bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of Novel Dopamine D2 Receptor Ligands—A Combined In Silico/In Vitro Approach
Authors: Zell Lukas , Lainer Constanze , Kollár Jakub , Temml Veronika , Schuster Daniela
Published: July 2022

Diseases of the central nervous system are an alarming global problem showing an increasing prevalence. Dopamine receptor D2 (D2R) has been shown to be involved in central nervous system diseases. While different D2R-targeting drugs have been approved by the FDA, they all suffer from major drawbacks due to promiscuous receptor activity leading to adverse effects. Increasing the number of potential D2R-targeting drug candidates bears the possibility of discovering molecules with less severe side-effect profiles. In dire need of novel D2R ligands for drug development, combined in silico/in vitro approaches have been shown to be efficient strategies. In this study, in silico pharmacophore models were generated utilizing both ligand- and structure-based approaches. Subsequently, different databases were screened for novel D2R ligands. Selected virtual hits were investigated in vitro, quantifying their binding affinity towards D2R. This workflow successfully identified six novel D2R ligands exerting micro- to nanomolar (most active compound KI = 4.1 nM) activities. Thus, the four pharmacophore models showed prospective true-positive hit rates in between 4.5% and 12%. The developed workflow and identified ligands could aid in developing novel drug candidates for D2R-associated pathologies.
Characterization and Antioxidant Activity of Mannans from Saccharomyces cerevisiae with Different Molecular Weight
Authors: Zhao Yingyuan , Wang Jiaqi , Fu Qianzhen , Zhang Huiru , Liang Jin , Xue Wenjie , Zhao Guoqun , Oda Hiroaki
Published: July 2022

Polysaccharides were extracted from natural sources with various biological activities, which are strongly influenced by their chemical structure and molecular weight. In this research, mannans polysaccharides were obtained from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by ethanol precipitation. The molecular weight of YM50, YM70, and YM90 mannans was 172.90 kDa, 87.09 kDa, and 54.05 kDa, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy of YM 90 mannans showed a rough surface with numerous cavities, while the surfaces of YM50 and YM70 were relatively smooth. Sepharose CL-6B and FTIR indicated that mannans had the characteristic bands of polysaccharides. The antioxidant activities of polysaccharides were evaluated in vitro using various assays. Mannans showed a good scavenging activity of DPPH radicals which depend on the molecular weight and concentration, and a higher scavenging activity of hydroxyl radical than ferric-reducing power activities. For the three types of mannans, cytotoxicity and hemolytic activity were rarely detected in mice erythrocytes and Caco-2 cells. Those results could contribute to the further application of mannans from Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the food and medicine industry.
Sensitivity Analysis of the Catalysis Recombination Mechanism on Nanoscale Silica Surfaces
Authors: He Lichao , Cui Zhiliang , Sun Xiangchun , Zhao Jin , Wen Dongsheng
Published: July 2022

A deep understanding of surface catalysis recombination characteristics is significant for accurately predicting the aeroheating between hypersonic non-equilibrium flow and thermal protection materials, while a de-coupling sensitivity analysis of various influential factors is still lacking. A gas–solid interface (GSI) model with a hyperthermal flux boundary was established to investigate the surface catalysis recombination mechanisms on nanoscale silica surfaces. Using the reactive molecular dynamics (RMD) simulation method, the effects of solid surface temperature, gas incident angle, and translational energy on the silica surface catalysis recombination were qualified under hyperthermal atomic oxygen (AO), atomic nitrogen (AN), and various AN/AO gas mixtures’ influence. It can be found that, though the Eley–Rideal (E–R) recombination mechanism plays a dominant role over the Langmuir–Hinshelwood (L–H) mechanism for all the sensitivity analyses, a non-linear increasing pattern of AO recombination coefficient γO2 with the increase in incident angle θin and translational energy Ek is observed. Compared with the surface catalysis under hyperthermal AO impact, the AN surface adsorption fraction shows an inverse trend with the increase in surface temperature, which suggests the potential inadequacy of the traditional proportional relationship assumptions between the surface adsorption concentration and the surface catalysis recombination coefficient for other species’ impact instead of AOs. For the incoming bi-component AO/AN gas mixtures, the corresponding surface catalysis coefficient is not the simple superposition of the effects of individual gases but is affected by both the intramolecular bond energies (e.g., O2, N2) and intermolecular energies (e.g., Si/N, Si/O).
Lid-Driven Chamber with 3D Elliptical Obstacle under the Impacts of the Nano-Properties of the Fluid, Lorentz Force, Thermal Buoyancy, and Space Porosity
Authors: Laidoudi Houssem , Abderrahmane Aissa , Saeed Abdulkafi Mohammed , Guedri Kamel , Younis Obai , Marzouki Riadh , Chung Jae Dong , Shah Nehad Ali
Published: July 2022

