bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The relationship of melatonin concentration in preterm infants and adverse outcomes in the late neonatal period
Authors: Kozak Kateryna , Pavlyshyn Нalyna , Sarapuk Iryna
Published: December 2022

IntroductionThe aim of research was to assess the melatonin concentrations in the early neonatal period as a predictor of adverse outcomes of late neonatal period in preterm infants and to estimate its optimal predictive cut-off values.
Materials and methodsA total of 115 preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit were screened for eligibility, five did not meet the criteria, six parents declined the participation. So, a total of 104 preterm infants with gestational age 25-34 weeks were included in research. The concentration of melatonin in urine was determined by the Enzyme Immunoassay method (Human Melatonin Sulfate ELISA kit, Elabscience, China). The Mann-Whitney U-test and analysis of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used in statistical analysis.
ResultsAnalysis of the ROC curves has revealed optimal cut-off values for urinary melatonin concentration to predict late outcomes. Melatonin concentration below 3.58 ng/ml with sensitivity of 72% can predict development of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) (AUC = 0.73; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.61-0.86). Good diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.80; 95% CI 0.67-0.93) has been shown for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The optimal cut-off value for melatonin concentration in BPD prediction is 3.71 ng/ml (sensitivity 80%, specificity 64%). Urinary melatonin concentration below 3.79 ng/ml can be associated with late-onset sepsis (AUC = 0.76; 95% CI 0.64-0.87; sensitivity 72%; specificity 62%). There were no significant associations between melatonin concentration and necrotizing enterocolitis (P = 0.912).
ConclusionUrinary melatonin concentration below the certain cut-off values in the early neonatal period may serve as one of the predictors of adverse outcomes such as BPD, ROP, and late-onset sepsis in the late neonatal period in preterm infants.
Understanding the Effects of Constraint and Predictability in ERP
Authors: Stone Kate , Nicenboim Bruno , Vasishth Shravan , Rösler Frank
Published: December 2022

Intuitively, strongly constraining contexts should lead to stronger probabilistic representations of sentences in memory. Encountering unexpected words could therefore be expected to trigger costlier shifts in these representations than expected words. However, psycholinguistic measures commonly used to study probabilistic processing, such as the N400 event-related potential (ERP) component, are sensitive to word predictability but not to contextual constraint. Some research suggests that constraint-related processing cost may be measurable via an ERP positivity following the N400, known as the anterior post-N400 positivity (PNP). The PNP is argued to reflect update of a sentence representation and to be distinct from the posterior P600, which reflects conflict detection and reanalysis. However, constraint-related PNP findings are inconsistent. We sought to conceptually replicate Federmeier et al. (2007) and Kuperberg et al. (2020), who observed that the PNP, but not the N400 or the P600, was affected by constraint at unexpected but plausible words. Using a pre-registered design and statistical approach maximising power, we demonstrated a dissociated effect of predictability and constraint: strong evidence for predictability but not constraint in the N400 window, and strong evidence for constraint but not predictability in the later window. However, the constraint effect was consistent with a P600 and not a PNP, suggesting increased conflict between a strong representation and unexpected input rather than greater update of the representation. We conclude that either a simple strong/weak constraint design is not always sufficient to elicit the PNP, or that previous PNP constraint findings could be an artifact of smaller sample size.
Outdoor Cats: Science, Ethics, and Politics
Authors: Lynn William S. , Santiago-Ávila Francisco J.
Published: December 2022

The relationship between people, outdoor cats, and wildlife is the subject of fraught debate. Some conservationists claim cats are harbingers of chaos – akin to a zombie apocalypse threatening biodiversity and public health. The empirical evidence and scientific reasoning do not bear this out. Cats may or may not be a problem for biodiversity depending on diverse ecological and social contexts. Indeed, while all animals can be vectors or victims of zoonotic disease, cats are not a significant threat to public health. While most of the debate is focused on dueling claims about the science, that is not the primary source of the dispute. Instead, moral disputes drive the debate, and managing the relationship between people, cats, and wildlife is a wicked problem rooted in differing ethical values and worldviews. While wicked problems have no permanent or technical fix, addressing their ethical aspects is key to unlocking productive policy options.
Response to Roundtable Discussion
Authors: Honneth Axel
Published: December 2022

In this text I will deal with three worries that were articulated by my three responders in astounding unanimity: firstly, I will defend the nation-based framework of my history of the idea of recognition on basis of the well-established hypothesis that there is path-dependency of later aesthetic or theoretical productions (1); secondly, I hope to be able to demonstrate that the various theories of subjectivity I investigate can in fact all be subsumed under the concept of “recognition” (2); and thirdly, I will try to clarify the motives I had for synthetizing the three different concepts of recognition in one single approach (3). In an extra step at the end of my article I explain why I don’t see myself making the mistake to assign philosophy the function of something amounting to a leading discipline in the history of ideas (4).
Pselaphinae of the Cameroon Volcanic Line. Part 1. New Pselaphinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from the island São Tomé
Authors: HLAVÁČ PETER , BAŇAŘ PETR
Published: December 2022

