bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy Efficiency of Heavy-Duty Vehicles in Mexico
Authors: Serrano-Guevara Oscar S. , Huertas José I. , Quirama Luis F. , Mogro Antonio E.
Published: January 2023

The energy consumption of a large sample of vehicles (6955) operating during the last 3 years under everyday conditions across Mexico was monitored via OBD-based telematics systems. A life cycle statistical analysis of the obtained data showed that, on average, 54 t diesel vehicles used for long-distance freight transport consume 44.25 L/100 km and emit 1513 g CO2e/km. When these vehicles are powered by natural gas, the energy consumption and the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) are increased by 23% and reduced by 0.8%, respectively. Using manufacturers’ data, these values reduce energy consumption by 16% and GHG emissions by 52% when they are electric. Similar observations were made for other vehicles sizes used for transporting goods and people.
Economic, Energy and Environmental Efficiency of Road Freight Transportation Sector in the EU
Authors: Domagała Joanna , Kadłubek Marta
Published: January 2023

The proper development of transportation constitutes the basis for an effectively functioning economy at the national and global levels. On the other hand, transportation significantly impacts the environment and climate. Sustainable transportation management should therefore include both economic, social and environmental aspects. The article aims to comprehensively assess the economic–energy–environmental efficiency of the 27-road freight transport sector in EU countries in 2019. The research was conducted using the non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. The Slacks-Based Measure–Data Envelopment Analysis (SBM-DEA) model was used, taking into account unwanted (undesirable) effects. As non-energy inputs in the DEA model used the labor in the road freight transport sector, stock of registered goods vehicles, and the length of the road network. Moreover, the energy consumption by the road freight transport sector was used as energy inputs in the DEA model. Desirable outputs were taken as road freight transport sector revenues and freight work performed by the sector. GHG emissions expressed in CO2 equivalent were treated as undesirable outputs. The research also adopts energy productivity and GHG emission efficiency indicators. The eco-efficiency of the road freight transport sector in EU countries varies. Ten countries have efficient road freight transport sectors. The efficient road freight transport group included Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Bulgaria. They efficiently transformed the inputs into outputs. Five countries were recognized as eco-efficiency followers, including Italy, Finland, Slovakia, Sweden and Romania, and 12 countries were characterized by an inefficient road freight transport sector. Based on benchmarking principles for inefficient road freight transport sectors, the changes in input and output levels were proposed to improve efficiency. The relationship between the economic development of EU countries and the eco-efficiency of the road freight transport sector was also analyzed, indicating a positive relationship between the variables but with weak strength. The main contributions of this article are an extension of previous DEA works that assesses the efficiency of the road freight transport sector, also considering undesirable variables. Research conclusions are particularly important for policymakers in the context of management sustainable transportation development in the EU.
A Deep Learning Method for Facies Recognition from Core Images and Its Application: A Case Study of Mackay River Oil Sands Reservoir
Authors: Shang Haojie , Cheng Lihua , Huang Jixin , Wang Lixin , Yin Yanshu
Published: January 2023

There is a large amount of drilling core data in the Mackay River oil sands block in Canada, and the accurate identification of facies from the cores is important and necessary for the understanding of the subsurface reservoir. The traditional recognition method of facies from cores is by human work and is very time consuming. Furthermore, the results are different according to different geologists because of the subjective judgment criterion. An efficient and objective method is important to solve the above problem. In this paper, the deep learning image-recognition algorithm is used to automatically and intelligently recognize the facies type from the core image. Through a series of high-reliability preprocessing operations, such as cropping, segmentation, rotation transformation, and noise removal of the original core image, that have been manually identified, the key feature information in the images is extracted based on the ResNet50 convolutional neural network. On the dataset of about 200 core images from 13 facies, an intelligent identification system of facies from core images is constructed, which realizes automatic facies identification from core images. Comparing this method with traditional convolutional neural networks and support vector machines (SVM), the results show that the recognition accuracy of this model is as high as 91.12%, which is higher than the other two models. It is also shown that for a relatively special dataset, such as core images, it is necessary to rely on their global features in order to classify them, and, with a large similarity between some of the categories, it is extremely difficult to classify them. The selection of a suitable neural network model can have a great impact on the accuracy of recognition results. Then, the recognized facies are input as hard data to construct the three-dimensional facies model, which reveals the complex heterogeneity and distribution of the subsurface reservoir for further exploration and development.
Allocation of Renewable Energy Resources in Distribution Systems While Considering the Uncertainty of Wind and Solar Resources via the Multi-Objective Salp Swarm Algorithm
Authors: Davoudkhani Iraj , Zishan Farhad , Mansouri Saeedeh , Abdollahpour Farzad , Grisales-Noreña Luis , Montoya Oscar
Published: January 2023

