bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Body Odours as Lures for Stoats Mustela erminea: Captive and Field Trials
Authors: Murphy Elaine C. , Sjoberg Tim , Agnew Tom , Sutherland Madeline , Andrews Graeme , Williams Raine , Williams Jeff , Ross James , Clapperton B. Kay
Published: February 2022

Eradication and control methods to limit damage caused to native biota in New Zealand by the stoat (Mustela erminea) rely on effective lures for trapping and detection devices, such as cameras. Long-life semiochemical lures have the potential for targeting stoats in situations where food-based lures are of limited success. The attractiveness of body odours of captive stoats was tested in a series of captive animal and extensive field trials to investigate their potential as trapping and monitoring lures. Stoats approached and spent significantly more time sniffing stoat urine and scats and bedding from oestrous female stoats than a non-treatment control. The bedding odours were attractive in both the breeding and the non-breeding season. Stoats also spent significantly more time sniffing oestrous stoat bedding than female ferret bedding, but the ferret odour also produced a significant response by stoats. In the field trials, there were no significant differences between the number of stoats caught with food lures (long-life rabbit or hen eggs) compared with oestrous female or male stoat bedding lures. These results indicate the potential of both stoat bedding odour and the scent of another mustelid species as stoat trapping lures that likely act as a general odour attractant rather than a specific chemical signal of oestrus.
Bee Bread as a Promising Source of Bioactive Molecules and Functional Properties: An Up-To-Date Review
Authors: Bakour Meryem , Laaroussi Hassan , Ousaaid Driss , El Ghouizi Asmae , Es-Safi Imane , Mechchate Hamza , Lyoussi Badiaa
Published: February 2022

Bee bread is a natural product obtained from the fermentation of bee pollen mixed with bee saliva and flower nectar inside the honeycomb cells of a hive. Bee bread is considered a functional product, having several nutritional virtues and various bioactive molecules with curative or preventive effects. This paper aims to review current knowledge regarding the chemical composition and medicinal properties of bee bread, evaluated in vitro and in vivo, and to highlight the benefits of the diet supplementation of bee bread for human health. Bee bread extracts (distilled water, ethanol, methanol, diethyl ether, and ethyl acetate) have been proven to have antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, and antitumoral activities, and they can also inhibit α-amylase and angiotensin I-converting enzyme in vitro. More than 300 compounds have been identified in bee bread from different countries around the world, such as free amino acids, sugars, fatty acids, minerals, organic acids, polyphenols, and vitamins. In vivo studies have revealed the efficiency of bee bread in relieving several pathological cases, such as hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, inflammation, and oxidative stress.
Anti-Infective Treatment and Resistance Is Rarely Problematic with Eye Infections
Authors: Kowalski Regis P. , Nayyar Shannon V. , Romanowski Eric G. , Jhanji Vishal
Published: February 2022

The treatment of eye infections is very different than treating other body infections that require systemic anti-infectives. Endophthalmitis, keratitis, conjunctivitis, and other ocular infections are treated with direct injection and with topical drops directly to the infection site. There are no anti-infective susceptibility standards to interpret treatment success, but the systemic standards can be used to guide ocular therapy if the concentration of anti-infective in the ocular tissue is assumed to be higher than the concentration in the blood serum. This Perspective describes: (1) eye infections, (2) diagnostics of eye infections, (3) anti-infective treatment of eye infections, (4) anti-infective resistance of ocular pathogens, and (5) alternative anti-infective delivery and therapy. The data, based on years of clinical and laboratory research, support the premise that ocular infections are less problematic if etiologic agents are laboratory-diagnosed and if prompt, potent, anti-infective therapy is applied. Anti-infective susceptibility should be monitored to assure continued therapeutic success and the possibility of new-found resistance. New delivery systems and therapies may be helpful to better treat future ocular infections.
Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Evaluation of Novel Benzamidine Derivatives: Newer Antibiotics for Periodontitis Treatment
Authors: Sa’ad Mohammad Auwal , Kavitha Ramasamy , Fuloria Shivkanya , Fuloria Neeraj Kumar , Ravichandran Manickam , Lalitha Pattabhiraman
Published: February 2022

Periodontal disease (PD) is complex polymicrobial disease which destroys tooth-supporting tissue. Although various synthetic inhibitors of periodontitis-triggering pathogens have been recognized, their undesirable side effects limit their application. Hence, the present study intended to perform the synthesis, characterization, antimicrobial evaluation, and cytotoxicity analysis of novel benzamidine analogues (NBA). This study involved the synthesis of novel imino bases of benzamidine (4a–c), by reacting different aromatic aldehydes with 2-(4-carbamimidoylphenoxy) acetohydrazide (3), which was synthesized by the hydrazination of ethyl 2-(4-carbamimidoylphenoxy) acetate (2), the derivative of 4-hydroxybenzene carboximidamide (1). This was followed by characterization using FTIR, 1H, 13C NMR and mass spectrometry. All synthesized compounds were further tested for antimicrobial potential against PD-triggering pathogens by the micro broth dilution method. The cytotoxicity analysis of the NBA against HEK 293 cells was conducted using an MTT assay. The present study resulted in a successful synthesis of NBA and elucidated their structures. The synthesized NBA exhibited significant antimicrobial activity values between 31.25 and 125 µg/mL against tested pathogens. All NBA exhibited weak cytotoxicity against HEK 293 cells at 7.81 µg, equally to chlorhexidine at 0.2%. The significant antimicrobial activity of NBA against PD-triggering pathogens supports their potential application in periodontitis treatment.
Therapy of Subclinical Mastitis during Lactation
Authors: McDougall Scott , Clausen Laura M. , Hussein Hassan M. , Compton Chris W. R.
Published: February 2022

