bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Glanzmann Thrombasthenia in Pakistani Patients: Identification of 7 Novel Pathogenic Variants in the Fibrinogen Receptor αIIbβ3
Authors: Siddiqi Muhammad Younus Jamal , Boeckelmann Doris , Naz Arshi , Imran Ayisha , Ahmed Shariq , Najmuddin Akbar , Zieger Barbara
Published: January 2023

Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT) is a rare autosomal recessive inherited platelet disorder occurring frequently in populations with high incidence of consanguineous marriages. GT is characterized by quantitative and/or qualitative defect of the platelet αIIbβ3 (GPIIb/IIIa) receptor caused by pathogenic variants of the encoding genes: ITGA2B and ITGB3. Patients present with a moderate to severe bleeding tendency with normal platelet count. Platelets show reduced/absent aggregation for all agonists except ristocetin in light transmission aggregometry and reduced/absent αIIbβ3 expression in flow cytometry (FC). In this study, we investigated a cohort of 20 Pakistani patients and 2 families collected from the National Institute of Blood Disease, Karachi and Chughtai’s Lab, Lahore. Platelet aggregation studies, FC (platelet CD41, CD61, CD42a, CD42b) and direct sequencing of the candidate genes were performed. All patients showed altered platelet aggregation, but normal agglutination after stimulation with ristocetin. Absent/reduced αIIbβ3 receptor expression was present in the platelets of 16 patients, in 4 patients expression was borderline/normal. Candidate gene sequencing identified pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in 15 patients. Seven variants are novel. One patient with absent receptor expression remained without genetic finding. 13 (86.7%) of 15 patients stated consanguinity reflected by homozygosity finding in 14 (93.3%) patients.
Assessment of the Spatial Variation in the Occurrence and Intensity of Major Hurricanes in the Western Hemisphere
Authors: Martinez Luis-Carlos , Romero David , Alfaro Eric J.
Published: January 2023

Major hurricanes are a critical hazard for North and Central America. The present study investigated the trends of occurrence, affectation, and intensity of major hurricanes in the North Atlantic and Northeast Pacific Oceans using GIS applications to the IBTrACS database. The study period ranged from 1970 to 2021. Tropical cyclones were sampled using a grid composed of 3.5° hexagonal cells; in addition, trends were obtained to assess the effect of long-term variability from natural phenomena and climate change. Critical factors influencing these trends at the oceanic scale and for each hexagon were determined using multivariate and multiscale analysis by the application of stepwise analysis and the related ANOVA. The integrated variables related to atmospheric and oceanographic oscillations and patterns, i.e., spatial variables resampled with the same analysis unit and climate indices. Our results indicated marked spatial areas with significant trends in occurrence and intensity. Additionally, there was evidence of linear changes in the number of major hurricanes and an increase in the maximum annual speed of +1.61 m s−1 in the North Atlantic basin and +1.75 m·s−1 in the Northeast Pacific, reported for a 10-year period. In terms of occurrence, there were increases of 19% and 5%, respectively, which may be related to ocean warming and natural variability associated with oceanic and atmospheric circulation.
Improved Optimization Algorithm in LSTM to Predict Crop Yield
Authors: Bhimavarapu Usharani , Battineni Gopi , Chintalapudi Nalini
Published: January 2023

Agriculture is the main occupation across the world with a dependency on rainfall. Weather changes play a crucial role in crop yield and were used to predict the yield rate by considering precipitation, wind, temperature, and solar radiation. Accurate early crop yield prediction helps market pricing, planning labor, transport, and harvest organization. The main aim of this study is to predict crop yield accurately. The incorporation of deep learning models along with crop statistics can predict yield rates accurately. We proposed an improved optimizer function (IOF) to get an accurate prediction and implemented the proposed IOF with the long short-term memory (LSTM) model. Manual data was collected between 1901 and 2000 from local agricultural departments for training, and from 2001 to 2020 from government websites of Andhra Pradesh (India) for testing purposes. The proposed model is compared with eight standard methods of learning, and outcomes revealed that the training error is small with the proposed IOF as it handles the underfitting and overfitting issues. The performance metrics used to compare the loss after implementing the proposed IOF were r, RMSE, and MAE, and the achieved results are r of 0.48, RMSE of 2.19, and MAE of 25.4. The evaluation was performed between the predicted crop yield and the actual yield and was measured in RMSE (kg/ha). The results show that the proposed IOF in LSTM has the advantage of crop yield prediction with accurate prediction. The reduction of RMSE for the proposed model indicates that the proposed IOFLSTM can outperform the CNN, RNN, and LSTM in crop yield prediction.
DPYD Exon 4 Deletion Associated with Fluoropyrimidine Toxicity and Importance of Copy Number Variation
Authors: Wigle Theodore J. , Medwid Samantha , Ross Cameron , Schwarz Ute I. , Kim Richard B.
Published: January 2023

Fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy is associated with interpatient variability in toxicity. A major contributor to unpredictable and severe toxicity relates to single nucleotide variation (SNV) in dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPYD), the rate-limiting fluoropyrimidine metabolizing enzyme. In addition to SNVs, a study of Finnish patients suggested that a DPYD exon 4 deletion was observed in their population. To better understand the potential generalizability of such findings, we investigated the presence of this exon 4 deletion in our Canadian patient population, using a TaqMan assay. We selected 125 patients who experienced severe fluoropyrimidine-associated toxicity, and 125 matched controls. One patient in the severe toxicity group harbored a haploid DPYD exon 4 deletion, and required a 35% dose reduction after their first fluoropyrimidine treatment cycle due to toxicity and required an additional 30% dose reduction before tolerating treatment. The predicted allele frequency was 0.2% in our cohort, much lower than the 2.4% previously reported. We also carried out a literature review of copy number variation (CNV) in the DPYD gene, beyond fluoropyrimidine toxicity and show that various types of CNV in DPYD are present in the population. Taken together, our findings suggest that CNV in DPYD may be an underappreciated determinant of DPYD-mediated fluoropyrimidine toxicity.
Epithelioid Fibrous Histiocytoma with CARS-ALK Fusion: First Case Report
Authors: Secco Léo-Paul , Libbrecht Louis , Seijnhaeve Elsa , Eggers Silke , Dekairelle Anne-France , De Roo An-Katrien
Published: January 2023

Epithelioid fibrous histiocytoma (EFH) is a type of uncommon skin tumor mostly harboring Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement, with different fusion partners reported. Whether this tumor is a separate entity or has a relationship with conventional fibrous histiocytomas is still a matter of debate. Benign course is the rule after complete surgical excision. A rare subtype of EFH with fusiform cells has been described, with specific fusion partners. Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a type of soft tissue tumor rarer than EFH, and it can display distant metastases. Some cases of primary cutaneous IMT included two with Cysteinyl-tRNA Synthetase 1 (CARS)-ALK rearrangement. IMT can have the same fusion partners as EFH, such as DCTN1, TMP3 or EML4 genes. We report the case of a 42-year-old woman presenting EFH with fusiform morphology harboring CARS-ALK fusion and discuss similarities and differences with IMT.
PSMA Receptor-Based PET-CT: The Basics and Current Status in Clinical and Research Applications
Authors: Adnan Aadil , Basu Sandip
Published: January 2023

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a 100 kD, 750 amino acid (AA) long type II transmembrane glycoprotein that has a short N-terminal intracellular domain with 19 AA, 24 AA transmembrane proteins and a large C-terminal extracellular domain with 707 AA. PSMA has been mapped to chromosome 11p 11-12 in the region of the folate hydrolase gene (FOLH1) and has no known natural ligand. The protein possesses enzymatic activity—glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCP-II)—and is thought to have role in folate uptake (FOLH1 gene). ‘PSMA’ expression, although significantly up-regulated in prostate carcinoma (more in high-risk and aggressive variants), is not exclusive for it and is noted in various other benign and malignant conditions, especially in the neovasculature. Currently, PSMA PET-CT is approved for high-risk and biochemically recurrent prostate carcinoma (PCa), and in patient selection for PSMA based theranostics. This review aims to highlight the clinical evolution of the PSMA molecule and PSMA PET-CT as a diagnostic modality, various indications of PSMA PET-CT, the appropriateness criteria for its use, pitfalls and artefacts, and other uses of PSMA PET apart from prostate carcinoma.
Deep Learning Based Methods for Breast Cancer Diagnosis: A Systematic Review and Future Direction
Authors: Nasser Maged , Yusof Umi Kalsom
Published: January 2023

Breast cancer is one of the precarious conditions that affect women, and a substantive cure has not yet been discovered for it. With the advent of Artificial intelligence (AI), recently, deep learning techniques have been used effectively in breast cancer detection, facilitating early diagnosis and therefore increasing the chances of patients’ survival. Compared to classical machine learning techniques, deep learning requires less human intervention for similar feature extraction. This study presents a systematic literature review on the deep learning-based methods for breast cancer detection that can guide practitioners and researchers in understanding the challenges and new trends in the field. Particularly, different deep learning-based methods for breast cancer detection are investigated, focusing on the genomics and histopathological imaging data. The study specifically adopts the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), which offer a detailed analysis and synthesis of the published articles. Several studies were searched and gathered, and after the eligibility screening and quality evaluation, 98 articles were identified. The results of the review indicated that the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is the most accurate and extensively used model for breast cancer detection, and the accuracy metrics are the most popular method used for performance evaluation. Moreover, datasets utilized for breast cancer detection and the evaluation metrics are also studied. Finally, the challenges and future research direction in breast cancer detection based on deep learning models are also investigated to help researchers and practitioners acquire in-depth knowledge of and insight into the area.
Comparison of Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging and Standard Mono-Exponential Apparent Diffusion Coefficient in Diagnosis of Significant Prostate Cancer—A Correlation with Gleason Score Assessed on Whole-Mount Histopathology Specimens
Authors: Żurowska Anna , Pęksa Rafał , Grzywińska Małgorzata , Panas Damian , Sowa Marek , Skrobisz Katarzyna , Matuszewski Marcin , Szurowska Edyta
Published: January 2023

