bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Collided with COVID-19 Pandemic, the 2020 Yangtze Flood Is Exceptionally Severe
Authors:   State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, China-Canada Center for Energy, Environment and Ecology Research, UR-BNU, School of Envrionment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China, Wang F. , Huang G. H. ,   State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, China-Canada Center for Energy, Environment and Ecology Research, UR-BNU, School of Envrionment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China,   Environmental Systems Engineering Program, University of Regina, Regina S4S 0A2, Canada, Fan Y. ,   Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
Published: October 2022

During June to July, 2020, persistent heavy precipitation in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) is resulting in extensive flooding, with over 158 fatalities and tremendous economic losses. This year’s disastrous flooding extreme is exceptionally different from those of other years. It contains over 1000-year return period events (for 30-day cumulative precipitation) as observed in Anhui, Guizhou and Sichuan Provinces. The mean precipitation is 308 mm in July 2020, being 54 mm higher than that of July 1998, when serious floods affected the entire Basin causing tremendous socio-economic consequences. Compared with 1998, the short-term (e.g., 1 day) precipitation in YRB did not show significant increases, while the long-term (e.g., 30 days) cumulative precipitation increases significantly. The highest observed 30-day cumulative precipitation is 1221 mm (in Anhui Province) in 2020, while the highest one in 1998 was 1028 mm (in Jiangxi Province). We thus find that this persistent heavy precipitation is the main cause of flooding in 2020. At the same time, TGR may mitigate up 43% of upstream flood, although the main contributors to this year’s YRB flood are in the middle and lower reaches. Affected by COVID-19, the number of people at risk in the threatened area are increased, and their capacities to mitigate the dual impacts of COVID-19 pandemic and flooding are hindered since (a) the flooding-caused mitigations may limit people’s ability to prevent from virus spreading, and (b) the pandemic is retaining a large amount of migrant workers being within YRB and subject to flooding impacts. Overall, our main discovery is that, although the short-term precipitation in YRB did not increase significantly in 2020, the cumulative one increased significantly in 2020.
The Italian endemic forest plants: an annotated inventory and synthesis of knowledge
Authors: Selvi Federico , Campetella Giandiego , Canullo Roberto , Chelli Stefano , Domina Gianniantonio , Farris Emmanuele , Gasperini Cristina , Rosati Leonardo , Wellstein Camilla , Carrari Elisa
Published: October 2022

Forests are among the most threatened ecosystems at the global scale, and endemic plants are often a vulnerable component of the flora of a given territory. So far, however, European forest endemic taxa have been scarcely investigated, especially those of the understory of the southern regions. Italy has a significant incidence of plant endemism and a broad diversity of forest types, but the endemic taxa typical of these habitats are still poorly known and not even inventoried. Accordingly, we elaborated a list of species and subspecies restricted to Italian forests using available information to refer each taxon to one of two categories of European forest specialist plants. This resulted in a list of 132 taxa (96 species and 36 subspecies), mostly linked to forest interior habitats. However, uncertainties about the taxonomic and endemic status affected a significant proportion of the taxa, and even trees. Available information about taxonomy, regional distribution, ecology, biology, functional traits and conservation status was included for each taxon. This resulted in a datasheet that allowed baseline statistics to be calculated. The rate of forest endemism, especially local, increased with decreasing latitude and was highest in Sicily and Calabria, where paleoendemic mono- or oligotypic genera were also present. Phanerophytes represented a considerable proportion, especially on islands. Beech and deciduous oak forests were the most important habitats, suggesting the role of glacial refugia of the southern mountain massifs.  Hygrophilous woodlands resulted     also home of stenoecious local endemics. Overall, however, the ecology, biology, and functional traits of the forest endemic taxa are still poorly known. About 20% of the taxa resulted “Critically Endangered”, “Endangered” or Vulnerable”, while over 50% were flagged as “Data Deficient”. Fire was the most recurrent threat. More knowledge is needed about these globally rare taxa, to support their conservation in changing forest landscapes.
CAD SYSTEM DISTINCTIVE FEATURES IN SUBMARINE DESIGN
Authors: Perez-Fernandez R
Published: October 2022

Although the object of surface ships and submarine industries is the same (a floating artefact aimed to comply with a particular function), the particularities of this same function, the ways for achieving it, the costs involved, and the metrics used to analyse results are so different that in fact make both industries different, usually considering that tools and processes used in both should also be different. This includes CAD Systems, although in this case the dichotomy was not established in the very beginning, but formed as the processes in submarines and surface ships diverged with the pass of the time. In fact, CAD Systems were first conceived for solving problems in other sectors like aerospace/defence, as these industries had the resources to invest in such advanced technology. Submarines has been often perceived as a product with more similarities with hi-tech industries than with traditional shipbuilding. However, the impressive growth of surface ships and its requirement for reducing costs and delivery time made shipbuilding CAD Systems suppliers focus their attention in it as a source for obtaining incomes, developing, and adapting systems to this particular industry. General CAD Systems took advantage of the situation to implement themselves in submarine, where they remained (still remain) for many years. But the requirements for reducing costs also catch up with submarine, so in many cases they decided to put forward the replacement of general purpose CAD Systems with shipbuilding specific ones, and this produced an automatic reaction of shipbuilding CAD Systems suppliers that have devoted more effort to try to solve particular submarine problems. In order to check the convenience of the use in submarine of shipbuilding CAD Systems, nowadays focused in surface ships, first of all it should be studied the differences between both surface ships and submarines. Once established them, we would be in position to propose a suitable solution. As summary, this paper covers the differences between surface ships and submarine as well as provide a series of recommendations toward the design of current and future CAD Systems.
THE VERTICAL FORCE REQUIRED FROM THE AFT CONTROL SURFACES TO ENABLE A SUBMARINE TO MAINTAIN A LEVEL TURN
Authors: Kim H , Ranmuthugala D , Renilson M R
Published: October 2022