This study tested the hypothesis that increasing the duration and/or frequency of antimicrobial treatment of subclinical mastitis would result in a higher bacteriological cure rate. Glands with a positive California mastitis test (CMT) from cows with an elevated somatic cell count (>500,000 cells/mL) that had an intramammary infection were randomly assigned at cow level to no treatment (Control; n = 80 glands), intramammary infusion of 200 mg cloxacillin sodium on three occasions at 48 h intervals (3 × 48 h; n = 273 glands), five occasions at 24 h intervals (5 × 24 h; n = 279 glands), or on five occasions at 48 h intervals (5 × 48 h; n = 72 glands). Glands were resampled at 21 (±3) and 28 (±3) days after initiation of treatment. The gland-level cure rate for any pathogen was 5/80 (6.2%), 139/173 (49.8%), 172/297 (61.6%) and 58/72 (80.6%) for Control, 3 × 48 h, 5 × 24 h and 5 × 48 h, respectively. The cure rate for major pathogens (defined as Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus spp.) was 4/52 (7.7%), 84/197 (42.6%), 96/183 (52.5%) and 36/48 (75%) for Control, 3 × 48 h, 5 × 24 h and 5 × 48 h, respectively. We conclude that treatment was superior to no treatment, and bacteriological cure rate was higher with the 5 × 24 h protocol than for the 3 × 48 h protocol and was higher with the 5 × 48 h than the 5 × 24 h protocol.
Inactivation of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Wastewater by Ozone-Based Advanced Water Treatment Processes
Authors: Azuma Takashi , Usui Masaru , Hayashi Tetsuya
Published: February 2022

The inactivating effect of ozone (O3)-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) (O3/H2O2, O3/UV, and O3/UV/H2O2 systems) on antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (AMRB) and antimicrobial-susceptible bacteria (AMSB) in sewage treatment plant (STP) wastewater was investigated. The AMRB were grouped into six classes: carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E), multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter (MDRA), multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRP), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE); these classes constituted the World Health Organization (WHO) global priority list of AMRB. The results indicate that O3-based advanced wastewater treatment inactivated all AMRB and AMSB (>99.9%) after 10 min of treatment, and significant differences (p < 0.5) were not observed in the disinfection of AMRB and AMSB by each treatment. Altered taxonomic diversity of micro-organisms based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing via O3/UV and O3/UV/H2O2 treatment showed that advanced wastewater treatments not only inactivated AMRB but also removed antimicrobial resistance genes (AMRGs) in the wastewater. Consequently, this study recommends the use of advanced wastewater treatments for treating the STP effluent, reducing environmental pollution, and alleviating the potential hazard to human health caused by AMRB, AMSB, and infectious diseases. Overall, this study provides a new method for assessing environmental risks associated with the spread of AMRB and AMSB in aquatic environments, while keeping the water environment safe and maintaining human health.
Total Polyphenol Content in Food Samples and Nutraceuticals: Antioxidant Indices versus High Performance Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Vidal-Casanella Oscar , Moreno-Merchan Javier , Granados Merce , Nuñez Oscar , Saurina Javier , Sentellas Sonia
Published: February 2022

Total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity were estimated in various food and nutraceutical samples, including cranberries, raspberries, artichokes, grapevines, green tea, coffee, turmeric, and other medicinal plant extracts. Samples were analyzed by using two antioxidant assays—ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and Folin–Ciocalteu (FC)—and a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with a focus on providing compositional fingerprints dealing with polyphenolic compounds. A preliminary data exploration via principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that HPLC fingerprints were suitable chemical descriptors to classify the analyzed samples according to their nature. Moreover, chromatographic data were correlated with antioxidant data using partial least squares (PLS) regression. Regression models have shown good prediction capacities in estimating the antioxidant activity from chromatographic data, with determination coefficients (R2) of 0.971 and 0.983 for FRAP and FC assays, respectively.
To Game or Not to Game? Efficacy of Using Tablet Games in Vocabulary Intervention for Children with DLD
Authors: Zwitserlood Rob , Harmsel Marjan ter , Schulting Johanna , Wiefferink Karin , Gerrits Ellen
Published: February 2022

