bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Uranium-Bearing Layers of Sandstone Type Uranium Deposits Identification and Three-Dimensional Reconstruction in the Northern Ordos Basin, North-Central China
Authors: Tan Yulei , Lu Laijun , Yang Chen , Zhao Jia , Ding Yan
Published: June 2023

Sandstone type uranium is the most valuable and has the most potential for mining among the known uranium deposits. In the process of forming, the hydrolytic migration and enrichment of uranium require special basin sedimentary environment and tectonic background. Therefore, the mineralization process of sandstone type uranium deposits has certain layering characteristics and distribution rules in the underground vertical depth space. It is important to mine the spatial distribution characteristics of vertical uranium-bearing layers, and thus, reconstruct the three-dimensions of uranium orebodies. In this paper, according to the metallogenic law and distribution characteristics of sandstone type uranium in the underground vertical space, a nonlinear uranium-bearing layers identification (NULI) method of sandstone type uranium is proposed by using different types, resolutions and scales of borehole data. Then, the depth of uranium mineralization for the Daying uranium deposit within northern Ordos Basin is identified accurately and the spatial distribution characteristics of the uranium-bearing layer on the exploration line are obtained. Finally, the occurrence mode of the underground uranium orebodies are presented by using three-dimensional reconstruction analysis. It provides a basis for the prediction, exploration and mining of sandstone type uranium deposits within the Ordos Basin.
A Novel Mesoscopic Drill Bit Model for Deep Drilling Applications
Authors: Ichaoui Mohamed , Schiefer Frank , Ostermeyer Georg-Peter
Published: June 2023

This paper deals with the development of a novel mesoscopic model of polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) drill bits that can be implemented in complex drill string models for simulations to analyse the influence of rock inhomogeneities or the impact of anti-whirl bits on drill string dynamics. In contrast to existing modelling approaches, the model is developed at a mesoscopic level, where the basic bit–rock interaction is taken from the macroscopic bit model and the cutting characteristics are summarised at a microscopic cutting level into a simplified configuration via cutting blades. This model can therefore effectively describe asymmetries and thus interactions between the torsional and lateral dynamics of the drill bit, and is particularly suitable for investigating the effects of drilling into rock inhomogeneities and fault zones on drilling dynamics. By integration into a complex drill string model, simulation studies of drilling through a sandwich formation were carried out. The simulation results allow detailed stability statements and show the influence of formation properties and bit design on torsional and lateral drill string dynamics.
NMR-Based Metabolomic Study on Phaseolus vulgaris Flour Fermented by Lactic Acid Bacteria and Yeasts
Authors: Tatulli Giuseppina , Cagliani Laura Ruth , Sparvoli Francesca , Brasca Milena , Consonni Roberto
Published: June 2023

In recent years, fermented foods have attracted increasing attention due to their important role in the human diet, since they supply beneficial health effects, providing important sources of nutrients. In this respect, a comprehensive characterization of the metabolite content in fermented foods is required to achieve a complete vision of physiological, microbiological, and functional traits. In the present preliminary study, the NMR-based metabolomic approach combined with chemometrics has been applied, for the first time, to investigate the metabolite content of Phaseolus vulgaris flour fermented by different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts. A differentiation of microorganisms (LAB and yeasts), LAB metabolism (homo- and heterofermentative hexose fermentation), LAB genus (Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Pediococcus), and novel genera (Lacticaseibacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, and Lentilactobacillus) was achieved. Moreover, our findings showed an increase of free amino acids and bioactive molecules, such as GABA, and a degradation of anti-nutritional compounds, such as raffinose and stachyose, confirming the beneficial effects of fermentation processes and the potential use of fermented flours in the production of healthy baking foods. Finally, among all microorganisms considered, the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum species was found to be the most effective in fermenting bean flour, as a larger amount of free amino acids were assessed in their analysis, denoting more intensive proteolytic activity.
Evaluation of Anti-Neuroinflammatory Activity of Isatin Derivatives in Activated Microglia
Authors: Cenalmor Alejandro , Pascual Elena , Gil-Manso Sergio , Correa-Rocha Rafael , Suárez José Ramón , García-Álvarez Isabel
Published: June 2023

Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Overactivated microglia cause neurotoxicity and prolong the inflammatory response in many neuropathologies. In this study, we have synthesised a series of isatin derivatives to evaluate their anti-neuroinflammatory potential using lipopolysaccharide activated microglia as a cell model. We explored four different substitutions of the isatin moiety by testing their anti-neuroinflammatory activity on BV2 microglia cells. Based on the low cytotoxicity and the activity in reducing the release of nitric oxide, pro-inflammatory interleukin 6 and tumour necrosis factor α by microglial cells, the N1-alkylated compound 10 and the chlorinated 20 showed the best results at 25 µM. Taken together, the data suggest that 10 and 20 are promising lead compounds for developing new neuroprotective agents.
Three-Step Synthesis of the Antiepileptic Drug Candidate Pynegabine
Authors: Sun Yi-Jing , Gong Ya-Ling , Lu Shi-Chao , Zhang Shi-Peng , Xu Shu
Published: June 2023

