bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tensile behaviour of unaged and hygrothermally aged discontinuous Bouligand structured CFRP composites
Authors: Nwambu Chidume , Robert Colin , Alam Parvez
Published: December 2022

The aim of this article is to determine the effects of hygrothermal ageing on the tensile behaviour of asymmetric discontinuous helicoidally stacked (Bouligand structured) carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites. Eight different discontinuous Bouligand stacking sequences were manufactured using both major and minor pitch angles. The major pitch angles used were 90° and 120° while minor pitch angles at 5°, 10°, 15° and 25° were stacked from each of the major pitch angles. The composites were tested in tension as either dry unaged specimens or following hygrothermal ageing in seawater at the constant temperatures of 40°C and 60°C for over 2000 h. Both tensile modulus and tensile strength are found to be detrimentally affected by hygrothermal ageing and the extent to which ageing affects these properties is shown to be a function of the inter-ply pitch angle. All discontinuous Bouligand structured composites that were hygrothermally aged at the higher temperature of 60°C were less stiff and weaker than those aged at 40°C and those that were unaged. This is a result of increased heat exacerbating the ingress of water and consequently damaging fibre-matrix interfaces and plasticizing the matrix. The results showed that the minor pitch angles had clear effects on the strength and stiffness of the composites. Composites with 120° major pitch angles exhibited superior elastic modulus and strength values compared with composites with 90° major pitch angles. The Hashin damage model is shown to be accurate in predicting failure in discontinuous Bouligand structured CFRP composites, as evidenced by comparison to fracture paths observed after mechanical testing.
Agave REVEILLE1regulates the onset and release of seasonal dormancy inPopulus
Authors: Liu Degao , Tang Dan , Xie Meng , Zhang Jin , Zhai Longmei , Mao Jiangping , Luo Chao , Lipzen Anna , Zhang Yu , Savage Emily , Yuan Guoliang , Guo Hao-Bo , Tadesse Dimiru , Hu Rongbin , Jawdy Sara , Cheng Hua , Li Linling , Yer Huseyin , Clark Miranda M , Sun Huayu , Shi Jiyuan , Budhathoki Roshani , Kumar Rahul , Kamuda Troy , Li Yanjun , Pennacchio Christa , Barry Kerrie , Schmutz Jeremy , Berry Rajiv , Muchero Wellington , Chen Jin-Gui , Li Yi , Tuskan Gerald A , Yang Xiaohan
Published: December 2022

Deciduous woody plants like poplar (Populus spp.) have seasonal bud dormancy. It has been challenging to simultaneously delay the onset of bud dormancy in the fall and advance bud break in the spring, as bud dormancy, and bud break were thought to be controlled by different genetic factors. Here, we demonstrate that heterologous expression of the REVEILLE1 gene (named AaRVE1) from Agave (Agave americana) not only delays the onset of bud dormancy but also accelerates bud break in poplar in field trials. AaRVE1 heterologous expression increases poplar biomass yield by 166% in the greenhouse. Furthermore, we reveal that heterologous expression of AaRVE1 increases cytokinin contents, represses multiple dormancy-related genes, and up-regulates bud break-related genes, and that AaRVE1 functions as a transcriptional repressor and regulates the activity of the DORMANCY-ASSOCIATED PROTEIN 1 (DRM1) promoter. Our findings demonstrate that AaRVE1 appears to function as a regulator of bud dormancy and bud break, which has important implications for extending the growing season of deciduous trees in frost-free temperate and subtropical regions to increase crop yield.
Natural variation of respiration-related traits in plants
Authors: Bulut Mustafa , Alseekh Saleh , Fernie Alisdair R
Published: December 2022

Plant respiration is one of the greatest global metabolic fluxes, but rates of respiration vary massively both within different cell types as well as between different individuals and different species. Whilst this is well known, few studies have detailed population-level variation of respiration until recently. The last 20 years have seen a renaissance in studies of natural variance. In this review, we describe how experimental breeding populations and collections of large populations of accessions can be used to determine the genetic architecture of plant traits. We further detail how these approaches have been used to study the rate of respiration per se as well as traits that are intimately associated with respiration. The review highlights specific breakthroughs in these areas but also concludes that the approach should be more widely adopted in the study of respiration per se as opposed to the more frequently studied respiration-related traits.
CyanoMapDB: a database integrating experimentally validated protein–protein interactions in cyanobacteria
Authors: Peng Zhao , Li Jiaqiang , Jiang Xingpeng , Wan Cuihong
Published: December 2022

