Tool Box Research Articles

The Use of Microsurgeon Tool Box to Improve Outcomes in Avulsed Finger Replantation

The Use of Microsurgeon Tool Box to Improve Outcomes in Avulsed Finger Replantation

Study on the near Wake Aerodynamic Characteristics of Floating Offshore Wind Turbine under Combined Surge and Pitch Motion

Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) may experience six degree of freedom (DoF) movements under the influence of environmental conditions. Different combinations of platform movements with the same amplitude and frequency may have distinct influences on the aerodynamic characteristics of the wind turbine. In this study, a detailed, full-scale CFD model of NREL 5 MW wind turbine is developed to investigate the specific aerodynamic and near wake characteristics under the influence of surge, pitch, and coupled surge–pitch platform motion based on the OpenFOAM tool box. It is clearly noted that different platform movements led to varying relative velocities of the blade, which affected the aerodynamic performance of wind turbines such as thrust, torque, and angle of attack (AOA). On the other hand, when the wind turbine was subjected to combined surge–pitch motion with the same phase, the wake velocity field fluctuated greatly, and the velocity at the center of the wake even exceeded the free flow velocity. Moreover, the platform movement affected the gap between the shed vortices. When the wind turbine moved forward, the gap between the vortices increased, while when the wind turbine moved backward, the gap between the vortices decreased or even converged, resulting in vortex–vortex interaction.

Chemically modifying electrodes—a classical tool box

Chemically modifying electrodes—a classical tool box

A promiscuous xyloglucan xylosyltransferase 1 (OsaXXT1) from Ornithogalum saundersiae recognizes both cello-oligosaccharides and nonsaccharide lignans

Xyloglucan xylosyltransferases (XXTs) are responsible for the biosynthesis of xyloglucans, polysaccharides widely used in drug delivery system. It is generally accepted that XXTs specifically recognize cello-oligosaccharides. The catalytic potential of XXTs towards small molecules has never been documented. Herein, a xyloglucan xylosyltransferase OsaXXT1 from Ornithogalum saundersiae was demonstrated to be reactive with small molecules. Specifically, a full-length osaxxt1 gene, which was predicted to encode a transmembrane protein, was firstly isolated from O. saundersiae based on RNA-seq data analysis. Next, the soluble expression of a truncated OsaXXT1Δ1, in which the N-terminal transmembrane region was deleted, was achieved in Escherichia coli. The soluble OsaXXT1Δ1 displayed an XXT activity, xylosylating cellohexaose to form corresponding metabolites. Subsequently, the truncated OsaXXT1Δ1 was used as the biocatalyst to react with each of 70 drug-like molecules to probe its acceptor promiscuity. Schisandrone and wulignan A1 were thus demonstrated to be reactive with UDP-xylose (UDP-Xyl) under the action of OsaXXT1Δ1. Moreover, OsaXXT1Δ1 could glucosylate schisandrone and wuligan A to form corresponding glucosides. The protein engineering towards OsaXXT1Δ1 was performed to improve its catalytic efficiency. Eighteen OsaXXT1Δ1 variants were thus generated and all these variants exhibited an improved xylosylation efficiency towards schisandrone. Taken together, this study not only provided a new knowledge for catalytic capacity of plant XXTs, but also built a new biocatalyst tool box for xylosides biosynthesis.

Early detection of multiple myeloma: A first step towards a screening programme.

Novel therapies for multiple myeloma have substantially improved the prognosis, but before patients are able to benefit from treatment, a diagnosis must have been made. The Myeloma UK laboratory working group has developed a three-part tool box to help primary care physicians to suspect myeloma despite mostly vague symptoms, to do the right tests and to derive the proper conclusions from the results. Commentary on: Drayson etal. Laboratory practice is central to earlier myeloma diagnosis; utilising a primary care diagnostic tool and laboratory guidelines integrated into haematology services. Br J Haematol 2024;204:476-486.