The adoption of tablets by young children has raised enthusiasm and concern among speech and language pathologists. This study investigated whether tablet games can be used as effectively as real play objects in vocabulary intervention for children with developmental language disorder (DLD). A randomized, controlled non-inferiority trial was conducted with 70 3-year-old children with DLD. The novel intervention group (n = 35) received 12 10-min scripted intervention sessions with symbolic play using a tablet game spread out over 8–9 weeks. The standard intervention group (n = 35) received the same amount of intervention with real objects using the same vocabulary scripts. In each session, children were exposed to 22 target words. The primary outcome was the number of new target words learned. This was measured using a picture selection task including 22 target words and 22 control words at 3 time intervals: before the intervention, immediately post-intervention, and 5 weeks later. In both intervention groups, the children learned significantly more target words than control words. No significant differences in gains between the two intervention conditions were found. This study provides evidence that vocabulary intervention for toddlers with DLD using a tablet game is equally as effective as an intervention using real objects.
Comparing Deep Learning and Shallow Learning Techniques for API Calls Malware Prediction: A Study
Authors: Cannarile Angelo , Dentamaro Vincenzo , Galantucci Stefano , Iannacone Andrea , Impedovo Donato , Pirlo Giuseppe
Published: February 2022

Recognition of malware is critical in cybersecurity as it allows for avoiding execution and the downloading of malware. One of the possible approaches is to analyze the executable’s Application Programming Interface (API) calls, which can be done using tools that work in sandboxes, such as Cuckoo or CAPEv2. This chain of calls can then be used to classify if the considered file is benign or malware. This work aims to compare six modern shallow learning and deep learning techniques based on tabular data, using two datasets of API calls containing malware and goodware, where the corresponding chain of API calls is expressed for each instance. The results show the quality of shallow learning approaches based on tree ensembles, such as CatBoost, both in terms of F1-macro score and Area Under the ROC curve (AUC ROC), and training time, making them optimal for making inferences on Edge AI solutions. The results are then analyzed with the explainable AI SHAP technique, identifying the API calls that most influence the process, i.e., those that are particularly afferent to malware and goodware.
Efficient Dynamic Deployment of Simulation Tasks in Collaborative Cloud and Edge Environments
Authors: Zhang Miao , Jiao Peng , Peng Yong , Yin Quanjun
Published: February 2022

Cloud computing has been studied and used extensively in many scenarios for its nearly unlimited resources and X as a service model. To reduce the latency for accessing the remote cloud data centers, small data centers or cloudlets are deployed near end-users, which is also called edge computing. In this paper, we mainly focus on the efficient scheduling of distributed simulation tasks in collaborative cloud and edge environments. Since simulation tasks are usually tightly coupled with each other by sending many messages and the status of tasks and hosts may also change frequently, it is essentially a dynamic bin-packing problem. Unfortunately, popular methods, such as meta-heuristics, and accurate algorithms are time-consuming and cannot deal with the dynamic changes of tasks and hosts efficiently. In this paper, we present Pool, an incremental flow-based scheduler, to minimize the overall communication cost of all tasks in a reasonable time span with the consideration of migration cost of task. After formulating such a scheduling problem as a min-cost max-flow (MCMF) problem, incremental MCMF algorithms are adopted to accelerate the procedure of calculating an optimal flow and heuristic scheduling algorithm, with the awareness of task migration cost, designed to assign tasks. Simulation experiments on Alibaba cluster trace show that Pool can schedule all of the tasks efficiently and is almost 5.8 times faster than the baseline method when few tasks and hosts change in the small problem scale.
AS-OCT and Ocular Hygrometer as Innovative Tools in Dry Eye Disease Diagnosis
Authors: Gaudenzi Daniele , Mori Tommaso , Crugliano Salvatore , Grasso Antonella , Frontini Carlo , Carducci Antonella , Yadav Siddharth , Sgrulletta Roberto , Schena Emiliano , Coassin Marco , Di Zazzo Antonio
Published: February 2022

Dry eye disease (DED) is one of the conditions that most commonly leads patients to visit an ophthalmologist. Fast and accurate diagnosis relieves patient discomfort and spares them from long-term effects on the ocular surface. Many tests used in the diagnosis of DED may be considered subjective as they rely on an experienced observer for image interpretation, resulting in variations in diagnosis. On one hand, the non-contact nature of the anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) device and its rapid image acquisition enable the measurement of the tear meniscus parameter without reflex tearing. On the other hand, an ocular hygrometer allows a rapid, safe, but also efficient, analysis and is associated with low costs and the repeatability of the procedure.
Thermal Stability of Ionic Liquids: Effect of Metals
Authors: Nardelli Francesca , Bramanti Emilia , Lavacchi Alessandro , Pizzanelli Silvia , Campanella Beatrice , Forte Claudia , Berretti Enrico , Freni Angelo
Published: February 2022

We investigated the thermal stability and corrosion effects of a promising ionic liquid (IL) to be employed as an advanced heat transfer fluid in solar thermal energy applications. Degradation tests were performed on IL samples kept in contact with various metals (steel, copper and brass) at 200 °C for different time lengths. Structural characterization of fresh and aged IL samples was carried out by high-resolution magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analyses, while headspace gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was employed to evaluate the release of volatile organic compounds. The combination of the above-mentioned techniques effectively allowed the occurrence of degradation processes due to aging to be verified.
A Pelvic Reconstruction Procedure for Custom-Made Prosthesis Design of Bone Tumor Surgical Treatments
Authors: Durastanti Gilda , Belvedere Claudio , Ruggeri Miriana , Donati Davide Maria , Spazzoli Benedetta , Leardini Alberto
Published: February 2022