A new genus of Pselaphinae, Reichentomica gen. nov., and three new species, Reichentomica tasani sp. nov., Afroplectus turneri sp. nov., and Parasimus saotomicus sp. nov., are described for the first time from the island São Tomé. All three species were collected at the same locality close to Jardim Botânico do Bom Successo (00°16′31′′N, 06°36′14′′E) using flight intercept trap in the tropical forest at the elevation of 1324 m.
Global Extreme Heat Forecasting Using Neural Weather Models
Authors: Lopez-Gomez Ignacio , McGovern Amy , Agrawal Shreya , Hickey Jason
Published: December 2022

Heatwaves are projected to increase in frequency and severity with global warming. Improved warning systems would help reduce the associated loss of lives, wildfires, power disruptions, and reduction in crop yields. In this work, we explore the potential for deep learning systems trained on historical data to forecast extreme heat on short, medium and subseasonal time scales. To this purpose, we train a set of neural weather models (NWMs) with convolutional architectures to forecast surface temperature anomalies globally, 1 to 28 days ahead, at ∼200-km resolution and on the cubed sphere. The NWMs are trained using the ERA5 reanalysis product and a set of candidate loss functions, including the mean-square error and exponential losses targeting extremes. We find that training models to minimize custom losses tailored to emphasize extremes leads to significant skill improvements in the heatwave prediction task, relative to NWMs trained on the mean-square-error loss. This improvement is accomplished with almost no skill reduction in the general temperature prediction task, and it can be efficiently realized through transfer learning, by retraining NWMs with the custom losses for a few epochs. In addition, we find that the use of a symmetric exponential loss reduces the smoothing of NWM forecasts with lead time. Our best NWM is able to outperform persistence in a regressive sense for all lead times and temperature anomaly thresholds considered, and shows positive regressive skill relative to the ECMWF subseasonal-to-seasonal control forecast after 2 weeks.

Significance Statement

Heatwaves are projected to become stronger and more frequent as a result of global warming. Accurate forecasting of these events would enable the implementation of effective mitigation strategies. Here we analyze the forecast accuracy of artificial intelligence systems trained on historical surface temperature data to predict extreme heat events globally, 1 to 28 days ahead. We find that artificial intelligence systems trained to focus on extreme temperatures are significantly more accurate at predicting heatwaves than systems trained to minimize errors in surface temperatures and remain equally skillful at predicting moderate temperatures. Furthermore, the extreme-focused systems compete with state-of-the-art physics-based forecast systems in the subseasonal range, while incurring a much lower computational cost.
A need to be recognised: On the importance of shared semantics for young adults while not in education or employment
Authors: Välimäki Vesa , Aaltonen Sanna , Honkatukia Päivi
Published: December 2022

Young adults who are not in education or work are often depicted as deviating from the norm of gainful employment that is still widely shared across the Nordic countries. While it has been argued that young adults feel that they are being blamed for their NEET situation, this article seeks to identify the variety of interpretations they have of their situation and what kind of explanations can be proposed for the differences. Theoretically, perspectives from Axel Honneth's recognition theory are combined with Thomas Scheff's sociological work on shame to discuss the variations in the sentiments of young adults. Based on this framework, the article illuminates how young adults use the shared semantics available within their immediate circles to enable them to feel worthy of recognition despite their depicted deviation from the norm of gainful employment. Additionally, the article contributes to sociological debates on Honneth's recognition theory – especially its ambiguous concept of shared semantics – by making sense of the role of communities and institutions as providers of shared semantics. The findings are based on an abductive analysis of 35 in-depth interviews with young Finnish adults aged 18–29 who have been or are currently outside of education or employment.
Identification and Treatment of SMARCA4 Deficient Poorly Differentiated Gastric Carcinoma
Authors: Bhat Vipul , Koneru Manisha , Knapp Kristen , Joneja Upasana , Morrison Jamin , Hong Young K.
Published: December 2022

Loss of expression of the SMARCA4 gene, a subunit of the SWI/SNF complex, has been historically associated with thoracic sarcomas. This loss of expression is extremely rare in gastric cancers, and its role in gastrointestinal tract carcinomas has not been fully elucidated. We report a case of a 73-year-old male with poorly differentiated, SMARCA4-deficient gastric cancer, showing that this immunophenotype is not limited to thoracic sarcomas or advanced-stage tumors. These tumors are often resistant to conventional FLOT chemotherapy and have poor prognoses, necessitating the need for early identification and alternative therapeutic approaches. New therapies such as EZH2 inhibitors and etoposide should be considered in cases where standard treatments are ineffective.
Nexus Between Geopolitical Risk and Tourism Demand in India: Evidence from the ARDL Approach
Authors: Soudager Mohammed Ayub , Wani Suadat Hussain
Published: December 2022

The present study aims to examine the nexus between geopolitical risk and foreign tourist arrivals in India. In addition, other variables which impact tourist arrival in other parts of the world have also been included. To achieve the objectives of the study, the auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) model propounded by Pesaran et al. has been applied using quarterly data from 2001: Q1 to 2019: Q4. The findings of the study reveal that geopolitical risk negatively affects foreign tourist arrival in India. Besides, the study also captures the income and price determinants as propounded by classical economists.

