bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation and Electrocatalytic Activity of Bimetallic Ni-Cu Micro- and Nanoparticles
Authors: Ivanova Nina M. , Muldakhmetov Zainulla M. , Soboleva Yelena A. , Vissurkhanova Yakha A. , Beisenbekova Moldir E.
Published: July 2023

Bimetallic Ni/Cu core–shell and Cu-Ni heterostructural micro- and nanoparticles were prepared using two simple successive reduction procedures. Monometallic Ni and Cu particles were synthesized for comparison. The phase constitutions and morphological features of the particles were studied by means of X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy methods. All the prepared mono- and bimetallic particles were applied as electrocatalysts in the electrohydrogenation of p-nitrophenol (p-NPh). An additional electrochemical reduction of copper cations during the hydrogen saturation of Cu-containing particles was established. The prepared Ni/Cu particles exhibited the highest electrocatalytic activity with an increase in the hydrogenation rate of p-NPh by more than three times compared to its electrochemical reduction on the nonactivated cathode, and p-NPh conversion yielded the maximum values. The main product of p-NPh electrocatalytic hydrogenation over Ni-Cu particles is p-aminophenol, which is an intermediate in the synthesis of many drugs. p-Aminophenol formation is confirmed by UV-Vis spectra.
Photocatalytic Systems Based on ZnO Produced by Supercritical Antisolvent for Ceftriaxone Degradation
Authors: Mottola Stefania , Mancuso Antonietta , Sacco Olga , Vaiano Vincenzo , De Marco Iolanda
Published: July 2023

Emerging contaminants are a significant issue in the environment. Photocatalysis is proposed as a solution for the degradation of pollutants contained in wastewater. In this work, ZnO-based photocatalysts have been produced and tested for the photocatalytic degradation of an antibiotic; specifically, ceftriaxone has been used as a model contaminant. Moreover, there is particular interest in combining small-size ZnO particles and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), creating a hybrid photocatalyst. Zinc acetate (ZnAc) (subsequently calcinated into ZnO) and β-CD particles with a mean diameter of 0.086 and 0.38 µm, respectively, were obtained using the supercritical antisolvent process (SAS). The produced photocatalysts include combinations of commercial and micronized particles of ZnO and β-CD and commercial and micronized ZnO. All the samples were characterized through UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and the band gap values were calculated. Raman and FT-IR measurements confirmed the presence of ZnO and the existence of functional groups due to the β-cyclodextrin and ZnO combination in the hybrid photocatalysts. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction patterns proved that wurtzite is the main crystalline phase for all hybrid photocatalytic systems. In the photocatalytic degradation tests, it was observed that all the photocatalytic systems exhibited 100% removal efficiency within a few minutes. However, the commercial ZnO/micronized β-CD hybrid system is the photocatalyst that shows the best performance; in fact, when using this hybrid system, ceftriaxone was entirely degraded in 1 min.
The Promise of Epigenetics Research in the Treatment of Appendiceal Neoplasms
Authors: Ladel Luisa , Tan Wan Ying , Jeyakanthan Thanushiya , Sailo Bethsebie , Sharma Anup , Ahuja Nita
Published: July 2023

Appendiceal cancers (AC) are a rare and heterogeneous group of malignancies. Historically, appendiceal neoplasms have been grouped with colorectal cancers (CRC), and treatment strategies have been modeled after CRC management guidelines due to their structural similarities and anatomical proximity. However, the two have marked differences in biological behavior and treatment response, and evidence suggests significant discrepancies in their respective genetic profiles. In addition, while the WHO classification for appendiceal cancers is currently based on traditional histopathological criteria, studies have demonstrated that histomorphology does not correlate with survival or treatment response in AC. Due to their rarity, appendiceal cancers have not been studied as extensively as other gastrointestinal cancers. However, their incidence has been increasing steadily over the past decade, making it crucial to identify new and more effective strategies for detection and treatment. Recent efforts to map and understand the molecular landscape of appendiceal cancers have unearthed a wealth of information that has made it evident that appendiceal cancers possess a unique molecular profile, distinct from other gastrointestinal cancers. This review focuses on the epigenetic landscape of epithelial appendiceal cancers and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge of epigenetic changes across different appendiceal cancer subtypes, highlighting the challenges as well as the promise of employing epigenetics in the quest for the detection of biomarkers, therapeutic targets, surveillance markers, and predictors of treatment response and survival in epithelial appendiceal neoplasms.
PP2A-Mediated GSK3β Dephosphorylation Is Required for Protocadherin-7-Dependent Regulation of Small GTPase RhoA in Osteoclasts
Authors: Kim Hyunsoo , Takegahara Noriko , Choi Yongwon
Published: July 2023

