bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Theoretical Framework for Implementable Nucleic Acids Feedback Systems
Authors: Paulino Nuno M. G. , Foo Mathias , de Greef Tom F. A. , Kim Jongmin , Bates Declan G.
Published: April 2023

Chemical reaction networks can be utilised as basic components for nucleic acid feedback control systems’ design for Synthetic Biology application. DNA hybridisation and programmed strand-displacement reactions are effective primitives for implementation. However, the experimental validation and scale-up of nucleic acid control systems are still considerably falling behind their theoretical designs. To aid with the progress heading into experimental implementations, we provide here chemical reaction networks that represent two fundamental classes of linear controllers: integral and static negative state feedback. We reduced the complexity of the networks by finding designs with fewer reactions and chemical species, to take account of the limits of current experimental capabilities and mitigate issues pertaining to crosstalk and leakage, along with toehold sequence design. The supplied control circuits are quintessential candidates for the first experimental validations of nucleic acid controllers, since they have a number of parameters, species, and reactions small enough for viable experimentation with current technical capabilities, but still represent challenging feedback control systems. They are also well suited to further theoretical analysis to verify results on the stability, performance, and robustness of this important new class of control systems.
Amplectobeluid Radiodont Guanshancaris gen. nov. from the Lower Cambrian (Stage 4) Guanshan Lagerstätte of South China: Biostratigraphic and Paleobiogeographic Implications
Authors: Zhang Mingjing , Wu Yu , Lin Weiliang , Ma Jiaxin , Wu Yuheng , Fu Dongjing
Published: April 2023

Radiodonta, an extinct stem-euarthropod group, has been considered as the largest predator of Cambrian marine ecosystems. As one of the radiodont-bearing Konservat-Lagerstätten, the Guanshan biota (South China, Cambrian Stage 4) has yielded a diverse assemblage of soft-bodied and biomineralized taxa that are exclusive to this exceptional deposit. “Anomalocaris” kunmingensis, the most abundant radiodont in the Guanshan biota, was originally assigned to Anomalocaris within the Anomalocarididae. Despite this taxon being formally assigned to the family Amplectobeluidae more recently, its generic assignment remains uncertain. Here, we present new materials of “Anomalocaris” kunmingensis from the Guanshan biota, and reveal that the frontal appendages possess two enlarged endites; all endites bear one posterior auxiliary spine and up to four anterior auxiliary spines; three robust dorsal spines and one terminal spine protrude from the distal part. These new observations, allied with anatomical features illustrated by previous studies, allow us to assign this taxon to a new genus, Guanshancaris gen. nov. Brachiopod shell bearing embayed injury and incomplete trilobites, associated with frontal appendages in our specimens, to some extent confirm Guanshancaris as a possible durophagous predator. The distribution of amplectobeluids demonstrates that this group is restricted to Cambrian Stage 3 to Drumian, and occurs across South China and Laurentia within the tropics/subtropics belt. Moreover, the amount and abundance of amplectobeluids evidently decreases after the Early–Middle Cambrian boundary, which indicates its possible preference for shallow water, referring to its paleoenvironmental distribution and may be influenced by geochemical, tectonic, and climatic variation.
COVID-19 in Italy: Is the Mortality Analysis a Way to Estimate How the Epidemic Lasts?
Authors: Boselli Pietro M. , Soriano Jose M.
Published: April 2023

When an epidemic breaks out, many health, economic, social, and political problems arise that require a prompt and effective solution. It would be useful to obtain all information about the virus, including epidemiological ones, as soon as possible. In a previous study of our group, the analysis of the positive-alive was proposed to estimate the epidemic duration. It was stated that every epidemic ends when the number of positive-alive (=infected-healed-dead) glides toward zero. In fact, if with the contagion everyone can enter the epidemic phenomenon, only by healing or dying can they get out of it. In this work, a different biomathematical model is proposed. A necessary condition for the epidemic to be resolved is that the mortality reaches the asymptotic value, from there, remains stable. At that time, the number of positive-alive must also be close to zero. This model seems to allow us to interpret the entire development of the epidemic and highlight its phases. It is also more appropriate than the previous one, especially when the spread of the infection is so rapid that the increase in live positives is staggering.
The First Survival Score for Patients Treated with Whole-Brain Radiotherapy Plus Simultaneous Integrated Boost for Brain Metastases
Authors: Rades Dirk , Johannwerner Leonie , Werner Elisa M. , Cremers Florian , Yu Nathan Y.
Published: April 2023