As one of the essential life forms in the biosphere, research on cyanobacteria has been growing remarkably for decades. Biological functions in organisms are often accomplished through protein–protein interactions (PPIs), which help to regulate interacting proteins or organize them into an integral machine. However, the study of PPIs in cyanobacteria falls far behind that in mammals and has not been integrated for ease of use. Thus, we built CyanoMapDB (http://www.cyanomapdb.msbio.pro/), a database providing cyanobacterial PPIs with experimental evidence, consisting of 52,304 PPIs among 6,789 proteins from 23 cyanobacterial species. We collected available data in UniProt, STRING, and IntAct, and mined numerous PPIs from co-fractionation MS data in cyanobacteria. The integrated data are accessible in CyanoMapDB (http://www.cyanomapdb.msbio.pro/), enabling users to easily query proteins of interest, investigate interacting proteins with evidence from different sources, and acquire a visual network of the target protein. We believe that CyanoMapDB will promote research involved with cyanobacteria and plants.
Who benefits from an adult worker model? Gender inequality in couples’ daily time use in Germany across time and social classes
Authors: Deuflhard Carolin
Published: December 2022

This article investigates how mothers’ and fathers’ daily time use changed across social classes from 1990 to 2013 in Germany. In the 2000s, Germany’s adherence to the male breadwinner model was eroded by labor and family policy reforms typical of the adult worker model, which assumes individual self-sufficiency. The implications for gender and class inequality have been heatedly discussed. Drawing on the German Time Use Survey, I find that gender equality in the division of labor is greatest among full-time dual-earner couples with standard schedules. The prevalence of this pattern increased among the middle- and upper-class in historically conservative western Germany, but declined across classes in formerly socialist eastern Germany. In parallel, nonstandard work patterns and dual-joblessness gained in importance among lower-class couples, particularly in eastern Germany. I conclude that the adult worker model benefited mothers with access to standard full-time jobs but at the cost of greater class polarization.
AssemblyTron: flexible automation of DNA assembly with Opentrons OT-2 lab robots
Authors: Bryant John A , Kellinger Mason , Longmire Cameron , Miller Ryan , Wright R Clay
Published: December 2022

As one of the newest fields of engineering, synthetic biology relies upon a trial-and-error Design–Build–Test–Learn (DBTL) approach to simultaneously learn how a function is encoded in biology and attempt to engineer it. Many software and hardware platforms have been developed to automate, optimize and algorithmically perform each step of the DBTL cycle. However, there are many fewer options for automating the build step. Build typically involves deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) assembly, which remains manual, low throughput and unreliable in most cases and limits our ability to advance the science and engineering of biology. Here, we present AssemblyTron, an open-source Python package to integrate j5 DNA assembly design software outputs with build implementation in Opentrons liquid handling robotics with minimal human intervention. We demonstrate the versatility of AssemblyTron through several scarless, multipart DNA assemblies, beginning from fragment amplification. We show that AssemblyTron can perform polymerase chain reactions across a range of fragment lengths and annealing temperatures by using an optimal annealing temperature gradient calculation algorithm. We then demonstrate that AssemblyTron can perform Golden Gate and homology-dependent in vivo assemblies (IVAs) with comparable fidelity to manual assemblies by simultaneously building four four-fragment assemblies of chromoprotein reporter expression plasmids. Finally, we used AssemblyTron to perform site-directed mutagenesis reactions via homology-dependent IVA also achieving comparable fidelity to manual assemblies as assessed by sequencing. AssemblyTron can reduce the time, training, costs and wastes associated with synthetic biology, which, along with open-source and affordable automation, will further foster the accessibility of synthetic biology and accelerate biological research and engineering.
Factors important for bull purchasing decisions and management in extensive rangeland production systems of New Mexico: a producer survey
Authors: Gifford Craig A , Taylor Keegan M , Spiegal Sheri , Duff Glenn C , Aney Skye , Elias Emile , Steiner Jean L , Estell Rick , McFarlane Zach D , Schohr Tracy K , DeAtley Kasey L , Banwarth Megan R
Published: December 2022

There were 463,000 head of beef cows in New Mexico as of January 1, 2021 (NASS, 2020), down roughly 4% from 2020 (NASS, 2019). Frequent drought often results in herd reduction and loss of valuable genetic progress. Bull selection is critical due to their influence on herd development. A survey was conducted to identify traits important to bull selection in New Mexico. Surveys were collected digitally (n = 83) and via the mail (n = 74). Responses were largely by cow/calf producers averaging 57 ± 1 years old with 24 ± 1 years’ experience. Survey respondents represented 4,384,296 acres of private owned, private leased, and leased public rangeland and irrigated pasture meadow in New Mexico and surrounding states. Average cow/calf operation size was 294 ± 39 head and average bull herd size was 21 ± 3 head. Average price paid for a bull in the past 2 years was $3,981 ± 213. Physical characteristics, individual bull performance information, and genetic information are all important traits to New Mexico bull buyers; however, most producers (56%) indicated that structural soundness was the most important factor influencing their selection decisions. Amongst expected progeny differences (EPDs), New Mexico producers consider the calving ease direct (CED) and birth weight (BW) EPDS to be most important (40% and 35%, respectively). Producers also indicated that multitrait selection indexes used by the American Angus Association were important to their selection decisions, with the beef value ($B) and weaned calf value ($W) indexes being cited most often (35% and 31%, respectively). Elements important to bull purchase include the bull’s sale preview (87%), body condition score (86%), feed efficiency/average daily gain information (85%), and actual scrotal circumference (82%). Following purchase of a new bull, most (60%) keep the bull separate from the cow herd until the following breeding season, while the remaining 40% of producers turn newly purchased bulls out within 30 days of purchase. Sixty eight percent of producers evaluate semen quality annually or prior to the start of the breeding season. Interestingly, 39% of producers indicated they used reproductive technologies like artificial insemination and synchronization of estrus while most (80%) test for trichomoniasis. The primary factor influencing culling decisions is age, followed by soundness and fertility.
Parameterization of the propeller thrust for modelling ship braking in ice channel behind icebreaker
Authors: Goncharov Vadim K , Klementieva Natalia Yu
Published: December 2022