To Sample or Not to Sample: Retrieving Exoplanetary Spectra with Variational Inference and Normalizing Flows

Current endeavours in exoplanet characterization rely on atmospheric retrieval to quantify crucial physical properties of remote exoplanets from observations. However, the scalability and efficiency of said technique are under strain with increasing spectroscopic resolution and forward model complexity. The situation has become more acute with the recent launch of the James Webb Space Telescope and other upcoming missions. Recent advances in machine learning provide optimization-based variational inference as an alternative approach to perform approximate Bayesian posterior inference. In this investigation we developed a normalizing-flow-based neural network, combined with our newly developed differentiable forward model, Diff-τ, to perform Bayesian inference in the context of atmospheric retrievals. Using examples from real and simulated spectroscopic data, we demonstrate the advantages of our proposed framework: (1) training our neural network does not require a large precomputed training set and can be trained with only a single observation; (2) it produces high-fidelity posterior distributions in excellent agreement with sampling-based retrievals; (3) it requires up to 75% fewer forward model calls to converge to the same result; and (4) this approach allows formal Bayesian model selection. We discuss the computational efficiencies of Diff-τ in relation to TauREx3's nominal forward model and provide a “lessons learned” account of developing radiative transfer models in differentiable languages. Our proposed framework contributes toward the latest development of neural network–powered atmospheric retrieval. Its flexibility and significant reduction in forward model calls required for convergence holds the potential to be an important addition to the retrieval tool box for large and complex data sets along with sampling-based approaches.

Flexural Capacity Criteria for Load And Resistance Factor Rating of Shallow Covered Corrugated Metal Culverts

Departments of transportation are required to inspect and rate bridges that span more than 20 ft (6.1 m). One frequent challenge is rating shallow-buried corrugated metal culverts, since there are no standard methodologies deemed applicable to all sections and depths for defining the resistance when moment or combined moment and thrust controls. The commonly used Culvert ANalysis and DEsign (CANDE) finite element software was developed specifically for culvert design; its companion program, CANDE Tool Box, enables computing of load rating factors. However, owing to nonlinearities associated with soil–structure interaction and yielding of the corrugated cross-section, extracting accurate representations of available resistance for shallow-buried corrugated metal culverts may require a cumbersome iterative procedure. Furthermore, the resulting rating factor from not properly implementing nonlinear procedures may indicate an available resistance that is unconservative from a safety perspective. Recent improvements adopted by AASHTO and incorporated into CANDE include combined thrust–moment criterion, but are deemed suitable only for culverts with deep corrugation cross-sections. The objective of this research was therefore to assess flexure criteria for load rating shallow-buried corrugated metal pipe and arch structures, including standard corrugation cross-sections, to simplify the process without significantly sacrificing accuracy. Challenges with available methods and recently implemented combined criterion for the shallow-buried culvert scenario are first discussed. A modified flexural capacity criterion based on load and resistance factor rating is then developed and presented. Finally, the accuracy and applicability of the methodologies are assessed using a range of practical corrugated metal culvert dimensions and parameters.

ANALISIS EFEKTIVITAS PENERAPAN TAPPING BOX SEBAGAI MONITORING PAJAK DAERAH (STUDI PAJAK RESTORAN, HOTEL, HIBURAN, DAN PARKIR)

This study was conducted with the intention of learning more about and analyzing the benefits of implementing the tapping box policy, the limitations that exist in the use of the regional tax tapping box for Banjarbaru City, as well as the efforts made to get around these barriers. It also had the goal of learning more about and analyzing the effectiveness of the application of tapping boxes as regional tax monitoring. The focus of this research is on four local taxes in Banjarbaru City the restaurant, hotel, entertainment, and parking taxes all of which have already adopted the usage of tapping tool boxes, totaling 79 taxpayers in the city. Both primary and secondary data sources were utilised in this study's data collection. The appropriate policy, the right implementer, the right goal, the right environment, and the right procedure are the five criteria that must be met for a policy to be considered successful in the data analysis approach. The study's findings indicated that the tapping box policy application as a means of monitoring local taxes may be regarded as successful since it already satisfies all five requirements for a policy to be deemed effective.