A modern approach for brain metastases includes whole-brain radiotherapy plus simultaneous boost (WBRT+SIB). We developed a survival score in 128 patients treated with WBRT+SIB. Three models, each including three prognostic groups, were created. Positive predictive values (PPVs) for death ≤6 and survival ≥6 months were calculated. On multivariate analyses, performance score (KPS) and the number of brain metastases were significantly associated with survival. On univariate analyses, age showed a strong trend, and extra-cerebral cranial metastases a trend. In Model 1 (KPS, number of lesions), compared groups had 6-month survival rates of 15%, 38% and 57%. In Model 2 (KPS, lesions, age), rates were 17%, 33% and 75%, and in Model 3 (KPS, lesions, age, extra-cerebral metastases), 14%, 34% and 78%. PPVs for death ≤6 and survival ≥6 months were 85% and 57% (Model 1), 83% and 75% (Model 2), and 86% and 78% (Model 3). Thus, all models were accurate in predicting death ≤ 6 months; poor-prognosis patients may not benefit from SIB. Models 2 and 3 were superior in predicting survival ≥ 6 months. Given that Model 3 requires more data (including extensive staging), Model 2 is considered favorable for many patients. If extra-cerebral metastases are already known or extensive staging has been performed, Model 3 can also be used.
Evaluation of BAFF, APRIL and CD40L in Ocrelizumab-Treated pwMS and Infectious Risk
Authors: Zingaropoli Maria Antonella , Pasculli Patrizia , Tartaglia Matteo , Dominelli Federica , Ciccone Federica , Taglietti Ambra , Perri Valentina , Malimpensa Leonardo , Ferrazzano Gina , Iannetta Marco , Del Borgo Cosmo , Lichtner Miriam , Mastroianni Claudio Maria , Conte Antonella , Ciardi Maria Rosa
Published: April 2023

Background: The anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody ocrelizumab has been widely employed in the treatment of people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). However, its B-cell-depleting effect may induce a higher risk of infectious events and alterations in the secretion of B-cell-activating factors, such as BAFF, APRIL and CD40L. Methods: The aim of this study was to investigate plasma BAFF, APRIL and CD40L levels and their relationship with infectious risk in ocrelizumab-treated pwMS at baseline (T0), at 6 months (T6) and at 12 months (T12) after starting the treatment. As a control group, healthy donors (HD) were enrolled too. Results: A total of 38 pwMS and 26 HD were enrolled. At baseline, pwMS showed higher plasma BAFF (p < 0.0001), APRIL (p = 0.0223) and CD40L (p < 0.0001) levels compared to HD. Compared to T0, plasma BAFF levels were significantly increased at both T6 and T12 (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Whereas plasma APRIL and CD40L levels were decreased at T12 (p = 0.0003 and p < 0.0001, respectively). When stratifying pwMS according to the development of an infectious event during the 12-month follow-up period in two groups—with (14) and without an infectious event (24)—higher plasma BAFF levels were observed at all time-points; significantly, in the group with an infectious event compared to the group without an infectious event (T0: p < 0.0001, T6: p = 0.0056 and T12: p = 0.0400). Conclusions: BAFF may have a role as a marker of immune dysfunction and of infectious risk.
Enhancing the Conformational Stability of the cl-Par-4 Tumor Suppressor via Site-Directed Mutagenesis
Authors: Pandey Samjhana , Raut Krishna K. , Clark Andrea M. , Baudin Antoine , Djemri Lamya , Libich David S. , Ponniah Komala , Pascal Steven M.
Published: April 2023

Intrinsically disordered proteins play important roles in cell signaling, and dysregulation of these proteins is associated with several diseases. Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4), an approximately 40 kilodalton proapoptotic tumor suppressor, is a predominantly intrinsically disordered protein whose downregulation has been observed in various cancers. The caspase-cleaved fragment of Par-4 (cl-Par-4) is active and plays a role in tumor suppression by inhibiting cell survival pathways. Here, we employed site-directed mutagenesis to create a cl-Par-4 point mutant (D313K). The expressed and purified D313K protein was characterized using biophysical techniques, and the results were compared to that of the wild-type (WT). We have previously demonstrated that WT cl-Par-4 attains a stable, compact, and helical conformation in the presence of a high level of salt at physiological pH. Here, we show that the D313K protein attains a similar conformation as the WT in the presence of salt, but at an approximately two times lower salt concentration. This establishes that the substitution of a basic residue for an acidic residue at position 313 alleviates inter-helical charge repulsion between dimer partners and helps to stabilize the structural conformation.
The Roles of sPLA2s in Skin Homeostasis and Disease
Authors: Yamamoto Kei , Hakoi Haruka , Nomura Saki , Murakami Makoto
Published: April 2023

Among the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) family, the secreted PLA2 (sPLA2) family in mammals contains 11 members that exhibit unique tissue or cellular distributions and enzymatic properties. Current studies using knockout and/or transgenic mice for a nearly full set of sPLA2s, in combination with comprehensive lipidomics, have revealed the diverse pathophysiological roles of sPLA2s in various biological events. Individual sPLA2s exert specific functions within tissue microenvironments, likely through the hydrolysis of extracellular phospholipids. Lipids are an essential biological component for skin homeostasis, and disturbance of lipid metabolism by deletion or overexpression of lipid-metabolizing enzymes or lipid-sensing receptors often leads to skin abnormalities that are easily visible on the outside. Over the past decades, our studies using knockout and transgenic mice for various sPLA2s have uncovered several new aspects of these enzymes as modulators of skin homeostasis and disease. This article summarizes the roles of several sPLA2s in skin pathophysiology, providing additional insight into the research fields of sPLA2s, lipids, and skin biology.
Bioresorbable Magnesium-Based Stent: Real-World Clinical Experience and Feasibility of Follow-Up by Coronary Computed Tomography: A New Window to Look at New Scaffolds
Authors: Ghafari Chadi , Brassart Nicolas , Delmotte Philippe , Brunner Philippe , Dghoughi Sarah , Carlier Stéphane
Published: April 2023