Cargo ship sailing within the ice channel that an assisting icebreaker tracks in the compact ice cover is the usual navigation practice for difficult ice conditions in freezing seas and Arctic water areas. When the icebreaker or an ahead vessel stops before the insuperable ice obstacle or because of engine trouble, the danger of an emergency appears, namely of collision with the icebreaker or the ahead ship, if the interval between them is not sufficient for effective braking and stopping. The paper presents the equation that describes the ship braking process within an ice channel and includes the thrust of the propeller that works under the reverse regime. The specific of this regime is the following: the ship continues the motion ‘forwards' and the propeller rotates ‘backwards’. An analytical method for description of the ship propeller work on the reverse regime is absent because of the detached flow on its blades. The paper describes the developed empirical method of this regime parameterization on the basis of serial models of propeller testing. The outcomes of this investigation are applied to a ship braking process simulation and the evaluation of the safe interval between the ship and the icebreaker.
Railway switch fault diagnosis based on Multi-heads Channel Self Attention, Residual Connection and Deep CNN
Authors: Chen Xirui , Liu Hui , Duan Zhu
Published: December 2022

A novel switch diagnosis method based on self-attention and residual deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is proposed. Because of the imbalanced dataset, the K-means synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) is applied to balancing the dataset at first. Then, the deep CNN is utilized to extract local features from long power curves, and the residual connection is performed to handle the performance degeneration. In the end, the multi-heads channel self attention focuses on those important local features. The ablation and comparison experiments are applied to verifying the effectiveness of the proposed methods. With the residual connection and multi-heads channel self attention, the proposed method has achieved an impressive accuracy of 99.83%. The t-SNE based visualizations for features of the middle layers enhance the trustworthiness.
Road traffic anomaly monitoring and warning based on DeepWalk algorithm
Authors: Wang Zihe , Ye Junqing , Tang Jinjun
Published: December 2022

In the complex urban road traffic network, a sudden accident leads to rapid congestion in the nearby traffic region, which even makes the local traffic network capacity quickly reduce. Therefore, an efficient monitoring system for abnormal conditions of the urban road network plays a crucial role in the tolerance of the urban road network. The traditional traffic monitoring system not only costs a lot in construction and maintenance, but also may not cover the road network comprehensively, which could not meet the basic needs of traffic management. Only a more comprehensive and intelligent monitoring method is able to identify traffic anomalies more effectively and quickly, so that it can provide more effective support for traffic management decisions. The extensive use of positioning equipment made us able to obtain accurate trajectory data. This paper presents a traffic anomaly monitoring and prediction method based on vehicle trajectory data. This model uses deep learning to detect abnormal trajectory on the traffic road network. The method effectively analyses the abnormal source and potential anomaly to judge the abnormal region, which provides an important reference for the traffic department to take effective traffic control measures. Finally, the paper uses Internet vehicle trajectory data from Chengdu (China) to test and obtains an accurate result.
Research on the logic monitoring method for the cloud computing based safety computer
Authors: Yang Yaran , Ma Lianchuan , Tang Tao , Ding Huan , Liu Zhen
Published: December 2022

With the development of railway construction in China, the computing demand of the train control system is increasing day by day. The application of cloud computing technology on the rail transit signal system has become a research hotspot in recent years. How to improve the safety and availability of the safety computer platform in the cloud computing environment is the key problem when applying cloud computing to the train operation control system. Since the cloud platform is in an open network environment, facing many security vulnerabilities and malicious network attacks, it is necessary to monitor the operation of computer programmes through edge safety nodes. Firstly, this paper encrypts the logical monitoring method, and then proposes a secure computer defence model based on the dynamic heterogeneous redundancy structure. Then the continuous time Markov chain (CTMC) is used to quantitatively solve the stable probability of the system, and the influence of different logical monitoring methods on the anti-attack performance of the system is analysed. Finally, the experiment proves that the dynamic heterogeneous redundancy structure composed of encryption logic monitoring can guarantee the safe and stable operation of the safety computer more effectively.
Performance of a vehicle-mounted anemometer under crosswind: Simulation and experiment
Authors: Sun Bo , Chen Guang , Chen Jun , Li Xiaobai , Tang Mingzan , Zhong Mu
Published: December 2022