JEL Codes: C500; P0; Z30
Depression and anxiety among multiethnic middle school students: Age, gender, and sociocultural environment
Authors: Jenkins Janis H , Sanchez Giselle , Miller Eric A , Santillanes Allande Nadia Irina , Urano Grace , Pryor Alexandra J
Published: December 2022

Background:

Depression and anxiety-related disorders are common among adolescents. Research attention to early adolescence and low-income ethnically diverse populations is limited.

Aim:

To conduct screening for depression and anxiety at an early age with attention to gender and socioenvironmental context within a low-income setting.

Method:

Mixed methods included the PHQ-9A and GAD-10 screening instruments and ethnographic interviews.

Results:

75 ethnically diverse middle school students were included. Mean years age was 11.2 (0.74). Females had higher PHQ-9A sum scores than males ( p = .002, Mann-Whitney test) and higher GAD-10 sum scores than males ( p = .016, Mann-Whitney test). After controlling for multiple comparisons, girls had higher mean responses on three PHQ-9A items ( p < .006, two-sided t-test) and only one GAD-10 item ( p < .005, two-sided t-test). Ethnographic interviews revealed contexts associated with girls’ experiences of depression and anxiety, including gender-based violence in both school and home environments. Salient for girls and boys alike were worries about consequences of COVID-19 for family with respect to illness, death, job loss, economic hardship. Fears over student perceptions of intensified discrimination and racism in school and community were prominent. These problems were experienced by students as barriers to educational engagement.

Conclusion:

Specific attention to early adolescence is needed to identify emergence of subsyndromal conditions which may benefit from therapeutic attention to reduce symptom severity, identify sociocultural, structural, and gender-specific stressors, and to enhance educational engagement.
Dry sliding wear and viscoelastic performance of aluminum-based hybrid composites reinforced with SiC and metallic glass particles
Authors: Albooyeh AR , Rezaei MR , Kohansal Kafshgari A , Ramezani F
Published: December 2022

In this research, a new type of bulk hybrid composites containing different amounts of Fe-based metallic glass (FMG) and SiC particles were successfully produced. FMG and SiC particles with varying percentages of volume were mixed with pure Al matrix and integrated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) method. The dynamic mechanical thermal properties, coefficient of friction and wear rates, hardness, and density of the composite were investigated. The results showed that the addition of FMG and SiC particles improved the wear resistance, hardness value, and storage modulus and slightly decreased the [Formula: see text] and relative density of pure Al. Also, replacing some SiC particles with FMG particles in the hybrid samples, in addition to the change of the dominant wear mechanism, led to the higher storage modulus and hardness values. It was found that the formation of a mechanically mixed layer during the wear test resulted in a reduction in the coefficient of friction. Compared to pure Al, the amounts of the increase in storage modulus and hardness of samples reinforced with 3 vol. % of SiC and 7 vol. % of FMG particles were 24.70% and 68.40%, respectively. The morphological analysis of the hybrid composites demonstrated that the amorphous structure of the FMG particles was preserved.
Identification of mechanical properties of a braided alfa stem (Stipa tenacissima L.) by an inverse method
Authors: Helaili Sofiene , Chafra Moez
Published: December 2022

The aging of buildings and structures, accompanied by an increase in the prices of conventional building materials, has pushed the scientific community to explore new techniques and materials to rehabilitate existing buildings. Rehabilitation aims to extend the service life of a structure while maintaining its strength and stability. Among these techniques, composite materials based on synthetic fibers, such as carbon fibers, have been developed. However, materials with low carbon footprints that are bio-sourced and eco-friendly are of interest to the scientific community. The use of Alfa plant natural stems in a braided form is the focus of this study. This study is the first to use geometric shapes to improve the performance of a natural fiber-reinforced composite. Epoxy was used as the matrix, which is the material used most often in composite designed for reinforced concrete structures. This study aims to determine the equivalent mechanical properties of the Alfa braided stem using the reverse method. Test specimens of the epoxy/Alfa composites were manufactured and tested on a tensile machine. The epoxy was tested, and its properties were determined. Subsequently, a finite element numerical model of the specimen was constructed, and the properties of the braided Alfa stem were varied until identical results were obtained. The mechanical properties of the Alfa braided stem were thus identified. The results showed that the braided Alfa stem had a stiffness modulus of 23.243 GPa.
Social networking smartphone applications and emotional health among college students: The moderating role of social support
Authors: Liu Yan , Yi Hongfa
Published: December 2022