(1) Background: The diagnostic accuracy of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) for coronary artery disease (CAD) has greatly improved so CCTA represents a transition in the care of patients suffering from CAD. Magnesium-based bioresorbable stents (Mg-BRS) secure acute percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) results without leaving, in the long term, a metallic caging effect. The purpose of this real-world study was to assess clinical and CCTA medium- and long-term follow-up of all our patients with implanted Mg-BRS. (2) Methods: The patency of 52 Mg-BRS implanted in 44 patients with de novo lesions (24 of which had acute coronary syndrome (ACS)) was evaluated by CCTA and compared to quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) post-implantation. (3) Results: ten events including four deaths occurred during a median follow-up of 48 months. CCTA was interpretable and in-stent measurements were successful at follow-up without being hindered by the stent strut’s “blooming effect”. Minimal in-stent diameters on CCTA were found to be 1.03 ± 0.60 mm smaller than the expected diameter after post-dilation on implantation (p < 0.05), a difference not found in comparing CCTA and QCA. (4) Conclusions: CCTA follow-up of implanted Mg-BRS is fully interpretable and we confirm the long-term Mg-BRS safety profile.
Encapsulation of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells in LunaGel Photocrosslinkable Extracellular Matrix and Subcutaneous Transplantation in Mice
Authors: Pham Truc Le-Buu , Nguyen Dang Phu-Hai , Luu Thao Thi-Thu , Nguyen Luong Si , Binh Nguyen Trong , Nguyen Quan Dang , Tran Phong Anh
Published: April 2023

Stem cells have significant potential in regenerative medicines. However, a major issue with implanting stem cells in the regeneration of new tissue is the methods to implant them and cell viability and functions before and after implantation. Here we developed a simple yet effective method that used photo-crosslinkable gelatin-based hydrogel (LunaGelTM) as a scaffold for the encapsulation, expansion, and eventually, transplantation of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) into mice subcutaneously. We demonstrated the proliferation and maintenance of the original expression of mesenchymal stem cell markers as well as the ability to differentiate into mesoderm-derived cells. The hydrogel was highly stable with no signs of degradation after 20 days in PBS. The hUC-MSCs remained viable after transplantation into mice’s subcutaneous pockets and migrated to integrate with the surrounding tissues. We showed a collagen-rich layer surrounding the transplanted cell-laden scaffold indicating the effects of growth factors secreted by the hUC-MSCs. A connective tissue layer was found between the implanted cell-laden scaffold and the collagen layer, and immunohistochemical staining results suggested that this tissue was derived from the MSCs which migrated from within the scaffold. The results, thus, also suggested a protective effect the scaffold has on the encapsulated cells from the antibodies and cytotoxic cells of the host immune system.
Incidence and Risk Factors for Development of Cardiac Toxicity in Adult Patients with Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Boluda Blanca , Solana-Altabella Antonio , Cano Isabel , Martínez-Cuadrón David , Acuña-Cruz Evelyn , Torres-Miñana Laura , Rodríguez-Veiga Rebeca , Navarro-Vicente Irene , Martínez-Campuzano David , García-Ruiz Raquel , Lloret Pilar , Asensi Pedro , Osa-Sáez Ana , Aguero Jaume , Rodríguez-Serrano María , Buendía-Fuentes Francisco , Megías-Vericat Juan Eduardo , Martín-Herreros Beatriz , Barragán Eva , Sargas Claudia , Salas Maribel , Wooddell Margaret , Dharmani Charles , Sanz Miguel A. , De la Rubia Javier , Montesinos Pau
Published: April 2023

The incidence of cardiac morbimortality in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is not well known. We aim to estimate the cumulative incidence (CI) of cardiac events in AML patients and to identify risk factors for their occurrence. Among 571 newly diagnosed AML patients, 26 (4.6%) developed fatal cardiac events, and among 525 treated patients, 19 (3.6%) experienced fatal cardiac events (CI: 2% at 6 months; 6.7% at 9 years). Prior heart disease was associated with the development of fatal cardiac events (hazard ratio (HR) = 6.9). The CI of non-fatal cardiac events was 43.7% at 6 months and 56.9% at 9 years. Age ≥ 65 (HR = 2.2), relevant cardiac antecedents (HR = 1.4), and non-intensive chemotherapy (HR = 1.8) were associated with non-fatal cardiac events. The 9-year CI of grade 1–2 QTcF prolongation was 11.2%, grade 3 was 2.7%, and no patient had grade 4–5 events. The 9-year CI of grade 1–2 cardiac failure was 1.3%, grade 3–4 was 15%, and grade 5 was 2.1%; of grade 1–2, arrhythmia was 1.9%, grade 3–4 was 9.1%, and grade 5 was 1%. Among 285 intensive therapy patients, median overall survival decreased in those experiencing grade 3–4 cardiac events (p < 0.001). We observed a high incidence of cardiac toxicity associated with significant mortality in AML.
Molecular Insights of MAP4K4 Signaling in Inflammatory and Malignant Diseases
Authors: Singh Sunil Kumar , Roy Ruchi , Kumar Sandeep , Srivastava Piush , Jha Saket , Rana Basabi , Rana Ajay
Published: April 2023