Protocadherin-7 (Pcdh7) is a member of the non-clustered protocadherin δ1 subgroup of the cadherin superfamily. Pcdh7 has been revealed to control osteoclast differentiation by regulating Rho-family small GTPases, RhoA and Rac1, through its intracellular SET binding domain. However, the mechanisms by which small GTPases are regulated downstream of Pcdh7 remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A)-mediated dephosphorylation of Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) is required for Pcdh7-dependent activation of RhoA during osteoclast differentiation. Pcdh7-deficient (Pcdh7−/−) cells showed impaired PP2A activity, despite their normal expression of PP2A. GSK3β, whose activity is regulated by its inhibitory phosphorylation at Ser9, was dephosphorylated during osteoclast differentiation in a Pcdh7-dependent manner. Inhibition of protein phosphatase by okadaic acid reduced dephosphorylation of GSK3β in Pcdh7+/+ cells, while activation of PP2A by DT−061 rescued impaired dephosphorylation of GSK3β in Pcdh7−/− cells. Inhibition of GSK3β by AR−A014418 inhibited RANKL-induced RhoA activation and osteoclast differentiation in Pcdh7+/+ cells. On the other hand, DT-061 treatment rescued impaired RhoA activation and RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation in Pcdh7−/− cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that PP2A dephosphorylates GSK3β and thereby activates it in a Pcdh7-dependent manner, which is required for activation of small GTPase RhoA and proper osteoclast differentiation.
The Role of Supporting Cell Populations in Satellite Cell Mediated Muscle Repair
Authors: Johnson Amanda L. , Kamal Michael , Parise Gianni
Published: July 2023

Skeletal muscle has a high capacity to repair and remodel in response to damage, largely through the action of resident muscle stem cells, termed satellite cells. Satellite cells are required for the proper repair of skeletal muscle through a process known as myogenesis. Recent investigations have observed relationships between satellite cells and other cell types and structures within the muscle microenvironment. These findings suggest that the crosstalk between inflammatory cells, fibrogenic cells, bone-marrow-derived cells, satellite cells, and the vasculature is essential for the restoration of muscle homeostasis. This review will discuss the influence of the cells and structures within the muscle microenvironment on satellite cell function and muscle repair.
A Review of Single-Cell RNA-Seq Annotation, Integration, and Cell–Cell Communication
Authors: Cheng Changde , Chen Wenan , Jin Hongjian , Chen Xiang
Published: July 2023

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has emerged as a powerful tool for investigating cellular biology at an unprecedented resolution, enabling the characterization of cellular heterogeneity, identification of rare but significant cell types, and exploration of cell–cell communications and interactions. Its broad applications span both basic and clinical research domains. In this comprehensive review, we survey the current landscape of scRNA-seq analysis methods and tools, focusing on count modeling, cell-type annotation, data integration, including spatial transcriptomics, and the inference of cell–cell communication. We review the challenges encountered in scRNA-seq analysis, including issues of sparsity or low expression, reliability of cell annotation, and assumptions in data integration, and discuss the potential impact of suboptimal clustering and differential expression analysis tools on downstream analyses, particularly in identifying cell subpopulations. Finally, we discuss recent advancements and future directions for enhancing scRNA-seq analysis. Specifically, we highlight the development of novel tools for annotating single-cell data, integrating and interpreting multimodal datasets covering transcriptomics, epigenomics, and proteomics, and inferring cellular communication networks. By elucidating the latest progress and innovation, we provide a comprehensive overview of the rapidly advancing field of scRNA-seq analysis.
The Golgi Apparatus: A Voyage through Time, Structure, Function and Implication in Neurodegenerative Disorders
Authors: Mohan Aurel George , Calenic Bogdan , Ghiurau Nicu Adrian , Duncea-Borca Roxana-Maria , Constantinescu Alexandra-Elena , Constantinescu Ileana
Published: July 2023

This comprehensive review article dives deep into the Golgi apparatus, an essential organelle in cellular biology. Beginning with its discovery during the 19th century until today’s recognition as an important contributor to cell function. We explore its unique organization and structure as well as its roles in protein processing, sorting, and lipid biogenesis, which play key roles in maintaining homeostasis in cellular biology. This article further explores Golgi biogenesis, exploring its intricate processes and dynamics that contribute to its formation and function. One key focus is its role in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, where changes to the structure or function of the Golgi apparatus may lead to their onset or progression, emphasizing its key importance in neuronal health. At the same time, we examine the intriguing relationship between Golgi stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, providing insights into their interplay as two major cellular stress response pathways. Such interdependence provides a greater understanding of cellular reactions to protein misfolding and accumulation, hallmark features of many neurodegenerative diseases. In summary, this review offers an exhaustive examination of the Golgi apparatus, from its historical background to its role in health and disease. Additionally, this examination emphasizes the necessity of further research in this field in order to develop targeted therapeutic approaches for Golgi dysfunction-associated conditions. Furthermore, its exploration is an example of scientific progress while simultaneously offering hope for developing innovative treatments for neurodegenerative disorders.
Low-Waste Synthesis and Properties of Highly Dispersed NiO·Al2O3 Mixed Oxides Based on the Products of Centrifugal Thermal Activation of Gibbsite
Authors: Zhuzhgov Aleksey V. , Isupova Lyubov A. , Suprun Evgeny A. , Gorkusha Aleksandr S.
Published: July 2023

