bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Survey-Based Analysis of Injuries to Horses Associated with Transport by Road in New Zealand
Authors: Riley Christopher B. , Rogers Chris W. , Thompson Kirrilly R. , Guiver Danielle , Padalino Barbara
Published: January 2022

Negative outcomes associated with the road transport of horses are a significant welfare issue. This study aimed to describe the injuries sustained by horses during road transport in New Zealand and factors associated with trauma while in transit. New Zealand horse industry participants were surveyed on their horse transport experiences and equine industry involvement. Participants were solicited through horse organisations. The data were tabulated, and a logistic regression was performed to identify significant (p < 0.05) factors associated with transport-related injury. In total, 201/1133 (17.7%/2 years) eligible surveys reported at least one horse injured during road transport. Most incidents occurred in transit (137/169; 81%), or when transported with one (76/193; 39.4%) or more (41/193; 21.2%) other horses. Most commonly, the hindlimbs, the head, or the forelimbs were injured (59.1%; 110/186 horses), ranging in severity from bruises to catastrophic orthopaedic trauma necessitating euthanasia. Eventing, not always checking horses’ fitness for transport, using a tail guard or bandage, a stallion guard in the vehicle, bedding type on the floor, and behavioural problems were associated with injuries. This survey identified a significant incidence of injury and related death when horses are transported by road in New Zealand, and the key risk factors associated with the odds of injury.
Identification of Conservation Priority Areas and a Protection Network for the Siberian Musk Deer (Moschus moschiferus L.) in Northeast China
Authors: Zhang Chao , Fan Yuwei , Chen Minhao , Xia Wancai , Wang Jiadong , Zhan Zhenjie , Wang Wenlong , Khan Tauheed Ullah , Wu Shuhong , Luan Xiaofeng
Published: January 2022

Species conservation actions are guided by available information on the biogeography of the protected species. In this study, we integrated the occurrence data of Siberian musk deer (Moschus moschiferus L.) collected from 2019 to 2021 with species distribution models to estimate the species’ potential distribution in Northeast China. We then identified conservation priority areas using a core-area zonation algorithm. In addition, we analyzed core patch fragmentation using FRAGSTATS. Lastly, we identified potential connectivity corridors and constructed a potential protection network based on the least-cost path and the circuit theory. The results showed concentrations of M. moschiferus in the northern Greater Khingan Mountains, the southeastern Lesser Khingan Mountains, and the eastern Changbai Mountains, with a potential distribution area of 127,442.14 km2. Conservation priority areas included 41 core patches with an area of 106,306.43 km2. Patch fragmentation mainly occurred in the Changbai Mountains and the Lesser Khingan Mountains. We constructed an ecological network composed of 41 core patches and 69 linkages for M. moschiferus in Northeast China. The results suggest that the Greater Khingan Mountains represent the most suitable area to maintain the stability of M. moschiferus populations in Northeast China. Considering the high habitat quality requirements of M. moschiferus and its endangered status, we propose that the Chinese government accelerates the construction of the Greater Khingan Mountains National Park and the Lesser Khingan Mountains National Park and enlarges the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park to address the fragmentation of protected areas and the habitat of M. moschiferus.
Curcumin: Biological Activities and Modern Pharmaceutical Forms
Authors: Urošević Maja , Nikolić Ljubiša , Gajić Ivana , Nikolić Vesna , Dinić Ana , Miljković Vojkan
Published: January 2022

Curcumin (1,7-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-hepta-1,6-diene-3,5-dione) is a natural lipophilic polyphenol that exhibits significant pharmacological effects in vitro and in vivo through various mechanisms of action. Numerous studies have identified and characterised the pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and clinical properties of curcumin. Curcumin has an anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antinociceptive, antiparasitic, antimalarial effect, and it is used as a wound-healing agent. However, poor curcumin absorption in the small intestine, fast metabolism, and fast systemic elimination cause poor bioavailability of curcumin in human beings. In order to overcome these problems, a number of curcumin formulations have been developed. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of recent research in biological and pharmaceutical aspects of curcumin, methods of sample preparation for its isolation (Soxhlet extraction, ultrasound extraction, pressurised fluid extraction, microwave extraction, enzyme-assisted aided extraction), analytical methods (FTIR, NIR, FT-Raman, UV-VIS, NMR, XRD, DSC, TLC, HPLC, HPTLC, LC-MS, UPLC/Q-TOF-MS) for identification and quantification of curcumin in different matrices, and different techniques for developing formulations. The optimal sample preparation and use of an appropriate analytical method will significantly improve the evaluation of formulations and the biological activity of curcumin.
Development of Permanently Installed Magnetic Eddy Current Sensor for Corrosion Monitoring of Ferromagnetic Pipelines
Authors: Wasif Rukhshinda , Tokhi Mohammad Osman , Shirkoohi Gholamhossein , Marks Ryan , Rudlin John
Published: January 2022

