bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on a Measurement Method for the Ocean Wave Field Based on Stereo Vision
Authors: Sun Hanyu , Wu Guoqing , Wang Xueliang , Zhang Tao , Zhang Pu , Chen Wei , Zhu Quanhua
Published: July 2022

The wave parameter is an important environmental input condition. Traditional contact wave measurement methods are unable to meet the requirements of high precision, non-contact, and ship wave field assessment. Alternatively, stereo vision technology can realize a non-contact and mobile form of measurement. However, this technology suffers from poor timeliness and adaptability. This paper proposes a comprehensive wave measurement method that is based on stereo vision, wherein the gridding of siftGPU is used to achieve the fast matching of large images. The whole algorithm can be run within 6 s and it guarantees more than 20,000 feature-matching logarithms. Furthermore, by utilizing the least squares method and sea surface wave surface theory, the sea surface base level can be calculated without control points, along with the inversion of the sea wave parameters (wave height, period, and wave direction) and error point fitting. The rationality and superiority of the algorithm were verified through multiple comparison experiments. Compared with the Richard Brancker Research (RBR) wave height meter, the measurement error of the wave height is less than 10%, the period error is less than 0.5 s, and the wave direction error is less than 10° with the proposed method.
Towards Sustainable Aquaculture: A Brief Look into Management Issues
Authors: Md Noor Noorashikin , Harun Siti Norliyana
Published: July 2022

Aquaculture’s role has expanded over the past two decades, with the industry contributing to nearly 50% of the overall fish production. Aquaculture production in Asia and Africa contributes a significant share of total global aquaculture output growth. Aquaculture supports livelihoods and income improvement in a number of states, despite the fact that economic situations have indeed been unfavourable and environmental concerns remain undeniable. To meet the growing demand for fish, aquaculture must expand. However, this expansion will not be sustainable unless management and planning are significantly improved. Local, national, and international management are needed to address the social, economic, and environmental problems. These provide the foundation to proper aquaculture management strategies. In considering the involved ecology, water quality, and genetics, aquaculture can have a detrimental impact on the environmental sustainability. This paper highlights the review on site selection with capacity evaluation, analysis of threats and risks, as well as certification and standards, which are all important considerations in achieving a sustainable aquaculture industry.
Active Disturbance Rejection Contouring Control of Robotic Excavators with Output Constraints and Sliding Mode Observer
Authors: Dao Hoang Vu , Ahn Kyoung Kwan
Published: July 2022

This paper proposes an active disturbance rejection contouring control scheme for robotic excavators suffering from model uncertainties, external disturbances, and unmeasurable states. A sliding mode observer (SMO) is firstly designed to precisely estimate both joint velocities and lumped uncertainties and disturbances. These estimations are then fed back into the main controller which is constructed based on the task coordinate frame (TCF) approach. Furthermore, to meet the requirements of high-accuracy control performance, the barrier Lyapunov function (BLF) is utilized in the control design together with the previous techniques, which guarantees the stability of the whole system. Finally, numerical simulation is conducted with a high-reliability excavator model to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm under various operating conditions. In future work, further practical problems will be conducted to realize the application of robotic excavators in construction.
Study on Vibration-Transmission-Path Identification Method for Hydropower Houses Based on CEEMDAN-SVD-TE
Authors: Zhang Jianwei , Li Ziyu , Huang Jinlin , Cheng Mengran , Li Huokun
Published: July 2022

The analysis of the vibration-transmission path is one of the keys to the vibration control and safety monitoring of a hydropower house, and the vibration source of the hydropower house is complex, making it more difficult to analyze the vibration-transmission path. In order to accurately identify the transmission path of the vibration in a hydropower house, an identification method for the vibration-transmission path based on CEEMDAN-SVD-TE is presented in this paper. First of all, this paper verifies that the CEEMDAN-SVD-TE method has higher effectiveness and is superior to the single transfer-entropy (TE) algorithm in information-transmission-direction identification; secondly, based on the measured field-vibration data, CEEMDAN-SVD noise-reduction technology is used to adaptively decompose the characteristics according to the signal energy; finally, the transfer-entropy theory and the information-transmission rate are used to determine the vibration-transmission path of the hydropower house. The results show that the main transmission path of the vibration caused by tailwater fluctuation is tailwater pipe (top cover measurement point)→turbine pier (stator foundation measurement point, lower frame foundation measurement point)→generator floor (generator floor measurement point). This research can offer a reference for vibration control and safety monitoring of hydropower houses, and provide a new idea for structural vibration reduction.
Artificial Jellyfish Optimization with Deep-Learning-Driven Decision Support System for Energy Management in Smart Cities
Authors: Al-Qarafi A. , Alsolai Hadeel , Alzahrani Jaber S. , Negm Noha , Alharbi Lubna A. , Al Duhayyim Mesfer , Mohsen Heba , Al-Shabi M. , Al-Wesabi Fahd N.
Published: July 2022

