bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Dexmedetomidine on Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Patients Undergoing Thoracic Surgery-A Meta-Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Zhang Wei , Wang Ruohan , Li Bing , Zhao Ying , Liu Xinmin , Yuan Jingli
Published: March 2022

Background

Dexmedetomidine reduces the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV); however, the effect of dexmedetomidine on PONV in patients undergoing thoracic surgery remains inconclusive. In addition, the effect of different dexmedetomidine application methods, anesthetics, and surgical procedures on the effects of dexmedetomidine on PONV remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this meta-analysis was to study the effect of dexmedetomidine on PONV in patients undergoing thoracic surgery.

Methods

Electronic databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials studying the effects of dexmedetomidine on nausea and vomiting after thoracic surgery. In total, 12 articles that met the inclusion criteria were obtained. The primary outcome of this comprehensive analysis was the incidence of PONV; secondary outcomes included the incidence of postoperative nausea, the incidence of postoperative vomiting, postoperative visual analog score (VAS), the amount of intraoperative sufentanil, and the number of times postoperative salvage analgesia was administered.

Results

Twelve trials involving 905 participants undergoing thoracic surgery were included. Compared with placebo, dexmedetomidine reduced the incidence of nausea and vomiting after thoracic surgery [12 trials; 905 participants; risk ratio (RR) = 0.32; 95% CI (0.23, 0.44); P < 0.00001, I2 = 0%]. The subgroup analysis revealed that dexmedetomidine reduces the occurrence of PONV in both thoracotomy and thoracoscopic surgery. In addition, both intravenous and local infusion of dexmedetomidine can reduce the occurrence of PONV, and intravenous or inhaled anesthetics do not affect the effect of dexmedetomidine on reducing PONV. Dexmedetomidine can reduce the postoperative resting VAS of patients, and no statistically significant differences in the amount of intraoperative sufentanil and the number of salvage analgesia procedures after surgery were noted.

Conclusion

Compared with placebo, dexmedetomidine can reduce the occurrence of PONV in patients undergoing thoracic surgery, and this effect is not affected by the method of dexmedetomidine administration, use of minimally invasive surgery, and use of a combination of intravenous or inhalation anesthetics.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/#myprospero, PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42021269358.
Comprehensive Analysis of Microsatellite-Related Transcriptomic Signature and Identify Its Clinical Value in Colon Cancer
Authors: Luo Rui , Li Yang , Wu Zhijie , Zhang Yuanxin , Luo Jian , Yang Keli , Qin Xiusen , Wang Huaiming , Huang Rongkang , Wang Hui , Luo Hongzhi
Published: March 2022

Background

Microsatellite has been proved to be an important prognostic factor and a treatment reference in colon cancer. The transcriptome profile and tumor microenvironment of different microsatellite statuses are different. Metastatic colon cancer patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) are sensitive to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), but not fluorouracil. Efforts have been devoted to identify the predictive factors of immunotherapy.

Methods

We analyzed the transcriptome profile of different microsatellite statuses in colon cancer by using single-cell and bulk transcriptome data from publicly available databases. The immune cells in the tumor microenvironment were analyzed by the ESTIMATION algorithm. The microsatellite-related gene signature (MSRS) was constructed by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression based on the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and its prognostic value and predictive value of response to immunotherapy were assessed. The prognostic value of the MSRS was also validated in another cohort.

Results

The MSI-H cancers cells were clustered differentially in the dimension reduction plot. Most of the immune cells have a higher proportion in the tumor immune microenvironment, except for CD56 bright natural killer cells. A total of 238 DEGs were identified. Based on the 238 DEGs, a neural network was constructed with a Kappa coefficient of 0.706 in the testing cohort. The MSRS is a favorable prognostic factor of overall survival, which was also validated in another cohort (GSE39582). Besides, MSRS is correlated with tumor mutation burden in MSI-H colon cancer. However, the MSRS is a barely satisfactory factor in predicting immunotherapy with the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.624.

Conclusion

We developed the MSRS, which is a robust prognostic factor of overall survival in spite of a barely satisfactory immunotherapy predictor. Further studies may need to improve the predictive ability.
Assessing Temporal Changes in Microbial Communities in Hyalomma dromedarii Collected From Camels in the UAE Using High-Throughput Sequencing
Authors: Perveen Nighat , Muzaffar Sabir Bin , Vijayan Ranjit , Al-Deeb Mohammad Ali
Published: March 2022