Permanently installed sensors are a cost-effective solution for corrosion monitoring due to their advantages, such as less human interference and continuous data acquisition. Some of the most widely used permanently installed corrosion sensors are ultrasonic thickness (UT) gauges. However, UT sensors are limited by the need for coupling agents between pipe surfaces and sensors. The magnetic eddy current (MEC) method, on the other hand, does not require couplant and can be used over insulations. With the development of powerful rare earth magnets, MEC sensors with low power consumption are possible, and there is the prospect of using them as permanently installed sensors. A novel wireless magnetic eddy current sensor has been designed and optimized using finite element simulation. Sensitivity studies of the sensors reveal that the excitation frequency is a critical parameter for the detection of corrosion defects. An in-depth explanation of the relationship between the sensitivity of the sensor and the excitation frequency is presented in this paper. The results of an accelerated corrosion test, conducted to simulate the service environment of the sensor, are also discussed. It was observed that the sensor signals are very sensitive to corrosion defects and show no subtle differences due to temperature and humidity changes.
An Effectively Finite-Tailed Updating for Multiple Object Tracking in Crowd Scenes
Authors: Xu Biaoyi , Liang Dong , Li Ling , Quan Rong , Zhang Mingguang
Published: January 2022

Multiple Object Tracking (MOT) focuses on tracking all the objects in a video. Most MOT solutions follow a tracking-by-detection or a joint detection tracking paradigm to generate the object trajectories by exploiting the correlations between the detected objects in consecutive frames. However, according to our observations, considering only the correlations between the objects in the current frame and the objects in the previous frame will lead to an exponential information decay over time, thus resulting in a misidentification of the object, especially in scenes with dense crowds and occlusions. To address this problem, we propose an effectively finite-tailed updating (FTU) strategy to generate the appearance template of the object in the current frame by exploiting its local temporal context in videos. To be specific, we model the appearance template for the object in the current frame on the appearance templates of the objects in multiple earlier frames and dynamically combine them to obtain a more effective representation. Extensive experiments have been conducted, and the experimental results show that our tracker outperforms the state-of-the-art methods on MOT Challenge Benchmark. We have achieved 73.7% and 73.0% IDF1, and 46.1% and 45.0% MT on the MOT16 and MOT17 datasets, which are 0.9% and 0.7% IDFI higher, and 1.4% and 1.8% MT higher than FairMOT repsectively.
Taurodontism—Prevalence, Extent, and Clinical Challenge in Ashkelon, Israel—A Retrospective Study
Authors: Einy Shmuel , Yitzhaki Iris Hershcu , Cohen Ornit , Smidt Ami , Zilberman Uri
Published: January 2022

Taurodontism, a known morpho-anatomic variation in the shape of teeth, has already attracted substantial attention. The aim of this study is to contribute to this by discussing its direct impact on the dental practitioner via an evaluation of the prevalence of taurodontism in molars in Ashkelon, Israel. This retrospective study analyzed panoramic radiographs of 624 patients (330 males, 294 females), aged of 9–29 years—2849; first and second permanent molars were screened. Objective measurements and variables were used and analyzed using statistical SPSS version 27 (IBM, Chicago, IL, USA). Taurodontism was observed in 33.6% of the patients and was more prevalent among females (53% vs. 47%) and in maxillary molars compared to mandibular molars (57% vs. 43%). The overall prevalence of hypotaurodontism, mesotaurodontism, and hypertaurodontism was 10.8%, 0.5%, and 0.2%, respectively. No statistical difference between right and left sides was discovered, however, taurodont teeth in the upper left side exhibited the highest frequency, while the lower left side had the least. The highest occurrence of hypotaurodontism was on the upper right second molar followed by upper left first and second molars. The clinical challenge posed in endodontic, orthodontic, and restorative dentistry is discussed, and suitable alternative approaches are proposed for dental practitioners.
Analysis of Crack Formation and Growth in Tunnel Linings Using Double-K Fracture Criterion
Authors: Huang Chengjun , Li Xinrui , Wen Ming
Published: January 2022

Empirical criteria and fracture/damage mechanics are used to evaluate the safety of lining cracks in the conventional methods. However, the former lacks a scientific basis, and the latter requires complicated mechanical calculations. To overcome the above shortcomings, this paper proposes a new method to perform crack analysis of plain concrete linings, based on the double-K fracture criterion. The proposed method uses two crack width indices, i.e., initiation and unstable fracture widths, to divide the fracture process of lining into three stages: initiation stage, stable propagation stage, and instability propagation stage. These two crack width indices are calculated by the equivalent transformation of fracture toughness. Using the proposed criterion, the safety state of the concrete lining can be determined by comparing the field measurement width and crack width indices. A specific code based on the extended finite element method (XFEM) is developed to simulate the fracture process of concrete lining. Several numerical experiments are carried out to evaluate the proposed fracture criterion. The results show that the two fracture indices of the proposed criterion can accurately identify two demarcation points of the three stages of the lining fracture process, including the nonlinear starting point and the unstable fracture point of the load–displacement curve. Compared with conventional methods, the proposed method uses the geometric parameter to estimate the mechanical state of cracks, so the complicated mechanical calculation can be avoided.
NOx–Smoke Trade-off Characteristics in a Palm Oil-Fueled CRDI Diesel Engine under Various Injection Pressures and EGR Rates
Authors: Wu Guirong , Ge Jun Cong , Kim Min Soo , Choi Nag Jung
Published: January 2022