When a submarine turns in the horizontal plane it experiences a complex flow around the hull, casing and sail. This results in out-of-plane loads in heave and pitch. To design the Aft Control Surfaces (ACS) such that adequate force can be applied to counteract these out-of-plane loads, it is necessary to be able to accurately predict the magnitude of these forces during the turn.
In this paper, predictions of the BB2 generic submarine with X-plane ACSs turning in the horizontal plane using a Coefficient Based Model (CBM) were compared with those from a fully coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model, and results from free running model tests.
The CFD predicted the measured ACS angles well, whereas the CBM predicted that much larger angles were required. This is possibly due to the CBM not accurately predicting the out-of-plane loads on the turning submarine. Further work is required to investigate this issue.
HYDRODYNAMIC LOADS AND FLOW STRUCTURE ANALYSIS FOR A SURFACED SUBMARINE USING CAPTIVE MODEL EXPERIMENTS
Authors: Conway A , Kumar C , Rolls A , Fowler A , Cameron A
Published: October 2022

Submarines are required to operate on the surface for significant periods of time, for example during transit in shallow waters. However, as they are designed primarily for submerged operations, their surfaced sea-keeping behaviour may be poor. Furthermore, the wave making resistance of the vehicle increases in the surfaced state, substantially impacting on its powering requirements. The bow wave encountered when operating in a surfaced state applies a downward heave force and a bow down pitching moment, impacting the vessel’s sea-keeping performance.
To provide insight into these effects, a captive model experimental program was undertaken at the Australian Maritime College Towing Tank facility to generate data at model scale for a 1.69m BB2 generic submarine geometry operating on the surface in calm water. The data generated includes the hydrodynamic loads and detailed, time-averaged flow structures on the surface, which will be used to study the behaviour of the vehicle and validate numerical tools.
BATTERY TECHNOLOGY – WHERE IT CAME FROM AND WHERE ITS GOING
Authors: Moody M , Mitchell D
Published: October 2022

The increasing demands placed upon the battery industry to provide battery solutions with increased power density, longer life expectancy, improved reliability, reduced maintenance and reduced through life costs has resulted in significant advances in battery chemistries. The maritime sector primarily driven by a need to reduce emissions has benefitted from these advances and has resulted in the construction of new ships being hybrid or fully electric. Numerous governments are currently in the process of renewing Naval Ships and Submarines offering an opportunity to adopt some of these technologies into the design whilst maintaining a level of assurance that safety is always priority.
Judiciarisation du viol post-conflit au Burundi ou quand la norme pénale coexiste avec des procédés de règlements à l’amiable
Authors: Nduwimana Mélance , Ndayisaba Joseph
Published: October 2022

Basé sur une analyse des données issues des entretiens menés auprès des acteurs de la chaîne pénale impliqués dans la judiciarisation des viols commis sur les femmes et filles en période post-conflit au Burundi, cet article montre comment la norme pénale n’est pas la seule à être mobilisée. Celle-ci cohabite avec des procédés de règlements à l’amiable des contentieux issus de viols présumés. Ces derniers sont généralement initiés par les familles de l’accusé et de la victime et certains administratifs locaux et responsables de la police de proximité. Des demandes d’entérinement de ces solutions négociées sont adressées aux officiers de police judiciaire et aux officiers du ministère public. À leur tour, ces acteurs soit refusent ces demandes notamment quand les viols dénoncés ont impliqué des mineures, soit les privilégient à la norme pénale en vue de la préservation de la cohésion sociale au sein des communautés, généralement en cas de viols commis sur des victimes majeures.
Spatiotemporal Evolution of NPP in Sandy Land of China's Seasonal Freezing-Thawing Typical Region
Authors: Wang Jingfa , Du Huishi
Published: October 2022