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are crucial in extracellular signal transduction to cellular responses. The classical three-tiered MAPK cascades include signaling through MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K) that activates a MAP kinase kinase (MAP2K), which in turn induces MAPK activation and downstream cellular responses. The upstream activators of MAP3K are often small guanosine-5′-triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins, but in some pathways, MAP3K can be activated by another kinase, which is known as a MAP kinase kinase kinase kinase (MAP4K). MAP4K4 is one of the widely studied MAP4K members, known to play a significant role in inflammatory, cardiovascular, and malignant diseases. The MAP4K4 signal transduction plays an essential role in cell proliferation, transformation, invasiveness, adhesiveness, inflammation, stress responses, and cell migration. Overexpression of MAP4K4 is frequently reported in many cancers, including glioblastoma, colon, prostate, and pancreatic cancers. Besides its mainstay pro-survival role in various malignancies, MAP4K4 has been implicated in cancer-associated cachexia. In the present review, we discuss the functional role of MAP4K4 in malignant/non-malignant diseases and cancer-associated cachexia and its possible use in targeted therapy.
USP8 Down-Regulation Promotes Parkin-Independent Mitophagy in the Drosophila Brain and in Human Neurons
Authors: Mauri Sofia , Bernardo Greta , Martinez Aitor , Favaro Mariavittoria , Trevisan Marta , Cobraiville Gael , Fillet Marianne , Caicci Federico , Whitworth Alexander J. , Ziviani Elena
Published: April 2023

Stress-induced mitophagy, a tightly regulated process that targets dysfunctional mitochondria for autophagy-dependent degradation, mainly relies on two proteins, PINK1 and Parkin, which genes are mutated in some forms of familiar Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Upon mitochondrial damage, the protein kinase PINK1 accumulates on the organelle surface where it controls the recruitment of the E3-ubiquitin ligase Parkin. On mitochondria, Parkin ubiquitinates a subset of mitochondrial-resident proteins located on the outer mitochondrial membrane, leading to the recruitment of downstream cytosolic autophagic adaptors and subsequent autophagosome formation. Importantly, PINK1/Parkin-independent mitophagy pathways also exist that can be counteracted by specific deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). Down-regulation of these specific DUBs can presumably enhance basal mitophagy and be beneficial in models in which the accumulation of defective mitochondria is implicated. Among these DUBs, USP8 is an interesting target because of its role in the endosomal pathway and autophagy and its beneficial effects, when inhibited, in models of neurodegeneration. Based on this, we evaluated autophagy and mitophagy levels when USP8 activity is altered. We used genetic approaches in D. melanogaster to measure autophagy and mitophagy in vivo and complementary in vitro approaches to investigate the molecular pathway that regulates mitophagy via USP8. We found an inverse correlation between basal mitophagy and USP8 levels, in that down-regulation of USP8 correlates with increased Parkin-independent mitophagy. These results suggest the existence of a yet uncharacterized mitophagic pathway that is inhibited by USP8.
The Interaction Effect of Birth Spacing and Maternal Healthcare Services on Child Mortality in Pakistan
Authors: Asif Muhammad Farhan , Ishtiaq Saima , Abbasi Nishat Ishfaq , Tahir Iffat , Abid Ghulam , Lassi Zohra S.
Published: April 2023

There is widespread agreement that improved health should be regarded as a means and an end in the context of the development process. The health of the populace and the equitable provision of healthcare are two indicators of a society’s level of development. A variety of factors influences child mortality. This study investigated the causes of child death and the interaction effect of birth spacing (B.S.) and maternal health care services (MHCS) on child mortality. Using SPSS version 20, we used the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) 2017–2018 data set to investigate the associated factors of child mortality and the moderating influence of birth spacing using binary logistic regression. The outcome variable is categorical with two categories. The findings indicated that the risk of infant death decreased with adequate B.S. between two pregnancies and access to maternal health care services. Birth spacing was found to moderate the link between access to maternal health care services (MHCS) and child mortality. Our research leads us to conclude that the amount of time between children’s births significantly reduces infant mortality. When the birth spacing is at least 33 months, the relationship between maternal health care services and child mortality becomes more evident and negative.
Enhancing Pavement Distress Detection Using a Morphological Constraints-Based Data Augmentation Method
Authors: Xu Zhengchao , Dai Zhe , Sun Zhaoyun , Zuo Chen , Song Huansheng , Yuan Changwei
Published: April 2023