Background: The study was undertaken to compare the diagnostic performance of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) with the standard monoexponential (ME) apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) model in the detection of significant prostate cancer (PCa), using whole-mount histopathology of radical prostatectomy specimens as a reference standard. Methods: 155 patients with prostate cancer had undergone multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) at 3T before prostatectomy. Quantitative diffusion parameters—the apparent diffusion coefficient corrected for non-Gaussian behavior (Dapp), kurtosis (K), ADC1200, and ADC2000 were correlated with Gleason score and compared between cancerous and benign tissue and between GS ≤ 3 + 3 and GS ≥ 3 + 4 tumors. Results: The mean values of all diffusion parameters (Dapp, K, ADC1200, ADC2000) were significantly different both between malignant and benign tissue and between GS ≤ 3 + 3 and GS ≥ 3 + 4 tumors. Although the kurtosis model was better fitted to DWI data, the diagnostic performance in receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of DKI and the standard ADC model in the detection of significant PCa was similar in the peripheral zone (PZ) and in peripheral and transitional zones (TZ) together. In conclusion, our study was not able to demonstrate a clear superiority of the kurtosis model over standard ADC in the diagnosis of significant PCa in PZ and in both zones combined.
High-Frequency (30 MHz–6 GHz) Breast Tissue Characterization Stabilized by Suction Force for Intraoperative Tumor Margin Assessment
Authors: Mokhtari Dowlatabad Hadi , Mamdouh Amir , Yousefpour Narges , Mahdavi Reihane , Zandi Ashkan , Hoseinpour Parisa , Moosavi-Kiasari Seyed Mohammad Sadegh , Abbasvandi Fereshte , Kordehlachin Yasin , Parniani Mohammad , Mohammadpour-Aghdam Karim , Faranoush Pooya , Foroughi-Gilvaee Mohammad Reza , Abdolahad Mohammad
Published: January 2023

A gigahertz (GHz) range antenna formed by a coaxial probe has been applied for sensing cancerous breast lesions in the scanning platform with the assistance of a suction tube. The sensor structure was a planar central layer and a metallic sheath of size of 3 cm2 connected to a network analyzer (keySight FieldFox N9918A) with operational bandwidth up to 26.5 GHz. Cancer tumor cells have significantly higher water content (as a dipolar molecule) than normal breast cells, changing their polarization responses and dielectric losses to incoming GHz-based stimulation. Principal component analysis named S11, related to the dispersion ratio of the input signal, is used as a parameter to identify malignant tumor cells in a mouse model (in vivo) and tumor specimens of breast cancer patients (in vitro) (both central and marginal parts). The results showed that S11 values in the frequency range from 5 to 6 GHz were significantly higher in cancer-involved breast lesions. Histopathological analysis was the gold standard for achieving the S11 calibration to distinguish normal from cancerous lesions. Our calibration on tumor specimens presented 82% positive predictive value (PPV), 100% negative predictive value (NPV), and 86% accuracy. Our goal is to apply this system as an in vivo non-invasive tumor margin scanner after further investigations in the future.
COVID-19 Effects on the Relationship between Cryptocurrencies: Can It Be Contagion? Insights from Econophysics Approaches
Authors: Almeida Dora , Dionísio Andreia , Vieira Isabel , Ferreira Paulo
Published: January 2023

Cryptocurrencies are relatively new and innovative financial assets. They are a topic of interest to investors and academics due to their distinctive features. Whether financial or not, extraordinary events are one of the biggest challenges facing financial markets. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, considered by some authors a “black swan”, is one of these events. In this study, we assess integration and contagion in the cryptocurrency market in the COVID-19 pandemic context, using two entropy-based measures: mutual information and transfer entropy. Both methodologies reveal that cryptocurrencies exhibit mixed levels of integration before and after the onset of the pandemic. Cryptocurrencies displaying higher integration before the event experienced a decline in such link after the world became aware of the first cases of pneumonia in Wuhan city. In what concerns contagion, mutual information provided evidence of its presence solely for the Huobi Token, and the transfer entropy analysis pointed out Tether and Huobi Token as its main source. As both analyses indicate no contagion from the pandemic turmoil to these financial assets, cryptocurrencies may be good investment options in case of real global shocks, such as the one provoked by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Survey of Reinforcement-Learning-Based MAC Protocols for Wireless Ad Hoc Networks with a MAC Reference Model
Authors: Zheng Zhichao , Jiang Shengming , Feng Ruoyu , Ge Lige , Gu Chongchong
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we conduct a survey of the literature about reinforcement learning (RL)-based medium access control (MAC) protocols. As the scale of the wireless ad hoc network (WANET) increases, traditional MAC solutions are becoming obsolete. Dynamic topology, resource allocation, interference management, limited bandwidth and energy constraint are crucial problems needing resolution for designing modern WANET architectures. In order for future MAC protocols to overcome the current limitations in frequently changing WANETs, more intelligence need to be deployed to maintain efficient communications. After introducing some classic RL schemes, we investigate the existing state-of-the-art MAC protocols and related solutions for WANETs according to the MAC reference model and discuss how each proposed protocol works and the challenging issues on the related MAC model components. Finally, this paper discusses future research directions on how RL can be used to enable MAC protocols for high performance.
Useful Power Maximization for Wave Energy Converters
Authors: Coe Ryan G. , Bacelli Giorgio
Published: January 2023