Pynegabine, an antiepileptic drug candidate in phase I clinical trials, is a structural analog of the marketed drug retigabine with improved chemical stability, strong efficacy, and a better safety margin. The reported shortest synthetic route for pynegabine contains six steps and involves the manipulation of highly toxic methyl chloroformate and dangerous hydrogen gas. To improve the feasibility of drug production, we developed a concise, three-step process using unconventional methoxycarbonylation and highly efficient Buchwald–Hartwig cross coupling. The new synthetic route generated pynegabine at the decagram scale without column chromatographic purification and avoided the dangerous manipulation of hazardous reagents.
Long-Term Consumption of Sucralose Induces Hepatic Insulin Resistance through an Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 1/2-Dependent Pathway
Authors: Tsai Meng-Jie , Li Chung-Hao , Wu Hung-Tsung , Kuo Hsin-Yu , Wang Chung-Teng , Pai Hsiu-Ling , Chang Chih-Jen , Ou Horng-Yih
Published: June 2023

Sugar substitutes have been recommended to be used for weight and glycemic control. However, numerous studies indicate that consumption of artificial sweeteners exerts adverse effects on glycemic homeostasis. Although sucralose is among the most extensively utilized sweeteners in food products, the effects and detailed mechanisms of sucralose on insulin sensitivity remain ambiguous. In this study, we found that bolus administration of sucralose by oral gavage enhanced insulin secretion to decrease plasma glucose levels in mice. In addition, mice were randomly allocated into three groups, chow diet, high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD supplemented with sucralose (HFSUC), to investigate the effects of long-term consumption of sucralose on glucose homeostasis. In contrast to the effects of sucralose with bolus administration, the supplement of sucralose augmented HFD-induced insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, determined by glucose and insulin tolerance tests. In addition, we found that administration of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-1/2 inhibitor reversed the effects of sucralose on glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in mice. Moreover, blockade of taste receptor type 1 member 3 (T1R3) by lactisole or pretreatment of endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitors diminished sucralose-induced insulin resistance in HepG2 cells. Taken together, sucralose augmented HFD-induced insulin resistance in mice, and interrupted insulin signals through a T1R3-ERK1/2-dependent pathway in the liver.
A Retrospective Study of Complications of Enteral Feeding in Critically Ill Children on Noninvasive Ventilation
Authors: Sierra-Colomina Montserrat , Yehia Nagam Anna , Mahmood Farhan , Parshuram Christopher , Mtaweh Haifa
Published: June 2023

The utilization of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), to support children with respiratory failure and avoid endotracheal intubation, has increased. Current guidelines recommend initiating enteral nutrition (EN) within the first 24–48 h post admission. This practice remains variable among PICUs due to perceptions of a lack of safety data and the potential increase in respiratory and gastric complications. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the association between EN and development of extraintestinal complications in children 0–18 years of age on NIV for acute respiratory failure. Of 332 patients supported with NIV, 249 (75%) were enterally fed within the first 48 h of admission. Respiratory complications occurred in 132 (40%) of the total cohort and predominantly in non-enterally fed patients (60/83, 72% vs. 72/249, 29%; p < 0.01), and they occurred earlier during ICU admission (0 vs. 2 days; p < 0.01). The majority of complications were changes in the fraction of inspired oxygen (220/290, 76%). In the multivariate evaluation, children on bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) (23/132, 17% vs. 96/200, 48%; odds ratio [OR] = 5.3; p < 0.01), receiving a higher fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) (0.42 vs. 0.35; OR = 6; p = 0.03), and with lower oxygen saturation (SpO2) (91% vs. 97%; OR = 0.8; p < 0.01) were more likely to develop a complication. Time to discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU) was longer for patients with complications (11 vs. 3 days; OR = 1.12; p < 0.01). The large majority of patients requiring NIV can be enterally fed without an increase in respiratory complications after an initial period of ICU stabilization.
Estimating the Impact of Consecutive Blood Meals on Vector Competence of Aedes albopictus for Chikungunya Virus
Authors: Veronesi Eva , Paslaru Anca , Ettlin Julia , Ravasi Damiana , Flacio Eleonora , Tanadini Matteo , Guidi Valeria
Published: June 2023

The continuous expansion of Aedes albopictus in Europe and the increases in autochthonous arboviruses transmissions in the region urge a better understanding of the virus transmission dynamic. Recent work described enhanced chikungunya virus (CHIKV) dissemination in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes exposed to a virus-free blood meal three days after their infection with CHIKV. Our study investigated the impact of a second blood meal on the vector competence of Ae. albopictus from southern Switzerland infected with CHIKV. Seven-day-old Ae. albopictus females were exposed to CHIKV-spiked blood and incubated at constant (27 °C) and fluctuating (14–28 °C) temperatures. Four days post-infection (dpi), some of these females were re-fed with a non-infectious blood meal. Virus infectivity, dissemination, transmission rate, and efficiency were investigated at seven and ten dpi. No enhanced dissemination rate was observed among females fed a second time; however, re-fed females have shown higher transmission efficiency than those fed only once after seven days post-infection and incubated under a fluctuating temperature regime. Vector competence for CHIKV was confirmed in Ae. albopictus from southern Switzerland. We did not observe an increase in dissemination rates among mosquitoes fed a second time (second blood meal), regardless of the temperature regime.
An Overview of Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Nematoda: Angiostrongylidae), an Emerging Cause of Human Angiostrongylosis on the Indian Subcontinent
Authors: Pandian Divakaran , Najer Tomáš , Modrý David
Published: June 2023