Given the importance of renewable energy sources in distribution systems, this article addresses the problem of locating and determining the capacity of these sources, namely, wind turbines and solar panels. To solve this optimization problem, a new algorithm based on the behavior of salp is used. The objective functions include reducing losses, improving voltage profiles, and reducing the costs of renewable energy sources. In this method, the allocation of renewable resources is considered for different load models in distribution systems and different load levels using smart meters. Due to the fact that these objective functions are multi-objective, the fuzzy decision-making method is used to select the optimal solution from the set of Pareto solutions. The considered objective functions lead to loss reduction, voltage profile improvement, and RES cost reduction (A allocating RES resources optimally without resource limitations; B: allocating RES resources optimally with resource limitations). In addition, daily wind, solar radiation, and temperature data are taken into account. The proposed method is applied to the IEEE standard 33-bus system. The simulation results show the better performance of the multi-objective salp swarm algorithm (MSSA) at improving voltage profiles and reducing losses in distribution systems. Lastly, the optimal results of the MSSA algorithm are compared with the PSO and GA algorithms.
Optimization and Improvement of Sodium Heated Once-through Steam Generator Transient Analysis Code Based on the JFNK Algorithm
Authors: Wang Bo , Feng Zhenyu , Chen Youchun , Zhang Dalin , Wu Zhiguang , Li Jun , Li Mingyang , Ma Ruoxin , Li Chao
Published: January 2023

The sodium heated once-through steam generator (OTSG) is a vital barrier separating sodium and the water loop in the sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). In view of the timeliness requirement of OTSG operation performance evaluation, Fortran95 programming language is used to optimize and improve the solution algorithm of the home-made transient analysis code, named TCOSS, for SFR sodium heated OTSG, which is modified into the JFNK algorithm for solving large sparse nonlinear matrices. It includes a matrix preconditioning module, a Krylov subspace formation module, a GMRES algorithm module and an inexact Newton iteration module. The correctness and efficiency of the algorithm model were verified using benchmarks such as the B1-B transient, ETEC shutdown experiments and seven-tube prototype experiments. The calculation speed was increased by more than four times.
Review on Gassing Tendency of Different Insulating Fluids towards Transformer Applications
Authors: Amalanathan Arputhasamy Joseph , Sarathi Ramanujam , Zdanowski Maciej , Vinu Ravikrishnan , Nadolny Zbigniew
Published: January 2023

This paper reports the critical reviews on the gassing tendency of different insulating fluids along with the precautionary measures to be considered during their fault diagnosis in transformer insulation. The experimental techniques and procedures for identifying the gassing due to electrical and thermal stress along with the stray gassing phenomenon has been elucidated. The different interpretation schemes used for determining the faults in transformers results in unexpected errors when the historical data relating to mineral oil is used for the other alternative fluids. Mineral oil and natural ester show a positive gassing tendency compared to synthetic ester which exhibit a negative gassing tendency. The stray gases are mostly due to breakage of C-C bonds under normal operating temperature of transformer. Among the different hydrocarbons, hydrogen and ethylene are more predominantly formed under lower temperatures. The silicone oil and ester fluids are more stable even under localised hot spots simulated observing a lesser gassing compared to the mineral oil. The impact of additives along with the oxygen and water content in the insulating fluids can lead to the stray gas’s causing confusion towards the identification of actual faults occurring in transformers. Furthermore, the regeneration of insulating fluids using different adsorbents reduces the gassing tendency depending on the number of cycles used for its reclamation.
Experimentally Validated Modelling of an Oscillating Diaphragm Compressor for Chemisorption Energy Technology Applications
Authors: Najjaran Ahmad , Meibodi Saleh , Ma Zhiwei , Bao Huashan , Roskilly Tony
Published: January 2023

This study presents a detailed dynamic modelling and generic simulation method of an oscillating diaphragm compressor for chemisorption energy technology applications. The geometric models of the compressor were developed step by step, including the diaphragm movement, compressor dimensions, chamber areas and volumes and so on. The detailed mathematical model representing the geometry and kinematics of the diaphragm compressor was combined with the motion equation, heat transfer equation and energy balance equation to complete the compressor modelling. This combination enables the novel compressor model to simultaneously handle the simulation of momentum and energy balance of the diagram compressor. Furthermore, an experimental apparatus was set up to investigate and validate the present modelling and the simulation method. The performance of the compressor was experimentally evaluated in terms of the mass flow rate of the compressor at various compression ratios. Additionally, the effects of different parameters such as the inlet temperature and ambient temperature at various compressor ratios on the compressor performance were investigated. It was found reducing the inlet temperature from 40 to 5 °C at a constant pressure results in the enhancement of the compressor flow rate up to 14.7%. The compressor model proposed and developed in this study is shown to be not only able to accurately deal with the complexity of the dynamic behaviour of the compressor working flow but is also capable of effectively representing diaphragm compressors for analysis and optimisation purposes in various applications.
Design of a 3 kW PMSM with Super Premium Efficiency
Authors: Ion Catalin Petrea , Calin Marius Daniel , Peter Ioan
Published: January 2023

Extended use of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) has brought the need to design motors that can comply with the latest requirements in terms of efficiency. This paper presents different configurations in the case of a 3 kW PMSM with two pole pairs, focusing on finding the optimal constructive solutions to ensure that it falls within the IE4 efficiency class. Six virtual prototypes were developed and simulated using the Altair FluxMotor software. A detailed comparison between the simulated versions was carried out in terms of overall efficiency, torque ripple, weight and flux density, with the focus on the nominal operating point. The results show that the virtual prototype with a relatively simple rotor design but higher stator slots number had the best results in terms of efficiency and torque ripple at the nominal operating point.
Acoustic-Based Machine Condition Monitoring—Methods and Challenges
Authors: Jombo Gbanaibolou , Zhang Yu
Published: January 2023

