bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biogeographic Origin of Kurixalus (Anura, Rhacophoridae) on the East Asian Islands and Tempo of Diversification within Kurixalus
Authors: Mo Qiumei , Sun Tao , Chen Hui , Yu Guohua , Du Lina
Published: August 2023

The ancestral area of Kurixalus on the East Asian islands is under dispute, and two hypotheses exist, namely that distribution occurred only on the Asian mainland (scenario of dispersal) and that wide distribution occurred on both the Asian mainland and the East Asian islands (scenario of vicariance). In this study, we conducted biogeographic analyses and estimated the lineage divergence times based on the most complete sampling of species, to achieve a more comprehensive understanding on the origin of Kurixalus on the East Asian islands. Our results revealed that the process of jump dispersal (founder-event speciation) is the crucial process, resulting in the distribution of Kurixalus on the East Asian islands, and supported the model of the Asian mainland origin: that Kurixalus on the East Asian islands originated from the Asian mainland through two long-distance colonization events (jump dispersal), via the model of vicariance of a widespread ancestor on both the Asian mainland and the East Asian islands. Our results indicated that choices of historical biogeography models can have large impacts on biogeographic inference, and the procedure of model selection is very important in biogeographic analysis. The diversification rate of Kurixaus has slightly decreased over time, although the constant-rate model cannot be rejected.
Metabolic Alterations in Canine Mammary Tumors
Authors: Tamarindo Guilherme Henrique , Novais Adriana Alonso , Chuffa Luiz Gustavo Almeida , Zuccari Debora Aparecida Pires Campos
Published: August 2023

Canine mammary tumors (CMTs) are among the most common diseases in female dogs and share similarities with human breast cancer, which makes these animals a model for comparative oncology studies. In these tumors, metabolic reprogramming is known as a hallmark of carcinogenesis whereby cells undergo adjustments to meet the high bioenergetic and biosynthetic demands of rapidly proliferating cells. However, such alterations are also vulnerabilities that may serve as a therapeutic strategy, which has mostly been tested in human clinical trials but is poorly explored in CMTs. In this dedicated review, we compiled the metabolic changes described for CMTs, emphasizing the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, and mitochondrial functions. We observed key factors associated with the presence and aggressiveness of CMTs, such as an increase in glucose uptake followed by enhanced anaerobic glycolysis via the upregulation of glycolytic enzymes, changes in glutamine catabolism due to the overexpression of glutaminases, increased fatty acid oxidation, and distinct effects depending on lipid saturation, in addition to mitochondrial DNA, which is a hotspot for mutations. Therefore, more attention should be paid to this topic given that targeting metabolic fragilities could improve the outcome of CMTs.
Fish and Black Soldier Fly Meals as Partial Replacements for Soybean Meal Can Affect Sustainability of Productive Performance, Blood Constituents, Gut Microbiota, and Nutrient Excretion of Broiler Chickens
Authors: Attia Youssef A. , Bovera Fulvia , Asiry Khalid A. , Alqurashi Shatha , Alrefaei Majed S.
Published: August 2023

One hundred and twenty, one-day-old male broiler chicks were used to investigate the effects of supplementation with different dietary protein sources on their performance and immune systems. Chicks were randomly divided into four equal experimental groups (six replicates, each of five chicks). The first group served as a control and was fed a standard corn–soybean meal diet. The second, third, and fourth groups were fed diets in which the soybean meal (SBM) was partly replaced by fish meal (FM), black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), and black soldier fly prepupae (BSFP), respectively. Throughout 1–14 and 15–42 days of age, FM, BSFL, and BSFP were added at 3 and 5%, respectively. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) of the FM group was the best among the tested groups. Feeding BSFP decreased final body weight (BW), BW gain, feed intake, and impaired the FCR compared to the other treatments for the entire experimental period. The BSFP group had significantly lower cecal Salmonella counts compared to the control group and lower total bacterial counts compared to the other groups except for BSFL. BSFL can be fed to broiler chickens at 3% during the starter period and 5% during the grower-finisher periods without negative influences on growth performance, red blood cell characteristics, blood lipid profiles, and nutrient excretion, while BSFP can improve the chickens’ gut ecosystem.
Characterization of Lung Microbiomes in Pneumonic Hu Sheep Using Culture Technique and 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing
Authors: Miao Yongqiang , Zhao Xueliang , Lei Jianlin , Ding Jingru , Feng Hang , Wu Ke , Liu Jiaohu , Wang Chunyang , Ye Dongyang , Wang Xinglong , Wang Juan , Yang Zengqi
Published: August 2023