Human angiostrongylosis is an emerging zoonosis caused by the larvae of three species of metastrongyloid nematodes of the genus Angiostrongylus, with Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Chen, 1935) being dominant across the world. Its obligatory heteroxenous life cycle includes rats as definitive hosts, mollusks as intermediate hosts, and amphibians and reptiles as paratenic hosts. In humans, the infection manifests as Angiostrongylus eosinophilic meningitis (AEM) or ocular form. Since there is no comprehensive study on the disease in the Indian subcontinent, our study aims at the growing incidence of angiostrongylosis in humans, alongside its clinical course and possible causes. A systematic literature search revealed 28 reports of 45 human cases from 1966 to 2022; eosinophilic meningitis accounted for 33 cases (75.5%), 12 cases were reported as ocular, 1 case was combined, and 1 case was unspecified. The presumed source of infection was reported in 5 cases only. Importantly, 22 AEM patients reported a history of eating raw monitor lizard (Varanus spp.) tissues in the past. As apex predators, monitor lizards accumulate high numbers of L3 responsible for acute illness in humans. For ocular cases, the source was not identified. Most cases were diagnosed based on nematode findings and clinical pathology (primarily eosinophilia in the cerebrospinal fluid). Only two cases were confirmed to be A. cantonensis, one by immunoblot and the other by q-PCR. Cases of angiostrongylosis have been reported in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Telangana, and West Bengal. With a population of more than 1.4 billion, India is one of the least studied areas for A. cantonensis. It is likely that many cases remain undetected/unreported. Since most cases have been reported from the state of Kerala, further research may focus on this region. Gastropods, amphibians, and reptiles are commonly consumed in India; however, typical preparation methods involve cooking, which kills the nematode larvae. In addition to studying rodent and mollusk hosts, monitor lizards can be used as effective sentinels. Sequence data are urgently needed to answer the question of the identity of Angiostrongylus-like metastrongylid nematodes isolated from all types of hosts. DNA-based diagnostic methods such as q-PCR and LAMP should be included in clinical diagnosis of suspected cases and in studies of genetic diversity and species identity of nematodes tentatively identified as A. cantonensis.
Evaluation of the Efficacy of Commercial Disinfectants against African Swine Fever Virus
Authors: Frost Lorraine , Tully Matthew , Dixon Linda , Hicks Hayley M. , Bennett Jessica , Stokes Isobel , Marsella Laura , Gubbins Simon , Batten Carrie
Published: June 2023

African swine fever (ASF) is an economically important disease due to high morbidity and mortality rates and the ability to affect all ages and breeds of pigs. Biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of the causative agent, African swine fever virus (ASFV), include prescriptive cleaning and disinfection procedures. The aim of this study was to establish the biocidal effects of twenty-four commercially available disinfectants including oxidizing agents, acids, aldehydes, formic acids, phenol, and mixed-class chemistries against ASFV. The products were prepared according to the manufacturer’s instructions and a suspension assay was performed with ASFV strain, BA71V using Vero cells (African green monkey cells) to test efficacy in reducing ASFV infection of cells. Generally, disinfectants containing formic acid and phenolic compounds, as well as oxidizing agents reduced viral titers of ASFV by over 4 log10 at temperatures ranging from 4 °C to 20 °C. Hydrogen peroxide, aldehyde, and quaternary ammonium compounds containing disinfectants were cytotoxic, limiting the detection of viral infectivity reductions to less than 4 log10. These preliminary results can be used to target research on disinfectants which contain active ingredients with known efficacy against ASFV under conditions recommended for the country where their use will be applied.
Lycopene from Red Guava (Psidium guajava L.): From Hepatoprotective Effect to Its Use as Promising Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System for Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Applications
Authors: Alves Maíra Bernardes , Vasconcelos Andreanne Gomes , Silva de Carvalho Amandda Évelin , Slompo Robson Camilotti , Sá Bruno Silva , Gonçalves Maria Júlia Lima , Lima Moura Liz Nayara Ribeiro da Costa , Brito Ana Karolinne da Silva , França José Vinícius de Sousa , Martins Maria do Carmo de Carvalho e , Rizzo Márcia dos Santos , Soares Susana , Bastos Verónica , Saldanha de Araujo Felipe , Mogharbel Bassam Felipe , Carvalho Katherine Athayde Teixeira de , Oliveira Helena , Plácido Alexandra , Arcanjo Daniel Dias Rufino , Barbosa Eder Alves , Leite José Roberto de Souza de Almeida
Published: June 2023