Wave energy converters (WECs) have enormous potential in providing clean renewable energy with high levels of predictability [...]
Increasing Recoverable Oil in Northern Afghanistan Kashkari Oil Field by Low-Salinity Water Flooding
Authors: Mahdi Zabihullah , Abe Kazunori , Seddiqi Khwaja Naweed , Chiyonobu Syun , Fujii Hikari
Published: January 2023

In northern Afghanistan, the Kashkari oil field’s first production well was drilled in 1976, and by 1979, there were a total of ten wells drilled in the area. According to the results of surveys and calculations conducted by research institutions, the total amount of original oil in place (OOIP) in the Kashkari oil site was around 140 million barrels (MMbbls). Therefore, a method to increase the total amount of recoverable oil in the Kashkari oil field by low-salinity water flooding is presented in this study. First, the oil extraction method by low-salinity water injected into the underlying petroleum storage tank was examined by both a laboratory core flooding test and a numerical simulation model. Laboratory conditions (temperature, pressure, rock properties, and oil properties) were designed to mimic those of the Kashkari oil field. Additionally, different injection (Inj) and production patterns were considered to achieve the best results. Next, results obtained from the laboratory and computer simulations were compared. Then, the total amount of recoverable oil was calculated using the low-salinity water flooding method. Based on the findings, details of the simulated model were applied to the Kashkari reservoir model for extracting oil by injecting low-salinity water in the oil field. As a result, an amount of 10.3 MMbbls, which is about 7.5% of the field, was produced.
Study of the Blade Shape Impact on the Improvement of Fan Efficiency Based on State-of-the-Art Prototyping Methods
Authors: Szelka Michał , Drwięga Andrzej , Tokarczyk Jarosław , Szyguła Marek , Szewerda Kamil , Banaś Marian , Kołodziejczyk Krzysztof , Kędzia Krzysztof
Published: January 2023

The article discusses the process of designing and testing as well as their results, carried out in order to increase the efficiency of axial fans, implemented as part of the European project INESI. Modifications of existing solutions based on rapid prototyping methods were presented. Scanning, FEM and CFD numerical calculations and 3D printing were used for that purpose. Rapid prototyping involved the use of a steel blade base and 3D-printed complex aerodynamic shapes that were bonded to create completely new blades. After their installation on the new rotor, enabling the angle of attack adjusting, a number of verifying tests of the fan were carried out. The solution was successfully tested and the results are discussed in the article.
Additive Manufacturing of Electrical Machines—Towards the Industrial Use of a Novel Technology
Authors: Vaimann Toomas , Kallaste Ants
Published: January 2023

For several decades, the design and manufacture of electrical machines has been considered a technically mature area and, as a result, research and development in the area has been extremely limited, even though this is a crucial technology in the application of electrical energy. Electrical machines are used in over 80% of the world’s energy conversion processes—first to create electrical energy, which can be easily transmitted, and second to convert that energy into mechanical form for applications ranging from dishwashers to transportation, and from medical devices to those used for industrial processes. Today, two technologies are changing this. The first is the development of power electronic drives and the second is the introduction of additive manufacturing technology. The latter technology has opened up new areas for innovation and research, and many conventional processes are likely to become obsolete. Considering the overall consumption of electricity by electrical machines, the design freedom granted by the novel production technology gives the opportunity for even more efficient, object-oriented machines to be built, with a lower environmental impact and less raw material consumption. If this technology can be developed to maturity, it would have a significant positive impact on the desired green transition that is being pursued all over the world.
A Fault-Tolerant Strategy for Three-Level Flying-Capacitor DC/DC Converter in Spacecraft Power System
Authors: Li Haijin , Gu Yu , Zhang Xiaofeng , Liu Zhigang , Zhang Longlong , Zeng Yi
Published: January 2023

With the development of space exploration, high-power and high-voltage power systems are essential for future spacecraft applications. Because of the effects of space radiation such as single event burnout (SEB), the rated voltage of power devices in converters for a spacecraft power system is limited to a level much lower than that for traditional ground applications. Thus, multi-level DC/DC converters are good choices for high-voltage applications in spacecraft. In this paper, a fault-tolerant strategy is proposed for a three-level flying capacitor DC/DC converter to increase the reliability with minimal cost. There is no extra hardware needed for the proposed strategy; the fault tolerance of the converter is only achieved by changing the software control strategy. A stage analysis of the proposed strategy is provided in detail for different fault locations and ratios between the input and output voltage. Finally, a simulation model and prototype are built to verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
Assessing Fossil Fuels and Renewables’ Impact on Energy Poverty Conditions in Europe
Authors: Halkos George , Gkampoura Eleni-Christina
Published: January 2023