A smart city is a sustainable and effectual urban center which offers a maximal quality of life to its inhabitants with the optimal management of their resources. Energy management is the most difficult problem in such urban centers because of the difficulty of energy models and their important role. The recent developments of machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models pave the way to design effective energy management schemes. In this respect, this study introduces an artificial jellyfish optimization with deep learning-driven decision support system (AJODL-DSSEM) model for energy management in smart cities. The proposed AJODL-DSSEM model predicts the energy in the smart city environment. To do so, the proposed AJODL-DSSEM model primarily performs data preprocessing at the initial stage to normalize the data. Besides, the AJODL-DSSEM model involves the attention-based convolutional neural network-bidirectional long short-term memory (CNN-ABLSTM) model for the prediction of energy. For the hyperparameter tuning of the CNN-ABLSTM model, the AJO algorithm was applied. The experimental validation of the proposed AJODL-DSSEM model was tested using two open-access datasets, namely the IHEPC and ISO-NE datasets. The comparative study reported the improved outcomes of the AJODL-DSSEM model over recent approaches.
Development of a CFD-Suitable Deep Neural Network Model for Laminar Burning Velocity
Authors: Ambrutis Andrius , Povilaitis Mantas
Published: July 2022

Hydrogen is a valued resource for today’s industry. As a fuel, it produces large amounts of energy and creates water during the process, unlike most other polluting energy sources. However, the safe use of hydrogen requires reliable tools able to accurately predict combustion. This study presents the implementation of a deep neural network of laminar burning velocity of hydrogen into an open-source CFD solver flameFoam. DNN was developed based on a previously created larger DNN, which was too large for CFD applications since the calculations took around 40 times longer compared to the Malet correlation. Therefore, based on the original model, a faster, but still accurate, DNN was developed and implemented into flameFoam starting with version 0.10. The paper presents the adaptation of the original DNN into a CFD-applicable version and the initial test results of the CFD–DNN simulation.
Physics-Informed Data-Driven Model for Predicting Streamflow: A Case Study of the Voshmgir Basin, Iran
Authors: Parisouj Peiman , Mokari Esmaiil , Mohebzadeh Hamid , Goharnejad Hamid , Jun Changhyun , Oh Jeill , Bateni Sayed M.
Published: July 2022

Accurate rainfall-runoff modeling is crucial for water resource management. However, the available models require more field-measured data to produce accurate results, which has been a long-term issue in hydrological modeling. Machine learning (ML) models have shown superiority in the hydrological field over statistical models. The primary aim of the present study was to advance a new coupled model combining model-driven models and ML models for accurate rainfall-runoff simulation in the Voshmgir basin in northern Iran. Rainfall-runoff data from 2002 to 2007 were collected from the tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM) satellite and the Iran water resources management company. The findings revealed that the model-driven model could not fully describe river runoff patterns during the investigated time period. The extreme learning machine and support vector regression models showed similar performances for 1-day-ahead rainfall–runoff forecasting, while the long short-term memory (LSTM) model outperformed these two models. Our results demonstrated that the coupled physically based model and LSTM model outperformed other models, particularly for 1-day-ahead forecasting. The present methodology could be potentially applied in the same hydrological properties catchment.
Okra Growth, Yield and Rhizosphere Microbiome Responses to the Encapsulated Bioinoculant Application under Reduced Fertilization Regime
Authors: Roslan Muhamad Aidilfitri Mohamad , Sobri Zulfazli M. , Zuan Ali Tan Kee , Abdul Rahman Nor Aini
Published: July 2022

There is limited evidence that Enterobacter hormaechei can improve plant physiology and yield through soil phosphate (P) and potassium (K) amelioration. This study unraveled the effect of different soil inoculation methods i.e., free-cell and encapsulated (alginate bead containing sugar-protein hydrolysate and molasses) E. hormaechei 40a with different rates of PK-fertilization on okra P and K uptake, and soil rhizosphere bacterial community. The results revealed that 3HB (half-dose PK-fertilizer + encapsulated strain 40a) had the highest soil available P (SAP) and K (SAK), as well as P and K uptake for all plant organs, followed by 3F (full-dose PK-fertilizer), 3HI (half-dose PK-fertilizer + free-cell strain 40a), and 3H (half-dose PK-fertilizer), and improved yield by up to 75.6%. Both inoculated and full-dose fertilizer treatments produced larger pods (>15 cm) compared to 3H. We discovered increased bacterial richness and diversity in both 3HB and 3HI samples compared to uninoculated treatments. Both 3HB and 3F treatments were positively correlated with the increasing abundance of Acidobacteriales, Burkholderia caballeronia paraburkholderia, Gemmataceae, and Sphingomonas along with the SAP and SAK. The plant-beneficial effect of one-time 3HB treatment on okra growth and yield was comparable to biweekly inoculation in 3HI, suggesting a new cost-effective farming approach in precision agriculture.
Portable Vertical Graphene@Au-Based Electrochemical Aptasensing Platform for Point-of-Care Testing of Tau Protein in the Blood
Authors: Liu Yibiao , Liu Xingyun , Li Mifang , Liu Qiong , Xu Tailin
Published: July 2022