Ticks (Acari) are ectoparasites of animals that harbor communities of microbes of importance to animal and human health. Microbial communities associated with ticks exhibit temporal patterns of variation in their composition, with different genera dominating at different times of the year. In this study, molecular tools were used to assess the composition of the microbial communities associated with Hyalomma dromdarii. Adult ticks were collected every month for 1 year from 25 camels in the UAE. A total of 12 DNA pools were prepared (one pool for each month). We monitored the microbiota of ticks using high-throughput sequencing of the V3–V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. A total of 614 operational taxonomic units were produced through de novo clustering and belonged to 17 phyla, 30 classes, 46 orders, 118 families, and 222 genera. Fifteen bacterial families were found to be the most abundant. The dominant bacterial communities associated with H. dromedarii belonged to the genera Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Francisella, and Corynebacterium, which were reported with high relative abundance from all months. No significant correlation occurred between the abundance of microbial families or genera in H. dromedarii ticks and the ambient temperature. Our findings revealed, for the first time in the UAE, temporal fluctuations of microbial communities in H. dromedarii ticks and provided key insights on the interaction between different microbial groups. Moreover, our results contribute to the current understanding of disease development and allow more investigations for potentially pathogenic microbiota.
The Quantitative Genetics of Flowering Traits in Wide Crosses of Chickpea
Authors: Lakmes Abdulkarim , Jhar Abdullah , Penmetsa R. Varma , Wei Wenbin , Brennan Adrian C. , Kahriman Abdullah
Published: March 2022

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most ımportant food legume crops in the world. Chickpea is valued for its nutritive seed composition, which is high in protein content and used increasingly as a substitute for animal protein. Days to fırst flowerıng is an important component of the adaptation and productivity of chickpea in rainfed environments characterized by terminal drought and heat stress. This study aimed to identify the inheritance pattern and identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for days to first flowering and flowering color in F2:4 generation nested association mapping (NAM) populations of chickpea obtained using wide crosses between Gokce as the cultivated variety and wild accessions of C. reticulatum and C. echinospermum. A total of ten populations of 113 to 191 individuals each were grown under field conditions near Sanliurfa, Turkey. Two populations were genotyped for 46 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, enabling QTL analysis. Flowering time differed between families, with the frequency distributions indicating quantitative inheritance controlled by both genes of major and minor effects. Three significant QTLs for the flowering time were mapped in one mapping family. For flower color, chi-square tests showed that five populations accepted single-gene action, two populations accepted two-gene action, and three populations accepted neither model. Two significant QTLs at three genomic regions were identified across the two genotyped populations. Days to first flowering was positively correlated with flower color for two of the ten populations. The diversity of QTLs identified underscored the potential of crop wild relatives of chickpea as sources of novel alleles for chickpea breeding.
Nitrogen Fertilization and Straw Management Economically Improve Wheat Yield and Energy Use Efficiency, Reduce Carbon Footprint
Authors: Wu Liuge , Zhang Xin , Chen Huan , Wang Daozhong , Nawaz Muhammad Mohsin , Danso Frederick , Chen Jian , Deng Aixing , Song Zhenwei , Jamali Hizbullah , Zheng Chengyan , Zhang Weijian
Published: March 2022

Fertilization is an effective agronomic management technique for increasing crop production. However, the overuse of chemical fertilizer stimulates energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which are antagonistic to sustainable wheat production. In this study, we estimated the energy and GHG performances of different fertilization regimes based on a 32−year fertilization experiment. In this long−term experiment, there are five treatments: CK (no fertilizer with wheat residue removal), NPK (chemical fertilizer with wheat residue removal), NPKPM (chemical fertilizer and pig manure with wheat residue removal), NPKCM (chemical fertilizer and cattle manure with wheat residue removal), and NPKWS (chemical fertilizer with wheat residue retention). The results indicated that NPKCM and NPKPM consumed higher total energy than NPK and NPKWS, which was attributed to the extra energy usage of farmyard manure. Although NPKCM and NPKPM increased energy output by 4.7 and 2.8%, NPKWS stood out by delivering the highest energy use efficiency (EUE) of 6.66, energy productivity of 0.26 kg MJ−1, energy profitability of 5.66, net return of 1799.82 US$ ha−1 and lower specific energy of 3.84 MJ kg−1. Moreover, the yield scale carbon footprint of NPKWS decreased by 66.7 and 52.3% compared with NPKCM and NPKPM, respectively. This study shows that the application of chemical fertilizer in combination with wheat residue retention is a good strategy to increase EUE and economic benefits while decreasing the carbon footprint of wheat production.
Genus Decalepis: Biology, Importance and Biotechnological Interventions
Authors: Ahmad Zishan , Shahzad Anwar , Emamverdian Abolghassem , Ramakrishnan Muthusamy , Ding Yulong
Published: March 2022

The steno-endemic species from the genus Decalepis are facing a high level of threat due to destructive wild harvesting. The genus claimed its paramount importance to mankind due to its unique tuberous root characteristics and exhibits a wide range of biological and medicinal properties, and is used in pharmaceutical and food industries. Plants of this genus are endemic to limited areas of peninsular India, such as the Eastern and Western Ghats, and according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), species from the genus Decalepis are considered globally critically endangered. The genus comprises of five species namely Decalepis hamiltonii Wight & Arn., Decalepis arayalpathra (J. Joseph & V. Chandras.) Venter, Decalepis salicifolia (Bedd. ex Hook. f.) Venter, Decalepis nervosa (Wight & Arn.) Venter, and D. khasiana (Kurz) Ionta ex Kambale. All the species of the genus Decalepis are being used by the tribal people and also in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine. International trade for this plant is also increasing, resulting in overharvesting. The traditional method of propagation, viz., seed germination and vegetative, are limited and jeopardizes the species population, whereas plant tissue culture provides the opportunity for extensive production of the plant in vitro without sacrificing their natural habitats. This review is aimed to systematize the up-to-date facts related to the Genus Decalepis with the exploration of their geographic distribution, chemical profile, pharmacology, biological activities, micropropagation, somatic embryogenesis, synthetic seed, and genetic transformation.
A Path Optimization Algorithm for Multiple Unmanned Tractors in Peach Orchard Management
Authors: Han Xiao , Lai Yanliang , Wu Huarui
Published: March 2022

