bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Digital design of a cable-driven parallel robot
Authors: Anciferov S I , Gaponenko E V , Karachevtseva A V , Kholoshevskaya L R 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
The paper analyzes various computer-aided design systems. It is shown that the use of CAD / CAM / CAE-system NX allows to reduce the cost of the final product, increase the level of quality, and reduce the time to market. The article discusses the digital design of a cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR) for various applications using the NX CAD / CAM / CAE system. The mechanism is a rigidly fixed frame connected through tensioned cables to a platform. CDPRs have such advantages as a large working area, ease of assembly and disassembly, high mobility, large lifting capacity, and reconfiguration. The kinematic diagram of the device is presented. Based on the terms of reference and sketch documentation, a preliminary composition of the CDPR has been developed. During the design, the Top-Down method was used. The characteristics are analyzed, and the workspace of the mechanism is formed, taking into account the factors of limitation. Shown is a detailed design of the basic structure of a CDPR with an indication of the main operations. An electronic-digital model of the basic structure of a CDPR, which will later be used for kinematic and static calculations, as well as for making an experimental sample, is presented.
Solid State Device from Plant Extracts
Authors: Emetere M.E. , Chijuo C. , Afolalu S.A. 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
The infusion of green solution into solid-state technology is timely at a time where land, air, and water pollution (from electronic waste) is high in most parts of the globe. At the moment, several research works have proven that plant extract doped with metallic compound exhibits high electrical, optical and chemical properties. In this research we examine two different plant extracts with different dopant. The special opto-transport property of the synthesized compounds was examined using an unconventional characterization technique. It was observed that both compounds can be identified as solid-state device with remarkable optical properties.
Application of Smart Materials in Civil Engineering and Architecture
Authors: Jerzy SZOLOMICKI 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Smart materials are the result of great advancements in material engineering and have different practical applications. This paper presents a review of selected smart materials applied in modern building structures from civil engineering and architecture perspective and determines what advantages they can bring.These benefits include building structure, interior design and façade solution. A very important causative factor resulting from the use of intelligent materials is obtaining a new aesthetic effect. This effect can be achieved through refined patterns, change of shape, presentation of interactive images.
In-vitro investigation of green synthesized gold nanoparticle’s role in combined photodynamic and radiation therapy of cancerous cells
Authors: Neshastehriz Ali , Amini Seyed Mohammad , Mohammadi Amir , Mahdavi Seyed Rabi , Mahabadi Vahid Pirhajati , Akbari Abolfazl 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been introduced for increasing the effectiveness of various cancer treatments such as radiation and photodynamic therapy. Instead of toxic chemicals, various natural compounds have been introduced for AuNPs synthesis. Here, gallic acid-coated AuNPs (Ga@AuNPs) with the average diameter of 17.9 ± 10 nm and surface charge of −16.2 ± 3.2 mV have been synthesised through easy and single-step chemical route and were characterised with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The interaction of Ga@AuNPs and methylene blue (MB) photosensitisers was confirmed through various techniques such as FTIR spectroscopy, zeta potential investigation, and UV–vis spectroscopy. Based on our results, methylene blue was adsorbed to the surface of Ga@AuNPs through various amine and thiol functional groups. Upon laser radiation, a release of singlet oxygen species (ROS) from nanoformulation of methylene blue was more gradual than free methylene blue based on the determination of singlet oxygen in the present of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF) radical scavenger. The Ga@AuNPs nanoparticles were not representing significant toxic effects toward cells. However, the synthesised nanoparticles could increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy or combined treatment of methylene blue mediated photodynamic and radiation therapy in an in-vitro investigation.
Influence of temperature and dimension in a 4H-SiC vertical power MOSFET
Authors: Alqaysi M H , Martinez A , Ubochi B , Batcup S , Ahmeda K 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
A study of the impact of dimension and temperature on a state of the art 4H-SiC power vertical DMOSFET has been carried out using drift-diffusion calculations in conjunction with electrical characterizations to extract physical parameters and doping profiles in a 6 μm channel length device. The model presented in this paper includes the effect of trapping in the channel/oxide interface. Using these parameters, the performance of corresponding lateral and vertical scaled devices are studied. Electrothermal simulations showing self-heating effects are also carried out. The results are qualitatively discussed with the help of an analytical physical model, which considers the interplay between the different device resistances. At low drain bias, the drain current is increased by 42.86% (I
D
= 5 A at V
G
= 20 V) when reducing the dimension vertically, whereas it is decreased by 28.57% (I
D
= 2.5 A at V
G
= 20 V) when reducing the dimension laterally. These effects are enhanced at high drain bias. In addition, the effect of dimension reduction for breakdown voltage, electric field and impact ionization is investigated. A substantial reduction in breakdown voltage was found when the vertical dimensions were decreased as compared to the lateral dimensions.
Do I lose cognitive function as fast as my twin partner? Analyses based on classes of MMSE trajectories of twins aged 80 and older
Authors: Muniz-Terrera Graciela , Robitaille Annie , Goerdten Jantje , Massa Fernando , Johansson Boo 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackgroundAging is associated with an increasing risk of decline in cognitive abilities. The decline is, however, not a homogeneous process. There are substantial differences across individuals although previous investigations have identified individuals with distinct cognitive trajectories. Evidence is accumulating that lifestyle contributes significantly to the classification of individuals into various clusters. How and whether genetically related individuals, like twins, change in a more similar manner is yet not fully understood.MethodsIn this study, we fitted growth mixture models to Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) scores from participants of the Swedish OCTO twin study of oldest-old monozygotic and same-sex dizygotic twins with the purpose of investigating whether twin pairs can be assigned to the same class of cognitive change.ResultsWe identified four distinct groups (latent classes) whose MMSE trajectories followed different patterns of change over time: two classes of high performing individuals who remained stable and declined slowly, respectively, a group of mildly impaired individuals with a fast decline and a small group of impaired individuals who declined more rapidly. Notably, our analyses show no association between zygosity and class assignment.ConclusionsOur study provides evidence for a more substantial impact of environmental, rather than genetic, influences on cognitive change trajectories in later life.
Impact of COVID-19 Confinement on Alcohol Purchases in Great Britain: Controlled Interrupted Time-Series Analysis During the First Half of 2020 Compared With 2015–2018
Authors: Anderson Peter , Llopis Eva Jané , O’Donnell Amy , Kaner Eileen 
Published: October 2020