Young people are increasingly using social networking site (SNS) smartphone applications (apps), necessitating research on the effects of such use on the users’ emotional health. The present study recruited 360 college students across mainland China and recorded their smartphone usage for one week using an automatic tracking app. Surveys assessing social support perception and emotional health were subsequently conducted. The study examined the relationship between SNS smartphone app usage (frequency and duration) and emotional health, as well as the moderating role of perceived social support in SNS smartphone usage and emotional health. Among individuals with high social support, SNS smartphone use was more strongly associated with better emotional health. These results suggest conditional benefits of using SNS smartphone apps, depending on the user's perceived social support. The implications for designing and using SNS smartphone apps are also discussed.
Examining Sojourners as Visual Influencers in VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives) Tourism: A Rhetorical Analysis of User-Generated Images
Authors: Bakri Marlini , Krisjanous Jayne , Richard James E.
Published: December 2022

This study decodes the functions and meanings conveyed through sojourner user-generated images (UGI) and furthers the application of the theory of visual rhetoric to tourism by examining the online visual communications of sojourners—an understudied yet critical group of consumers and producers of tourism. A two-step qualitative mixed-method approach, involving expert interviews and visual rhetorical analysis of 453 sojourner UGI was adopted. Key findings resulted in the conceptualization of a theoretical framework that explains the construction of sojourner UGI. The framework identifies contemporary online visual culture, and the different frames sojourners move between (tourist, resident, home, and away) as factors that shape, and differentiate sojourner UGI from those of tourists. Collectively, the findings provide an initial understanding of sojourners as key visual influencers/online organic agents that offer destinations, specifically conurbations, the reach, relevance, and resonance in targeting the unique VFR segment, a key post-crises tourism segment.
Why Have Package Tour Itineraries Been Homogeneous? Insights From Industry Subgroup Relations
Authors: Ji Mingjie , Zeng Christine Y.H. , King Brian , Reynolds Jonathan
Published: December 2022

In addressing one of the least-researched areas in tourism—the formation of product strategies—this study focuses on the homogeneous package tour phenomenon. It draws on Industrial Organization theory to explore the impact of relationships between industry subgroups on the development of such products. With a specific focus on Chinese package tours to the UK, tour itineraries were firstly mapped to provide a visualization of relative homogeneity. Then, by examining the resource traits of participating firms, two subgroups in the industry were distinguished: tour operators (including wholesalers and retailers) and travel agencies (including Online Travel Agencies). It was found that the determination of product homogeneity involves a combination of the dependent relationship between tour operators; a more independent relationship between travel agencies; and the nature of the interdependence between the two. Strong bargaining power on the part of suppliers and weaker customer power further strengthened product homogeneity.
Additive manufacturing and investigation of shape memory properties of polylactic acid/thermoplastic polyurethane blend
Authors: Abidaryan Sara , Akhoundi Behnam , Hajami Faramarz
Published: December 2022

The fused filament fabrication (FFF) process is one of the most widely used additive manufacturing (AM) methods in producing parts with relatively complex geometry due to its low cost and high capability. Using this blend along with the 3D printing method to make complex shapes can have a high potential in medical applications such as stents, so the goal of the following study is to investigate the shape memory properties of Polylactic Acid/Thermoplastic polyurethane (PLA/TPU) blend. The printed samples with 100/0, 80/20, and 60/40 PLA/TPU composition ratios were comprehensively evaluated based on their structural, thermal, and shape memory properties. A differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) test was conducted to determine the glass transition temperatures and crystallization temperature zone of the blends. A full factorial design of experiments was employed to investigate the effect of three variables called composition ratio, printing angle, and filling percentage on shape memory behavior. Using the three-point flexural test, the shape memory behavior of printed samples with composition ratios 100/0,80/20, 60/40, and filling percentages of 50, 75, and 100%, along with printing angles of zero, ±45, and 90°, was evaluated and measured. The annealing process increased the force required to change the shape and crystallization percentage, such that not being processed, no crystals were observed in the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the samples, while after being annealed, up to 38% of the crystals were formed. Increasing the percentage of TPU and temperature led to the softening of the samples, reducing the strength and elastic modulus, as well. Enhancing the percentage of TPU also decreases the hydrophilic properties of the samples. The results showed that the best shape memory performance is related to the 20 weight percentage of TPU composition, and the maximum recovery force ratio belongs to the sample with such a composition, zero printing angles, and 75% filling percentage, which equals 81.56%, while it equals 74% using compression molding (CM) in all three production blends.
Physical–mechanical properties of multifunctional thermoplastic elastomers based on polyolefins and styrene-butadiene elastomer
Authors: Kakhramanov Najaf , Allahverdiyeva Khayala , Gahramanli Yunis , Mustafayeva Fatima , Martynova Galina
Published: December 2022

