bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Image Quality and Diagnostic Performance of CT with Low-Concentration Iodine Contrast (240 mg Iodine/mL) for the Abdominal Organs
Authors: Choi Moon-Hyung , Lee Young-Joon , Jung Seung-Eun
Published: March 2022

Purpose: To evaluate the difference between CT examinations using 240 mgI/mL contrast material (CM) and 320 mgI/mL CM in the contrast enhancement of the abdominal organs and the diagnostic performance for focal hepatic lesions. Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 422 CT examinations, using 240 mgI/mL iohexol (Group A, 206 examinations) and 320 mgI/mL ioversol (Group B, 216 examinations), performed between April 2019 and May 2020. Two CT scanners (single-source CT (machine A) and dual-source CT (machine B)) were used to obtain CT images. Two radiologists independently drew regions of interest (ROIs) in the liver, pancreas, spleen, kidney, aorta, portal vein, and paraspinal muscle. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated for each organ. They evaluated the degree of subjective enhancement of the organs and detected/differentiated focal hepatic lesions. Results: The SNR, CNR, and subjective enhancement of most organs were significantly higher in Group B than in Group A (p < 0.05). The sensitivity and specificity for cysts and malignancy were higher than 85.0% in both groups. The sensitivity for hemangioma was lower in Group B (<75%) than in Group A. In Group A, the SNR and CNR were significantly higher in most organs with machine B than with machine A. Conclusion: Although the SNR and CNR of the abdominal organs were lower with 240 mgI/mL CM than with 320 mgI/mL CM, 240 mgI/mL CM was feasible for evaluating the liver. A CT scanner with more advanced specifications may be beneficial for examinations with 240 mgI/mL CM by using lower tube voltage.
Two-Photon Vision in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Translational Study
Authors: Łabuz Grzegorz , Zielińska Agnieszka , Kessler Lucy , Rayamajhi Asu , Komar Katarzyna , Khoramnia Ramin , Auffarth Gerd
Published: March 2022

The recently introduced term “two-photon vision” relates to the visual perception resulting from a simultaneous absorption of two photons by photoreceptors. In this study, we determined two-photon retinal sensitivity in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and compared it that in normal aging. Microperimetry was performed with visible (white) light and infrared (IR) light, which was perceived as green in the two-photon stimulation. In total, 45 subjects were included with one (better) eye studied. Furthermore, best-corrected visual acuity (VA) and ocular straylight were assessed. AMD resulted in decreased median (interquartile range) logMAR VA, i.e., 0.15 (0.05; 0.24), which in normal eyes was −0.02 (−0.06; 0.02). The two groups showed comparable straylight levels. Sensitivity to IR light was significantly lower in the AMD group (p < 0.001): 8.3 (7.4, 9.3) dB than in controls 10.7 (9.7, 11.2) dB. AMD also significantly affected visible light sensitivity (p < 0.001): 14.0 (11.0; 15.5) dB vs. 18.0 (16.3; 18.9) dB. Notably, the two-photon approach yielded a lower data spread. In conclusion, AMD considerably impairs retinal sensitivity measured in the single- and two-photon realm. However, two-photon-vision microperimetry may improve the testing accuracy and offer an additional diagnostic parameter (beyond VA measurements) for retinal function assessment.
Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Subjective Life Satisfaction of South Korean Adults: Bayesian Nomogram Approach
Authors: Byeon Haewon
Published: March 2022

To understand the changes in the lives of adults living in local communities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to identify subjective life satisfaction and to understand key factors affecting life satisfaction. This study identified the effect on life satisfaction of COVID-19 using epidemiological data representing adults in South Korean communities and developed a model for predicting the factors adversely affecting life satisfaction by applying a Bayesian nomogram. The subjects of this study were 227,808 adults who were 19 years old or older. Life satisfaction was measured in units of 10 points from 0 to 100: a score of 30 or less corresponding to −1 standard deviations was reclassified as dissatisfied, and a score of 40 or more was reclassified as satisfied. The nomogram developed in this study showed that “females who were between 30 and 39 years old, living in urban areas, with fewer meetings and sleeping hours, concerned about infection for themselves and the weak in the family due to the COVID-19 pandemic, concerned about death, with a mean household monthly income of KRW 3–5 million, who were non-smokers, with poor subjective health, and an education level of college graduation or above” would have a 66% chance of life dissatisfaction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study suggest that the government needs not only to provide economic support but also to support education on infectious diseases and customized psychological counseling programs for those at high risk of life dissatisfaction after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Successful Full-Term Delivery via Selective Ectopic Embryo Reduction Accompanied by Uterine Cerclage in a Heterotopic Cesarean Scar Pregnancy: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Kim Hyoeun , Koh Ji Hye , Lee Jihee , Sim Yeongeun , Lee Sang-Hun , Lee Soo-Jeong , Ahn Jun-Woo , Roh Hyun-Jin , Kim Jeong Sook
Published: March 2022