Environmental wind measurements are essential for ensuring the operational safety of rail vehicles. In our previous work, an anemometer that can be mounted on the top of a train to achieve real-time measurements of wind speed and direction was proposed based on the pressure distributions around the cylindrical anemometer. However, the flow field on the top of the train is significantly influenced by the train; thus, the measured data might differ from the actual environmental wind parameters, particularly when trains are subjected to windbreak walls. In this study, simulations considering flow fields around trains installed with the proposed anemometer were conducted, and an improved delayed detached eddy simulation approach was adopted. Through simulations, the flow field at the top of the train was analysed, and the aerodynamic characteristics of the anemometer were investigated. Accordingly, relationships between the measured wind characteristics and environmental wind characteristics are presented under various situations herein. Field experiments were performed for the proposed anemometer installed on a certain type of high-speed train along the Nanjiang Railway in China. The results obtained from both the numerical and experimental studies show that the proposed method has high accuracy for measuring environmental wind speed and direction when mounted on the top of a train.
Correlation study between the square-cone energy-absorbing structure and the frontal collision behaviour of leading vehicles
Authors: Xu Ping , Gao Ying , Huang Chong , Yang Chengxing , Yao Shuguang , Che Quanwei
Published: December 2022

In order to study the influence of square-cone energy-absorbing structures on the mechanical behaviour of the collision performance of the leading vehicle, a parameterization method for rapidly changing the performance of energy-absorbing structures was proposed. Firstly, a finite element simulation model of the collision of the leading vehicle with a square-cone energy-absorbing structure was constructed. Then, the platform force, the slope of the platform force and the initial peak force of the force-displacement curve derived from the energy-absorbing structure were studied for the collision performance of the leading vehicle. Finally, the correlation model of the square-cone energy-absorbing structure and the mechanical behaviour of the collision performance of the leading vehicle was established by the response surface method. The results showed that the increase of the platform force of the energy-absorbing structure can effectively buffer the longitudinal impact of the train and reduce the nodding attitude of the train. The increase of the platform force slope can not only effectively buffer the longitudinal impact and vertical nodding of the train, but also reduce the lateral swing of the train. An increase in the initial peak force to a certain extent may lead to a change in the deformation mode, thereby reducing the energy-absorption efficiency. The correlation model can guide the design of the square-cone energy-absorbing structure and predict the deformation attitude of the leading vehicle.
Flexible Optimal Model and Algorithm for Track Utilization in High-speed Railway Stations
Authors: Gao Quan , Zhang Yinggui , Chen Zhiya , Chen Yuan
Published: December 2022

Track utilization is the most important technical operation in high-speed railway stations. It is an effective way to take flexible management based on dispatchers’ decision preferences into consideration for making track utilization plans to relieve the influence caused by unmeasurable unstructured factors. Thus, based on the flexible management concept and taking the flexible optimal for track utilization in high-speed railway stations as the object, time and space occupation safety trajectories of arrival routes, departure routes and tracks are all analysed. Then, taking the following constraints into consideration—minimum safety time intervals for various routes and tracks occupation, space-time arc occupation and decision-makers’ preferences—a flexible optimal model for track utilization in high-speed railway stations is established to maximize its balance and robustness and to minimize its volatility at the same time. Further, a flexible optimal solution based on a simulated annealing algorithm is designed to make a safety track utilization plan in high-speed railway stations integrating the dispatchers’ decision preference. The results from the experiments show that the proposed methodology can effectively make satisfied safety track utilization plans based on decision-makers’ preferences, which can improve its balance and robustness level significantly. Meanwhile, its volatility can be reduced as much as possible caused by flexible management based on artificial intervention to ensure the relative stability of the plan.
CO2 emissions reduction performance of China's HSR based on substitution effect and demand effect
Authors: Wang Liying , Yin Ping , Liu Shangqing
Published: December 2022

As an important transportation infrastructure and transportation backbone in China, high-speed rail (HSR) plays a critical role in promoting the development of green and low-carbon transportation. Calculating the CO2 emissions reduction performance of HSR will be conducive to promote the CO2 emissions reduction work of the railway. Based on the Dalkic HSR CO2 emissions reduction performance model, by adjusting the HSR CO2 emission factor (CEFHSR), the annual times of departures (T) and other parameters, this study develops a Chinese HSR CO2 emissions reduction performance model. Taking the Beijing-Shanghai HSR as the research object, this study conducts a questionnaire survey to explore the substitution effect and demand effect of HSR on different transportation modes; collects data such as passenger volume, average electricity use and annual times of departures of the Beijing-Shanghai HSR in 2019; and calculates the CO2 emissions reduction performance of the Beijing-Shanghai HSR. This study has two main results: (1) It builds a Chinese HSR CO2 emissions reduction performance model based on substitution effect and demand effect. (2) In 2019, the CO2 emissions of the Beijing-Shanghai HSR are 2 898 233.62 t, the CO2 emissions reduction performance of the Beijing-Shanghai HSR is 17 999 482.8 t, the annual CO2 emissions of the Beijing-Shanghai line in ‘No HSR’ case are 7.2 times as in the 'HSR' case and the PKT of the HSR is 10.2 g/pkm. Based on the research results, this study proposes three CO2 emissions reduction policy suggestions. This study would be helpful for further HSR CO2 emissions reduction research and departments related to railway transportation management to make CO2 emissions reduction policies.
Lane-changing decision rule with the difference of traffic flow's variation in multi-lane highway for connected and autonomous vehicles
Authors: Li Chuanyao , Huang Dexin , Wang Tao , Qin Jin
Published: December 2022