In orthopaedic oncology, limb salvage procedures are becoming more frequent thanks to recent major improvements in medical imaging, biomechanical modelling and additive manufacturing. For the pelvis, surgical reconstruction with metal implants after tumor resection remains challenging, because of the complex anatomical structures involved. The aim of the present work is to define a consistent overall procedure to guide surgeons and bioengineers for proper implant design. All relevant steps from medical imaging to an accurate 3D anatomical-based model are here reported. In detail, the anatomical 3D models include bone shapes from CT on the entire pelvic bone, i.e., including both affected and unaffected sides, and position and extension of the tumor and soft tissues from MRI on the affected side. These models are then registered in space, and an initial shape of the personalized implant for the affected side can be properly designed and dimensioned based on the information from the unaffected side. This reported procedure can be fundamental also for virtual pre-surgical planning, and the design of patient-specific cutting guides, which would result is a safe margin for tumor cut. The entire procedure is here shown by describing the results in a single real case.
Increasing the Corrosion Resistance and Durability of Geopolymer Concrete Structures of Agricultural Buildings Operating in Specific Conditions of Aggressive Environments of Livestock Buildings
Authors: Shcherban’ Evgenii M. , Stel’makh Sergey A. , Beskopylny Alexey , Mailyan Levon R. , Meskhi Besarion
Published: February 2022

The problem of increasing the service life of buildings and structures for agricultural purposes operated in aggressive environments is relevant. The aim and scientific novelty of the work were to determine the relationship between the structure and properties of geopolymer concretes in aggressive environments. The properties of various concrete compositions under the influence of a solution of lactic, acetic, and oxalic acids were studied. With an exposure time of 90 days in an aggressive environment, samples of concrete based on a geopolymer binder had up to 6% less loss of strength and up to 10% less weight loss than concrete based on a cement binder. The effectiveness of the developed composition and technological solutions was confirmed, and it was quantitatively expressed in increased compressive strength and tensile strength in bending by 81.0% and 73.5%, respectively. It has been established that raising the heat treatment temperature to 80 °C leads to increased compressive strength for all compositions of geopolymer binders. The most favorable heat treatment conditions are created at 80 °C. The relations of the strength characteristics of geopolymer binders are revealed, which allow a detailed quantitative and qualitative assessment of the influence of the studied factors on the change in the system “composition—hardening conditions—properties” and can be used in the development of production compositions of binders and composites based on them, as well as their regulation—physical, mechanical, and operational characteristics.
A Novel Method for Spectrometry Based on Imaging Systems
Authors: Falconi Rita , Sorbino Stefania , Pani Roberto , Indovina Luca
Published: February 2022

γ-ray spectrometry is a well-known technique in environmental radioactivity measurements where easily handled systems are needed. Scintillators coupled to a photomultiplier tube (PMT), are typically favoured over solid-state detectors as mobile spectrometers. Replacing PMT with position sensitive devices represents an innovative solution that provides the evaluation of the interaction point of the incident radiation. The knowledge of spectrometry as a function of the depth of interaction (DoI) assures a better understanding of the spectrum and a more reliable identification of the source. In this paper, the efficiency of a simple DoI estimator has been studied using a CRY018 monolithic crystal coupled to a multi-anode photomultiplier tube. The DoI estimator has been evaluated studying charge distributions and the dependency of spectrometric properties on the DoI has been qualitatively analyzed. The estimator has shown to be highly sensitive to the DoI, enabling a better understanding of the internal interaction processes of light and an efficient rejection of the background component on the spectra. The novelty of this work lies in the application of the DoI selection in spectrometry made available by the use of MAPMT. The proposed method is practical since it does not require complicated hardware solutions or complex computational procedures.
Interferometric Satellite Data in Structural Health Monitoring: An Application to the Effects of the Construction of a Subway Line in the Urban Area of Rome
Authors: Delo Giulia , Civera Marco , Lenticchia Erica , Miraglia Gaetano , Surace Cecilia , Ceravolo Rosario
Published: February 2022

In recent years, the use of interferometric satellite data for Structural Health Monitoring has experienced a strong development. The urban environment confirms its fragility to adverse natural events, made even more severe by climate change. Hence, the need to carry out continuous monitoring of structures and artefacts appears increasingly urgent. Furthermore, satellite data could considerably increase the feasibility of traditional Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) approaches. This study aims to explore this remote sensing approach, focusing on the representation techniques that can be adopted to highlight their advantages and provide an interpretation of the results. In particular, the study analyzes records from the urban area of Rome (Italy), subject to the construction of a new subway line. These data are exploited to create a velocity map to highlight the possible subsidence phenomenon induced by excavations. Then, the paper focuses on single buildings or building complexes through the entropy-energy representation. Beyond the different limitations caused by the input data, a correlation is identified between the results of the two representation techniques. Accordingly, the effects of excavation on the urban area are demonstrated, and the methodologies are validated.
“Table Olive Flours”: An Ingredient Rich in Bioactive Compounds?
Authors: Rodrigues Nuno , Oliveira Catarina , Casal Susana , Pereira José Alberto , Ramalhosa Elsa
Published: February 2022