The traditional means of monitoring the health of industrial systems involves the use of vibration and performance monitoring techniques amongst others. In these approaches, contact-type sensors, such as accelerometer, proximity probe, pressure transducer and temperature transducer, are installed on the machine to monitor its operational health parameters. However, these methods fall short when additional sensors cannot be installed on the machine due to cost, space constraint or sensor reliability concerns. On the other hand, the use of acoustic-based monitoring technique provides an improved alternative, as acoustic sensors (e.g., microphones) can be implemented quickly and cheaply in various scenarios and do not require physical contact with the machine. The collected acoustic signals contain relevant operating health information about the machine; yet they can be sensitive to background noise and changes in machine operating condition. These challenges are being addressed from the industrial applicability perspective for acoustic-based machine condition monitoring. This paper presents the development in methodology for acoustic-based fault diagnostic techniques and highlights the challenges encountered when analyzing sound for machine condition monitoring.
Angle of the Perforation Line to Optimize Partitioning Efficiency on Toilet Papers
Authors: Vieira Joana Costa , Vieira André Costa , Ribeiro Marcelo L. , Fiadeiro Paulo T. , Costa Ana Paula
Published: January 2023

Currently, tissue product producers try to meet consumers’ requirements to retain their loyalty. In perforated products, such as toilet paper, these requirements involve the paper being portioned along the perforation line and not outside of it. Thus, it becomes necessary to enhance the behavior of the perforation line in perforated tissue papers. The current study aimed to verify if the perforation line for 0° (the solution found in commercial perforated products) is the best solution to maximize the perforation efficiency. A finite element (FE) simulation was used to validate the experimental data, where the deviations from the experiments were 5.2% for the case with a 4 mm perforation length and 8.8% for a perforation of 2 mm, and optimize the perforation efficiency using the genetic algorithm while considering two different cases. In the first case, the blank distance and the perforation line angle were varied, with the best configuration being achieved with a blank distance of 0.1 mm and an inclination angle of 0.56°. For the second case, the blank distance was fixed to 1.0 mm and the only variable to be optimized was the inclination angle of the perforation line. It was found that the best angle inclination was 0.67°. In both cases, it was verified that a slight inclination in the perforation line will favor partitioning and therefore the perforation efficiency.
Community Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Regarding Mosquitoes and Mosquito-Borne Viral Diseases in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Mbanzulu Kennedy M. , Mboera Leonard E. G. , Wumba Roger , Zanga Josué K. , Luzolo Flory K. , Misinzo Gerald , Kimera Sharadhuli I.
Published: January 2023

Background and Objectives: Mosquito-borne viral diseases (MBVDs) create a dramatic health situation worldwide. There is a need to improve the understanding of factors to be addressed in intervention programmes. This study explored community knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding MBVD in Kinshasa. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out between January and April 2019. The socio-demographic and KAP data collected through a questionnaire were analysed using Epi Info 7. Results: The study included 1464 male and female respondents aged from 18 to 70 years old. Open garbage cans and outdoor water storage units were found in 61.2% and 33.4% of respondent residences, respectively. Polluted water bodies (80.3%) were the most mentioned as mosquito breeding places. Among 86.6% of the respondents that had heard about yellow fever, 12% knew that it is an MBVD. The majority of respondents (72.5%) were perceived to be at risk of contracting MBVD. Environment sanitation (58%) and insecticide use (25%) were among the measures implemented to control mosquitoes. The greater overall knowledge score and attitude were not associated with good practice. Conclusion: The residents of Kinshasa had limited knowledge of MBVD. Raising awareness and educational sessions are essential in empowering the community regarding the correct attitudes and practices to effectively manage the risk posed by MBVD.
Responses of Soil Organic Carbon Decomposition and Temperature Sensitivity to N and P Fertilization in Different Soil Aggregates in a Subtropical Forest
Authors: Li Jing , Liu Shengen , Zhao Xuechao , Wang Qingkui
Published: January 2023

Soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition, a key process controlling the carbon (C) loss from terrestrial soils to the atmosphere, varies with soil aggregate size and is influenced by increasing nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs from anthropogenic activities. However, how increasing N and P affects SOC decomposition and its temperature sensitivity (Q10) in soil aggregates remains unclear. Thus, we collected soils from a subtropical Cunninghamia lanceolata forest receiving N and P addition for 8 years to explore the interactive effects of N and P fertilization on SOC decomposition and its Q10 in mega-aggregates (>2 mm, MeA), macroaggregates (0.25–2.0 mm, MaA), and microaggregates (<0.25 mm, MiA). Results showed that aggregate size has a huge influence on SOC decomposition and its Q10. Specifically, SOC decomposition in MiA is 49.2% and 26.0% higher than MeA and MaA, respectively. Moreover, the averaged Q10 values were 2.29, 2.26 and 1.83 in MeA, MaA and MiA. SOC decomposition significantly increased by 39.4% in MaA and 23.7% in MiA with N fertilization, but P fertilization had less impact. However, P fertilization increased Q10 by 46.7% in MeA and 46.6% in MaA. Furthermore, we found P fertilization changed the influences of N fertilization on SOC decomposition in MaA and MiA but had no effect on responses of Q10 to N fertilization. Overall, our findings suggested that there were differences in SOC decomposition and Q10 among aggregates, and fertilization treatment had an impact on them. Our results highlighted the significance of considering differences in SOC decomposition and its response to climate warming and nutrient input among different aggregates in the prediction of SOC dynamics and its feedback to environmental changes in terrestrial ecosystems under climate warming scenarios.
Colour and Chemical Changes of Black Locust Wood during Heat Treatment
Authors: Kačík František , Kubovský Ivan , Bouček Jiří , Hrčka Richard , Gaff Milan , Kačíková Danica
Published: January 2023

Black locust is a fast-growing deciduous tree species with multiple industrial purposes due to its valuable traits. However, the heterogeneity of colour distribution between sapwood and heartwood limits its application. Thermal modification is an environment-friendly technology for improving various wood properties, especially dimensional stability, decay resistance, and colour homogeneity. In this work, black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) wood samples were thermally modified at temperatures of 160, 180, and 210 °C. Extractives and main wood components were analysed by wet chemical methods, colour was measured by spectrometry, and structural changes by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The obtained results show that the darkening of black locust wood, unlike other wood species of the temperate zone, is mainly caused by changes in extractives. Their content decreases during thermal treatment, but new chromophores are formed, especially in quinones. Degradation of hemicelluloses and the partial degradation of cellulose also contribute to colour changes. At higher temperatures, condensation reactions can occur in lignin, leading to the formation of some chromophores. Statistical analysis confirmed that temperature can be considered a very significant factor affecting the colour of the wood surface.
Causality and Importance of Sustainable Forestry Goals: Strategic and Tactical Assessment by DEMATEL and AHP
Authors: Srdjevic Bojan , Lakicevic Milena
Published: January 2023

This paper presents the combined use of standard DEMATEL and AHP methodologies in assessing a selected set of criteria for evaluating sustainable forestry goals. Creating a decision-making framework with two participating individuals (the authors of this research) enabled the comparison of individually obtained solutions with the aggregated solutions derived by two methodologies. The use of DEMATEL enabled strategic viewing of the causality relations among criteria and a limited indication of cardinal information (weights) about their importance. Different from DEMATEL, the use of AHP is considered a control mechanism in tactical decision-making situations such as the usage of standard multi-criteria methods for solving forestry-related allocation or selection problems. AHP’s role is to derive weights of criteria in a very structured environment based on assumption that criteria are independent and only their mutual importance is relevant for further decision-making. Individual solutions and aggregation schemes for creating group solutions are compared for both methodologies. Critical analysis is given for different aspects of their combined use when treating causalities and the importance of criteria in evaluations of long-term sustainable forestry goals.
Corn Straw Total Mix Dietary Supplementation of Bacillus Subtilis-Enhanced Growth Performance of Lambs by Favorably Modulating Rumen Bacterial Microbiome
Authors: Gao Yuan , Wei Wurilege , Tian Feng , Li Jiuyue , Wang Yufei , Qi Jingwei , Xue Shuyuan
Published: January 2023

In this experiment, B. subtilis was added to pelletized straw-based total mixed ration, and the rumen microbial diversity of house-fed Duhan hybrid sheep was compared. Ten 3-month-old weaned Duhan hybrid lambs were separated into two groups and fattened for 80 days using a single-factor trial design. During the fattening period, the control and the experiment groups were fed with the same ration, except that the experiment group was supplemented with B. subtilis. The results showed that the addition of B. subtilis could significantly increase the daily weight gain, total weight gain, rumen microbial abundance, and rumen microbial diversity of the Duhan lamb. Among them, the proportion of microbial flora such as Bacteroidetes was significantly increased, producing more acetate, iso-butyrate, and butyrate, obtaining higher energy efficiency.
Ultrasound-Assisted Lactic Acid Fermentation of Bakraei (Citrus reticulata cv. Bakraei) Juice: Physicochemical and Bioactive Properties
Authors: Hashemi Seyed Mohammad Bagher , Jafarpour Dornoush , Soto Elena Roselló , Barba Francisco J.
Published: January 2023