In this work, we have performed an investigation to increase our understanding of the motion of a hybrid nanofluid trapped inside a three-dimensional container. The room also includes a three-dimensional heated obstacle of an elliptic cross-section. The top wall of space is horizontally movable and adiabatic, while the lower part is zigzagged and thermally insulated as well. The lateral walls are cold. The container’s space is completely replete with Al2O3-Cu/water; the concentration of nanoparticles is 4%. The space is also characterized by the permeability, which is given by the value of the Darcy number (limited between 10−5 and 10−2). This studied system is immersed in a magnetic field with an intensity is defined in terms of Hartmann number (limited between 0 and 100). The thermal buoyancy has a constant impact (Gr = 1000). This study investigates the influences of these parameters and the inclination angle of the obstacle on the heat transfer coefficient and entropy generation. The Galerkin finite element method (GFEM) was the principal technique for obtaining the solution of the main partial equations. Findings from our work may be exploited to depict the conditions for which the system is effective in thermal cooling and the case in which the system is effective in thermal insulation.
A Photoexcited Switchable Dual-Function Metamaterial Absorber for Sensing and Wideband Absorption at THz Band
Authors: Wang Liansheng , Xia Dongyan , Fu Quanhong , Wang Yuan , Ding Xueyong
Published: July 2022

Based on the tunable conductivity of silicon as a function of incident pump power, a photoexcited switchable dual-function metamaterial absorber for sensing and wideband absorption at the THz band is designed in this paper. The absorber has an absorption peak at 2.08 THz with the absorption up to 99.6% when the conductivity of silicon is 150 Sm−1, which can be used for sensing. The refractive index sensitivity of the absorption peak is up to 456 GHz/RIU. A wideband absorption is generated from 3.4 THz to 4.5 THz with the bandwidth of 1.1 THz as the conductivity σsi = 12,000 Sm−1. The generation mechanism of the sensing absorption peak and wideband absorption is explained by monitoring the surface current, electric, and magnetic field distribution at some absorption frequencies. It has the advantages of being simple and having a high sensitivity, and wideband absorption with wide application prospects on terahertz communication, electromagnetic stealth, and biochemical detection.
Analytical Chemistry of Impurities in Amino Acids Used as Nutrients: Recommendations for Regulatory Risk Management
Authors: Karakawa Sachise , Smriga Miro , Arashida Naoko , Nakayama Akira , Miyano Hiroshi
Published: July 2022

Proteinogenic amino acids are natural nutrients ingested daily from standard foods. Commercially manufactured amino acids are added to a wide range of nutritional products, including dietary supplements and regular foods. Currently, the regulatory risk management of amino acids is conducted by means of setting daily maximum limits of intake. However, there have been no reported adverse effects of amino acid overdosing, while impurities in low-quality amino acids have been identified as causative agents in several health hazard events. This paper reviews the analytical chemistry of impurities in amino acids and highlights major variations in the purity of commercial products. Furthermore, it examines the international standards and global regulatory risk assessment of amino acids utilized in dietary supplements and foods, recommending (1) further research on analytical methods that can comprehensively separate impurities in amino acids, and (2) re-focusing on the regulatory risk management of amino acids to the analytical chemistry of impurities.
Acute Beetroot Juice Supplementation Enhances Intermittent Running Performance but Does Not Reduce Oxygen Cost of Exercise among Recreational Adults
Authors: Esen Ozcan , Domínguez Raúl , Karayigit Raci
Published: July 2022

Nitrate (NO3−) supplementation has been reported to enhance intermittent exercise performance; however, its impact on oxygen (O2) cost during intermittent running exercise is unclear. The aim of this study was to assess if acute NO3− supplementation would elicit performance benefits in recreationally active individuals during the Yo–Yo intermittent recovery level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) test, with its potential benefit on O2 consumption (VO2), in a double-blind, randomized, crossover study, 12 recreational males consumed NO3−-rich (NIT; ~12.8 mmol), and NO3−-depleted (PLA; 0.04 mmol) concentrated beetroot juice 3 h before completing the Yo-Yo IR1 test. VO2 was measured at 160, 280 and 440 m (sub-maximal) and when the test was terminated (peak). Performance in the Yo–Yo IR1 was greater with NIT (990 ± 442.25 m) compared to PLA (870 ± 357.4 m, p = 0.007). The VO2 was not significantly different at 160 m (1.92 ± 0.99 vs. 2.1 ± 0.88 L·min−1), 280 m (2.62 ± 0.94 vs. 2.83 ± 0.94 L·min−1), 440 m (3.26 ± 1.04 vs. 3.46 ± 0.98 L·min−1) and peak (4.71 ± 1.01 vs. 4.92 ± 1.17 L·min−1) between NIT and PLA trials (all p > 0.05). The present study has indicated that acute supplementation of NO3− enhanced intermittent running performance but had no effect on VO2 during the Yo–Yo IR1 test in recreational young adults.
Correction: Li et al. Altered Salivary Microbiome in the Early Stage of HIV Infections among Young Chinese Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM). Pathogens 2020, 9, 960
Authors: Li Jin , Chang Shenghua , Guo Haiying , Ji Yaoting , Jiang Han , Ruan Lianguo , Du Minquan
Published: July 2022

In the original publication [...]
Formulation of Levocetirizine-Loaded Core–Shell Type Nanofibrous Orally Dissolving Webs as a Potential Alternative for Immediate Release Dosage Forms
Authors: Kazsoki Adrienn , Palcsó Barnabás , Omer Safaa Mohammed , Kovacs Zoltan , Zelkó Romána
Published: July 2022