The disadvantages of fossil fuels and their impact on the environment have made the transition to renewable energy sources essential to cover our energy needs. However, different energy resources have a different impact on energy poverty conditions in the world, an issue that is important to examine and properly address. This study examines the impact that fossil fuels final energy consumption in households per capita and renewables and biofuels final energy consumption in households per capita have on energy poverty conditions in Europe, using panel data from 28 European countries for the time period 2004–2019 and static and dynamic regression models, while also performing various econometric tests. The findings indicate that GDP per capita and fossil fuels are linked to an inverse relationship to energy poverty conditions. Renewables and biofuels are also linked to an inverse relationship to the inability to keep homes adequately warm and the presence of leaks, damp, or rot in the dwelling, but they could be considered a driver of arrears on utility bills. In addition, a comparative analysis between Sweden, Germany, and Greece and their conditions on energy poverty and energy transition was conducted, highlighting the differences existing between the three European countries. The findings of the research can be useful for governments and policy makers to develop strategies that promote energy transition while protecting energy consumers.
Comparative Analysis of Battery Thermal Management System Using Biodiesel Fuels
Authors: Al Qubeissi Mansour , Mahmoud Ayob , Al-Damook Moustafa , Almshahy Ali , Khatir Zinedine , Soyhan Hakan Serhad , Raja Ahsan Shah Raja Mazuir
Published: January 2023

Liquid fuel has been the main source of energy in internal combustion engines (ICE) for decades. However, lithium-ion batteries (LIB) have replaced ICE for environmentally friendly vehicles and reducing fossil fuel dependence. This paper focuses on the comparative analysis of battery thermal management system (BTMS) to maintain a working temperature in the range 15–35 °C and prevent thermal runaway and high temperature gradient, consequently increasing LIB lifecycle and performance. The proposed approach is to use biodiesel as the engine feed and coolant. A 3S2P LIB module is simulated using Ansys-Fluent CFD software tool. Four selective dielectric biodiesels are used as coolants, namely palm, karanja, jatropha, and mahua oils. In comparison to the conventional coolants in BTMS, mainly air and 3M Novec, biodiesel fuels have been proven as coolants to maintain LIB temperature within the optimum working range. For instance, the use of palm biodiesel can lightweight the BTMS by 43%, compared with 3M Novec, and likewise maintain BTMS performance.
Focus on Climate Action: What Level of Synergy and Trade-Off Is There between SDG 13; Climate Action and Other SDGs in Nepal?
Authors: Thapa Prashamsa , Mainali Brijesh , Dhakal Shobhakar
Published: January 2023

The Sixth Assessment Report of Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has highlighted the urgency of accelerated climate actions harnessing synergies and minimizing trade-offs with various SDG. This calls for a clear understanding of linkages between climate goals and other SDGs at national level for formulating synergistic policies and strategies and developing different sectoral programs and coherent cross-sectoral policies. This is even more important for least developed countries such as Nepal where these linkages are less understood and development challenges are multifaceted. In this context, this paper aims to evaluate potential synergies and trade-offs among selected SDGs and their associated targets in Nepal in a linear pairwise comparison. Synergies and trade-offs related to climate action (SDG 13), access to energy (SDG 7), sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12), and life on land (SDG 15) have been evaluated using historical data for the period from 1990 to 2018 employing a mixed methods approach. Network analysis to map the conceptual linkages between the SDGs and their targets was combined with the advance sustainability analysis (ASA) to quantitatively evaluate the synergy and trade-offs between SDGs. The results illustrate the presences of a continual trade-off between emission reductions targets of SDG 13 with per capita energy consumption and share of renewable energy of SDG 7, land use for agricultural production target of SDG 12, and forest area target of SDG 15. This indicates that climate action is strongly interlinked with GHG emissions from economic activities and energy consumption. The results of the study represent a valuable input for the policy makers, supporting coherent and sustainable development planning as Nepal plans to graduate to a middle-income country.
The Experimental Study of the Efficiency of the Gasification Process of the Fast-Growing Willow Biomass in a Downdraft Gasifier
Authors: Kukharets Savelii , Jasinskas Algirdas , Golub Gennadii , Sukmaniuk Olena , Hutsol Taras , Mudryk Krzysztof , Čėsna Jonas , Glowacki Szymon , Horetska Iryna
Published: January 2023

In this work, a study was performed on the influence of the ratio of height to the diameter of the reduction zone of a small-size downdraft gasifier as well as of the fuel fraction sizes on the gas quality (the quality was evaluated for CO content). The ratio of a full side area to the volume of a fuel fraction (SVR) was used as a fuel parameter. The maximum CO concentration was observed when using a small fuel fraction with SVR—0.7–0.72 mm−1 and when adhering to the ratio of height to the diameter of the reduction zone H/D—0.5–0.6. The maximum electric power for gasoline generators (nominal power equaled 4 kW) when using the gas received from the fast-growing hybrid willow biomass equaled 2.4 kW. This power is 37.5% lower than when using gasoline and 7.0% lower than when using the gas received from the hardwood biomass. The emissions of harmful gases into the atmosphere by the gasoline generator engine equaled 0.12–0.14% CO and 24–27 mln−1 CxHy. The emissions were 64.8 times less for CO and 8.5 times less for CxHy when compared with using gasoline.
Analysis of the Influence of Load on the Value of Zero-Voltage Asymmetry in Medium-Voltage Networks Operating with Renewable Energy Sources
Authors: Hołdyński Grzegorz , Skibko Zbigniew , Borusiewicz Andrzej
Published: January 2023

