bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of squatting on selected cardiovascular parameters among college students
Authors: Chukwuemeka Uchechukwu M. , Benjamin Chimdindu P. , Uchenwoke Chigozie I. , Okonkwo Uchenna P. , Anakor Anthony C. , Ede Stephen S. , Fabunmi Ayodeji A. , Amaechi Ifeoma A. , Akobundu Uzoamaka N. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractSquatting is an active posture test used in assessing baroreflex sensitivity, and the array of patients a physiotherapist handles may benefit from this test to avoid the adverse effects of exercise. Therefore, this study is designed to evaluate the effect of squatting on heart rate and blood pressure among undergraduate students. 35 males (mean age = 22.94 ± 1.846) and 40 females (mean age = 22.28 ± 2.075) participated in this experimental study. Demographic data and baseline cardiovascular parameters (blood pressure and heart rate) were taken before exercise. The exercise protocol, the squatting stress test, was done for 2 min, after which post-exercise blood pressure and heart rate were taken at one minute each. A repeated measure ANOVA and independent t-test were used to analyse the difference at the 0.05 alpha level. It was found that there was a significant difference between pre-exercise in lying and squatting post-exercise blood pressure and heart rate in the first and second minutes (p < 0.01), pre-exercise in lying and standing post-exercise blood pressure and heart rate in the first and second minutes (p < 0.01), pre-exercise in standing and standing post-exercise blood pressure and heart rate in the first and second minutes (p < 0.01), and pre-exercise in standing and squatting post-exercise blood pressure and heart rate in the first and second minutes (p < 0.01). Also, there was a significant difference in pre-exercise heart rate between lying and standing (p < 0.05) and not between the first minute and second minute post-squatting or standing exercise systolic blood pressure (p = 0.588) or diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.22–1). In conclusion, squatting trials among undergraduates revealed some statistically significant changes, especially between the cardiopulmonary parameters obtained in a standing position compared to lying and those measured after one minute. Therefore, caution should be observed when administering exercises that require changes in posture.
Motor oscillations reveal new correlates of error processing in the human brain
Authors: Yordanova Juliana , Falkenstein Michael , Kolev Vasil 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIt has been demonstrated that during motor responses, the activation of the motor cortical regions emerges in close association with the activation of the medial frontal cortex implicated with performance monitoring and cognitive control. The present study explored the oscillatory neurodynamics of response-related potentials during correct and error responses to test the hypothesis that such continuous communication would modify the characteristics of motor potentials during performance errors. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded at 64 electrodes in a four-choice reaction task and response-related potentials (RRPs) of correct and error responses were analysed. Oscillatory RRP components at extended motor areas were analysed in the theta (3.5–7 Hz) and delta (1–3 Hz) frequency bands with respect to power, temporal synchronization (phase-locking factor, PLF), and spatial synchronization (phase-locking value, PLV). Major results demonstrated that motor oscillations differed between correct and error responses. Error-related changes (1) were frequency-specific, engaging delta and theta frequency bands, (2) emerged already before response production, and (3) had specific regional topographies at posterior sensorimotor and anterior (premotor and medial frontal) areas. Specifically, the connectedness of motor and sensorimotor areas contra-lateral to the response supported by delta networks was substantially reduced during errors. Also, there was an error-related suppression of the phase stability of delta and theta oscillations at these areas. This synchronization reduction was accompanied by increased temporal synchronization of motor theta oscillations at bi-lateral premotor regions and by two distinctive error-related effects at medial frontal regions: (1) a focused fronto-central enhancement of theta power and (2) a separable enhancement of the temporal synchronization of delta oscillations with a localized medial frontal focus. Together, these observations indicate that the electrophysiological signatures of performance errors are not limited to the medial frontal signals, but they also involve the dynamics of oscillatory motor networks at extended cortical regions generating the movement. Also, they provide a more detailed picture of the medial frontal processes activated in relation to error processing.
Noise annoyance and cardiovascular disease risk: results from a 10-year follow-up study
Authors: Hahad Omar , Gilan Donya , Michal Matthias , Tüscher Oliver , Chalabi Julian , Schuster Alexander K. , Keller Karsten , Hobohm Lukas , Schmitt Volker H. , König Jochem , Lackner Karl J. , Wild Philipp , Schattenberg Jörn M. , Daiber Andreas , Münzel Thomas 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe relationship between noise annoyance and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) still needs to be fully elucidated. Thus, we examined the relationship between noise annoyance and CVD risk in a large population-based cohort study. Cross-sectional (N = 15,010, aged 35–74 years, baseline investigation period 2007–2012) and prospective data (5- and 10-year follow-up from 2012 to 2022) from the Gutenberg Health Study were used to examine the relationship between noise annoyance due to different sources and risk of prevalent and incident CVD comprising atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, chronic heart failure, peripheral artery disease, and venous thromboembolism. In cross-sectional analyses, noise annoyance was an independent risk factor for prevalent CVD, with the strongest associations seen for noise annoyance during sleep (e.g., neighborhood noise annoyance: odds ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.13–1.27, p < 0.0001). While in the 10-year follow-up, mostly positive associations (although not significant) between noise annoyance and incident CVD were observed, no indication of increased CVD risk was observed after 5 years of follow-up. Noise annoyance due to different sources was associated with prevalent CVD, whereas only weak associations with incident CVD were found. Further large-scale studies are needed to establish the relationship between noise annoyance and risk of CVD.