Drivers are not far-sighted when they execute lane-changing manipulation. To address this issue, this study proposes a rule to improve vehicles' lane-changing decisions with accurate information of surrounding vehicles (e.g. time headway). More specifically, connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) change lanes in advance if they find severer flow reducing in the lanes, while CAVs should maintain the car-following state if the variations of traffic flow in all lanes have a similar trend. To illustrate the idea, this study first calibrates two classic car-following models and a lane-changing model, and then conducts numerical simulations to illustrate the short-sighted decision of drivers. The study incorporates the idea into a lane-changing decision rule by changing the lane-changing model's parameter, and conducts numerical tests to evaluate the effectiveness of the lane-changing decision rule in a multi-lane highway with a bottleneck. The results of this study indicate that the new lane-changing decision rule can substantially improve the throughput of the traffic flow, especially when the inflow exceeds the remaining capacity of the road. The lane-changing rule and results can bring insights into the control of CAVs, as well as the driver assistance system in connected vehicles.
Research on headway control of a guided transport system based on intersection condition evaluation
Authors: Yu Xiao , Cao Yuan , Sun Yongkui
Published: December 2022

In order to ensure the safety and efficiency of the section tracking operation of a guided transport system, a safety headway control method of section tracking based on intersection conditions is proposed in this paper. Considering the difference of signal phase, the evaluation model of road conditions was established based on a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method, FAGT. Based on the artificial potential field method, the time-varying hybrid artificial potential field (TH-APF) method was proposed, and the tracking headway control algorithm was designed to realize the dynamic control of the tracking headway of the guide transport vehicle. The simulation results verified the effectiveness and applicability of the evaluation model of intersection road conditions; the tracking headway can be maintained at about 120 s. The tracking headway control algorithm of guided transport vehicles can respond to the road conditions and avoid the local optimum of the artificial potential field method, thus improving the operating efficiency.
Left-turn-across-path-from-opposite-direction accidents in China: CIDAS accident study
Authors: Chen Yong , Buerger Christian , Lin Miao , Li Xudong , Labenski Volker , Jin Haixia , Wang Hai , Liu Yang , Ino Tsuyoshi , Feifel Harald , Tan Tian , Chang Fangrong
Published: December 2022

Left-turn-across-path-from-opposite-direction (LTAP/OD) conflicts are one of the most common crash types at intersections. The research aims to reveal the general and dynamic information about the conflict for the most relevant street layouts for each conflict configuration of the LTAP/OD accidents involving passenger cars, motorcycles and Ebikes. The analysis was based on 276 LTAP/OD accidents collected by the China in-depth accident study (CIDAS 2011–2019). The LTAP/OD accidents include 44 car-to-car conflicts, 157 car-to-motorcycle conflicts and 75 car-to-Ebike conflicts. Most accidents belonging to the three types were observed at the W0 street layout without a green belt separating the oncoming lane and no offset lane between the turning car and the oncoming traffic, the main distance between both vehicles in the beginning of the critical situation being about four metres, occurring in the clear day with no rain and at junctions lighted either because of daylight or based on street lighting. In terms of the turning car initial speed, the range is 15–30 km/h for most car-to-car and car-to-motorcycle accidents, but 30–40 km/h for most car-to-Ebike accidents. As for the collision speed, this range is between 10 km/h and 20 km/h for car-to-car and car-to-Ebike accidents and between 10 km/h and 25 km/h for car-to-motorcycle crashes. Based on the distributions of objective motorcycles’ and Ebikes' positions in collisions with passenger cars, the maximum longitudinal distance is 60 m for both types of accidents and the maximum lateral distance ranges from −20 m to 20 m and from −15 m to 15 m, respectively.
Research on the evolutionary game of the supervision of civil aviation dangerous goods transportation training
Authors: Shen Haibin , Zhao Shengnan
Published: December 2022

This study is carried out to promote the precise supervision of dangerous goods transportation training, improve the efficiency of civil aviation supervision and further ensure the safety of air transportation. First, from the perspective of behaviour interaction and interest demands, evolutionary game theory is used to construct a tripartite evolutionary game model of dangerous goods transportation training institutions, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the public. Then, the evolutionary game equilibrium of the system is further analysed under the joint action of the three parties. Finally, the influences of important parameters of the model on the behavioural strategy selection of the three parties are investigated via MATLAB numerical simulation. The conclusions reveal that the system has three evolutionarily stable strategies under different parameters, namely (non-compliant training, supervision, non-participation in supervision), (non-compliant training, supervision, participation in supervision) and (compliant training, supervision, non-participation in supervision). Moreover, the CAAC supervision cost, the fine amount, the supervision cost of public participation, the supervision success rate and the reporting reward amount are the main parameters that affect the behavioural strategy selection of the tripartite game players. The conclusions and suggestions of this study provide a decision-making basis and guidance for the supervision and management of civil aviation dangerous goods transportation training.
Structural optimization design of a bolster based on a simulation-driven design method
Authors: Li Xinkang , Peng Fei , Yang Zeyun , Peng Yong , Zhou Jiahao
Published: December 2022