Heterotopic cesarean scar pregnancy (HCSP) is a combination of cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) and intrauterine pregnancy (IUP). Cesarean scar pregnancy is accompanied by life-threatening complications, such as uterine rupture and massive bleeding. Herein, we present a case of HCSP treated with selective potassium chloride injection into the CSP under ultrasonography in association with uterine cerclage to control vaginal bleeding; this led to a successful IUP preservation and full-term delivery. Additionally, we will review several previous reports on HCSP management, including our case.
Clinical Applications of Fetal MRI in the Brain
Authors: Nagaraj Usha D. , Kline-Fath Beth M.
Published: March 2022

Fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a widely used tool in clinical practice, providing increased accuracy in prenatal diagnoses of congenital abnormalities of the brain, allowing for more accurate prenatal counseling, optimization of perinatal management, and in some cases fetal intervention. In this article, a brief description of how fetal ultrasound (US) and fetal MRI are used in clinical practice will be followed by an overview of the most common reasons for referral for fetal MRI of the brain, including ventriculomegaly, absence of the cavum septi pellucidi (CSP) and posterior fossa anomalies.
A Deep Learning Model for Prostate Adenocarcinoma Classification in Needle Biopsy Whole-Slide Images Using Transfer Learning
Authors: Tsuneki Masayuki , Abe Makoto , Kanavati Fahdi
Published: March 2022

The histopathological diagnosis of prostate adenocarcinoma in needle biopsy specimens is of pivotal importance for determining optimum prostate cancer treatment. Since diagnosing a large number of cases containing 12 core biopsy specimens by pathologists using a microscope is time-consuming manual system and limited in terms of human resources, it is necessary to develop new techniques that can rapidly and accurately screen large numbers of histopathological prostate needle biopsy specimens. Computational pathology applications that can assist pathologists in detecting and classifying prostate adenocarcinoma from whole-slide images (WSIs) would be of great benefit for routine pathological practice. In this paper, we trained deep learning models capable of classifying needle biopsy WSIs into adenocarcinoma and benign (non-neoplastic) lesions. We evaluated the models on needle biopsy, transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR-P), and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) public dataset test sets, achieving an ROC-AUC up to 0.978 in needle biopsy test sets and up to 0.9873 in TCGA test sets for adenocarcinoma.
Permafrost Landscape Research in the Northeast of Eurasia
Authors: Fedorov Alexander N.
Published: March 2022

The results of permafrost landscape studies on northeastern Eurasia are presented in this review. The assessment of permafrost vulnerability to disturbances and global warming was the basis for the development of these studies. The permafrost landscape, considering the morphological features of the landscape and the permafrost together, is a timely object of study. The theoretical developments of Soviet physical geographers and landscape scientists are the basis for permafrost landscape studies. Over the past four decades, numerous permafrost landscape studies have been carried out on northeastern Eurasia (and Russia). Considering the results of these studies is the main objective of this article. The analysis of the problems of permafrost landscape identification, classification, and mapping and the study of their dynamics and evolution after disturbances and long-term development were carried out. Permafrost landscape studies employ the research methods of landscape science and geocryology. Environmental protection and adaptation of socioeconomic conditions to modern climate warming will determine the prospects for studying permafrost landscapes.
Uncertainties and Perspectives on Forest Height Estimates by Sentinel-1 Interferometry
Authors: De Petris Samuele , Sarvia Filippo , Borgogno-Mondino Enrico
Published: March 2022

Forest height is a key parameter in forestry. SAR interferometry (InSAR) techniques have been extensively adopted to retrieve digital elevation models (DEM) to give a representation of the continuous variation of the Earth’s topography, including forests. Unfortunately, InSAR has been proven to fail over vegetation due to low coherence values; therefore, all phase unwrapping algorithms tend to avoid these areas, making InSAR-derived DEM over vegetation unreliable. In this work, a sensitivity analysis was performed with the aim of properly initializing the relevant operational parameters (baseline and multilooking factor) to maximize the theoretical accuracy of the height difference between the forest and reference point. Some scenarios were proposed to test the resulting “optimal values”, as estimated at the previous step. A simple model was additionally proposed and calibrated, aimed at predicting the optimal baseline value (and therefore image pair selection) for height uncertainty minimization. All our analyses were conducted using free available data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission to support the operational transfer into the forest sector. Finally, the potential uncertainty affecting resulting height measures was quantified, showing that a value lower than 5 m can be expected once all user-dependent parameters (i.e., baseline, multilooking factor, temporal baseline) are properly tuned.
Online Teaching in COVID-19 Pandemic: Secondary School Teachers’ Beliefs on Teaching Presence and School Support
Authors: Nikolopoulou Kleopatra , Kousloglou Manolis
Published: March 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic, with the consecutive lockdowns, has led schools around the world to transition suddenly from face-to-face education to online teaching. The purpose of this paper was to investigate secondary school teachers’ beliefs on online teaching presence and school support for online learning during the pandemic. The sample was 238 teachers in Greece who are interested in e-learning and received some preparation to teach online courses. An online questionnaire was administered and three factors were revealed: instruction and organization, facilitation and cognitive activation, and school support. Teachers’ perceived online teaching presence was strong (over 63% expressed agreement), and the highest percentages of agreement were linked to clear instruction, communication of time frames and course topics, and facilitation and encouragement that could help students learn. On the other hand, perceived school support for online learning was weak (over 50% expressed disagreement and neutral views), and the highest percentages of disagreement regarded the existence of a professional development strategy and of clear objectives/vision towards online learning. Gender, years of teaching experience, and experience with online teaching had a small effect on teachers’ beliefs. Implications for teacher professional development, educational policy, and the design of educational technology applications are discussed.
Starting at Home: What Does the Literature Indicate about Parental Involvement in Early Childhood STEM Education?
Authors: Salvatierra Loreto , Cabello Valeria
Published: March 2022