No evidence of attentional prioritization for threatening targets in visual search
Authors: Zsido Andras N. , Hout Michael C. , Hernandez Marko , White Bryan , Polák Jakub , Kiss Botond L. , Godwin Hayward J. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThroughout human evolutionary history, snakes have been associated with danger and threat. Research has shown that snakes are prioritized by our attentional system, despite many of us rarely encountering them in our daily lives. We conducted two high-powered, pre-registered experiments (total N = 224) manipulating target prevalence to understand this heightened prioritization of threatening targets. Target prevalence refers to the proportion of trials wherein a target is presented; reductions in prevalence consistently reduce the likelihood that targets will be found. We reasoned that snake targets in visual search should experience weaker effects of low target prevalence compared to non-threatening targets (rabbits) because they should be prioritized by searchers despite appearing rarely. In both experiments, we found evidence of classic prevalence effects but (contrasting prior work) we also found that search for threatening targets was slower and less accurate than for nonthreatening targets. This surprising result is possibly due to methodological issues common in prior studies, including comparatively smaller sample sizes, fewer trials, and a tendency to exclusively examine conditions of relatively high prevalence. Our findings call into question accounts of threat prioritization and suggest that prior attention findings may be constrained to a narrow range of circumstances.
Pore-scale physics of ice melting within unconsolidated porous media revealed by non-destructive magnetic resonance characterization
Authors: Haile Natnael , Sajjad Muhammad , Zhang Yadong , AlAmoodi Nahla , AlMarzooqi Faisal , Zhang TieJun 
Published: March 2024

AbstractMelting of ice in porous media widely exists in energy and environment applications as well as extraterrestrial water resource utilization. In order to characterize the ice-water phase transition within complicated opaque porous media, we employ the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and imaging (MRI) approaches. Transient distributions of transverse relaxation timeT2from NMR enable us to reveal the substantial role of inherent throat and pore confinements in ice melting among porous media. More importantly, the increase in minimumT2provides new findings on how the confinement between ice crystal and particle surface evolves inside the pore. For porous media with negligible gravity effect, both the changes in NMR-determined melting rate and our theoretical analysis of melting front confirm that conduction is the dominant heat transfer mode. The evolution of mushy melting front and 3D spatial distribution of water content are directly visualized by a stack of temporal cross-section images from MRI, in consistency with the corresponding NMR results. For heterogeneous porous media like lunar regolith simulant, theT2distribution shows two distinct pore size distributions with different pore-scale melting dynamics, and its maximumT2keeps increasing till the end of melting process instead of reaching steady in homogeneous porous media.
Treatment outcome and survival status among adult patients treated for lupus nephritis in selected tertiary hospitals of Ethiopia
Authors: Aliyi Oumer , Worku Berhanu , Hassen Minimize , Muhammed Oumer Sada 
Published: March 2024

AbstractLupus nephritis (LN) is kidney involvement of systematic lupus erythematous that ranges from mild to severe and occurs in 60% of adult patients. Despite advances in therapy, LN morbidity and mortality remains high. There is a paucity of data regarding adult LN patient's treatment outcome, survival status, and associated factors in developing countries, particularly in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the treatment outcome, survival status, and associated factors of adult patients treated for LN in two selected tertiary hospitals [Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) and St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC)] of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted from January 1, 2016 to January 1, 2021. Socio-demographic, clinical, and treatment-related data were collected from patient’s medical records by using a structured abstraction checklist. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the quantitative data as appropriate. The modified Aspreva Lupus Management Study (mALMS) criteria was applied to categorize LN treatment outcomes into complete, partial, and non-response. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of LN treatment outcome. Patients’ survival was estimated by using Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportion regression analysis. P value < 0.05 was considered to declare statistical significance. A total of 200 LN patients were included in the final analysis. Amongst these, the majority of them (91.5%) were females. The median age of the patients was 28 (15–60) years. The mean duration of treatment follow-up was 28 months. The commonly prescribed immunosuppressive drugs during both the induction (49.5%) and maintenance (60%) phases were a combination of mycophenolate mofetil with prednisolone. Complete, partial, and non-responses at the last follow-up visit accounted for 66.5%, 18.0%, and 15.5%, respectively. Patient survival at the last follow-up visit was more than 90% for patients with complete response to the induction therapy. Non-response at the last follow-up visit was significantly associated with severe disease activity index (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 6.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.49–26.10), presence of comorbidity (AOR = 0.21, 95% CI 0.05–0.92), baseline leucopenia (AOR = 14.2, 95% CI 1.04–201.3), partial response at the end of induction therapy (AOR = 32.63, 95% CI 1.4–736.0), and duration of induction therapy of greater than 6 months (AOR = 19.47, 95% CI 1.5–258.8). This study unveiled that lower numbers of LN patients were presented with non-response at the last follow-up visit and non-response to induction therapy was associated with lower patients’ survival rates compared with complete or partial response.