A simulation-driven design method which uses multiple optimization methods can effectively promote innovative structural design and reduce the product development cycle. Meanwhile, the sub-model technology which has more detailed simulation and optimization analysis can enormously improve the efficiency of modelling and solving. This study establishes a general workflow of structural optimization for a stainless-steel metro bolster by combining the simulation-driven design method and sub-model technology. In the sub-model definition phase, the end underframe sub-model which contains the bolster is obtained based on the whole car body finite element (FE) model, and the effectiveness of the end underframe sub-model is also proved. In the conceptual design phase, the topology path inside the bolster is obtained by the topology method and the optimized structure of the inner ribs inside the bolster is determined according to manufacturing processes and design experiences. In the detailed design phase, the thickness of each part of the bolster is determined by size optimization. The simulation analyses indicate that the requirements of static strength and fatigue strength are fulfilled by the optimized bolster structure. Besides, the weight can be reduced by 11.18% and the weld length can be decreased by 17.79% compared with the original bolster structure, which means that not only the lightweight design goal is achieved, but also the welding quantity and manufacturing difficulty are greatly reduced. The results show the effectiveness of the simulation-driven design method based on the sub-model technology in the structural optimization for key parts of rail transit vehicles.
Airborne transmission of virus-laden droplets in an aircraft cabin
Authors: Li Yu , Wang Xuhui , Yang Jie , Zhang Zemiao , Wang Chenglei , Qian Bosen , Tian Xudong , Wang Tiantian
Published: December 2022

This study investigates the airborne transmission of virus-laden droplets generated by a cough of patients in an aircraft cabin to reveal the infection risk of taking an airplane. The influence of the ventilation system on the flow field of the cabin was analysed to reveal its effects on the airborne transmission of virus-laden droplets. Meanwhile, human body heat was also considered in the simulations. The results show that hot plume due to human body heat has a significant impact on the upward movement of virus-laden droplets. The virus-laden droplets expelled by a cough can be transmitted to the region two to three rows away from the generator. Particularly, the transverse motion present in the early stage of the droplet transmission results in a high infection risk to the passengers in the same row as the patient. This work gives insight into the understanding of the airborne transmission of virus-laden droplets in the entire passenger cabin.
Distinct Genomic Loci Underlie Quantitative Resistance to Meloidogyne enterolobii Galling and Reproduction in Citrullus amarus
Authors: Waldo Benjamin D. , Branham Sandra E. , Levi Amnon , Wechter W. Patrick , Rutter William B.
Published: December 2022

Meloidogyne enterolobii is a virulent species of root-knot nematode that threatens watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) production in the southeastern United States. There are no known sources of root-knot nematode resistance in cultivated C. lanatus. Specific genotypes of a wild watermelon relative, C. amarus, are resistant against M. incognita but the genetics that underly this resistance are still unknown and it is not clear that this same resistance will be effective against M. enterolobii. To identify and characterize new sources of resistance to M. enterolobii, we screened 108 diverse C. amarus lines alongside a susceptible C. lanatus cultivar (Charleston Gray) for resistance against M. enterolobii. Different C. amarus genotypes ranged from resistant to susceptible for the three resistance phenotypes measured; mean percent root system galled ranged from 10 to 73%, mean egg mass counts ranged from 0.3 to 64.5, and mean eggs per gram of root ranged from 326 to 146,160. We used each of these three resistance phenotypes combined with whole-genome resequencing data to conduct a genome-wide association scan that identified significant associations between M. enterolobii resistance and 11 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the C. amarus genome. Interestingly, SNPs associated with reduced galling and egg masses were located within a single quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome Ca03, while reductions in nematode eggs per gram of root were associated with separate QTL on chromosomes Ca04 and Ca08. The results of this study suggest that multiple genes are involved with M. enterolobii resistance in C. amarus and the SNPs identified will assist with efforts to breed for M. enterolobii resistance in watermelon.
A Real-Time PCR Assay to Detect and Quantify Root-Knot Nematodes from Soil Extracts
Authors: Hodson Amanda K. , Celayir Tugce , Quiroz Alonso Alejandra
Published: December 2022