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a long-term neurodegenerative disease that poses a serious threat to human life and health. It is very important to develop a portable quantitative device for AD diagnosis and personal healthcare. Herein, we develop a portable electrochemical sensing platform for the point-of-care detection of AD biomarkers in the blood. Such a portable platform integrates nanoAu-modified vertical graphene (VG@Au) into a working electrode, which can significantly improve sensitivity and reduce detection limit due to the large specific surface, excellent electrical conductivity, high stability, and good biocompatibility. The tau protein, as an important factor in the course of AD, is selected as a key AD biomarker. The results show that the linear range of this sensing platform is 0.1 pg/mL to 1 ng/mL, with a detection limit of 0.034 pg/mL (S/N = 3), indicating that this portable sensing platform meets the demand for the detection of the tau protein in the blood. This work offers great potential for AD diagnosis and personal healthcare.
Molecular Markers of Telomerase Complex for Patients with Pituitary Adenoma
Authors: Gedvilaite Greta , Vilkeviciute Alvita , Glebauskiene Brigita , Kriauciuniene Loresa , Liutkeviciene Rasa
Published: July 2022

Pituitary adenoma (PA) is the most common benign tumor of the pituitary gland. The pathogenesis of most PA is considered as a multifactorial process, that involves genetic mutations, alterations in gene transcription, and epigenetic factors. Their interaction promotes tumorigenesis. The processes are increasingly focused on changes in telomere length. Our study enrolled 126 patients with PA and 368 healthy subjects. DNA samples from peripheral blood leukocytes were purified by the DNA salting-out method. The RT-PCR carried out SNPs and relative leukocyte telomere lengths (RLTL). ELISA determined the level of TEP1 in blood serum. Binary logistic regression revealed that TERC rs35073794 is likely associated with increased odds of PA development and macro-PA development. It is also associated with decreased odds of active PA, non-invasive PA, and PA without relapse development. Also, we discovered that PA patients with at least one G allele of the TEP1 gene polymorphism rs1713418 have lower serum TEP1 levels than healthy individuals (p = 0.035). To conclude, the study revealed that TERC rs35073794 might be a potential biomarker for PA development.
A Validation Study for SHE Score for Acute Subdural Hematoma in the Elderly
Authors: Vychopen Martin , Hamed Motaz , Bahna Majd , Racz Attila , Ilic Inja , Salemdawod Abdallah , Schneider Matthias , Lehmann Felix , Eichhorn Lars , Bode Christian , Jacobs Andreas H. , Behning Charlotte , Schuss Patrick , Güresir Erdem , Vatter Hartmut , Borger Valeri
Published: July 2022

Objective: The aim of this study was the verification of the Subdural Hematoma in the Elderly (SHE) score proposed by Alford et al. as a mortality predictor in patients older than 65 years with nontraumatic/minor trauma acute subdural hematoma (aSDH). Additionally, we evaluated further predictors associated with poor outcome. Methods: Patients were scored according to age (1 point is given if patients were older than 80 years), GCS by admission (1 point for GCS 5–12, 2 points for GCS 3–4), and SDH volume (1 point for volume 50 mL). The sum of points determines the SHE score. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify additional independent risk factors associated with 30-day mortality. Results: We evaluated 131 patients with aSDH who were treated at our institution between 2008 and 2020. We observed the same 30-day mortality rates published by Alford et al.: SHE 0: 4.3% vs. 3.2%, p = 1.0; SHE 1: 12.2% vs. 13.1%, p = 1.0; SHE 2: 36.6% vs. 32.7%, p = 0.8; SHE 3: 97.1% vs. 95.7%, p = 1.0 and SHE 4: 100% vs. 100%, p = 1.0. Additionally, 18 patients who developed status epilepticus (SE) had a mortality of 100 percent regardless of the SHE score. The distribution of SE among the groups was: 1 for SHE 1, 6 for SHE 2, 9 for SHE 3, and 2 for SHE 4. The logistic regression showed the surgical evacuation to be the only significant risk factor for developing the seizure. All patients who developed SE underwent surgery (p = 0.0065). Furthermore, SHE 3 and 4 showed no difference regarding the outcome between surgical and conservative treatment. Conclusions: SHE score is a reliable mortality predictor for minor trauma acute subdural hematoma in elderly patients. In addition, we identified status epilepticus as a strong life-expectancy-limiting factor in patients undergoing surgical evacuation.
Statistical and Practical Evaluation of the Mechanical and Fracture Properties of Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete
Authors: Hrabová Kristýna , Láník Jaromír , Lehner Petr
Published: July 2022

The sustainability of the construction industry requires new perspectives on existing techniques. For example, fibre concrete has been an integral part of the construction industry for many years and its contribution to enhancing the properties and use of concrete is undeniable, but there are still some questions that need to be answered. The present paper showed the possibilities of statistical evaluation of crack mouth displacement (CMOD) tests performed on 24 fibre concrete specimens. The aim was to point out possible pitfalls and to propose measures based on statistics. The geometrical properties of all samples were determined and correlated with the results of the CMOD test. In this paper, a procedure was considered to compare two different concretes with different fibres at CMOD level. Correlations between geometry and CMOD test results were also demonstrated.
Formwork System Selection in Building Construction Projects Using an Integrated Rough AHP-EDAS Approach: A Case Study
Authors: Terzioglu Taylan , Polat Gul
Published: July 2022