Based on the data set of AVHRR GIMMS, TERRA/AQUA MODIS NDVI, and climate data from 1982 to 2018, CASA model, GIS spatial analysis, and mathematical statistics were used to study the changing law in the category of time and space, spatial distribution, and the correlativity between the NPP and meteorological factors in the sandy land of China's Seasonal Freezing-Thawing Typical Region. The results showed that the average annual NPP value of vegetation in the growing season of the sandy land from 1982 to 2018 fluctuated between 217.65-356.61 gC/m2a, showing an obvious seasonality and a significant increase. The spatial distribution of NPP in the sandy land in the near 37a is significantly different. There are significant seasonal differences in vegetation responses to temperature, precipitation, wind speed, evaporation, and other meteorological factors in different regions. The increase of vegetation cover in sandy land of China's Seasonal Freezing-Thawing Typical Region is controlled by regional atmospheric circulation and human dynamics.
Cloud Data Centre Energy Utilization Estimation
Authors: Rajput Ravindra Kumar Singh , Goyal Dinesh , Pant Anjali , Sharma Gajanand , Arya Varsha , Rafsanjani Marjan Kuchaki
Published: October 2022

Due to the growth of the internet and internet-based software applications, cloud data center demand has increased. Cloud data centers have thousands of servers that are 24×7 working for users; it is the strong witness of enormous energy consumption for the operation of the cloud data center. However, server utilization is not remaining the same all the time, so, from an economic feasibility point of view, energy management is an essential activity for cloud resource management. Some well-known energy management techniques for cloud data centers generally used are dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS), dynamic power management (DPM), and task scheduling-based techniques. The present work is based on an analytical approach to integrating resource provisioning with sophisticated task scheduling; the authors estimate energy utilization by cloud data centers using iDR cloud simulator. The work is intended to optimize power consumption in the cloud data center.
A Multi-Objective Adaptive Upper Threshold Approach for Overloaded Host Detection in Cloud Computing
Authors: Sissodia Rajeshwari , Rauthan ManMohan Singh , Barthwal Varun
Published: October 2022

Cloud data centers (CDC) have become an increasingly critical issue because of their large-scale deployment, which has resulted in increased energy consumption (EC) and SLA. The SLA and EC can be greatly reduced by using an efficient virtual machine consolidation (VMC) approach. This study presents a multi-objective adaptive upper threshold (UTh) technique for identifying overloaded hosts. The dynamic virtual machine consolidation (DVMC) is then obtained by combining a modified overloaded host detection technique with a different VM selection method (i.e., minimum migration time (Mmt) and minimum utilization (Mu)). The simulation results indicate that the modified Interquartile range (Iqr) overloaded host detection algorithm outperforms the existing overloaded host detection algorithms (i.e., InterQuartile range (Iqr), local regression (Lr), and dynamic voltage frequency scale (DVFS) algorithms) in terms of EC, SLA, and the number of virtual machine (VM) migrations.
Malevolent Information Crawling Mechanism for Forming Structured Illegal Organisations in Hidden Networks
Authors: Rawat Romil , Gupta Sonali , Sivaranjani S. , Om Kumar C.U.  , Kuliha Megha , Sankaran K. Sakthidasan
Published: October 2022

Terrorist groups like ISIS have made considerable use of the dark web (DW) to carry out their malicious objectives such as spreading propaganda, recruiting and radicalizing new recruits, and secretly raising finances. Al-Hayat Media Center, an ISIS media agency, released a link on their forum describing how to access their DW website. It also sent out the identical message over Telegram, which included links to a Tor service with a “.onion” address. This study develops an analytical framework for scraping and analyzing the DW on the internet. The authors successfully tested a web crawler to collect account information for thousands of merchants and their related marketplace listings using a case study marketplace. The paper explains how to scrape DW marketplaces in the most viable and effective way possible. The findings of the case study support the validity of the proposed analytical framework, which is useful for academics researching this emerging phenomena as well as investigators looking into illegal behavior on the DW.
ETP-AKEP Enhanced Three Party Authenticated Key Exchange Protocols for Data Integrity in Cloud Environments
Authors: Krishna Kalluri Rama , Rao C. V. Guru
Published: October 2022

With key exchange protocols, a secure session key is generated between two remote users and servers and exchanged between them. It is generally used to prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to sensitive data. This article presents an enhanced three party authenticated key exchange protocols (ETP-AKE) protocol that does not depend on symmetric key encryption and instead uses asymmetric key encryption. A key component of the proposed ETP-AKE protocol is using elliptic curve encryption in conjunction with a one-way hash function. Its integrity certification was confirmed via the usage of the AVISPA tool package. The proposed protocol is intended to protect against various security threats, including the man-in-the-middle assault, the parallel attack, and the key-compromise attack, among others.
Managing North-South Research Collaboration Projects During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Sowe Sulayman K. , Schoenfeld Mirco , Samimi Cyrus , Steiner Petra , Schürer-Ries Anke
Published: October 2022

Researchers from the Global North and South have collaborated for decades to conduct cutting-edge interdisciplinary research. The tools they used to manage their research projects remained virtually unchanged until the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak early in 2020. Since then, a lot has changed, including the nature and dynamics of research collaboration. How are researchers and project managers adapting to this change? Survey data, semi-structured interviews, and personal accounts from 102 respondents from 33 countries are used in this empirical study to investigate the impact of the pandemic on research collaboration projects. An independent non-parametric t-test revealed a significant difference in the research collaboration infrastructure and home environment between Global North and global South collaborators. The findings have practical implications for people involved in collaborative research projects, funding agencies, project management professionals, and universities interested in pursuing or sustaining North-South research collaboration during the pandemic.
Key Success Factors in an Online English Learning Environment From Tertiary Learners' Perspectives
Authors: Kaewsa-ard Atima
Published: October 2022