Hu sheep, a locally bred species in China known for its high productivity, is currently suffering from pneumonia. Here, we combine high-throughput 16SrRNA gene sequencing and bacterial culturing to examine the bacterial community in pneumonic Hu Sheep lungs (p < 0.05). The results showed that the abundance and diversity of lung bacteria in healthy sheep were significantly higher than those in pneumonia sheep (p = 0.139), while there was no significant difference between moderate and severe pneumonia. Furthermore, the composition of the lung microbiota community underwent significant alterations between different levels of pneumonia severity. The application of LEfSe analysis revealed a notable enrichment of Mannheimiae within the lungs of sheep afflicted with moderate pneumonia (p < 0.01), surpassing the levels observed in their healthy counterparts. Additionally, Fusobacterium emerged as the prevailing bacterial group within the lungs of sheep suffering from severe pneumonia. Integrating the results of bacterial isolation and identification, we conclusively determined that Mannheimia haemolytica was the primary pathogenic bacterium within the lungs of sheep afflicted with moderate pneumonia. Furthermore, the exacerbation of pneumonia may be attributed to the synergistic interplay between Fusobacterium spp. and other bacterial species. Our results provide new insights for guiding preventive and therapeutic measures for pneumonia of different severities in sheep.
Phytogenic Bioactive Compounds in the Diet of Lactating Sows, Litter Performance, and Milk Characteristics
Authors: Santos Gleyson Araújo dos , Oliveira Maria do Carmo de , Oliveira Amanda Medeiros Araújo de , Batista Victor Hugo Teixeira , Costa Priscila Oliveira , Heck Augusto , Silva Camilla Mendonça , Rangel Adriano Henrique do Nascimento , Macedo Michelly Fernandes de , Moreira Rennan Herculano Rufino
Published: August 2023

The objective was to evaluate the effect of phytogenic supplementation in the feed of lactating sows on the performance parameters of sows and suckling piglets. Ninety-three lactating sows of commercial lines (sows TN70) were distributed in a completely randomized design. The treatments adopted were a control diet without phytogenics (control) and a control diet with phytogenic supplementation in the feed. Performance parameters and the behaviors of sows and piglets were evaluated, in addition to milk composition and the biochemical parameters of the animals. The use of phytogenics did not affect the feed intake or tissue mobilization of the sows. However, it improved the production and quality of milk and reduced the possibility of light piglets at weaning by 22.16 percentage points. Regarding biochemical parameters, phytogenics improved animal recovery in the lactation period, as proven by an increase in the serum concentration of total protein and urea. Sows that received phytogenics exhibited increased behaviors of inactivity (3.16%), breastfeeding (1.15%), and water consumption (0.95%). In conclusion, using phytogenics in the feed of lactating sows improves the performance of the litters without affecting the body condition of the sows, with increased milk production and enhanced protein and lactose concentration.
Articulating Hip Spacers with a Constrained Acetabular Liner: Effect of Acetabular Bone Loss and Cementation Quality
Authors: Glenn Grayson T. , Apple Andrew E. , Mears Simon C. , Barnes C. Lowry , Stronach Benjamin M. , Siegel Eric R. , Stambough Jeffrey B.
Published: August 2023

Articulating hip spacers for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) offer numerous advantages over static spacers such as improved patient mobilization, hip functionality, and soft tissue tension. Our study aimed to determine complication rates of a functional articulating spacer using a constrained liner to determine the role of acetabular cementation mantle and bone loss on the need for second-stage surgery. A retrospective review of 103 patients was performed and demographic information, spacer components and longevity, spacer-related complications, reinfection rates, and grade of bone loss and acetabular cement mantle quality were determined. There was no significant difference in spacer-related complications or reinfection rate between PJI and native hip infections. 33 of 103 patients (32.0%) elected to retain their spacers. Between patients who retained their initial spacer and those who underwent reimplantation surgery, there was not a significant difference in cement mantle grade (p = 0.52) or degree of bone loss (p = 0.78). Functional articulating antibiotic spacers with cemented constrained acetabular liners demonstrate promising early results in the treatment of periprosthetic and native hip infections. The rate of dislocation events was low. Further efforts to improve cement fixation may help decrease the need for second-stage reimplantation surgery.
Evaluation of Bile Salts on the Survival and Modulation of Virulence of Aliarcobacter butzleri
Authors: Mateus Cristiana , Maia Cláudio J. , Domingues Fernanda , Bücker Roland , Oleastro Mónica , Ferreira Susana
Published: August 2023

Aliarcobacter butzleri is a Gram-negative bacterium associated with infections of the gastrointestinal tract and widely distributed in various environments. For successful infection, A. butzleri should be able to tolerate various stresses during gastrointestinal passage, such as bile. Bile represents an antimicrobial host barrier that acts against external noxious agents and consists of a variety of bile salts. The intestinal bile salts act as detergents involved in the antimicrobial host defense; although, on the bacterial side, they could also serve as a signal to activate virulence mechanisms. The aim of this work was to understand the effects of bile salts on the survival and virulence of A. butzleri. In our study, A. butzleri was able to survive in the presence of human physiological concentrations of bile salts. Regarding the virulence features, an increase in cellular hydrophobicity, a decrease in motility and expression of flaA gene, as well as an increase in biofilm formation with a concomitant change in the type of biofilm structure were observed in the presence of sub-inhibitory concentration of bile salts. Concerning adhesion and invasion ability, no significant difference was observed. Overall, the results demonstrated that A. butzleri is able to survive in physiological concentrations of bile salts and that exposure to bile salts could change its virulence mechanisms.
Exogenous Melatonin Protects against Oxidative Damage to Membrane Lipids Caused by Some Sodium/Iodide Symporter Inhibitors in the Thyroid
Authors: Gładysz Aleksandra K. , Stępniak Jan , Karbownik-Lewińska Małgorzata
Published: August 2023