In order to improve the management efficiency of peach orchards, this paper considers the cooperative operation scheme of multiple unmanned tractors. According to the actual situation, this paper constructs the path planning model of multiple unmanned tractors in a standard peach orchard, designs the objective function to optimize the total turning time and total operating time according to the tractor driving parameters, and solves it by improving the differential evolution algorithm. Aiming at the premature convergence problem, the permutation matrix is introduced to represent the driving paths of multiple unmanned tractors. Then, the dynamic parameters are adopted to make the parameters change with the number of iterations, and the elite selection strategy is used to eliminate the redundant feasible solutions. An Adaptive Elite Differential Evolution (AEDE) algorithm suitable for multi-tractor path optimization is proposed. The results show that, compared with the traditional Differential Evolution algorithm (Differential Evolution, DE), the total turning time and total operating time in the rectangular peach orchard optimized by AEDE are reduced by 3.34% and 0.87%, respectively. Compared with the block operation, the total turning time and total operating time of the AEDE-optimized rectangular peach orchard operation path were reduced by 37.37% and 9.47%, respectively. Experiments show that AEDE, which optimizes the operating path of multi-tractors in standard peach orchards, is able to improve the efficiency and reduce the operating time.
Shorter Grazing Time and Supplementation Are Beneficial for Gastrointestinal Tract Development and Carcass Traits of Growing Lambs
Authors: Jin Yanmei , Asad Muhammad , Zhang Xiaoqing , Zhang Jize , Shi Ruizhi
Published: March 2022

The effects of restricted grazing durations on the gastrointestinal development and carcass quality of growing lambs are poorly understood. In this study, 32 lambs were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 8, body weight = 21.86 kg) corresponding to 2, 4, 8 and 12 h of grazing per day. When off-pasture, all lambs were housed and fed concentrate and hay. When the grazing time decreased from 12 h to 2 h, the abomasum weight and large intestine length decreased (p = 0.019; p = 0.069). Compared to lambs grazed for 12 h, animals grazed for 2–4 h had a greater villus height and villus-to-crypt ratio in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum segments (p < 0.05); the 2 h lambs had superior carcass quality and a smaller diameter and area of the gluteus medium muscle fibers (p < 0.05), with no significant change after 4 h of grazing. The results indicated that shorter grazing times and supplementation were beneficial for the gastrointestinal tract development and carcass quality of growing lambs. Therefore, a better grazing management approach in Inner Mongolia could be to restrict the grazing of lambs to 4 h per day instead of grazing for more extended periods.
Terazosin Interferes with Quorum Sensing and Type Three Secretion System and Diminishes the Bacterial Espionage to Mitigate the Salmonella Typhimurium Pathogenesis
Authors: Hegazy Wael A. H. , Salem Ibrahim M. , Alotaibi Hadil Faris , Khafagy El-Sayed , Ibrahim Doaa
Published: March 2022

Salmonella enterica is an invasive intracellular pathogen and hires diverse systems to manipulate its survival in the host cells. Salmonella could eavesdrop on the host cells, sensing and responding to the produced adrenergic hormones and other neurotransmitters, which results in the augmentation of its virulence and establishes its accommodation in host cells. The current study aims to assess the anti-virulence effect of α-adrenergic antagonist terazosin on S. Typhimurium. Our findings show that terazosin significantly reduced S. Typhimurium adhesion and biofilm formation. Furthermore, terazosin significantly decreased invasion and intracellular replication of S. Typhimurium. Interestingly, in vivo, terazosin protected the mice from S. Typhimurium pathogenesis. To understand the terazosin anti-virulence activity, its effect on quorum sensing (QS), bacterial espionage, and type three secretion system (T3SS) was studied. Strikingly, terazosin competed on the membranal sensors that sense adrenergic hormones and down-regulated their encoding genes, which indicates the ability of terazosin to diminish the bacterial eavesdropping on the host cells. Moreover, terazosin significantly reduced the Chromobacterium violaceum QS-controlled pigment production and interfered with the QS receptor Lux-homolog Salmonella SdiA, which indicates the possible terazosin-mediated anti-QS activity. Furthermore, terazosin down-regulated the expression of T3SS encoding genes. In conclusion, terazosin may mitigate S. Typhimurium virulence owing to its hindering QS and down-regulating T3SS encoding genes besides its inhibition of bacterial espionage.
Escherichia coli Isolated from Organic Laying Hens Reveal a High Level of Antimicrobial Resistance despite No Antimicrobial Treatments
Authors: Hess Claudia , Troxler Salome , Jandreski-Cvetkovic Delfina , Zloch Angelika , Hess Michael
Published: March 2022