The successful completion of reinforced concrete (RC) building construction projects depends, in part, on selecting the appropriate formwork system (FWS) since it may significantly affect the project’s cost, time, and quality performance factors. The selection of the FWS depends on a number of compromising and conflicting criteria, while several FWS alternatives may be available. Therefore, the FWS selection has mostly been treated as a multi-criteria-decision-making (MCDM) problem. Although various MCDM methods have been employed to address the FWS selection problem, none have considered the subjectivity and uncertainty arising from a group decision-making process. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap by proposing an integrated approach using recently developed MCDM methods with rough numbers. In the integrated approach, first, a decision-making team is formed to develop the decision hierarchy. Then, the rough analytic hierarchy process (R-AHP) is used to determine rough criteria weights, followed by the rough evaluation based on the distance from average solution (R-EDAS) method to rank the FWS alternatives. Finally, the results are compared using different rough MCDM methods to ensure the stability of the proposed approach. The proposed approach is applied to a real-life building construction project in Turkey to select the most appropriate FWS. The integrated approach was found to be effective, and it was recommended to be used for future FWS selection problems. The proposed integrated approach in this study may be used as a decision support tool for construction professionals and experts to select the FWS in building construction projects.
Effects of Lead Core Heating on the Response of Isolated-Base and Fixed-Base Regular and Irregular Reinforced Concrete Structures
Authors: Öztürk Hakan
Published: July 2022

In this study, the seismic behavior of isolated- and fixed-base regular and irregular reinforced concrete structures was investigated. For this purpose, a three-dimensional, eight-story reference building model without any irregularity was designed in accordance with the Turkish Building Earthquake Code (TBEC-2018). Later, the building models with irregularities were created using the reference building model. In the building models with seismic isolators and fixed supports, fiber hinges were used for columns and beams to model nonlinear behavior. Moreover, nonlinear behavior at the isolation level was taken into account in building models with seismic isolators. Eleven different earthquake records were scaled using the geometric scaling method. Bi-directional nonlinear response history analysis (NRHA) was performed simultaneously for both horizontal components of the earthquake records in all building models. In addition to boundary analyses (Lower Bound and Upper Bound), which do not take into account the strength loss defined by the codes, analyses considering the strength loss as a result of heating in the lead core due to cyclical motion (Temperature Including) were carried out for building models with seismic isolators. In the analyses, displacement, acceleration, story drift ratio, base shear ratio, and damage mechanisms in the columns and beams obtained from the fixed-base and isolated-base structures were compared. In addition, the results of the analysis, in which the loss of strength due to temperature increase due to cyclical motion in the lead core is taken into account, were compared with the results obtained from the boundary analysis. As a result of the study, it was deduced that significant improvements were observed in the structural behavior of all regular and irregular models with seismic isolators under earthquake effects.
Apigenin Targets MicroRNA-155, Enhances SHIP-1 Expression, and Augments Anti-Tumor Responses in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Husain Kazim , Villalobos-Ayala Krystal , Laverde Valentina , Vazquez Oscar A. , Miller Bradley , Kazim Samra , Blanck George , Hibbs Margaret L. , Krystal Gerald , Elhussin Isra , Mori Joakin , Yates Clayton , Ghansah Tomar
Published: July 2022

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a deadly disease with a grim prognosis. Pancreatic tumor derived factors (TDF) contribute to the induction of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) that impedes the effectiveness of immunotherapy. PC-induced microRNA-155 (miRNA-155) represses expression of Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-containing Inositol 5′-phosphatase-1 (SHIP-1), a regulator of myeloid cell development and function, thus impacting anti-tumor immunity. We recently reported that the bioflavonoid apigenin (API) increased SHIP-1 expression which correlated with the expansion of tumoricidal macrophages (TAM) and improved anti-tumor immune responses in the TME of mice with PC. We now show that API transcriptionally regulates SHIP-1 expression via the suppression of miRNA-155, impacting anti-tumor immune responses in the bone marrow (BM) and TME of mice with PC. We discovered that API reduced miRNA-155 in the PC milieu, which induced SHIP-1 expression. This promoted the restoration of myelopoiesis and increased anti-tumor immune responses in the TME of heterotopic, orthotopic and transgenic SHIP-1 knockout preclinical mouse models of PC. Our results suggest that manipulating SHIP-1 through miR-155 may assist in augmenting anti-tumor immune responses and aid in the therapeutic intervention of PC.
Comparison of Side Effects of Nalbuphine and Morphine in the Treatment of Pain in children with Cancer: A Prospective Study
Authors: Kubica-Cielińska Anna , Czapla Michał , Juárez-Vela Raúl , Tejada-Garrido Clara Isabel , Zielińska Marzena
Published: July 2022