Tuning proportional integral controller to enhance the photovoltaic system performance

This paper presented a closed loop buck-boost converter controlled by using proportional and integral controller (PIC) for photovoltaic (PV) applications. The mathematical equations of design the solar panel type KC200GT and buck–boost converter is illustrated. The electrical behaviors of solar panel are examined at 1,000 light radiation and room temperature (25 °C) situation. A PIC tuning is difficult with conventional methods such as graphs and mathematical analysis, so for that reason two approaches are used for tuning and optimization of PIC, particle swarm optimization (PSO), and Zeigler–Nichols (ZN). The suggested closed loop application through the converter preserves the constant voltage in the output spite of alterations to the input voltage, decreases settling time, overshoot and ripple voltage to minimum value that enhancement the efficiency of the converter. The results show that the PSO approach is improved than the ZN approach. The proposed model is constructed by using SimPower system tool box in MATLAB package.

PUDT: Plummeting uncertainties in digital twins for aerospace applications using deep learning algorithms

Identifying objects in aircraft monitoring systems poses significant challenges due to the presence of extreme loading conditions. Despite the presence of several sensor units, the transmission of precise data to multiple data units is hindered by an increase in time intervals. Therefore, the suggested methodology is specifically developed for the purpose of generating digital replicas for aeronautical applications, wherein an aero transfer function is correlated with the digital twins. Mapping functions are utilized in the monitoring of diverse parameters that are associated with the identification of objects inside data transmission networks, with the aim of minimizing uncertainty. The suggested system model is enhanced by incorporating analytical representations and deep learning methods, resulting in the provision of zero point twin functionalities. The present study investigates the aforementioned integrated procedure through the analysis of four different situations. In these settings, an aero communication tool box is employed to transform the device configuration into simulation outputs. The results obtained from the comparison of these scenarios reveal that the projected model significantly enhances the maintenance period while minimizing data errors.

The impact of sustainable public procurement on corporate ESG performance-The Chinese evidence.

Public procurement is an important bridge between public demand and market supply and may affect corporate behavior. However, in the advocacy of sustainable development, the extant research has rarely combined sustainable public procurement (SPP) with corporate ESG performance, to explore whether governments have contributed to the development of sustainable corporate performance through their sustainable procurement activities. This paper fills in the gap by matching the actual implementation of SPP of 42,369 projects in China over 2015~2020 with 20,125 corporate ESG performance data, to analyze the relationship between SPP implementation and corporate ESG performance. The results show that the implementation of SPP has a significant positive impact on corporate ESG performance. Further heterogeneity analysis reveals that the impact is stronger in China's eastern and central regions than in other regions, and corporates at a mature stage are more likely to follow the government sustainable behavior. In addition, the implementation of SPP has a long-term effect on corporate ESG performance. The above findings have important policy implications: firstly, there is a better role for government to play as the "invisible hand", to participate in the market economy; Specifically, SPP policy should be added to government policy tool box to improve corporate ESG performance in addition to disclosure requirement, and the SPP policy employed should in particular attend to the "missing sectors" of sustainability in SPP for the good of corporate ESG; secondly, the government should implement differentiated policies tailored to the region's economic development conditions and corporate development characteristics; thirdly, a long-term evaluation mechanism should be established so that the government can play a more long-term demonstration and leading role.

Innovation in Green Materials for the Non-Contact Stabilization of Sensitive Works of Art: Preliminary Assessment and the First Application of Ultra-Low Viscosity Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC) by Ultrasonic Misting to Consolidate Unstable Porous and Powdery Media

