bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) among Children with Cancer: Predictors of Mortality and Treatment Outcome
Authors: Madney Youssef , Aboubakr Shaimaa , Khedr Reham , Hafez Hanafy , Ahmed Naglaa , Elsheshtawy Khaled , Elanany Mervat , Salahelden Abdelhamid , Shalaby Lobna , Galal Behairy Ola
Published: February 2023

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is an important emerging threat among pediatric cancer patients, with a high mortality rate. This retrospective study included all pediatric cancer patients with (CRE) bloodstream infections (BSIs) at a children’s cancer hospital in Egypt (2013–2017). Two hundred and fifty-four pediatric cancer patients with CRE BSI were identified; 74% had hematological malignancies, and 26% had solid tumors. Acute myeloid leukemia was the most common hematological malignancy (50%). The main clinical features for acquiring CRE-BSI were previous antibiotics exposure (90%), profound neutropenia (84%), prolonged steroid use (45%), previous colonization with a resistant pathogen (35%), ICU admission within 90 days (28%), and central venous catheter use (24%). E. coli was the most common isolated pathogen (56%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (37%). All isolates were resistant to carbapenem with an MIC < 4–8 μg/mL in 100 (45%) and >8 μg/mL in 153 (55%). The overall mortality rate was 57%, and 30 day mortality was reported in 30%. Upon multivariate analysis, for the patients with Klebsiella pneumoniae BSI, carbapenem resistance with an MIC > 8 μg/mL and associated typhlitis or pneumonia were predictors of poor outcome. In conclusion, CRE-BSI is a major threat among pediatric cancer patients in limited resource countries with limited options for treatment. Antimicrobial stewardship for early detection through routine screening, adequate empirical treatment, and timely adequate therapy may impact the outcome for such high-risk patient groups.
Antimicrobial Properties of Bacillus Probiotics as Animal Growth Promoters
Authors: Tran Charlie , Horyanto Darwin , Stanley Dragana , Cock Ian E. , Chen Xiaojing , Feng Yunjiang
Published: February 2023

Antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) suppress the growth of infectious pathogens. These pathogens negatively impact agricultural production worldwide and often cause health problems if left untreated. Here, we evaluate six Bacillus strains (BPR-11, BPR-12, BPR-13, BPR-14, BPR-16 and BPR-17), which are known for their ability to survive harsh environmental conditions, as AGP replacements in animal feed. Four of these Bacillus strains (BPR-11, BPR-14, BPR-16 and BPR-17) showed antimicrobial activity against the pathogenic strains Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus at 25 μg/mL, with BPR-16 and BPR-17 also able to inhibit Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica at 100 μg/mL. Further chemical investigation of BPR-17 led to the identification of eight metabolites, namely C16, C15, C14 and C13 surfactin C (1–4), maculosin (5), maculosine 2 (6), genistein (7) and daidzein (8). Purified compounds (1–4) were able to inhibit all the tested pathogens with MIC values ranging from 6.25 to 50 μg/mL. Maculosin (5) and maculosine 2 (6) inhibited C. perfringens, E. coli and S. aureus with an MIC of 25 μg/mL while genistein (7) and daidzein (8) showed no activity. An animal trial involving feeding BPR-11, BPR-16 and BPR-17 to a laboratory poultry model led to an increase in animal growth, and a decrease in feed conversion ratio and mortality. The presence of surfactin C analogues (3–4) in the gut following feeding with probiotics was confirmed using an LC–MS analysis. The investigation of these Bacillus probiotics, their metabolites, their impacts on animal performance indicators and their presence in the gastrointestinal system illustrates that these probiotics are effective alternatives to AGPs.
Genotypic Diversity, Antibiotic Resistance, and Virulence Phenotypes of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Clinical Isolates from a Thai University Hospital Setting
Authors: Yinsai Orathai , Deeudom Manu , Duangsonk Kwanjit
Published: February 2023

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a multidrug-resistant organism that is emerging as an important opportunistic pathogen. Despite this, information on the epidemiology and characteristics of this bacterium, especially in Thailand, is rarely found. This study aimed to determine the demographic, genotypic, and phenotypic characteristics of S. maltophilia isolates from Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Thailand. A total of 200 S. maltophilia isolates were collected from four types of clinical specimens from 2015 to 2016 and most of the isolates were from sputum. In terms of clinical characteristics, male and aged patients were more susceptible to an S. maltophilia infection. The majority of included patients had underlying diseases and were hospitalized with associated invasive procedures. The antimicrobial resistance profiles of S. maltophilia isolates showed the highest frequency of resistance to ceftazidime and the lower frequency of resistance to chloramphenicol, levofloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), and no resistance to minocycline. The predominant antibiotic resistance genes among the 200 isolates were the smeF gene (91.5%), followed by blaL1 and blaL2 genes (43% and 10%), respectively. Other antibiotic resistance genes detected were floR (8.5%), intI1 (7%), sul1 (6%), mfsA (4%) and sul2 (2%). Most S. maltophilia isolates could produce biofilm and could swim in a semisolid medium, however, none of the isolates could swarm. All isolates were positive for hemolysin production, whereas 91.5% and 22.5% of isolates could release protease and lipase enzymes, respectively. In MLST analysis, a high degree of genetic diversity was observed among the 200 S. maltophilia isolates. One hundred and forty-one sequence types (STs), including 130 novel STs, were identified and categorized into six different clonal complex groups. The differences in drug resistance patterns and genetic profiles exhibited various phenotypes of biofilm formation, motility, toxin, and enzymes production which support this bacterium in its virulence and pathogenicity. This study reviewed the characteristics of genotypes and phenotypes of S. maltophilia from Thailand which is necessary for the control and prevention of S. maltophilia local spreading.
Evaluation of Commercial Anti-Listerial Products for Improvement of Food Safety in Ready-to-Eat Meat and Dairy Products
Authors: Colás-Medà Pilar , Viñas Inmaculada , Alegre Isabel
Published: February 2023