The effects of physical activity on sleep architecture and mood in naturalistic environments
Authors: Zapalac Kennedy , Miller Melissa , Champagne Frances A. , Schnyer David M. , Baird Benjamin 
Published: March 2024

AbstractPhysical activity has been found to alter sleep architecture, but these effects have been studied predominantly in the laboratory and the generalizability of these findings to naturalistic environments and longer time intervals, as well as their psychological effects, have not been evaluated. Recent technological advancements in wearable devices have made it possible to capture detailed measures of sleep outside the lab, including timing of specific sleep stages. In the current study, we utilized photoplethysmography coupled with accelerometers and smartphone ambulatory assessment to collect daily measurements of sleep, physical activity and mood in a sample of N = 82 over multi-month data collection intervals. We found a robust inverse relationship between sedentary behavior and physical activity and sleep architecture: both low-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were associated with increased NREM sleep and decreased REM sleep, as well as a longer REM latency, while higher levels of sedentary behavior showed the opposite pattern. A decreased REM/NREM ratio and increased REM latency were in turn associated with improved wellbeing, including increased energy, reduced stress and enhanced perceived restfulness of sleep. Our results suggest that physical activity and sleep account for unique variance in a person’s mood, suggesting that these effects are at least partially independent.
The stability issue of fractured rock mass slope under the influences of freeze–thaw cycle
Authors: Liu Naifei , Yang Yinliang , Li Ning , Liang Shihao , Liu Hua , Li Cheng 
Published: March 2024

AbstractFreeze–thaw failure of frozen rock slope often occurs during engineering construction and mining in cold area, which poses a great threat to engineering construction and people's life safety. The properties of rock mass in cold region will change with the periodic change of temperature, which makes it difficult to accurately evaluate the stability of slope under the action of freeze–thaw cycle by conventional methods. Based on field investigation and literature review, this paper discusses the characteristics of frozen rock mass and the failure mechanism of frozen rock slope, and gives the types and failure modes of frozen rock slope. Then, the research status of frozen rock slope is analyzed. It is pointed out that the failure of frozen rock slope is the result of thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupling. It is considered that freeze–thaw cycle, rainfall infiltration and fracture propagation have significant effects on the stability of frozen rock slope, and numerical simulation is used to demonstrate. The research shows that the safety factor of frozen rock slope changes dynamically with the surface temperature, and the safety factor of slope decreases year by year with the increase of freeze–thaw cycles, and the fracture expansion will significantly reduce the safety factor. Based on the above knowledge, a time-varying evaluation method of frozen rock slope stability based on THM coupling theory is proposed. This paper can deepen scholars' understanding of rock fracture slope in cold area and promote related research work.
Structural design and dynamic characteristics analysis of braided composite two-stage gear transmission system
Authors: Zhang Weiliang 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIn order to realize the lightweight design of the transmission system, the braided composite material is applied to the two-stage gear transmission system. According to the structural characteristics of the two-stage gear reducer box, the whole box is designed to be assembled with the braided base and the box wall. Woven composite materials are applied to the web parts of mixed metal composite gears to realize the design goal of lightweight gears. Then, under the assumption of ignoring the influence of friction, bearings and other factors on the system, the dynamic model of the two-stage gear transmission system considering the box is established. By normalizing and dimensionless processing of the equations, the dimensionless differential equations of motion are obtained. The fourth-order Runge–Kutta method is used to analyze the relationship between the connection parameters and the dynamic characteristics of the system under the two working conditions of rigid and flexible connection between the composite base and the box wall.Through the analytical analysis of vibration displacement of two-stage gear reducer and box, the theoretical basis is found for the numerical analysis results. Finally, the dynamic characteristics of the transmission system are studied by vibration resonance analysis through high and low frequency interference. It is found that in a certain frequency range, with the decrease of the mass and moment of inertia of the transmission parts corresponding to the mixed metal composite gear, the amplitude-frequency characteristic Q of the lightweight gear and gearbox transmission system is slightly lower than that of the common gear and gearbox system, and the stability of the system is increased, and the dynamic characteristics of the system are improved.
