We develop a mathematical model to provide epidemic predictions for the COVID-19 epidemic in Wuhan, China. We use reported case data up to 31 January 2020 from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission to parameterize the model. From the parameterized model, we identify the number of unreported cases. We then use the model to project the epidemic forward with varying levels of public health interventions. The model predictions emphasize the importance of major public health interventions in controlling COVID-19 epidemics. Full article

In this work, accumulative pack-roll bonding successfully manufactured the Ni/Ti/Nb multilayer composite. The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the composite during the accumulative roll bonding (ARB) process were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), micro-hardness test, and tensile tests. The results showed that the deformation of each layer was relatively uniform in the initial stage of the ARB process. After the fourth pass, the Ni/Ti interface was still relatively straight, while the Ti/Nb interface was unevenly deformed. After the fourth pass, the microstructure of the Ni layer was equiaxed grains with a decreased grain size of 200 nm, and finer equiaxed grains were observed at the interface. No dynamic recrystallization occurred in the Ti and Nb layers. The laminar structure of the Nb layer was observed, and the grains were oriented parallel to the rolling direction. Moreover, the tensile strength and micro-hardness significantly increased as the number of ARB increased. After five passes of the ARB process, the tensile strength of the composite reached 792.3 MPa, and the micro-hardness of Ni, Ti, and Nb were increased to 270.2, 307.4, and 243.4 HV, respectively. Full article

A rosebengal-modified nanoporous structure was designed and constructed. This composite structure consisted of an organic sensitizer based on rosebengal and a supporting host of rare earth metal-organic-framework (MOF). It was identified by means of its x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, Infrared (IR) spectra, thermal stability and photophysical measurements. Its absorption was increased by 2,4,6-trinitrophenol. Its rosebengal emission was proportionally increased. But its rare earth emission was well-preserved, offering ratiometric signals. These two sensing modes exhibited linear response and good selectivity with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.9 μM. Its sensing nature was confirmed as the combination of increased rosebengal emission and rare earth emission quenching effect triggered electron-deficient molecules. This nanoporous structure was superior to traditional ones owing to its double sensing modes. Full article

Adenosine -5′-triphosphate (ATP) plays a valuable role in metabolic activity to produce adequate energy in a biosystem. A high ATP/AMP ratio has a correlation with diabetes that induces suppression of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)–mass spectrometry (MS) has outstanding potential in determining the ratio of several types of adenosine phosphates in a sample to rapidly understand the primary energy transfer in metabolism. Although MALDI is viewed as a soft ionization technique for MS analysis, excess photon energy might crack the phosphate bonds leading to misinterpretation of the ATP level. In this work, ionic liquid matrices (ILMs) were employed to reduce fragmentation and increase the detection efficiency during the MALDI process. This study demonstrated for the first time that 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid pyridine (DHBP) is one of the most effective matrices for further quantitative analysis of adenosine nucleotides. This systematic screening of ILMs also enhances the fundamental understanding of MALDI. Full article

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of death worldwide, and aging is its leading risk factor. Aging is much accelerated in Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), an ultra-rare genetic disorder provoked by the ubiquitous expression of a mutant protein called progerin. HGPS patients die in their teens, primarily due to cardiovascular complications. The primary causes of age-associated CVD are endothelial dysfunction and dysregulated vascular tone; however, their contribution to progerin-induced CVD remains poorly characterized. In the present study, we found that progeroid Lmna^G609G/G609G mice with ubiquitous progerin expression show both endothelial dysfunction and severe contractile impairment. To assess the relative contribution of specific vascular cell types to these anomalies, we examined Lmna^LCS/LCSTie2Cre^tg/+ and Lmna^LCS/LCSSm22αCre^tg/+ mice, which express progerin specifically in endothelial cells (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), respectively. Whereas vessel contraction was impaired in mice with VSMC-specific progerin expression, we observed no endothelial dysfunction in mice with progerin expression restricted to VSMCs or ECs. Vascular tone regulation in progeroid mice was ameliorated by dietary sodium nitrite supplementation. Our results identify VSMCs as the main cell type causing contractile impairment in a mouse model of HGPS that is ameliorated by nitrite treatment. Full article

Diabetic nephropathy, a devastating consequence of diabetes mellitus, is characterized by the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) that disrupts the kidney’s filtration apparatus. Elevated glucose levels increase the deposition of a fibronectin (FN) matrix by mesangial cells, the primary matrix-producing cells of the kidney, and also increase acetyl-CoA leading to higher levels of lysine acetylation. Here, we investigated the connection between acetylation and the ECM and show that treatment of mesangial cells with deacetylase inhibitors increases both acetylation and FN matrix assembly compared to untreated cells. The matrix effects were linked to lysine 794 (K794) in the β1 integrin cytoplasmic domain based on studies of cells expressing acetylated (K794Q) and non-acetylated (K794R) mimetics. β1(K794Q) cells assembled significantly more FN matrix than wildtype β1 cells, while the non-acetylated β1(K794R) form was inactive. We show that mutation of K794 affects FN assembly by stimulating integrin-FN binding activity and cell contractility. Wildtype and β1(K794Q) cells but not β1(K794R) cells further increased their FN matrix when stimulated with deacetylase inhibitors indicating that increased acetylation on other proteins is required for maximum FN assembly. Thus, lysine acetylation provides a mechanism for glucose-induced fibrosis by up-regulation of FN matrix assembly. Full article

Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) essential for human nutrition are mostly obtained from wild-caught fish. To sustain the LC-PUFA supply from natural populations, one needs to know how environmental and intrinsic factors affect fish fatty acid (FA) profiles and contents. We studied seven Salmoniformes species from two arctic lakes. We aimed to estimate differences in the FA composition of total lipids and two major lipid classes, polar lipids (PL) and triacylglycerols (TAG), among the species and to evaluate LC-PUFA contents corresponding to PL and TAG in muscles. Fatty acid profiles of PL and TAG in all species were characterized by the prevalence of omega-3 LC-PUFA and C16-C18 monoenoic FA, respectively. Fish with similar feeding spectra were identified similarly in multivariate analyses of total lipids, TAG and PL, due to differences in levels of mostly the same FA. Thus, the suitability of both TAG and total lipids for the identification of the feeding spectra of fish was confirmed. All species had similar content of LC-PUFA esterified as PL, 1.9–3.5 mg g⁻¹, while the content of the TAG form strongly varied, from 0.9 to 9.8 mg g⁻¹. The LC-PUFA-rich fish species accumulated these valuable compounds predominately in the TAG form. Full article

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of the pre- treatment C-reactive protein (CRP) level in a cohort of 503 patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer treated at a tertiary academic center between 2000 and 2017. Cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS) and loco-regional control (LC) were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. To evaluate the prognostic value of the CRP level for the clinical endpoints, univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were applied. The median follow-up period was 61 months. Patients were divided into elevated CRP (≥5 mg/L) and normal CRP groups, according to pre-treatment plasma levels. An increased CRP level was significantly associated with shorter CSS (p < 0.001, log-rank test), as well as with shorter OS (p < 0.001, log-rank test) and loco-regional control (p = 0.001, log-rank test). In addition, multivariate analysis identified CRP as an independent predictor for CSS (hazard ratio (HR) 1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08–2.35; p = 0.020) as well as for OS (HR 1.62, 95%CI 1.17–2.24; p = 0.004) and LC (HR 1.50, 95%CI 1.06–2.14; p = 0.023). In subgroup analysis, Kaplan Meier curves revealed that an elevated pre-treatment CRP level was a consistent prognostic factor for poor CSS (p = 0.003, log-rank test), OS (p = 0.001, log-rank test), and LC (p = 0.028, log-rank test) in patients treated with definitive (chemo-) radiotherapy, whereas a significant association in patients undergoing surgery and postoperative radiotherapy was not detected. The pre-treatment CRP level seems to represent a prognostic factor for CSS, OS, and LC in patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer, particularly in those treated with definitive (chemo-) radiotherapy. Additional large-scale prospective studies are warranted to confirm and extend our findings. Full article

In this paper, we proposed an enhanced path planning strategy for sweeper robots, which were created for the curling Olympic games. The main task for the multi-robot system is to clean the ice surface making a smooth path for a curling stone. The sweeping robots should have a motion planning on how to follow the curling stone slide and to prevent any collisions. In order to find the next position of the sweeping robot, it needs to establish the current position and to compute the next position of the curling stone. The initial and goal points of the sweeping robots are found and set up based on the simulation results from the main server. While the curling stone moves, the sweeping robots measure its position and adjust their motions according to the stone position trajectory. If the distance between the current and the next positions of a curling stone exceeds the threshold value, the sweeping robots should activate the sweeping mechanism preventing collisions with the stone. Since the estimation of the sweeping robot motion solely depends on the stone’s trajectory, the accumulation of errors is undesirable. Thus, the stone trajectory should be recalculated in a certain time step using the trend-adjusted exponential smoothing method. Then, the formation of the sweeping robot system can be calibrated according to the stone path computation. The obtained experimental results proved the efficiency of the proposed path planning method. Full article

In range-Doppler ultrasound applications, the velocity of a target can be measured by transmitting a mechanical wave, and by evaluating the Doppler shift present on the received echo. Unfortunately, detecting the Doppler shift from the received Doppler spectrum is not a trivial task, and several complex estimators, with different features and performance, have been proposed in the literature for achieving this goal. In several real-time applications, hundreds of thousands of velocity estimates must be produced per second, and not all of the proposed estimators are capable of performing at these high rates. In these challenging conditions, the most widely used approaches are the full centroid frequency estimate or the simple localization of the position of the spectrum peak. The first is more accurate, but the latter features a very quick and straightforward implementation. In this work, we propose an alternative Doppler frequency estimator that merges the advantages of the aforementioned approaches. It exploits the spectrum peak to get an approximate position of the Doppler frequency. Then, centered in this position, a centroid search is applied on a reduced frequency interval to refine the estimate. Doppler simulations are used to compare the accuracy and precision performance of the proposed algorithm with respect to current state of the art approaches. Finally, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) implementation is proposed that is capable of producing more than 200 k low noise estimates per second, which is suitable for the most demanding real-time applications. Full article