This study revealed an increased reactivity of centrifugally thermoactivated products of gibbsite toward aqueous solutions of nickel nitrate at room temperature as well as under hydrothermal conditions. X-ray, thermal, microscopy, adsorption and chemical analysis methods were used to investigate and demonstrate the possibility of obtaining highly loaded mixed aluminum–nickel oxide systems, with a nickel content of ca. 33 wt.%, using a hydrochemical treatment at room temperature or a hydrothermal treatment of suspensions of the product of the centrifugal thermal activation of gibbsite in aqueous solutions of nickel nitrate. It was shown that the thermal treatment of xerogels—hydrochemical interaction products—in the range of 350–850 °C led to the formation of NiO phases and highly dispersed solid solutions of nickel based on the NiAl2O4 spinel structure, with different ratios and a high specific surface area of 140–200 m2/g. A hydrochemical treatment of suspensions at room temperature ensures that the predominant formation of the NiO phase is distributed over the surface of the alumina matrix after calcination, whereas hydrothermal treatment at 150 °C leads to a deeper interaction of the suspension components at the treatment step, which occurs after the thermal treatment of the formed xerogel in the predominant formation of poorly crystallized NiAl2O4 spinel (“protospinel”). The considered method makes it possible to obtain complex aluminum–nickel oxide systems with different phase ratios, decreases the number of initial reagents and synthesis steps, completely excludes waste and diminishes the total amount of nitrates by 75 wt.% compared to the classical nitrate scheme for the coprecipitation of compounds with a similar elemental composition.
Cross-Bite and Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) in Preadolescents Aged 11 to 14 Years Old: A Pilot Case-Control Study
Authors: Curto Adrián , Albaladejo Alberto , Alvarado-Lorenzo Alfonso , Zubizarreta-Macho Álvaro , Curto Daniel
Published: July 2023

Introduction: Malocclusions have a negative impact on oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Posterior cross-bite is one of the most prevalent malocclusions in the preadolescent population. This study investigated the influence of posterior cross-bites (unilateral or bilateral) on OHRQoL in an 11- to 14-year-old population. Materials and Methods: A pilot case–control study was carried out at the Dental Clinic of the University of Salamanca between 2021 and 2023. A consecutive sample of 120 preadolescent patients aged 11 to 14 years old was recruited. Three groups were analyzed: a control group (no posterior cross-bite) (n = 40), a group with unilateral posterior cross-bite (n = 40), and a group with bilateral posterior cross-bite (n = 40). To analyze the OHRQoL, the Spanish version of the Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ-Esp11–14) was used. Results: The mean age of the sample was 12.2 years old (±0.96 years). The group of patients with a bilateral posterior cross-bite was shown to have higher scores in all dimensions of the CPQ-Esp11–14, as well as a higher total score. Sex only influenced the oral symptom dimension of the CPQ-Esp11–14 questionnaire; in this dimension, the girls described a greater impact. Age did not influence OHRQoL. Conclusion: The presence of a posterior cross-bite had a negative impact on OHRQoL in the preadolescent population that was studied.
Effects of Ambient Air Pollutants on Hospital Admissions among Children Due to Asthma and Wheezing-Associated Lower Respiratory Infections in Mysore, India: A Time Series Study
Authors: Malamardi Sowmya , Lambert Katrina , Siddaiah Jayaraj Biligere , Erbas Bircan , Mahesh Padukudru Anand
Published: July 2023

Air pollutants are known to trigger asthma and wheezing-associated lower respiratory infections in children, but evidence regarding their effect on hospital admissions in India is limited. We conducted a time-series study over a period of five years to assess the role of ambient air pollutants in daily asthma-related hospital admissions in children in Mysore, India. Daily asthma and wheeze (associated with lower respiratory infections) admissions were modelled using a generalised additive model (GAM) to examine the non-linear effects and generalised linear models (GLM) for linear effects, if any. Models were adjusted by day of the week and lag days, with smooth terms for time, maximum temperature, and relative humidity, and they were stratified by sex and age group. Of the 362 children admitted, more than 50% were boys, and the mean age was 5.34 years (±4.66). The GAMs showed non-linear associations between NO2, PM2.5, and NH3. For example, a 10 µgm−3 (or 10%) increase in NO2 increased admissions by 2.42. These non-linear effects were more pronounced in boys. A linear effect was detected for PM10 with a relative risk (95% CI) of 1.028, 1.013, and 1.043 with admission. Further research is needed to explore whether these findings can be replicated in different cities in India. Air pollution needs to be controlled, and policies that focus on lower cut-off levels for vulnerable populations are necessary.
The Deficits of Insulin Signal in Alzheimer’s Disease and the Mechanisms of Vanadium Compounds in Curing AD
Authors: Yao Jinyi , He Zhijun , You Guanying , Liu Qiong , Li Nan
Published: July 2023