Palm oil is one of the most common and productive vegetable oils, so it is often used as an excellent feedstock for biodiesel production. However, due to the high viscosity and other issues of palm oil, it cannot be directly used as an alternative fuel for diesel engines unless some treatment is carried out. In this study, the effects of palm oil-diesel blend fuel on the nitrogen oxides (NOx)–smoke trade-off characteristics were investigated in a common rail direct injection (CRDI) diesel engine under various injection pressures and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rates. It was found that NOx and smoke from the combustion of fuel containing 50% palm oil (P50D50) were simultaneously suppressed by 3% and 3.1% compared with diesel fuel at an injection pressure of 400 bar, respectively. The performance of P50D50 was comparable to that of diesel, but at high injection pressure and high EGR rate, it showed shorter ignition delay (ID) and lower smoke emission.
An Approach to Determine the Median Diameter of Droplets in a Water-Mist Spray
Authors: Mahmud H. M. Iqbal , Thorpe Graham , Moinuddin Khalid A. M.
Published: January 2022

The physical characteristics of water sprays profoundly influence the efficacy with which fires are extinguished. One of the most important physical characteristics of water sprays is the median diameter of the water droplets. However, this parameter is difficult to measure without resorting to the use of specialised equipment. Furthermore, the distribution of the size of water droplets and their initial velocity are profoundly sensitive to the pressure at the nozzle head. This paper presents a simple technique to determine the median droplet size of a water spray produced by a nozzle. The method required only two experiments to determine the mass flux distribution generated by a nozzle operating at two known pressures. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program was then used to estimate the median diameter of the water spray under these conditions. The median droplets generated when the nozzle was operating under a different pressure can be calculated using an established empirical relationship. The approach advocated in this paper is supported by invoking Whewell’s principle of consilience of inductions. This was achieved by observing that the CFD software accurately predicts the mass flux distribution when the new pressure and estimated median diameter of the droplets were used as inputs. This provides independent evidence that the proposed approach has some merit. The findings of this research may contribute to establish a technique in calculating the median diameter of droplets when direct measurement of droplet diameter is not available.
SOA-Based Platform Use in Development and Operation of Automation Solutions: Challenges, Opportunities, and Supporting Pillars towards Emerging Trends
Authors: Kyösti Petter , Lindström John
Published: January 2022

The paper which is based on a literature review combined with a case study, spanning manufacturing and process industry contexts, set out to determine whether there is an emerging trend to use a service-oriented architecture (SOA)-based platform supporting microservices while developing and operating automation solutions while also considering effects and implications. The results point out that there is a significant potential, during the lifecycle, to save significant engineering time/effort during the development-related and operations phases while integrating systems and adding new types of sensors or other equipment. In addition, the results indicate that there are also business development advantages when promoting an SOA-based architecture supporting microservices towards monolith architectures and that a cybersecurity baseline can be included as part of the platform baseline. However, there is a threshold, before the benefits can be reaped, in terms of the need to build up a competency and skills set concerning the platform, SOA and microservices, as many providers of automation solutions are still doing the development in a traditional old monolithic style with hard-coded integrations between components and systems. Finally, we see an emerging trend to use a competent SOA-based platform in the development and operation of automation solutions.
Bioinformatics Characterization of Candidate Genes Associated with Gene Network and miRNA Regulation in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Muruganantham Bharathi , Sivamaruthi Bhagavathi Sundaram , Kesika Periyanaina , Thangaleela Subramanian , Chaiyasut Chaiyavat
Published: January 2022

The present study aimed to identify potential therapeutic targets for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The gene expression profile GSE161533 contained 84 samples, in that 28 tumor tissues and 28 normal tissues encoded as ESCC patients were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The obtained data were validated and screened for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between normal and tumor tissues with the GEO2R tool. Next, the protein–protein network (PPI) was constructed using the (STRING 2.0) and reconstructed with Cytoscape 3.8.2, and the top ten hub genes (HGsT10) were predicted using the Maximal Clique Centrality (MCC) algorithm of the CytoHubba plugin. The identified hub genes were mapped in GSE161533, and their expression was determined and compared with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA.) ESCC patient’s samples. The overall survival rate for HGsT10 wild and mutated types was analyzed with the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis2 (GEPIA2) server and UCSC Xena database. The functional and pathway enrichment analysis was performed using the WebGestalt database with the reference gene from lumina human ref 8.v3.0 version. The promoter methylation for the HGsT10 was identified using the UALCAN server. Additionally, the miRNA-HGsT10 regulatory network was constructed to identify the top ten hub miRNAs (miRT10). Finally, we identified the top ten novel driving genes from the DEGs of GSE161533 ESCC patient’s sample using a multi-omics approach. It may provide new insights into the diagnosis and treatment for the ESCC affected patients early in the future.
First Report on the Bioremediation of Textile Industrial Effluents by Piptoporus Betulinus IEBL-3 by Using Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Mahmood Raja Tahir , Asad Muhammad Javaid , Asgher Muhammad , Khan Falak Sher , Muzammil Khursheed , Nasir Nazim , Anwar Pervez , Awais Muhammad
Published: January 2022