The aim of this study was to produce different “table olive flours” from fruits at different maturation stages. “Table olive flour” is here presented as an innovative product that can gain importance as a bioactive rich ingredient. Three types of natural table olives from cv. Cobrançosa, i.e., green, turning color, and black olives, were soaked, freeze-dried and ground to obtain three different flours. Their physical and nutritional characterization, lipid fraction (fatty acids and tocopherols profiles), phenolic profile, and antioxidant activity (total reducing capacity, radical scavenging activities of DPPH and ABTS●+) were analyzed. “Table olive flours” with different colors and different characteristics were obtained. The “green table olive flour” had the lowest fat content and energy. On the contrary, it showed the highest protein, carbohydrate contents, percentages of oleic acid (C18:1), and MUFA, as well as total tocopherols. It also showed the highest antioxidant activity. The “black table olive flour” was the one with the highest percentages of palmitic acid (C16:0), SFA, and total reducing capacity. In the three types of developed “flours”, nine phenolic compounds were detected, hydroxy-tyrosol being the major, followed by tyrosol, and luteolin. In conclusion, from natural table olives of cv. Cobrançosa, different “table olive flours” with distinct properties and high amounts of health-promoting compounds can be produced.
Performance Enhancement of Alkali-Activated Electric Arc Furnace Slag Mortars through an Accelerated CO2 Curing Process
Authors: Kassim Dany , Lamaa Ghandy , Silva Rui Vasco , de Brito Jorge
Published: February 2022

The use of electric arc furnace slag (EAFS) as sole precursor to produce alkali-activated mortars has been experimentally investigated. EAFS, a by-product of the steel recycling industry, is a coarse material with unevenly distributed and size-extensive particles. Milling of EAFS was required to achieve a cement-like sized powder before it could be used as precursor. Different combinations of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) were used, by varying the Na2O/binder concentration (4%, 6%, 8%, 10%, 12%) and SiO2/Na2O ratio (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5) to maximize the mechanical performance. The alkaline solutions were prepared 24 h prior to mixing to unify temperatures for all mixes. The results showed that the SiO2/Na2O ratio and strength development are directly proportional. The maximum 28-day compressive strength obtained, after being subjected to an initial 24 h thermal curing at 80 °C, was 9.1 MPa in mixes with 4% Na2O/binder and 2.5 SiO2/Na2O. However, after an additional 28 days of accelerated carbonation, the maximum compressive strength (i.e., 31 MPa compared to 3.9 MPa in uncarbonated mixes, corresponding to an 800% increase) was obtained in mixes with 12% and 1.0 for Na2O/binder and SiO2/Na2O, respectively, thus showing an alteration in the optimal alkaline activator contents.
An Evaluation of Sporicidal Treatments against Blown Pack Spoilage Associated Clostridium estertheticum and Clostridium gasigenes Spores
Authors: Esteves Eden , Koolman Leonard , Whyte Paul , Gupta Tanushree B. , Bolton Declan
Published: February 2022

Blown pack spoilage (BPS) occurs when meat is cross-contaminated with Clostridium estertheticum or Clostridium gasigenes spores, often from the meat processing environment. This study tested the efficacy of four sporicidal disinfectants commonly used in beef processing plants against C. estertheticum and C. gasigenes spores in a suspension test. D-values were obtained under model ‘clean’ (sterile distilled water, SDW) and ‘dirty’ (3 g/L bovine serum albumin, BSA) conditions. Mean concentration (log10 CFU/mL) were calculated from direct counts. The levels of dipicolinic acid (DPA), indicating damage to the core of these spores, was also monitored using a terbium (Tb)-DPA assay for treatment 1 (peracetic acid as the active ingredient) in SDW and BSA. In SDW sporicidal treatment 3 (containing peroxymonosulphate) was the most effective against C. estertheticum spores but under ‘dirty’ (BSA) conditions sporicidal treatments 1 and 2 were more effective. A similar pattern was obtained with C. gasigenes with treatment 3 being the most effective in SDW but treatment 2 (sodium hypochlorite as the active ingredient) being more effective in BSA. The lower DPA concentrations obtained in SDW versus BSA demonstrated the protective effect of organic matter. It was concluded that meat processors should use a 5% formulation containing sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide and alkylamine oxide to eliminate BPS Clostridial spores in the abattoir.
Bound-State Soliton and Noise-like Pulse Generation in a Thulium-Doped Fiber Laser Based on a Nonlinear Optical Loop Mirror
Authors: Michalska Maria , Michalski Jakub , Grzes Pawel , Swiderski Jacek
Published: February 2022