Lycopene is a carotenoid with potential use in the treatment of chronic illnesses. Here, different formulations of lycopene were studied: lycopene-rich extract from red guava (LEG), purified lycopene from red guava (LPG) and a self-emulsifying drug delivery system loaded with LPG (nanoLPG). The effects of administering orally various doses of LEG to hypercholesterolemic hamsters were evaluated regarding the liver function of the animals. The cytotoxicity of LPG in Vero cells was analyzed by a crystal violet assay and by fluorescence microscopy. In addition, nanoLPG was employed in stability tests. LPG and nanoLPG were tested for their cytotoxic effect on human keratinocytes and antioxidant capacity on cells in an endothelial dysfunction model in an isolated rat aorta. Finally, the effect of different nanoLPG concentrations on the expression of immune-related genes (IL-10, TNF-α, COX-2 and IFN-γ) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using real-time PCR was also analyzed. Results suggest that LEG, despite not being able to improve blood markers indicative of liver function in hypercholesterolemic hamsters, reduced hepatic degenerative changes. Additionally, LPG did not show cytotoxicity in Vero cells. In relation to nanoLPG, the effects produced by heat stress evaluated by Dynamics Light Scattering (DLS) and visually were loss of color, texture change and phase separation after 15 days without interfering with the droplet size, so the formulation proved to be efficient in stabilizing the encapsulated lycopene. Although LPG and nanoLPG showed moderate toxicity to keratinocytes, which may be related to cell lineage characteristics, both revealed potent antioxidant activity. LPG and nanoLPG showed vasoprotective effects in aortic preparations. The gene expression assay indicates that, although no significant differences were observed in the expression of IL-10 and TNF-α, the PBMCs treated with nanoLPG showed a reduction in transcriptional levels of IFN-γ and an increased expression of COX-2. Thus, the work adds evidence to the safety of the use of lycopene by humans and shows that tested formulations, mainly nanoLPG due to its stability, stand out as promising and biosafe products for the treatment of diseases that have oxidative stress and inflammation in their etiopathology.
The C-Terminus of Panusin, a Lobster β-Defensin, Is Crucial for Optimal Antimicrobial Activity and Serum Stability
Authors: Bello-Madruga Roberto , Valle Javier , Jiménez M. Ángeles , Torrent Marc , Montero-Alejo Vivian , Andreu David
Published: June 2023

β-defensins are one of the most abundant and studied families of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Because of their selective toxicity to bacterial membranes and a broad spectrum of microbicidal action, β-defensins are regarded as potential therapeutic agents. This work focuses on a β-defensin-like AMP from the spiny lobster Panulirus argus (hereafter referred to as panusin or PaD). This AMP is structurally related to mammalian defensins via the presence of an αβ domain stabilized by disulfide bonds. Previous studies of PaD suggest that its C-terminus (Ct_PaD) contains the main structural determinants of antibacterial activity. To confirm this hypothesis, we made synthetic versions of PaD and Ct_PaD to determine the influence of the C-terminus on antimicrobial activity, cytotoxicity, proteolytic stability, and 3D structure. After successful solid-phase synthesis and folding, antibacterial assays of both peptides showed truncated Ct_PaD to be more active than native PaD, confirming the role of the C-terminus in activity and suggesting that cationic residues in that region enhance binding to negatively charged membranes. On the other hand, neither PaD nor Ct_PaD were hemolytic or cytotoxic in human cells. Proteolysis in human serum was also studied, showing high (>24 h) t1/2 values for PaD and lower but still considerable for Ct_PaD, indicating that the missing native disulfide bond in Ct_PaD alters protease resistance, albeit not decisively. NMR-2D experiments in water agree with the results obtained by circular dichroism (CD), where in SDS micelles, CD showed both peptides adopting an increasingly ordered structure in a hydrophobic environment, in tune with their ability to perturb bacterial membrane systems. In conclusion, while the β-defensin features of PaD are confirmed as advantageous in terms of antimicrobial activity, toxicity, and protease stability, the results of the present work suggest that these same features are preserved, even enhanced, in the structurally simpler Ct_PaD, which must therefore be viewed as a valuable lead for the development of novel anti-infectives.
Modeling and Simulation as a Tool to Assess Voriconazole Exposure in the Central Nervous System
Authors: Staudt Keli Jaqueline , Dias Bruna Bernar , Alves Izabel Almeida , Lelièvre Bénédicte , Bouchara Jean-Philippe , de Araújo Bibiana Verlindo
Published: June 2023