The current study was performed to optimize three different industrial textile effluent biodegradation potentials of a brown rot fungus, Piptoporus betulinus IEBL-3, to reduce environmental pollution. The Response Surface Methodology under the Box Bhenken Design was used for the optimization steps. Three ligninolytic enzymes named lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase and laccase were also studied during the biodegradation process. The biodegradation rate of the 3 industrial effluents varied between 67 and 76% at the initially optimized conditions. There was a 10%, 7% and 9% increase in the biodegradation of Mujahid textile (MT), Five Star textile (FST) and Sitara textile (ST) effluent, respectively, after the addition of various additional carbon and nitrogen sources in different ratios. The biological treatment decreases the Biological Oxygen Demand and Chemical Oxygen Demand values of the effluents well below the WHO-recommended values for the industrial effluents. The HPLC monitoring of the effluent’s biodegradation showed the appearance of new peaks, some of which may correspond to secondary amines. Study of ligninolytic enzymes during the biodegradation process confirmed their role in the biodegradation process, with lignin peroxidase having highest activity among the others. These findings suggest that P. betulinus is a potential fungus for the biodegradation of the dyes and effluents and can be a suitable candidate for this process.
Robotic Device for Out-of-Clinic Post-Stroke Hand Rehabilitation
Authors: Mandeljc Ana , Rajhard Aleksander , Munih Marko , Kamnik Roman
Published: January 2022

Due to the ageing population and an increasing number of stroke patients, we see the potential future of rehabilitation in telerehabilitation, which might alleviate the workload of physiotherapists and occupational therapists. In order to enable the use of telerehabilitation, devices aimed for home and independent use need to be developed. This paper describes the design of a robotic device for post-stroke wrist and finger rehabilitation and evaluates the movement it can perform. Six healthy subjects were tested in three experimental conditions: performing a coupled movement of wrist and fingers from flexion to extension without the device, with a passive device, and with an active device. The kinematics of the hand were captured using three Optotrak Certus motion capture systems and tracking 11 infrared active light-emitting diode (LED) markers. The results are presented in the form of base-line trajectories for all middle finger (MF) joints. In addition, the deviations of trajectories between conditions across all subjects were computed for the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint and fingertip of the MF and pinkie (PF) finger. Deviations from the base-line trajectory between measurement protocols and the root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) values indicate that the motion of the hand, imposed by the developed device, is comparable to the unconstrained motion of the healthy subjects, especially when moving into the extension, opening the hand.
FMFN: Fine-Grained Multimodal Fusion Networks for Fake News Detection
Authors: Wang Jingzi , Mao Hongyan , Li Hongwei
Published: January 2022

As one of the most popular social media platforms, microblogs are ideal places for news propagation. In microblogs, tweets with both text and images are more likely to attract attention than text-only tweets. This advantage is exploited by fake news producers to publish fake news, which has a devasting impact on individuals and society. Thus, multimodal fake news detection has attracted the attention of many researchers. For news with text and image, multimodal fake news detection utilizes both text and image information to determine the authenticity of news. Most of the existing methods for multimodal fake news detection obtain a joint representation by simply concatenating a vector representation of the text and a visual representation of the image, which ignores the dependencies between them. Although there are a small number of approaches that use the attention mechanism to fuse them, they are not fine-grained enough in feature fusion. The reason is that, for a given image, there are multiple visual features and certain correlations between these features. They do not use multiple feature vectors representing different visual features to fuse with textual features, and ignore the correlations, resulting in inadequate fusion of textual features and visual features. In this paper, we propose a novel fine-grained multimodal fusion network (FMFN) to fully fuse textual features and visual features for fake news detection. Scaled dot-product attention is utilized to fuse word embeddings of words in the text and multiple feature vectors representing different features of the image, which not only considers the correlations between different visual features but also better captures the dependencies between textual features and visual features. We conduct extensive experiments on a public Weibo dataset. Our approach achieves competitive results compared with other methods for fusing visual representation and text representation, which demonstrates that the joint representation learned by the FMFN (which fuses multiple visual features and multiple textual features) is better than the joint representation obtained by fusing a visual representation and a text representation in determining fake news.
Computational Studies of the Photogeneration from Dihydrosanguinarine and the Probable Cytotoxicity Mechanism of Sanguinarine
Authors: Scoditti Stefano , Bruno Simone , Sicilia Emilia , Mazzone Gloria
Published: January 2022