Several applications of nanofiber-based systems are based on their corresponding functionality-related properties, which often cannot be satisfied by a fiber web with a monolithic structure because of the various physicochemical properties and amounts of embedded compounds. Therefore, one of the main directions in the development of fiber systems is creating core–shell type complex fiber structures that can provide application-specific properties to the fiber matrix. The present study aimed to formulate levocetirizine-loaded core–shell type hydrophilic polymer-based fibrous systems. The core phase contained the antihistamine levocetirizine, while the permeation enhancer (Na-taurocholate), the local pH regulator (citric acid), and the cyclodextrin used as a taste masking agent were included in the shell phase of the fibrous formulation. Scanning electron microscopy images indicated that a randomly oriented homogeneous fibrous structure was obtained, while the Raman mapping and chemometric analysis confirmed the partially formed core–shell structure. A fast release rate of the antihistamine drug from the complex structural fibrous system was obtained (within 1 min complete dissolution can be observed) due to its increased surface area to volume ratio and its more favorable wettability properties, which consequently allows for more erosion. The masking properties against the unpleasant bitter taste of API of the formulated complex nanostructure were confirmed by the results of the electronic tongue. The formulated complex nanostructure enabled fast and complete release of the API, providing a potential enhancement in the rate and extent of absorption while masking the unpleasant taste of levocetirizine, which has a high impact on the patient adherence. All in all, the results show that the developed orally dissolving fibrous web formulation can be a potential alternative to the commercially available orally disintegrating tablets.
Therapeutic Potential of Naringenin Nanosuspension: In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Osteoporotic Studies
Authors: Gera Sonia , Sampathi Sunitha , Maddukuri Sravya , Dodoala Sujatha , Junnuthula Vijayabhaskarreddy , Dyawanapelly Sathish
Published: July 2022

Naringenin (NRG) is a flavonoid and has been reported as an anti-osteoporotic agent. However, poor bioavailability may limit the anti-osteoporotic potential of the drug. The purpose of the study was to compare the anti-osteoporotic activity of naringenin nanosuspension (NRG-NS) with the NRG and standard therapeutic drug, raloxifene hydrochloride (RLX). Here, NRG-NS showed anti-osteoporotic activity in MG-63 cells by upregulating the osteocalcin levels. The in vivo anti-osteoporotic activity of NRG-NS was further investigated in an osteoporotic rat model to mimic the post-menopausal condition. The animals were randomized and separated into six groups. The animals were treated with RLX (p.o., 5.4 mg/kg), NRG (p.o., 20 mg/kg), NRG-NS (p.o., 20 mg/kg), and blank-NS for 60 days after completion of a 30-day post-surgery period and compared with control and ovariectomized (OVX) groups. After the treatment, body and uterine weights, biochemical estimation in serum (calcium, phosphorus, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin), bone parameters (length, diameter, dry weight, density, ash weight, bone mineral content) and bone microarchitecture by histopathology were determined. The results showed the protective effects of NRG-NS on osteoblast-like MG-63 cells. The biochemical estimations confirmed the normalization of parameters viz., alkaline phosphatase, calcium concentrations, and bone density with a decrease in levels of acid phosphatase and inorganic phosphorus with NRG-NS as compared to plain NRG. The results indicated that the oral administration of NRG-NS could be a potential therapeutic formulation for the treatment of osteoporosis.
Dose Response Effect of Photobiomodulation on Hemodynamic Responses and Glucose Levels in Men with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial
Authors: Linares Stephanie N. , Beltrame Thomas , Galdino Gabriela A. M. , Frade Maria Cecília M. , Milan-Mattos Juliana C. , Gois Mariana O. , Borghi-Silva Audrey , de Biase Priscila F. , Manchado-Gobatto Fúlvia B. , Bagnato Vanderlei S. , Parizotto Nivaldo A. , Ferraresi Cleber , Catai Aparecida M.
Published: July 2022

This study verifies the acute dose response effect of photobiomodulation (PBM) by light emitting diodes (LEDs) on hemodynamic and metabolic responses in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Thirteen participants with T2DM (age 52 ± 7 years) received PBM by a light-emitting diode array (50 GaAIAs LEDs, 850 ± 20 nm, 75 mW per diode) on the rectus and oblique abdomen, quadriceps femoris, triceps surae, and hamstring muscle areas, bilaterally, using different energy treatments (sham, 75, 150, 300, 450, and 600 Joules) in random order with a washout of at least 15 days apart. The PBM by LEDs statistically decreased plasma glucose levels (primary outcome) in 15 min after application of the 75 and 450 J irradiation protocol, reduced blood lactate levels 15 min after application of the 75, 450, and 600 J irradiation protocol, increased cardiac output (Q˙) and cardiac index (CI) in the 1st minute after application of the 75 and 300 J irradiation protocol, and reduced Q˙ and heart rate (HR) in the 15 min after application of the 300 J and 600 J irradiation protocol, respectively. For hemodynamic variables, including Q˙, total peripheral resistance (TPR), and HR, we observed that the ideal therapeutic window ranged between 75 and 300 J, while for metabolic variables, glucose and lactate, the variation was between 450 and 600 J.
4-Hydroxybenzoic Acid as an Antiviral Product from Alkaline Autoxidation of Catechinic Acid: A Fact to Be Reviewed
Authors: Alfei Silvana , Caviglia Debora , Penco Susanna , Zuccari Guendalina , Gosetti Fabio
Published: July 2022