Pavement distress data in a single section usually presents a long-tailed distribution, with potholes, sealed cracks, and other distresses normally located at the tail. This distribution will seriously affect the performance and robustness of big data-driven deep learning detection models. Conventional data augmentation algorithms only expand the amount of data by image transformation and fail to enlarge the data diversity. Due to such a drawback, this paper proposes a novel two-stage pavement distress image augmentation pattern, in which a mask is generated randomly according to the geometric features of the distress in the first stage; and in the second stage, a distress-free pavement image with the fused mask is transformed into a pavement distress image. Furthermore, two convolutional networks, M-DCGAN and MDTMN, are designed to complete the generation task in two stages separately. In comparison with other generation algorithms, the quality and diversity of the generation results of proposed algorithms are better than other algorithms. In addition, distress detection tests are conducted which indicate that the expanded dataset can raise the IoU from 48.83% to 83.65% at maximum, and the augmented data by the proposed algorithm contributes more to the detection performance.
Proteomics of the Oomycete Phytophthora parasitica Strain INRA 310
Authors: Hannat Sihem , Hasni Issam , Decloquement Philippe , Diene Seydina , Azza Saïd , La Scola Bernard , Aherfi Sarah
Published: April 2023

The phytopathogen Phytophthora parasitica, from the Oomycetes class, known to be the tobacco black shank agent, can induce devastating diseases in various crop, plant and forest ecosystems. The genus Phytophthora has been studied at the cellular level, suggesting that different developmental steps are induced by the expression of some specific genes. However, these studies have only been carried out on certain species, such as Phytophthora infestans and Phytophthora cactorum. As for Phytophthora parasitica, which can be considered as one of the top ten oomycete pathogens due to the economic impact and effect it has on food security, even less functional analyses and transcriptomics data are available. To date, little is known about the protein expression of Phytophthora parasitica, information that is essential for achieving a better understanding of this species. In this study, we aimed to gain insight into the proteomics of the mycelium of the Phytophthora parasitica strain INRA 310 by addressing the following questions: (i) how many predicted proteins can be detected on the mycelium of P. parasitica INRA 310, and (ii) what proteins can be detected? The proteomics experiments were performed on the mycelium of the strain Phytophthora parasitica INRA310, using the nanoliquid chromatography-MS/MS technique. A total of 219 proteins were identified, including ten unknown proteins and 209 proteins involved in lipid, carbohydrate, nucleotide, energy production and other metabolic pathways. This proteomics study is, to our knowledge, the first to be performed on the mycelium of Phytophthora parasitica INRA 310. It gives a brief first insight into its in vitro-expressed proteins. This work may be the first step before further, more comprehensive studies are undertaken with the aim of better understanding the biology of this species and its pathogenicity.
Resource Scheduling for UAV-Assisted Failure-Prone MEC in Industrial Internet
Authors: Li Xuehua , Fang Yu , Pan Chunyu , Cai Yuanxin , Zhou Mingyu
Published: April 2023

This paper focuses on reducing execution delays of dynamic computing tasks in UAV-assisted fault-prone mobile edge computing (FP-MEC) systems, which combine mobile edge computing (MEC) and network function virtualization (NFV) technologies. FP-MEC is suited to meet Industrial Internet (IIN) requirements such as data privacy, low latency, and low-cost industrial scalability in specific scenarios. However, the reliability of virtual network functions (VNFs) deployed on UAVs could impact system performance. Thus, this paper proposes the dynamic task scheduling optimization algorithm (DTSOA) based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL) for resource allocation design. The formulated execution delay optimization problem is described as an integer linear programming problem and it is an NP-hard problem. To overcome the intractable problem, this paper discretizes it into a series of single-time slot optimization problems. Furthermore, the experimental rigor is improved by constructing a real-time server state update system to calculate the real-time server load situation and crash probability. Theoretical analysis and experiments show that the DTSOA has better application prospects than Q-learning and the recent search method (RSM), and it is closer to the traversal search method (TSM).
A Survey on the Design Aspects and Opportunities in Age-Aware UAV-Aided Data Collection for Sensor Networks and Internet of Things Applications
Authors: Amodu Oluwatosin , Nordin Rosdiadee , Jarray Chedia , Bukar Umar , Raja Mahmood Raja , Othman Mohamed
Published: April 2023

Due to the limitations of sensor devices, including short transmission distance and constrained energy, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been recently deployed to assist these nodes in transmitting their data. The sensor nodes (SNs) in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) or Internet of Things (IoT) networks periodically transmit their sensed data to UAVs to be relayed to the base station (BS). UAVs have been widely deployed in time-sensitive or real-time applications, such as in disaster areas, due to their ability to transmit data to the destination within a very short time. However, timely delivery of information by UAVs in WSN/IoT networks can be very complex due to various technical challenges, such as flight and trajectory control, as well as considerations of the scheduling of UAVs and SNs. Recently, the Age of Information (AoI), a metric used to measure the degree of freshness of information collected in data-gathering applications, has gained much attention. Numerous studies have proposed solutions to overcome the above-mentioned challenges, including adopting several optimization and machine learning (ML) algorithms for diverse architectural setups to minimize the AoI. In this paper, we conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) to study past literature on age minimization in UAV-assisted data-gathering architecture to determine the most important design components. Three crucial design aspects in AoI minimization were discovered from analyzing the 26 selected articles, which focused on energy management, flight trajectory, and UAV/SN scheduling. We also investigate important issues related to these identified design aspects, for example, factors influencing energy management, including the number of visited sensors, energy levels, UAV cooperation, flight time, velocity control, and charging optimization. Issues related to flight trajectory and sensor node scheduling are also discussed. In addition, future considerations on problems such as traffic prioritization, packet delivery errors, system optimization, UAV-to-sensor node association, and physical impairments are also identified.
Multi-Fractal Weibull Adaptive Model for the Remaining Useful Life Prediction of Electric Vehicle Lithium Batteries
Authors: Deng Wujin , Gao Yan , Chen Jianxue , Kudreyko Aleksey , Cattani Carlo , Zio Enrico , Song Wanqing
Published: April 2023