Voriconazole is a triazole antifungal used empirically for the treatment of complicated meningitis associated with Cryptococcus neoformans. Biopsy studies show that the drug exhibits adequate brain penetration although levels of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) are highly variable. Considering that CSF is one of the main surrogates for CNS exposure, the present work proposed the building of a population pharmacokinetic modeling (popPK) model able to describing the exposure achieved by voriconazole in the plasma, interstitial cerebral fluid and CSF of healthy and infected rats. The developed popPK model was described by four compartments, including total plasma, free brain and total CSF concentrations. The following PK parameters were determined: Km = 4.76 mg/L, Vmax = 1.06 mg/h, Q1 = 2.69 L, Qin = 0.81 h−1 and Qout = 0.63 h−1. Infection was a covariate in the Michaelis–Menten constant (Km) and intercompartmental clearance from the brain tissue compartment to central compartment (Qout). Simulations performed with the popPK model to determine the probability of reaching the therapeutic target of fAUC > MIC showed that VRC has sufficient tissue exposure in the interstitial fluid and in the CSF for the treatment of fungal infections in these tissues at prevalent minimum inhibitory concentrations.
Designing Composite Adaptive Propeller Blades with Passive Bend–Twist Deformation for Periodic-Load Variations Using Multiple Design Concepts
Authors: Rokvam Sondre Østli , Vedvik Nils Petter , Savio Luca , Echtermeyer Andreas
Published: June 2023

Four plausible design concepts are applied together to investigate composite bend–twist propeller-blade designs that show high twisting per bending deflection. The design concepts are first explained on a simplified blade structure with limited unique geometric features to determine generalized principles for applying the considered design concepts. Then, the design concepts are applied to another propeller-blade geometry to obtain a bend–twist propeller-blade design that achieves a specific pitch change under an operational loading condition with a significant periodic-load variation. The final composite propeller design shows several times more bend–twist efficiency than other published bend–twist designs and shows a desirable pitch change during the periodic-load variation when loaded with a one-way fluid–structure-interaction-derived load case. The high pitch change suggests that the design would mitigate undesirable blade effects caused by load variations on the propeller during operation.
Synthesis and Characterization of New Functionalized 1,2,3-Triazole-Based Acetaminophen Derivatives via Click Chemistry from Expired Commercial Acetaminophen Tablets
Authors: Kouznetsov Vladimir V. , Calderón Lamus Daniela , Puerto Galvis Carlos E.
Published: June 2023

We hereby describe an efficient method for the preparation of a series of new 1-substituted 1,2,3-triazole-based acetaminophen derivatives through a clean, good-yielding, simple, and expeditious procedure based on the O-propargylation reaction of the acetaminophen (APAP) obtained from expired commercial tablets and the CuBr(PPh3)3-catalyzed Huisgen reaction between O-propargylated APAP and diverse organoazides prepared from commercially available anilines as available starting reagents. An interesting nitric oxide-releasing 1,2,3-triazole hybrid of APAP was also obtained easily using the developed method. The structures of the designed hybrid compounds, which are expected to be pharmacologically active, were characterized by FT-IR, 1H-, and 13C-NMR and are reported for the first time. According to the in-silico ADMET prediction studies performed in this work and literature analysis, these hybrids are interesting models in search of new pharmacological nontoxic agents endowed with anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.
Wounded Beauty: Aesthetic-Theological Motifs in the Work of Alberto Burri and Anselm Kiefer
Authors: Guanzini Isabella
Published: June 2023

In their different languages, codes of expression, practices and worldviews, art and religion share a reflexive intention to symbolize the chaos, suffering and ambivalence of the real. In particular, the aesthetic programme of Christianity has sought to combine the opposites of divine revelation attested in Scripture: chaos and cosmos, earth and heaven, betrayal and reconciliation, wounding and transfiguration, cross and resurrection, sin and forgiveness. This paper aims to explore this compositional dialectic, which over the centuries has oscillated between idealization and realism, despair and aestheticization, the ideology of pain and the mythology of redemption. In order to better understand this aesthetic religious programme in all its ambivalences and polarizations, reference will be made to two emblematic contemporary artists, Alberto Burri and Anselm Kiefer. Their aesthetic programme revolves around the memory of the suffering and wounds of history and in seeking to understand these develops a compassionate perspective on them. In their works, the artistic gesture is what saves reality from its horror and reveals a ‘wounded beauty’ that does not remove the signs of its struggle and contingency.
Winter Wheat Drought Risk Assessment by Coupling Improved Moisture-Sensitive Crop Model and Gridded Vulnerability Curve
Authors: Yang Haibo , Li Zenglan , Du Qingying , Duan Zheng
Published: June 2023

The crop drought risk assessment is an important basis for mitigating the effects of drought on crops. The study of drought using crop growth models is an integral part of agricultural drought risk research. The current Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) model is not sufficiently sensitive to moisture parameters when performing simulations, and most studies that conduct different scenario simulations to assess crop drought vulnerability are based on the site-scale. In this paper, we improved the moisture sensitivity of the Crop Environment Resource Synthesis System (CERES)-Wheat to improve the simulation accuracy of winter wheat under water stress, and then we assessed the drought intensity in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and constructed a gridded vulnerability curve. The grid vulnerability curves (1 km × 1 km) were quantitatively characterized using key points, and the drought risk distribution and zoning of winter wheat were evaluated under different return periods. The results show that the stress mechanism of coupled water and photosynthetic behavior improved the CERES-Wheat model. The accuracy of the modified model improved in terms of the above-ground biomass and yield compared with that before the modification, with increases of 20.39% and 11.45% in accuracy, respectively. The drought hazard intensity index of winter wheat in the study area from 1970 to 2019 exhibited a trend of high in the southwest and low in the southeast. The range of the multi-year average drought hazard intensity across the region was 0.29–0.61. There were some differences in the shape and characteristic covariates of the drought vulnerability curves among the different sub-zones. In terms of the cumulative loss rates, almost the entire region had a cumulative drought loss rate of 49.00–54.00%. Overall, the drought risk index decreased from west to east and from north to south under different return periods. This quantitative evaluation of the drought hazard intensity index provides a reference for agricultural drought risk evaluation.
Deep-Learning-Based Classification of Digitally Modulated Signals Using Capsule Networks and Cyclic Cumulants
Authors: Snoap John A. , Popescu Dimitrie C. , Latshaw James A. , Spooner  Chad M.
Published: June 2023