In ready-to-eat products, such as cooked ham, fresh cheese, and fuet in which Listeria monocytogenes is a concern, the use of biopreservation techniques represents an additional hurdle to inhibit pathogen growth during storage. The objective of this study was to apply several biopreservation techniques in three different food matrices to reduce the growth of Listeria innocua, used as a surrogate of L. monocytogenes. Several lactic acid bacteria, the bacteriocin nisin, the bacteriophage PhageGuard ListexTM P100, and the enzyme lysozyme were evaluated. Cooked ham treated with the bacteriophage PhageGuard ListexTM at 0.5% or with the lactic acid bacteria SafePro® B-SF-43 (25 g/100 kg) reduced L. innocua population to below the detection limit after 7 days of storage (4 °C plus modified atmosphere packaging). In fresh cheese, the application of PhageGuard ListexTM at 0.2 and 0.5% reduced L. innocua counts by more than 3.4 logarithmic units after 6 days at 4 °C. In fuet, the 1.0% of PhageGuard ListexTM reduced L. innocua population by 0.7 ± 0.2 logarithmic units in front of control with no significant differences to other evaluated biopreservative agents. The present results confirm that the application of biopreservation techniques was able to inhibit L. innocua in fuet, cooked ham, and fresh cheese, and suggest that the type of food matrix and its physicochemical characteristics influence the biopreservative efficacy.
Plant Secondary Metabolites on Efflux-Mediated Antibiotic Resistant Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia: Potential of Herbal-Derived Efflux Pump Inhibitors
Authors: Nguyen Thi Huyen Thu , Nguyen Ngoc Anh Thơ , Nguyen Hai Dang , Nguyen Thi Thu Hien , Le Mai Huong , Pham Minh Quan , Do Huu Nghi , Hoang Kim Chi , Michalet Serge , Dijoux-Franca Marie-Geneviève , Pham Hoang Nam
Published: February 2023

During the process of adapting to metal contamination, plants produce secondary metabolites that have the potential to modulate multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotypes; this is achieved by inhibiting the activity of efflux pumps to reduce the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antimicrobial substrates. Our study evaluated the effect of secondary metabolites of belowground parts of Pteris vittata L. and Fallopia japonica, two metal-tolerant plants from northern Vietnam, on six antibiotic-resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains possessing efflux pump resistance mechanisms that were isolated from soil and clinical samples. The chemical composition of aqueous and dichloromethane (DCM) fractions extracted from P. vittata and F. japonica was determined using UHPLC-DAD-ESI/QTOF analysis. The antibacterial and efflux pump inhibitory activities of the four fractions were evaluated for the six strains (K279a, 0366, BurA1, BurE1, PierC1, and 502) using a microdilution assay at fraction concentrations of 62.5, 125, and 250 μg/mL. The DCM fraction of F. japonica exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity against strain 0366, with a MIC of 31.25 μg/mL. Furthermore, this fraction also significantly decreased gentamicin MIC: four-fold and eight-fold reductions for BurA1 and BurE1 strains, respectively (when tested at 250 μg/mL), and two-fold and eight-fold reductions for K279a and BurE1 strains, respectively (when tested at 125 μg/mL). Pure emodin, the main component identified in the DCM fraction of F. japonica, and sennidine A&B only reduced by half the MIC of gentamicin (when tested at 30 μg/mL). Our results suggest that the DCM fraction components of F. japonica underground parts may be potential candidates for new bacterial efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs).
Evidence of Flavonoids on Disease Prevention
Authors: Li Meng , Qian Mengqi , Jiang Qian , Tan Bie , Yin Yulong , Han Xinyan
Published: February 2023