The phenomenon of voltage asymmetry is common in electricity networks and is the cause of many unfavourable phenomena occurring, such as an increase in power and energy losses, as well as the abnormal operation of certain loads. Voltage asymmetry can be caused by several different factors, which include the design of the transmission line (e.g., routing of conductors in relation to each other and the earth), the parameters of consumer circuits (e.g., unequal loading of individual phases), or the design of network equipment (e.g., generators or transformers). An asymmetrical condition also occurs during system disturbances such as single-phase short circuits or lightning. One of the many factors impinging on voltage asymmetry in the electrical network is also the effect of load, but in the case of medium voltage power networks, this effect is neglected in the literature. This paper presents and evaluates the influence of the power consumed by consumers on the values of zero-voltage asymmetry factor indices in medium voltage compensated power networks with the neutral point earthed by an inductance (Petersen coil) operating with wind and photovoltaic power plants.
Challenges and Perspectives of Smart Grid Systems in Islands: A Real Case Study
Authors: Succetti Federico , Rosato Antonello , Araneo Rodolfo , Di Lorenzo Gianfranco , Panella Massimo
Published: January 2023

Islands are facing significant challenges in meeting their energy needs in a sustainable, affordable, and reliable way. Traditionally, the primary source of electricity on the islands has been imported diesel fuel, with high financial costs for most utilities. In this context, even replacing part of the traditional production with renewable energy source can reduce costs and improve the quality of life of islanders. However, integrating large amounts of renewable energy production into existing grids introduces many concerns regarding feasibility, economic analysis, and technical implementation. From this point of view, machine learning and deep learning techniques are efficient tools to mitigate these problems. Their potential results are beneficial considering isolated grids of small islands which are not connected to the national grid. In this paper, a study of the Italian island of Ponza is carried out. The isolation leads to several challenges, such as the high cost related to the transport, installation, and maintenance of renewable energy sources in a small area with several constraints and their intermittent power production, which requires the use of storage systems for dispatching purposes. The proposed study aims to identify future developments of the electricity grid by considering the deployment of both renewable energy sources and energy storage systems. Furthermore, future scenarios are depicted through the use of autoregressive and deep learning techniques to give an idea about the economic costs of both energy demand and supply.
Development of the EM Field in a Shielding Enclosure with Aperture after Interference Caused by a Subnanosecond High-Power Parallelly Polarized EM Plane Wave Pulse
Authors: Budnarowska Magdalena , Mizeraczyk Jerzy , Bargieł Kamil
Published: January 2023

Due to the increase in the threat of attacks with high-power electromagnetic (EM) pulses, there is great interest in metallic enclosures with high shielding effectiveness (SE). Necessary technological apertures in these enclosures reduce their effectiveness. Understanding the penetration and internal propagation of the high-power EM pulses into an apertured enclosure is fundamental to assessing the EM SE of the enclosure. In the present paper, results of the numerical simulations of development of the EM field in a shielding enclosure with aperture after the interference of a subnanosecond high-power EM plane wave pulse of the parallel polarization (having the duration of 0.3558 ns and the amplitudes of the electric and magnetic fields of 106 V/m and 2.6 × 103 A/m, respectively) are presented. The results obtained include 3D and 2D images , vector maps of the EM field developed inside the enclosure, and time-varying distributions of the electric charges formed on the inner walls of the enclosure. They revealed the mechanism of formation of the EM field inside the enclosure caused by the subnanosecond high-power parallelly polarized EM pulse. The EM field formed in the enclosure with aperture has the form of the electric and magnetic field interference structures. They are a superposition of the incident EM pulse field, which entered the enclosure through the aperture in the way described by the geometrical (ray) optics, the electric field generated by the electric charges formed on the aperture edges and inner sides of the walls of the enclosure, and the magnetic field generated by the surface current formed on the aperture edges and on the inner walls of the enclosure. The amplitudes of the electric and magnetic fields of the strongest EM interference structures decrease non-monotonically to about 0.7 × 105 V/m and 200 A/m at t = 5 ns. We found that the points in the enclosure are subjected to the disturbance of a long series of subnanosecond EM pulses, which we have called internal EM pulses. The amplitudes of these internal pulses are lower than those of the incident EM pulse. Nevertheless, they can pose a severe EM hazard inside the enclosure due to their large number (about 900 internal pulses in 30 ns). This means a fundamental change in the character of the EM disturbance caused by the subnanosecond pulse when the enclosure with aperture is used as a shield.
Research on a Variable-Leakage-Flux Permanent Magnet Motor Control System Based on an Adaptive Tracking Estimator
Authors: Cai Xiaolei , Wang Qixuan , Wang Yucheng , Zhang Li
Published: January 2023