This paper presents a novel deep-learning (DL)-based approach for classifying digitally modulated signals, which involves the use of capsule networks (CAPs) together with the cyclic cumulant (CC) features of the signals. These were blindly estimated using cyclostationary signal processing (CSP) and were then input into the CAP for training and classification. The classification performance and the generalization abilities of the proposed approach were tested using two distinct datasets that contained the same types of digitally modulated signals, but had distinct generation parameters. The results showed that the classification of digitally modulated signals using CAPs and CCs proposed in the paper outperformed alternative approaches for classifying digitally modulated signals that included conventional classifiers that employed CSP-based techniques, as well as alternative DL-based classifiers that used convolutional neural networks (CNNs) or residual networks (RESNETs) with the in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) data used for training and classification.
Validity of Estimated Results from a Wearable Device for the Tests Time Up and Go and Sit to Stand in Young Adults and in People with Chronic Diseases
Authors: Agbohessou Kokouvi Geovani , Sahuguede Stephanie , Lacroix Justine , Hamdan Fadel , Conchon Emmanuel , Dumas Yannick , Julien-Vergonjanne Anne , Mandigout Stephane
Published: June 2023

Background: Health care professionals need a valid tool to assess the physical ability of patients with chronic diseases. We aimed to assess the validity of the results of physical fitness tests estimated by a wrist wearable device in young adults and chronic disease people. Methods: Participants wore a sensor placed on their wrist and performed two physical fitness tests (sit to stand (STS) and time up and go (TUG)). We checked the concordance of sensor-estimated results using Bland–Altman analysis, root-mean-square error, and intraclass coefficient of correlation (ICC). Results: In total, 31 young adults (groups A; median age = 25 ± 5 years) and 14 people with chronic diseases (groups B; median age = 70 ± 15 years) were included. Concordance was high for both STS (ICCA = 0.95, and ICCB = 0.90), and TUG (ICCA = 0.75, ICCB = 0.98). The best estimations were given by the sensor during STS tests in young adults (mean bias = 0.19 ± 2.69; p = 0.12) and chronic disease people (mean bias = −0.14 ± 3.09 s; p = 0.24). The sensor provided the largest estimation errors over 2 s during the TUG test in young adults. Conclusion: This study showed that the results provided by the sensor are consistent with those of the gold standard during STS and TUG in both healthy youth and people with chronic diseases.
A Driving Power Supply for Piezoelectric Transducers Based on an Improved LC Matching Network
Authors: Feng Ye , Zhao Yang , Yan Hao , Cai Huafeng
Published: June 2023

In the ultrasonic welding system, the ultrasonic power supply drives the piezoelectric transducer to work in the resonant state to realize the conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy. In order to obtain stable ultrasonic energy and ensure welding quality, this paper designs a driving power supply based on an improved LC matching network with two functions, frequency tracking and power regulation. First, in order to analyze the dynamic branch of the piezoelectric transducer, we propose an improved LC matching network, in which three voltage RMS values are used to analyze the dynamic branch and discriminate the series resonant frequency. Further, the driving power system is designed using the three RMS voltage values as feedback. A fuzzy control method is used for frequency tracking. The double closed-loop control method of the power outer loop and the current inner loop is used for power regulation. Through MATLAB software simulation and experimental testing, it is verified that the power supply can effectively track the series resonant frequency and control the power while being continuously adjustable. This study has promising applications in ultrasonic welding technology with complex loads.
Robust and Efficient Authentication and Group–Proof Scheme Using Physical Unclonable Functions for Wearable Computing
Authors: Yu Sungjin , Park Youngho
Published: June 2023

Wearable computing has garnered a lot of attention due to its various advantages, including automatic recognition and categorization of human actions from sensor data. However, wearable computing environments can be fragile to cyber security attacks since adversaries attempt to block, delete, or intercept the exchanged information via insecure communication channels. In addition to cyber security attacks, wearable sensor devices cannot resist physical threats since they are batched in unattended circumstances. Furthermore, existing schemes are not suited for resource-constrained wearable sensor devices with regard to communication and computational costs and are inefficient regarding the verification of multiple sensor devices simultaneously. Thus, we designed an efficient and robust authentication and group–proof scheme using physical unclonable functions (PUFs) for wearable computing, denoted as AGPS-PUFs, to provide high-security and cost-effective efficiency compared to the previous schemes. We evaluated the security of the AGPS-PUF using a formal security analysis, including the ROR Oracle model and AVISPA. We carried out the testbed experiments using MIRACL on Raspberry PI4 and then presented a comparative analysis of the performance between the AGPS-PUF scheme and the previous schemes. Consequently, the AGPS-PUF offers superior security and efficiency than existing schemes and can be applied to practical wearable computing environments.
Design and Experiment of Capacitive Rice Online Moisture Detection Device
Authors: Sun Wensheng , Wan Lin , Che Gang , Xu Ping , Wang Hongchao , Qu Tianqi
Published: June 2023