Paintings and other works of art created with fragile and mechanically unstable powdery media present challenges to conservators. Frequently, powdery media is water-sensitive, extremely fragile, tends to delaminate, and may be altered by even the slightest physical action or interaction with liquids. Materials that can provide an efficient stabilization without unacceptably altering the optical characteristics of the delicate substrate are extremely limited. Among these, Funori, Isinglass, and Methocel A4C have become established for this use. In bench practice, consolidants are frequently applied in a non-contact way, using ultrasonic and pneumatic aerosol generators to minimize the impact of the consolidant on sensitive substrates. However, nebulizing the available materials is problematic in bench practice, because of their high viscosity and, only extremely low concentrations can be nebulized using low kinetic impact ultrasonic or pressure-based misting systems adopted from the healthcare industry. As a potential innovative solution, this study introduces novel ultra-low viscosity (ULV) cellulose ethers (ULV-HPMC) for stabilisation of unstable porous and powdery surfaces, which have been successfully applied in bench practice for the pilot treatment of Edvard Munch painting on canvas and two 19th c. Thai gouache paintings on panel. Novel ULV-HPMC materials have multiple desirable qualities for consolidation treatments in conservation, and in accelerated aging tests marginally outperformed Methocel A4C, considered to be one of the most stable consolidants in the practice of conservation. Because of the ultra-low viscosity, higher concentrations of ULV-HPMC materials can be applied as water-based aerosols in a non-contact way and in fewer applications, which is a significant advantage in the treatment of delicate water-sensitive surfaces. Notably, novel ULV biopolymers are low-cost, derive from sustainable and renewable sources, and do not raise health and environmental concerns. Such novel materials and methods seamlessly resonate with the ICOM-CC’s Melbourne 2014 declaration, EU Green Deal, and the UN’s Sustainable Development goals and show potential adding new sustainable materials with the exceptionally low viscosity to the conservator’s tool box.

Microscopic Analysis of Heterochromatin, Euchromatin and Cohesin in Cancer Cell Models and under Anti-Cancer Treatment.

The spatial organization of euchromatin (EC) and heterochromatin (HC) appears as a cell-type specific network, which seems to have an impact on gene regulation and cell fate. The spatial organization of cohesin should thus also be characteristic for a cell type since it is involved in a TAD (topologically associating domain) formation, and thus in gene regulation or DNA repair processes. Based on the previous hypotheses and results on the general importance of heterochromatin organization on genome functions in particular, the configurations of these organizational units (EC represented by H3K4me3-positive regions, HC represented by H3K9me3-positive regions, cohesins) are investigated in the cell nuclei of different cancer and non-cancerous cell types and under different anti-cancer treatments. Confocal microscopic images of the model cell systems were used and analyzed using analytical processes of quantification created in Fiji, an imaging tool box well established in different fields of science. Human fibroblasts, breast cancer and glioblastoma cells as well as murine embryonal terato-carcinoma cells were used as these cell models and compared according to the different parameters of spatial arrangements. In addition, proliferating, quiescent and from the quiescent state reactivated fibroblasts were analyzed. In some selected cases, the cells were treated with X-rays or azacitidine. Heterogeneous results were obtained by the analyses of the configurations of the three different organizational units: granulation and a loss of H3K4me3-positive regions (EC) occurred after irradiation with 4 Gy or azacitidine treatment. While fibroblasts responded to irradiation with an increase in cohesin and granulation, in breast cancer cells, it resulted in decreases in cohesin and changes in granulation. H3K9me3-positive regions (HC) in fibroblasts experienced increased granulation, whereas in breast cancer cells, the amount of such regions increased. After azacitidine treatment, murine stem cells showed losses of cohesin and granulation and an increase in the granulation of H3K9me3-positive regions. Fibroblasts that were irradiated with 2 Gy only showed irregularities in structural amounts and granulation. Quiescent fibroblasts contained less euchromatin-related H3K4me3-positive signals and cohesin levels as well as higher heterochromatin-related H3K9me3-positive signals than non-quiescent ones. In general, fibroblasts responded more intensely to X-ray irradiation than breast cancer cells. The results indicate the usefulness of model cell systems and show that, in general, characteristic differences initially existing in chromatin and cohesin organizations result in specific responses to anti-cancer treatment.

A Fault Detection and Protection Scheme for a 200 MVA Transformer using Fuzzy Logic

The paper elucidates a fault detection and protection scheme for a 200MVA transformer using Fuzzy logic. Fuzzy logic (FL) tool box in MATLAB/ SIMULINK software was utilized in the simulation system that diagnosed transformer faults and also monitors its operating conditions. Current and rate of change of current with time have been identified as the input variables, duly represented in the programme as “Error” and “Error-Dot”. These variables have their universe of discourse from -1.5 to 1.5 and from -10 to 10 respectively. Fuzzy logic sensor is designed to monitor the current (i) conditions of the transformer at both ambient and full load. The results from the research show that whenever the output response is zero the current in transformer is normal. This is obtained when input values of [0] and [0] are injected into the system to produce a response of “6e-017” which is approximately zero. Whereas if the output response is greater than zero it implies that the transformer current is rising beyond normal and protection scheme should be alerted. This condition is achieved when input values of [-1.5] and [5] are used on the system to give a response of “+5”. However, if the response is less than zero then the transformer current is below normal, hence the protection scheme should be alerted. To investigate this, input values of [1.5] and [-5] gives a response of “-5”.