In this study, ultrasonication (US) (50 W, 30 kHz, 1–6 min) was used to increase the efficiency of Limosilactobacillus reuteri PTCC 1655 fermentation process (37 °C; 30 h) of Bakraei juice. Total sugars, pH, Brix, organic acids, vitamin C, polyphenols, antioxidant activity, α-amylase inhibition and anti-inflammatory properties were measured during the fermentation period. The results showed that by increasing the ultrasound time up to 5 min, pH, vitamin C, citric acid, and polyphenolic compounds decreased, while lactic acid, antioxidant capacity, α-amylase inhibition and anti-inflammatory properties were increased. When the ultrasound time was increased up to 6 min, compared to the non-ultrasound-treated sample, the efficiency of the fermentation process decreased and promoted a decrease in the microbial population, lactic acid levels, antioxidant activity, α-amylase inhibition, and anti-inflammatory properties of the juices. The initial anti-inflammatory activity (11.3%) of juice reached values of 33.4% and 19.5%, after US treatments of 5 and 6 min, respectively, compared to the non-sonicated juice (21.7%), after 30 h of fermentation. As a result, the use of ultrasound in the controlled fermentation process can increase the efficiency of fermentation process.
Accuracy of Techniques for Predicting Gas Production by Ruminants Associated with Diet
Authors: Suassuna Juraci M. A. , Andrade Alberício P. de , Menezes Daniel R. , Teles Yanna C. F. , Araujo Cintia M. , Lima Lucas K. S. , Beelen Patrícia M. G. , Magalhães André L. R. , Fernandes Beatriz D. O. , Medeiros Ariosvaldo N.
Published: January 2023

The aim of this study was to compare the gas production profiles and nutrient degradability of two diets using automatic and semiautomatic in vitro gas production techniques. A randomized block design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement was adopted, with two diets comprising different proportions of nonfiber carbohydrates (NFCs) (low-NFC vs. high-NFC diets), two gas production measurement techniques (automatic vs. semiautomatic) and four replicates. The blocks represent three in vitro runs. Gas production from the fermentation of fiber carbohydrates (Vf2) was 22% higher when measured with the automatic technique than with the semiautomatic technique. The Vt of the low-NFC diet differed between techniques and was 22.9% higher using the automatic technique. A highly positive correlation (r = 0.96) was observed between the techniques, with a high coefficient of determination between the techniques (R2 = 0.93). There was greater degradability of dry matter (DMD) and organic matter (OMD) with the automatic technique. In both diets, the degradability of crude protein (CPD) was greater with the semiautomatic technique (p < 0.0001). The high-NFC diet resulted in a lower pH and lower NH3-N in the incubation medium than in that of the low-NFC diet, whereas the degradability of DM, OM and CP increased. The automatic and semi-automatic techniques similarly estimated the kinetic parameters and the profiles of total gas production, demonstrating the potential of both techniques for assessing the nutritional value of diets with different proportions of NFCs.
Bioethanol: A New Synergy between Marine Chitinases from Bacillus haynesii and Ethanol Production by Mucor circinelloides
Authors: Govindaraj Vishnupriya , Subramani Arun Kumar , Gopalakrishnan Ramya , Kim Se-Kwon , Raval Ritu , Raval Keyur
Published: January 2023

The fourth generation of bioethanol production is on a lookout for non-lignocellulosic biomass waste. One such candidate is chitin, the second most abundant biopolymer on earth. However, the crystalline nature of chitin hinders its application potential for bioethanol production. This limitation can be circumvented by hydrolysing this polymer into oligomers using chitinases. We used this hypothesis and isolated a Bacillus haynesii, a marine bacterium that utilizes colloidal chitin as a substrate and produces chitin oligosaccharides. Further, we utilized Mucor circinelloides to produce bioethanol using the chitin oligosaccharides in the shake flask. We investigated the effect of inoculum age, filling volume, different substrates, and substrate concentration on bioethanol production using Mucor circinelloides from Bacillus haynesii-produced chitin oligosaccharides. Bacillus haynesii demonstrated a maximum chitinase activity of 3.08 U/mL with specific activity of 96 U/mg at the 90th h. Chitin oligosaccharides produced by Bacillus haynesii were confirmed using mass spectrometry. Bioethanol concentration was determined using dichromate oxidation assay as well as gas chromatography. The research resulted in 7.4 g/L of ethanol from 30 g/L of chitin oligosaccharides, with a maximum ethanol yield of 0.25 g of ethanol/g substrate at the 55th h with 48 h inoculum in 80 mL of fermentation medium. Results suggest that chitin oligosaccharides from Bacillus haynesii are an effective and renewable substrate for bioethanol production.
A Novel NODE Approach Combined with LSTM for Short-Term Electricity Load Forecasting
Authors: Huang Songtao , Shen Jun , Lv Qingquan , Zhou Qingguo , Yong Binbin
Published: January 2023

Electricity load forecasting has seen increasing importance recently, especially with the effectiveness of deep learning methods growing. Improving the accuracy of electricity load forecasting is vital for public resources management departments. Traditional neural network methods such as long short-term memory (LSTM) and bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM) have been widely used in electricity load forecasting. However, LSTM and its variants are not sensitive to the dynamic change of inputs and miss the internal nonperiodic rules of series, due to their discrete observation interval. In this paper, a novel neural ordinary differential equation (NODE) method, which can be seen as a continuous version of residual network (ResNet), is applied to electricity load forecasting to learn dynamics of time series. We design three groups of models based on LSTM and BiLSTM and compare the accuracy between models using NODE and without NODE. The experimental results show that NODE can improve the prediction accuracy of LSTM and BiLSTM. It indicates that NODE is an effective approach to improving the accuracy of electricity load forecasting.
First Mitogenome of Endangered Enteromius thysi (Actinopterygii: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from Africa: Characterization and Phylogeny
Authors: Kundu Shantanu , Binarao Jerome D. , De Alwis Piyumi S. , Kim Ah Ran , Lee Soo-Rin , Andriyono Sapto , Gietbong Fantong Zealous , Kim Hyun-Woo
Published: January 2023