Abstract

Aims
To investigate if COVID-19 confinement led to excess alcohol purchases by British households.

Methods
We undertake controlled interrupted time series analysis of the impact of COVID-19 confinement introduced on 26 March 2020, using purchase data from Kantar Worldpanel’s of 23,833 British households during January to early July 2020, compared with 53,428 British households for the same time period during 2015–2018.

Results
Excess purchases due to confinement during 2020 were 178 g of alcohol per 100 households per day (adjusted for numbers of adults in each household) above an expected base of 438 g based on averaged 2015–2018 data, representing a 40.6% increase. However, when adjusting for expected normal purchases from on-licenced premises (i.e. bars, restaurants, etc.), there was evidence for no excess purchases of grams of alcohol (a 0.7% increase). With these adjustments, beer purchases dropped by 40%, wine purchases increased by 15% and spirits purchases by 22%. Excess purchases increased the richer the household and the lower the age of the main shopper. Confinement was associated with a shift in purchases from lower to higher strength beers.

Conclusion
During the COVID-19 confinement, the evidence suggests that households did not buy more alcohol for the expected time of the year, when adjusting for what they normally would have purchased from on-licenced premises.
A review of COVID-19 biomarkers and drug targets: resources and tools
Authors: Caruso Francesca P , Scala Giovanni , Cerulo Luigi , Ceccarelli Michele 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe stratification of patients at risk of progression of COVID-19 and their molecular characterization is of extreme importance to optimize treatment and to identify therapeutic options. The bioinformatics community has responded to the outbreak emergency with a set of tools and resource to identify biomarkers and drug targets that we review here. Starting from a consolidated corpus of 27 570 papers, we adopt latent Dirichlet analysis to extract relevant topics and select those associated with computational methods for biomarker identification and drug repurposing. The selected topics span from machine learning and artificial intelligence for disease characterization to vaccine development and to therapeutic target identification. Although the way to go for the ultimate defeat of the pandemic is still long, the amount of knowledge, data and tools generated so far constitutes an unprecedented example of global cooperation to this threat.
Simulating intervertebral disc cell behaviour within 3D multifactorial environments
Authors: Baumgartner L , Reagh J J , González Ballester M A , Noailly J 
Published: October 2020

Abstract

Motivation
Low back pain is responsible for more global disability than any other condition. Its incidence is closely related to intervertebral disc (IVD) failure, which is likely caused by an accumulation of microtrauma within the IVD. Crucial factors in microtrauma development are not entirely known yet, probably because their exploration in vivo or in vitro remains tremendously challenging. In silico modelling is, therefore, definitively appealing, and shall include approaches to integrate influences of multiple cell stimuli at the microscale. Accordingly, this study introduces a hybrid Agent-based (AB) model in IVD research and exploits network modelling solutions in systems biology to mimic the cellular behaviour of Nucleus Pulposus cells exposed to a 3D multifactorial biochemical environment, based on mathematical integrations of existing experimental knowledge. Cellular activity reflected by mRNA expression of Aggrecan, Collagen type I, Collagen type II, MMP-3 and ADAMTS were calculated for inflamed and non-inflamed cells. mRNA expression over long periods of time is additionally determined including cell viability estimations. Model predictions were eventually validated with independent experimental data.