The thyroid gland is the primary site of sodium/iodide symporter (NIS), an intrinsic plasma membrane protein responsible for the active uptake of iodine, which is indispensable for thyroid hormone synthesis. Since exposure of the thyroid to NIS inhibitors can potentially have harmful effects on the entire organism, it is important to investigate the potential protective effects of known antioxidants, such as melatonin and indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), against pro-oxidative action of classic NIS inhibitors. The study aimed to check if and to what extent melatonin and IPA interact with some confirmed NIS inhibitors regarding their effects on oxidative damage to membrane lipids in the thyroid. For comparison with the thyroid gland, in which NIS is typically present, the liver tissue—not possessing NIS—was applied in the present study. Thyroid and liver homogenates were incubated in the presence of tested NIS inhibitors (i.e., NaClO3, NH4SCN, KSeCN, KNO3, NaF, KClO4, and BPA) in different ranges of concentrations with/without melatonin (5 mM) or IPA (5 mM). The malondialdehyde+4-hydroxyalkenals (MDA + 4-HDA) concentration (LPO index) was measured spectrophotometrically. NaClO3 increased LPO in the thyroid and in the liver, but these pro-oxidative effects were not prevented by either melatonin or IPA. Instead, pro-oxidative effects of NH4SCN observed in both tissues were prevented by both indole substances. KSeCN and NaF increased LPO only in the thyroid, and these pro-oxidative effects were prevented by melatonin and IPA. KNO3, KClO4, and BPA did not increase LPO, which can be due to their low concentrations resulting from restricted solubility. In conclusion, as melatonin prevented oxidative damage to membrane lipids in the thyroid caused by some sodium/iodide symporter inhibitors, this indoleamine shoud be considered as a potential protective agent when produced appropriately in living organisms but also as an exogenous substance recommended to individuals overexposed to NIS inhibitors.
Thermal Stability and Antioxidant Activity of Bioactive Compounds in Bread Enriched with Bee Pollen and Bee Bread
Authors: Ertosun Seymanur , Aylanc Volkan , Falcão Soraia I. , Vilas-Boas Miguel
Published: August 2023

Bee pollen (BP) and bee bread (BB) are natural food sources containing a wide variety of bioactive compounds, complementing their rich nutritional composition. These bee products are being explored to empower functional foods, with the term functionality being dependent on the bioactive compounds added to the food matrix. However, there is not enough evidence of the effect of heat on these compounds during food processing and production and how it impacts their biological activity. Here, we enriched traditional bread by adding BP and BB at different proportions of 1 to 5% and tested the thermal stability of their bioactive compounds through several spectroscopic and chromatographic analyses. Adding bee pollen and bee bread to bread resulted in a 4 and 5-fold increase in total phenolic content, respectively. While not all the 38 phenolic and phenolamide compounds identified in the raw BP and BB were detected in the processed bread, phenolamides were found to be more resilient to baking and heat treatment than flavonoids. Still, the enriched bread’s antioxidant activity improved with the addition of BP and BB. Therefore, incorporating bee products into heat-treated products could enhance the functionality of staple foods and increase the accessibility to these natural products.
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of High-Glucosinolate-Synthesis Lines of Brassica rapa
Authors: Choi Hyunjin , Kim Hail , Han Sanghee , Park Hyun Woo , Ha In Jin , Kim Jung Sun , Lee Seok-Geun
Published: August 2023

Excessive oxidative stress and inflammatory responses are associated with the development of various diseases, including cancer. Glucosinolates (GSLs) are phytochemicals known for their antioxidant properties, and doubled haploid lines (DHLs) of Brassica rapa with high GSL contents (HGSL) were intentionally developed from two edible subspecies of Brassica rapa: B. rapa subsp. trilocularis and B. rapa subsp. chinensis. The purpose of the present study is to assess the capacity of HGSL DHLs to mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, compared to pak choi as a parental control. Our findings demonstrate that HGSL DH lines effectively suppressed the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, leading to the reduced levels of nitric oxide at non-toxic concentrations. Additionally, these lines exhibited scavenging activity against reactive oxygen species and free radicals. The enhanced antioxidant capacity of HGSL DHLs was mechanistically attributed to the upregulation of antioxidant enzymes, such as NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), the glutamate–cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), and heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1). Furthermore, we confirmed that these effects were mediated through the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) signaling pathway via p38 phosphorylation. Moreover, HGSL DHLs demonstrated inhibitory effects on pro-inflammatory cytokines and signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation. Collectively, our results indicate that HGSL DHLs possess better antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties compared to the parental control pak choi in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, suggesting that HGSL DHLs of Brassica rapa could be considered as a beneficial daily vegetable for reducing the risk of inflammation-associated diseases.
Study on the Suppression Effect on Vortex-Induced Vibration of Double-Deck Truss Girder by the Spatial Position of the Deflector Plate
Authors: Yao Gang , Wu Linjun , Yang Yang , Liu Maoyi , Chen Yuxiao , Du Hongbo
Published: August 2023