A computational investigation of the mechanism of dihydrosanguinarine (DHSAN) photoactivation and its conversion into the active drug sanguinarine (SAN) is here reported. The reaction mechanism of DHSAN photoconversion was fully explored by considering its excitation first, essential for generating one of the reactants, the 1O2, and then locating all the minima and transition states involved in the formation of SAN. Both forms of the drug present at physiological pH, namely, iminium cation and alkanolamine, were considered as products of such reaction. The ability of the generated drug SAN to induce cell apoptosis was then explored, taking into consideration two anticancer activities: the induction of DNA conformational and functional changes by intercalation and the absorption of light with proper wavelength to trigger type II photochemical reactions leading to 1O2 sensitization for photodynamic therapy application. Concerning the ability to work as photosensitizers, the outcomes of our calculations prove that DHSAN can easily be converted into the active SAN under visible and NIR irradiation through the application of two-photon excitation, and that the maximum absorption of SAN, once intercalated into DNA, shifts to the near region of the therapeutic window.
Spatio-Temporal Variation of Elemental Contamination and Health of Mya arenaria Clam in the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park
Authors: Gagné François , André Chantale , Turgeon Samuel , Ménard Nadia
Published: January 2022

The impacts of pollution and long-term effects of local clam populations are misunderstood in estuaries. The purpose of this study was to follow inorganic contamination in tissues, changes of physiological health indicators, such as condition factor (CF), growth index (GI), resistance in air emersion and dehydration rate, for 5 years in Mya arenaria clams. The sampling scheme comprised one reference site, two sites impacted by human activity (thereafter polluted) and one site recognized as a Saint-Lawrence Estuary (SLE) beluga whale feeding area without known pollution source (Baie Sainte-Marguerite (BSM)). This study revealed that the elemental contamination profiles in clams were increased but differed between the polluted and BSM compared to the reference site. At polluted sites, clams were contaminated by Ag (2.4-fold of reference site), Mn (2.5-fold) and V (6.3-fold). With respect to BSM, clams were mainly contaminated by Ce (2.5-fold), Co (2-fold), Ga (2-fold), La (2.8-fold), Hg (2.5-fold), Ni (2.2-fold), Sm (2-fold) and V (20-fold). This contamination profile suggests sources of pollution from particulate combustion products of gasoline/diesel, crude oil and urban inputs of pollution. The CF, GI and air survival time were all reduced in clams at the polluted sites, while only the CF and dehydration rates were decreased and increased, respectively, at BSM. Long-term analysis revealed that CF and GI tended to decrease over time with episodes of strong amplitude changes and became more resilient to air survival time. In conclusion, the long-term contamination of clams towards metals and elements could compromise the health status of local clam populations. The increased contamination of clams at BSM could represent a risk to the endangered SLE beluga whale population.
A Road Truncation-Based Location Privacy-Preserving Method against Side-Weight Inference Attack
Authors: Li Qingyuan , Wu Hao , Wu Xiang , Zhao Ning , Dong Lan
Published: January 2022

Taking advantage of precise positioning technology, location-based service (LBS) has brought a lot of convenience to people’s daily life and made the city smarter. However, the LBS applications also bring some challenges to personal location privacy protection. In order to obtain services from LBS providers, users have to upload their queries including sensitive information, such as identities and locations. This information may be leaked out by the LBS providers or even eavesdropped on by malicious adversaries, which may cause privacy leakage. To tackle this problem, many solutions have been investigated under the assumption that users are uniformly distributed. However, the users are not always uniformly distributed in real-world situations. For a side-weight inference attack, the adversary would infer that the target user is more likely to belong to the road section with more users, resulting in performance deterioration. In this paper, we investigate the issue of location privacy preservation against side-weight inference attack for non-uniform distributed road network. Meanwhile, we consider the cost function of LBS and formulate the object as a mixed integer programming problem. Then, we propose a road truncation-based scheme to protect location privacy. The road section with high user density is designed to be truncated. Finally, simulation results show that our scheme meets the demand for privacy protection at a low cost. As a result, our scheme is proven to protect users’ location privacy effectively and efficiently.
Accelerated Testing and Reliability of FDM-Based Structural Electronics
Authors: Wałpuski Bartłomiej , Słoma Marcin
Published: January 2022