AMP Aptamer Programs DNA Tile Cohesion without Canonical Base Pairing.

Tile-based DNA self-assembly provides a versatile approach for the construction of a wide range of nanostructures for various applications such as nanomedicine and advanced materials. The inter-tile interactions are primarily programmed by base pairing, particularly Watson-Crick base pairing. To further expand the tool box for DNA nanotechnology, herein, we have designed DNA tiles that contain both ligands and aptamers. Upon ligand-aptamer binding, tiles associate into geometrically well-defined nanostructures. This strategy has been demonstrated by the assembly of a series of DNA nanostructures, which have been thoroughly characterized by gel electrophoresis and atomic force microscopy. This new inter-tile cohesion could bring new potentials to DNA self-assembly in the future. For example, the addition of free ligand could modulate the nanostructure formation. In the case of biological ligands, DNA self-assembly could be related to the presence of certain ligands.

Design optimization to minimize wake of wide-body transport aircraft

A cutting-edge sustainable airplane can improve performance and enhance profitability are the most significant future concerns for the aviation industry. This research aims to analyse and assess aircraft performance of mid-size transport aircraft through retrofit designs. An optimal design was employed using a non-linear optimization approach under two cases fuselage alone (case 1) and a combination of fuselage-wing-empennage (case 2). These two retrofit concepts were evaluated and compared with the baseline A310–200 aircraft. To compute the objective function for various cases, non-linear solver was used from MATLAB optimization tool box. Additionally, the parametric studies of aerodynamics, structural and operational performance analysis are carried out by using Advanced Aircraft Analysis (AAA) 5.0 software. Sensitivity analyses are performed to assess the overall effectiveness of the optimal design. The key findings of this paper obtained the following parameters as Maximum take-off Weight, empty weight, fuel weight, parasite drag coefficient, rate of climb, take-off distance and landing distance are improved by 0.36%, 26.02%, 10.12%, 4.48%, 27.24%, 13.13% and 9.2% respectively. At the end, the paper provides a clear statement on the managerial perceptions and future insights for the upcoming challenges towards sustainable design.

Differential CRH expression level determines efficiency of Cre- and Flp-dependent recombination.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone expressing (CRH+) neurons are distributed throughout the brain and play a crucial role in shaping the stress responses. Mouse models expressing site-specific recombinases (SSRs) or reporter genes are important tools providing genetic access to defined cell types and have been widely used to address CRH+ neurons and connected brain circuits. Here, we investigated a recently generated CRH-FlpO driver line expanding the CRH system-related tool box. We directly compared it to a previously established and widely used CRH-Cre line with respect to the FlpO expression pattern and recombination efficiency. In the brain, FlpO mRNA distribution fully recapitulates the expression pattern of endogenous Crh. Combining both Crh locus driven SSRs driver lines with appropriate reporters revealed an overall coherence of respective spatial patterns of reporter gene activation validating CRH-FlpO mice as a valuable tool complementing existing CRH-Cre and reporter lines. However, a substantially lower number of reporter-expressing neurons was discerned in CRH-FlpO mice. Using an additional CRH reporter mouse line (CRH-Venus) and a mouse line allowing for conversion of Cre into FlpO activity (CAG-LSL-FlpO) in combination with intersectional and subtractive mouse genetic approaches, we were able to demonstrate that the reduced number of tdTomato reporter expressing CRH+ neurons can be ascribed to the lower recombination efficiency of FlpO compared to Cre recombinase. This discrepancy particularly manifests under conditions of low CRH expression and can be overcome by utilizing homozygous CRH-FlpO mice. These findings have direct experimental implications which have to be carefully considered when targeting CRH+ neurons using CRH-FlpO mice. However, the lower FlpO-dependent recombination efficiency also entails advantages as it provides a broader dynamic range of expression allowing for the visualization of cells showing stress-induced CRH expression which is not detectable in highly sensitive CRH-Cre mice as Cre-mediated recombination has largely been completed in all cells generally possessing the capacity to express CRH. These findings underscore the importance of a comprehensive evaluation of novel SSR driver lines prior to their application.