The dark brown mixture resulting from the autooxidation of catechinic acid (CA) (AOCA) has been reported to possess antiviral activity against Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2). Unfortunately, the constituents of AOCA were not separated or identified and the compound(s) responsible for AOCA’s antiviral activity remained unknown until recently. Colorless 4-hydroxy benzoic acid (4-HBA) has been reported as the main constituent (75%) of AOCA, and as being responsible for its antiviral activity. The findings seemed not to be reliable because of the existence in the literature of very different findings, because of the high concentration that was attributed to the supposed 4-HBA in the dark mixture, and because of the absence of essential analytical experiments to confirm 4-HBA in AOCA. Particularly, the AOCA chromatograms highlighting a peak attributable to 4-HBA, using commercial 4-HBA as a standard, is missing, as well as investigations concerning the antiviral activity of marketed 4-HBA. Therefore, in this study, to verify the exactness of the recent reports, we prepared CA from catechin and AOCA from CA, and the absence of 4-HBA in the mixture was first established by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and then was confirmed by UHPLC–MS/MS, UV–Vis, and ATR–FTIR analyses. For further confirmation, the ATR–FTIR spectral data were processed by principal components analysis (PCA), which unequivocally established strong structural differences between 4-HBA and AOCA. Finally, while the antiviral effects of AOCA against HSV-2 were confirmed, a commercial sample of 4-HBA was completely inactive.
The Effects of Weather and Fertilization on Grain Yield and Stability of Winter Wheat Growing on Orthic Luvisol—Analysis of Long-Term Field Experiment
Authors: Hlisnikovský Lukáš , Ivičic Peter , Barłóg Przemysław , Grzebisz Witold , Menšík Ladislav , Kunzová Eva
Published: July 2022

Based on a long-term experiment in Prague, established in 1954, we analyzed the effect of weather and seven fertilization treatments (mineral and manure treatments) on winter wheat grain yield (GY) and stability. In total, 23 seasons were analyzed, where a wheat crop followed a summer crop of potatoes. A regression analysis showed that, since the experiment started, there has been a significant increase in the annual daily maximum, average, and minimum temperature of 0.5 °C, and an increase in annual rainfall of 0.3 mm. Grain yield was positively associated with April precipitation, mean daily temperature in October, and daily maximum temperature in February. Yields were most stable between years with two fertilizer treatments that supplied a mean of 47 kg N ha−1yr−1, 54 kg P ha−1yr−1, and 108 kg K ha−1yr−1. The rate of N at which grain yield was optimized was determined according to the linear-plateau (LP) and quadratic response models as 44 kg N ha−1yr−1 for the long-strawed varieties and 87 kg N ha−1yr−1for short-strawed varieties. A gradual increase in yields was observed in all treatments, including the unfertilized control, which was attributed to improved varieties rather than to a changing climate.
An Eco-Friendly Wood Adhesive Consisting of Soybean Protein and Cardanol-Based Epoxy for Wood Based Composites
Authors: Zhu Zhiqiang , Zhang Erbing , Tu Yijing , Ye Manyu , Chen Nairong
Published: July 2022

Formaldehyde-derived wood adhesives have dominated in woody composites production up to now, while facing a significant challenge in non-renewable raw materials and the formaldehyde emission. To solve these problems, an eco-friendly soybean protein-based wood adhesive was explored via the addition of renewable cardanol based epoxy (CBE) as cross-linking agent. The curing mechanism and viscosity of the adhesives were investigated and the bonding performance was evaluated with three-ply plywood. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirmed the formation of new ether linkages and the consumption of epoxy groups in the cured adhesives, thereby improving the thermal stabilities and cohesion. Plywood bonded with the CBE-modified soybean protein-based adhesive reached the maximum wet shear strength of 1.11 MPa (4 wt.% CBE addition), a 48% increase compared to the control, whereas the viscosity of adhesive decreased by 68.2%. The wet shear strength of the plywood met the requirements of the Chinese National Standard GB/T 9846-2015 for interior plywood application. The formaldehyde-free adhesive with excellent water resistance adhesiveness performance shows great potential in woody composites as an alternative to formaldehyde derived wood adhesives.
Pharmacological Profile of Nigella sativa Seeds in Combating COVID-19 through In-Vitro and Molecular Docking Studies
Authors: Sherwani Subuhi , Rajendrasozhan Saravanan , Khan Mohd Wajid Ali , Saleem Mohd , Khan Mahvish , Khan Saif , Raafat Mohamed , Othman Alqahtani Fatimah
Published: July 2022

COVID-19 infection is associated with elevated oxidative stress, systemic hyper-inflammatory responses, endothelial dysfunction, and red blood cell membrane deformability. Nigella sativa extract is widely used in alternative and complementary medicine systems in a large population, due to its highly therapeutic, economic, natural, and safe nature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of N. sativa extract on oxidative stress, hemolysis, proteolysis, and glycation through in vitro studies, as well as to find out its anti-viral potential against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) using in silico studies. N. sativa seed extract (at 600 µg/mL) displayed 67.33% scavenging activity in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test, and 70.28% hydrogen peroxide reducing activity. N. sativa exhibited anti-proteolytic activity by decreasing heat-induced denaturation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and egg albumin by 63.14% and 57.95%, respectively, and exhibited anti-proteinase potential of 66.28% at 600 μg/mL. In addition, heat-induced hemolysis and hypersalinity-induced hemolysis were inhibited by 57.86% and 61.7%, respectively, by the N. sativa seeds. N. sativa also inhibited browning intensity by 56.38%, and percent aggregation index by 51.38%, amyloid structure by 48.28%, and AGE-specific fluorescence by 52.18%, thereby protecting the native structure of BSA from glycation. The binding interactions between bioactive molecules of N. sativa seed with SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein were proven by using in silico molecular docking tools. The functional amino acids involved in the interactions are Asp467, Thr108, Thr114, Ile468, Asn234, Gln155, Glu465, Arg466, Gly232, and Ile233, indicating the inhibiting property of N. sativa on SARS-CoV-2. Finally, we may infer that phytoconstituents of N. sativa seeds have the potential to protect against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Studies on N. sativa seeds might act as a path to develop a potent alternative therapy against viral infections, especially COVID-19 infection, in the future. However, the limitations linked with the use of natural products are also needed to be considered in this regard.
The Continuity of the Cult at Bethel after Exile
Authors: Yang Inchol
Published: July 2022