With the development of the miniaturization of electronic systems, heat dissipation from components has become an increasing challenge. Structural electronics represent a new approach to this problem. Instead of downsizing all the elements, in this idea, electronic parts of the device are embedded into its mechanical construction. This approach has many advantages, but the reliability of systems constructed this way has not been extensively studied so far. In this work, circuits consisting of silver ink conductive traces were printed on FDM polymer substrates, with or without 0 Ω resistors, and were subjected to accelerated aging testing. The samples were divided into three groups, and for each of them, the mean time to failure was calculated, which for the best group was 8000 h. This paper also presents the mechanism that led to the failure of these systems, as well as actions that will lead to the elimination of this phenomenon.
Vibration Control of Multi-Modular VLFS in Random Sea Based on Stiffness-Adjustable Connectors
Authors: Xia Shuyan , Yu Wen , Xu Daolin , Zhang Haicheng
Published: January 2022

The response control of a very large floating structure (VLFS) is a crucial issue that affects the stability and safety of the structure. This paper presents a vibration control method for stabilizing the motion of a multi-modular VLFS by using a set of stiffness-adjustable connectors. The proposed connector consists of a cylindrical spring with an embedded actuator, making its stiffness adjustable. In a case study, a layout for such connectors is suggested to reduce the surge, heave, pitch, and yaw motions of the VLFS in random seas. To control the vibration responses of the VLFS, a mathematical model of the floating structure with the proposed connectors is established. A state feedback control scheme is developed using Sequential Quadratic Programming, which is able to adapt to varying wave conditions. Numerical studies indicate that the control method based on the stiffness-adjustable connectors was able to greatly reduce the responses of the modules when compared to flexible connectors and was also able to reduce the connector loads when compared to hinged connectors. Most importantly, this control method enables the elimination of resonant responses by changing the system stiffness.
Extreme Low Flow Estimation under Climate Change
Authors: Parey Sylvie , Gailhard Joël
Published: January 2022

Climate change’s impact on water availability has been widely studied, including its impact on very rare values quantified by return levels using the statistical extreme value theory. However, the application of this theory to estimate extreme low flows is barely justified due to a large temporal dependency and a physically highly bounded lower tail. One possible way of overcoming this difficulty is to simulate a very large sample of river flow time series consistent with the observations or the climate projections in order to enable empirical rare percentile estimations. In this paper, such an approach based on simulation is developed and tested for a small mountainous watershed in the French Alps. A bivariate generator of daily temperature and rainfall, developed in collaboration with Paris-Saclay University and based on hidden Markov models, is used to produce a large number of temperature and rainfall time series, further provided as input to a hydrological model to produce a similarly large sample of river flow time series. This sample is statistically analyzed in terms of low flow occurrence and intensity. This framework is adapted to the analysis of both current climate conditions and projected future climate. To study historical low flow situations, the bivariate temperature and rainfall model is fitted to the observed time series while bias-adjusted climate model outputs are used to calibrate the generator for the projections. The approach seems promising and could be further improved for use in more specific studies dedicated to the climate change impact on local low flow situations.
Heavy Metal Effects on Biodiversity and Stress Responses of Plants Inhabiting Contaminated Soil in Khulais, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alsherif Emad A. , Al-Shaikh Turki M. , AbdElgawad Hamada
Published: January 2022

Accumulation of heavy metals in soil is becoming an increasingly serious eco-environmental problem. Thus, investigating how plants mitigate heavy metal toxicity is necessary to reduce the associated risks. Here, we aimed to assess the bioremediation and stress defense strategies of tolerant plant species grown under complex heavy metals contamination. To this end, a field study was conducted on the vegetation cover of sites with different soil pollution levels. Forty-two plant species that belong to 38 genera and 21 families were identified. The pollution had a significant impact on plant richness in the polluted sites. Out of several screened plants, Amaranthus retroflexus L. was selected because of its high relative density (16.7) and a high frequency (100%) in the most polluted sites. The selected species showed a high biological concentration factor (BCF) and low translocation factor (TF) for Cu, As and Ni. To control the heavy metal-induced oxidative damage, A. retroflexus invested in detoxification (metallothionein and phytochelatins, glutathione and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). At the organ level, oxidase damage (H2O2, lipid and protein peroxidation) was observed, particularly in the roots. To mitigate heavy metal oxidative stress, antioxidant mechanisms (e.g., tocopherols, glutathione, peroxidases, catalase, peroxide dismutase and ASC-GSH cycle) were upregulated, mainly in the roots. Overall, our results suggested the potentiality of A. retroflexus as a promising bioremediatory and stress-tolerant plant at the same time; moreover, defense and detoxification mechanisms were uncovered.
Recent Advances in Our Molecular and Mechanistic Understanding of Misfolded Cellular Proteins in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Prion Disease (PrD)
Authors: Lukiw Walter J.
Published: January 2022