Root-knot nematodes cause forking and stubbing of the growing carrot root tip, decreasing market value and reducing yield by up to 45%. Since crop damage by these nematodes depends on their initial population densities at planting, preplant detection of potentially low nematode numbers is critical for predicting future yield loss. The aim of this study was to overcome some of the drawbacks of the labor- and time-intensive process of root-knot nematode identification and quantification by developing and field testing a real-time PCR (qPCR) assay. Primers were designed targeting the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita species complex, which includes M. incognita as well as the closely related Meloidogyne javanica and Meloidogyne arenaria. The qPCR assay successfully detected each species and showed little amplification for nontarget nematode groups except for the sister group Meloidogyne enterolobii, which is not known to occur in California. Predicted nematode densities related well with microscopic counts of nematodes from prepared solutions, as well as from solutions extracted from field soil. In a greenhouse experiment, the qPCR assay distinguished between low, medium, and high levels of M. incognita infection and qPCR predicted densities at planting were negatively related in linear models with final carrot fresh weight, length, and diameter. These results suggest that qPCR assays could be a valuable diagnostic tool to predict nematode infections and prevent crop losses.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Sexual Behavior and Awareness of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among Street-Based Female Sex Workers in the Florence Area, Central Italy
Authors: Giomi Barbara , Silvestri Caterina , Bravi Stefano , Stasi Cristina , Bertini Lisa , Mechi Leslie , Mordini Serena , Zocco Nicoletta , Voller Fabio , Cipriani Francesco
Published: December 2022

Objective:

Street-based female sex workers are more likely to practice unprotected sex with multiple partners increases their risk of infection with sexually transmitted diseases. This study was performed to evaluate the understanding of and risk factors for sexually transmitted diseases among street-based female sex workers.

Methods:

A survey consisted of a sociodemographic section and a health section was conducted from June to August in two consecutive years (2012-2013) using an anonymous questionnaire compiled by street-based female sex workers in the area of Florence (Central Italy). A descriptive analysis of sociodemographic, epidemiological, and anamnestic variables was performed using common methods for proportions; associations between variables were assessed using univariate and bivariate logistic regression.

Results:

Totally 122 street-based female sex workers (mean age, 24.1 years; age range, 17–45 years) were enrolled, and were from Europe (63.1%) (mainly from Romania [48.4%] and Albania [13.1%]), Africa (31.2%) (specifically Nigeria), and South America (5.7%). Of the 122 street-based female sex workers, 63% were married/engaged and 37% were single. More than half had been living in Italy and Florence for more than 1 year; 72.8% stated that they possessed a residence permit and the others were illegal migrants. Eighteen (15%) street-based female sex workers also worked in the industry in neighboring European countries. Their level of education was generally high: 58.1% had completed secondary school (lower secondary school and upper secondary school). A total of 81.4% stated that they perceived an actual fear of contracting human immunodeficiency virus; in fact, 43.3% had never been tested for any sexually transmitted diseases except for human immunodeficiency virus.

Conclusion:

Despite the long-time involvement of street-based female sex workers in the commercial sex industry, the large numbers of clients and a strong perception of concerns about sexually transmitted diseases. This study confirms a low rate of condom use and blood screening, and corresponding science education and health screening efforts need to be strengthened in this high risk population.
Antimicrobial prophylaxis in patients undergoing endoscopic mucosal resection for 10- to 20-mm colorectal polyps: A randomized prospective study
Authors: Zheng Linfu , Jiang Liping , Li Dazhou , Chen Longping , Jiang Chuanshen , Xie Longke , Zhou Linxin , Huang Jianxiao , Liu Meiyan , Wang Wen
Published: December 2022

Background and purpose:

Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is frequently used for the removal of colorectal neoplasms. However, the use of prophylactic antibiotics in patients undergoing EMR is debatable. The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to assess whether antimicrobial prophylaxis is crucial in the perioperative period of EMR, especially for 10- to 20-mm lesions in this setting.

Methods:

Two hundred and sixty-four patients were randomized equally into 2 groups, the antibiotic (cefixime) group and the control group. The occurrence of adverse events was examined at 1 to 3 days after EMR. Plasma levels of inflammatory markers were analyzed at pre-operation, 1 day post-operation and 3 days post-operation. Blood samples collected at 1 day post-operation were used for culture.

Results:

A total of 264 and 268 polyps were removed by EMR in the antibiotic group and the control group, respectively. There were 5 cases of fever, with 2 in the antibiotic group and 3 in the control group. In the antibiotic group, 12 patients had abdominal pain and 10 suffered bleeding, whereas in the control group, abdominal pain and bleeding were observed in 10 and 11 patients, respectively. There were no significant differences in the proportion of patients with fever or the incidences of postoperative complications between the groups. No significant differences between the groups were reported in plasma levels of white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein or procalcitonin at pre-operation or post-operation. No patients provided positive blood cultures.