Vanadium is a well-known essential trace element, which usually exists in oxidation states in the form of a vanadate cation intracellularly. The pharmacological study of vanadium began with the discovery of its unexpected inhibitory effect on ATPase. Thereafter, its protective effects on β cells and its ability in glucose metabolism regulation were observed from the vanadium compound, leading to the application of vanadium compounds in clinical trials for curing diabetes. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common dementia disease in elderly people. However, there are still no efficient agents for treating AD safely to date. This is mainly because of the complexity of the pathology, which is characterized by senile plaques composed of the amyloid-beta (Aβ) protein in the parenchyma of the brain and the neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), which are derived from the hyperphosphorylated tau protein in the neurocyte, along with mitochondrial damage, and eventually the central nervous system (CNS) atrophy. AD was also illustrated as type-3 diabetes because of the observations of insulin deficiency and the high level of glucose in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), as well as the impaired insulin signaling in the brain. In this review, we summarize the advances in applicating the vanadium compound to AD treatment in experimental research and point out the limitations of the current study using vanadium compounds in AD treatment. We hope this will help future studies in this field.
The Spectrum of Germline Nucleotide Variants in Gastric Cancer Patients in the Kyrgyz Republic
Authors: Bilyalov Airat , Nikolaev Sergey , Danishevich Anastasiia , Khatkov Igor , Makhmudov Komron , Isakova Zhainagul , Bakirov Nurbek , Omurbaev Ernis , Osipova Alena , Ramaldanov Ramaldan , Shagimardanova Elena , Kiyasov Andrey , Gusev Oleg , Bodunova Natalia
Published: July 2023

Gastric cancer is a major challenge in modern oncology due to its high detection rate and prevalence. While sporadic cases make up the majority of gastric cancer, hereditary gastric cancer is caused by germline mutations in several genes linked to different syndromes. Thus, identifying hereditary forms of gastric cancer is considered crucial globally. A survey study using NGS-based analysis was conducted to determine the frequency of different types of hereditary gastric cancer in the yet-unstudied Kyrgyz population. The study cohort included 113 patients with diagnosed gastric cancer from Kyrgyzstan. The age of patients was 57.6 ± 8.9. Next-generation sequencing analysis of genomic DNA was performed using a custom Roche NimbleGen enrichment panel. The results showed that 6.2% (7/113) of the patients had pathogenic or likely pathogenic genetic variants. Additionally, 3.5% (4/113) of the patients carried heterozygous pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in high penetrance genes, such as TP53, POLD1, RET, and BRCA2. Moreover, 2.7% (3/113) of the patients carried heterozygous mutations in genes linked to autosomal recessive conditions, specifically PALB2, FANCA, and FANCD2. We have not identified any genetic variants in hereditary GC-associated genes: CDH1, STK11, SMAD4, BMPRIA, APC, MLH1, and others. Our study included patients with sporadic features of GC. The use of recognized criteria (NCCN, Gastric Cancer, Version 2.2022) would increase the number of identified genetic variants in hereditary GC-associated genes. Further research is required to determine the clinical relevance of the genetic variants identified in the current study.
Global and Regional Snow Cover Decline: 2000–2022
Authors: Young Stephen S.
Published: July 2023

Snow cover affects the global surface energy balance and, with its high albedo, exerts a cooling effect on the Earth’s climate. Decreases in snow cover alter the flow of solar energy from being reflected away from Earth to being absorbed, increasing the Earth’s surface temperature. To gain a global understanding of snow cover change, in situ measurements are too few and far between, so remotely sensed data are needed. This research used the medium-resolution sensor MODIS on the Terra satellite, which has been observing global snow cover almost daily since the year 2000. Here, the MOD10C2 eight-day maximum value composite time series data from February 2000 to March 2023 were analyzed to detect global and regional trends in snow cover extent for the first 23 years of the 21st century. Trends in snow cover change during different time periods (seasons and snow-year) were examined using the Mann—Kendall test and the univariate differencing analysis. Both methods produced similar results. Globally, snow cover declined two to ten times as much as it increased, depending on the season of analysis, and annually, global snow cover decreased 5.12% (not including Antarctica or Greenland) based on the Mann—Kendall test at the 95th percentile (p < 0.05). Regionally, Asia had the greatest net area decline in snow cover, followed by Europe. Although North America has the second-largest extent of snow cover, it had the least amount of net decreasing snow cover relative to its size. South America had the greatest local decline in snow cover, decreasing 20.60% of its annual (snow-year) snow cover area. The Australia–New Zealand region, with just 0.34% of the global snow cover, was the only region to have a net increase in snow cover, increasing 3.61% of its annual snow cover area.
Spatiotemporal Rainfall Variability and Trends over the Mahi Basin, India
Authors: Pawar Uttam , Hire Pramodkumar , Gunathilake Miyuru B. , Rathnayake Upaka
Published: July 2023