In this paper, as I follow Oded Lipschits and Joseph Blenkinsopp’s argument regarding the continuity of the cult at Bethel in the post-exilic period, I argue that polemics between Bethel and Jerusalem reflect the obvious dichotomy between remainees and returnees (golah) in the post-exilic period. In order to prove the continuity of the cult of Bethel, first and foremost, I investigate the identity of the delegations from Bethel in Zech 7:2; in light of the context of Zech 8:20-23, I suggest that the identity of the delegations is composed of people from the city of Bethel. By using the derogatory idiomatic expressions about Bethel, the scribes belong to the community of Yehud must have sought a resolution. In other words, since their identity was based on Judah, they must have intentionally attempted to denounce Bethel, which represents the cult of Israel. I examine the scribes’ endeavors by investigating the ambiguous position of the Benjaminites and Bethel’s geographical position.
Mapping Dominant Tree Species of German Forests
Authors: Welle Torsten , Aschenbrenner Lukas , Kuonath Kevin , Kirmaier Stefan , Franke Jonas
Published: July 2022

The knowledge of tree species distribution at a national scale provides benefits for forest management practices and decision making for site-adapted tree species selection. An accurate assignment of tree species in relation to their location allows conclusions about potential resilience or vulnerability to biotic and abiotic factors. Identifying areas at risk helps the long-term strategy of forest conversion towards a natural, diverse, and climate-resilient forest. In the framework of the national forest inventory (NFI) in Germany, data on forest tree species are collected in sample plots, but there is a lack of a full coverage map of the tree species distribution. The NFI data were used to train and test a machine-learning approach that classifies a dense Sentinel-2 time series with the result of a dominant tree species map of German forests with seven main tree species classes. The test of the model’s accuracy for the forest type classification showed a weighted average F1-score for deciduous tree species (Beech, Oak, Larch, and Other Broadleaf) between 0.77 and 0.91 and for non-deciduous tree species (Spruce, Pine, and Douglas fir) between 0.85 and 0.94. Two additional plausibility checks with independent forest stand inventories and statistics from the NFI show conclusive agreement. The results are provided to the public via a web-based interactive map, in order to initiate a broad discussion about the potential and limitations of satellite-supported forest management.
Improved Dynamic Window Approach for Unmanned Surface Vehicles’ Local Path Planning Considering the Impact of Environmental Factors
Authors: Wang Zhenyu , Liang Yan , Gong Changwei , Zhou Yichang , Zeng Cen , Zhu Songli
Published: July 2022

The aim of local path planning for unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) is to avoid unknown dynamic or static obstacles. However, current relative studies have not fully considered the impact of ocean environmental factors which significantly increase the control difficulty and collision risk of USVs. Therefore, this work studies two ocean environmental factors, namely, wave and current, given that they both have a significant impact on USVs. Furthermore, we redesign a kinematic model of an USV and the evaluation function of a classical and practical local path planning method based on the dynamic window approach (DWA). As shown by the results of the simulations, the path length was impacted mainly by the intensity of the environmental load and slightly by the direction of the environmental load, but the navigation time was significantly influenced by both. Taking the situation in still water as a benchmark in terms of the intensity and direction of the environmental factors, the maximum change rates of the path length were 8.6% and 0.6%, respectively, but the maximum change rates of the navigating time were 17.9% and 25.6%, separately. In addition, the average calculation time of each cycle was only 0.0418 s, and the longest time did not exceed the simulation time corresponding to a single cycle of 0.1 s. This method has proven to be a good candidate for real-time local path planning of USVs since it systematically considers the impact of waves and currents on the navigation of USVs, and thus ensures that USVs can adjust to the planned path in time and avoid obstacles when navigating in the real ocean environment.
Event Collapse in Contrast Maximization Frameworks
Authors: Shiba Shintaro , Aoki Yoshimitsu , Gallego Guillermo
Published: July 2022

Contrast maximization (CMax) is a framework that provides state-of-the-art results on several event-based computer vision tasks, such as ego-motion or optical flow estimation. However, it may suffer from a problem called event collapse, which is an undesired solution where events are warped into too few pixels. As prior works have largely ignored the issue or proposed workarounds, it is imperative to analyze this phenomenon in detail. Our work demonstrates event collapse in its simplest form and proposes collapse metrics by using first principles of space–time deformation based on differential geometry and physics. We experimentally show on publicly available datasets that the proposed metrics mitigate event collapse and do not harm well-posed warps. To the best of our knowledge, regularizers based on the proposed metrics are the only effective solution against event collapse in the experimental settings considered, compared with other methods. We hope that this work inspires further research to tackle more complex warp models.
An Unsupervised Monocular Visual Odometry Based on Multi-Scale Modeling
Authors: Zhi Henghui , Yin Chenyang , Li Huibin , Pang Shanmin
Published: July 2022