Due to the characteristics of inductance parameter mismatch and back electromotive force harmonics caused by novel leakage flux branches and other non-ideal factors for the variable-leakage-flux permanent magnet (VLF-PM) motor, its control system suffers from a deteriorated performance of the rotor position estimation. To overcome the problems mentioned above, an adaptive tracking estimator of the rotor position is proposed in this paper for the VLF-PM motor control system. First, the proposed method simplifies the VLF-PM motor mathematical model and reduces the effect of inductance parameter variations according to the active flux concept. Then, robust and gradient descent algorithms are utilized to maintain the robustness of inductance parameter variations and eliminate the specific order harmonics owing to the novel leakage flux branches. Meanwhile, the accuracy and stability are enhanced. Furthermore, the position compensation based on the current adaptive tracking strategy is proposed to compensate the rotor position error caused by other non-ideal factors. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed estimated system is verified.
Numerical Investigation on the Thrust Vectoring Performance of Bypass Dual Throat Nozzle
Authors: Afridi Saadia , Khan Tariq Amin , Shah Syed Irtiza Ali , Shams Taimur Ali , Mehmood Kashif , Li Wei , Kukulka David
Published: January 2023

Modern aircraft and missiles are gradually integrating thrust vector control systems to enhance their military capabilities. Bypass Dual-Throat Nozzle (BDTN) control is a new fluidic thrust vectoring technique capable of achieving superior performance with large vector angles and low thrust loss. In this study, we analyzed the flow characteristics and performance parameters of BDTN by varying the bypass angle, nozzle convergence angle, and bypass width. The flow governing equations are solved according to a finite volume discretization technique of the compressible RANS equations coupled with the Renormalization Group (RNG) k-ϵ turbulence model for Nozzle Pressure Ratio (NPR = 2~10) to capture the significance of under-expanded and over-expanded jets. Results show that by decreasing the bypass angle from 90° to 35°, there is a 6% increase in vectoring angle while the vectoring efficiency is enhanced by 18%. However, a decrease of 3% in the thrust and discharge coefficients is also observed. When the convergence angle was increased from 22° to 37°, vectoring angle, discharge coefficient, and thrust coefficient increased by 2%, 1%, and 0.26%, respectively. Moreover, vectoring efficiency is also enhanced by 8% by reducing the convergence angle from 37° to 22°. Based on the investigated parameters, it is determined that nozzle convergence angle does not significantly influence thrust vectoring performance, however, bypass width and bypass angle have a significant effect on thrust vectoring performance.
Green Roofs’ End of Life: A Literature Review
Authors: Rizzo Gianfranco , Cirrincione Laura , La Gennusa Maria , Peri Giorgia , Scaccianoce Gianluca
Published: January 2023

Green roofs are increasingly being used in urban settings because of the many benefits they are capable of providing. Because of their widespread use, the issue of how to conduct proper disposal of green roofs once they have reached their end of life is beginning to be raised. The present study is a review of the scientific literature published between 2007 and 2022. Specifically, the contribution of this review study is to clarify whether a waste scenario exists and if so, identify the methodological frameworks and/or criteria used in green roof-related studies to establish the end-of-life scenario of a given green roof, which will then be used to analyze its environmental and economic performance. The literature analysis indicated that a standardized method, widely adopted, which allows identifying recovery and/or disposal treatments to be assigned to waste from the disposal of a green roof, is missing. In general, the feeling one gets from reading all these articles is that when it comes to the end of life of green roofs, everything is rather vague, and that one proceeds in no particular order. The main results of the study are a collection of the criteria currently proposed in the literature to identify the end-of-life scenario of green roofs. These essentially include predominant waste management practices in place in the country where the green roof is located, safety sheets of products constituting single layers of the green roof, and statistical data on the management of specific types of waste. The results also include an overview of the current body of knowledge related to the management of the end-of-life of these building components. This study also intends to serve as a starting point for opening a debate on the disposal of green roofs, a current hot topic and still open as it has not yet been codified. Finally, some recommendations for future research work in this field are proposed.
Application of Cement-Based Materials as a Component of an Engineered Barrier System at Geological Disposal Facilities for Radioactive Waste—A Review
Authors: Tyupina Ekaterina Aleksandrovna , Kozlov Pavel Pavlovich , Krupskaya Victoria Valerievna
Published: January 2023

Over the past several decades, the international community has been actively engaged in developing a safe method for isolating spent nuclear fuel, high and intermediate level radioactive wase of different degrees of heat generation in deep geological formations on the basis of regulatory requirements existing in each individual country (for example, in the Russian Federation-NP-055-14). Such a storage facility should be equipped with an engineered safety barrier system that combines a range of materials capable of ensuring the safe localization of environmentally and health-threatening nuclear power generation industry and the nuclear industry waste products, in particular. On the basis of the international experience discussed in this article on the design and operation of such facilities, the most universal material in terms of the functions performed as a component of the engineered barrier system is cement and the cement-based product mixed with various components—concrete. Furthermore, due to the possible mutual influence of buffer materials and their transformation over time at interfaces, this work considers the impact of cement-based barriers on other components of engineered barrier systems, the information on which has been accumulated as a result of both analytical laboratory tests and in situ radioactive waste disposal facilities under construction.
Exogenous Spermidine Alleviated Waterlogging Damages in Two Varieties of Camellia oleifera
Authors: Cisse El-Hadji Malick , Huang Jin-Fu , Li Da-Dong , Miao Ling-Feng , Xiang Li-Shan , Yang Fan
Published: January 2023