Developing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) competencies is a global priority. In response to this educational need, initiatives have been implemented mainly at the school level. However, in preschool education, the STEAM programs are more recent. Research advances orient preschool teachers to reach these competencies in school-based programs, although parental involvement has been systematically forgotten as a critical factor. This article describes the current issues on research about parental participation in STEM education in early childhood to identify advances and gaps. We selected documents published between 1995 and 2021 in the leading educational databases, identifying 11 documents explicitly related to parental involvement in STEM education in preschoolers. The results show that STEM activities can promote parental engagement, improve the value parent attribute to STEM, and positively affect STEM learning in preschoolers. Moreover, parents shape children’s interests and self-efficacy about STEM and content application that can favor their children’s approach to STEM. This article discusses the scarcity of research published on the connection between STEM and parental influence, despite the fundamental role of parents in early STEM education. We present practical criteria to guide the development of early STEM education in the family context and questions to guide the planning of research and intervention programs.
The Importance of Professional Development in a Programmatic Assessment System: One Medical School’s Experience
Authors: Colbert Colleen Y. , Bierer S. Beth
Published: March 2022

The Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University (CCLCM) was created in 2004 as a 5-year undergraduate medical education program with a mission to produce future physician-investigators. CCLCM’s assessment system aligns with the principles of programmatic assessment. The curriculum is organized around nine competencies, where each competency has milestones that students use to self-assess their progress and performance. Throughout the program, students receive low-stakes feedback from a myriad of assessors across courses and contexts. With support of advisors, students construct portfolios to document their progress and performance. A separate promotion committee makes high-stakes promotion decisions after reviewing students’ portfolios. This case study describes a systematic approach to provide both student and faculty professional development essential for programmatic assessment. Facilitators, barriers, lessons learned, and future directions are discussed.
Investigation of Elastic Properties of WO3 Thin Films Supported on Quartz in Surface Acoustic Wave Sensing Devices
Authors: Arab Madjid , Madigou Véronique , Chevallier Virginie , Turquat Christian , Leroux Christine
Published: March 2022

This study aims to discuss the combined theoretical and experimental results of elastic properties of tungsten trioxide films supported on Quartz (YX)/45°/10° resonator to form surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. The SAW systems with different thicknesses of WO3 thin films were imaged and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction, atomic force, and transmission electron microscopy. The deposited WO3 films (100, 200, and 300 nm of thickness) crystallized in a single monoclinic phase. The acoustoelectric properties of the SAW system were obtained by combining theoretical simulations with experimental measurements. The modeling of the SAW devices has been performed by the finite element and boundary element methods (FEM/BEM). The elastic constants of the films at room temperature were assessed via electrical admittances experiments in light of theoretical calculations. The gravimetric effect of the deposited layers is observed by a shift of the resonance frequency to lower values as the thickness of the films increases. Moreover, the acoustic losses are affected by the dielectric losses of the WO3 films while the resonant frequency decreases almost linearly. SAW devices revealed strong displacement fields with low acoustic losses as a function of WO3 thicknesses. For all the deposited layers, the measured Young’s moduli and Poisson’s ratios are 8 GPa and 0.5, respectively.
Copper-Content Dependent Structural and Electrical Properties of CZTS Films Formed by “Green” Colloidal Nanocrystals
Authors: Dzhagan Volodymyr , Selyshchev Oleksandr , Kondratenko Serhiy , Mazur Nazar , Havryliuk Yevhenii , Raievska Oleksandra , Stroyuk Oleksandr , Zahn Dietrich R. T.
Published: March 2022