In this paper, an adaptive remaining useful life prediction model is proposed for electric vehicle lithium batteries. Capacity degradation of the electric car lithium batteries is modeled by the multi-fractal Weibull motion. The varying degree of long-range dependence and the 1/f characteristics in the frequency domain are also analyzed. The age and state-dependent degradation model is derived, with the associated adaptive drift and diffusion coefficients. The adaptive mechanism considers the quantitative relations between the drift and diffusion coefficients. The unit-to-unit variability is considered a random variable. To facilitate the application, the convergence of the RUL prediction model is proved. Replacement of the lithium battery in the electric car is recommended according to the remaining useful life prediction results. The effectiveness of the proposed model is shown in the case study.
An Adaptive Hybrid Model for Wind Power Prediction Based on the IVMD-FE-Ad-Informer
Authors: Tian Yuqian , Wang Dazhi , Zhou Guolin , Wang Jiaxing , Zhao Shuming , Ni Yongliang
Published: April 2023

Accurate wind power prediction can increase the utilization rate of wind power generation and maintain the stability of the power system. At present, a large number of wind power prediction studies are based on the mean square error (MSE) loss function, which generates many errors when predicting original data with random fluctuation and non-stationarity. Therefore, a hybrid model for wind power prediction named IVMD-FE-Ad-Informer, which is based on Informer with an adaptive loss function and combines improved variational mode decomposition (IVMD) and fuzzy entropy (FE), is proposed. Firstly, the original data are decomposed into K subsequences by IVMD, which possess distinct frequency domain characteristics. Secondly, the sub-series are reconstructed into new elements using FE. Then, the adaptive and robust Ad-Informer model predicts new elements and the predicted values of each element are superimposed to obtain the final results of wind power. Finally, the model is analyzed and evaluated on two real datasets collected from wind farms in China and Spain. The results demonstrate that the proposed model is superior to other models in the performance and accuracy on different datasets, and this model can effectively meet the demand for actual wind power prediction.
Primary Teachers’ Challenges in Implementing ICT in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the Post-Pandemic Era in Uganda
Authors: Kibirige Israel
Published: April 2023

Information and communication, technology (ICT) has become a necessary tool in education post-COVID-19 pandemic. However, integrating ICT into teaching and learning has been a daunting challenge in many developing countries, such as Uganda. This qualitative case study investigated the challenges that primary school teachers face in implementing ICT in teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in Uganda. The study found various challenges divided into three categories: infrastructure and internet connectivity; individual factors and administrative support; and curriculum and learner support materials. A significant obstacle was the lack of computer access, internet connectivity, and ICT textbooks. Additionally, teachers lacked the ICT skills necessary to integrate technology into their teaching methods, and administrative support was insufficient. The identified challenges in this study will require a multi-pronged approach that includes increasing investment in infrastructure, providing training and support to teachers, and developing relevant and appropriate ICT curriculum materials. In conclusion, this study highlights the challenges that primary school teachers face in implementing ICT in teaching STEM subjects in Uganda. By addressing the identified challenges, policymakers and stakeholders can take steps towards improving ICT integration in primary school education and bridging the digital divide in Uganda and other developing countries.
Participation of Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in Extracurricular Activities in Compulsory Education
Authors: Castellary-López Macarena , Figueredo-Canosa Victoria , Muñoz-Muñoz Juan Rafael , Ortiz-Jiménez Luis
Published: April 2023

Within the R + D + I project “Study of the educational response to students with Specific Need of Educational Support hereinafter (SEN) associated with disability”, one of the areas analyzed covers extracurricular and complementary activities and if these meet the needs of students with specific educational support needs. Our objective in this research is to describe and analyze the inclusion of students with SEN associated with disability in the development of extracurricular activities. A total of 1496 teachers from Spain participated in this study, answering a questionnaire prepared ad hoc. The independent variables in the study were sex, type of center (rural or urban) and ownership (public or private). The results showed that the teachers consider that most of the centers allow the participation in extracurricular activities of the students with SEN; in parallel, it was discovered that these centers are not fully equipped to serve students with SEN.
A Novel Variable On-Time Control Scheme for Boundary Conduction Mode SEPIC PFC Converter
Authors: Shen Xia , Chen Weirong , Li Qi , Wang Yingmin
Published: April 2023