The article presents the results of a study of the effect of the content of styrene-butadiene elastomer on the change in ultimate tensile stress, tensile yield strength, elongation at break, flexural strength, enthalpy and melting temperature, Vicat softening temperature, and melt flow rate of polymer blends based on a wide range of thermoplastic polyolefins: high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-hexene-1 copolymer, polypropylene random copolymer, and block copolymer of ethylene with propylene. Nanoparticles of technical carbon (TC), aluminum, and calcium stearate were used as fillers. It has been shown that, depending on the type of polyolefin used and the specific concentration of elastomer, the polymer mixture can acquire the properties of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). In high-density polyethylene and an ethylene-hexene-1 copolymer, the properties of TPE appear at an elastomer concentration of 30 wt %; in low-density polyethylene, this effect occurs at its 20 wt % content. In polypropylene, polypropylene random copolymer, and ethylene-propylene block copolymer, TPE properties appear at 40 wt % concentration of the elastomeric component. This was confirmed by the results of scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, as well as the “stress–strain” dependence of polymer mixtures. To achieve technological compatibility and miscibility of non-polar polyolefins with polar elastomer, compatibilizers based on high-density polyethylene and polypropylene modified with maleic anhydride were used. It is shown that the equality of the values of the ultimate tensile stress and the tensile yield strength is a consequence of the occurrence of phase inversion in the polymer mixture, that is, change of the dispersed medium to the dispersed phase and vice versa.
The Parable of the Tenants as a Sociolinguistic Medium of Agrarian Revolution
Authors: Guevara Jonathan P.
Published: December 2022

This paper deploys Jeffery M. Paige’s sociological theory of agrarian revolution to understand the collective violence of the parable of the tenants (Mark 12:1–12, Gos. Thom. 65). I begin with the idea that the parable involves a sharecrop-ping relation. I then use Paige’s theory to highlight that sharecropping systems in agricultural export sectors are not only correlated with revolutionary violence in Paige’s work (with statistical significance), but are part of the parable’s realistic fiction. I argue that the economic infrastructure of early Roman Palestine, including Galilee, and the violence in the parable are well explained by Paige’s theory. I also employ V. N. Voloshinov’s sociolinguistic theory of language-ideology to derive the central thesis of this paper: as a semiotic medium of social life, the parable functions as part of the ideological process that creates a fiction of a world in which agrarian revolution is realistic and acceptable.
Kant, Realism, and the Theory of Ideals
Authors: Levine William
Published: December 2022

What role do normative ideals play in politics? Since Rawls, many political philosophers have advocated what they take to be a Kantian answer to this question. Normative ideals organize and guide political decision-making and action, and a major task of political philosophy is to generate them. Recently, this position has come under renewed scrutiny among political thinkers identifying as realists and nonideal theorists. These critics argue that ideal theory is too remote from empirical politics. This article turns to Kant for an alternative conception of ideals that is both distinct from the Rawlsian account and better withstands the critiques of realists and nonideal theorists. It argues that, for Kant, ideals are aids to freedom; their aim is to guide us towards forms of autonomy we have yet to fully realize. This leaves us with a much stronger view of ideals than does ideal theory.
A critical overview of how English health and social care publications represent autistic adults’ intimate lives
Authors: Huysamen Monique , Kourti Marianthi , Hatton Christopher
Published: December 2022

Autistic people face more social barriers to, and experience greater anxiety around, intimate relationships than the general population in our majority neurotypical society, leading to increased loneliness and social isolation. National health and social care policies and publications should recognise these inequalities and guide service systems in reducing them. In this paper, we employ a document analysis design to analyse a cross-section of English national health and social care publications to investigate how autistic adults’ intimate lives are represented and prioritised in these publications. Most publications do not adequately and proportionally recognise or prioritise autistic people's intimate lives. They focus on the risks associated with sex and relationships and overlook autism-specific intimacy needs. They prioritise participation in the workforce while renouncing government responsibility for supporting intimate relationships which can reduce loneliness and alienation. We offer recommendations to ensure that health and social care publication processes better recognise intimate lives.
Cable Force Identification and Finite Element Model Optimization of Cable-Stayed Bridges Based on Backpropagation Neural Networks
Authors: Ouyang Ping , Shen Quanxi , Xie Xiaoli , Zhu Wanxu
Published: December 2022