The complete mitochondrial genome of endangered Enteromius thysi was determined from Cameroon in Western Africa. The genome was 16,688 bp in length, comprising 37 genes (13 PCGs, 2 rRNAs, 22 tRNAs, and an AT-rich control region). The heavy strand accommodates 28 genes (12 PCGs, 2 rRNAs, and 14 tRNAs), whereas the light strand holds 9 genes (NAD6 and 8 tRNAs). The E. thysi mitogenome is AT-biased (60.5%), as exhibited in other Enteromius species. Most of the PCGs start with the ATG initiation codon, except COI, with GTG, and seven PCGs end with the TAA termination codon, except some with an incomplete termination codon. Most of the tRNAs showed classical cloverleaf secondary structures, except tRNA-serine (trnS1). Bayesian phylogeny distinctly separated E. thysi from other congeners. The control regions of Enteromius species exhibited highly variable nucleotides, and parsimony-informative sites were found in the conserved sequence block-III (CSB-III) compared with other domains and a unique 9 bp tandem repeat (ATGCATGGT) in the variable-number tandem repeats (VNTRs) region of E. thysi. The present phylogeny with limited mitogenomes showed an uneven diversity and evolutionary patterns of Enteromius species distributed in the northwestern and southeastern riverine systems in Africa, which warrants further investigation. Based on the results of the present study, we recommend additional surveys, in-depth taxonomy, and the generation of more mitogenomes that could resolve the diversification pattern of Enteromius species in Africa.
Intestinal Bile Acids Induce Behavioral and Olfactory Electrophysiological Responses in Large Yellow Croaker (Larimichthys crocea)
Authors: Zhu Aijun , Zhang Xiaolin , Yan Xiaojun
Published: January 2023

Chemical cues and pheromones mediate fish reproduction, aggregation, risk assessment, and kin recognition. To better understand the chemical communication of conspecific fish, the behavioral responses to bile acids (BAs), their source, and reception investigated in large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea). Behavioral experimental results indicated that juvenile fish were attracted to intestinal contents (ICs) emanating from conspecifics, regardless of whether the fish were feeding. IC BA-targeted metabolomics revealed that cholic acid (CA), taurocholic acid (TCA), taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), and taurodeoxycholic acid (TDCA) were the top five categories. Tests with and without fasting yielded similar categories and proportions of BAs, indicating that the intestinal BA profiles were generally stable. At the nanomolar level, CA led to significant preference behavior (p < 0.01). The electrophysiological results supported the hypothesis that the top five BAs were potent odorants in L. crocea. Moreover, inhibition of adenylate cyclase–cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AC–cAMP) signaling and phospholipase C (PLC) signaling reduced the electro-olfactogram (EOG) responses to CA and CDCA. Collectively, the findings of this study indicate that conspecific individuals could be attracted by ICs unrelated to feeding. As a key intestinal BA, CA led to fish preference behaviors and olfactory responses relying on cAMP and PLC transduction cascades.
Express Method for Assessing Optimality of Industrial Heat Exchangers for Adsorption Heat Transformation
Authors: Grekova Alexandra , Krivosheeva Irina , Solovyeva Marina , Tokarev Mikhail
Published: January 2023

In this work, four radiators with different core geometries were tested using a wind tunnel. The values of the global heat transfer coefficient (UA = 5 ÷ 65 W/K) were measured depending on the flow of air and water. The obtained UA values correlate well with the data of sorption experiments described in the literature. The found correlations between the Nusselt and Reynolds numbers made it possible to propose an algorithm for ranging commercial air radiators for the use in adsorption heat transformers. It is shown that the use of a wind tunnel can serve as an effective tool for express assessment of the prospects of using air radiators for adsorption heat conversion without destroying radiators or their direct testing in a complex adsorption installation requiring vacuum maintenance.
Prediction of Self-Sustained Oscillations of an Isothermal Impinging Slot Jet
Authors: Barata Bruno A. C. , Navalho Jorge E. P. , Pereira José C. F.
Published: January 2023

The present results are focused on the self-sustained oscillations of a confined impinging slot jet and their role in the flow structure and modeling requirements. Unsteady laminar, large-eddy simulation (LES), and Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) predictions of an isothermal confined impinging jet were validated for several nozzle-to-plate ratios (H/B=4–15) and for laminar (Re=340 and 480) and turbulent (Re=104–2.7×104) conditions. The impinging flow structure was found to be highly influenced by the H/B ratio. For high ratios (H/B>5), the studied steady RANS turbulence models could not satisfactorily predict the high diffusion reported experimentally in the jet-impinging influence zone. The failure of these models has been attributed to the modeling issues of turbulence closures. However, for H/B=8, unsteady laminar 3D and LES calculations were verified, and a sinuous oscillation mode was developed, revealing self-sustained oscillations and the display of periodic flapping of the impinging jet in good agreement with the experiments. The predicted flapping oscillation is one of the reasons for the higher diffusion near the impingement wall, which was verified in several time-averaged experimental studies. The presence of jet flapping matters for clarifying the already long discussion on the RANS model’s validation in predicting impinging jets with high H/B ratios, adding justification to the failure of these turbulence models. This unsteady behavior is correctly computed through LES.
Subordination Properties of Certain Operators Concerning Fractional Integral and Libera Integral Operator
Authors: Oros Georgia Irina , Oros Gheorghe , Owa Shigeyoshi
Published: January 2023