This paper carried out wind tunnel tests and numerical analysis to study the effect of the spatial position of deflector plates on the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of a double-deck truss girder. The wind tunnel tests found that setting the web deflector plate and the lower chord deflector plate significantly suppressed the VIV. In order to study the suppression mechanism of the deflector plate on VIV, numerical simulations were conducted using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. We analyzed the suppression mechanism of the deflector plate on VIV by combining the vertical amplitude obtained by numerical simulation with the change in the vorticity magnitude and direction. The results showed that the flow velocity around the lower surface of the airflow was reduced, resulting in significantly lower vorticity at the exact position of the lower chord deflector plate and web deflector plate section compared to the original section. The web deflector plate and the lower chord deflector plate broke the vortex shedding mode in the wake flow region, and the vortex shedding frequency was far away from the self-oscillation frequency of the double-deck truss girder, thus suppressing the VIV.
Improving Abstractive Dialogue Summarization Using Keyword Extraction
Authors: Yoo Chongjae , Lee Hwanhee
Published: August 2023

Abstractive dialogue summarization aims to generate a short passage that contains important content for a particular dialogue spoken by multiple speakers. In abstractive dialogue summarization systems, capturing the subject in the dialogue is challenging owing to the properties of colloquial texts. Moreover, the system often generates uninformative summaries. In this paper, we propose a novel keyword-aware dialogue summarization system (KADS) that easily captures the subject in the dialogue to alleviate the problem mentioned above through the efficient usage of keywords. Specifically, we first extract the keywords from the input dialogue using a pre-trained keyword extractor. Subsequently, KADS efficiently leverages the keywords information of the dialogue to the transformer-based dialogue system by using the pre-trained keyword extractor. Extensive experiments performed on three benchmark datasets show that the proposed method outperforms the baseline system. Additionally, we demonstrate that the proposed keyword-aware dialogue summarization system exhibits a high-performance gain in low-resource conditions where the number of training examples is highly limited.
Oscillating Saw Calibration for Mandibular Osteotomy Robots
Authors: Meng Cai , Li Dingzhe , Yuan Weimin , Wu Kai , Shen Hongbin
Published: August 2023

Accurate oscillating saw tool calibration is an important task for mandibular osteotomy robots to perform precise cutting operations. However, in contrast to traditional tool calibration which just calibrates the tool center position (TCP) or the tool feed axis, both the position and the plane orientation of the saw should be carefully calibrated. Therefore, aiming at this problem, in this paper, we propose a method to carry out oscillating saw calibration by employing an optical stereo vision tracking system. At first, hand–eye calibration is conducted to ascertain the spatial pose of the vision frame within the manipulator’s base frame. Subsequently, employing a probe, the positions of the sawtooth points on the oscillating saw plane are captured within the vision frame. These positions are then translated to the manipulator’s end-effector frame using the positional elimination algorithm proposed in this paper. Finally, the pose of the oscillating saw plane within the manipulator’s end-effector frame is extrapolated from the positions of the three sawtooth points. The result shows that the position errors of the points on the oscillating saw plane are within 0.25 mm and the variance of the plane normal direction is 1.93∘ in the five experiments. This approach enables accurate calibration of the oscillating saw plane’s position and orientation within the manipulator’s end-effector frame. Furthermore, it mitigates the necessity of continual adjustments to the joint angles of the manipulator as required by the “six-point method”. However, this approach is hinged upon the availability of precision-oriented 3D positioning equipment.
Impacts of Diversity Technique Application in Order to Reduce the Fading in IEEE 802.15.4 Networks
Authors: Jaksic Branimir , Todorovic Jelena , Jovanovic Mihailo , Bandjur Milos , Bandjur Djoko
Published: August 2023

The paper discusses the operation of wireless sensor networks consisting of nodes based on the IEEE 802.15.4 ZigBee transceiver operating in the presence of Rayleigh or Nakagami-m fading, additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and interference. Analytical expressions for bit error rate (BER) for the IEEE 802.15.4 network were obtained when Rayleigh and Nakagami-m fading were processed with a selection-combining (SC) and maximum-ratio-combining (MRC) combiner and when AWGN and interference were present. Analytical results are presented graphically in the form of BER change, depending on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for different values of network parameters: fading parameter (m), number of branches of MRC combiner (L), modulation parameter (M), and spreading sequence lengths (Lc). Graphical results are presented for the system when there are no combiners and when the SC and MRC combiners are included. Numerical results were confirmed by Monte Carlo simulation. Analysis of the SC and MRC combiner application impact on the performance improvement of the IEEE 802.15.4 network and the received signal was performed.
Experimental Research on the Impact Resistance of Partially Precast Concrete Beams Strengthened with Bonded Steel Plates
Authors: Yan Xueyuan , Zheng Tianxiao , Lin Cihang , Lan Guoguan , Mao Huimin
Published: August 2023