Thin films of colloidal CZTS nanocrystals (NCs) synthesized using a “green” approach in water with a variation of the copper-to-tin ratio are investigated by Raman scattering, mid-infrared (molecular vibrations) and near-infrared (free carrier) absorption, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), electrical conductivity, and conductive atomic force microscopy (cAFM). We determined the effect of the actual Cu content on the phonon spectra, electrical conductivity, and spectral parameters of the plasmon band. An increase in the electrical conductivity of the NC films upon annealing at 220 °C is explained by three factors: formation of a CuxS nanophase at the CZTS NC surface, partial removal of ligands, and improved structural perfection. The presence of the CuxS phase is concluded to be the determinant factor for the CZTS NC film conductivity. CuxS can be reliably detected based on the analysis of the modified Auger parameter of copper, derived from XPS data and corroborated by Raman spectroscopy data. Partial removal of the ligand is concluded from the agreement of the core-level XPS and vibrational IR spectra. The degree of lattice perfection can be conveniently assessed from the Raman data as well. Further important information derived from a combination of photoelectron and optical data is the work function, ionization potential, and electron affinity of the NC films.
Human–Machine Interaction Using Probabilistic Neural Network for Light Communication Systems
Authors: Webber Julian , Mehbodniya Abolfazl , Teng Rui , Arafa Ahmed
Published: March 2022

Hand gestures are a natural and efficient means to control systems and are one of the promising but challenging areas of human–machine interaction (HMI). We propose a system to recognize gestures by processing interrupted patterns of light in a visible light communications (VLC) system. Our solution is aimed at the emerging light communication systems and can facilitate the human–computer interaction for services in health-care, robot systems, commerce and the home. The system exploits existing light communications infrastructure using low-cost and readily available components. Different finger sequences are detected using a probabilistic neural network (PNN) trained on light transitions between fingers. A novel pre-processing of the sampled light on a photodiode is described to facilitate the use of the PNN with limited complexity. The contributions of this work include the development of a sensing technique for light communication systems, a novel PNN pre-processing methodology to convert the light sequences into manageable size matrices along with hardware implementation showing the proof of concept under natural lighting conditions. Despite the modest complexity our system could correctly recognize gestures with an accuracy of 73%, demonstrating the potential of this technology. We show that the accuracy depends on the PNN pre-processing matrix size and the Gaussian spread function. The emerging IEEE 802.11bb ‘Li-Fi’ standard is expected to bring the light communications infrastructure into virtually every room across the world and a methodology to exploit a system for gesture sensing is expected to be of considerable interest and value to society.
A Survey on Efficient Convolutional Neural Networks and Hardware Acceleration
Authors: Ghimire Deepak , Kil Dayoung , Kim Seong-heum
Published: March 2022

Over the past decade, deep-learning-based representations have demonstrated remarkable performance in academia and industry. The learning capability of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) originates from a combination of various feature extraction layers that fully utilize a large amount of data. However, they often require substantial computation and memory resources while replacing traditional hand-engineered features in existing systems. In this review, to improve the efficiency of deep learning research, we focus on three aspects: quantized/binarized models, optimized architectures, and resource-constrained systems. Recent advances in light-weight deep learning models and network architecture search (NAS) algorithms are reviewed, starting with simplified layers and efficient convolution and including new architectural design and optimization. In addition, several practical applications of efficient CNNs have been investigated using various types of hardware architectures and platforms.
Nonlinear Time Series Analysis in Unstable Periodic Orbits Identification-Control Methods of Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Ivan Cosmin , Arva Mihai Catalin
Published: March 2022

The main purpose of this paper is to present a solution to the well-known problems generated by classical control methods through the analysis of nonlinear time series. Among the problems analyzed, for which an explanation has been sought for a long time, we list the significant reduction in control power and the identification of unstable periodic orbits (UPOs) in chaotic time series. To accurately identify the type of behavior of complex systems, a new solution is presented that involves a method of two-dimensional representation specific to the graphical point of view, and in particular the recurrence plot (RP). An example of the issue studied is presented by applying the recurrence graph to identify the UPO in a chaotic attractor. To identify a certain type of behavior in the numerical data of chaotic systems, nonlinear time series will be used, as a novelty element, to locate unstable periodic orbits. Another area of use for the theories presented above, following the application of these methods, is related to the control of chaotic dynamical systems by using RP in control techniques. Thus, the authors’ contributions are outlined by using the recurrence graph, which is used to identify the UPO from a chaotic attractor, in the control techniques that modify a system variable. These control techniques are part of the closed loop or feedback strategies that describe control as a function of the current state of the UPO stabilization system. To exemplify the advantages of the methods presented above, the use of the recurrence graph in the control of a buck converter through the application of a phase difference signal was analyzed. The study on the command of a direct current motor using a buck converter shows, through a final concrete application, the advantages of using these analysis methods in controlling dynamic systems.
Design and Integration of Millimeter-Wave 5G and WLAN Antennas in Perfect Full-Screen Display Smartphones
Authors: Lai Fei-Peng , Mi Shih-Yuan , Chen Yen-Sheng
Published: March 2022