Climate change can have an influence on rainfall that significantly affects the magnitude frequency of floods and droughts. Therefore, the analysis of the spatiotemporal distribution, variability, and trends of rainfall over the Mahi Basin in India is an important objective of the present work. Accordingly, a serial autocorrelation, coefficient of variation, Mann–Kendall (MK) and Sen’s slope test, innovative trend analysis (ITA), and Pettitt’s test were used in the rainfall analysis. The outcomes were derived from the monthly precipitation data (1901–2012) of 14 meteorology stations in the Mahi Basin. The serial autocorrelation results showed that there is no autocorrelation in the data series. The rainfall statistics denoted that the Mahi Basin receives 94.8% of its rainfall (821 mm) in the monsoon period (June–September). The normalized accumulated departure from the mean reveals that the annual and monsoon rainfall of the Mahi Basin were below average from 1901 to 1930 and above average from 1930 to 1990, followed by a period of fluctuating conditions. Annual and monsoon rainfall variations increase in the lower catchment of the basin. The annual and monsoon rainfall trend analysis specified a significant declining tendency for four stations and an increasing tendency for 3 stations, respectively. A significant declining trend in winter rainfall was observed for 9 stations under review. Likewise, out of 14 stations, 9 stations denote a significant decrease in pre-monsoon rainfall. Nevertheless, there is no significant increasing or decreasing tendency in annual, monsoon, and post-monsoon rainfall in the Mahi Basin. The Mann–Kendall test and innovative trend analysis indicate identical tendencies of annual and seasonal rainfall on the basin scale. The annual and monsoon rainfall of the basin showed a positive shift in rainfall after 1926. The rainfall analysis confirms that despite spatiotemporal variations in rainfall, there are no significant positive or negative trends of annual and monsoon rainfall on the basin scale. It suggests that the Mahi Basin received average rainfall (867 mm) annually and in the monsoon season (821 mm) from 1901 to 2012, except for a few years of high and low rainfall. Therefore, this study is important for flood and drought management, agriculture, and water management in the Mahi Basin.
Critical Review of Nanoindentation-Based Numerical Methods for Evaluating Elastoplastic Material Properties
Authors: Long Xu , Dong Ruipeng , Su Yutai , Chang Chao
Published: July 2023

It is well known that the elastoplastic properties of materials are important indicators to characterize their mechanical behaviors and are of guiding significance in the field of materials science and engineering. In recent years, the rapidly developing nanoindentation technique has been widely used to evaluate various intrinsic information regarding the elastoplastic properties and hardness of various materials such as metals, ceramics, and composites due to its high resolution, versatility, and applicability. However, the nanoindentation process of indenting materials on the nanoscale provides the measurement results, such as load-displacement curves and contact stiffness, which is challenging to analyze and interpret, especially if contained in a large amount of data. Many numerical methods, such as dimensionless analysis, machine learning, and the finite element model, have been recently proposed with the indentation techniques to further reveal the mechanical behavior of materials during nanoindentation and provide important information for material design, property optimization, and engineering applications. In addition, with the continuous development of science and technology, automation and high-throughput processing of nanoindentation experiments have become a future trend, further improving testing efficiency and data accuracy. This paper critically reviewed various numerical methods for evaluating elastoplastic constitutive properties of materials based on nanoindentation technology, which aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the application and development trend of the nanoindentation technique and to provide guidance and reference for further research and applications.
Fully Printed HTL-Free MAPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells with Carbon Electrodes
Authors: Iqbal Shoaib , Yin Xingtian , Wang Boyang , Zhang Jiawei , Nisar Muhammad Zubair , Zhang Jide , Que Wenxiu
Published: July 2023

This study investigates fully printed methylamine vapour-treated methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) hole transport layer (HTL)-free perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with a carbon electrode. We describe a method that can be used to deposit MAPbI3 films in an ambient environment with doctor blading that is entirely free of spin coating and has precise morphology control, in which the varying input N2 pressure affects the film morphology. Consequently, a fully printed perovskite solar cell with an ITO/SnO2/MAPbI3/carbon structure was fabricated using a doctor-blading SnO2 electron transport layer and a screen-printed carbon counter electrode. The low-temperature-derived PSCs exhibited a superior power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.17% with an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.02 V on a small-active-area device and the highest efficiency of >8% for an illumination exposure area of 1.0 cm2, with high reproducibility. This work highlights the potential of doctor blading and methylamine vapour treatment as promising methods for fabricating high-performance perovskite solar cells. A doctor-blading approach offers a wide processing window for versatile high-performance perovskite optoelectronics in the context of large-scale production.
Cooperative Vehicles versus Non-Cooperative Traffic Light: Safe and Efficient Passing
Authors: Thunberg Johan , Saeed Taqwa , Sidorenko Galina , Valle Felipe , Vinel Alexey
Published: July 2023

Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) will be a key component of future cooperative intelligent transportation systems (C-ITS). Since the adoption of C-ITS is not foreseen to happen instantly, not all of its elements are going to be connected at the early deployment stages. We consider a scenario where vehicles approaching a traffic light are connected to each other, but the traffic light itself is not cooperative. Information about indented trajectories such as decisions on how and when to accelerate, decelerate and stop, is communicated among the vehicles involved. We provide an optimization-based procedure for efficient and safe passing of traffic lights (or other temporary road blockage) using vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V). We locally optimize objectives that promote efficiency such as less deceleration and larger minimum velocity, while maintaining safety in terms of no collisions. The procedure is computationally efficient as it mainly involves a gradient decent algorithm for one single parameter.
Research Progress in the Industrial Crystallization of Citrate—A Review
Authors: Ma Yanyu , Qin Xueyou , Yan Hui , Li Junjie , Li Chengwei , Lian Mingke , Wei Xuemei , Shen Runpu , Chen Mingyang , Li Kangli , Gong Junbo
Published: July 2023