To solve the problems of poor stability and low monitoring precision in the online detection of rice moisture in the drying tower, we designed an online detection device for rice moisture at the outlet of the drying tower. The structure of a tri-plate capacitor was adopted, and the electrostatic field of the tri-plate capacitor was simulated using COMSOL software. A central composite design of three factors and five levels was carried out with the thickness, spacing, and area of the plates as the influencing factors and the capacitance-specific sensitivity as the test index. This device was composed of a dynamic acquisition device and a detection system. The dynamic sampling device was found to achieve dynamic continuous sampling and static intermittent measurements of rice using a ten-shaped leaf plate structure. The hardware circuit of the inspection system with STM32F407ZGT6 as the main control chip was designed to realize stable communication between the master and slave computers. Additionally, an optimized BP neural network prediction model based on the genetic algorithm was established using the MATLAB software. Indoor static and dynamic verification tests were also carried out. The results showed that the optimal plate structure parameter combination includes a plate thickness of 1 mm, plate spacing of 100 mm, and relative area of 18,000.069 mm2 while satisfying the mechanical design and practical application needs of the device. The structure of the BP neural network was 2-90-1, the length of individual code in the genetic algorithm was 361, and the prediction model was trained 765 times to obtain a minimum MSE value of 1.9683 × 10−5, which was lower than that of the unoptimized BP neural network with an MSE of 7.1215 × 10−4. The mean relative error of the device was 1.44% under the static test and 2.103% under the dynamic test, which met the accuracy requirements for the design of the device.
Proof of Concept Testing of Safe Patient Handling Intervention Using Wearable Sensor Technology
Authors: Callihan Michael , Somers Brylan , Dinesh Dhruv , Aldred Lauren , Clamp Kaitlyn , Treglown Alyssa , Custred Cole , Porteous Kathryn , Szukala Emily
Published: June 2023

Background: Healthcare workers make up one of the occupations in the United States that experience the most musculoskeletal injuries. These injuries are often related to the movement and repositioning of patients. Despite previous injury prevention attempts, injury rates remain at an unsustainable level. The purpose of this proof-of-concept study is to provide preliminary testing of the impact of a lifting intervention on common biomechanical risk factors for injury during high-risk patient movements.; Methods: A before-and-after (quasi-experimental) design was utilized to compare biomechanical risk factors before and after a lifting intervention. Kinematic data were collected using the Xsens motion capture system, while muscle activations were collected with the Delsys Trigno EMG system. Results: Improvements were noted in the lever arm distance, trunk velocity, and muscle activations during the movements following the intervention; Conclusions: The contextual lifting intervention shows a positive impact on the biomechanical risk factors for musculoskeletal injury among healthcare workers without increasing the biomechanical risk. A larger, prospective study is needed to determine the intervention’s ability to reduce injuries among healthcare workers.
BioMAT: An Open-Source Biomechanics Multi-Activity Transformer for Joint Kinematic Predictions Using Wearable Sensors
Authors: Sharifi-Renani Mohsen , Mahoor Mohammad H. , Clary Chadd W.
Published: June 2023

Through wearable sensors and deep learning techniques, biomechanical analysis can reach beyond the lab for clinical and sporting applications. Transformers, a class of recent deep learning models, have become widely used in state-of-the-art artificial intelligence research due to their superior performance in various natural language processing and computer vision tasks. The performance of transformer models has not yet been investigated in biomechanics applications. In this study, we introduce a Biomechanical Multi-activity Transformer-based model, BioMAT, for the estimation of joint kinematics from streaming signals of multiple inertia measurement units (IMUs) using a publicly available dataset. This dataset includes IMU signals and the corresponding sagittal plane kinematics of the hip, knee, and ankle joints during multiple activities of daily living. We evaluated the model’s performance and generalizability and compared it against a convolutional neural network long short-term model, a bidirectional long short-term model, and multi-linear regression across different ambulation tasks including level ground walking (LW), ramp ascent (RA), ramp descent (RD), stair ascent (SA), and stair descent (SD). To investigate the effect of different activity datasets on prediction accuracy, we compared the performance of a universal model trained on all activities against task-specific models trained on individual tasks. When the models were tested on three unseen subjects’ data, BioMAT outperformed the benchmark models with an average root mean square error (RMSE) of 5.5 ± 0.5°, and normalized RMSE of 6.8 ± 0.3° across all three joints and all activities. A unified BioMAT model demonstrated superior performance compared to individual task-specific models across four of five activities. The RMSE values from the universal model for LW, RA, RD, SA, and SD activities were 5.0 ± 1.5°, 6.2 ± 1.1°, 5.8 ± 1.1°, 5.3 ± 1.6°, and 5.2 ± 0.7° while these values for task-specific models were, 5.3 ± 2.1°, 6.7 ± 2.0°, 6.9 ± 2.2°, 4.9 ± 1.4°, and 5.6 ± 1.3°, respectively. Overall, BioMAT accurately estimated joint kinematics relative to previous machine learning algorithms across different activities directly from the sequence of IMUs signals instead of time-normalized gait cycle data.
Evaluation the Performance of Three Types of Two-Source Evapotranspiration Models in Urban Woodland Areas
Authors: Chen Han , Zhou Ziqi , Li Han , Wei Yizhao , Huang Jinhui (Jeanne) , Liang Hong , Wang Weimin
Published: June 2023