We demonstrate a thulium-doped, mode-locked, all-fiber laser capable of operating in two generation regimes: dispersion-managed soliton and noise-like pulse (NLP). Employing a nonlinear optical loop mirror as an artificial saturable absorber, the oscillator generated optical pulses with a fundamental pulse repetition frequency of ~15.795 MHz. The total net dispersion of the laser cavity had a slightly anomalous group delay dispersion value of −0.016 ps2. After appropriate adjustment of a polarization controller, bound states of a dispersion-managed soliton composed of three pulses with fixed soliton separations were also observed. NLP generation, tunable over 35 nm from 1943.5 to 1978 nm, was also presented in the same laser setup. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the generation of tunable NLPs in a mode-locked thulium-doped fiber laser based on a nonlinear loop mirror saturable absorber.
Development of a Control System for Multilink Manipulators on Unmanned Underwater Vehicles Dynamically Positioned over Seafloor Objects
Authors: Konoplin Alexander , Yurmanov Alexander , Krasavin Nikita , Piatavin Pavel
Published: February 2022

This article considers an approach to synthesizing a multilevel system to control movements of a multilink manipulator (MM) mounted on an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) for performing autonomous manipulative operations in the mode of dynamic positioning over various objects on the seafloor. The system is based on an upgraded method that, using point clouds received from the machine vision systems (MVS), provides high-accuracy determination of the shape and location of the work object relative to UUV. The preset trajectories of the MM working tool are overlaid on the identified surface of the object, with possible silting, fouling or deformation of the latter taken into account. To execute the programmed trajectories with the MM working tool, the following methods have been implemented in software: stabilization of UUV in hovering mode near the object, high-precision control of working tool’s movements, and also corrections of its trajectory taking into account UUV’s displacements relative to the object. The synthesized system has been developed in the C++ programming language. The operation of the system has been numerically simulated using a model of UUV with MM, as well as models of the environment and the target object, in the Matlab/Simulink and V-REP software packages. The results of the study show a high efficiency of the system both in processing sensor information and in providing the dynamic control of movements of an UUV with a MM.
Phobia Exposure Therapy Using Virtual and Augmented Reality: A Systematic Review
Authors: Albakri Ghaida , Bouaziz Rahma , Alharthi Wallaa , Kammoun Slim , Al-Sarem Mohammed , Saeed Faisal , Hadwan Mohammed
Published: February 2022

A specific phobia is a common anxiety-related disorder that can be treated efficiently using different therapies including exposure therapy or cognitive therapy. One of the most famous methods to treat a specific phobia is exposure therapy. Exposure therapy involves exposing the target patient to the anxiety source or its context without the intention to cause any danger. One promising track of research lies in VR exposure therapy (VRET) and/or AR exposure therapy (ARET), where gradual exposure to a negative stimulus is used to reduce anxiety. In order to review existing works in this field, a systematic search was completed using the following databases: PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. All studies that present VRET and/or ARET solutions were selected. By reviewing the article, each author then applied the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 18 articles were selected. This systematic review aims to investigate the previous studies that used either VR and/or AR to treat any type of specific phobia in the last five years. The results demonstrated a positive outcome of virtual reality exposure treatment in the treatment of most phobias. In contrast, some of these treatments did not work for a few specific phobias in which the standard procedures were more effective. Besides, the study will also discuss the best of both technologies to treat a specific phobia. Furthermore, this review will present the limitations and future enhancements in this field.
Determination of the Features of the Author’s Style of A.S. Pushkin’s Poems by Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Barakhnin Vladimir , Kozhemyakina Olga , Grigorieva Irina
Published: February 2022

This paper presents the study of the author’s style of A.S. Pushkin based on the comparison of his poetic texts with the texts of contemporary poets. The purpose of this study is to determine the features of the author’s style of A.S. Pushkin using machine learning methods. This paper describes the construction of several classifications based on different groups of features, as well as the classification based on a combined set of features from different groups. The quality of all constructed classifications is also analyzed; special attention is paid to the interpretation of the neural network solution and the identification of features of the author’s style.
A Novel Fault Diagnosis Method for Analog Circuits Based on Multi-Input Deep Residual Networks with an Improved Empirical Wavelet Transform
Authors: Liu Zhen , Liu Xuemei , Xie Songlin , Wang Junhai , Zhou Xiuyun
Published: February 2022

Analog circuits play an essential role in electronic systems. To strengthen the reliability of sophisticated electronic circuits, this paper proposes a novel analog circuit fault diagnosis method. Compared with traditional fault diagnosis, the fault diagnosis process in this paper uses a square wave as the stimulus of the circuit under test (CUT), which is beneficial for obtaining the response of the CUT with rich time and frequency domain information. The improved empirical wavelet transform (EWT), which can more accurately extract the amplitude modulated–frequency modulated (AM-FM) components, is used to preprocess the original response. Finally, based on the preprocessed data, a multi-input deep residual network (ResNet) is constructed for fault feature extraction and fault classification. The multi-input ResNet is a powerful approach for learning the fault characteristics of the CUT under different faults by learning the characteristics of the AM-FM components. The effectiveness of the method proposed in this paper is verified by comparing different fault diagnosis methods.
Virtual and Traditional Lecturing Technique Impact on Dental Education
Authors: Bartok-Nicolae Cristina , Raftu Gheorghe , Briceag Raluca , Sachelarie Liliana , Caraiane Aureliana , Duta Mihaela , Farcas Dorina Maria
Published: February 2022