The results contained in this paper are the result of a study regarding fractional calculus combined with the classical theory of differential subordination established for analytic complex valued functions. A new operator is introduced by applying the Libera integral operator and fractional integral of order λ for analytic functions. Many subordination properties are obtained for this newly defined operator by using famous lemmas proved by important scientists concerned with geometric function theory, such as Eenigenburg, Hallenbeck, Miller, Mocanu, Nunokawa, Reade, Ruscheweyh and Suffridge. Results regarding strong starlikeness and convexity of order α are also discussed, and an example shows how the outcome of the research can be applied.
A New Method for Controlling Fractional Linear Systems
Authors: Shastri Subramanian V. , Narendra Kumpati S. , Zheng Lihao
Published: January 2023

The study of fractional linear time-invariant (LTI) systems has been an area of active research over the past thirty years. Results indicate that such systems are becoming important in the representation of certain types of dynamical behavior in biology and engineering. Several methods have been developed for the representation, identification, and control of fractional LTI systems. The primary purpose of this paper is to introduce a new approach to their control. Its principal contribution is the transformation of a fractional LTI system into one without fractional terms (standard LTI system) using feedback and feedforward compensation. While the former may be quite difficult to control, tools widely available in linear systems theory may be used to control the latter. Transformation of a fractional system into a standard one requires compensators with fractional transfer functions. It is shown, using research results from the past two decades, that such functions can be realized using hardware and software subsystems. The authors demonstrate, using an example, that better control performance is possible with the new method when compared to current ones that are most common in the research literature. Robustness in the presence of noise and model uncertainties is also studied for the new method and currently available ones. Simulation results presented illustrate improvements achievable in control robustness with the new method.
Editorial for Special Issue “Fractal and Fractional in Geomaterials”
Authors: Sun Yifei , Chen Cheng , Goudarzy Meisam
Published: January 2023

Geomaterials, such as clay, sand, rockfill and ballast, etc [...]
Opportunities for Ivory Nut Residue Valorization as a Source of Nanocellulose Colloidal Suspensions
Authors: Carvajal-Barriga Enrique Javier , Putaux Jean-Luc , Martín-Ramos Pablo , Simbaña Jennifer , Portero-Barahona Patricia , Martín-Gil Jesús
Published: January 2023

Ivory nut seeds have been traditionally exploited in Central and South America for obtaining vegetable ivory. The residues from this industry are susceptible to valorization as a source of fatty acids (by organic extraction) and mannans (by alkaline dissolution and regeneration). Nonetheless, cellulose may also be recovered at the end of this fractionation process by acid hydrolysis and functionalization, with associated advantages over other lignocellulosic sources due to the absence of lignin in the endospermic tissue. In this work, various experimental parameters (sulfuric acid concentration, temperature, and hydrolysis time) were investigated to optimize the processing conditions for preparing stable nanocellulose suspensions after ultrasonication. The most stable nanocellulose gel (1 wt% solid content) was obtained after 4-h hydrolysis at 60 °C with 8 M H2SO4 and was characterized by using complementary tech-niques, including dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), nano-fibril sulfation measurements, vibrational and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/MAS 13C-NMR) spectroscopies, and thermal analysis. This nanocellulose hydrogel is susceptible to further utilization in various applications and fields, e.g., in agricul-ture for controlling the release of agrochemicals, in pharmaceutics for developing new dosage forms, and in the treatment of wastewater from the textile and paper industries.
The Methyl Functionality of Monolithic Silica Xerogels Synthesized via the Co-Gelation Approach Combined with Surface Silylation
Authors: Sert Çok Selay , Koç Fatoş , Dudás Zoltán , Gizli Nilay
Published: January 2023

The present research aims to investigate the chemical and morphological properties of the methylated silica xerogels produced via the co-gelation approach combined with surface silylation. In the sol–gel synthesis, methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) were utilized as silica precursors and trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) served as a silylating agent. Structural changes were observed depending on the MTMS/TEOS molar ratio and on the post-synthesis-performed surface silylation of the xerogels. Post-synthesis silylation plays a critical role in the exchanging of the surface silanols with methyl groups, preserving the monolithic form. The morphological and structural changes were followed by SEM, 29Si-MAS-NMR, FTIR spectroscopy, nitrogen porosimetry, and contact angle measurements. The results have shown significant structural variations depending especially on the MTMS content. With an increasing MTMS content, the morphology of the samples has changed from a micro/mesoporous texture to a meso/macroporous texture. A higher degree of methyl substitution has been achieved for the silylated samples both confirmed by the FTIR and 29Si-NMR results. On the other hand, only the samples with a high MTMS content could preserve their structural integrity after evaporative drying, and all have exhibited a high degree of hydrophobicity with θ > 140°.
Molecular and Aggregate Structural, Thermal, Mechanical and Photophysical Properties of Long-Chain Amide Gelators Containing an α-Diketo Group in the Presence or Absence of a Tertiary Amine Group
Authors: Grover Girishma , Brothers Andrea Blake , Weiss Richard G.
Published: January 2023