Contemporary pain management regimens in children do not include the use of the middle step of the analgesic ladder, i.e., weak opioids. The aim of this study was to analyse the comparison of side effects and the therapeutic efficacy of morphine and nalbuphine in pain management in children with cancer. We conducted an observational, prospective study and analysed medical records of patients treated at the Clinic of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology of the University Hospital in Wroclaw (Poland), who developed mucositis during treatment. The efficacy and safety of both drugs were analysed, and the efficacy of pain relief and the incidence of adverse effects characteristic of opioid drugs were compared. The cases of 96 of children treated with opioid drugs nalbuphine or morphine were analysed. Nalbuphine therapy was accompanied by a statistically significantly lower incidence of side effects such as skin pruritus, constipation, and micturition disorders compared to morphine (p < 0.05). After the discontinuation of nalbuphine, signs of withdrawal syndrome were much less frequent than after morphine (p < 0.05). In Conclusion, nalbuphine used as a pain killer in children with oncological disorder is a safe drug. It provides stable analgesia in most children. Compared to morphine, the side effects typical of opioid use are less common, and the incidence decreases over time.
Developing ROR1 Targeting CAR-T Cells against Solid Tumors in Preclinical Studies
Authors: Lee Boon kiat , Wan Yuhua , Chin Zan lynn , Deng Linyan , Deng Mo , Leung Tze ming , Hua Jian , Zhang Hua
Published: July 2022

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T-cells (CAR-T) have demonstrated promising clinical benefits against B-cell malignancies. Yet, its application for solid tumors is still facing challenges. Unlike haematological cancers, solid tumors often lack good targets, which are ideally expressed on the tumor cells, but not by the normal healthy cells. Fortunately, receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) is among a few good cancer targets that is aberrantly expressed on various tumors but has a low expression on normal tissue, suggesting it as a good candidate for CAR-T therapy. Here, we constructed two ROR1 CARs with the same antigen recognition domain that was derived from Zilovertamab but differing in hinge regions. Both CARs target ROR1+ cancer cells specifically, but CAR with a shorter IgG4 hinge exhibits a higher surface expression and better in vitro functionality. We further tested the ROR1 CAR-T in three human solid tumor xenografted mouse models. Our ROR1 CAR-T cells controlled the solid tumor growth without causing any severe toxicity. Our results demonstrated that ROR1 CAR-T derived from Zilovertamab is efficacious and safe to suppress ROR1+ solid tumors in vitro and in vivo, providing a promising therapeutic option for future clinical application.
Layered Double Hydroxide-Based Catalytic Materials for Sustainable Processes
Authors: Marcu Ioan-Cezar , Pavel Octavian Dumitru
Published: July 2022

Layered double hydroxides (LDH) or hydrotalcites (HT), together with their corresponding mixed oxides, continue to arouse a great deal of research interest [...]
Numerical Analysis on the Structure Design of Precast Cement Concrete Pavement Slabs
Authors: Jiang Shuangquan , Wang Yuan , Wang Xuhao , Liu Zexin , Liu Qianqian , Li Cheng , Li Peng
Published: July 2022

The performance of cast-in-place cement concrete pavement can be greatly influenced by the surrounding environment and the quality of construction, and it requires longer curing time before opening to the traffic. The precast cement concrete pavement has the potential to address the disadvantages of using the cast-in-place cement concrete as the pavement surface material, and it also provides an alternative solution for the rapid repair of pavement damage. The current study aimed to assess the influences of geometry of full-scaled precast concrete slabs with various load transfer joint types. A numerical analysis was conducted using the finite element method to analyze the mechanical responses of the single and double slabs in accordance with the elastic thin-plate theory and the Specifications for Design of Highway Cement Concrete Pavement. Under the premise of determining the most unfavorable load position for different mechanical parameters, the mechanical response regularity under the critical loads was determined. The precast concrete pavement slab with dimensions 4 m long, 3 m wide and 0.28 m thick exhibited better mechanical responses when considering the maximum deflection and flexural stress as the evaluation index. The results indicated that the variation of joint forms has marginal influences on the maximum deflection and displacement transfer coefficient. When considering the maximum flexural stress and load transfer coefficient of the precast slabs, the circular tongue-and-groove joint form was recommended for application.
Narrowband Near-Infrared Perovskite/Organic Photodetector: TCAD Numerical Simulation
Authors: Salem Marwa S. , Shaker Ahmed , Al-Bagawia Amal H. , Aleid Ghada Mohamed , Othman Mohamed S. , Alshammari Mohammad T. , Fedawy Mostafa
Published: July 2022

Narrowband photodetectors (PD) established in the near-infrared (NIR) wavelength range are highly required in a variety of applications including high-quality bioimaging. In this simulation study, we propose a filter-less narrowband PD based on the architecture of perovskite/organic heterojunction. The most decisive part of the photodetector is the hierarchical configuration of a larger bandgap perovskite material with a thicker film followed by a lower bandgap organic material with a narrower layer. The design of the structure is carried out by TCAD numerical simulations. Our structure is based on an experimentally validated wideband organic PD, which is modified by invoking an additional perovskite layer having a tunable bandgap. The main detector device comprises of ITO/perovskite (CsyFA1−yPb(IxBr1−x)3)/organic blend (PBDTTT-c:C60-PCBM)/PEDOT:PSS/Al. The simulation results show that the proposed heterojunction PD achieves satisfactory performance when the thickness of perovskite and organic layers are 2.5 µm and 500 nm, respectively. The designed photodetector achieves a narrow spectral response at 730 nm with a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 33 nm in the detector, while having a responsivity of about 0.12 A/W at zero bias. The presented heterojunction perovskite/organic PD can efficiently detect light in the wavelength range of 700 to 900 nm. These simulation results can be employed to drive the development of filter-less narrowband NIR heterojunction PD.
Re-Irradiation for Recurrent Cervical Cancer: A State-of-the-Art Review
Authors: Shen Zongyan , Qu Ang , Jiang Ping , Jiang Yuliang , Sun Haitao , Wang Junjie
Published: July 2022