The present study investigated the resistance characteristics of E. coli isolates originating from 18 organic laying hen flocks. E. coli was isolated from different organs at three different time points, resulting in 209 E. coli isolates. The antibiotic susceptibility was determined by applying a microdilution assay. General, a high resistance rate was found. The antibiotic susceptibility was independent from the presence of pathological lesions, the isolation site, or the affiliation to a pathogenic serogroup. The majority of the isolates proved to be multi-drug-resistant (95.70%), of which 36.84% could be categorized as extensively drug-resistant. All isolates were resistant to oxacillin and tylosin. Resistance rates to amoxicillin (67.94%), cefoxitin (55.98%), ceftazidime (82.30%), colistin (73.68%), nalidixic acid (91.87%), streptomycin (42.58%), tetracycline (53.59%), and sulfamethoxazole (95.22%) were high. None of the isolates revealed pan-drug-resistance. A great heterogeneity of resistance profiles was found between isolates within a flock or from different organs of the same bird, even when isolates originated from the same organ. An increase in antimicrobial resistance was found to be correlated with the age of the birds. The fact, that no antibiotic treatment was applied except in two flocks, indicates that resistant bacteria circulating in the environment pose a threat to organic systems.
Impact of Guideline Adherence on Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized with Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) in Hungary: A Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Fésüs Adina , Benkő Ria , Matuz Mária , Engi Zsófia , Ruzsa Roxána , Hambalek Helga , Illés Árpád , Kardos Gábor
Published: March 2022

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. This retrospective observational study evaluated the antibiotic prescription patterns and associations between guideline adherence and outcomes in patients hospitalized with CAP in Hungary. Main outcome measures were adherence to national and international CAP guidelines (agent choice, dose) when using empirical antibiotics, antibiotic exposure, and clinical outcomes. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with CAP in the 30-day mortality and 30-day survival groups were compared. Fisher’s exact test and t-test were applied to compare categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Adherence to the national CAP guideline for initial empirical therapies was 30.61% (45/147) for agent choice and 88.89% (40/45) for dose. Average duration of antibiotic therapy for CAP was 7.13 ± 4.37 (mean ± SD) days, while average antibiotic consumption was 11.41 ± 8.59 DDD/patient (range 1–44.5). Adherence to national guideline led to a slightly lower 30-day mortality rate than guideline non-adherence (15.56% vs. 16.67%, p > 0.05). In patients aged ≥ 85 years, 30-day mortality was 3 times higher than in those aged 65–84 years (30.43% vs. 11.11%). A significant difference was found between 30-day non-survivors and 30-day survivors regarding the average CRP values on admission (177.28 ± 118.94 vs. 112.88 ± 93.47 mg/L, respectively, p = 0.006) and CCI score (5.71 ± 1.85 and 4.67 ± 1.83, p = 0.012). We found poor adherence to the national and international CAP guidelines in terms of agent choice. In addition, high CRP values on admission were markedly associated with higher mortality in CAP.
Mechanisms and Therapeutic Effects of Benzoquinone Ring Analogs in Primary CoQ Deficiencies
Authors: Pesini Alba , Hidalgo-Gutierrez Agustin , Quinzii Catarina M.
Published: March 2022

Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is a conserved polyprenylated lipid composed of a redox-active benzoquinone ring and a long polyisoprenyl tail that serves as a membrane anchor. CoQ biosynthesis involves multiple steps, including multiple modifications of the precursor ring 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. Mutations in the enzymes involved in CoQ biosynthesis pathway result in primary coenzyme Q deficiencies, mitochondrial disorders whose clinical heterogenicity reflects the multiple biological function of CoQ. Patients with these disorders do not always respond to CoQ supplementation, and CoQ analogs have not been successful as alternative approaches. Progress made in understanding the CoQ biosynthesis pathway and studies of supplementation with 4-hydroxybenzoic acid ring analogs have opened a new area in the field of primary CoQ deficiencies treatment. Here, we will review these studies, focusing on efficacy of the different 4-hydroxybenzoic acid ring analogs, models in which they have been tested, and their mechanisms of action. Understanding how these compounds ameliorate biochemical, molecular, and/or clinical phenotypes of CoQ deficiencies is important to develop the most rational treatment for CoQ deficient patients, depending on their molecular defects.
Capsicum Leaves under Stress: Using Multi-Omics Analysis to Detect Abiotic Stress Network of Secondary Metabolism in Two Species
Authors: Reimer Julia Jessica , Shaaban Basel , Drummen Noud , Sanjeev Ambady Sruthy , Genzel Franziska , Poschet Gernot , Wiese-Klinkenberg Anika , Usadel Björn , Wormit Alexandra
Published: March 2022