During the COVID-19 crisis, universities worldwide were forced to shift from face-to-face instruction to online instruction. This shift exposes learners to challenges they have never encountered, and numerous studies have revealed a variety of barriers preventing learners from achieving learning goals in an online learning environment. Accordingly, there is an increasing need to understand the factors that contribute to learner success. This study therefore analyzed the key success factors that could assist learners in learning more efficiently in an online learning environment. The participants of this study were 105 Thai learners who were in their second year of an undergraduate degree. To reach the objective of this study, two distinct data collection procedures were used: a questionnaire for learners to identify the factors effecting learners' success in an online course and a focus group interview. The result indicated that teacher support, interaction during learning, and technological support are all critical for the success in online learning.
Electroless Nickel Phosphorus Coatings to Mitigate the Corrosion of Construction Steel
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Arkadeb , Sahoo Sarmila
Published: October 2022

Reinforced concrete is widely used in structures and construction, but its durability is limited due to corrosion of the embedded steel rebars. Thus, mitigation of corrosion of construction steel rebars is an important area of research. The present work reports the ability of electroless nickel phosphorus coating for corrosion protection of Fe-600-grade steel rebars used for construction purposes in chloride and sulphate environment. The coating deposited on Fe-600 rebar was Ni-P and was subjected to electrochemical tests in 3.5% NaCl and 0.5M H2SO4. Severe corrosion pitting and cracking were observed for the uncoated rebar while Ni-P coating showed nobler corrosion potential and low corrosion current density in the corrosive environments.
An Exploration of Organizational Development and Change in Technical Organizations to Support Sustainability
Authors: Richardson Kevin , Burrell Darrell Norman , Lewis Eugene J. , Nobles Calvin , Wright Jorja B. , Sabie-Aridi Amalisha S. , Andrus Desiree Nicole
Published: October 2022

Commonly referenced as corporate citizenship or sustainability, the initial idea of corporate social responsibility (CSR) matured from the 1987 seminal Brundtland Report, which the United Nations is credited for spearheading. The steady progression of CSR highlights the need for organizations to coordinate the fulfillment of legal, philanthropic, moral, and financial obligations to ensure appropriate strategies toward sustainability initiatives and positive behaviors toward environments, the population, and monetary gain. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the causation by which organizations adapt green organizational cultures. Some findings suggest organizational cultures are forced to adopt new philosophies in a changing environment governed by corporate sustainability efforts. These green conceptual models transform human resources (HR) role in changing and creating organizational cultures that influence organizational strategies in ways that support sustainability and influence the organizational impact concerning climate change.
COVID-19 associated unilateral sciatic neuropathy
Authors: Weerasinghe S.C. , Mohott S.P. , Harishchandra N. , Dayaratne K.G. , Caldera M.C.
Published: October 2022

A 36-year-old woman developed right leg weakness with foot drop while being treated for COVID-19 pneumonia. Her nerve conduction test and electromyography confirmed right sciatic nerve lesion and MRI scan of the lumbar spine, sciatic nerve, and examination of cerebrospinal fluid were unremarkable. Since there was no other possible explanation, the cause was attributed to a neurological complication of COVID-19 infection.
Aerodynamic Optimization of the Sizing and Blade Designs of Hovering Corotating Coaxial Rotors
Authors:   ST Engineering, Chan Keen
Published: October 2022

Corotating coaxial rotors are seeing renewed interest in distributed electric propulsion systems and electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The recent literature reports many interesting investigations, using prescribed rotor blades, into the flow phenomena as well as aerodynamic and aeroacoustic benefits of corotating rotors. However, the subject of the design of blade geometries, optimized to a design goal, for corotating rotors is currently lacking in the literature. This paper is written from such a design perspective, by extending a previous generalized approach to the aerodynamic optimization of counterrotating rotors to corotating rotors. The previous requirement for upper and lower counterrotating rotor torques to be equal can now be lifted in the case of corotating rotors, enabling improved versatility in the optimization of corotating blade designs. The optimization is demonstrated on an application example to address the conflicting conditions that index angles (high) for low noise benefits are at odds with those (low) for aerodynamic efficiency. The approach demonstrated in this paper is to set the index angle for low noise, and then recover back the aerodynamic efficiency by using the newly developed aerodynamic optimization technique.
Boundary Layer Transition Measured by DIT on the PSP Rotor in Forward Flight
Authors:   German Aerospace Center (DLR), Gardner Anthony ,   NASA Ames Research Center, Heineck J.T. ,   US Army, Jain Rohit , Raffel Markus , Weiss Armin , Wolf Christian , Spooner Hannah , Overmeyer Austin
Published: October 2022