A growing body of evidence highlights the properties of flavonoids in natural foods for disease prevention. Due to their antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic activities, flavonoids have been revealed to benefit skeletal muscle, liver, pancreas, adipocytes, and neural cells. In this review, we introduced the basic classification, natural sources, and biochemical properties of flavonoids, then summarize the experimental results and underlying molecular mechanisms concerning the effects of flavonoid consumption on obesity, cancers, and neurogenerative diseases that greatly threaten public health. Especially, the dosage and duration of flavonoids intervening in these diseases are discussed, which might guide healthy dietary habits for people of different physical status.
Biomechanical Analysis of Extraction Space Closure with Various Loop Springs Incorporated into an Archwire
Authors: Harada Renpei , Yokoi Yukiko , Kamoi Aiko , Miyawaki Rikou , Yoshida Takuma , Kawamura Jun , Okafuji Norimasa
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this study was to compare the mechanical efficacies of the various loop springs in the extraction space closure. The long-term movement of the teeth was simulated by the finite element method. It was assumed that the tooth moved in the same direction as the initial movement due to elastic deformation of the periodontal ligament. After the spring was activated, the initial movement was calculated, and then the alveolar socket was moved. By repeating this calculation, the teeth moved by accumulating the initial movement. The anterior teeth first tipped lingually and then became upright; thereby, the extraction space was closed for a fixed distance. In all cases, the gable bends were effective in increasing the closing speed. A higher loop increased the closing distance. When the helical loop was replaced with the vertical loop, the closing distance decreased. A spring made of thick wire increased the closing speed but decreased the closing distance. No spring increased both the closing distance and the closing speed at the same time. In clinical settings, an appropriate spring should be selected for each case by giving priority to either the closing distance or speed.
Characteristics of the Contingent Negative Variation during Lower Limb Functional Movement with an Audio-Visual Cue
Authors: Olsen Sharon , Alder Gemma , Rashid Usman , Ghani Usman , Boulle Nadia , Signal Nada , Taylor Denise , Niazi Imran Khan
Published: February 2023

Background: The contingent negative variation (CNV) is a negative shift in electroencephalography (EEG) related to the planning and execution of an externally cued movement task. The CNV has the potential to be applied within stroke rehabilitation; however, there is insufficient knowledge about the CNV characteristics under movement conditions relevant to rehabilitation. This study explores the CNV characteristics during a functional movement task (versus a simple movement task) and when using an audio-visual cue that has been previously evaluated for its usability in stroke rehabilitation (versus a simple visual cue). Methods: Thirty healthy participants performed five randomized movement tasks: simple ankle dorsiflexion with a visual cue (1), audio-visual cue (2), and auditory-only cue (3), and sit-to-stand with a visual (4) and audio-visual cue (5). Fifty repetitions of each movement were performed while continuous EEG was recorded. The band-passed and Laplacian-filtered (Cz) EEG was averaged for each condition and the peak negativity (PN) latency and amplitude were identified. Results: PN latency was significantly later during sit-to-stand with the audio-visual cue versus the visual cue (p = 0.027). PN amplitude was significantly larger during sit-to-stand versus ankle dorsiflexion, with both visual and audio-visual cues (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The CNV changes under more complex movement conditions. Assumptions about the MRCP from simple laboratory recordings should not be generalized to the rehabilitation setting.
Secure and Efficient Multicast-Enabled Handover Scheme Pertaining to Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks in PMIPv6
Authors: Goyal Amit Kumar , Agarwal Gaurav , Tripathi Arun Kumar , Sain Mangal
Published: February 2023

In VANET, mobility management and handover management are two of the most intriguing and challenging research topics. The existing mobility management infrastructures are unable to provide seamless secure mobility and handover management. It is very common in a vehicular network that when a vehicle roams between two domains, its reachability status may be compromised. The main reason for this is the higher handover latency and packet loss during the handover process. In the last decade, IP-based mobility protocols have been proposed for interoperable handover management systems. There has been a great deal of interest in providing IP multicast to mobile nodes such as vehicles, and numerous strategies have been put forth thus far. This research article proposes an IP multicast-enabled handover architecture for VANET in PMIPv6. Adding the IP multicast facility to the authentication server allows handover management that is both intra-domain and inter-domain, which originally was not supported by PMIPv6. This makes it possible for the IP service of a vehicle to maintain a connection from any location, without changing the earlier application. Additionally, a secure architecture with authentication capabilities built on top of PMIPv6 is suggested for VANET to address the authentication problem. Finally, the article compares the performance of the proposed architecture with that of the ones currently in use by varying several factors, including the vehicle’s density, the setup costs required, and the unit transmission costs on wired and wireless links, and it shows that our proposed solution ensures the handover process with a minimal cost change.
Assessment of the Socio-Economic Impacts of Extreme Weather Events on the Coast of Southwest Europe during the Period 2009–2020
Authors: Mateos Rosa María , Sarro Roberto , Díez-Herrero Andrés , Reyes-Carmona Cristina , López-Vinielles Juan , Ezquerro Pablo , Martínez-Corbella Mónica , Bru Guadalupe , Luque Juan Antonio , Barra Anna , Martín Pedro , Millares Agustín , Ortega Miguel , López Alejandro , Galve Jorge Pedro , Azañón José Miguel , Pereira Susana , Santos Pedro Pinto , Zêzere José Luís , Reis Eusébio , Garcia Ricardo A. C. , Oliveira Sérgio Cruz , Villatte Arnaud , Chanal Anne , Gasc-Barbier Muriel , Monserrat Oriol
Published: February 2023