The plant kingdom contains an enormous diversity of bioactive compounds which regulate plant growth and defends against biotic and abiotic stress. Some of these compounds, like flavonoids, have properties which are health supporting and relevant for industrial use. Many of these valuable compounds are synthesized in various pepper (Capsicum sp.) tissues. Further, a huge amount of biomass residual remains from pepper production after harvest, which provides an important opportunity to extract these metabolites and optimize the utilization of crops. Moreover, abiotic stresses induce the synthesis of such metabolites as a defense mechanism. Two different Capsicum species were therefore exposed to chilling temperature (24/18 ℃ vs. 18/12 ℃), to salinity (200 mM NaCl), or a combination thereof for 1, 7 and 14 days to investigate the effect of these stresses on the metabolome and transcriptome profiles of their leaves. Both profiles in both species responded to all stresses with an increase over time. All stresses resulted in repression of photosynthesis genes. Stress involving chilling temperature induced secondary metabolism whereas stresses involving salt repressed cell wall modification and solute transport. The metabolome analysis annotated putatively many health stimulating flavonoids (apigetrin, rutin, kaempferol, luteolin and quercetin) in the Capsicum biomass residuals, which were induced in response to salinity, chilling temperature or a combination thereof, and supported by related structural genes of the secondary metabolism in the network analysis.
Non-Invasive Physical Plasma Treatment after Tooth Extraction in a Patient on Antiresorptive Medication Promotes Tissue Regeneration
Authors: Eggers Benedikt , Stope Matthias Bernhard , Mustea Alexander , Nokhbehsaim Marjan , Heim Nils , Kramer Franz-Josef
Published: March 2022

Postoperative tissue regeneration can be negatively affected by bisphosphonate administration, especially in patients with oncologic diseases. A serious complication of bisphosphonate therapy is the medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ), which can be observed mainly after dental surgery. MRONJ is a progressive destruction of the bone that requires patients to stay in hospital for extended periods of time. For this reason, primary wound closure is particularly important in surgical procedures. In the case of wound dehiscence, there is a very high risk for MRONJ. In recent years, non-invasive physical plasma (NIPP) has become known for improving wound healing on the one hand, but also for its promising efficacy in cancer therapy on the other hand. We report on a 63-year-old patient with a history of multiple myeloma and receiving zoledronate, who developed wound dehiscence after tooth extraction. NIPP treatment resulted in complete epithelialization of the entire wound dehiscence. In conclusion, the use of NIPP in patients receiving antiresorptive drugs seems to support tissue regeneration and thus could be an important tool for the prevention of MRONJ.
Salivary Test Assessment in an Oncohematological Pediatric Sample: A Case Control Study
Authors: Saccucci Matteo , Di Carlo Gabriele , Grandi Katia , Zumbo Giulia , Stamegna Luigi , Malikzade Nihad , Giona Fiorina , Polimeni Antonella , Vozza Iole
Published: March 2022

Background: In recent years, the incidence of neoplastic diseases in children has increased significantly. Immunodepression triggers undesirable effects in the oral cavity such as mucositis, opportunistic infections, oral bleeding, xerostomia, dysgeusia, decay, dental malformations and pain. Objective: We aim to assess, through salivary tests, the quality of saliva in pediatric patients affected by oncohematological diseases and treated with chemo/radiotherapy compared to non-treated subjects. Methods: A total of 20 subjects aged between 5 and 18 years, with oncological pathologies undergoing radio and/or chemotherapy, were evaluated. The control group consisted of 20 healthy children of the same age. The two groups of subjects were asked to undergo salivary tests. Descriptive statistics were computed for each item. Fisher’s exact test was conducted to compare case and control groups. Results: Subjects treated with chemo/radiotherapy had a lower pH and therefore a higher salivary acidity that predisposes to caries and the oral hygiene of children with oncohematological diseases was more deficient than that of the control group. Conclusions: The early detection of these indicators, and the prevention carried out to limit their severity, is an important aspect of the comprehensive care of oncohematological subjects. Pediatric dentists can play a crucial a role enabling good quality of life during cancer therapy.
Text Mining from Free Unstructured Text: An Experiment of Time Series Retrieval for Volcano Monitoring
Authors: Berardi Margherita , Santamaria Amato Luigi , Cigna Francesca , Tapete Deodato , Siciliani de Cumis Mario
Published: March 2022

Volcanic activity may influence climate parameters and impact people safety, and hence monitoring its characteristic indicators and their temporal evolution is crucial. Several databases, communications and literature providing data, information and updates on active volcanoes worldwide are available, and will likely increase in the future. Consequently, information extraction and text mining techniques aiming to efficiently analyze such databases and gather data and parameters of interest on a specific volcano can play an important role in this applied science field. This work presents a natural language processing (NLP) system that we developed to extract geochemical and geophysical data from free unstructured text included in monitoring reports and operational bulletins issued by volcanological observatories in HTML, PDF and MS Word formats. The NLP system enables the extraction of relevant gas parameters (e.g., SO2 and CO2 flux) from the text, and was tested on a series of 2839 daily and weekly bulletins published online between 2015 and 2021 for the Stromboli volcano (Italy). The experiment shows that the system proves capable in the extraction of the time series of a set of user-defined parameters that can be later analyzed and interpreted by specialists in relation with other monitoring and geospatial data. The text mining system can potentially be tuned to extract other target parameters from this and other databases.
Special Issue on Advanced Methods for Seismic Performance Evaluation of Building Structures II
Authors: Han Sang Whan
Published: March 2022