A structure may be exposed to a range of unexpected loads throughout its full life cycle. Partially precast concrete (PC) beams refer to the process of manufacturing concrete beams in which one part of the component is pre−fabricated in a factory and the other part is completed at the construction site. Through the test, it is possible to better ensure the safety and dependability of the PC composite beams under impact load by examining the reinforcement effect, structural toughness, and damage mode of PC composite beams with bonded steel. Additionally, a scientific basis and practical guidance are provided for the actual project. Their impact resistance can significantly affect the overall safety of a structure when subjected to an impact load. Three of the four PC beams used in this investigation were strengthened with steel plates. Residual flexural bearing capacity tests and drop weight impact tests were then conducted. The impacts of steel plate thickness and U−shaped steel plate hoops on the failure mechanism and dynamic response of the component were investigated. The dynamic responses obtained from the experiments included the displacement–time history curve, impact force, and support reaction force. In order to explore the failure mechanism of the partially precast beam during the impact process, a staged analysis was conducted based on the failure mode and dynamic response characteristic values of each curve. Residual flexural bearing capacity tests were used to examine the residual flexural bearing capacity of PC beams strengthened with bonded steel plates. The results of the research reveal that the failure mechanisms of each test beam are bending–shear failures. With the increase in bonded steel thickness, the peak mid−span displacement reduced by 6.55%, the residual mid−span displacement decreased by 29.53%, and the residual flexural bearing capacity improved by 25.02%. With the adoption of U−shaped steel plate hoops, the residual flexural bearing capacity significantly increased while the peak mid−span and residual mid−span displacements both decreased.
Experimental Verification of the Shielding Properties of Selected Textile Materials in the X Frequency Band
Authors: Wójcik Dariusz , Surma Maciej , Magnuski Mirosław , Blachowicz Tomasz , Tuvshinbayar Khorolsuren , Dotter Marius , Topuz Yusuf , Ehrmann Andrea
Published: August 2023

The increasing development and application of wireless devices and systems that radiate electromagnetic waves makes electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding more and more important in everyday life. In practice, rigid EMI shields are the most commonly used ones. However, for humans or in automotive and aviation applications, flexible, drapable materials, such as textile fabrics, can be more effective and useful. Textile fabrics are usually nonconductive and not magnetic, i.e., they lack the requirements for EMI shielding. However, shielding properties of textile fabrics can be achieved by blending yarns with fine wires or coating fibers or by blending complete textile layers with conductive or magnetic materials. In this paper, shielding textile fabrics and 3D-printed materials, as references with different conductive (and partly also magnetic) properties, are examined. The measurements show a high shielding effectiveness of 80 dB given by densely woven fabrics with a thin metallic coating in the frequency range of 6.5–11 GHz, while large pores in crocheted fabrics significantly reduce the EMI shielding effectiveness, and other samples did not show shielding at all, suggesting that a combination of conductivity and the structure of the samples is responsible for the shielding potential.
DanRETwin: A Digital Twin Solution for Optimal Energy Retrofit Decision-Making and Decarbonization of the Danish Building Stock
Authors: Jradi Muhyiddine , Madsen Bo Eskerod , Kaiser Jakob Hovgaard
Published: August 2023

The current trend in renovating existing buildings is to perform retrofits on a case-by-case basis without a systematic assessment, using static tools with broad assumptions and generic inputs. As a result, only about 1% of the building stock undergoes energy renovations each year. To address this issue, new approaches and modern tools are necessary to enhance and expedite energy retrofits in Danish buildings. While there were a few initiatives and projects exploring the implementation of digital twins in building applications, the focus is primarily on newly constructed, highly energy-efficient buildings with integrated building information models (BIM). Conversely, existing and older buildings often lack any form of digital modeling, making it challenging to implement digital twins in those contexts. This paper presents an innovative digital twin solution, ‘DanRETwin’, which will provide decision-making support, retro-commissioning, and data-driven performance optimization for non-residential existing buildings. The proposed solution will utilize building operational data, employing machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to develop scalable data-driven models of building energy. Additionally, clamp-on IoT sensors will be used for data collection, enabling a fully automated and flexible solution. By utilizing DanRETwin, building owners will enjoy higher energy efficiency and improved comfort in their retrofitted buildings; facility managers will have an advanced monitoring solution that enables systematic retro-commissioning of their newly retrofitted buildings, eliminating faults and reducing losses; consultants will have a potential solution to retrofit, enhance, and optimize their clients’ building performance, allowing them to make informed, data-driven decisions and interventions; and city planners will have an effective, scalable, and adaptable tool to expand retrofit efforts and evaluate various scenarios.
Practical Approach to Designing and Implementing a Recommendation System for Healthy Challenges
Authors: Lopez-Barreiro Juan , Garcia-Soidan Jose Luis , Alvarez-Sabucedo Luis , Santos-Gago Juan M.
Published: August 2023