This study tries to identify the influence of the new coronavirus pandemic on dental education by assessing dental students’ perception and their didactic performance regarding virtual and traditional lectures. The final academic performances of students from different years of study at the Faculty of Dental Medicine who participated in undergraduate courses through two different lecturing modes (traditional and virtual) were compared. The same students were evaluated in terms of their preference between the two lecturing techniques. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean values for final grades of virtual and traditional technique in favor of the latter one. In pandemic conditions, because of safety reasons, virtual lecturing was the most preferred technique. For dental faculty, this process of transitioning from traditional to virtual is a continuous process, which was suddenly imposed, but which at this moment offers multiple opportunities from a didactic point of view. Analyzing the grade, the virtual lecturing techniques demonstrated superior didactic performance. Although students preferred the virtual lecturing technique more than the traditional one, better-designed research is required to verify the long-term effect of the two lecturing techniques on students’ formation and deepening of knowledge.
Multi-Robot Robust Motion Planning based on Model Predictive Priority Contouring Control with Double-Layer Corridors
Authors: Yu Lingli , Wang Zhengjiu
Published: February 2022

Disturbance poses a major challenge for the safety and real-time performance of robust robot motion planning. To address the disturbance while improving the real-time performance of multi-robot robust motion planning, a model predictive priority contouring control method is proposed. First, an improved conflict-based search (ICBS) planner is utilized to plan reference paths. The low-level planner of the conflicted-based search (CBS) planner is replaced by the hybrid A* planner and reference paths are adopted as an initial guess of model predictive priority contouring control. Second, double-layer corridors are proposed to provide safety guarantees, which include static-layer corridors and dynamic-layer corridors. The static-layer corridors are generated based on reference paths and the dynamic-layer corridors are generated based on the relative positions and velocities of robots. The double-layer corridors are applied as safety constraints of model predictive priority contouring control. Third, a prioritization mechanism is devised to improve computational efficiency. Priorities are assigned according to each robot’s task completion percentage. Based on the assigned priority, multiple robots are grouped, and each group executes the model predictive priority contouring control algorithm to acquire trajectories. Finally, our method is compared with the centralized method and the soft constraint-based DMPC. Simulations verify the effectiveness and real-time performance of our approach.
Predictive Current Control for Switched Reluctance Motor Based on Local Linear Phase Voltage Model
Authors: Shen Shiqi , Wang Hui , Feng Yaojing , Li Mengqiu , Zhong Yichang
Published: February 2022

In this paper, a predictive phase current control (PCC) scheme based on a local linear phase voltage model for a switched reluctance motor is proposed. The current is controlled by regulating the average voltage through PWM, ensuring a fixed switching frequency. A linear model is proposed to approximate the relationship between the voltage and the current slope in a short period. By using the voltage and current slope information in the previous control cycle, the intercept and slope of the model can be identified online. In the previous control cycle, the phase voltage changes from zero to positive or negative DC-link voltage, and then the identified model is used to predict the average voltage required in the next PWM cycle for the actual current so as to accurately track its reference. The effectiveness of the proposed PCC was verified experimentally. The results demonstrate that the proposed control scheme can significantly reduce the current and torque ripples compared to hysteresis control with the same sampling rate. The proposed PCC is easy to implement, does not need to obtain the motor characteristics in advance and is not sensitive to the changes in characteristic parameters caused by motor aging, etc. It is relatively suitable for applications that need to accurately track the given current curve.
Slope Shape Optimization of Water Reservoirs Formed Due to the Reclamation of Post-Mining Excavations
Authors: Kaźmierczak Urszula , Bartlewska-Urban Monika , Strzałkowski Paweł
Published: February 2022

Reclamation of post-mining areas is one of the most important duties of an entrepreneur involved in mining mineral resources with the use of surface techniques. There are various forms of reclamation activities that depend on the chosen reclamation direction and intended function of the reclaimed object as well as from the type of the mined mineral. When there is water present in the mining excavation, we are talking about the aquatic direction of reclamation. This particular type of post-mining area requires a particular shape—especially if its intended future function is recreational. This research addresses optimization-related analyses and calculations of slope inclination in water reservoirs formed in post-mining excavations of both clastic and clay rock raw materials. Considering the conditions of stability and load-bearing capacity of water reservoir slopes, their optimum slopes were determined using the FlexPDE v 6.0 program, based on a two-dimensional elastoplastic model from the Coulomb–Mohr criterion. The inclinations of 1:5 and 1:15 are proposed, respectively, for the above-waterline and below-waterline slopes that serve a beach function. Slopes that do not serve a beach function are proposed to have an inclination of 1:2. Obviously, the strength conditions in the soil medium as well as the comfort of users were key drivers when it comes to selection of the slope inclinations.
Research on Fatigue Damage Evolution of the Base Plate Structure of China Railway Track System III Type Slab Ballastless Track under Heavy Haul Train Load
Authors: Zeng Zhiping , Hu Ji , Huang Xudong , Wang Weidong , Huang Zhibin , Shuaibu Abdulmumin Ahmed , Yuan Yu , Xie Zhonglin , He Xianfeng
Published: February 2022