The recurrence rate of cervical cancer after primary treatment can reach 60%, and a poor prognosis is reported in most cases. Treatment options for the recurrence of cervical cancer mainly depend on the prior treatment regimen and the location of recurrent lesions. Re-irradiation is still considered as a clinical challenge, owing to a high incidence of toxicity, especially in in-field recurrence within a short period of time. Recent advances in radiotherapy have preliminarily revealed encouraging outcomes of re-irradiation. Several centers have concentrasted on stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for the treatment of well-selected cases. Meanwhile, as the image-guiding techniques become more precise, a better dose profile can also be achieved in brachytherapy, including high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy (HDR-ISBT) and permanent radioactive seed implantation (PRSI). These treatment modalities have shown promising efficacy with a tolerable toxicity, providing further treatment options for recurrent cervical cancer. However, it is highly unlikely to draw a definite conclusion from all of those studies due to the large heterogeneity among them and the lack of large-scale prospective studies. This study mainly reviews and summarizes the progress of re-irradiation for recurrent cervical cancer in recent years, in order to provide potential treatment regimens for the management of re-irradiation.
Applications of Liquid Biopsies in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Pesta Martin , Shetti Dattatrya , Kulda Vlastimil , Knizkova Tereza , Houfkova Katerina , Sharif Bagheri Mahyar , Svaton Martin , Polivka Jiri
Published: July 2022

The concept of liquid biopsy as an analysis tool for non-solid tissue carried out for the purpose of providing information about solid tumors was introduced approximately 20 years ago. Additional to the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), the liquid biopsy approach quickly included the analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and other tumor-derived markers such as circulating cell-free RNA or extracellular vesicles. Liquid biopsy is a non-invasive technique for detecting multiple cancer-associated biomarkers that is easy to obtain and can reflect the characteristics of the entire tumor mass. Currently, ctDNA is the key component of the liquid biopsy approach from the point of view of the prognosis assessment, prediction, and monitoring of the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. ctDNA in NSCLC patients carries variants or rearrangements that drive carcinogenesis, such as those in EGFR, KRAS, ALK, or ROS1. Due to advances in pharmacology, these variants are the subject of targeted therapy. Therefore, the detection of these variants has gained attention in clinical medicine. Recently, methods based on qPCR (ddPCR, BEAMing) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) are the most effective approaches for ctDNA analysis. This review addresses various aspects of the use of liquid biopsy with an emphasis on ctDNA as a biomarker in NSCLC patients.
Genetic Testing at Diagnosis Has Prognostic Value in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia including at Early Stages
Authors: Suárez-Cabrera Alexia , Fiallo-Suárez Dolly Viviana , Stuckey Ruth , Uroz-de la Iglesia Marta Luna , Florido Yanira , Lemes-Castellano Angelina , Perera-Álvarez Miguel Ángel , Luzardo-Henríquez Hugo , de la Nuez Haridian , Fernández-Caldas Paula , de la Iglesia Silvia , Gómez-Casares María Teresa , Bilbao-Sieyro Cristina
Published: July 2022

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has a variable clinical evolution, with some patients living treatment-free for decades while others require therapy shortly after diagnosis. In a consecutive series of 217 CLL patients, molecular biomarkers with prognostic value (IGHV status, TP53 mutations, and cytogenetics), whose analysis is recommended prior to treatment start, were studied at diagnosis. Multivariate analyses identified prognostic variables for overall survival (OS) and time to first treatment (TTFT) and validated the CLL-IPI and IPS-E variables for all or early-stage patients (Rai 0–2/Binet A), respectively. Unmutated IGHV was associated with shorter OS and TTFT, even for early-stage patients. Lymphocyte count was not statistically significant for TTFT of early-stage patients in multivariate analysis. Our results validate the prognostic value of IGHV mutational status at diagnosis for OS and TTFT, including for early stages. Our findings suggest a role for molecular and mutational analysis at diagnosis in future prospective studies.
Shielding Effectiveness Measurements of Drywall Panel Coated with Biochar Layers
Authors: Savi Patrizia , Ruscica Giuseppe , di Summa Davide , Natali Sora Isabella
Published: July 2022

Shielding against electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a critical issue in civil applications generally solved with metal screens. In recent years, the properties of many composite materials filled with carbon nanotubes or graphene or materials with a carbon-based coating have been analysed with the aim of using them for electromagnetic shielding applications. Among other carbon materials, biochar, derived from biomass and characterized by high carbon content, emerges as a sustainable, renewable, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive material. In this paper, commercial biochar thermally treated at 750 °C is used to coat with several layers common building components such as drywall panel. Shielding effectiveness is measured in the frequency band 1–18 GHz for normal incidence and skew angles 10, 20 and 30 deg in a full anechoic chamber with double ridged, vertically and horizontally polarized broadband horn antennas. The results show that the proposed biochar-coated drywall panels provide a good shielding effectiveness compared to similar solutions, with the advantage of a less expensive and easier to realize building material.
IoMT-Based Platform for E-Health Monitoring Based on the Blockchain
Authors: Ktari Jalel , Frikha Tarek , Ben Amor Nader , Louraidh Leila , Elmannai Hela , Hamdi Monia
Published: July 2022