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits. It is crucial to promote proper training and healthy habits for all to prevent physical and cognitive decline. This should be a priority in health and education initiatives to reduce deaths and noncommunicable diseases. Guidelines for nutrition, physical activity, and sleep emphasize the importance of healthy habits. The goal is to develop a recommendation tool with a diverse range of challenges to positively impact users’ health. Methods: The process involves thoroughly obtaining precise user profiles through widely used questionnaires such as the Short-Form Health survey, the short Healthy Eating Index, and the Oviedo Sleep Questionnaire, and characterizing the challenges. Then, an algorithm will be developed to identify and prioritize the most suitable challenges for each user, ensuring personalized recommendations. Results: A pool of 30 health challenges was created based on reputable recommendations and experts. The system underwent validation by external experts and received positive user feedback, confirming its effectiveness. The panel of experts and users validated the personalized and reliable recommendations. Conclusions: Simple lifestyle interventions have shown promise for primary prevention in developed countries. A prototype system has been created to evaluate the individual weakness of users and suggest evidence-based lifestyle challenges. The system conducts a thorough health assessment and ensures feasibility for preventive purposes. Validation has proven the system’s effectiveness in recommending health-enhancing challenges with no adverse effects. The design of the model supports the seamless addition of new challenges by eventual third parties, ensuring interoperability and scalability.
Reorganisation and Construction of an Age-Friendly Smart Recreational Home System: Based on Function–Capability Match Methodology
Authors: Zhou Chengmin , Huang Ting , Luo Xin , Kaner Jake
Published: August 2023

Elderly users are unable to adapt to the technological dividend brought by the internet of everything as soon as possible due to the deterioration in cognitive and perceptual functions, especially in the state of development of modern intelligent homes whose users’ practical operational capabilities cannot be matched. This situation creates a digital divide in which older users also need helpmate intelligent home systems. Current research on innovative home systems often lacks a focus on the elderly and a matching mapping between smart homes and operational capabilities. Therefore, this study proposes a theoretical approach and model based on the matching between smart home functions and older users’ abilities. This modelling path provides specific guidance for actual smart home design practices. This study outlines the methodology, theoretical derivation, and construction of the user capability gradient for matching functions and requirements of elderly users. Based on a theoretical model, experimental data, and threshold law in practical application, the age-appropriate intelligent home control system is developed independently, and the integrated development of hardware and software cloud synergy is realised for the user pain points of elderly users to make up for the gap at this research level.
Investigation of Impulse Aging of Energy-Absorption Elements for Hybrid DC Circuit Breakers
Authors: Wang Xinyi , Liu Yiying , Lv Yilei , Sun Jinru , Yao Xueling , Wang Xinyu , Li Zhihan
Published: August 2023

The state of the energy-absorption branch MOV in the hybrid DC circuit breaker (DCCB) has a very important impact on the short fault breaking operation of the circuit breaker. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the state of the MOV, which is also called the “sleep component”. Due to DCCB being placed indoors, the aging is mainly caused by short-circuit impulse current. Therefore, this paper mainly focuses on the study of the short-circuit impulse aging characteristics of the energy-absorption branch MOV. The dynamic simulation system of a hybrid DCCB was built to investigate the impulse of short-circuit current on the MOV of the energy-absorption branch during the circuit breaking process. Then, an accelerated impulse aging test platform was built and the accelerated impulse aging tests of the MOV were conducted. The aging characteristics of the MOV were analyzed in detail and detailed analysis was conducted of the macroscopic parameters and microstructure changes. The results indicate that the nonlinear coefficient α could be emphasized as a basis for judging the “sleeping” component states and aging degree of the hybrid DC circuit breaker, and can be expected to be applicable to MOV condition monitoring of BCCB in the future.
Special Issue on Exoskeleton Robotic Systems
Authors: Geonea Ionut Daniel , Copilusi Cristian Petre
Published: August 2023

Over the past 20 years, the therapies available in rehabilitation clinics have improved substantially, aided by robotic rehabilitation systems, which have seen rapid progress and increased performance [...]
Research on Trajectory Planning and Tracking Methods for Coal Mine Mobile Robots
Authors: Li Menggang , Hu Kun , He Weiwei , Hu Eryi , Tang Chaoquan , Zhou Gongbo
Published: August 2023

Coal Mine Mobile Robots (CMRRs) are generally large in size and inertia, while narrow laneway space and bumpy terrain pose great challenges to CMRR’s planning and control. Aiming at the trajectory planning and tracking problems of CMRR, a new trajectory class MINCO is derived in detail based on the properties of differential flat systems. A trajectory planning method based on MINCO trajectory and safety corridor constraints constructed with underground environmental constraints is further proposed. A trajectory tracking method based on model predictive control (MPC) is further proposed. The prediction model of MPC is constructed by a kinematics model and transformed into a standard quadratic programming problem according to the cost function of a trajectory tracking target. Finally, large quantities of field tests were carried out for the proposed approaches. The results show that the proposed planning algorithm based on MINCO trajectory can achieve good avoidance effects within 10 planning attempts in different obstacle scenarios, and the trajectory is smoother compared to the Fast-Planner algorithm, with shorter trajectory length and less planning time. The tracking error of MPC is always less than 0.05 m in different underground scenarios, having a more adaptable trajectory tracking effect than PID.
A Numerical Study of the Behavior of Micropile Foundations under Cyclic Thermal Loading
Authors: Lupattelli Arianna , Bourne-Webb Peter J. , Bodas Freitas Teresa M. , Salciarini Diana
Published: August 2023

Micropiles are small-diameter foundation elements that are widely used in building refurbishment to reinforce existing foundations or provide new foundations where access for construction is difficult. Thermally-activated (TA) micropiles could be useful as an efficient means of providing cost-effective ground-coupling when shallow geothermal energy systems are considered in building rehabilitation. It is well-established that thermal activation of pile foundations results in thermo-mechanical interactions between the pile and the surrounding soil. These thermally-induced effects need to be examined to ensure that they do not adversely impact the load transfer function of the micropile. Numerical analysis is able to produce reliable predictions of thermo-mechanical behavior of TA piles, and this study applied this technique to examine the cyclic thermal behavior of micropiles, isolated and in groups. For the situations considered in this study, it is shown that during cyclic thermal activation, irrecoverable movements are unlikely to be significant in design terms, if the initial mobilization of the shaft resistance is low. Though stable, cyclic thermal movement amplitudes are large enough that they should be considered in design. The study highlights that large changes in thermal stress can develop and be locked-in to the response of long flexible piles, and that these should be verified in design. Further, as pile spacing reduces, thermal interference results in a loss of heat exchange capacity per pile, which has to be considered in the design of large groups of TA micropiles. Therefore, TA micropiles can offer an efficient and secure means of providing ground coupling in shallow geothermal energy systems.
Swin-YOLO for Concealed Object Detection in Millimeter Wave Images
Authors: Huang Pingping , Wei Ran , Su Yun , Tan Weixian
Published: August 2023

Concealed object detection in millimeter wave (MMW) images has gained significant attention in the realm of public safety, primarily due to its distinctive advantages of non-hazardous and non-contact operation. However, this undertaking confronts substantial challenges in practical applications, owing to the inherent limitations of low imaging resolution, small concealed object size, intricate environmental noise, and the need for real-time performance. In this study, we propose Swin-YOLO, an innovative single-stage detection model built upon transformer layers. Our approach encompasses several key contributions. Firstly, the integration of Local Perception Swin Transform Layers (LPST Layers) enhanced the network’s capability to acquire contextual information and local awareness. Secondly, we introduced a novel feature fusion layer and a specialized prediction head for detecting small targets, effectively leveraging the network’s shallow feature information. Lastly, a coordinate attention (CA) module was seamlessly incorporated between the neck network and the detection head, augmenting the network’s sensitivity towards critical regions of small objects. To validate the efficacy and feasibility of our proposed method, we created a new MMW dataset containing a large number of small concealed objects and conducted comprehensive experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of overall and partial improvements, as well as computational efficiency. The results demonstrated a remarkable 4.7% improvement in the mean Average Precision (mAP) for Swin-YOLO compared with the YOLOv5 baseline. Moreover, when compared with other enhanced transformer-based models, Swin-YOLO exhibited a superior accuracy and the fastest inference speed. The proposed model showcases enhanced performance and holds promise for advancing the capabilities of real-world applications in public safety domains.
Adsorption of Hexavalent Chromium Ions Using Pine Sawdust Cellulose Fibres
Authors: Mzinyane Nozipho Nompumelelo , Mnqiwu Kevin Masixole , Moukangoe Khomotso Monoka
Published: August 2023

In developing countries, agriculture generates not only income but also waste. Therefore, it is essential to recycle this waste for different purposes. This study explored an affordable way to modify pine sawdust to treat chromium-containing wastewater, with successful outcomes. The biosorbent’s surface area was enhanced through pretreatment steps, including NaOH treatment, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis for cellulose fibre extraction. SEM–EDS, TEM, and XRD were used to study the chemical composition and morphology. XRD measurements also revealed a rise in the sizes of crystallites. FTIR results revealed shifts in bands (-OH), (-C-H), and (-COOH), suggesting their involvement in Cr (VI) ion adsorption. TGA/DTA indicated enhanced thermal stability for cellulose extracted from pine sawdust compared to untreated pine sawdust. The adsorption parameters for Cr (VI) ions were investigated through mass, pH, stirring time, and temperature studies. The optimal Cr (VI) adsorption conditions were 2.0 g mass, pH 6, 90 min stirring, 100 mg/L concentration, and 313 K temperature. The adsorption of Cr (VI) ions was best-fit to the Langmuir isotherm model (R2 = 0.9991, kL = 0.09). Pseudo-second-order kinetics (R2 = 0.9999) provided the best description for Cr (VI) biosorption on cellulose fibres (CF). The analysis results confirmed the isotherm and kinetics models. The negative thermodynamic parameters (ΔG° and ΔH°) indicated that the uptake of Cr (VI) ions on the adsorbent was exothermic and spontaneous.
Study on the Effect of Large Cross-Section Quasi-Rectangular Pipe Jacking near Side Crossing Viaduct Piles in Soft Soil Areas
Authors: Yan Yichen , Zhang Mengxi , Cao Mengjia
Published: August 2023