The determination of the evapotranspiration (ET) and its components in urban woodlands is crucial to mitigate the urban heat island effect and improve sustainable urban development. However, accurately estimating ET in urban areas is more difficult and challenging due to the heterogeneity of the underlying surface and the impact of human activities. In this study, we compared the performance of three types of classic two-source ET models on urban woodlands in Shenzhen, China. The three ET models include a pure physical and process-based ET model (Shuttleworth–Wallace model), a semi-empirical and physical process-based ET model (FAO dual-Kc model), and a purely statistical and process-based ET model (deep neural network). The performance of the three models was validated using an eddy correlation and stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope observations. The verification results suggested that the Shuttleworth–Wallace model achieved the best performance in the ET simulation at main urban area site (coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.75). The FAO-56 dual Kc model performed best in the ET simulation at the suburb area site (R2 of 0.77). The deep neural network could better capture the nonlinear relationship between ET and various environmental variables and achieved the best simulation performance in both of the main urban and suburb sites (R2 of 0.73 for the main urban and suburb sites, respectively). A correlation analysis showed that the simulation of urban ET is most sensitive to temperature and least sensitive to wind speed. This study further analyzed the causes for the varying performance of the three classic ET models from the model mechanism. The results of the study are of great significance for urban temperature cooling and sustainable urban development.
Sustainable Development Goals and Education: A Bibliometric Review—The Case of Latin America
Authors: Pedraja-Rejas Liliana , Rodríguez-Ponce Emilio , Muñoz-Fritis Camila , Laroze David
Published: June 2023

The aim of this article is to review Latin American scientific production on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the field of education. For this purpose, a bibliometric analysis is performed on WoS articles, and a content analysis is carried out on empirical articles from 2015–2022. The main findings indicate that (1) since 2016, a considerable increase in scientific production is evidenced, reaching a peak of 30 articles in 2020; (2) Brazil is the most productive and influential nation in the region; (3) in general, good levels of international cooperation are evidenced, although only Brazil and Mexico show outstanding levels of scientific cooperation with countries in the Global North; (4) most of the analyzed papers were published in education journals, with a smaller percentage in specialized higher education journals; and (5) there are two main lines of research within the empirical papers: “Curriculum, extracurricular activities, projects, and pedagogical initiatives” and “Students’ behaviors, perceptions, beliefs, concerns, and level of knowledge around issues related to the SDGs”. We conclude that although Latin American production has increased in the last period, contributions continue to be marginal at global levels.
Application of Improved Particle Swarm Optimization SVM in Water Quality Evaluation of Ming Cui Lake
Authors: Zhang Zunyang , Yang Cheng , Qiao Qiao , Li Xuesheng , Wang Fuping , Li Chengcheng
Published: June 2023

Water quality directly determines our living environment. In order to establish a more scientific and reasonable water quality evaluation model, it needs a lot of data support, but it will lead to a large increase in the calculation time of the evaluation model. This paper proposes an improved particle swarm optimization SVM model (CPOS-SVM) to solve this problem. In this paper, the Pareto optimal solution concept is used to sparsely process the training set, which can ensure that the number of training sets is reduced without loss of data characteristics, thus reducing the training time. In order to solve the problem of the kernel parameter g and penalty factor c on the SVM algorithm, which affects the accuracy of the SVM model but it is difficult to select why, a particle swarm optimization algorithm is used in this paper to optimize the kernel parameter and penalty factor and improve the accuracy of the model. In this paper, 480 sets of data from Ming Cui Lake from 2014 to 2022 are taken as the research object, and examples are analyzed in MATLAB 2020a. The results show that the training time of the CPOS-SVM model can be completed within 2 s and does not increase with the increase of data volume. Meanwhile, by comparing the SVM model, POS-SVM model, and POS-BP model, training time increases dramatically with the amount of data. The accuracy of the POS-SVM model is the highest, and the accuracy of the CPOS-SVM model is basically consistent with that of the POS-SVM, reaching 94%, while the accuracy of the SVM model and the POS-BP model are slightly worse. This indicates that the CPOS-SVM model has good application value in water quality evaluation.