Power factor correction (PFC) can be achieved by a single-ended primary inductor converter (SEPIC) operating in boundary conduction mode (BCM) with conventional constant on-time (COT) control, but it is challenging to achieve low total harmonic distortion (THD) and high-power factor (PF), particularly at high input voltage. A variable on-time (VOT) control strategy for BCM SEPIC PFC converter without input voltage feedforward and multiplier circuits is proposed to realize unity PF in this paper. By using a variable slope sawtooth generator whose slope is controlled by the duty cycle of the main switch to adjust the conduction time of the main power switch of the converter, the proposed VOT control scheme can use a simple and easy-to-implement circuit to enhance the PF and decrease the THD significantly, especially at high input voltage. The simulation model and 100W experimental prototype are built to verify the feasibility of the suggested control method. Simulation and experiment results demonstrated that the novel VOT control scheme remarkably enhances PF and decreases THD without affecting the efficiency by contrast with the conventional COT control.
An Advanced Job Scheduling Algorithmic Architecture to Reduce Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions in Multi-Cloud
Authors: Kaur Ramanpreet , Anand Divya , Kaur Upinder , Verma Sahil , Kavita  , Park Seok-Woo , Hosen A. , Ra In-Ho
Published: April 2023

Cloud Computing is one of the emerging fields in the modern-day world. Due to the increased volume of job requests, job schedulers have received updates one at a time. The evolution of machine learning in the context of cloud schedules has had a significant impact on cost reduction in terms of energy consumption and makespan. The research article presents a two-phase process for the scheduling architecture of cloud computing where PMs are the main working unit and users are supplied to the PMs based on the work abilities of the PM in terms of resources. A minimum cost is desired in the preliminary phase of the allocation of the user to the PM. A clustered approach utilizing k-means and Q-learning was imposed to migrate the users from one PM to another PM based on Quality of Service (QoS) parameters. The proposed work has also incorporated CO2 emissions as a major evaluation parameter other than energy consumption. To support resource sharing, the deployment model is a multi-cloud model. The proposed work is evaluated against other recently proposed state of the art techniques on the basis of QoS parameters and the proposed work proved to be better in terms of efficiency at the end of the draft.
Anti-Jamming Low-Latency Channel Hopping Protocol for Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Hsieh Yu-Heng , Chao Chih-Min , Lin Chih-Yu , Yeh Chun-Chao
Published: April 2023

In order to increase channel usage efficiency, unlicensed users within a Cognitive Radio Network (CRN) are permitted to utilize channels that are not currently occupied by licensed users. However, ensuring communication between users in a CRN remains a challenge. To overcome this issue, a variety of channel hopping protocols have been developed. Time-invariant channel hopping protocols are vulnerable to attacks, so several channel hopping protocols that are resistant to jamming attacks have been proposed. In the majority of existing anti-jamming protocols, users create their channel hopping sequence using a channel hopping matrix, with the rendezvous probability between two users being determined by the structure of their respective channel hopping matrices. The channel hopping matrices designed by existing methods still have room for improvement. To overcome the difficulty of guaranteeing communication between any pair of users, while also providing protection against jamming attacks and minimizing the time to rendezvous (TTR) in a CRN, this paper presents the Anti-jamming Low-Latency channel hopping (ALL) protocol. This protocol allows a sender to adjust their channel hopping matrix structure to match that of the receiver, thereby improving the chances of successful rendezvous between users. Based on the simulation results, the ALL protocol performs better than the recently proposed practical solution, OLAA, by up to 33% in network throughput and 30% in TTR. On average, ALL outperforms OLAA by 25% in network throughput and 20% in TTR.
Authentication Technology in Internet of Things and Privacy Security Issues in Typical Application Scenarios
Authors: Zhao Junhui , Hu Huanhuan , Huang Fanwei , Guo Yingxuan , Liao Longxia
Published: April 2023

This paper mainly summarizes three aspects of information security: Internet of Things (IoT) authentication technology, Internet of Vehicles (IoV) trust management, and IoV privacy protection. Firstly, in an industrial IoT environment, when a user wants to securely access data from IoT sensors in real-time, they may face network attacks due to the data being transmitted through an open channel. In order to solve this problem, we innovatively propose a user and device authentication model integrated with cloud computing, introduce an algorithm related to protocol design, and summarize the research direction of developing a more lightweight algorithm when designing security protocols in the future. Secondly, for mobile IoT applications, such as IoV, information collection and distribution is realized by establishing a network between vehicles and infrastructure. IoV will face security threats such as information insecurity and privacy disclosure. We introduce a typical trust management model for the IoV, which solves the problem of information unreliability by storing vehicle trust values. In the future, we are committed to making the process of computing node credibility using a trust model more robust. Finally, aiming at the privacy protection of the IoV, we propose a cross-domain anonymous authentication system model based on blockchain. The user’s auxiliary authentication information is stored in the blockchain, and the auxiliary authentication information of any registered user can be obtained from the blockchain. The privacy protection of cross-domain authentication can be realized through anonymous authentication, which greatly saves the communication cost of cross-domain authentication. In the future, we will try to use deep learning or federated learning to integrate with blockchain for actual deployment.
Hybrid T-Shaped Sensor Array Composed of Acoustic Vector Sensors and Scalar Sensors
Authors: Rao Wei , Li Yuanqing , Li Dan
Published: April 2023