Coastal regions in Southwest Europe have experienced major interventions and transformations of the territory with unprecedented urban development, primarily related to growing tourism activity. The coast is the place where marine and terrestrial processes converge, making it highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. However, the lack of information on the frequency of these extreme weather events and their impacts on the coast hampers an accurate analysis of the consequences of global change. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the extreme weather events (EWE) that have affected the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Southwest Europe during the period from 1 January 2009 to 28 February 2020, as well as a quantification of their impacts: fatalities, injuries and economic damage. Official sources from France, Portugal and Spain were consulted, along with technical reports, scientific articles, etc., to generate a unified database. A total of 95 significant extreme events have caused 168 fatalities, 137 injuries and almost €4000 M in direct economic losses. Cyclone Xynthia (February 2010) on the French Atlantic coast stands out, having caused 47 fatalities, 79 injuries and substantial economic losses valued at €3000 M. The study shows a slight upward trend in the number of events recorded, especially during the last three years of the analysis, as well as in human losses and damages. The results reveal a higher exposure of the Mediterranean coast of Southwest Europe when compared to the Atlantic, especially the Spanish Mediterranean coast, with 61% of the fatalities recorded there during the study period. This is primarily due to a model of exponential tourism growth on the Mediterranean coast, with an enormous urban and infrastructure development during the last decades. Traditionally, the Mediterranean coast is less prepared to reduce the effects of marine storms, extreme events that are becoming more frequent and virulent in the context of climate and global change. This work highlights the need to create a continuous monitoring system–at the European level–of the impacts of extreme weather events on the coast, where 40% of the European population is concentrated. This observatory should serve as a source of information for risk mitigation policies (predictive, preventive and corrective), as well as for emergency management during disasters.
Replication-Based Dynamic Energy-Aware Resource Provisioning for Scientific Workflows
Authors: Ala’anzy Mohammed Alaa , Othman Mohamed , Ibbini Emad Mohammed , Enaizan Odai , Farid Mazen , Alsaaidah Yousef A. , Ahmad Zulfiqar , Ghoniem Rania M.
Published: February 2023

Distributed computing services in cloud environments are easily accessible to end users. These services are delivered to end users via a subscription-based model. The “infrastructure as a service” (IaaS) cloud model is one of the best cloud environment models for running data- and computing-intensive applications. Real-world scientific applications are the best examples of data and computing intensiveness. For their implementation, scientific workflow applications need high-performance computational resources and a large volume of storage. The workflow tasks are linked based on computational and data interdependence. Considering the high volume and variety of scientific workflows (SWs), the resources of the IaaS cloud model require managing energy efficiently and without failure or loss. Therefore, in order to address the issues of power consumption and task failure for real-world SWs, this research work proposes a replication-based dynamic energy-aware resource provisioning (R-DEAR) strategy for SWs in an IaaS cloud environment. The proposed strategy, R-DEAR, is a resource- and service-provisioning strategy that implements a replication-based fault-tolerant and load-balancing mechanism. The proposed R-DEAR strategy schedules the tasks of a scientific workflow with a replication-based fault-tolerant mechanism. The proposed R-DEAR strategy also manages the power consumption of IaaS cloud resources dynamically through a load-sharing process. Simulation results show that the proposed R-DEAR strategy reduces energy consumption, execution cost, and execution time by 9%, 15%, and 18%, respectively, as compared with the existing state-of-the-art strategy.
Touch Matters: The Impact of Physical Contact on Haptic Product Perception in Virtual Reality
Authors: Felip Francisco , Galán Julia , Contero Manuel , García-García Carlos
Published: February 2023

Nowadays, the presentation of products through virtual reality and other online media coexists with traditional means. However, while some products may be perceived correctly in digital media, others may need physical contact. In this scenario, this work analyses how presenting a product highlighted for its haptic properties and the presence or absence of physical contact during the presentation can influence the perception of its attributes and stimulate purchase intention. To this end, an experiment was designed in which each participant viewed and interacted with a chair presented in five different means that elicited a greater or lesser sense of presence. Participants evaluated the product’s attributes on a semantic scale with bipolar pairs. No relation was found between the presentation means and users’ purchase intention. However, results showed significant differences in the evaluation of some physical characteristics depending on the presentation means, and the product was generally more liked when presented in means in which it could be touched. We conclude that choosing means that allow a product to be touched and elicit a greater sense of presence may impact more positively on evaluations of haptic features when presenting a product with high haptic importance.
Improving Effectiveness of Basketball Free Throws through the Implementation of Technologies in the Technical Training Process
Authors: Olteanu Mircea , Oancea Bogdan Marian , Badau Dana
Published: February 2023