Smartphone industries are seeking to maximize screen size, but a perfect full-screen phone is not yet available due to the unoccupied area required for the mobile antennas. Since a touchscreen is coated with transparent conductive layers, antennas below the touchscreen cannot create outward radiation. Accordingly, a non-metallic area is left for the antennas, which reduces the screen size. In this paper, we propose a design and integration of antennas for future millimeter-wave 5G smartphones to suit a perfect full-screen display. The proposed design consists of three modules, including a 1 × 12 patch antenna array at 28 GHz, a 1 × 8 patch array at 38 GHz, and a loop antenna at 2.45 GHz. The design environment consists of fully metallic top and bottom enclosures, mimicking the touchscreen and the printed circuit board, respectively. The three antennas were implemented on the flanks. Although the design area was limited and contained in parallel conductive plates, the three antennas still provided broad impedance bandwidths (26.5–32.0 GHz, 35.2–42.0 GHz, and 2.41–2.48 GHz) and high gains (16.7 dBi, 16.4 dBi, and 4.3 dBi). The isolation was larger than 20 dB, and the scanning ranges were ±45°. The proposed scheme is the first antenna system designed for perfect full-screen display phones.
High-Isolation MIMO Antenna for 5G Millimeter-Wave Communication Systems
Authors: Bilal Muhammad , Naqvi Syeda Iffat , Hussain Niamat , Amin Yasar , Kim Nam
Published: March 2022

The work in this article presents the design and realization of a low-profile, four-port MIMO antenna supporting fifth-generation (5G) wireless applications operating at a millimeter-Wave (mm-Wave) band. Each MIMO antenna is a 2-element array fed with a corporate feeding network, whereas the single antenna is a patch with a bow-tie slot at the center and slits at the edges. The vertical and horizontal slots are incorporated as a Defected Ground Structure (DGS) to optimize the antenna performance. In addition, a slotted zig-zag decoupling structure is etched from edge to edge on the top side to enhance the isolation. Significant isolation (>−40 dB) is achieved between antenna elements by employing spatial and polarization diversity techniques. The proposed antenna covers the 5G mm-Wave band with a −10 dB bandwidth ranging from 27.6–28.6 GHz, whereas the maximum gain attained for the proposed structure is 12.02 dBi. Moreover, the lower correlation values, higher diversity gain, and lower channel capacity loss make it a suitable contender for 5G MIMO applications at the mm-Wave range.
Precise Strong Magnet Measurement Method Based on Magnetic Flux Modulation Principle
Authors: Li Zhun , Ouyang Zhengrong , Leng Zengkun , Zhang Yubo , Zhang Shan , Lu Yunfeng , Yan Zhidan
Published: March 2022

Superconducting magnets with stable and strong magnetic fields play a pivotal role in fields such as biology, medical science, and physics. Given the difficult measurement conditions and low measurement accuracy of the strong magnetic field, a measurement method based on magnetic flux modulation is proposed in this paper. Additionally, a high-stability coil-driving device is established. A circuit for coil speed acquisition and measurement is developed. The effective values of induced electromotive forces corresponding to the measured strong magnetic field are obtained, following the de-noising principle of the lock-in amplifier. Particularly, a traceable transmission standard is formed when the measurement coil is calibrated by the national standard magnetic field. The experimental system results demonstrated that the uncertainty of the proposed method reaches the order of E-4 for the measurement of magnetic induction intensity below 7T. This significantly contributes to the measurement of superconducting strong magnetic fields.
Internal Control and Enterprise Green Innovation
Authors: Wang Ping , Bu Hua , Liu Fengqin
Published: March 2022

Green innovation has become an important support to promote the strategic goals of peak carbon dioxide emission and high-quality economic development. This paper systematically examines whether internal control can effectively drive enterprise green innovation and achieve the “win–win” result of enterprise economic development and environmental protection. We found that internal control can significantly improve the green innovation level of enterprises, which is mainly reflected in the mandatory disclosure stage of internal control information and the other four elements of internal control, except the control environment. The mechanism test found that internal control can promote green innovation by reducing enterprise risks, alleviating agency conflicts, relieving financing constraints, and improving the rationality of innovation investment. The heterogeneity test found that the promotion effect of internal control on green innovation is more significant in large enterprises and private enterprises; internal control can effectively supervise the maintenance of relationship resources, and relationship resources positively regulate the promotion effect of internal control on green innovation; excessive executive power will weaken the internal control supervision and punishment of executives, and weaken the positive effect between internal control and green innovation; internal control can improve the utilization rate of government subsidies, and government subsidies positively regulate the positive effect of internal control on green innovation. The research conclusions enrich the market-oriented research on the driving factors of enterprise green innovation, and provide empirical evidence for enhancing the competitiveness of enterprise green innovation and achieving carbon neutrality.
Health Monitoring of Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Dual Filters
Authors: Bustos Richard , Gadsden Stephen Andrew , Malysz Pawel , Al-Shabi Mohammad , Mahmud Shohel
Published: March 2022