Cable force is an essential indicator for evaluating the health status of a bridge. To realize the real-time and accurate cable force monitoring of the whole bridge, models were constructed using backpropagation neural networks combined with a finite element model of a cable-stayed bridge. This strategy obtained the cable forces in the stay cables without sensors, the elastic moduli of the stay cables, and the elastic modulus of the bridge girder concrete. The results showed that the average differences in the forces in the 75 stay cables without sensors obtained from our identification model and those measured in 21 stay cables with sensors presented a maximum discrepancy of 0.17%. Then, the structural parameters from measured data were used to update the finite element model. All the results calculated via the cable force formula presented an error of about ±1% compared to the measured results. This research demonstrated that the models for identifying cable forces and bridge parameters provide a valuable and novel approach to force identification in stay cables without sensors.
Design and mechanical properties of cervical fusion cage based on porous entangled metal rubber material
Authors: Ren Zhiying , Li Linlin , Xu Fangqi , Xu Jie , Lai Fuqiang
Published: December 2022

Titanium and its alloys are one of the mainstream materials for the manufacture of intervertebral cages. With the application on clinical, the problems of elastic modulus is relatively high, subsidence of adjacent vertebral implants and stress shielding after surgery have gradually exposed. In this paper, metal rubber made from titanium alloy wire was used to prepare cervical fusion cage (CFC), which was a porous material with buffering and vibration damping properties. The C5/C6 segment of the goat cervical vertebra was used as the research object. The shape parameters of the CFC were determined by combining the three-dimensional model data of the cervical vertebra and the structural characteristics of the natural intervertebral disc. The force of CFC under different working conditions were simulated and analyzed by finite element simulation. Then three kinds of metal rubber core (MRC) were prepared by medical titanium alloy wire (TC4), and their mechanical properties and fatigue strength were experimentally studied. With the increases of density, the mechanical properties of MRC improved. The variation range of the loss factor η under different amplitudes and frequencies were 20% and 16.3%, respectively. After one million vibrations, the wear rate was 0.131 g/MC; after five million vibrations, the wear rate was 0.158 g/MC, which was similar to the existing clinical prosthesis wear rate. The MRC has sufficient mechanical strength. Compared with the existing clinical prostheses, it has a longer service life and has broad application prospects.
Fault diagnosis in rotors using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems
Authors: Babu Rao K , Reddy D Mallikarjuna
Published: December 2022

Condition monitoring of rotor dynamic systems is emerging research in recent years. The proposed research is a condition monitoring methodology based on Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS) to detect the open cracks in the single disk rotor-bearing system. Condition monitoring systems generally requires a large amount of processed data for a specific output. The proposed methodology uses the same input data to train two different ANFIS without compromising on the accuracy of the results. The response of rotor-bearing system is generated by using finite element model analysis and harmonic balance method. All simulations are programed in MATLAB programing software. The effects of open groove or wedge cracks (notch crack) on natural frequency and resultant operational response (nodal deflections) of rotor-bearing systems are analyzed. Response orbit at 3× resonance of first natural frequency is analyzed to diagnose the crack in rotor shaft. Resultant operational response (Absolute response due to crack) is recorded for various crack locations and crack depths. Continuous Wavelet Transforms (CWT) are used, to extract the features from operational deflection shape (from operational response) to detect the crack location and their severity (depth). Location of maximum CWT coefficients provides the close vicinity of crack and their magnitude provides the severity of crack. Crack as small as 1% of crack depth to diameter ratio can be identified by CWT. ANFIS are used as a machine condition monitoring methodology to diagnose the crack and predict the crack parameters (crack location and depth). Two Parallel ANFIS are trained to predict the crack parameters. ANFIS-1 is trained for crack location and ANFIS-2 is trained for crack depth. CWT coefficients, maximum response amplitude at the vicinity of crack, and first three natural frequencies are provided as input to both ANFIS-1 and ANFIS-2 for training. The trained condition monitoring methodology accurately detects (predict) the crack location (ANFIS-1) and crack depth (ANFIS-2) with root mean squared error of 0.0833 and 0.137916 respectively.
The study of mixed mode fatigue crack growth mechanism of 25CrNiMo compact tensile specimens by experiment and finite element simulation
Authors: Miao Xinglin , Huang Xianzhen , Ding Pengfei , Li Yuxiong , Li Shangjie
Published: December 2022

Fatigue cracking is the most common failure mode that endangers the safety and service life of parts. Initial manufacturing flaws are a critical factor affecting the growth of fatigue cracks. Currently, mixed-mode crack growth research frequently applies a simplistic two-dimensional finite element model, which cannot adequately represent the crack growth mechanism. An improved finite element method is proposed in this paper to overcome this drawback. Fatigue fracture propagation investigations on 25CrNiMo compact tensile specimens are conducted in this study, and the crack propagation rate is calculated using the Paris formula. Moreover, the special element modeling method and second-order Runge-Kutta integration method are utilized to perform finite element calculations on the 3D model. The results are highly consistent with the experimental test results. The propagation mechanism of cracks with varied initial inclination angles is explored depending on the finite element method. The relationship between the stress intensity measures KI, KII, and KIII is discovered to be competitive. The results have significant application value for the crack growth path prediction and crack life in parts with initial flaws.
Experimental investigation on magnetorheological fine finishing of EN-8 steel alloy mold surface for cylindrical plastic bottle caps
Authors: Paswan Sunil Kumar , Arora Kunal , Singh Anant Kumar
Published: December 2022