The aim of the study was to implement a specific training program to improve basketball free throws by using an innovative system called “system and technical device designed for motor learning process in the field of sports science and physical education with direct applicability in basketball specific training-free throw improvement”, as well as to evaluate the level of free throw effectiveness. We also aimed to highlight the differences in progress between the experimental and control groups for three age categories U14, U16, and U18 male juniors. The system and the device for detecting the ideal trajectory of the ball were provided by a high-speed video camera which captured the images and projected them in real-time onto a projection surface that was placed in front of, or to the side of the athlete, depending on the subject’s preference, provided that this projection surface is in the performer’s field of vision. The research took place from 5 April to 10 July 2021 and phased as follows: initial testing, implementation of the experimental 12-week free-throw training program (one individualized training session per week lasting 120 min), and final testing. The study included 360 subjects aged 13–14 years, who were grouped according to gender and team sport played. The evaluation was done by three tests: the FRB test (standardized test), the Shoot-Run test, and the 10 experimental throws test. The results of the study in all three motor tests showed that by implementing the innovative system that was designed for motor learning, the effectiveness of free throw shooting improved significantly in the players of the experimental groups in all age groups (U14, U16, U18), thus evidencing a positive, upward dynamic in relation to the increasing age category. In all three motor tests, the progress of the experimental groups was superior to the control groups as a result of the implementation of the experimental exercise program using the innovative system and device that was designed to improve free throws. The results of the study highlighted the effectiveness and opportunity of the implementation of innovative technologies in the process of training and evaluation of basketball specific free throws.
Drowsiness Transitions Detection Using a Wearable Device
Authors: Antunes Ana Rita , Braga Ana Cristina , Gonçalves Joaquim
Published: February 2023

Due to a reduction in reaction time and, consequently, the driver’s concentration, driving when fatigued has become an issue throughout time. Consequently, the likelihood of having an accident and it being fatal increases. In this work, we aim to identify an automatic method capable of detecting drowsiness transitions by considering the time, frequency, and nonlinear domains of heart rate variability. Therefore, the methodology proposed considers the multivariate statistical process control, using principal components analysis, with accelerometer and time, frequency, and nonlinear domains of the heart rate variability extracted by a wearable device. Applying the proposed approach, it was possible to improve the results achieved in the previous studies, where it was able to remove points out-of-control due to signal noise, identify the drowsy transitions, and, consequently, improve the drowsiness classification. It is important to note that the out-of-control points of the heart rate variability are not influenced by external noise. In terms of limitations, this method was not able to detect all drowsiness transitions, and in some individuals, it falls far short of expectations. Regarding this, is essential to understand if there is any pattern or similarity among the participants in which it fails.
MAC-Based Compression Ratio Improvement for CAN Security
Authors: Piao Jinhui , Jin Shiyi , Seo Dong-Hyun , Woo Samuel , Chung Jin-Gyun
Published: February 2023

Information security in a controller area network (CAN) is becoming more important as the connections between a vehicle’s internal and external networks increase. Encryption and authentication techniques can be applied to CAN data frames to enhance security. To authenticate a data frame, a message authentication code (MAC) needs to be transmitted with the CAN data frame. Therefore, space for transmitting the MAC is required within the CAN frame. Recently, the Triple ID algorithm has been proposed to create additional space in the data field of the CAN frame. The Triple ID algorithm ensures every CAN frame is authenticated by at least 4 bytes of MAC without changing the original CAN protocol. However, since the Triple ID algorithm uses six header bits, there is a problem associated with low data compression efficiency. In this paper, we propose an algorithm that can remove up to 15 bits from frames compressed with the Triple ID algorithm. Through simulation using CAN signals of a Kia Sorento vehicle and an LS Mtron tractor, we show that the generation of frames containing compressed messages of 4 bytes or more is reduced by up to 99.57% compared to the Triple ID method.
The Effect of 3D TVs on Eye Movement and Motor Performance
Authors: Lin Chiuhsiang Joe , Widyaningrum Retno , Prasetyo Yogi Tri
Published: February 2023

Three-dimensional TVs have been commercialized in recent few years; however, poor visual and motor performances may have an impact on consumer acceptance of 3D TVs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 3D TVs on eye movement and motor performance. Specifically, the effect of stereoscopic display parallax of 3D TVs and movement task index of difficulty (ID) on eye movement was investigated. In addition, the effect of stereoscopic display parallax of 3D TVs and movement task ID on motor performance was also investigated. Twelve participants voluntarily participated in a multi-directional tapping task under two different viewing environments (2D TV and 3D TV), three different levels of stereoscopic depth (140, 190, 210 cm), and six different Index of Difficulty levels (2.8, 3.3, 3.7, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1 bit). The study revealed that environment had significant effects on eye movement time, index of eye performance, eye fixation accuracy, number of fixations, time to first fixation, saccadic duration, revisited fixation duration, hand movement time, index of hand performance, and error rate. Interestingly, there were no significant effects of stereoscopic depth on eye movement and motor performance; however, the best performance was found when the 3D object was placed at 210 cm. The main novelty and contributions of this study is the in-depth investigations of the effect of 3D TVs on eye movement and motor performance. The findings of this study could lead to a better understanding of the visual and motor performance for 3D TVs.
Energy Spatial Distribution of Behind-Armor Debris Generated by Penetration of Explosively Formed Projectiles with Different Length–Diameter Ratio
Authors: Huang Xuanning , Li Weibing , Li Wenbin , Yin Guixiang , Wang Yajun , Guo Tengfei
Published: February 2023