Unsupervised deep learning methods have shown great success in jointly estimating camera pose and depth from monocular videos. However, previous methods mostly ignore the importance of multi-scale information, which is crucial for pose estimation and depth estimation, especially when the motion pattern is changed. This article proposes an unsupervised framework for monocular visual odometry (VO) that can model multi-scale information. The proposed method utilizes densely linked atrous convolutions to increase the receptive field size without losing image information, and adopts a non-local self-attention mechanism to effectively model the long-range dependency. Both of them can model objects of different scales in the image, thereby improving the accuracy of VO, especially in rotating scenes. Extensive experiments on the KITTI dataset have shown that our approach is competitive with other state-of-the-art unsupervised learning-based monocular methods and is comparable to supervised or model-based methods. In particular, we have achieved state-of-the-art results on rotation estimation.
Isolation and Its Impact on Widows: Insights from Low-Resourced Communities in Binga District, Zimbabwe
Authors: Dube Misheck
Published: July 2022

The lives of women change immediately after the death of their husbands. After the death of their husbands, they experience extraordinary isolation which excludes them from important socioeconomic decisions. This paper discusses how widows are isolated and excluded in pertinent socioeconomic spheres and decisions that impact negatively on their lives including the lives of their children in low resourced communities of Binga District in Zimbabwe. Twenty-four widows were participants in this study, which used a qualitative research approach, a phenomenological research design and purposive sampling strategy. Ten widows participated in individual interviews whilst fourteen widows participated in two separate focus group interviews comprising seven widows each to provide insights on how they were isolated after the death of their husbands. Germain to isolation, thematic data analysis findings revealed that, upon the death of their husbands, widows are vulnerable to exclusion from critical decisions on accrued wealth, socioeconomic amenities and activities needed for their optimal well-being and the welfare of their children. The findings show the need for negotiated professional and community social interventions that are organised and integrated.
Management and Policy Modeling of the Market Using Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Fan Qunpeng
Published: July 2022

This paper investigates the market management and modeling based on advanced artificial intelligence. The proposed model deploys the combination of the support vector machine and fuzzy set theory to provide a practical and powerful prediction model for the market price over the next day. A realistic and effective model is then introduced to model the market players, such as the renewable energy sources of solar and wind turbines, as well as the fossil-fueled sources of micro turbines and fuel cells. In order to provide an optimal management program, it introduces a stochastic framework based on the point estimate method and adaptive grey wolf optimization algorithm (GWO). The proposed optimization methods use an adaptive strategy to choose the most fitting modification for enhancing the GWO performance. A realistic scenario is simulated to demonstrate the model’s effectiveness and impression on the real market management. The results clearly show the effectiveness of the prediction and management model. The prediction results show the superiority of the proposed model by RMSE of 2.9643 compared to the 3.217 for SVR, 3.2364 for ANN and 3.0621 for the grey model. Moreover, the optimal MAPE is 2.7453 by the proposed method, which is much better than the 3.052 by SVR, 3.1552 by ANN and 2.9285 by the grey model. From point of view of optimization, the most fitting power dispatch has been attained with the total cost of 300.8632 over 24 h.
Alterations in Essential Fatty Acids, Immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, and IgM), and Enteric Methane Emission in Primiparous Sows Fed Hemp Seed Oil and Their Offspring Response
Authors: Hăbeanu Mihaela , Lefter Nicoleta Aurelia , Gheorghe Anca , Ropota Mariana , Toma Smaranda Mariana , Pistol Gina Cecilia , Surdu Ioan , Dumitru Mihaela
Published: July 2022

This study shows the effects of dietary hemp seed oil on the milk composition, blood immunoglobulins (Ig), and enteric methane (E-CH4) production of primiparous sows, and their offspring’s response at three time points. A bifactorial experiment was conducted for 21 days (d) on 18 primiparous sows (195 ± 3 days old). The sows were fed two diets: (i) a control diet (SO) based on soybean oil (1.6%), with an 18.82 n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) ratio; (ii) an experimental diet (HO) based on hemp seed oil (1.6%), with a 9.14 n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio. The milk contained an elevated level of linoleic acids (LA), n-3 FA, and especially alpha-linolenic acids (ALA), while the n-6:n-3 ratio declined using hemp oil. The Ig concentration was higher in colostrum than in milk. In the first few hours, the IgG in the plasma of piglets was more than double that of maternal plasma IgG (+2.39 times). A period effect (p < 0.0001) for IgG concentration in the plasma of piglets was recorded (40% at 10 d, respectively 73% lower at 21 d than 12 h after parturition). However, the sow diet did not affect Ig (p > 0.05). The frequency of diarrhoea declined after about 7 d. The value of the rate of diarrhoea was 6.2% lower in the PHO group. We found a 4.5% decline in E-CH4 in the HO group. Applying multiple linear regression, feed intake, n-6:n-3 ratio, ALA, and lean meat were potential indicators in estimating E-CH4. In conclusion, sow dietary hemp seed oil increased lean meat %, milk EFA, and milk IgM. Significant changes in the other dependent variables of interest (body weight, plasma Igs in sows and offspring, E-CH4 production) were not recorded. There was reduced diarrhoea which shows that EFA could play a therapeutic role in the incidence of diarrhoea and in lowering of E-CH4 emission in sows and progeny. All dependent variables were significantly altered at different time points, except for fat concentration in milk and sow plasma IgG.
Patterns of Blindness in the Navajo Nation: A 9-Year Study
Authors: Wallace Ryan T. , Murri Michael , McCoy Lori , Peralta Esteban , Pettey Jeff H. , Chaya Craig J.
Published: July 2022

The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American reservation by area and citizenship. The study sought to provide the first large-scale examination of ocular pathology within this population. A retrospective review of all Navajo patients seen at Moran Eye Center Navajo Nation Outreach Clinics from 2013 to 2021 for demographics, visual acuity, refractive, and eye pressure data was undergone. Further variables included comorbidity and eye diagnoses among patients at these clinics. Results: First-time patient visits totaled 2251 from 2013 to 2021. The median age was 53 (range, 18 to 92), and clinics had a predominance of female patients (1387:864). Among patients presenting without glasses, 20.67% (198/958), 9.71% (93/958), and 3.13% (30/958) had mild visual impairment (VI), moderate to severe VI, and blindness, respectively. Cataracts were the most common cause of blindness in these patients (40%, 12/30) and the need for glasses was the second most common cause (33%, 10/30). From 2016 to 2021, 17.71% (48/271) of diabetic patients were diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy (DR). Within the subset of Navajo patients that presented without any correction, 73% of bilateral blindness was preventable via glasses prescription or cataract surgery. This study comments on questions of equitable care for Navajo patients.
Advanced Strategies for Monitoring Water Consumption Patterns in Households Based on IoT and Machine Learning
Authors: Arsene Diana , Predescu Alexandru , Pahonțu Bogdan , Chiru Costin Gabriel , Apostol Elena-Simona , Truică Ciprian-Octavian
Published: July 2022

Water resource management represents a fundamental aspect of a modern society. Urban areas present multiple challenges requiring complex solutions, which include multidomain approaches related to the integration of advanced technologies. Water consumption monitoring applications play a significant role in increasing awareness, while machine learning has been proven for the design of intelligent solutions in this field. This paper presents an approach for monitoring and predicting water consumption from the most important water outlets in a household based on a proposed IoT solution. Data processing pipelines were defined, including K-means clustering and evaluation metrics, extracting consumption events, and training classification methods for predicting consumption sources. Continuous water consumption monitoring offers multiple benefits toward improving decision support by combining modern processing techniques, algorithms, and methods.
A Moment-Based Depth-Averaged K-ε Model for Predicting the True Turbulence Intensity over Bedforms
Authors: Elgamal Mohamed
Published: July 2022

Turbulence models are critical for depth-averaged flow models in at least two ways: (i) as closures for momentum equations and (ii) as indicators of the spatial variability in the turbulence intensity field, which is crucial for sediment transport and bedform evolutions. This paper introduces a novel moment-based depth-averaged k-ε turbulence (MDAKE) model that could be considered as a revised version for the standard k-ε Rastogi–Rodi (SDAKE) model and can be used to estimate the true values for the depth-averaged turbulence kinetic energy in more complex and varied flow conditions with accelerating–decelerating flow fields. The study in hand shows that the SDAKE model tends to overestimate the true depth-averaged turbulent kinetic energy (k¯u) by 50 to 130% in the benchmark case of uniform flow over a flatbed. Further, the SDAKE model assumes that the bed shear velocity is an appropriate scale for the generation terms of both turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation. When bed topographic features vary, a shear flow zone is formed and the assumption is invalid. Since most of the turbulence is generated by shear flow zones away from the bed, the SDAKE model’s estimates for the depth-averaged turbulent kinetic energy field are out of phase with measurements for the flow over a train of bedforms. Therefore, a newly developed depth-averaged KE model based on the moment concept (MDAKE) is presented here. The model replaces bed shear velocity with the integral moment velocity scale (u1). The calibrated MDAKE model is used to predict turbulent kinetic energy over a train of bedforms. The results of the MDAKE model are in phase and generally in reasonable agreement with the measurements.
Water Demand Estimation in Service Areas with Limited Numbers of Customer Meters—Case Study in Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Lahore, Pakistan
Authors: Abbas Muzaffar , Kazama Shinobu , Takizawa Satoshi
Published: July 2022

The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) of Lahore, Pakistan, supplies water to 5.29 million people through 598 tube wells but faces difficulties in meeting rapidly increasing water demand, lowering groundwater table, high energy costs, and low water tariffs. However, the actual water consumption and water loss have never been estimated due to water meter outages. This study aimed to estimate the actual water consumption, production, and water losses for the WASA Lahore service area, using the limited number of working water meters and pump operation data. The actual water consumption was estimated by 14,030 working customer meters; the population census was 44.02 m3 per connection per month, or 200 L per capita per day, while the water production was 79.8 m3 per connection. The actual water loss was significantly higher than non-revenue water, with an average of 45.4% (ranging from 35.9–69.4%). Due to high electricity costs, WASA has had to cut their supply hours. Therefore, leakage reduction programs must be implemented in the high-water-loss townships found in this study in order to meet the increasing water demand, reduce electricity consumption, and alleviate groundwater table drawdown.
Curating 62 Years of Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed Data: Improving the Quality of Long-Term Rainfall and Runoff Datasets
Authors: Meles Menberu B. , Demaria Eleonora M. C. , Heilman Philip , Goodrich David C. , Kautz Mark A. , Armendariz Gerardo , Unkrich Carl , Wei Haiyan , Perumal Anandraj Thiyagaraja
Published: July 2022