With the evolution of information technology, the use of internet of things has increased. It affects several areas such as medical field, smart cities, and information systems. In this work, we will use this technological development in the context of health, particularly e-health. We present a platform based on IoMT to allow the monitoring of patient’s health. To meet the constraint of medical secrecy and confidentiality of information, we will use the Blockchain as a secure system. Our system will use the data collected by several smart sensors such as blood pressure, SPO2 concentration, and EEG signals. These encrypted data will be collected by an embedded Raspberry PI 4 platform (working as a smart data relay) before being processed (on a backend server) and then saved in an embedded Blockchain node. The preliminary results show the effectiveness of the proposed platform as a candidate of a low-cost example of secured Electronic Health Record (EHR).
Optimal Scheduling of Reconfigurable Microgrids in Both Grid-Connected and Isolated Modes Considering the Uncertainty of DERs
Authors: Rezaeeian Sepideh , Bayat Narges , Rabiee Abbas , Nikkhah Saman , Soroudi Alireza
Published: July 2022

In this study, an operation strategy is introduced for distributed energy resources (DERs) in reconfigurable microgrids (MGs) to improve voltage profiles, minimize power losses, and boost the system performance. The proposed methodology aims to minimize power loss and energy not supplied (ENS) in MGs with an intelligent share of DERs and network reconfiguration in grid-connected and islanded modes. Due to the inherent uncertain nature of renewable DERs, these sources’ power output is considered as an uncertain parameter, and its effect on the system characteristics is analyzed. The state-of-the-art information gap decision theory (IGDT) approach is utilized to explore different decision-making strategies in the energy scheduling of reconfigurable MGs to deal with such uncertainty. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, the IEEE 33-bus radial system is utilized as the test MG. The simulation results show the importance of energy storage systems and reconfiguration in dealing with uncertainty and improving system reliability.
Sensitivity Analysis of Ex-Vessel Corium Coolability Models in MAAP5 Code for the Prediction of Molten Corium–Concrete Interaction after a Severe Accident Scenario
Authors: Amidu Muritala Alade , Addad Yacine , Hidaka Akihide
Published: July 2022

A postulated progressing severe accident scenario has been simulated using MAAP5 code with the focus on ex-vessel cooling of molten corium in the reactor cavity. Various parameters associated with the prediction of molten corium–concrete interaction (MCCI) are identified. Accordingly, a sensitivity analysis is performed to assess the impact of these parameters on the predicted cavity floor erosion depth during this MCCI postulated accident. The sensitivity index of each variable parameter is determined using the Cotter indices method and Sobol′ indices method. At the early stage of the accident, the predicted cavity floor erosion depth is found to be highly sensitive to the downward heat transfer coefficient parameter with Cotter and Sobol′ indices of 94% and 50%, respectively. At the late phase of the accident, however, the cavity floor erosion depth becomes sensitive to melt eruption (Cotter index of 40%), water ingression (Cotter index of 13%), and particulate bed (Cotter index of 15%) parameters alongside the downward heat transfer coefficient (Cotter index of 16%) with the melt eruption parameter becoming dominant. Thus, the sensitivity of the code′s predictions can be minimized by improving the physical models associated with these parameters. Moreover, the sensitivity indices of these parameters can be used by model developers to identify unimportant parameters in a bid to reduce the dimension of the problem with the aim of improving the current predictive capabilities to conduct MCCI-related safety analyses.
Supply of Wood Biomass in Poland in Terms of Extraordinary Threat and Energy Transition
Authors: Majchrzak Magdalena , Szczypa Piotr , Adamowicz Krzysztof
Published: July 2022

In this article, we present the possibility of applying the concept of elasticity in the system of sustainable energy development through the use of wood biomass. We used a dual (socio-ecological and economic) approach to sustainable energy development. The research was carried out using the methods of reduction reasoning, scientific observation, and examination of source documents. We identified crisis threats in the context of sustainable energy development. Then, we analyzed the supply of wood biomass in Poland, taking into account its geographical location. As a result, we identified and characterized the causal relationships between the assumptions of the concept of resistance and the sustainable development of energy with the use of wood biomass. We found that the concepts of resilience can be adapted to assessing energy sustainability. This adaptation is based on resilience, flexibility, and strategic ability to revitalize the country. We found that five key threats (extreme weather events, climate breakdown, pollution, infectious diseases, loss of biodiversity) affect both the energy-sustainability system and forest management, and the relationship is two-way. We show that the production of forest biomass is compatible with modern forest management and supports the implementation of sustainable energy development, which takes place under the concept of resilience.
HT-TPP: A Hybrid Twin Architecture for Thermal Power Plant Collaborative Condition Monitoring
Authors: Ghita Mezzour , Siham Benhadou , Hicham Medromi , Amine Mounaam
Published: July 2022