To understand the influence of the length–diameter ratio (L/D) of explosively formed projectiles (EFPs) on the energy spatial distribution of behind-armor debris (BAD), three EFPs with different L/Ds were designed in this study. The scattering characteristics of the BAD formed by the EFP penetrating a steel target were investigated. High-speed photography was used to observe the shape of the BAD cloud. Fiber and foam plates were sequentially stacked to recover the fragments. The three-dimensional damaged area by the BAD was obtained based on the spatial position information of a large amount of BAD. Finally, the energy spatial distribution characteristics of the EFP and target material fragments were analyzed. The results showed that a large EFP L/D increased the total energy of the BAD, and the proportion of the energy of projectile fragments increased. The difference in the energy spatial distribution between EFPs with varying L/Ds was mainly in the scattering angle range of 3–17°. The total energy of fragments within 17° of scattering angle accounted for 85% of the total energy of all fragments. The BAD energy of the EFP with a large L/D (L/D = 3.86) was concentrated in a small scattering angle range in which the residual projectile was located. The average projectile fragment energy of the EFP with a moderate L/D (L/D = 2.4) was evenly distributed in the scattering angle range of 5–20°. As a result, the energy distribution of the BAD from EFP (L/D = 2.4) shifted towards the large scattering angle, thus leading to a uniform radial distribution of the striking area within the range of 500–1100 mm behind the target. However, with the increase in the distance behind the target, the radial direction of the striking area of the other two EFPs was gradually reduced. The reason was explained according to the force analysis of the fragments resulting from the bulge fracture of target. The spatial energy distribution of BAD is closely related to the damage ability of EFP in relation to the armored target. Thus, it is necessary to design EFPs with appropriate L/Ds in order to maximize the damaging effect behind the armor.
The Nature of Metal Artifacts in X-ray Computed Tomography and Their Reduction by Optimization of Tomography Systems Parameters
Authors: Osipov Sergey Pavlovich , Chakhlov Sergei Vladimirovich , Zhvyrblia Vadim Yurevich , Sednev Dmitry Andreevich , Osipov Oleg Sergeyevich , Usachev Eugeny Yurevich
Published: February 2023

A significant gap in the known methods for assessing the levels of metal artifacts in X-ray computed tomography and approaches to their reduction is an almost complete disregard for the physical nature of this artifact—the proximity to zero of radioscopic transparency. The proposed work fills this gap. A mathematical model has been developed for evaluating metal artifacts in X-ray computed tomography as applied to the geometry of a parallel beam. The simulation model was transformed into an algorithm, and a Mathcad program was designed to simulate images of the internal structure of the test objects. The algorithm for estimating the studied artifact includes the stages of generating sinograms and estimating the distributions of the linear coefficient over the sections of the object based on the back projection method with filtering. The efficiency of the metal artifacts simulation algorithm is demonstrated in the example of symmetric and asymmetric objects with low- and high-density inclusions and inclusions from materials with high atomic number values. The possibility of reducing metal artifacts with the help of a rational choice of the maximum energy of X-ray radiation and the ADC bit depth is illustrated. For example, for an aluminum cylinder 200 mm in diameter with a central cylindrical cavity 80 mm in diameter, cylindrical inserts 12 mm in diameter with material densities from 1.5 g/cm3 to 10 g/cm3, and effective atomic numbers of materials from 13 to 47, the numerical simulation method proved the following: it is practically unattainable to significantly reduce the level of metal artifacts by increasing the ADC capacity to the maximum X-ray energy of 160 keV; the desired effect is achieved by simultaneously increasing the maximum X-ray energy to 225 keV and the ADC capacity to 24 or 32; increasing the maximum X-ray energy from 160 keV to 225 keV leads to an increase in the energy absorbed in the material of the test object by 26%. The results of this research can be used at the design stage of X-ray computed tomography systems designed to control objects with fragments of low radiation transparency.
Analysis of Crack-Characteristic Stress and Energy Characteristics of Sandstone under Triaxial Unloading Confining Pressure
Authors: Duan Yanwei , Zhang Guohua , Qin Tao
Published: February 2023

The deformation and failure of underground engineering are usually caused by unloading. In this work, triaxial unloading confining pressure tests are carried out to simulate the failure process of rock mass caused by unloading, analyze the crack-characteristic stress, and study the energy evolution of rock under unloading and the pre-peak and post-peak energy characteristics combined with the energy theory. The results show that, when the confining pressure increases from 5 MPa to 20 MPa, crack closure stress σcc, crack initiation stress σci, dilatancy stress σcd, and peak stress σp are 6.34 times, 2.75 times, 1.93 times, and 1.66 times higher than the original, respectively. By comparing the increase in crack-characteristic stress, it can be found that the confining pressure has a large effect on the crack closure stress and crack initiation stress, while the dilatation stress and peak stress have relatively little influence. From the perspective of energy evolution, the pre-peak axial absorption energy U1 increases exponentially, the elastic energy Ue is similar to U1, and the circumferential consumption energy U3 and dissipation energy Ud are small. After reaching the peak stress, the growth rate of U1 decreases slightly, Ue decreases rapidly, and U3 increases rapidly but only as a small fraction of the total energy, while Ud grows almost exponentially and rapidly becomes the main part of the energy. Under each crack-characteristic stress state, the energy characteristic parameters gradually increase with the increase in confining pressure, which is manifested by the increase in slope in the linear fitting formula of energy characteristic parameters. The release process of the releasable elastic energy after the peak stress can be divided into three stages of “slow–fast–slow”, and the energy release process shows an obvious confining pressure effect.
Tabular Data Generation to Improve Classification of Liver Disease Diagnosis
Authors: Alauthman Mohammad , Aldweesh Amjad , Al-qerem Ahmad , Aburub Faisal , Al-Smadi Yazan , Abaker Awad M. , Alzubi Omar Radhi , Alzubi Bilal
Published: February 2023