The potential management of waterlogging-damaged plants can be through the promotion of aliphatic polyamine accumulation, such as spermidine (SPD), in non-accumulator and accumulator species under stress. Camellia oleifera, commonly called tea oil, is an evergreen shrub confronting waterlogged soils in Hainan forest plantations during the pluvial season. As far as we know, few studies focused on the responses of C. oleifera to abiotic stresses, such as waterlogging (WL), and the involvement of SPD in WL tolerance remains unclear. Therefore, two cultivars of C. oleifera (CoH1 and CoH2) were subjected to WL and exogenous SPD to shed light on the role of SPD on WL tolerance via the morphological and physio-biochemical responses of C. oleifera under stress. The results showed that the two varieties of C. oleifera were sensitive to WL stress, and spraying SPD enhanced WL tolerance via root activities, photosynthesis, redox-homeostasis, antioxidant machinery, and compatible solute components. Thus, exogenous SPD significantly reduced the damages caused by WL in C. oleifera seedlings. Moreover, the alternative oxidase (AOX) protein content was down regulated by WL in both varieties of C. oleifera, whereas exogenous SPD enhanced the AOX protein under stress. The two varieties of C. oleifera generally had similar morphological and physiological responses to WL. However, CoH2 demonstrated better photosynthesis compared to CoH1. The results of the present study provide a significant outlook to improve the accumulation of SPD in trees under abiotic stress, particularly via genome editing techniques.
Natural Volatile Organic Compounds (NVOCs) Are Greater and More Diverse in UK Forests Compared with a Public Garden
Authors: Walker Heather , Jena Anshul , McEwan Kirsten , Evans Gary , Campbell Stuart
Published: January 2023

Forest bathing is based upon a Japanese practice known as Shinrin–Yoku and is a nature-based therapy involving mindful walks through ancient woodland to reduce stress and anxiety. One proposed mechanism behind the effectiveness of Forest bathing is based on the potential mental and physical health benefits of the natural volatile organic compounds (NVOCs) that fill the forest understory. Surprisingly little is known about the concentrations and diversity of plant NVOCs in ambient air particularly in the UK and this study aims to increase that knowledge. Air samples were collected in July 2022 in a UK forest and compared with samples from a walled garden environment. The samples were collected over a 2 h time period and analysed using GC-MS and showed clear differences in the chemical composition of the air. This study revealed NVOCs including limonene, carvone, terpenes, terpenoids and sesquiterpenoids were present within a UK forest but were either not present or present at little to low levels in the control setting of a walled garden. This study also found that the typical 2 h duration of a Forest bathing session was a long enough sampling period to detect these NVOCs, indicating that Forest bathers could benefit from exposure to NVOCs.
A New Contraction with an Application for Integral Equations
Authors: Sangurlu Sezen Müzeyyen
Published: January 2023

In this study, we introduce a new definition called δ-contraction. However, we prove some theorems for mappings satisfying the δ-contraction and touch upon fixed points. In the obtained theorems, we also show the existence and uniqueness of fixed points. In order to prove the validity of the results of our main theorems, we give a few examples as well as an application that reveals the solution of some integral equations.
Pre-Registration in Experimental Economics: An Editorial Policy
Authors: Nax Heinrich H.
Published: January 2023

First and foremost, pre-registration is not the all-in-one solution for experimental economics [...]
Interaction between Boron and Other Elements in Plants
Authors: Long Ying , Peng Jiashi
Published: January 2023

Boron (B) is an essential mineral nutrient for growth of plants, and B deficiency is now a worldwide problem that limits production of B deficiency-sensitive crops, such as rape and cotton. Agronomic practice has told that balanced B and other mineral nutrient fertilizer applications is helpful to promote crop yield. In recent years, much research has reported that applying B can also reduce the accumulation of toxic elements such as cadmium and aluminum in plants and alleviate their toxicity symptoms. Therefore, the relation between B and other elements has become an interesting issue for plant nutritionists. Here we summarize the research progress of the interaction between B and macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sulfur, essential micronutrients such as iron, manganese, zinc, copper, and molybdenum, and beneficial elements such as sodium, selenium, and silicon. Moreover, the interaction between B and toxic elements such as cadmium and aluminum, which pose a serious threat to agriculture, is also discussed in this paper. Finally, the possible physiological mechanisms of the interaction between B and other elements in plants is reviewed. We propose that the cell wall is an important intermediary between interaction of B and other elements, and competitive inhibition of elements and related signal transduction pathways also play a role. Currently, research on the physiological role of B in plants mainly focuses on its involvement in the structure and function of cell walls, and our understanding of the details for interactions between B and other elements also tend to relate to the cell wall. However, we know little about the metabolic process of B inside cells, including its interactions with other elements. More research is needed to address the aforementioned research questions in future.