Earthquakes could be a hazard to human lives and the economy, leading to catastrophic disaster unless proper preparation is not made for buildings and infrastructures [...]
Machine Learning-Blockchain Based Autonomic Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading System
Authors: Merrad Yaçine , Habaebi Mohamed Hadi , Islam Md. Rafiqul , Gunawan Teddy Surya , Elsheikh Elfatih A. A. , Suliman F. M. , Mesri Mokhtaria
Published: March 2022

This paper introduces a blockchain-based P2P energy trading platform, where prosumers can trade energy autonomously with no central authority interference. Multiple prosumers can collaborate in producing energy to form a single provider. Clients’ power consumption is monitored using a smart meter that interfaces with an IoT node connected to a blockchain private network. The smart contracts, invoked on the blockchain, enable the autonomous trading interactions between parties and govern accounts behavior within the Ethereum state. The decentralized P2P trading platform utilizes autonomous pay-per-use billing and energy routing, monitored by a smart contract. A Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) deep learning-based model, predicts future consumption based on past data aggregated to the blockchain. Predictions are then used to set Time of Use (ToU) ranges using the K-mean clustering. The data used to train the GRU model are shared between all parties within the network, making the predictions transparent and verifiable. Implementing the K-mean clustering in a smart contract on the blockchain allows the set of ToU to be independent and incontestable. To secure the validity of the data uploaded to the blockchain, a consensus algorithm is suggested to detect fraudulent nodes along with a Proof of Location (PoL), ensuring that the data are uploaded from the expected nodes. The paper explains the proposed platform architecture, functioning as well as implementation in vivid details. Results are presented in terms of smart contract gas consumption and transaction latency under different loads.
Solar Irradiance Forecasting Using Dynamic Ensemble Selection
Authors: de O. Santos Domingos S. , de Mattos Neto Paulo S. G. , de Oliveira João F. L. , Siqueira Hugo Valadares , Barchi Tathiana Mikamura , Lima Aranildo R. , Madeiro Francisco , Dantas Douglas A. P. , Converti Attilio , Pereira Alex C. , de Melo Filho José Bione , Marinho Manoel H. N.
Published: March 2022

Solar irradiance forecasting has been an essential topic in renewable energy generation. Forecasting is an important task because it can improve the planning and operation of photovoltaic systems, resulting in economic advantages. Traditionally, single models are employed in this task. However, issues regarding the selection of an inappropriate model, misspecification, or the presence of random fluctuations in the solar irradiance series can result in this approach underperforming. This paper proposes a heterogeneous ensemble dynamic selection model, named HetDS, to forecast solar irradiance. For each unseen test pattern, HetDS chooses the most suitable forecasting model based on a pool of seven well-known literature methods: ARIMA, support vector regression (SVR), multilayer perceptron neural network (MLP), extreme learning machine (ELM), deep belief network (DBN), random forest (RF), and gradient boosting (GB). The experimental evaluation was performed with four data sets of hourly solar irradiance measurements in Brazil. The proposed model attained an overall accuracy that is superior to the single models in terms of five well-known error metrics.
Preliminary Selection of Road Test Sections for High-Mobility Wheeled Vehicle Testing under Proving Ground Conditions
Authors: Kosobudzki Mariusz
Published: March 2022

Before being introduced into the maintenance system, each vehicle must undergo a series of tests, including durability tests. Computer models and whole vehicles on test stands can be used to identify vehicle performance parameters, which requires access to special software and test stands. However, due to the size of the vehicle or access to test stands, experimental tests must often be carried out on proving grounds; while generating the most complete set of loads, this is much more time-consuming. Therefore, methods are sought to indicate whether testing at the proving ground can be accelerated, for example, by increasing the speed of driving or using test road sections that generate more severe loads. This paper presents a method for evaluating the suitability of selected test road sections for durability tests of a special high-mobility wheeled vehicle. The method is based on the Basquin model, which consider the fatigue strength of materials, and rainflow load cycle counting method combined with the P-M damage summation method. Evaluation of test road selection was supplemented with analysis of travel speed distributions determined using the Beta statistic distribution. The presented model was used to evaluate the ability to accelerate a mileage test of an 8 × 8 vehicle. While certain data mentioned in the article remain classified and are not able to be presented in full, the author has attempted to provide a comprehensive background of the analyses conducted and the data used to illustrate them.
Infrared Nanosecond Laser Texturing of Cu-Doped Bioresorbable Calcium Phosphate Glasses
Authors: Menon Devanarayanan Meena Narayana , Pugliese Diego , Janner Davide
Published: March 2022