Liver diseases are among the most common diseases worldwide. Because of the high incidence and high mortality rate, these diseases diagnoses are vital. Several elements harm the liver. For instance, obesity, undiagnosed hepatitis infection, and alcohol abuse. This causes abnormal nerve function, bloody coughing or vomiting, insufficient kidney function, hepatic failure, jaundice, and liver encephalopathy.. The diagnosis of this disease is very expensive and complex. Therefore, this work aims to assess the performance of various machine learning algorithms at decreasing the cost of predictive diagnoses of chronic liver disease. In this study, five machine learning algorithms were employed: Logistic Regression, K-Nearest Neighbor, Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine, and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) algorithm. In this work, we examined the effects of the increased prediction accuracy of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE). Generative opponents’ networks (GANs) are a mechanism to produce artificial data with a distribution close to real data distribution. This is achieved by training two different networks: the generator, which seeks to produce new and real samples, and the discriminator, which classifies the augmented samples using supervised classifications. Statistics show that the use of increased data slightly improves the performance of the classifier.
Short-Term Traffic Flow Prediction Based on a K-Nearest Neighbor and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory Model
Authors: Zhuang Weiqing , Cao Yongbo
Published: February 2023

In the previous research on traffic flow prediction models, most of the models mainly studied the time series of traffic flow, and the spatial correlation of traffic flow was not fully considered. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a method to predict the spatio-temporal characteristics of short-term traffic flow by combining the k-nearest neighbor algorithm and bidirectional long short-term memory network model. By selecting the real-time traffic flow data observed on high-speed roads in the United Kingdom, the K-nearest neighbor algorithm is used to spatially screen the station data to determine the points with high correlation and then input the BILSTM model for prediction. The experimental results show that compared with SVR, LSTM, GRU, KNN-LSTM, and CNN-LSTM models, the model proposed in this paper has better prediction accuracy, and its performance has been improved by 77%, 19%, 18%, 22%, and 13%, respectively. The proposed K-nearest neighbor-bidirectional long short-time memory model shows better prediction performance.
Combination of Biomaterials and Extracellular Vesicles from Mesenchymal Stem-Cells: New Therapeutic Strategies for Skin-Wound Healing
Authors: Pulido-Escribano Victoria , Torrecillas-Baena Bárbara , Dorado Gabriel , Gálvez-Moreno María Ángeles , Camacho-Cardenosa Marta , Casado-Díaz Antonio
Published: February 2023

Hard-to-heal chronic wounds associated with aging and high-prevalence pathologies, such as diabetes, are a global health problem. Therefore, it is necessary to advance effective treatments to accelerate wound healing. Among these potential treatments are new therapies based on mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and their secretomes, including extracellular vesicles (EV). They have an important therapeutic potential for the treatment of chronic ulcers, due to their immunomodulatory activity, as well as their ability to induce angiogenesis, cell proliferation and cell migration. The use of MSC-derived EV in regenerative medicine involves cell-free therapies that decrease risks associated with cell therapies, such as the potential development of tumors. However, the short half-life of MSC-EV is a limitation for their clinical use. A therapeutic strategy to increase the regenerative efficiency of EV in wounds is to encapsulate them in biomaterials. The latter must protect and progressively release EV in damaged tissues, optimizing healing. Biomaterials that can be used include hydrogels. These, in addition to acting as a vehicle for sustained application of EV, can create favorable environments for wound healing. Thus, the aim of this review is to critically describe the latest advances in the development of such therapeutic strategies. It highlights the significance and clinical potential of these new therapies, as well as the need to develop clinical trials, to ascertain their performance.
Fault Analysis of Shearer-Cutting Units Driven by Integrated Importance Measure
Authors: Zhao Jiang-bin , Liang Meng-tao , Zhang Zao-yan , Cui Jian , Cao Xian-gang
Published: February 2023