DOA estimation based on sparse Bayesian learning with moving synthetic virtual array
Authors: Zhu Chao , Deng Zhenmiao 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIn scenarios with constrained physical aperture sizes, aiming to enhance the resolution and accuracy of Direction of Arrival (DOA) estimation, this paper proposes a novel approach that integrates a moving synthetic virtual array with Sparse Bayesian Learning (SBL) for DOA estimation. Initially, a virtual array is constructed based on the motion characteristics of the target. Subsequently, the SBL method is employed to estimate the DOA of the target. Simulation experiments validate the effectiveness of this approach, demonstrating comparable DOA estimation performance to synthetic aperture methods with larger aperture sizes, even in situations with limited aperture expansion. Furthermore, under constant virtual aperture expansion, this method surpasses non‐SBL methods regarding DOA resolution.
IDR: Intent‐driven routing strategy for reliable and cost‐effective multicasting in airborne tactical networks
Authors: Pan Ying , Lyu Na , Yang Chungang 
Published: March 2024

AbstractTraditional multicast routing strategies can hardly meet the demanding requirements of multicasting mission assignment messages in airborne tactical networks. This letter proposes an intent‐driven routing strategy, termed as IDR, to realize reliable and efficient multicast. IDR exploits bit index explicit replication technique to encode not only the destination information but also the retransmission information into packet headers. If part of the multicast members failed to receive the packet, IDR can perceive the error and retransmit the packet to the precise set of nodes. Compared to the state‐of‐the‐art reliable multicast routing methods, IDR can enhance multicast retransmission success rate by about 10% or more and reduce retransmission overhead by around 50%.
Iron loss calculation model of high‐voltage multi‐pole asynchronous motors considering high harmonic flux density
Authors: Xiao Shiyong , Xue Lizhu , Qi Shuai , Zhang Weihao 
Published: March 2024

AbstractA variable coefficient segmented iron loss calculation model is proposed for high‐voltage multi‐pole asynchronous motors, which fully considers the influence of high‐order harmonic magnetic density on such motors. This model introduces additional hysteresis loss, improved eddy current loss coefficients, and rotation magnetisation coefficients to account for changes in losses due to small hysteresis loops and skin effect, as well as rotation magnetisation losses. A 710 kW 10‐pole asynchronous motor is used as the research object. A full‐domain iron loss calculation model considering stator and rotor tooth top surface losses is developed. The model can be used to accurately calculate the overall and local harmonic iron losses in the stator and rotor cores of high‐voltage multi‐pole asynchronous motors. And quantitatively analyse the distribution pattern of any harmonic iron loss at any location in the motor core. It realises the refinement calculation and analysis of iron losses in the whole domain of high‐voltage multi‐pole asynchronous motor. Finally, no‐load and load tests were conducted on the 710 kW 10‐pole asynchronous motor. The iron losses of the 710 kW 10‐pole asynchronous motor at no load and load are calculated using the above mentioned model and the classical trinomial constant factor model. The results are compared with the measured iron loss values. It is proved that the iron loss model is more accurate in calculating the iron loss of high‐voltage multi‐pole asynchronous motor. The result helps researchers to calculate the iron loss distribution of high voltage motors more accurately. Thus, the design and operating parameters of the motor can be optimised to improve the efficiency and performance of the motor. It provides the necessary technical support and key basis for the reduction of loss and energy saving of high‐voltage motors and the optimisation of their core structure.
Quad‐active‐bridge converter with flexible power flow based on LC series resonance decoupling for renewable energy charging stations
Authors: Xia Nenghong , Mao Xike , Yan Shuang , Ma Huaqi , Chen Mengqi 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIntegration of photovoltaic panels (PV) with electric vehicle (EV) charging stations could reduce the grid impact and carbon footprint from the extensive fast and ultra‐fast charging. This paper introduces a decoupled quad‐active‐bridge converter (QAB) with multi‐directional power flow capability, which can integrate PV, energy storage (ES), grid, and EV in a charging station and rule the power among them. As the number of ports increases in the multiple‐active‐bridge converter, the complexity of control increases exponentially because of power decoupling. For the QAB, by tuning one port in series with LC units, the decoupling is achieved between the other three ports, reducing the control difficulty significantly. Further, the resonance decoupling method is extended to the n‐port converter. For different power flows, the system automatically switches between different resonance modes to form higher‐efficiency power flow channels. Three operating modes with decoupled closed‐loop control methods have been constructed for the QAB to be suitable for future charging stations: (1) Charging mode: PV, ES, and grid coordinate with each other to provide incessant and stable charging for EV. (2) Electricity sales mode: Gird is supplied by PV, ES, and EV flexibly. (3) Under no load, PV power is stored locally. Experimental waveforms were presented by a 1‐kW prototype, verifying the effectiveness of power decoupling and the feasibility of the three operating modes.