Naturally occurring neuron-abundant proteins including amyloid Aβ42 peptide and the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) can, over time and under pathological situations, assume atypical conformations, altering their normal biological structure and function, and causing them to aggregate into insoluble and neurotoxic intracellular inclusions. These misfolded proteins ultimately contribute to the pathogenesis of several progressive, age-related and ultimately lethal human neurodegenerative disorders. The molecular mechanism of this pathological phenomenon of neuronal protein misfolding lends support to the ‘prion hypothesis’, which predicts that the aberrant folding of endogenous natural protein structures into unusual pathogenic isoforms can induce the atypical folding of other similar brain-abundant proteins, underscoring the age-related, progressive nature and potential transmissible and spreading capabilities of the aberrant protein isoforms that drive these invariably fatal neurological syndromes. The abnormal folding and aggregation of host proteins is a consistent feature of both amyloidopathies and tauopathies that encompass a continuous spectrum of brain diseases that include Alzheimer’s disease (AD), prion disorders (PrD) such as scrapie in sheep and goats (Bovidae), experimental prion infection of rodents (Muridae), Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann–Sträussler–Scheinker syndrome (GSS) in humans (Hominidae), and other fatal prion-driven neurological disorders. Because AD patients accumulate both misfolded tau and Aβ peptides, AD may be somewhat unique as the first example of a ‘double prion disorder’. This commentary will examine current research trends in this fascinating research area, with a special emphasis on AD and PrD, and the novel pathological misfolded protein processes common to both intractable neurological disorders.
The Key Role of GM1 Ganglioside in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Chowdhury Suman , Ledeen Robert
Published: January 2022

We have endeavored in this review to summarize our findings, which point to a systemic deficiency of ganglioside GM1 in Parkinson’s disease (PD) tissues. These include neuronal tissues well known to be involved in PD, such as substantia nigra of the brain and those of the peripheral nervous system, such as the colon and heart. Moreover, we included skin and fibroblasts in the study as well as peripheral blood mononuclear cells; these are tissues not directly involved in neuronal signaling. We show similar findings for ganglioside GD1a, which is the metabolic precursor to GM1. We discuss the likely causes of these GM1 deficiencies and the resultant biochemical mechanisms underlying loss of neuronal viability and normal functioning. Strong support for this hypothesis is provided by a mouse PD model involving partial GM1 deficiency based on mono-allelic disruption of the B4galnt1 gene. We point out that progressive loss of GM1/GD1a occurs in the periphery as well as the brain, thus obviating the need to speculate PD symptom transfer between these tissues. Finally, we discuss how these findings point to a potential disease-altering therapy for PD:GM1 replacement, as is strongly implicated in animal studies and clinical trials.
Laser-Induced Graphene Based Flexible Electronic Devices
Authors: Wang Hao , Zhao Zifen , Liu Panpan , Guo Xiaogang
Published: January 2022

Since it was reported in 2014, laser-induced graphene (LIG) has received growing attention for its fast speed, non-mask, and low-cost customizable preparation, and has shown its potential in the fields of wearable electronics and biological sensors that require high flexibility and versatility. Laser-induced graphene has been successfully prepared on various substrates with contents from various carbon sources, e.g., from organic films, plants, textiles, and papers. This paper reviews the recent progress on the state-of-the-art preparations and applications of LIG including mechanical sensors, temperature and humidity sensors, electrochemical sensors, electrophysiological sensors, heaters, and actuators. The achievements of LIG based devices for detecting diverse bio-signal, serving as monitoring human motions, energy storage, and heaters are highlighted here, referring to the advantages of LIG in flexible designability, excellent electrical conductivity, and diverse choice of substrates. Finally, we provide some perspectives on the remaining challenges and opportunities of LIG.
Auditory Brainstem Response Wave I Amplitude Has Limited Clinical Utility in Diagnosing Tinnitus in Humans
Authors: Turner Katie , Moshtaghi Omid , Saez Neil , Richardson Matthew , Djalilian Hamid , Zeng Fan-Gang , Lin Harrison
Published: January 2022

Animal studies have discovered that noise, even at levels that produce no permanent threshold shift, may cause cochlear damage and selective nerve degeneration. A hallmark of such damage, or synaptopathy, is recovered threshold but reduced suprathreshold amplitude for the auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave I. The objective of the present study is to evaluate whether the ABR wave I amplitude or slope can be used to diagnose tinnitus in humans. A total of 43 human subjects, consisting of 21 with tinnitus and 22 without tinnitus, participated in the study. The subjects were on average 44 ± 24 (standard deviation) years old and 16 were female; a subgroup of 19 were young adults with normal audiograms from 125 to 8000 Hz. The ABR was measured using ear canal recording tiptrodes for clicks, 1000, 4000 and 8000 Hz tone bursts at 30, 50, and 70 dB nHL. Compared with control subjects, tinnitus subjects did not show reduced ABR wave I amplitude or slope in either the entire group of 21 tinnitus subjects or a subset of tinnitus subjects with normal audiograms. Despite the small sample size and diverse tinnitus population, the present result suggests that low signal-to-noise ratios in non-invasive measurement of the ABR limit its clinical utility in diagnosing tinnitus in humans.
Investigations on the Response of Novel Layered Geopolymer Fibrous Concrete to Drop Weight Impact
Authors: Karthik Sundaravadivelu , Mohan Kaliyaperumal Saravana Raja , Murali Gunasekaran
Published: January 2022