Thermal power plants, TPP, are one of the main players in the phosphoric acid and fertilizer production value chain. The control of power plant assets involves considerable complexity and is subject to several constraints, affecting the asset’s reliability and, most importantly, plant operators’ safety. The main focus of this paper is to investigate the potential of an agent-based digital twin architecture for collaborative prognostic of power plants. Based on the ISO 13374:2015 scheme for smart condition monitoring, the proposed architecture consists of a collaborative prognostics system governed by several smart DT agents connected to both physical and virtual environments. In order to apprehend the potential of the developed agent-based architecture, experiments on the architecture are conducted in a real industrial environment. We show throughout the paper that our proposed architecture is robust and reproduces TPP static and dynamic behavior and can contribute to the smart monitoring of the plant in case of critical conditions.
Experimental Study on Tenon and Mortise Joints of Wood-Structure Houses Reinforced by Innovative Metal Dampers
Authors: Yu Shibin , Pan Wen , Su Hexian , Ye Liaoyuan , Wang Daohang
Published: July 2022

To improve the seismic performance of Chinese traditional wood-structure houses, this paper proposes to strengthen their mortise and tenon joints by applying an innovative metal damper. According to the dimensions of the “Yikeyin” wood-structure houses in the Tonghai area of Yunnan Province, two groups of six samples of three types of mortise and tenon joints were manufactured, in which one group was mounted with dampers made of Q235 steels. Subsequently, a low-cycle repeated loading test was conducted to examine the overall behavior of these joints. Various characteristics of seismic performance indexes, such as the moment–rotation hysteresis curve, skeleton curve, stiffness degradation, energy dissipation capacity, residual amount of tenon and the removal before and after reinforcements of straight, penetrated and dovetail tenon joints were analyzed. The test results show that these tenons exhibit good deformation capacity, their hysteresis curves became fuller and their “pinch” effects were significantly reduced, all after their joints became strengthened, indicating that their joint slips were reduced during the loading processes and their residual amounts of tenon removals were under effective control. Compared with the blank group, the joint stiffness was substantially improved, and the increase in the reverse stiffness turned greater than that of the positive stiffness at each stage of loading, while the degradation curve of the whole joint stiffness became steeper. After mounting the dampers, the bearing capacity and energy dissipation of the joints were significantly improved, the equivalent viscous damping coefficients of the straight and penetrated tenon joints were increased, but that of the dovetail joint was slightly reduced. These study results can provide a reference for the reinforcement and protection of traditional wood-structure houses.
New Insight into Genetic Structure and Diversity of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Populations in Lithuania Based on Nuclear, Chloroplast and Mitochondrial DNA Markers
Authors: Kavaliauskas Darius , Danusevičius Darius , Baliuckas Virgilijus
Published: July 2022

We studied the genetic differentiation, structure, and diversity of Scots pine populations in Lithuania based on nuclear, chloroplast microsatellite, and mitochondrial DNA markers. We focused on revealing evolutionary history, country-wide geneflow patterns, and structuring among the Scots pine populations. We genotyped 439 Scots pine individuals of mature age from 23 natural Scots pine stands in Lithuania and used the AMOVA and a set of genetic-clustering methods. The among-population differentiation was weak for nuclear microsatellite loci (nSSRs) (FST = 0.005) but much stronger for cpSSRs (PhiST = 0.240). The populations were structured into highland and lowland populations based on cpSSRs and eastern highland versus the rest for nSSRs. We detected two mtDNA mitotypes—the universal type A and northeastern type B, and the latter occurred at a markedly higher frequency in eastern Lithuania. Within-population genetic diversity was higher in large pine-dominated forest tracts in the eastern highlands than in fragmented forests in the western highlands. We concluded that phenology-based genetic networks following the temperature climate gradients have a strong effect on shaping the genetic structure of otherwise rather homogeneous gene pools of Scots pine populations in Lithuania. The possible effects of human interference with forests on genetic diversity of Scots pine populations in Lithuania are discussed.
Characterisation of Elementary Kenaf Fibres Extracted Using HNO3 and H2O2/CH3COOH
Authors: Soatthiyanon Niphaphun , Crosky Alan
Published: July 2022

In this study, elementary kenaf fibres were separated from fibre bundles using two different treatments. The first involved treating with nitric acid (HNO3) while the second used a mixture of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and acetic acid (CH3COOH). Both treatments were successful in isolating the elementary fibres but the H2O2/CH3COOH gave a better fibre yield and required a shorter treatment time. The fibres treated with HNO3 had an average length of 0.2 mm, an aspect ratio of 15 and a defect density of 21 defects per mm. In contrast, the H2O2/CH3COOH treated fibres had a length of 2.3 mm, an aspect ratio of 179 and a defect density of 14 defects per mm. Both treatments removed lignin, pectin, and waxes. They also increased cellulose crystallinity in the fibres, especially for HNO3 treatment. However, they resulted in some oxidation of cellulose. The H2O2/CH3COOH treatment gave a substantial improvement in the thermal stability of the fibres while a marked decrease was observed for the HNO3 treatment.