A well-defined reference set of data for CFD and comprehensive code validation for a scaled helicopter main rotor with boundary layer transition in forward flight is presented. The boundary layer transition was measured using Differential Infrared Thermography (DIT) on the top (suction) side of the NASA/Army “PSP rotor” in the NASA Langley 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel. The tests used a FLIR X8500 SLS long-wave infrared camera to observe the three-bladed rotor. The boundary layer transition was detected for forward flight at an advance ratio of 0.3 (115kt). The measured boundary layer transition positions are consistent with previous measurements and predicted boundary layer transition locations. A method for the analysis of DIT images for a rotor in forward flight is shown and validated based on computational analysis of a pitching airfoil with varying inflow, showing both qualitative and quantitative similarity to experimental data.
Does Scatter Matter? Improved Understanding of UH-60A Wind Tunnel Rotor Measurements Using Data-Driven Clustering and CREATE-AV Helios
Authors:   US Army DEVCOM AvMC, Ramasamy Manikandan ,   NASA Ames Research Center, Norman Thomas , Jain Rohit
Published: October 2022

A data-driven clustering algorithm based on proper orthogonal decomposition was applied to assess the scatter found in the UH-60A wind tunnel airloads measurements. Upon verifying the capability of the algorithm, pushrod loads, blade surface pressure, sectional loads, and torsional moments were analyzed. Spatial eigenmodes resulting from the decomposition provided the optimal basis; projection of the individual cycles on to the high singular value modes allowed visualizing the statistical distribution of data over the entire azimuth. While not all cases showed furcation in the data, bimodal distribution was found in the high thrust cases, where statistically normal distribution is generally assumed. Consequent clustering of the measured cycles produced excellent correlation among clusters found in the pushrod loads, blade surface pressure, and torsional moment that suggest a common source for furcation in the data. The cycles assigned to one group repeatedly showed distinguishable variations from the other group in terms of the presence/absence of a dynamic stall vortex, azimuthal occurrence of stall, chordwise location of separation and reattachment etc. When one of the cluster is smaller in size compared to the other, the conventional phase-average obscured all the intricate features even when the loads are substantially higher than the larger cluster. In general, clustering the data set when warranted showed not only higher peak loads but also lower variance for both the clusters across the entire azimuth compared to the conventional simple phase-average results. Computational simulations were conducted using CREATETM-AV Helios towards understanding the underlying flow field. Misjudged earlier as under/over-predictive when compared with the simple phase-average data, Helios results consistently showed significantly improved correlation with the smaller of the two clusters. Combining the clustered results and the flow visualization provided by Helios, aperiodicity in the spatial location and the strength of both the trim tab vortices and tip vortices have also been hypothesized as potential sources of furcation.
Lift Off of H160 with Blue Edge(TM) Blade
Authors:   Airbus Helicopters, Lanouette Cédric , Hirsch Jean-François
Published: October 2022

Integrating the vertical flight in our modern environment is an engine of progress for any technological product. H160 helicopter is a good illustration of the most recent market evolution. Recently certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in July 2020, the last Airbus Helicopters' multi-role twin-engine rotorcraft introduced the latest technological innovations for the benefit of all: passengers, pilots, operators, population. Comfort improvement and sound reduction are some examples of added values of this helicopter where the Blue Edge(TM) main rotor blade is exploited as a new technological mean as presented in Ref. 1 and Ref. 2. Nevertheless, such progress is only achievable if the expectations of continuous improvements on the safety and the airworthiness are satisfied. The paper presents the optimization studies of the serial design, the means of compliance and substantiations according to the latest standard of certification regulations applied on the Blue Edge(TM) main rotor blades with a special focus on the fatigue tolerance and threat assessment.
The Search for an Ideal Bearingless Main Rotor (BMR) Design
Authors:   Georgia Institute of Technology, Schrage Daniel
Published: October 2022