Three structurally related gelators, each containing octadecyl chains, an α-diketo group at the 9,10 positions, and each with a different N-amide group—isobutyl (DIBA), isopentyl (DIPA) or N-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl) (DMEA)—have been synthesized. Their neat structures as well as the thermal mechanical, and photophysical properties in their gel states with various liquids have been investigated. The gelator networks of DIBA and DIPA in octane, hexylbenzene and silicone oil consist of bundles of fibers. These gels are partially thixotropic and mechanically, thermally (to above their melting or silicone oil gelation temperatures), and photophysically stable. They are mechanically and thermally stronger than the gels formed with DMEA, the gelator with a tertiary amine group. The lone pair of electrons of the tertiary amine group leads to an intra-molecular or inter-molecular charge-transfer interaction, depending on whether the sample is a solution, sol, or gel. Neat, solid DMEA does not undergo the charge-transfer process because its amino and diketo groups are separated spatially by a large distance in the crystalline state and cannot diffuse into proximity. However, the solution of DIPA upon the addition of triethylamine becomes unstable over time at room temperature in the dark or (more rapidly) when irradiated, which initiates the aforementioned charge-transfer processes. The eventual reaction of the gelators in the presence of a tertiary amine group is ascribed to electron transfer from the lone-pair on nitrogen to an α-diketo group, followed by proton transfer to an oxygen atom on the anion radical of the α-diketo group from a methyl or methylene group attached to the nitrogen atom of the cation radical. Finally, the formation of an α-diketyl radical leads to irreversible electronic and structural changes that are observed over time.
Correction: Surowiecka et al. Hydrogels in Burn Wound Management—A Review. Gels 2022, 8, 122
Authors: Surowiecka Agnieszka , Strużyna Jerzy , Winiarska Aleksandra , Korzeniowski Tomasz
Published: January 2023

In the original publication, there was a mistake in Table 2 as published [...]
pH Sensitive Drug Delivery Behavior of Palmyra Palm Kernel Hydrogel of Chemotherapeutic Agent
Authors: Rao Kummara-Madhusudana , Rao Kummari Subba Venkata Krishna , Palem Ramasubba-Reddy , Uthappa Uluvangada-Thammaiah , Ha Chang-Sik , Han Sung-Soo
Published: January 2023

This study examined the gel behavior of naturally-occurring palmyra palm kernel (PPK). Due to the presence of polysaccharide in PPK hydrogels, they exhibit excellent swelling behavior in response to pH. Chemotherapeutic drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was encapsulated in these gels using an equilibrium swelling technique. It was found that 5-FU had an encapsulation efficiency of up to 62%. To demonstrate the drug stability in the gels, the PPK hydrogels were characterized using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the PPK hydrogel matrix contained molecularly dispersed 5-FU drug. The PPK hydrogel exhibited a denser structure and a rough surface, according to images obtained by scanning electron microscopy. In vitro release tests were carried out at pH 1.2 (gastric fluid) and 7.4 (intestinal fluid). The efficacy of the encapsulation and the release patterns were influenced by the network topology of the PPK hydrogel. The release patterns showed that 5-FU was released gradually over a time internal of more than 12 h. The findings suggest that naturally-occurring PPK hydrogels loaded with chemotherapeutic drugs could be employed to treat colon cancer.
GAGAM v1.2: An Improvement on Peak Labeling and Genomic Annotated Gene Activity Matrix Construction
Authors: Martini Lorenzo , Bardini Roberta , Savino Alessandro , Di Carlo Stefano
Published: January 2023

Single-cell Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin using sequencing (scATAC-seq) is rapidly becoming a powerful technology for assessing the epigenetic landscape of thousands of cells. However, the sparsity of the resulting data poses significant challenges to their interpretability and informativeness. Different computational methods are available, proposing ways to generate significant features from accessibility data and process them to obtain meaningful results. Foremost among them is the peak calling, which interprets the raw scATAC-seq data generating the peaks as features. However, scATAC-seq data are not trivially comparable with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data, an increasingly pressing challenge since the necessity of multimodal experiments integration. For this reason, this study wants to improve the concept of the Gene Activity Matrix (GAM), which links the accessibility data to the genes, by proposing an improved version of the Genomic-Annotated Gene Activity Matrix (GAGAM) concept. Specifically, this paper presents GAGAM v1.2, a new and better version of GAGAM v1.0. GAGAM aims to label the peaks and link them to the genes through functional annotation of the whole genome. Using genes as features in scATAC-seq datasets makes different datasets comparable and allows linking gene accessibility and expression. This link is crucial for gene regulation understanding and fundamental for the increasing impact of multi-omics data. Results confirm that our method performs better than the previous GAMs and shows a preliminary comparison with scRNA-seq data.