The cylindrical mold is a key element utilized in the manufacture of different cylindrical components for a wide range of applications in industries like automotive, aerospace, medical, and among others. Fine finishing of the cylindric mold with high surface integrity has several benefits such as good fits and tolerance, increased product quality, and high load-bearing capability for components. Recently, a cutting-edge rotating magnetorheological honing (RMRH) method based on permanent magnet tools was developed for the fine finishing of interior cylindrical surfaces with great productivity. Furthermore, many industrial real-time cylindrical molds need to be fine-finished with high productivity to enhance their functionality. To meet these requirements, the RMRH procedure could be the better option. Therefore, the RMRH process is investigated in the current study to finely finish the inner surface of the real-time EN-8 steel mold for plastic bottle caps. To determine how well the real-time EN-8 steel cylindrical mold could be fine-finished using the current process, the response surface technique was used to know the best finishing parameters. The significant % drop in parameters of the surface roughness profile ( Ra, Rz, and Rq) of the MR finished real-time EN8 mold surface is achieved as 86.05, 82.17, and 84.62, respectively, after 40 minutes of the RMRH process with the optimal parameters. Also, a considerable improvement in straightness is obtained as the final surface waviness on the inside cylindrical surface of the real-time EN8 mold for plastic bottle caps is decreased from an initial value of 120 nm to 40 nm. Further, circularity and surface morphology tests are carried out over the mold's finished inner surface. After providing the efficient MR finishing using the current process, results indicate that surface properties and functional efficacy of the internal surface of the real-time mold for producing plastic bottle caps have improved.
Relationship between raltegravir trough plasma concentration and virologic response and the impact of therapeutic drug monitoring during pregnancy
Authors: Carvalho Sabrina , Sheehan Nancy L. , Valois Silvie , Kakkar Fatima , Boucher Marc , Ferreira Ema , Boucoiran Isabelle
Published: December 2022

Background

Limited data is available on raltegravir (RAL) pharmacokinetics during pregnancy and the value of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in pregnancy is unknown. This study aims to describe RAL trough plasma concentrations (Ctrough) during pregnancy and review the impact of RAL TDM on outcomes.

Methods

Women from the prospective mother-infant HIV cohort of Mother and Children’s Infectious Diseases Center who received RAL during their pregnancy between 2011-2020 were included. TDM reports were reviewed and Ctrough values estimated when possible, using historical RAL half-lives.

Results

We included 76 pregnant women of which 47 underwent TDM. We observed a significant association between virological response and Ctrough ( p-value .034) with an increase of 0.1 mg/L corresponding to a 2.96 reduction in the risk of having a detectable viral load. The results indicated that in pregnant women a RAL Ctrough threshold of 0.04 mg/L has a higher specificity (75%) as compared to our current Ctrough target value of 0.02 mg/L (25%) and an acceptable sensitivity (77%). No significant differences were observed between Ctrough at each trimester. When comparing pregnancies with and without TDM, no statistically significant differences were observed in the virologic response during pregnancy and at delivery, or with the need for triple antiretroviral prophylaxis in newborns.

Conclusions

An association between RAL Ctrough and viral load was observed and achieving a RAL Ctrough of 0.04 mg/L or greater is a predictor of virologic response in pregnant women. The impact of TDM in pregnancy, however, could not be demonstrated.
A frequency split trimming technique for axisymmetric shell structures
Authors: Anilkumar Allen , George Arun , Sharma Gireesh , Thamarasseril Haridas
Published: December 2022

Axisymmetric shell structures are characterized by the presence of flexural modes which occur in degenerate pairs. However, since no practically realized structure is perfectly axisymmetric, the frequencies constituting a mode pair become unequal and causes what is commonly termed as “frequency split” between the modes. In applications such as vibratory gyroscopes, it is desired that the frequencies of the working pair of modes be equal. This work proposes an easily implementable (particularly in the industry) technique which reduces frequency split of a target mode pair. To address the frequency split trimming problem, this work investigates a model that describes the planar dynamics of a vibrating ring (which is prototypical to axisymmetric shell structures), with added mass segments. The effects of mass, as well as span, of an added segment on the ring’s natural frequencies and mode shapes are brought out. Novelties of the proposed trimming technique are that it employs added mass in the form of segments and that it has a negligible effect on the axes of the structure’s mode shapes. The technique is extended to general axisymmetric bodies, and it is validated experimentally for the case of a hemispherical resonator.
Association between periodontitis and blood-ocular barrier disruption
Authors: Karesvuo Minna , Häyry Sam , Karesvuo Petteri , Kanclerz Piotr , Tuuminen Raimo
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Periodontitis causes low-grade systemic inflammation e.g., through circulatory periodontal endotoxins, and it has been associated with cardiovascular morbidity and wet age-related macular degeneration.