The Main Rotor Hub is the design centerpiece for helicopters and other forms of rotorcraft. It has been a very complex mechanical system design in the past, especially for fully articulated rotor systems. Two major efforts have been made to reduce this complexity. First, was the introduction of elastomeric bearings and dampers which have freed articulated rotor hubs from liquid lubrication and extreme mechanical complexity. This has made them economically feasible for designers and manufacturers of articulated helicopters, such as Boeing and Sikorsky in the U.S; Airbus and Leonardo in Europe; and MIL in Russia. However, the major progress in main rotor hubs has been the continuous movement "and search" toward the ideal hingeless and/or bearingless main rotor hubs. Designing the "Ideal Bearingless Main Rotor (BMR)" hub has been akin to seeking the "holy grail." One outside critic of the progress made toward the "Ideal BMR" over the years has been Thomas A. Hanson, who was involved in early designs of the Lockheed hingeless and bearingless rotor hubs in the 1960s. Having tried to go on his own after Lockheed failed and abandoned their hingeless and baringless rotor hubs, e.g. the XH-51A and the AH-56A Cheyenne, Tom revisited the status of rotorcraft hub design in the 1990s. However, due to the "not invented here" syndrome no major helicopter/rotorcraft manufacturer picked up on his innovative solutions. Helicopter/rotorcraft design engineers, especially those addressing aeroelasticity and dynamics, are a very small element in industry and government engineering organizations. The author of this paper was one of these and has been involved in developing, assessing and evaluating helicopter/rotorcraft designs for almost 50 years, e.g. UTTAS, AAH, AH-1 IRB, CH-47D, MDX, OH-58D, and LHX/RAH-66, along with accident investigations. He has also been the Georgia Tech Rotorcraft Design Professor from 1984 to 2019, where he taught and evaluated student design teams. In addition, his D.Sc. research and dissertation thesis under Dr. David A. Peters in 1978 (Schrage, D.P., "Effect of Structural Parameters on the Flap-Lag Forced response of a Rotor Blade in Forward Flight") shed new light on the tradeoffs between rotor loads and stability by developing an eigenvalue and modal decomposition approach. This included the evaluation of the Boeing and Sikorsky UTTAS bearingless tail rotors. This paper will review this search for the Ideal BMR and identify the importance it will play in future BMR designs which will be Cyber Physical Vehicle Systems (CPVS) to meet and satisfy the safety and design requirements of these new complex electrical, mechanical and adaptive control systems.
Military Mission Suitability Assessment of eVTOL Aircraft Configurations
Authors:   Science and Technology Corporation, Scott Mark
Published: October 2022

The U.S. Army Concept Design and Assessment (CD&A) Technology Area has been following leading companies’ eVTOL development. Based on the Tech Area’s extensive aircraft design and analysis experience questions arose regarding current eVTOLs designs meeting potential military performance and attributes requirements. Similar concerns were seen for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) applications. This document summarizes performance and attribute analyses of leading UAM configurations and compares to helicopters as an alternative configuration. The overall conclusion is that multirotor configurations’ speed and range are inherently inadequate for military applications. High Speed eVTOL (HS-eVTOL) configurations (i.e. winged VTOLs) are point designs for high speed, medium range, and very short hover duration missions. They are also inadequate for an important spectrum of military missions. The work concludes the Department of Defense (DoD) needs to invest in more traditional low disk loading eVTOL configurations if it is to gain the most operational benefit from electric propulsion VTOL aircraft.
Air Vehicle/Mission System Architecture (AV/MSA) Interface Definition
Authors:   Tucson Embedded Systems (TES), Simi Stephen ,   US Army, Jacobs Bill
Published: October 2022

The development lifecycle of software for aircraft systems is dominated by safety and cybersecurity considerations. Software development processes and tools are being continually updated to improve and optimize these critical considerations. While the processes and tools have received continuous updates, changes to the programming languages employed for developing safe and secure software for aircraft systems have evolved at a much slower pace. As of 2017, 63% of Department of Defense (DoD) systems were developed with the C/C++ programming languages (Ref. 1). This is representative of the dominant position that software developed with the C/C++ programming language has in existing aircraft avionics and mission systems. The C language has been around since the 1970s and C++ was first introduced in the late 1980s. These languages are very stable and their extensive supporting ecosystems have helped grow and maintain their expansive use in aerospace and many other domains. The longevity of C/C++ has enabled language, usage, process, and tool tailoring so that the software built with C/C++ can be certified for use in both safety-critical and security-critical environments. The C/C++ ecosystems are stable and mature but have properties that make writing software embedded in aircraft avionics very challenging.
Influence of Uterine Cavity Breach in Laparoscopic Myomectomy on the Risk of Obstetric Complications
Authors: Wada Shinichiro , Fukushi Yoshiyuki , Ono Yosuke , Ota Hajime , Tsuzuki Yoko , Yamada Hideto
Published: October 2022

Objectives:

Prepregnancy myomectomy is effective for the treatment of infertility or prevention of obstetric complications and is usually performed with laparoscopy. However, pregnancies following myomectomy have risks of obstetric complications, especially in cases with uterine cavity breaches, but the evidence remains unclear. We investigated how uterine cavity breach in laparoscopic myomectomy influenced the occurrence of obstetric complications.

Patients and Methods:

One hundred and eighty women who underwent a cesarean section from 2014 to 2020 in pregnancies following laparoscopic myomectomy were included. They were divided into two groups: 25 women in the uterine cavity breach group and 155 in the nonbreach group. Obstetric complications, including placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), uterine rupture, placental malposition, abruption placenta, preterm delivery, threatened premature labor, premature rupture of membranes, and massive intrapartum hemorrhage, were assessed.

Results:

Multivariate analysis revealed that the frequency of PAS in the breach group (24.0%) was statistically significantly higher than in the nonbreach group (5.2%, P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

This study demonstrated that women who experienced uterine cavity breach in laparoscopic myomectomy had an increased risk of PAS in subsequent pregnancies.
Simulation of Riveting Process on PCB and Comparison with Strain Gauge Measurements
Authors: Krishna Vikram , Faller David , Andibur Roman , Palaparthi Kishore , Deckhardt Celina , Gurudatt PhD Balepur
Published: October 2022

Riveting is a process used to fasten printed circuit board to housing that offers several advantages compared to screws. This involves a cylindrical pin that protrudes from the housing being compressed with a concave tool to produce a rivet head that fills the PCB hole and holds it in place over service life of the component. The process as performed currently in-house uses parameters that have not been optimized. Testing has revealed that the process is subjecting the PCB to surface strains higher than 1000μɛ which is the limit as recommended by standards. Exceeding this limit reduces the reliability of electrical components and increases risk of field failures. This risk can be mitigated by improving the riveting process parameters to prevent high strain from reaching components.

