 genomic regions showing evidence of linkage in a genome‐wide scan (GWS) of Gypsy families with bipolar affective disorder (BPAD). The Gypsies are a young founder population comprising multiple genetically differentiated sub‐isolates with strong founder effect and limited genetic diversity. The BPAD families belong to a single sub‐isolate and are connected by numerous inter‐marriages, resulting in a super‐pedigree with 181 members. We aimed to re‐assess the positive GWS findings and search for evidence of a founder susceptibility allele after the addition of newly recruited subjects, some changes in diagnostic assignment, and the use of denser genetic maps. Linkage analysis was conducted with SimWalk2, accommodating the full complexity of pedigree structure and using a conservative narrow phenotype definition (BPAD only). Six regions were rejected, while 1p36, 13q31, 17p11, 17q21, 6q24, and 4q31 produced nominally significant results in both the individual families and the super‐pedigree. Haplotypes were reconstructed and joint tests for linkage and association were done for the most promising regions. No common ancestral haplotype was identified by sequencing a strong positional and functional candidate gene (GRM1) and additional STR genotyping in the top GWS region, 6q24. The best supported region was a 12 cM interval on 4q31, also implicated in previous studies, where we obtained significant results in the super‐pedigree using both SimWalk2 (P = 0.004) and joint Pseudomarker analysis of linkage and linkage disequilibrium (P = 0.000056). The size of the region and the characteristics of the Gypsy population make it suitable for LD mapping. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Polyurethane foams with 1,3‐pyrimidine ring
Authors: Chmiel‐Szukiewicz Elżbieta
Published: April 2008

Attempts of obtaining of polyurethane foams using polyetherols with 1,3‐pyrimidine ring (obtained in reactions of 6‐aminouracil with oxiranes) are reported. Properties of the foams are investigated, especially their thermal stability. The foams show an improved thermal stability up to 200°C for a long time. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008