Results
As it combines experimental data to simulate cell behaviour exposed to a multifactorial environment, the present methodology was able to reproduce cell death within 3 days under glucose deprivation and a 50% decrease in cell viability after 7 days in an acidic environment. Cellular mRNA expression under non-inflamed conditions simulated a quantifiable catabolic shift under an adverse cell environment, and model predictions of mRNA expression of inflamed cells provide new explanation possibilities for unexpected results achieved in experimental research.

Availabilityand implementation
The AB model as well as used mathematical functions were built with open source software. Final functions implemented in the AB model and complete AB model parameters are provided as Supplementary Material. Experimental input and validation data were provided through referenced, published papers. The code corresponding to the model can be shared upon request and shall be reused after proper training.

Supplementary information
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Gender Equality and Public Policy during COVID-19
Authors: Profeta Paola 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 has affected men and women worldwide. The gender dimension of COVID-19 has attracted the attention of researchers and policymakers: while women seem to be less severely hit by the virus and are more compliant with the restricting rules imposed to reduce the spread of the contagion, they risk to suffer more the economic consequences of the pandemic, because they are more vulnerable on the labor market and because they are carrying on most of the burden of housework and childcare which increased substantially during the lockdown. Public policies are required to address the emergency and to deal with its gender implications. Anecdotal evidence suggests that women leaders have performed better than men in dealing with the emergency. This paper explores the evidence on the gender dimension of the pandemic under a new perspective proposed by Profeta (2020), focused on the double relationship between gender equality and public policy: on one side, I show which policies can support gender equality in times of COVID-19 and, on the other side, I explore whether women leadership can promote successful measures. While the evidence provided is only suggestive, future studies should assess causal relationships. (JEL codes: J16 and J18)
Determination of Trace Bromate in Drinking Water with High Chloride Matrix by Cyclic Ion Chromatography
Authors: Ye Mingli , Nesterenko Pavel N , Lu Ying , Huang Xueting , Jin Xiaoling , Chen Meilan 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
An ion chromatography (IC) system with switching recycling column was developed for the determination of bromate in drinking water with high chloride content. The system included a pump, two switching valves, guard column and analytical column, suppressor and a conductivity detector. In this method, the single eluent was used for both online collection and matrix elimination, and bromate was eluted from the concentrator column to the analytical column circularly. Under the optimized separation conditions, the method showed good linearity (r = 0.9995) in the range of 1–100 μg/L and repeatability (RSD ≤ 4.80%, n = 6). The limit of detection was 0.2 μg/L (S/N = 3) with 1000 μL sample volume injections. The method was applied to analysis of drinking and tap waters, and satisfactory recoveries of spiked samples between 96.8% and 108.7% were obtained. The result showed that the recycling column-switching system can be useful for the determination of traces of bromate in high-chloride samples, which is required in production of the drinking water and quality control of the final product.
Determination of Verapamil Hydrochloride and Norverapamil Hydrochloride in Rat Plasma by Capillary Electrophoresis With End-Column Electrochemiluminescence Detection and Their Pharmacokinetics Study
Authors: Sun Shuangjiao , Wei Yanfen , Wang Hao , Tang Lifu , Deng Biyang 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
In this study, we developed a new method for simultaneous determination of verapamil hydrochloride (VerHCl) and its metabolite norverapamil hydrochloride (NorHCl) by using the capillary electrophoresis–electrochemiluminescence. Under optimized experimental conditions, the linear ranges of the VerHCl and NorHCl concentrations were 0.015–10.0 and 0.060–10.0 μg/mL, respectively. The linearity relations were determined using the respective regression equations y = 581.2x + 19.94 and y = 339.4x + 29.16. The respective limits of detection (S/N = 3) were 0.006 and 0.024 μg/mL. The proposed method was used to study the pharmacokinetics of both agents in rat plasma. The maximum concentration (Cmax), half-life time (T1/2) and time to peak (Tmax) were 683.21 ± 74.81 ng/mL, 0.52 ± 0.21 h and 2.49 ± 0.32 h for VerHCl and 698.42 ± 71.45 ng/mL, 1.14 ± 0.26 h and 2.83 ± 0.23 h for NorHCl, respectively, following oral administration of 10 mg/kg VerHCl.
Dose-response Relation Deduced for Coronaviruses From Coronavirus Disease 2019, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome: Meta-analysis Results and its Application for Infection Risk Assessment of Aerosol Transmission
Authors: Zhang Xiaole , Wang Jing 
Published: October 2020

Abstract

Background
A comprehensive understanding of the transmission routes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is of great importance to effectively control the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the fundamental dose-response relation is missing for evaluation of the infection risk.