To meet the transportation requirements of heavy-haul trains, it is necessary to consider the use of prestressed reinforced concrete ballastless tracks. Therefore, the CRTSIII SBT (China Railway Track System III-type slab ballastless track) has been considered for its convenient construction and geometric adjustment. Considering the problems existing in the base plate of CRTSIII SBT in heavy-haul applications, an indoor test and simulation were conducted to explore the cracking phenomenon of the base plate concrete under fatigue load. The reliability of the simulation was verified through the experimental results. A fatigue crack development law of the base plate structure was established. Furthermore, the influence of the load position, the thickness of self-compacting concrete and axle loads on the fatigue damage of the base plate structure were investigated. For the CRTSIII SBT subjected to heavier axle loads, it is appropriate to thicken the self-compacting concrete layer and strengthen the concrete and steel reinforcement at the plate end to reduce fatigue damage and cracks. The research results can serve as a basis for the optimization of the CRTSIII SBT base plate structure in heavy-haul railway applications.
Towards Recreation of Food Commodities Based on Ancient Texts; The Case of Avyrtake
Authors: Paramithiotis Spiros , Syrokou Maria K. , Papadia-Nikolaidou Anastasia , Papoutsis Georgios , Drosinos Eleftherios H.
Published: February 2022

The aim of the present study was to attempt the recreation of a highly appreciated food commodity of antiquity, called avyrtake, using information derived from ancient texts. The available information included the raw materials, the texture and the taste of the raw materials. On the contrary, the relative proportion of the raw materials as well as the production procedure had to be inferred on the basis of their modern-day use. For that purpose, and based on the above, a mixture of shredded cabbage and leek, salt, pomegranate seeds, raisins, and shredded garlic, as well as ground green cardamon and mustard seeds were pressed into a fermentation jar in order to form a brine and left at 18 °C for fermentation to take place. The latter was driven by lactic acid bacteria, mostly by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. The final product had a sour character, which matched the organoleptic description available from the ancient texts, and it received high ranks.
7 February Chamoli (Uttarakhand, India) Rock-Ice Avalanche Disaster: Model-Simulated Prevailing Meteorological Conditions
Authors: Srivastava Piyush , Namdev Prabhakar , Singh Praveen Kumar
Published: February 2022

The present study aims to analyze the high-resolution model-simulated meteorological conditions during the Chamoli rock-ice avalanche event, which occurred on 7 February 2021 in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, India (30.37° N, 79.73° E). The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is used to simulate the spatiotemporal distribution of meteorological variables pre- and post-event. The numerical simulations are carried out over two fine resolution nested model domains covering the Uttarakhand region over a period of 2 weeks (2 February to 13 February 2021). The model-simulated meteorological variables, e.g., air temperature, surface temperature, turbulent heat flux, radiative fluxes, heat and momentum transfer coefficients, specific humidity and upper wind patterns, were found to show significant departures from their usual patterns starting from 72 h until a few hours before the rock-ice avalanche event. The average 2 m air and surface temperatures near the avalanche site during the 48 h before the event were found to be much lower than the average temperatures post-event. In-situ observations and the ERA5-Land dataset also confirm these findings. The total turbulent heat flux mostly remained downward (negative) in the 72 h before the event and was found to have an exceptionally large negative value a few hours before the rock-ice avalanche event. The model-simulated rainfall and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM, IMERG)-derived rainfall suggest that the part of the Himalayan region falling in the simulation domain received a significant amount of rainfall on 4 February, around 48 h prior to the event, while the rest of the days pre- and post-event were mostly dry. The results presented here might be helpful in further studies to identify the possible trigger factors of this event.
Multi-Scale Interaction between a Squall Line and a Supercell and Its Impact on the Genesis of the “0612” Gaoyou Tornado
Authors: Tang Jiajia , Tang Xiaowen , Xu Fen , Zhang Fugui
Published: February 2022

The interaction between a squall line and a supercell and its impact on the genesis of a tornado that occurred in Gaoyou, Jiangsu Province, China on 12 June 2020 were analyzed using multi-source observations. The tornado formed as the result of an intensified meso-γ supercell in a favorable large-scale environment. The supercell developed in front of a squall line and slowly intensified after its formation. Due to its small size and weak intensity, the supercell did not produce any severe weather before the approaching of the squall line. As the squall line entered its mature stage with the formation of a well-organized bow echo, the supercell in front of the bow echo began to rapidly intensify and finally led to the tornado touchdown. The analysis of mesoscale and storm-scale wind fields indicated that the bow echo of the approaching squall line modified the kinematic fields near the supercell in such a way that was favorable for the intensification of the supercell. The interaction between the squall line and the supercell may have played a critical role in the occurrence of this tornado.