The surface modification of bioactive glasses significantly impacts their performance for in-vivo biomedical applications. An affordable nanosecond pulsed laser surface-modification technique would provide great flexibility in applications such as cell scaffolding and fouling/anti-fouling engineered surfaces. This study reports on an infrared nanosecond laser modification technique we developed and applied to a Cu-doped bioresorbable calcium phosphate glass. With this technique, clean micro-protrusion features could be produced. By tuning the laser parameters such as the laser scan speed and average power, the width and height of the formed protrusions could be controlled. Finally, optimal laser parameters were defined to obtain complex surface textures without significant damage or thermal-stress-induced cracks. These results could provide effective aid for the affordable, fast, and selective surface texturing of metal-doped bioglasses, opening new possibilities in their application in the biological field.
Modeling of Swab and Surge Pressures: A Survey
Authors: Mohammad Amir , Davidrajuh Reggie
Published: March 2022

Swab and surge pressure fluctuations are decisive during drilling for oil. The axial movement of the pipe in the wellbore causes pressure fluctuations in wellbore fluid; these pressure fluctuations can be either positive or negative, corresponding to the direction of the movement of the pipe. For example, if the drill string is lowering down in the borehole, the drop is positive (surge pressure), and if the drill string is pulling out of the hole, the drop is negative (swab pressure). The intensity of these pressure fluctuations depends on the speed of the lowering down (tripping in) or withdrawing the pipe out (tripping out). High tripping speed corresponds to higher pressure fluctuations and can lead to fracturing the well formation. Low tripping speed leads to a slow operation, causing non-productive time, thus increasing the overall well budget. Researchers used mathematical equations and physics to understand the phenomena and have provided many empirical, mathematical, and physics-based models. This paper starts with a literature study on the swab and surge pressures. After that, this paper concludes with a proposal for a new approach. The new approach proposes developing new models that are more robust, using field data, as we have access to field data from drilling operations. Research using field data would provide data-driven methodologies as new solutions for the rate of penetration, reservoir management, and drilling optimization. The expected outcome will improve the performance of the tripping in and tripping out process within drilling and well construction, and will further reduce the risk related to swab and surge pressures.
Dementia Prediction Support Model Using Regression Analysis and Image Style Transfer
Authors: Baek Ji-Won , Chung Kyungyong
Published: March 2022

It is difficult to provide information to patients because the cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not accurately identified. Therefore, there are difficulties in management and prevention. However, if one can manage the basic influencing factors, one can maintain a healthy brain. Therefore, this study proposes a prediction support model for dementia based on regression analysis using an image style transfer. The proposed method collects images of factors extracted from text information about Alzheimer’s disease, images of a normal brain, and images of a brain with Alzheimer’s disease to provide precautions for the factors affecting Alzheimer’s disease. Accordingly, it transforms the brain’s style by transferring image features of the factors affecting it onto the normal brain image. The transformed results allow for discovery of the factors that affect Alzheimer’s disease, compared to the brain with Alzheimer’s disease, and allow the medical team or the patients themselves to prevent and manage it. In addition, performance evaluation compares the similarities in style transmission results for factors affecting it according to each stage of the dementia condition. A comparison of similarities shows that a brain with cerebral hemorrhage and the brain of an alcoholic have the highest similarities to all stages of dementia.
Research on the Impact Force of Rockfall Impacting Sand Cushions with Different Shapes
Authors: Zhang Yu , Xie Lingzhi , He Bo , Zhao Peng
Published: March 2022

Shed structures are an important engineering method for mountain highways to resist rockfall impacts. Research on the rockfall impact response is very important to the design of rockfall disaster protection structures to shed cave structures. To explore the impact difference caused by different rockfall shapes, five mortar ellipsoids were fabricated with different shapes by 3D printing the falling stone mould. Laboratory experiments were carried out to study the impact effect of five different shapes of falling stones on the sand cushion. Different shapes of rockfall correspond to different impact forces. The tip ellipsoid (D1 and D2) is the smallest, the sphere (D3) is the second, and the flat ellipsoid (D4 and D5) is the largest. The fitting analysis of the impact force results of the laboratory experiment showed that the impact of the falling height on the impact force was relatively independent and did not change with the shape of the falling rock. Then, based on the impact force of the sphere falling rock, a calculation formula of the impact force with the introduction of the shape factor was obtained, and it was compared and verified with the test results from other studies. To study the applicability of the formula in the actual engineering scale, a numerical model was established by ANSYS. After verifying the reliability of the numerical model, the impact process of a large energy level was simulated. According to the simulation results, the rationality of the formula proposed in this paper is further verified, which guides the actual rockfall impact prevention and control engineering.
Development of the Virtual Reality Application: “The Ships of Navarino”
Authors: Liaskos Orestis , Mitsigkola Sofia , Arapakopoulos Andreas , Papatzanakis Georgios , Ginnis Alexandros , Papadopoulos Christos , Peppa Sofia , Remoundos Georgios
Published: March 2022