Accurate estimation of a battery’s capacity is critical for determining its state of health (SOH) and retirement, as well as to ensure its reliable operation. In this paper, a dual filter architecture using the Kalman filter (KF) and the novel sliding innovation filter (SIF) was implemented to estimate the capacity and state of charge (SOC) of a lithium-ion battery. NASA’s Prognostic Center of Excellence (PCOE) B005 battery data set was selected for this experiment based on its wide use in academia and industry. This dataset contains cycling data of a 2 Ah lithium-ion battery until its capacity was measured at 1.3 Ah or less. The dual polarity equivalent circuit model (DP-ECM) was selected for modeling. The model parameter values were estimated using the least squares (LS) algorithm. Under normal operating conditions, both the dual-KF and dual-SIF performed similarly in terms of estimation accuracy. However, an uncertainty case was considered where the filters were subjected to rapid changing dynamics by cutting the data by 300 cycles. In this case, the battery capacity root-mean-square error (RMSE) for the dual-KF and the proposed dual-SIF were 0.1233 and 0.0675, respectively. Under rapidly changing dynamics and faulty conditions, the dual-SIF shows better convergence and robustness to disturbances.
Policy Modelling for Ambitious Energy Efficiency Investment in the EU Residential Buildings
Authors: Fotiou Theofano , Capros Pantelis , Fragkos Panagiotis
Published: March 2022

This paper presents the challenges of increasing the energy efficiency investments in European Union (EU) residential buildings in the context of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The paper presents the results of the PRIMES buildings model in key energy policy applications to support cost-effective and fair policy making in buildings across Europe. The model covers, in detail, the building sector for all the EU Member States (MS), segmenting the buildings into many categories. The approach proposed includes non-market barriers in conventional microeconomic modelling, which combined with idiosyncratic preferences can capture poor energy efficiency choices and still represent rational behaviours. The model includes a detailed portrayal of policies specific to the sector, comprising economic and regulatory policies as well as institutional measures. The results of the model show that the removal of non-market barriers is of great importance in reducing energy consumption and increasing both the pace and the depth of renovation investment. However, the institutional measures alone are not enough to induce energy efficiency improvement to the scale required to achieve the climate neutrality objectives. Economic (i.e., subsidies) or regulatory measures (i.e., energy performance standards) are also required to decrease emissions and energy consumption in buildings and the paper compares different configurations thereof. The optimum policy mix obviously derives from a compromise among various aims including the cost-effectiveness of the policy budget and the distributional impacts across building and consumer types.
Energy Systems in the Food Supply Chain and in the Food Loss and Waste Valorization Processes: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hoehn Daniel , Margallo María , Laso Jara , Fernández-Ríos Ana , Ruiz-Salmón Israel , Aldaco Rubén
Published: March 2022

The intensity in energy consumption due to food production systems represents a major issue in a context of natural resources depletion and an increasing worldwide population. In this framework, at least a third of global food production is being lost or wasted. Moreover, about 38% of the energy embedded in total food production is being lost. Consequently, the assessment of energy consumption in food systems, and in food loss and waste valorization systems, is an increasing trend in recent years. In this line, this work presents a systematic review, selecting 74 articles from a search of 16,930 papers regarding the key words “energy assessment food”. The aim was to determine the current and historical trends in this field of research. Results pointed to a worldwide acceleration in trends since 2014, standing out in China and other Asian countries. Concerning the topics of the publications, energy consumption in the food sector is a research field which has existed since 1979. Moreover, the study of energy valorization systems using food loss and waste is an increasing trend since 2010. Additionally, publications focused on the water–energy–food nexus appeared firstly in 2014 and have grown exponentially. Moreover, life cycle assessment highlights as the most widespread methodology used.
Online Prediction of Remaining Useful Life for Li-Ion Batteries Based on Discharge Voltage Data
Authors: Zou Lin , Wen Baoyi , Wei Yiying , Zhang Yong , Yang Jie , Zhang Hui
Published: March 2022

The state of health and remaining useful life of lithium-ion batteries are key indicators for the normal operation of electrical devices. To address the problem of the capacity of lithium-ion batteries being difficult to measure online, in this paper, we propose an online method based on particle swarm optimization and support vector regression to estimation the state of health and remaining useful life. First, a novel health indicator is extracted from the discharge voltage to characterize the capacity of lithium-ion batteries. Then, based on the capacity degradation characteristics, support vector regression is used to predict the remaining useful life of these batteries, and particle swarm optimization is selected to optimize the parameters of the support vector regression, which effectively enhances the predictive performance of the model. Validated for the NASA battery aging dataset, when training with the first 40% of the dataset, the maximum error of the predicted remaining useful life was four cycles, and when training with the first 50% of the dataset, the maximum error of the predicted remaining useful life was only one cycle. When comparing to a deep neural network, support vector regression, long short-term memory algorithms and existing similar methods in the literature, the particle swarm optimization and support vector regression method can obtain more accurate prediction results.
Sustainable Public Transport Strategies—Decomposition of the Bus Fleet and Its Influence on the Decrease in Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Authors: Jaworski Artur , Mądziel Maksymilian , Kuszewski Hubert
Published: March 2022