In recent years, geopolymer concrete (GC) has become more popular in construction because of its multiple benefits, such as eco-friendliness, high temperature resistance and resistance to chemical attack in harsh environments. However, GC has limited deformation capability and tensile strength compared to ordinary concrete. Geopolymer fibrous concrete (GFC) exhibits high mechanical properties, such as compressive strength and impact strength. This study aimed to develop a novel composite comprising GFC at the tension zone and GC at the compression zone, and vice versa, are these composites were examined. The impact resistance of two-layered GC-GFC with various ratios (25–75, 50–50, 75–25%) was examined. In addition, a single layer specimen comprising GC and GFC was fabricated and tested as the reference specimen. Twenty-nine mixtures were developed and divided into four series. Four different types of fibre were used in this study; short polypropylene fibre, long polypropylene fibre, short steel fibre and long steel fibre. The ACI committee 544 drop weight test was used to evaluate the impact strength of specimens. Results indicated that the impact strength of GFC was significantly improved in long steel fibre-based specimens. In addition, two-layered specimens comprising different fibres—short polypropylene, long polypropylene, short steel and long steel—exhibited a positive influence on impact strength. Compared to a single-layer specimen, inferior impact strength was recorded in the two-layered specimen.
Prediction of the Impact of Air Speed Produced by a Mechanical Fan and Operative Temperature on the Thermal Sensation
Authors: Faria Luciano Caruggi de , Romero Marcelo de Andrade , Porras-Amores César , Pirró Lucia Fernanda de Souza , Saez Paola Villoria
Published: January 2022

Natural ventilation associated with a mechanical fan is a feasible strategy to enhance thermal acceptability in warm weather. The ASHRAE-55 provides the increase for operative temperature proportional to the increase in air speed while maintaining thermal comfort. Conversely, the range of informed values is limited and little guidance for mechanical fans is provided. This work explores the relationship between operative temperature and air speed produced by ceiling fans, and the effectiveness to deliver thermal comfort for a wider range of values. The research method comprises transient computer fluid dynamics simulations coupled with a thermal sensation model and is divided into two stages: a calibration exercise and a parametrical investigation. Three matrices are presented for a range of operative temperatures (21.0–36.0 °C) and air speeds (0–2.5 m/s) for: Dynamic Thermal Sensation (DTS) (a computer-based seven-point index), Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied, and potential Cooling Effect. When compared to the Predicted Mean Vote, the DTS overestimates thermal comfort for temperatures under 28.0 °C with increased air speed and overestimates discomfort for temperatures above 31.0 °C, even with increased air speed. Agreement is found between both scales for 28.0–31.0 °C, defining a range for the effective use of ceiling fans to provide thermal comfort under warm weather conditions.
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy in Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Perera Mahasha P.J. , Thomas Patrick B. , Risbridger Gail P. , Taylor Renea , Azad Arun , Hofman Michael S. , Williams Elizabeth D. , Vela Ian
Published: January 2022

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed solid-organ cancer amongst males worldwide. Metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is a rapidly fatal end-sequelae of prostate cancer. Therapeutic options for men with mCRPC are limited and are not curative in nature. The recent development of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has revolutionised the treatment of treatment-resistant haematological malignancies, and several studies are underway investigating the utility of this technology in the treatment of solid tumours. In this review, we evaluate the current treatment options for men with mCRPC as well as the current landscape of preclinical and clinical trials of CAR-T cell therapy against prostate cancer. We also appraise the various prostate cancer-specific tumour-associated antigens that may be targeted by CAR-T cell technology. Finally, we examine the potential translational barriers of CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumours. Despite preclinical success, preliminary clinical trials in men with prostate cancer have had limited efficacy. Therefore, further clinically translatable preclinical models are required to enhance the understanding of the role of this investigational therapeutic in men with mCRPC. In the era of precision medicine, tailored immunotherapy administered to men in a tumour-agnostic approach provides hope to a group of men who otherwise have few treatment options available.
HER2+ Breast Cancer Escalation and De-Escalation Trial Design: Potential Role of Intrinsic Subtyping
Authors: Bueno Muiño Coralia , Martín Miguel , del Monte-Millán María , García-Saénz José Ángel , López-Tarruella Sara
Published: January 2022

Long-term outcomes in breast cancer patients differ based on the molecular subtype, with HER2-E being the most aggressive one. Advances in clinical practice have dramatically shifted HER2+ breast cancer prognosis. Risk adapted strategies to individualize therapies are necessary. De-escalation approaches have been encouraged based on the risks of clinical-pathological factors. Molecular gene subtyping could further accurately define HER2 addicted tumours that are sensitive to anti-HER2 therapies, thus sparing unnecessary treatments. The transition from immunochemistry to molecular profiling in HER2+ breast cancer is discussed.