Through the more available acoustic information or the polarization information provided, vector sensor arrays outperform the scalar sensor arrays in accuracy of localization. However, the cost of a vector sensor array is higher than that of a scalar sensor array. To reduce the cost of a two-dimensional (2-D) vector sensor array, a hybrid T-shaped sensor array consisting of two orthogonal uniform linear arrays (ULAs) is proposed, where one ULA is composed of acoustic vector sensors and the other is composed of scalar sensors. By utilizing the cross-correlation tensor between the received signals from the two ULAs, two virtual uniform rectangular arrays (URAs) of acoustic vector sensors are obtained, and they can be combined into a larger URA. It is shown that a larger acoustic vector sensor URA with M2+1 degrees of freedom (DOFs) can be obtained from the specially designed T-shaped array with M acoustic vector sensors and 2M scalar sensors. Furthermore, by means of the proposed tensor model for the larger URA, the inter-sensor spacing can be allowed to exceed greatly a half-wavelength. Accordingly, the proposed method can achieve both a high DOF and a large array aperture. Simulation results show that the proposed method has a better performance in 2-D direction-of-arrival estimation than some existing methods under the same array cost.
Implications for Sustainability Accounting and Reporting in the Context of the Automation-Driven Evolution of ERP Systems
Authors: Dumitru Valentin Florentin , Ionescu Bogdan-Ștefan , Rîndașu Sînziana-Maria , Barna Laura-Eugenia-Lavinia , Crîjman Alexandru-Mihai
Published: April 2023

This paper delves into the impact of the automation-driven evolution of enterprise resource planning systems (ERPSs) on sustainability accounting and reporting and the associated challenges. By employing a holistic approach focusing on the current characteristics of both ERPSs and automation platforms and an inductive approach to perform a content analysis, this study highlights how the new generation of ERPSs can support the improvement of accounting in general and sustainability accounting and reporting quality in particular. The analysis was based on information provided by the developers of leading ERPSs and automation platforms with a significant worldwide market share. In this paper, we deepen the understanding of the role that ERPSs play in improving sustainability accounting and reporting, focusing on both the benefits and challenges derived from the impact generated by increasing the integration of robotic process automation and intelligent process automation solutions. The results obtained have academic and managerial implications, addressing a research gap concerning the understanding of the consequences of ERPSs evolution from the perspective of professionals and the competitive edge companies can take advantage of to improve sustainability reporting and accounting processes.
Understanding the Effects of Social Media Marketing on Customers’ Bank Loyalty: A SEM Approach
Authors: Elareshi Mokhtar , Habes Mohammed , Safori Amjad , Attar Razaz Waheeb , Noor Al adwan Muhammad , Al-Rahmi Waleed Mugahed
Published: April 2023

This study used customers’ experiences to assess the role of social media marketing (SMM) efforts in increasing online customer-based loyalty in the banking sector in Jordan, and using the two main components of the TAM model, perceived the ease of use and perceived usefulness, to understand the relationship. Data were gathered through an online survey with 329 respondents through online banking services in Jordan. A test of the structural equation model (SEM) indicated that perceived usefulness strongly affects electronic word of mouth (EWM), informativeness (INF), and social media features (SMF); and perceived ease of use is indirectly linked to these factors. Behavioral intention is strongly affected by both the perceived usefulness and the ease of use of online banking services. Based on the self-proposed model, e-marketing has impacted customers’ bank loyalty regarding its online services, and the role of social media marketing has remained very important to enhancing customer-based loyalty. This study contributes to the literature by integrating SMF, EWM, and INF in a single framework. It also provides managerial implications and guides for scholars, managers, and practitioners in e-marketing to use customers’ experience to increase customer loyalty. Further research and suggestions are offered.
Reliability of Marine Energy Converters
Authors: Val Dimitri V.
Published: April 2023

The oceans cover 71% of Earth’s surface and are an enormous source of renewable energy which comes from tides, waves, ocean currents, and salinity and temperature differences [...]
Thermal-Hydraulic-Mechanical (THM) Modelling of Short-Term Gas Storage in a Depleted Gas Reservoir—A Case Study from South Germany
Authors: Zain-Ul-Abedin Muhammad , Henk Andreas
Published: April 2023

This study addresses the use of former gas storage facilities as short-term storage for renewable energy through power-to-gas (PtG) technology in Germany. Three test cases with coupled thermal-hydromechanical (THM) modelling were conducted to evaluate short-term injection and production schedules. The operating rates were controlled by the upper and lower limits of the wellbore pressure. The maximum difference in pore pressure and effective stress was 0.6 MPa in all cases. Fault reactivation analysis was performed on the THM models to estimate fault stability. The critical pore pressure for safe reservoir operation was determined to be 1.25 times the original pore pressure, corresponding to a WBHP value of 20.25 MPa. The upper limit of the gas injection rate for safe storage operation was estimated to be between 100,000 and 150,000 m3/day. The thermal stresses were found to be negligible for short-term cases. The storage capacity of PtG technology was reported to be up to 1,322,400 kWh/d of renewable electricity, which can contribute to Germany becoming a greenhouse gas neutral country by 2050. The workflows and results of the study are applicable to all gas storage in a porous medium, including methane, CO2, and hydrogen.