Shearer-cutting units are important parts of coal production. However, they have high fault frequency, and their maintenance activities are costly and time-consuming. Coal enterprises urgently need an effective fault analysis method for shearer-cutting units. To solve this problem, an integrated importance measure (IIM) is introduced into the fault tree analysis method to identify the weakest links of shearer-cutting units. This paper develops an IIM-based fault tree analysis method to determine the key faults in shearer-cutting units. Taking MG400/930-WD shearer in Yuhua Coal Mine as an example, through IIM ranking, bearing wear can be identified as a key fault cause. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, the relative value distribution of four importance measures was analyzed by radial bar charts, and the accuracy of different rankings was evaluated by mean average precision. The results show that IIM can clearly distinguish the relative importance of bottom events, and the average accuracy of IIM ranking is 94.52%. Therefore, the proposed method can accurately and effectively identify key fault causes, and the limited resources should give priority to bottom events with higher IIM.
Shear Deterioration of the Hierarchical Structure of Cellulose Microfibrils under Water Condition: All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Analysis
Authors: Izumi Yukihiro , Saitoh Ken-ichi , Sato Tomohiro , Takuma Masanori , Takahashi Yoshimasa
Published: February 2023

This study aims to understand the mechanical properties of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), a nano-sized material element of woods or plants. We develop all-atom (AA) molecular dynamics models of cellulose microfibrils (CMFs), which are the smallest constituent of CNFs. The models were designed for the process of structural failure or the degradation of a hierarchical material of multiple CMF fibers, due to shear deformation. It was assumed that two CMFs were arranged in parallel and in close contact, either in a vacuum or in water. The CMF models in water were built by surrounding AA-modeled water molecules with a few nanometers. Shear deformation was applied in the axial direction of the CMF or in the direction parallel to molecular sheets. Shear moduli were measured, and they agree with previous experimental and computational values. The presence of water molecules reduced the elastic modulus, because of the behavior of water molecules at the interface between CMFs as a function of temperature. In the inelastic region, the CMF often broke down inside CMFs in a vacuum condition. However, in water environments, two CMFs tend to slip away from each other at the interface. Water molecules act like a lubricant between multiple CMFs and promote smooth sliding.
Analysis of the Impact of Meteorological Factors on Ambient Air Quality during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Jilin City in 2022
Authors: Wang Ju , Shi Weihao , Xue Kexin , Wu Tong , Fang Chunsheng
Published: February 2023

This paper explored the changes of six significant pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, O3, and CO) in Jilin City during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic in 2022, and compared them with the same period of previous years to analyze the impact of anthropogenic emissions on the concentration of pollutants; The Weather Research and Forecasting Community Multiscale Air Quality (WRF–CMAQ) model was used to evaluate the effect of meteorological factors on pollutant concentration. The results showed that except for O3, the concentrations of the other five pollutants decreased significantly, with a range of 21–47%, during the lockdown period caused by the government’s shutdown and travel restrictions. Compared with the same period in 2021, the decrease of PM2.5 was only 25% of PM10. That was because there was still a large amount of PM2.5 produced by coal-fired heating during the blockade period, which made the decrease of PM2.5 more minor. A heavy pollution event caused by adverse meteorological conditions was found during the lockdown period, indicating that only controlling artificial emissions cannot eliminate the occurrence of severe pollution events. The WRF–CMAQ results showed that the lower pollutant concentration in 2022 was not only caused by the reduction of anthropogenic emissions but also related to the influence of favorable meteorological factors (higher planetary boundary layer thickness, higher wind speed, and higher temperature).
Characteristics of PM10 Level during Haze Events in Malaysia Based on Quantile Regression Method
Authors: Redzuan Siti Nadhirah , Noor Norazian Mohamed , Rahim Nur Alis Addiena A. , Jafri Izzati Amani Mohd , Baidrulhisham Syaza Ezzati , Ul-Saufie Ahmad Zia , Sandu Andrei Victor , Vizureanu Petrica , Zainol Mohd Remy Rozainy Mohd Arif , Deák György
Published: February 2023

Malaysia has been facing transboundary haze events repeatedly, in which the air contains extremely high particulate matter, particularly PM10, which affects human health and the environment. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the characteristics of PM10 concentration and develop a reliable PM10 forecasting model for early information and warning alerts to the responsible parties in order for them to mitigate and plan precautionary measures during such events. This study aims to analyze PM10 variation and investigate the performance of quantile regression in predicting the next-day, the next two days, and the next three days of PM10 levels during a high particulate event. Hourly secondary data of trace gases and the weather parameters at Pasir Gudang, Melaka, and Petaling Jaya during historical haze events in 1997, 2005, 2013, and 2015. The Pearson correlation was calculated to find the correlation between PM10 level and other parameters. Moderate correlated parameters (r > 0.3) with PM10 concentration were used to develop a Pearson–QR model with percentiles of 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75 and were compared using quantile regression (QR) and multiple linear regression (MLR). Several performance indicators, namely mean absolute error (MAE), root mean squared error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R2), and index of agreement (IA), were calculated to evaluate and compare the performances of the predictive model. The highest daily average of PM10 concentration was monitored in Melaka within the range of 69.7 and 83.3 µg/m3. CO and temperature were the most significant parameters associated with PM10 level during haze conditions. Quantile regression at p = 0.75 shows high efficiency in predicting PM10 level during haze events, especially for the short-term prediction in Melaka and Petaling Jaya, with an R2 value of >0.85. Thus, the QR model has high potential to be developed as an effective method for forecasting air pollutant levels, especially during unusual atmospheric conditions when the overall mean of the air pollutant level is not suitable for use as a model.