The citrate industry has a wide range of applications in food, pharmaceutical, and other fields. As a common class of food additives and functional supplements with tremendous development potential and strong core competitiveness, particles with good powder characteristics and functionalization are becoming one of the primary directions in the evolution of citrate into the high-end market. This article reviews the primary citrate crystallization techniques and examines the fundamental citrate crystallization mechanisms by describing citrate nucleation and growth during the industrial crystallization process. A variety of citrate hydrates are also summarized. The primary control conditions of the three essential product indices of purity, particle size, and grain shape are established. The need to take into account the density, fluidity, caking resistance, dissolution rate, suspension, bioavailability, and other indices of products is highlighted, along with applications for products that meet the purity and particle size requirements. While summarizing industrial citrate crystallization equipment, this paper also discusses the beneficial effect of continuous crystallization in achieving industrialization. Finally, the future development of citrate crystals is anticipated, and it is suggested that the combination of basic research and application research should be strengthened to explore the new application field of citrate crystals, and the automation and intelligence of the crystal preparation process should be realized as far as possible.
Nanocomposite Foams of Polyurethane with Carbon Nanoparticles—Design and Competence towards Shape Memory, Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shielding, and Biomedical Fields
Authors: Kausar Ayesha , Ahmad Ishaq , Zhao Tingkai , Aldaghri Osamah , Ibnaouf Khalid H. , Eisa M. H.
Published: July 2023

Polyurethane is a multipurpose polymer with indispensable physical characteristics and technical uses, such as films/coatings, fibers, and foams. The inclusion of nanoparticles in the polyurethane matrix has further enhanced the properties and potential of this important polymer. Research in this field has led to the design and exploration of polyurethane foams and polyurethane nanocomposite foams. This review article reflects vital aspects related to the fabrication, features, and applications of polyurethane nanocomposite foams. High-performance nanocellular polyurethanes have been produced using carbon nanoparticles such as graphene and carbon nanotubes. Enhancing the amounts of nanofillers led to overall improved nanocomposite foam features and performances. Subsequently, polyurethane nanocomposite foams showed exceptional morphology, electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, thermal stability, and other physical properties. Consequently, multifunctional applications of polyurethane nanocomposite foams have been observed in shape memory, electromagnetic interference shielding, and biomedical applications.
Exploring the Impact of Cooling Rate on Microstructural Features, Mechanical Properties, and Corrosion Resistance of a Novel Nb-Stabilized Super Duplex Stainless Steel in Shielded Metal Arc Welding
Authors: Oñate Ángelo , Torres Enrique , Olave Diego , Ramírez Jesús , Medina Carlos , Sanhueza Juan Pablo , Melendrez Manuel , Tuninetti Víctor , Rojas David
Published: July 2023

The corrosion and mechanical response produced by quenching in the welded joint of a new Nb-doped stainless steel designed by the CALPHAD method and produced by open-atmosphere casting with recycled materials were investigated to contribute to the circular economy and to establish disruptive manufacturing criteria based on metallurgical principles. The steel was initially subjected to solubilization heat treatment and partial solubilization treatment at 1090 °C to obtain an appropriate α/γ balance and carbide solubilization. It was then welded by the SMAW process, quenched, and tempered at three different cooling rates. As a result, a good fit between the phases predicted by the CALPHAD method and those observed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were obtained, with minor differences attributable to the precipitation and diffusion kinetics required for dissolution or nucleation and growth of the phases in the system. The forced air quenching mechanism was identified as providing an α/γ phase equilibrium equivalent to 62/38 as the most effective quenching method for achieving the optimum mechanical and corrosion response, even with the post-weld σ phase and showing superior results to those of the base metal. The outstanding mechanical and corrosion responses resulted from a proper balance of the primary phases in the duplex steel with a precipitation-strengthening mechanism. The damage tolerance obtained by forced air quenching was superior to that obtained by water and air quenching, with a PSE of 24.71 GPa% post-welding.
Role of Seed Banks in Supporting Ecosystem and Biodiversity Conservation and Restoration
Authors: Wambugu Peterson W. , Nyamongo Desterio O. , Kirwa Everlyne C.
Published: July 2023

The world is witnessing massive land degradation caused by climate change and various anthropogenic activities. There has been a significant increase in habitat restoration efforts, with demand for seeds to restore these degraded ecosystems in some cases outstripping supply. Traditionally, seeds for restoration activities have mainly been sourced through collections from the wild, but with the growing seed demand, this is increasingly becoming unsustainable. In order to ensure responsible restoration practice, restoration practitioners need to explore other options of economical, ethical and sustainable sourcing of seeds. Ex situ seed banks can leverage their technical and infrastructural capacity to play a greater and more direct role in supporting biodiversity and ecosystem conservation and restoration, particularly through the supply of quality ecologically and genetically suitable seed. In this paper, we review whether ex situ seed banks possess the capacity and competence for supporting habitat restoration and the challenges they are likely to face in these efforts. The review focuses on seed collecting, field-based seed bulking, seed handling and storage, seed quality control as well as experience and capacity in facilitating germplasm exchange. The availability of high-quality germplasm collections of documented provenance and with broad genetic diversity is arguably the greatest resource and asset that seed banks have in supporting habitat restoration.
Telemedicine in the Era of a Pandemic: Usefulness of a Novel Three-Lead ECG
Authors: Babic Milos D. , Veljkovic Stefan , Lakcevic Jovana , Babic Rade , Ostojic Miodrag , Petrovic Masa , Boljevic Darko , Tomic Stanko , Bojic Milovan , Nikolic Aleksandra
Published: July 2023

The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is a first-line diagnostic tool for patients with cardiac symptoms. As observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ECG is essential to the initial patient evaluation. The novel KardioPal three-lead-based ECG reconstructive technology provides a potential alternative to a standard ECG, reducing the response time and cost of treatment and improving patient comfort. Our study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a reconstructed 12-lead ECG obtained by the KardioPal technology, comparing it with the standard 12-lead ECG, and to assess the feasibility and time required to obtain a reconstructed ECG in a real-life scenario. A prospective, nonrandomized, single-center, adjudicator-blinded trial was conducted on 102 patients during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Dedinje Cardiovascular Institute in Belgrade. The KardioPal system demonstrated a high feasibility rate (99%), with high specificity (96.3%), sensitivity (95.8%), and diagnostic accuracy (96.1%) for obtaining clinically relevant matching of reconstructed 12-lead compared to the standard 12-lead ECG recording. This novel technology provided a significant reduction in ECG acquisition time and the need for personnel and space for obtaining ECG recordings, thereby reducing the risk of viral transmission and the burden on an already overwhelmed healthcare system such as the one experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adjunctive Plasma Rich in Growth Factors in the Treatment of Osteomyelitis and Large Odontogenic Cysts Prior to Successful Implant Rehabilitation: Case Report
Authors: DuVal Marc , Alkhraisat Mohammad Hamdan
Published: July 2023

Osteomyelitis of the jaws presents a clinical challenge to conventional treatment, often requiring multiple surgical interventions resulting in significant deformity and presenting significant problems to satisfactory rehabilitation. While benign odontogenic cysts, such as the radicular cyst, are generally predictably treated, they can cause significant localized bone destruction and thus can present significant problems in satisfactory rehabilitation. In this case report, patients were treated combining conventionally appropriate surgical debridement and oral antibiotics with adjunctive plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF). Patients showed a complete soft tissue and osseous regeneration to their pre-pathologic state, with successful implant rehabilitation. PRGF appears to be highly successful in minimizing or eliminating osseous deformities normally associated with conventional treatment of osteomyelitis of the jaw and treatment of large odontogenic cysts. Future trials must be performed to confirm these results in comparison to controls using conventional treatment alone.
AGCosPlace: A UAV Visual Positioning Algorithm Based on Transformer
Authors: Guo Ya , Zhou Yatong , Yang Fan
Published: July 2023

To address the limitation and obtain the position of the drone even when the relative poses and intrinsics of the drone camera are unknown, a visual positioning algorithm based on image retrieval called AGCosPlace, which leverages the Transformer architecture to achieve improved performance, is proposed. Our approach involves subjecting the feature map of the backbone to an encoding operation that incorporates attention mechanisms, multi-layer perceptron coding, and a graph network module. This encoding operation allows for better aggregation of the context information present in the image. Subsequently, the aggregation module with dynamic adaptive pooling produces a descriptor with an appropriate dimensionality, which is then passed into the classifier to recognize the position. Considering the complexity associated with labeling visual positioning labels for UAV images, the visual positioning network is trained using the publicly available Google Street View SF-XL dataset. The performance of the trained network model on a custom UAV perspective test set is evaluated. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed algorithm, which improves upon the ResNet backbone networks on the SF-XL test set, exhibits excellent performance on the UAV test set. The algorithm achieves notable improvements in the four evaluation metrics: R@1, R@5, R@10, and R@20. These results confirm that the trained visual positioning network can effectively be employed in UAV visual positioning tasks.
Design and Optimization of Linking Matrix for a JSCC System Based on DP-LDPC Codes
Authors: Lv Yijie , Hong Shaohua , Wang Lin
Published: July 2023

Although extensive optimization of encoding and decoding schemes for joint source-channel coding (JSCC) systems has been conducted, efficient optimization schemes are still required for designing and optimizing the linking matrix between variable nodes of the source code and check nodes of the channel code. A scheme has been proposed for design and optimization of linking matrix with multi-edges by analyzing the performance of the JSCC system using the joint protograph extrinsic information transfer algorithm to calculate decoding thresholds. The proposed scheme incorporates structural constraints and is effective in designing and optimizing the multi-edges in linking matrix for the JSCC system. Experimental results have demonstrated that the designed and optimized linking matrix significantly improves the performance of the JSCC system. Furthermore, the proposed scheme reduces the complexity of the solution space for the optimized example.
Parent–Child Separation Always Comes with a Cost
Authors: Cerniglia Luca
Published: July 2023

In some situations, due to the risk of contagion, the recent COVID-19 pandemic forced parent–child separation to occur in attempts to slow down the spread of the virus [...]
A Sales Forecasting Model for New-Released and Short-Term Product: A Case Study of Mobile Phones
Authors: Hwang Seongbeom , Yoon Goonhu , Baek Eunjung , Jeon Byoung-Ki
Published: July 2023

In today’s competitive market, sales forecasting of newly released and short-term products is an important challenge because there is not enough sales data. To address these challenges, we propose a sales forecasting model for new-released and short-term products and study the case of mobile phones. The main approach is to develop an integrated sales forecasting model by training the sales patterns and product characteristics of the same product category. In particular, we analyze the performance of the latest 12 machine learning models and propose the best performance model. Machine learning models have been used to compare performance through the development of Ridge, Lasso, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest, Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), AdaBoost, LightGBM, XGBoost, CatBoost, Deep Neural Network (DNN), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). We apply a dataset consisting of monthly sales data of 38 mobile phones obtained in the Korean market. As a result, the Random Forest model was selected as an excellent model that outperforms other models in terms of prediction accuracy. Our model achieves remarkable results with a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 42.6258, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 8443.3328, and a correlation coefficient of 0.8629.
An Input Up to 100-V High Voltage LDO Based a Novel Pre-Regulation and a Simple Clamp Current Circuit
Authors: Li Linxi , Lai Xinquan , Jin Dinghai , Shi Lingfeng , Xu Siting
Published: July 2023

With the aim of improving the small input voltage range and complex structure of the current-limiting circuit in the traditional LDO, a wide-range high-voltage input LDO was designed, which uses a pre-regulation principle and a diode current-limiting protection scheme. Based on the DB HiTek 0.18 μm BCD process model for circuit simulation, the simulation results showed that this proposed LDO can stably output 7.6 V under the input voltage range from 13 V to 100 V. In addition, the load regulation rate was 0.0256 mV/mA, and the line regulation rate was 0.035 mV/V. When the load current exceeded 30 mA, the output voltage was prohibited and overcurrent protection was performed. The measurement results showed that the maximum input voltage of the designed chip could reach 140 V. When the load current exceeded 19 mA, the LDO had no output voltage, which indicates that the current limiting circuit can work stably. The circuit designed in this paper has a simple structure but good stability. To date, the LDO has been applied to other DC-DC power supply chips.
FRIMFL: A Fair and Reliable Incentive Mechanism in Federated Learning
Authors: Ahmed  Abrar , Choi  Bong Jun
Published: July 2023

Federated learning (FL) enables data owners to collaboratively train a machine learning model without revealing their private data and sharing the global models. Reliable and continuous client participation is essential in FL for building a high-quality global model via the aggregation of local updates from clients over many rounds. Incentive mechanisms are needed to encourage client participation, but malicious clients might provide ineffectual updates to receive rewards. Therefore, a fair and reliable incentive mechanism is needed in FL to promote the continuous participation of clients while selecting clients with high-quality data that will benefit the whole system. In this paper, we propose an FL incentive scheme based on the reverse auction and trust reputation to select reliable clients and fairly reward clients that have a limited budget. Reverse auctions provide candidate clients to bid for the task while reputations reflect their trustworthiness and reliability. Our simulation results show that the proposed scheme can accurately select users with positive contributions to the system based on reputation and data quality. Therefore, compared to the existing schemes, the proposed scheme achieves higher economic benefit encouraging higher participation, satisfies reward fairness and accuracy to promote stable FL development.
Leakage Fault Diagnosis of Two Parallel Cylinders in Pneumatic System with a Minimal Number of Sensors
Authors: Zhu Hongwei , Wang Zhiwen , Wang Hu , Zhao Zecheng , Xiong Wei
Published: July 2023

The low investment cost is one of the core competitiveness advantages of pneumatic power systems. With increasingly pressing intelligent manufacturing, it is meaningful to investigate the feasibility of implementing fault diagnoses of pneumatic systems with a minimal number of low-cost sensors. In this study, a typical pneumatic circuit with two parallel-installed cylinders is taken as an example. The pressure, flow rate, and exergy data collected from upstream sensors are used for diagnosing the leakage faults in two downstream cylinders with the help of different machine learning methods. The features of data are extracted with stacked auto-encoders. Gaussian process classifier, support vector machine, and k-nearest neighbor are used for classifying faults. The results show that it is feasible to detect and diagnose downstream multi-faults with one or two upstream sensors. In terms of the working conditions presented in this study, the average accuracy of diagnosis with exergy data is the highest, followed by flow-rate data and pressure data. The support vector machine performs the best among the three machine learning methods.