Conclusions:

The use the prophylactic antibiotics for EMR procedures in the perioperative period is no longer required when the lesions are 10 to 20 mm in size.
The role of vitamin D in the severity and control of asthma in children and adolescents: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ladeira Joelia Maria Costa Dias , Zacas Olívia , Ferreira Amanda Miranda , Gomes Stegun Patrícia Chaib , Grotta Milena Baptistella , Toro Adyleia Aparecida Dalbo Contrera
Published: December 2022

Background:

Vitamin D plays an important role in the immune system and consequently in the inflammatory process of asthma. It acts directly on the regulation of helper T lymphocytes 1 (Th1) and helper T lymphocytes 2 (Th2) cells, and regulatory T lymphocytes. Evidence shows that vitamin D acts on dendritic cells, raising inflammatory mediators and increasing the imbalance between Th1, Th2, and helper T lymphocytes 17 (Th17). Evidence shows a strong association between vitamin D levels and asthma incidence, especially in patients with severe and uncontrolled asthma.

Methods:

A systematic and comprehensive search will be performed using four main databases, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Articles will be searched from the earliest available time to august 2022. The studied population will be composed of children and or adolescents with asthma. From the data obtained, all articles found will be transferred to the Rayyan platform. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Checklist (PRISMA P-2020). In addition, if sufficient data are available, a meta-analysis will be conducted. Two independent reviewers will conduct the studies selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. The outcome measures will be to analyze the serum levels of vitamin D in patients with asthma and to relate this hormone to the control and severity of the disease and its anti- inflammatory effect.

Results:

A systematic review will provide better knowledge regarding vitamin D and its role in the severity and control of asthma.

Conclusions:

The findings of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
PADI4 and IL-33 gene polymorphisms associated with differential susceptibility to juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus and juvenile idiopathic arthritis in Chinese children
Authors: Zhou Yu , Liu Xinle
Published: December 2022

Background:

Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) are two common types of autoimmune diseases in children with unclear pathogenesis. Both peptidyl arginine deiminase type IV (PADI4) and interleukin 33 (IL-33) are the key molecular involved in immune responses in autoimmune diseases. Usually, it may share the same risk genetic alleles for autoimmune diseases.

Methods:

So measurement of PADI4 and IL-33 polymorphisms was conducted with 303 healthy controls, 144 JSLE patients and 160 JIA patients in this study.

Results:

It demonstrated that there was a significant association between PADI4 genotypes (rs2240340: CT, CT + CC), IL-33 genotype (rs1929992: TT) and JSLE susceptibility in Southwest China population. While no significant association with the risk of JIA were observed no matter at allelic or genotypic levels.

Conclusions:

Our study reveals the importance of PADI4 and IL-33 polymorphisms with JSLE risk and their roles in the development of the diseases need more further researches.
The effect of dilated cardiomyopathy with moyamoya disease in a 31-year-old Chinese man: A case report
Authors: Dong Xia Yun , Yang Jie , Yang Chuan Hua
Published: December 2022

Background:

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a clinically common and refractory disease; however, few cases of dilated cardiomyopathy have been reported in patients with moyamoya diseases treated by combining traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western medicine, which has a higher risk of rehabilitation.

Case Summary:

A 31-year-old man was admitted due to paroxysmal chest tightness and shortness of breath. He denied a history of DCM, hypertension, diabetes, pericarditis, smoking, and alcohol consumption. On admission, his transesophageal echocardiography (Fig. 1A) showed the larger heart with poor myocardial systolic function (left ventricular end diastolic diameter [LVEDd] 60 mm, left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] 38% [Teich]). On day 14 of admission, heart-related indicators were better than before.

Conclusion:

The present case is the first report demonstrating appearance the dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and moyamoya disease simultaneously in a 31-year-old Chinese man, aimed to report the treatment of such patients using a combination of TCM and Western medicine and analyzing the necessity and advantages of using this treatment for patients suffering from DCM and moyamoya disease, so as to improve the level of clinical diagnosis and treatment of such diseases.
Three-dimensional high-resolution anorectal manometry: A comparative pilot study with X-ray defaecography
Authors: Liu Qihong , Fang Wenyi , Zhao Peilin , He Yanqin , Gao HaiHua , Ke Xiao
Published: December 2022

Three-dimensional high-resolution anorectal manometry (3DHRAM) is a new technique that can explore anorectal disorders and provide interesting topographic data for the diagnosis of pelvic floor disorders such as paradoxical puborectalis syndrome (PPS). Our object was to evaluate whether 3DHRAM can reliably diagnose PPS already diagnosed with X-ray defaecography, which is considered to be the gold standard.

All patients being tested in our department for dyschezia by 3D-HRAM and X-ray defecography were eligible for the study. The 3DHRAM results were compared with X-ray defecography. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated for various 3DHRAM criteria to propose a diagnostic strategy for PPS.

Twenty-three patients presented with PPS on X-ray defaecography. On 3DHRAM, according to our diagnostic strategy, the kappa value was 0.706, with a positive predictive value of 71.88% [95% CI, 53.02–85.60], a specificity of 80.43% [95% CI, 65.62–90.13], a sensibility of 95.83% [95% CI, 76.98–99.78], and area under curve value was 0.922.

In this study, 3DHRAM was used to diagnose PPS with the same degree of reliability as X-ray defaecography, and we confirmed its use in the diagnosis of pelvic floor disorders. Further studies will be necessary to define classifications for these new anatomic data from 3DHRAM.