Virtual reality and 3D modeling techniques are increasingly popular modes of representation for historical artifacts and cultural heritage, as they allow for a more immersive experience. This article describes the process that was adopted for the development of a virtual reality application for four ships involved in the historic battle of Navarino. The specific naval battle was the culmination of military operations during the Greek Revolution in 1827, in which the allied British, Russian, and French fleet defeated Turkish-Egyptian forces. Representative 3D models of four significant warships that participated in the battle of Navarino were created: the British “Asia”, the French frigate “Armide”, the Russian “Azov”, and the Ottoman “Kuh-I-Revan”. These historic ships were digitally designed according to historical drawings and a VR battle environment was developed, which visitors can experience. In addition, the 3D models were generated by a 3D printer and painted according to the digitized ship-models. The development was conducted within the realm of the NAVS Project. The VR application, “The Ships of Navarino”, as well as the 3D-printed models were presented as part of a physical exhibition hosted in the Eugenides Foundation in Athens, Greece.
The Preparatory Layers in the Etruscan Paintings of the Tomba dei Demoni Alati in the Sovana Necropolis (Southern Tuscany, Italy)
Authors: Pecchioni Elena , Pallecchi Pasquino , Giachi Gianna , Calandra Sara , Santo Alba P.
Published: March 2022

The Tomba dei Demoni Alati is located in the Etruscan necropolis of Sovana (Grosseto, Southern Tuscany, Italy). At the end of the 1990s, excavation revealed remains of this aedicule tomb, carved into red tuff; in 2004, further excavation highlighted new important figurative elements. The Etruscans used different methods to decorate the rock surfaces of the tomb, which were particularly difficult to paint. For this reason, the porous and irregular surface of the tuff was modelled and coated with specific materials. The aim of this work was to study the materials and manufacturing techniques of the preparatory layers applied onto the rock surface in the Tomba dei Demoni Alati. Minero-petrographic, chemical, and micro-chemical characterization of the layers was carried out. The obtained results suggest that different methods were used to prepare the tomb surfaces to be painted. In particular, in the niche of the tomb, two preparatory layers were found: a Ca-based plaster covers the rock; above it, a thin white Ca lime layer was applied. In the sculptures inside the niche, the colors were applied onto two finishing white Ca lime layers of similar composition, whereas, in the decorations of the sculptured surfaces on the outside, paint layers were laid onto a thin white silica stratum. The data allow us to determine the use of plaster, for the first time, in Tuscany, as well as the discovery of a preparation layer never before found in any other local archaeological context.
On the Use of Benford’s Law to Assess the Quality of the Data Provided by Lightning Locating Systems
Authors: Mansouri Ehsan , Mostajabi Amirhosein , Schulz Wolfgang , Diendorfer Gerhard , Rubinstein Marcos , Rachidi Farhad
Published: March 2022

Lightning causes significant damage and casualties globally by directly striking humans and livestock, by igniting forest fires, and by inducing electrical surges in electronic infrastructure, airplanes, rockets, etc. Monitoring the evolution of thunderstorms by tracking lightning events using lightning locating systems can help prepare for and mitigate these disasters. In this work, we propose to use Benford’s law to assess the quality of the data provided by lightning locating systems. The Jensen–Shannon and Wasserstein distances between the recorded data distribution and Benford’s distribution are used as metrics for measuring the performance of the lightning locating systems. The data are provided by the European lightning detection network (EUCLID) for the years from 2000 to 2020. The two decades consist of three time windows between which the lightning locating system underwent several upgrades to improve the detection of both positive and negative strokes. The analysis shows that the agreement with Benford’s law is consistent with the expected behavior caused by the applied upgrades to the system throughout the years. The study suggests that the proposed approach can be used to test the success of software and hardware upgrades and to monitor the performance of lightning locating systems.
The Benefits of the Clean Heating Plan on Air Quality in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region
Authors: Wang Peng , Wang Min , Zhou Mi , He Jianjun , Feng Xiangzhao , Du Xiaolin , Wang Yu , Wang Yongli
Published: March 2022

Coal-to-gas/electricity conversion (hereafter referred to as CTGC/CTEC) as the core project of a clean heating campaign has been widely adopted to replace and reduce the combustion of residential coal in Northern China since 2017. In this study, simulations based on the WRF-Chem model were carried out to quantitatively assess the impacts of the CTGC/CTEC project on air quality in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region. It was found that the CTGC/CTEC projects exert a remarkable effect on improving the air quality in the BTH region, especially in the plain area. The maximum decrease in the concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 averaged during January can reach 30 and 40 μg/m3, respectively. In addition, the spillover effects due to CTGC/CTEC projects are rather small; that is, the local reduced emissions tend to provide more benefit to the local air quality but less for its surrounding regions. It is also noteworthy that the effects due to meteorological condition changes are comparable with, or even larger, than those due to CTGC/CTEC projects, which are not spatially uniform for the BTH region among various cities. Overall, these results not only demonstrate the effectiveness of CTGC/CTEC projects on air-quality improvement in the BTH region, but also indicate the importance of meteorological conditions in modulating the local air quality. To sustain better air quality in the future, residential coal replacement, all over China, can be further promoted. In addition, continued policy refinement can be essential for the nationwide implementation of clean heating projects.