The COVID pandemic has caused a major exodus of passengers who chose urban and suburban transport. In many countries, especially in the European Union, there is a tendency to choose individual means of transport, causing damage to the environment and contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. One method to promote urban transport is replacing bus fleets with newer ones, thus making public transport more attractive and reducing the emission of harmful exhaust fume components into the atmosphere. The aim of this study was to show a methodology for calculating CO2e for bus fleets. When determining CO2e, the principal greenhouse gases, such as CO2, CH4, and N2O, are usually considered. However, CO emissions also have indirect effects on climate through enhanced levels of tropospheric O3 and increased lifetime of CH4; therefore, CO2, CH4, N2O, and CO emissions were determined for CO2e emission calculations. Two bus fleet variant scenarios were analysed; the first non-investment variant assumed passenger transport using the old fleet without any P&R parking zones. The second scenario was based on the current state, which includes the purchase of new low-emission buses and the construction of P&R infrastructure. The calculations were performed using the COPERT emission model with real data from 52 buses running on 13 lines. For the analysed case study of the Rzeszow agglomeration and neighbouring communes, implementing the urban and suburban transport modernisation project resulted in a reduction in estimated CO2e emissions of about 450 t. The methodology presented, which also considers the impact of CO emissions on the greenhouse effect, is a new element of the study that has not been presented in previous works and may serve as a model for other areas in the field of greenhouse gas emission analyses. The future research scope includes investigation of other fuels and powertrain supplies, such as hydrogen and hybrid vehicles.
Current Research Trends in the Process of Condensation of Cooling Zeotropic Mixtures in Compact Condensers
Authors: Kruzel Marcin , Bohdal Tadeusz , Dutkowski Krzysztof , Kuczyński Waldemar , Chliszcz Katarzyna
Published: March 2022

This paper is an introduction to the cycle proposed by the authors related to research directions concerning the problems of condensation of zeotropic refrigerant mixtures. For over a hundred years, research has been conducted on the search for new working fluids in the cycles for cooling devices and heat pumps. Initially, the natural refrigerants used were replaced with homogeneous synthetic refrigerants, followed by mixtures of two or more refrigerants. Among the mixtures, there are azeotropic and zeotropic mixtures. In the case of an azeotrope mixture, a liquid solution of two or more chemical compounds is in thermodynamic equilibrium with the saturated vapor resulting from this mixture. The chemical composition of the liquid and vapor is identical. A zeotropic mixture is a liquid-vapor system in which the composition of a liquid mixture (solution) of two or more chemical compounds is always different from that of the saturated vapor generated from this liquid. This is due to the different boiling and condensation temperatures of the individual components of the mixture at the same pressure. There is a so-called temperature glide. The phase transformations of individual components do not run simultaneously, which means that the boiling or condensation phase transition temperature changes during the process being carried out. This raises a number of computational, design, and operational problems for power equipment. Today, however, zeotropic mixtures find an alternative to refrigerants with a high GWP potential. Despite the disadvantage of temperature glide, they also have advantages. These include ecological, energy, and economic indicators. As a result, they are increasingly used in the energy economy. This prompts researchers to conduct further research in the field of a detailed description of the phenomenon of boiling and condensation phase transformations of zeotropic mixtures under temperature glide, searching for new computational relationships, new design solutions, and applications. It is still an insufficiently recognized research problem. Bearing the above in mind, the authors made an attempt to review the state of knowledge in this area. Particular attention was paid to the progress in modeling the condensation phenomenon of zeotropic mixtures for application in compact heat exchangers. Miniaturization of cooling devices creates great application possibilities in this area.
Assessment of Retention System Effects of Level III Armored Vehicles
Authors: Islas-Lara Erick , Torres-SanMiguel Christopher René , Paredes-Rojas Juan Carlos , Cuautle-Estrada Alejandro , De La Cruz-Alejo Carlos , Urriolagoitia-Calderón Guillermo Manuel
Published: March 2022

The automotive armoring industry, which protects against ballistic attacks, lacks studies regarding damage to the human body during a collision. In this work, we study the mass changes in a vehicle undergoing a level III armored process, through a numerical evaluation of the full-frontal impact of a sport utility vehicle (SUV)—a Ford Explorer 2002. In this work, we present two evaluations. We first analyze the displacement suffered by the vehicle during an impact due to the increase in mass and structural stiffness and we then evaluate the deceleration loads that the user suffers in the event of a crash. In addition, dynamic analyses were performed to quantify the head injury criterion (HIC) and chest severity index (CSI) on a 50th percentile dummy to calculate the probability of the occupant suffering possible injuries. The outcome shows a comparison between the acceleration severity index (ASI) of a commercial vehicle adapted to an armored process and an unshielded vehicle.
The Review of Chosen Methods Used to Investigate Heat Transfer in a Steel Porous Charge
Authors: Wyczółkowski Rafał , Bagdasaryan Vazgen , Gała Marek , Król Paweł Artur
Published: March 2022