Due to its high section use rate and minimal environmental impact, pipe jacking technology is frequently utilized in the building of urban rail transit and other municipal projects. This paper develops a three-dimensional numerical model for the gradual construction of rectangular pipe jacking based on the quasi-rectangular pipe jacking metro station project on Shanghai Line 14 and examines the interaction between the subsequent construction of double line pipe jacking and pile foundation. To analyze the deformation pattern of the tunnel section and the ground surface during the construction period and to confirm the applicability and accuracy of the model, the simulation results are compared with the monitoring data. The findings demonstrate that although the bending moment of the pipe jacking section is distributed as a “butterfly” under the influence of the viaduct piles, the maximum positive and negative bending moments as well as the lateral and vertical radial deformations of the pipe section cross-section are all somewhat diminished. The ground surface settlement curve in the vicinity of the bearing platform exhibits a more pronounced non-uniform settlement when the two pipe jackings pass through the pile foundation in close proximity, one after the other. The largest horizontal displacement of the pile foundation is found inside the jacking pipe tunnel at a depth of roughly 17 m below ground, where pipe jacking II has a greater influence on the lateral displacement of the pile foundation than pipe jacking I. The study’s findings line up with the monitoring data, which can serve as a guide and aid in the development of initiatives of a similar nature.
Performance Evaluation and Optimization of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model Based on Kunpeng 920
Authors: Huang Jian , Wang Wu , Wang Yuzhu , Jiang Jinrong , Yan Chen , Zhao Lian , Bai Yidi
Published: August 2023

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is a mesoscale numerical weather prediction system, which is widely used in major high-performance server platforms. This study focuses on the performance evaluation and optimization of WRF on Huawei’s self-developed kunpeng 920 processor platform, aiming to improve the operational efficiency of WRF. The results of the study show that the scalability of WRF on kunpeng 920 processor is well performed; the performance of WRF on kunpeng 920 processor is improved by 32.6% after invoking the Fast Math Library and Domain Decomposition Core Tile Division optimization. In terms of IO, the main optimizations are parallel IO and asynchronous IO. Eventually, the single output time of WRF is reduced from 37.28 s in serial IO mode to 0.14 s in asynchronous IO mode, and the overall running time is reduced from 1078.80 s to 807.94 s.
Depth Completion in Autonomous Driving: Adaptive Spatial Feature Fusion and Semi-Quantitative Visualization
Authors: Wang Hantao , Guo Ente , Chen Feng , Chen Pingping
Published: August 2023

The safety of autonomous driving is closely linked to accurate depth perception. With the continuous development of autonomous driving, depth completion has become one of the crucial methods in this field. However, current depth completion methods have major shortcomings in small objects. To solve this problem, this paper proposes an end-to-end architecture with adaptive spatial feature fusion by encoder–decoder (ASFF-ED) module for depth completion. The architecture is built on the basis of the network architecture proposed in this paper, and is able to extract depth information adaptively with different weights on the specified feature map, which effectively solves the problem of insufficient depth accuracy of small objects. At the same time, this paper also proposes a depth map visualization method with a semi-quantitative visualization, which makes the depth information more intuitive to display. Compared with the currently available depth map visualization methods, this method has stronger quantitative analysis and horizontal comparison ability. Through experiments of ablation study and comparison, the results show that the method proposed in this paper exhibits a lower root-mean-squared error (RMSE) and better small object detection performance on the KITTI dataset.
Real-Time Simulation of Wave Phenomena in Lung Ultrasound Imaging
Authors: Szostek Kamil , Lasek Julia , Piórkowski Adam
Published: August 2023

Medical simulations have proven to be highly valuable in the education of healthcare professionals. This significance was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, where simulators provided a safe and effective means of training healthcare practitioners in the principles of lung ultrasonography without exposing them to the risk of infection. This further emphasizes another important advantage of medical simulation in the field of medical education. This paper presents the principles of ultrasound simulation in the context of inflammatory lung conditions. The propagation of sound waves in this environment is discussed, with a specific focus on key diagnostic artifacts in lung imaging. The simulated medium was modeled by assigning appropriate acoustic characteristics to the tissue components present in the simulated study. A simulation engine was developed, taking into consideration the requirements of easy accessibility through a web browser and high-performance simulation through GPU-based computing. The obtained images were compared with real-world examples. An analysis of simulation parameter selection was conducted to achieve real-time simulations while maintaining excellent visual quality. The research findings demonstrate the feasibility of real-time, high-quality visualization in ultrasound simulation, providing valuable insights for the development of educational tools and diagnostic training in the field of medical imaging.