Methods
We developed a simple framework to integrate the a priori dose-response relation for SARS-CoV-2 based on mice experiments, the recent data on infection risk from a meta-analysis, and respiratory virus shedding in exhaled breath to shed light on the dose-response relation for humans. The aerosol transmission infection risk was evaluated based on the dose-response model for a typical indoor environment.

Results
The developed dose-response relation is an exponential function with a constant k in the range of about 6.4 × 104 to 9.8 × 105 virus copies, which means that the infection risk caused by 1 virus copy in viral shedding is on the order of 10–6 to 10–5. The median infection risk via aerosol transmission with 1-hour exposure (10–6 to 10–4) was significantly lower than the risk caused by close contact (10–1) in a room with an area of 10 to 400 m2 with 1 infected individual in it and with a typical ventilation rate of 1 air change per hour.

Conclusions
The infection risk caused by aerosol transmission was significantly lower than the risk caused by close contact. It is still necessary to be cautious for the potential aerosol transmission risk in small rooms with prolonged exposure duration.
Fabry disease and COVID-19: international expert recommendations for management based on real-world experience
Authors: Laney Dawn A , Germain Dominique P , Oliveira João Paulo , Burlina Alessandro P , Cabrera Gustavo Horacio , Hong Geu-Ru , Hopkin Robert J , Niu Dau-Ming , Thomas Mark , Trimarchi Hernán , Wilcox William R , Politei Juan Manuel , Ortiz Alberto 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
The rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has raised questions about Fabry disease (FD) as an independent risk factor for severe COVID-19 symptoms. Available real-world data on 22 patients from an international group of healthcare providers reveals that most patients with FD experience mild-to-moderate COVID-19 symptoms with an additional complication of Fabry pain crises and transient worsening of kidney function in some cases; however, two patients over the age of 55 years with renal or cardiac disease experienced critical COVID-19 complications. These outcomes support the theory that pre-existent tissue injury and inflammation may predispose patients with more advanced FD to a more severe course of COVID-19, while less advanced FD patients do not appear to be more susceptible than the general population. Given these observed risk factors, it is best to reinforce all recommended safety precautions for individuals with advanced FD. Diagnosis of FD should not preclude providing full therapeutic and organ support as needed for patients with FD and severe or critical COVID-19, although a FD-specific safety profile review should always be conducted prior to initiating COVID-19-specific therapies. Continued specific FD therapy with enzyme replacement therapy, chaperone therapy, dialysis, renin–angiotensin blockers or participation to clinical trials during the pandemic is recommended as FD progression will only increase susceptibility to infection. In order to compile outcome data and inform best practices, an international registry for patients affected by Fabry and infected by COVID-19 should be established.
On the transaction dynamics of the Ethereum-based cryptocurrency
Authors: Zanelatto Gavião Mascarenhas Juliana , Ziviani Artur , Wehmuth Klaus , Vieira Alex Borges 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Distributed blockchain-based consensus platforms have witnessed steady growth in recent years. In special, cryptocurrency is one of the main applications of the blockchain technology. Despite the recent interest in blockchain, we still lack in-depth analysis of systems that use such a technology. In fact, most of the existing works focus on Bitcoin. Moreover, blockchain-based cryptocurrency systems are highly dynamic. Their internal mechanisms and consensus algorithms evolve over time. Users also change their interests in a given platform, which in turn, reflect their behaviour. In this article, we model the Ethereum-based cryptocurrency transaction network, a more recent blockchain platform that is gaining a significant share in the cryptocurrency market. We model the transactions of Ethereum as a complex system, representing this complex system as a time-varying graph. Our model and the analysis we conduct rely on a 3-year dataset of Ethereum-based cryptocurrency transactions, comprising more than 38 million users (i.e. unique wallet addresses) and almost 300 million transactions. We analyse the evolution of users and transactions over time. Our study also highlights the centralization tendency of the transaction network on both user and time aspects. Finally, we also analyse the formation of communities and the evolution of connected components considering the dynamics of the Ethereum-based cryptocurrency transaction network.