The paper presents chosen experimental and model methods of investigating heat transfer in a steel porous charge. The results of this investigation provide information on both the qualitative and quantitative course of the analysed processes of heat exchange. The parameters which characterise the analysed phenomenon in a quantitative manner, among others, are: The effective thermal conductivity kef, the thermal contact resistance Rct and Nusselt number Nu. It has been established that it is not possible to use literature models in order to determine the kef coefficient. The authors present their own model of effective thermal conductivity. The above-mentioned parameters for a porous charge reach the values within the following ranges: kef: 1.0–8.5 W/(m·K); Rct: 0.0019–0.0057 (m2⋅K)/W; Nu: 1.2–7.1.
A New Method for Capturing CO2 from Effluent Gases Using a Rice-Based Product
Authors: Mohammad Ameera F. , Dar Saleh Abeer F. , Khoukhi Maatouk , Al-Marzouqi Ali H.
Published: March 2022

In 2013, UAE imported around 772 million kilograms of rice, making it one of the largest consumers of this popular grain in the world. However, 40% of rice available in the market is discarded, contributing to the country’s CO2 footprint. Given that CO2 emissions are recognized as a significant contributor to climate change and efforts aimed at their reduction are proving insufficient for combatting the global increase in temperature, various approaches aimed at its removal from the atmosphere have been proposed. The goal of this study is to contribute to this initiative by proposing a new method for CO2 removal based on a special gas contact device filled with buffered puffed rice cakes obtained by heating in a purposely designed sealed chamber at high pressure to obtain layers with 9−12 mm thickness. The resulting cakes are subsequently immersed in a sodium hydroxide liquor (0.25−2.5 M) to increase the moisture content to 5% and pH to >11.0. In the experiments, different rice structures (stacked layers, rice grains, and multi-spaced layers) were tested, varying the CO2 percentage in the simulated effluent gas (1−15%). The highest CO2 uptake value (7.52 × 10−3 mole CO2/cm2 rice cake surface area) was achieved using 10% CO2 and a 500 mL/min flow rate with rice cakes of 80 mm diameter, comprising 12 mm thick layers that occupied 20% of the device volume. These results indicate that the proposed design exhibits high CO2 removal efficiency and should be further optimized in future investigations.
A Novel Denoising Auto-Encoder-Based Approach for Non-Intrusive Residential Load Monitoring
Authors: He Xi , Dong Heng , Yang Wanli , Hong Jun
Published: March 2022

Mounting concerns pertaining to energy efficiency have led to the research of load monitoring. By Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM), detailed information regarding the electric energy consumed by each appliance per day or per hour can be formed. The accuracy of the previous residential load monitoring approach relies heavily on the data acquisition frequency of the energy meters. It brings high overall cost issues, and furthermore, the differentiating algorithm becomes much more complicated. Based on this, we proposed a novel non-Intrusive residential load disaggregation method that only depends on the regular data acquisition speed of active power measurements. Additionally, this approach brings some novelties to the traditionally used denoising Auto-Encoder (dAE), i.e., the reconfiguration of the overlapping parts of the sliding windows. The median filter is used for the data processing of the overlapping window. Two datasets, i.e., the Reference Energy Disaggregation Dataset (REDD) and TraceBase, are used for test and validation. By numerical testing of the real residential data, it proves that the proposed method is superior to the traditional Factorial Hidden Markov Model (FHMM)-based approach. Furthermore, the proposed method can be used for energy data, disaggregation disregarding the brand and model of each appliance.
Effects of Oxygen-Enhanced Combustion Methods on Combustion Characteristics of Non-Premixed Swirling Flames
Authors: Skryja Pavel , Hudak Igor , Bojanovsky Jiří , Jegla Zdeněk , Korček Lubomír
Published: March 2022

The objective of the present study was to experimentally investigate and compare the characteristics of three oxygen-enhanced combustion (OEC) methods; premix enrichment (PE), air-oxy/fuel combustion (AO), and additionally also oxygen lancing (OL) method. The overall oxygen concentration varied from 21% to 38%. Combustion tests were carried out using the gas burner with the thermal input of 750 kW fired by natural gas. The characteristics of OEC methods, such as the concentration of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide in flue gas, in-flame temperatures distribution in the horizontal symmetry plane of the combustion chamber, heat flux to the combustion chamber wall, flue gas temperature, and the stability of flame were investigated. NOx emissions increased by more than 40 times and by 20 times for the PE method. The tests using the AO and OL methods with NOx emissions below 150 mg/Nm3 at all oxygen concentrations showed significantly better results. For all OEC methods, radiative heat transfer increased with increasing oxygen concentration. The available heat was 20% higher at 38% O2 than at 21% O2. The flue gas temperature decreased with increasing oxygen concentration, which was affected by a decrease in N2 concentration in the oxidizer and a simultaneous increase in radiant heat flux.