The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) Right2Water asked for guaranteed water quality and quantity all over Europe, and demanded that water services remain in the hands of public entities. Support for Right2Water was particularly pronounced in Germany. The German organisers managed to collect 16 times more signatures than the minimum necessary to be counted towards the quorum. How have the German political parties reacted to the overwhelming public support for Right2Water? To answer this question, we examined the election manifestos of the main political parties, published for the federal elections in 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2017, and the elections to the European Parliament in 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019. We concentrated on one specific goal of Right2Water, which refers to preventing the liberalisation of water services in the European Union. We expected the attention to and positioning of the liberalisation of water services to vary across the individual German parties. Since Right2Water was organised by public service trade unions and pursues an anti-liberalisation agenda, we expected left-wing parties to have laid a greater emphasis on this issue than right-wing parties, and for them to have adopted positions that aligned with the goals of the ECI. Our empirical findings show that a left–right division exists among the parties concerning the attention they paid to this issue as well as how they positioned themselves. Full article

Although neuromuscular training (NMT) emphasizes injury prevention training, there is little information about its effects on performance in young athletes. This study aimed to investigate the effects of eight-weeks NMT on motor competence and physical performance in 10- to 12-year-old female volleyball players. Sixty-six participants (mean ± SD; 11.05 ± 0.72 years) were randomized into either the NMT group (NTG; n = 32) or control group (CON; n = 34). Sprint on 10-m, modified T-test, plank, vertical jump, and medicine ball throw tests were used to assess the physical performance. The Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK) was used to assess the subjects' motor competence. The NMT was performed twice a week during the first 30 minutes of each regularly scheduled 90-minute volleyball training. Participants in the CON group attended only their regular volleyball training. A significant group x time interaction was found for Motor Quotient KTK (MQKTK) (p < 0.001), KTK lateral jumps (p < 0.001), and KTK shifting platforms (p < 0.01). There was a significant interaction for modified T-test results (p < 0.001) and vertical jump (p = 0.04). No change was observed in both groups for plank performance (p > 0.05). The NMT promoted significant gains in motor competence and physical performance in youth female volleyball players. Full article

Increasing load requirements and harsh operating conditions have worsened the wear of drive shafts in special field vehicles. In this paper, the evolution of the microstructure and fretting wear behaviors of 25CrNi2MoVE torsion shaft steel and their influence on the wear mechanisms were investigated as a function of tempering temperature. The results showed that the coarse grain size, low matrix hardness and non-metallic inclusions in the as-received state lead to a high wear rate and serious adhesive wear. The grain refinement after normalizing and the formed M₅C₂ carbide and bainite helped to improve the wear resistance and worn surface quality. Low temperature tempering is conducive to further improve the wear resistance of normalized samples, and the wear rate and worn surface roughness are increased gradually after tempering temperature increases. For quenching, although martensite structure can achieve a lower wear rate, the coefficient of friction is much higher; the wear mechanisms are primarily fatigue wear and adhesive wear. Although the adhesive wear degree and worn surface roughness were increased, the optimal anti-wear performances are obtained under tempering at 350 °C with good continuity of the surface oxide film. Excessive tempering temperature will make the softened matrix unable to form a beneficial “third-body wear”. Full article

One property of oenological tannins, oxygen reactivity, is commonly exploited in winemaking. The reactivity is mediated by the presence of catalysts (i.e., transition metals and sulfur dioxide) and protects wine against oxidation. This work compares the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) of four commercial oenological tannins (two procyanidins from grape skin and seed, an ellagitannin from oak wood and a gallotannin from gallnut) in a model wine solution and Chianti red wine. All samples were subjected to consecutive cycles of air saturation at 20 °C to increase the total level of oxygen provided. After each cycle, the oxygen level was measured by means of a non-invasive luminescent sensor glued to a transparent surface (sensor dots) until there was no further change in substrate reactivity. The OCR followed first-order kinetics, regardless of the tannin. As expected, the ellagitannin showed the fastest OCR, followed by the two from grape seeds and skins and finally the gallotannin. The total O₂ consumption in the red wine was almost double that of the model solution, due to the oxidation of wine substrates. The measurement of OCR is helpful for setting up an advanced winemaking protocol that makes use of tannins to reduce the use of sulfur dioxide. Full article

Routing or forwarding information, such as the location of incidents and victims in a disaster, is significantly important for quick and accurate incident response. However, forwarding such information in disaster areas has been a challenging task for the Wireless Sensor Network as existing networks are affected (destroyed or overused) the disaster. Opportunistic information forwarding can play a vital role in such circumstances. Existing opportunistic routing protocols require huge message transmissions for cluster restoration, which is not energy efficient and results in packet loss. Hence, this paper introduces an energy efficient and reliable opportunistic density cluster-based routing protocol that opportunistically transmits data using a density-clustering protocol for emergency and disaster situations. Simulation results show that the proposed protocol outperforms some existing and well-known routing protocols in terms of network energy consumption, throughput and successful data transmissions. Full article