Methods

To assess the association between clinical severity of periodontitis and aqueous flare levels in the eyes. Patients with periodontitis (N = 15) who underwent periodontal treatment by a specialized dentist between the years 2020 and 2021 at the Chin and Mouth Disease Unit, Kymenlaakso Central Hospital, Kotka, Finland were enrolled. Aqueous flare levels, a surrogate marker for blood-aqueous and blood-retinal-barrier disruption, were measured using Laser Flare Meter (FM-600, Kowa Company, Ltd., Nagoya, Japan) before and right after the periodontal treatment and at 3 months. The number of teeth, periodontal probing depth (PPD), periodontal pathogens and antimicrobial treatment were recorded.

Results

At baseline, aqueous flare levels correlated with the number of clinically-relevant PPD (>5 mm) pockets (R = 0.789, P < 0.001) and inversely correlated with the number of teeth (R = −0.587, P = 0.035). At baseline, aqueous flare levels were 15.39 ± 13.24 photon units (pu)/ms among patients with periodontal pathogens, compared with 3.29 ± 1.67 pu/ms among those without any peridontal pathogens in PCR ( P = 0.018). At 3 months compared to baseline values, aqueous flare levels were reduced to <50% from baseline among 6 patients (40%), whereas the levels increased to >200% from baseline in 1 patient (7%) (repeated measures ANOVA, P < 0.026).

Conclusions

Poor periodontal status was associated with blood-ocular-barrier breakdown. These findings could expand our understanding of the potential mechanisms and therapeutic targets against retinal vascular diseases and systemic comorbidities in patients with periodontitis.
Sequence, Secondary Structure, and Phylogenetic Conservation of MicroRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Mazhar Muhammad Waqar , Yusof Nik Yusnoraini , Shaheen Tayyaba , Saif Saira , Raza Ahmad , Mazhar Fatima
Published: December 2022

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that are produced in a cell endogenously. They are made up of 18 to 26 nucleotides in strength. Due to their evolutionary conserved nature, most of the miRNAs provide a logical basis for the prediction of novel miRNAs and their clusters in plants such as sunflowers related to the Asteraceae family. In addition, they participate in different biological processes of plants, including cell signaling and metabolism, development, growth, and tolerance to (biotic and abiotic) stresses. In this study profiling, conservation and characterization of novel miRNA possessing conserved nature in various plants and their targets annotation in sunflower (Asteraceae) were obtained by using various computational tools and software. As a result, we looked at 152 microRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana that had already been predicted. Drought tolerance stress is mediated by these 152 non-coding RNAs. Following that, we used local alignment to predict novel microRNAs that were specific to Helianthus annuus. We used BLAST to do a local alignment, and we chose sequences with an identity of 80% to 100%. MIR156a, MIR164a, MIR165a, MIR170, MIR172a, MIR172b, MIR319a, MIR393a, MIR394a, MIR399a, MIR156h, and MIR414 are the new anticipated miRNAs. We used MFold to predict the secondary structure of new microRNAs. We used conservation analysis and phylogenetic analysis against a variety of organisms, including Gossypium hirsutum, H. annuus, A. thaliana, Triticum aestivum, Saccharum officinarum, Zea mays, Brassica napus, Solanum tuberosum, Solanum lycopersicum, and Oryza sativa, to determine the evolutionary history of these novel non-coding RNAs. Clustal W was used to analyze the evolutionary history of discovered miRNAs.
School refusal as a representation of questioning normality: Understanding the richness of socio-cultural transitions
Authors: Kanzaki Mami , Suzuki Hanako
Published: December 2022

The effects of school refusal on one’s life depend on how the adolescent lives their life after refusing school. Previous studies have focused on meaning making for past refusal and have not adequately addressed the changes and transitions after school refusal. The current study elaborates on the richness of the transitions of adolescents who refused to go to school, based on the socio-cultural psychology of life course. By looking at school refusal from the perspective of the life course theory, we found that school refusal was a process of questioning normality. In addition, by using Yamada’s relational model of people and environments (Yamada, 1987, 2010), we found there are three patterns in the adolescents’ transitions: a) expanding their involvement in the here and now by encountering resources and then expanding reality, b) reforming relationships in the here and now by representing an other’s world and then reconstructing reality, and c) blocking their involvement in the here and now by touching resources and then escaping from reality. We discuss formation of resistance and richness of transition which would bring richness to our lives.