Having a finite element model for high deformation problems is an essential prerequisite to explore riveting process improvement. So the first goal is to identify a finite element procedure that converges well for large deformation problems and validate it with physical testing in terms of PCB strain, reaction force on tool and PCB hole filling level. Validation would also involve modeling strain gauges and placing them strategically on the PCB to ensure good comparison with test results. Then, suggestions need to be proposed to improve the riveting process based on simulations.
Response to the first awake prone positioning relates with intubation rate in SARS-CoV-2 patients suffering from acute respiratory failure with moderate to severe hypoxaemia: a retrospective study
Authors: Lupieri Ermes , Boffi Andrea , Ltaief Zied , Schneider Antoine , Abed-Maillard Samia , Chiche Jean-Daniel , Oddo Mauro , Piquilloud Lise
Published: October 2022

AIMS OF THE STUDY: Awake prone positioning (aPP) in non-intubated patients with severe SARS-CoV-2-related pneumonia improves oxygenation and reduces the intubation rate, but no early predictors for success or failure of the strategy have been described. The main objective of this study was to assess whether response to the first aPP in terms of PaO2/FiO2, alveolar-arterial gradient (Aa-O2), respiratory rate and PaCO2 could predict the need for intubation. As secondary objective, we assessed the effects of aPP on the same parameters for all the sessions considered together.
METHODS: Retrospective analysis of consecutive SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia patients suffering from acute respiratory failure with moderate to severe hypoxaemia for whom aPP was performed for at least 45 minutes based on the prescription of the clinician in charge according to predefined criteria. Respiratory rate, blood gases and oxygenation parameters (PaO2/FiO2 and Aa-O2), before and after the first aPP were compared between patients who were subsequently intubated or not. Effects of all the aPP sessions together were also analysed.
RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-six patients were admitted for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia during the study period. Among them, 50 received aPP lasting at least 45 minutes. Because 17 denied consent for data analysis and 2 were excluded because of a “do not intubate order”, 31 patients (for a total of 116 aPP sessions without any severe adverse events reported) were included. Among them, 10 (32.3%) were intubated. Mean age ± standard deviation (SD) was 60 ± 12 years. At ICU admission, respiratory rate was 26 ± 7/minute, median PaO2/FiO2 94 (interquartile range [IQR] 74–116) mm Hg and median Aa-O2 412 (IQR 286–427) mm Hg (markedly increased). Baseline characteristics did not statistically differ between patients who subsequently needed intubation or not. During the first aPP, PaO2/FiO2 increased and Aa-O2 decreased. When comparing patients who later where intubated or not, we observed, in the non intubated group only, a clinically significant decrease in median Aa-O2, from 294 (280–414) to 204 (107–281) mm Hg, corresponding to a 40% (26–56%) reduction, and a PaO2/FiO2 increase, from 103 (84–116) to 162 (138–195), corresponding to an increase of 48% (11–93%). The p value is <0.005 for both. When all the aPP sessions (n = 80) were considered together, aPP was associated with a significant increase in PaO2/FiO2 from 112 (80–132) to 156 (86–183) mm Hg (p <0.001) and Aa-O2 decrease from 304 (244–418) to 224 (148–361) mm Hg (p = 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Awake pronation in spontaneously breathing patients is feasible, and improves PaO2/FiO2 and Aa-O2. Response to the first session seems to be associated with lower intubation rate.
Point prevalence of burnout in Switzerland: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Al-Gobari Muaamar , Shoman Yara , Blanc Solenne , Guseva Canu Irina
Published: October 2022

AIMS OF THE STUDY: To estimate the prevalence of occupational burnout among the Swiss working population.  METHODS: We interrogated three international databases (Medline (PubMed), EMBASE, and PsycINFO) and the databases of 15 Swiss universities to identify studies reporting the prevalence of occupational burnout in Swiss workers over the last 10 years, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were summarised descriptively and quantitatively using random-effects meta-analysis. We investigated between-study heterogeneity by stratifying results according to the type of burnout measurement tool, by occupation and by cut-off values. Three outcomes were considered: clinical/severe burnout, overall burnout and emotional exhaustion.  RESULTS: We identified 23 studies about workers in Switzerland and estimated the prevalence of clinical or severe burnout at 4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 2–6%). The average prevalence estimates for overall burnout and emotional exhaustion were similar at 18% (95% CI 12–25%) and 18% (95% CI 15–22%), respectively. When stratified by occupation, the clinical or severe burnout rates were higher among the healthcare workers than the general working population. CONCLUSIONS: These estimates of prepandemic (baseline) prevalence of occupational burnout are comparable with those available in the other countries where it is recognised and treated as a disease. They may prove useful in planning and assessing the effectiveness of interventions for prevention of occupational burnout and in minimising its negative consequences on individuals and on societies during and after the pandemic.
Antioxidant activity of isolated compounds from ethyl acetate extract of Bruguiera parviflora
Authors: Thuy Nguyen Thi Le , Tung Bui Thanh
Published: October 2022