The curation of hydrologic data includes quality control, documentation, database development, and provisions for public access. This article describes the development of new quality control procedures for experimental watersheds like the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watersheds (WGEW). WGEW is a 149 km2 watershed outdoor hydrologic laboratory equipped with a dense network of hydro-climatic instruments since the 1950s. To improve data accuracy from the constantly growing instrumentation networks in numerous experimental watersheds, we developed five new QAQC tools based on fundamental hydrologic principles. The tools include visual analysis of interpolated rainfall maps and evaluating temporal, spatial, and quantitative relationships between paired rainfall-runoff events, including runoff lag time, runoff coefficients, multiple regression, and association methods. The methods identified questionable rainfall and runoff observations in the WGEW database that were not usually captured by the existing QAQC procedures. The new tools were evaluated and confirmed using existing metadata, paper charts, and graphical visualization tools. It was found that 13% of the days (n = 780) with rainfall and 7% of the runoff events sampled had errors. Omitting these events improved the quality and reliability of the WGEW dataset for hydrologic modeling and analyses. This indicated the effectiveness of application of conventional hydrologic relations to improve the QAQC strategy for experimental watershed datasets.
Factors affecting the investment activity of the enterprise
Authors:   Department of Economic and Financial Disciplines, Moscow University for the Humanities, Podsvetova Tatyana Valentinovna , Platitsyn Maksim Evgenievich ,   Department of Economic and Financial Disciplines, Moscow University for the Humanities
Published: July 2022

The article defines the methods and criteria that allow developing a profitable action strategy and a successful investment option. The indicators that allow considering the enterprise in certain aspects and selecting development directions have been identified. Interrelation between investment activity and enterprise development is analyzed. The article may be useful as additional material in the "Economics" and "Marketing" majors.
Theoretical substantiation of using Internet technologies in marketing activities
Authors:   Department of Statistics, Marketing and Accounting, Moscow University for the Humanities, Bashina Olga Emilievna , Lazarev Andrey Vyacheslavovich ,   Department of Statistics, Marketing and Accounting, Moscow University for the Humanities
Published: July 2022

The article analyzes the problems of using Internet technologies in modern marketing. The materials of the article can be used in the training of specialists in the areas of "Economics" and "Marketing".
De l'isohypse à sa représentation en 3 dimensions
Authors: Cara Denis , Carrié Christian , Coudsi Paul , Mazurek Hubert
Published: July 2022

Les deux étapes nécessaires à la réalisation

des blocs diagrammes en trois dimensions sont décrites ; une étape de digitalisation permet de stocker sur disque des informations topographiques ; une étape de programmation permet une interpolation des points et une modification de la perspective du bloc. Quelques domaines d’application sont ensuite donnés.
Cartographie interactive sur minitel : l’Atlas télématique des villes françaises
Authors: Waniez Philippe
Published: July 2022

L’atlas télématique des villes françaises met à la disposition d’un large public des informations statistiques, sous la forme de cartes s’affichant sur l’écran des terminaux minitel. Deux exemples de session d’interrogation illustrent l’usage pouvant être fait de ce nouveau service vidéotex : les élections européennes de 1984, la criminalité en 1982.
Étude des variations géographiques de la morphologie d’un passereau, Parus Caeruleus
Authors: Martin Jean-Louis , Mazurek Hubert
Published: July 2022

Die kartogra-phische Analyse morphologischer Veranderungen im Brutareal der Blaumeise (Flügel, Schnabel und Tarsus) zeigt dass die Körpergrösse vom N.-O. nach S.-W. abnimmt. Die Schnabelform verändert sich von stark im N.-O. bis lang und dünn im Siidwesten. Die relative Tarsuslànge nimmt entlang diesem selben geographischen Gradient zu. Diese Veranderungen werden als Anpassung an die verschiedenen Umweltverhaltnissen gedeudet. Die Verstärkung morphologischer Differenzierung bei isolierten Populationen kann mit einem vermindertem Genfluss in Verbindung gesetzt werden. Diese Verminderung des Genflusses kann die lokalen Anpassungsvermogen verstärken.
La carte-modèle et les chorèmes
Authors: Brunet Roger
Published: July 2022

Les organisations, configurations et dynamiques spatiales sont fondées sur la combinaison de structures élémentaires, les chorèmes. La carte-modèle permet de découvrir et de mettre en évidence leurs rôles et leurs arrangements. Elle traduit l’apparition d’un nouveau langage cartographique.
Les Cévennes : anatomie d’une fracture
Authors: Cheylan Jean-Paul
Published: July 2022

Les Cévennes : périphérie, espace cloisonné, groupes sociaux imbriqués, héritages historiques divergents, présentent une image de la complexité que révèle un parcours à des échelles différentes.
Le modèle basque
Authors: Portugal Juan-Angel
Published: July 2022

A l’intérieur du quadrilatère basque se dessine un sous-espace triangulaire dont les sommets sont les capitales provinciales ; les côtés délimitent une aire prospère. La localisation de ces trois noyaux résulte d’une décision politico-économique et d’une diffusion de l’industrialisation. Ce triangle est un espace dynamique et attractif, autant dans le domaine de la démographie que du développement économique et industriel.