Tracking of Manoeuvring Target Using Fuzzy Logic Augmented H-Infinity Filter

Conventionally for target tracking, Kalman filter and closely related algorithms are used. These filters inherently are as such not robust. In this paper, fuzzy logic augmented H-infinity filters are proposed for target tracking application. Initially, fuzzy logic is used at filter level to eliminate or reduce local estimation errors and then, an additional fuzzy system is used to minimize effects of outliers and estimation errors during data fusion process. An adaptive H-Infinity filter using fuzzy degree of matching is also proposed for target tracking. The performance of these algorithms is evaluated using MATLAB and its fuzzy logic tool box. Very encouraging results have been obtained with the newly proposed algorithms for target tracking.

A deep reinforcement learning for energy efficient resource allocation Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) driven Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access Beamforming (NOMA-BF)

This paper proposes a deep reinforcement learning centralized intelligent reflective surface (IRS) assisted non-orthogonal multiple access beamforming (NOMA-BF) system to improve the capacity gains and energy efficiency of next generation wireless communication networks. A single IRS is deployed at base station (BS) and consists of with R reflecting elements which is used to communicate with N single receiver antennas, referred to as centralized deployment of IRS- assisted NOMA. In the proposed central control scheme, we consider the practical situation where the instantaneous Channel State Information (CSI) of the channel between the IRS and the users is unknown. However, its long-term average is known and therefore makes the system more practical. Consequently, we exploit deep reinforcement technique learning technique to investigate the phase shift design and to tackle optimization problem. The energy efficiency problem is formulated as a non-convex optimization problem and is solved using deep and reinforcement learning algorithms. The first order Taylor approximation and difference of convex (DC) programming method using MATLAB tool box has been adopted to obtain the optimal values for power allocation coefficients. For interference mitigation, efficient user clustering along with beamforming algorithm is exploited. The NOMA user interference is tackled efficiently through the proposed algorithms that compute power allocation coefficients along with desirable phase shifts. The closed form expressions for achievable rates and SINR are derived under the required constraints. Simulation results demonstrate that proposed deep learning and reinforcement learning algorithms achieve improved performances in terms of sum rate, energy efficiency and coverage with lower computational complexity and symbol error rate. The computational complexity reduction has been proved both analytically and graphically and is in agreement.

GluCl.Cre ON enables selective inhibition of molecularly defined pain circuits.

Insight into nociceptive circuits will ultimately build our understanding of pain processing and aid the development of analgesic strategies. Neural circuit analysis has been advanced greatly by the development of optogenetic and chemogenetic tools, which have allowed function to be ascribed to discrete neuronal populations. Neurons of the dorsal root ganglion, which include nociceptors, have proved challenging targets for chemogenetic manipulation given specific confounds with commonly used DREADD technology. We have developed a cre/lox dependant version of the engineered glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluCl) to restrict and direct its expression to molecularly defined neuronal populations. We have generated GluCl.Cre ON that selectively renders neurons expressing cre-recombinase susceptible to agonist-induced silencing. We have functionally validated our tool in multiple systems in vitro, and subsequently generated viral vectors and tested its applicability in vivo. Using Nav1.8 Cre mice to restrict AAV-GluCl.Cre ON to nociceptors, we demonstrate effective silencing of electrical activity in vivo and concomitant hyposensitivity to noxious thermal and noxious mechanical pain, whereas light touch and motor function remained intact. We also demonstrated that our strategy can effectively silence inflammatory-like pain in a chemical pain model. Collectively, we have generated a novel tool that can be used to selectively silence defined neuronal circuits in vitro and in vivo. We believe that this addition to the chemogenetic tool box will facilitate further understanding of pain circuits and guide future therapeutic development.