Bruguiera parviflora belongs to Bruguiera genus, which possesses several biological activities such as antidiabetic, anti-inflammation, antioxidant. Phytochemical investigation of the ethyl acetate extract from Bruguiera parviflora leaves was carried out bioassay guided isolation and obtained three known compounds, namely kochioside A (1), oleanolic acid (2) and quercitrin (3). The chemical structure of isolated compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis as well as the comparison of their NMR data with the ones published in the literatures. All isolated compounds were evaluated for antioxidant activity with the free radical scavenging ability on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Among them, quercitrin (3) was the most potent compound against DPPH with the IC50 value of 16.4 ± 0.2 g/mL, compared to vitamin C, which was used as positive control.
Role of cytokines, neuropeptids and matrix metalloproteinases in the immunopathogenesis of retinal neurodegeneration in diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Ruchkin M. P. , Markelova E. V. , Fedyashev G. A. , Yuschyuk V. N.
Published: October 2022

Currently, diabetic retinopathy (DR) is considered both a vascular lesion, as well as a neurodegenerative disease. The normal functioning of the glia and retinal neurons depends on the balance between the cytokine system, neurotrophic factors and matrix metalloproteinases. The disorders that occur in these systems are assigned an important role in many neurodegenerative processes. The purpose of the present study was to determine the levels of IL-1, IL-17A, TNF, IFN, IL-10, TGF-1, TGF-2, TGF-3, MMP- 2, MMP-7, MMP-9, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, S100b protein, BDNF and NGF in the serum of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with signs of retinal neurodegeneration, and to identify additional immunological markers for diagnosis and prediction of their clinical course. The study included 80 patients with endocrinogically verified diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. All subjects were examined at an optical coherent tomograph RTVue-100 (USA), and the volume of focal loss of retinal ganglion cells (FLV) was determined. According to its results, the patients of the main group were divided into 2 subgroups. The first group included 22 persons in whom the FLV indexes did not show significant differences from the controls. The second group included 58 patients with a significantly larger FLV volume. In the subgroup of patients with high level of focal GCS loss, a significant increase in the level of IL-1 and IL-10 deficiency was revealed in comparison with the controls, and the subgroup without significant losses of GCS over the entire observation period. TGF-3 deficiency was found in patients of subgroup 2 versus controls and subgroup 1. An imbalance in the tissue proteolysis system was revealed, MMP-9 and TIMP-2 levels were elevated, and MMP-7 levels were decreased in both subgroups compared to controls. When analyzing serum contents of neurospecific proteins in the group of patients with OCT signs of retinal neurodegeneration, high levels of the S100b protein and NGF were revealed, in contrast to the control group and subgroup 1.
Innate immune response in the patients with heart disease and acute kidney injury after coronary artery bypass grafting, depending on the duration of extracorporeal circulation
Authors: Fomina O. I. , Chagina E. A. , Fedyanina L. N. , Krasnikov V. E.
Published: October 2022

Incidence of chronic diseases is increased in the 21st century due to prolonged life expectancy. Cardiovascular disease is the most common disorder worldwide, complicated with high morbidity and mortality. Upon increased prevalence of this disease, cardiac surgery has become an essential strategy for patients that do not respond to medications and other therapeutic procedures. Some potential complications in cardiac surgery affect kidneys, lung, brain over the postoperative period. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is considered a serious complication of cardiac surgery characterized by rapid loss of kidney function leading to acute increase in the serum creatinine concentration. AKI occurs in up to 30% of patients after cardiac surgery and is observed in 2% of the cases with isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). There are literature data concerning the patients with coronary artery disease after CABG in the presence of evolving atherosclerosis. Development of inflammation and dysadaptation of innate immunity was established in this work. An imbalance in the cytokine system contributes to the progression of endothelial dysfunction and may promote development of renal injury after CABG. Hypercytokinemia in AKI patients suggests involvement of innate immunity factors in the development of acute inflammatory response. The purpose of this article was to assess the innate immune response in the patients subjected to CABG with different duration of extracorporeal circulation. In the present study, 100 patients underwent CABG, all of whom were in the on-pump group. General clinical, functional, biochemical, instrumental, immunological and statistical methods were used in the work. After analyzing the data on the content of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in blood serum of the patients with stage 1 and 2 AKI (KDIGO), depending on the duration of cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, we found that their dynamics corresponded to the standard pattern of changes after CABG groups and hyperproduction of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the groups with higher duration of cardiopulmonary bypass. The pathogenetic role of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators remains unclear. We support the view that the clinical prognosis after cardiopulmonary bypass depends on the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines.