bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impaired Glucose Tolerance and Visceral Adipose Tissue Thickness among Lean and Non-Lean People with and without Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Kimball Amy L. , Petrie Michael A. , McCue Patrick M. , Johnson Kristin A. , Shields Richard K.
Published: August 2023

After spinal cord injury (SCI), multiple adaptations occur that influence metabolic health and life quality. Prolonged sitting and inactivity predispose people with SCI to body composition changes, such as increased visceral adipose tissue (VAT) thickness, which is often associated with impaired glucose tolerance. Our goal is to understand whether VAT is an index of leanness, and, secondarily, whether mobility methods influence glucose tolerance for people living with SCI. A total of 15 people with SCI and 20 people without SCI had fasting oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) and VAT thickness (leanness) measured during a single session. Glucose was 51% and 67% greater for individuals with SCI relative to those without SCI after 60 and 120 min of an OGTT (p < 0.001). Glucose area under the curve (AUC) was 28%, 34%, and 60% higher for non-lean people with SCI than lean people with SCI and non-lean and lean people without SCI, respectively (p = 0.05, p = 0.009, p < 0.001). VAT was associated with glucose AUC (R2 = 0.23, p = 0.004). Taken together, these findings suggest that leanness, as estimated from VAT, may be an important consideration when developing rehabilitation programs to influence metabolism among people with SCI.
Design of a Self-Organizing Routing Protocol for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Location and Energy Information
Authors: Guo Weizhen , Zhu Min , Yang Bo , Wu Yanbo , Li Xinguo
Published: August 2023

Underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) are significantly different from terrestrial sensor networks in the following aspects: low bandwidth, high latency, variable topology, limited battery, low processing power and so on. These new features pose many challenges to the design of self-organizing routing protocol for UWSNs. This paper focuses on the application of Ad Hoc On-demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing protocol in UWSNs. In order to solve the problems of packet collision and excessive energy consumption associated with the flooding-based routing discovery method and the periodic hello packet routing maintenance mechanism of AODV, a routing discovery and maintenance method based on location and energy information is proposed, and it is referred to as the route-focusing AODV (RFAODV) routing protocol. In the RFAODV protocol, the routing discovery process is focused on a few nodes through forwarding area control and dynamic delay adjustment. In addition, feedback from a media access control layer and residual energy control are used for routing maintenance. We implement the RFAODV and evaluate its performance according to the sea trial data as parameters in the NS-2. The simulation results show that compared with the other protocols, RFAODV improves the routing discovery success ratio by at least 18%, increases the packet transmission ratio by at least 4%, reduces the protocol overhead by at least 15% and reduces the energy consumption by at least 5% under various simulation scenarios. RFAODV is suitable for large-scale, high-load and dynamic networks underwater wireless sensor networks.
Underwater Acoustically Guided Docking Method Based on Multi-Stage Planning
Authors: Xu Hongli , Yang Hongxu , Bai Zhongyu , Zhang Xiangyue
Published: August 2023

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are important in areas such as underwater scientific research and underwater resource collection. However, AUVs suffer from data portability and energy portability problems due to their physical size limitation. In this work, an acoustic guidance method for underwater docking is proposed to solve the problem of persistent underwater operation. A funnel docking station and an autonomous remotely operated vehicle (ARV) are used as the platform for designing the guidance algorithms. First, the underwater docking guidance is divided into three stages: a long-range approach stage, a mid-range adjustment stage and a short-range docking stage. Second, the relevant guidance strategy is designed for each stage to improve the docking performance. Third, a correction method based on an ultra-short baseline (USBL) system is proposed for the ARV’s estimate of the depth, relative position and orientation angle of the docking station. To verify the feasibility of the docking guidance method, in this work, tests were performed on a lake and in a shallow sea. The success rate of autonomous navigation docking on the lake was 4 out of 7. The success rate of acoustic guidance docking on the lake and in the shallow sea were 11 out of 14 and 6 out of 8, respectively. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the docking guidance method in lakes and shallow seas.
Efficacy of Combined Photobiomodulation Therapy with Supplements versus Supplements alone in Restoring Thyroid Gland Homeostasis in Hashimoto Thyroiditis: A Clinical Feasibility Parallel Trial with 6-Months Follow-Up
Authors: Berisha-Muharremi Venera , Tahirbegolli Bernard , Phypers Ruth , Hanna Reem
Published: August 2023

Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is a thyroid-specific autoimmune disorder, triggering hypothyroidism in a population with an adequate dietary intake. Despite the current conventional treatment focuses on the permanent replacement of levothyroxine (LT4) deficiency, it appears that thyroid autoimmunity remains the cause of persistent symptoms in patients with HT, even when they achieve to be euthyroid from a biochemical standpoint. Photobiomodulation (PBM) showed to be an effective therapy in the management of autoimmune diseases, but with limited evidence. Hence, our study was conducted to appraise the efficacy of PBM therapy with supplements in restoring thyroid gland homeostasis in patients with HT compared with supplements alone. Seventy-four female subjects aged between 20 and 50 years old were recruited and divided equally into two groups: PBM and supplements group (group 1); and supplements alone group (group 2). The PBM dosimetry and treatment protocols were as follows: wavelength, 820 nm; power output, 200 mW; continuous emission mode; irradiating time, 20 s per point; fluence, 32 J/cm2 per point; treatment frequency, twice a week (excluding weekends); and treatment duration, three consecutive weeks. Whereas, the supplements protocol for both groups was the same, as follows: subjects with a serum level of vitamin D3 <40 ng/dL, who received replacement according to their serum levels, and all the subjects had a daily intake of 100 µg of oral selenium. The biochemical (FT3, FT4, antiTPO and antiTG) and anthropometric measurements were evaluated. Our findings showed significant improvement in group 1 parameters (PBM+ supplements) compared with group 2 (supplements only) in terms of weight loss and reduction in the following parameters: BMI, hip and waist circumference, waist/hip ratio, TSH, antiTPO, antiTG and treatment dose of LT4 (p < 0.05). Our results, for the first time, demonstrated an efficacy of PBM delivered at a lower fluence with supplements in restoring thyroid function, anthropometric parameters and lifestyle factors in patients with HT. Hence, extensive studies with a longer follow-up period are warranted.
Personal Health Record (PHR) Experience and Recommendations for a Transformation in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alanazi Abdullah , Alanazi Mohammed , Aldosari Bakheet
Published: August 2023

A Personal Health Record (PHR) is a patient-managed platform for health data. Most hospitals provide a PHR as an extension of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR). However, there are unresolved issues around the adoption rate, functionalities, barriers and, more importantly, the impact of the PHR on patients’ health. A cross-sectional, survey-based descriptive study was conducted in which patients from four main tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia were targeted from September 2022 to February 2023. The survey was tested and validated to address the objectives of the study. The survey covered components related to intention to use the PHR, required functions, obstacles and expected outcomes. This study involved 396 participants from the top four hospitals. It was discovered that the majority of them had intentions to use the PHR (93%) and believed it to be useful (94%) and easy to use (94%). It was widely agreed that accessing medical records (77%), scheduling appointments (88%), renewing medication (90%), tracking patient data (70%) and receiving personalized education (78%) were essential aspects of the PHR. Furthermore, the survey revealed that 54% of respondents saw a positive effect on their health status. A significant number of participants, around 54%, expressed concerns about the privacy of their PHR, and 46% reported concerns about the accuracy of their information. The study found that demographic factors and the type of hospital did not have a statistically significant association with the intention to use the PHR. Our findings showed that there were no significant barriers to adopting the PHR. Additionally, we found that less than half of the participants believed that their current PHR helped them to improve their health. This highlights the need for healthcare organizations to focus on improving the PHR’s functionality and overall purpose. Instead of simply providing basic features, the PHR should allow patients to manage their health information comprehensively, including compiling information from hospitals and patient-generated data. Having a PHR is crucial in improving an individual’s overall health. As technology advances, more data are being generated that should be included in the PHR to ensure an accurate and comprehensive view of the patient’s health. Expanding the scope of the PHR to include capabilities beyond merely hospital data is important. Achieving this requires an open and honest discussion about the role of the PHR, potential obstacles and how to coordinate efforts among different stakeholders.
Evaluation of the Performance of OTOPLAN-Based Cochlear Implant Electrode Array Selection: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Távora-Vieira Dayse , Voola Marcus , Kuthubutheen Jafri , Friedland Peter , Gibson Daren , Acharya Aanand
Published: August 2023

Otoplan is a surgical planning software designed to assist with cochlear implant surgery. One of its outputs is a recommendation of electrode array type based on imaging parameters. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the differences in auditory outcomes between patients who were implanted with arrays corresponding to those recommended by the Otoplan software versus those in which the array selection differed from the Otoplan recommendation. Pre-operative CT images from 114 patients were imported into the software, and array recommendations were generated. These were compared to the arrays which had actually been implanted during surgery, both in terms of array type and length. As recommended, 47% of patients received the same array, 34% received a shorter array, and 18% received a longer array. For reasons relating to structure and hearing preservation, 83% received the more flexible arrays. Those who received stiffer arrays had cochlear malformations or ossification. A negative, although non-statistically significant correlation was observed between the CNC scores at 12 months and the absolute value of the difference between recommended array and implanted array. In conclusion, clinicians may be slightly biased toward shorter electrode arrays due to their perceived greater ability to achieve full insertion. Using 3D imaging during the pre-operative planning may improve clinicians’ confidence to implant longer electrode arrays, where appropriate, to achieve optimum hearing outcomes.
Cortical–Subcortical Functional Preservation and Rehabilitation in Neuro-Oncology: Tractography-MIPS-IONM-TMS Proof-of-Concept Study
Authors: Vitulli Francesca , Kalaitzoglou Dimitrios , Soumpasis Christos , Díaz-Baamonde Alba , Mosquera José David Siado , Gullan Richard , Vergani Francesco , Ashkan Keyoumars , Bhangoo Ranjeev , Mirallave-Pescador Ana , Lavrador Jose Pedro
Published: August 2023

Surgical management of deep-seated brain tumors requires precise functional navigation and minimally invasive surgery. Preoperative mapping using navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS), intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM), and minimally invasive parafascicular surgery (MIPS) act together in a functional-sparing approach. nTMS also provides a rehabilitation tool to maximize functional recovery. This is a single-center retrospective proof-of-concept cohort study between January 2022 and June 2023 of patients admitted for surgery with motor eloquent deep-seated brain tumors. The study enrolled seven adult patients, five females and two males, with a mean age of 56.28 years old. The lesions were located in the cingulate gyrus (three patients), the central core (two patients), and the basal ganglia (two patients). All patients had preoperative motor deficits. The most common histological diagnosis was metastasis (five patients). The MIPS approach to the mid-cingulate lesions involved a trajectory through the fronto-aslant tract (FAT) and the fronto-striatal tract (FST). No positive nTMS motor responses were resected as part of the outer corridor for MIPS. Direct cortical stimulation produced stable motor-evoked potentials during the surgeries with no warning signs. Gross total resection (GTR) was achieved in three patients and near-total resection (NTR) in four patients. Post-operatively, all patients had a deterioration of motor function with no ischemia in the postoperative imaging (cavity-to-CST distance 0–4 mm). After nTMS with low-frequency stimulation in the contralateral motor cortex, six patients recovered to their preoperative functional status and one patient improved to a better functional condition. A combined Tractography-MIPS-IONM-TMS approach provides a successful functional-sparing approach to deep-seated motor eloquent tumors and a rehabilitation framework for functional recovery after surgery.
Fintech Data Infrastructure for ESG Disclosure Compliance
Authors: Duran Randall E. , Tierney Peter
Published: August 2023

Regulations related to the disclosure of environmental, governance, and social (ESG) factors are evolving rapidly and are a major concern for financial compliance worldwide. Information technology has the potential to reduce the effort and cost of ESG disclosure compliance. However, comprehensive and accurate ESG data are necessary for disclosures. Currently, the availability and quality of underlying data for ESG disclosures vary widely and are often deficient. The process involved with obtaining ESG data is also often inefficient and prone to error. This paper compares the models used and the evolution of Fintech data infrastructure developed to support financial services with the requirements and trajectory of ESG disclosure compliance. Based on existing Fintech models, it presents a sustainability data infrastructure framework that aims to address current ESG data challenges, including data governance concerns, on a large scale. In conclusion, it highlights key considerations and recommendations for policymakers.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Land-Use Policies in Preventing the Risk of Coastal Flooding: Coastal Regions of Helsinki and Espoo
Authors: Amani Fard Faegheh , Riekkinen Kirsikka , Pellikka Havu
Published: August 2023

Effectively resolving environmental problems often involves not only technical solutions but also examining and potentially reforming the political and institutional frameworks that govern how societies relate to the environment. Coastal flooding due to rising sea levels, for example, poses a significant threat to waterfront areas. Land-use regulations represent an effective means of mitigating this risk. Despite the multitude of strategies developed for tackling similar problems, relatively few have concentrated on assessing the effectiveness of land-use policies in managing such issues. This study examines a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of land-use policies in preventing sea flood risks in the capital regions of Finland. While the focus of this research is on the coastal regions of the cities of Helsinki and Espoo, its implications extend internationally. By integrating Geographical Information System (GIS) and simulation tools, we simulate future land-use scenarios based on values that reflect the effects of land-use policies. This framework can be applied to other coastal regions worldwide facing similar challenges. Using land cover data and GeoSOS-FLUS software, land-use simulations of the target areas were generated. Land-use planning performance in the target areas exhibited positive changes, as fewer vulnerable land-use types were located within the sea flood risk zones in 2018 compared to 2000. This simulation also shows a strong similarity to actual land-use in 2018, confirming the framework’s reliability. This paper presents a novel framework for evaluating the effectiveness of land-use policies in mitigating coastal flooding risks, focusing on the coastal regions of Helsinki and Espoo, Finland. By integrating GIS and simulation tools, the research demonstrates the utility of these tools in tracking land-use changes and analyzing policy impacts, enabling a nuanced assessment of policy effectiveness. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of local knowledge and a localized approach to policy development, contributing to a deeper understanding of complex issues in urban planning and land-use management.
How to Rebalance the Land-Use Structure after Large Infrastructure Construction? From the Perspective of Government Attention Evolution
Authors: Gao Junbo , Zhang Xinyi , Yu Chao , Ma Zhifei , Sun Jianwu , Guan Yujie
Published: August 2023

Large infrastructure projects play a crucial role in regional development but can also negatively impact cultivated-land protection. This study focuses on the role of local governments in land-use conflicts and the rebalancing of land-use structures during large infrastructure construction. Using the construction of a reservoir in the Huaihe River as a case study, the research examines the evolution of government attention and the process of township local governments promoting land-use adjustment. The findings reveal that local governments go through a process of “Create–Reinforce–Adjust–Delivery” in their attention to reservoir construction to maximize their interests. Attention fluctuates in terms of reservoir construction, cultivated-land protection, and immigration-development assistance. Biased land-use decisions were made at different stages, leading to four stages of rebalancing efforts: “Generation–Challenge–Marked effect–Continuous negative impact”. This process provides insights into land-use decision-making and the rebalancing of land-use structure. The study suggests that the superior government should guide local governments to enhance attention to cultivated-land protection through laws and policies, while local governments should focus on the quality protection of cultivated land and mitigate the negative impact of rebalancing efforts.
Research on Evaluation Elements of Urban Agricultural Green Bases: A Causal Inference-Based Approach
Authors: Long Yuchong , Cao Zhengwei , Mao Yan , Liu Xinran , Gao Yan , Zhou Chuanzhi , Zheng Xin
Published: August 2023

The construction of agricultural green bases is an important part of sustainable agricultural development. This paper takes urban agriculture green bases in Shanghai as an example, choosing base construction elements, production, and ecological construction elements, as well as status assessment elements as evaluation indicators, in order to construct an evaluation system for urban agriculture green bases. Using a Bayesian network, typical urban agricultural green bases in six agricultural districts of Shanghai were evaluated. The construction of the evaluation system was analyzed by using intervention, counterfactual inference, and other methods to analyze the correlation and importance of the indicators. The results show that there are differences among the bases in various indicators, but they all reach a high level overall; base construction elements as well as production and ecological construction elements are the main factors affecting the level of urban agricultural green bases; improving the base management system (BMS), innovativeness (IN), and economic benefits (EBs) are key ways to improve the production capacity of agriculture green bases. Green base construction should pay attention to top-level design, coordinate the planning of industrial layout, technical mode, scientific and technological support, and supporting policies. Based on the conclusion, this paper provides some useful recommendations for creating urban agriculture green bases, which help promote urban agriculture transformation, upgrading, and coordinating development between urban and rural areas.
Foley Catheter as a Tourniquet for Hemorrhage Prevention during Peripartum Hysterectomy in Patients with Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS)—A Hospital-Based Study
Authors: Staniczek Jakub , Manasar-Dyrbuś Maisa , Winkowska Ewa , Skowronek Kaja , Stojko Rafał
Published: August 2023

Background: Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is a clinical entity significantly increasing the risk of a peripartum hemorrhage. Various surgical methods have been described in the literature, which aim to reduce the risk of bleeding, although they often lack reproducibility and have been performed on low numbers of patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of the Foley catheter as a cervical tourniquet during cesarean sections, in patients with PAS. Methods: All patients who underwent peripartum hysterectomy due to PAS in a large single-center registry were included in the present analysis. The general demographics and clinical characteristics of all participants, including blood loss, and maternal and fetal outcomes, were collected and analyzed. Results: Twelve participants were included. The mean blood loss was 1200 ± 760 ml during operation and the mean ± SD procedural duration was 89 ± 17 min. The median (Q1–Q3) length of hospital stay post-procedurally was 5 (4–6) days. None of the patients required subsequent urgent surgical procedures after hysterectomy. The median (Q1–Q3) packed red blood cell units transfused in our cohort was 2 (0–3). Conclusion: Using the Foley catheter as a tourniquet might be an effective method of excessive bleeding prevention in patients with PAS during peripartum hysterectomy.
GABAB Receptors Tonically Inhibit Motoneurons and Neurotransmitter Release from Descending and Primary Afferent Fibers
Authors: Delgado-Ramírez Ximena , Alvarado-Cervantes Nara S. , Jiménez-Barrios Natalie , Raya-Tafolla Guadalupe , Felix Ricardo , Martínez-Rojas Vladimir A. , Delgado-Lezama Rodolfo
Published: August 2023

Motoneurons receive thousands of excitatory and inhibitory synapses from descending tracts and primary afferent fibers. The excitability of these neurons must be precisely regulated to respond adequately to the requirements of the environment. In this context, GABAA and GABAB receptors regulate motoneuron synaptic strength. GABAA and GABAB receptors are expressed on primary afferent fibers and motoneurons, while in the descending afferent fibers, only the GABAB receptors are expressed. However, it remains to be known where the GABA that activates them comes from since the GABAergic interneurons that make axo-axonic contacts with primary afferents have yet to be identified in the descending afferent terminals. Thus, the main aim of the present report was to investigate how GABAB receptors functionally modulate synaptic strength between Ia afferent fibers, excitatory and inhibitory descending fibers of the dorsolateral funiculus, and spinal motoneurons. Using intracellular recordings from the spinal cord of the turtle, we provide evidence that the GABAB receptor antagonist, CGP55845, not only prevents baclofen-induced depression of EPSPs but also increases motoneuron excitability and enhances the synaptic strength between the afferent fibers and motoneurons. The last action of CGP55845 was similar in excitatory and inhibitory descending afferents. Interestingly, the action of baclofen was more intense in the Ia primary afferents than in the descending afferents. Even more, CGP55845 reversed the EPSP depression induced by the increased concentration of ambient GABA produced by interneuron activation and GABA transporter blockade. Immunofluorescence data corroborated the expression of GABAB receptors in the turtle’s spinal cord. These findings suggest that GABAB receptors are extrasynaptic and tonically activated on descending afferent fibers and motoneurons by GABA released from astrocytes and GABAergic interneurons in the cellular microenvironment. Finally, our results also suggest that the antispastic action of baclofen may be due to reduced synaptic strength between descending fibers and motoneurons.
Focused Ultrasound, an Emerging Tool for Atherosclerosis Treatment: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Imtiaz Cynthia , Farooqi Muhammad Awais , Bhatti Theophilus , Lee Jooho , Moin Ramsha , Kang Chul Ung , Farooqi Hafiz Muhammad Umer
Published: August 2023

Focused ultrasound (FUS) has emerged as a promising noninvasive therapeutic modality for treating atherosclerotic arterial disease. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), a noninvasive and precise modality that generates high temperatures at specific target sites within tissues, has shown promising results in reducing plaque burden and improving vascular function. While low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) operates at lower energy levels, promoting mild hyperthermia and stimulating tissue repair processes. This review article provides an overview of the current state of HIFU and LIFU in treating atherosclerosis. It focuses primarily on the therapeutic potential of HIFU due to its higher penetration and ability to achieve atheroma disruption. The review summarizes findings from animal models and human trials, covering the effects of FUS on arterial plaque and arterial wall thrombolysis in carotid, coronary and peripheral arteries. This review also highlights the potential benefits of focused ultrasound, including its noninvasiveness, precise targeting, and real-time monitoring capabilities, making it an attractive approach for the treatment of atherosclerosis and emphasizes the need for further investigations to optimize FUS parameters and advance its clinical application in managing atherosclerotic arterial disease.
Catheter Ablation for the Management of Atrial Fibrillation: An Update of the Literature
Authors: Hussain Shahana , Sohrabi Catrin , Providencia Rui , Ahsan Syed , Papageorgiou Nikolaos
Published: August 2023

Catheter ablation has been shown to be more effective at maintaining sinus rhythm and improving quality of life when compared to antiarrhythmic drugs. Radiofrequency and cryoablation are two effective methods. However, catheter-only ablation strategies have not consistently produced high success rates in treating longstanding and persistent AF patients. The emerging treatment of choice for such cases is hybrid ablation, which involves a multidisciplinary and minimally invasive approach to achieve surgical ablation of the direct posterior left atrial wall in combination with endocardial catheter ablation. Studies have shown promising results for the hybrid approach when compared with catheter ablation alone, but it is not without risks. Large and randomised studies are necessary to further evaluate these strategies for managing AF.
The Influence of Technologies in Increasing Transparency in Textile Supply Chains
Authors: Hauschild Caterina , Coll Angelica
Published: August 2023

Background: In the current political discourse, supply chain transparency is seen as a key to improving the working and environmental conditions within textile supply chains. Additionally, the use of technology is increasingly being regarded as a means of reducing complexity and increasing transparency within these supply chains. While much research has been conducted to understand the impact of the textile industry on sustainability and the impact of technology on the overall performance of the textile supply chains, little attention has been placed on the following question: How do technologies affect transparency within the textile supply chains? Methods: We conducted seven interviews with actors from the textile industry. Based on these collected data, the relevance of selected technologies for improving transparency is established and the challenges of their implementation and impact on the industry are assessed. Results: Digital technologies, such as blockchain, the Internet of Things and dialog platforms, are promising instruments for transparency, even though their current implementation is not ideal. Furthermore, great skepticism on platforms for reporting (audits and complaint systems) is still prevalent. Conclusions: Since the influence of transparency on sustainability is conditioned by the goal orientation with which the technologies are implemented and used, we propose a framework for the implementation of the selected technologies that account for the interaction between said technologies in the textile supply chains.
PT-Informer: A Deep Learning Framework for Nuclear Steam Turbine Fault Diagnosis and Prediction
Authors: Zhou Jiajing , An Zhao , Yang Zhile , Zhang Yanhui , Chen Huanlin , Chen Weihua , Luo Yalin , Guo Yuanjun
Published: August 2023

The health status of equipment is of paramount importance during the operation of nuclear power plants. The occurrence of faults not only leads to significant economic losses but also poses risks of casualties and even major accidents, with unimaginable consequences. This paper proposed a deep learning framework called PT-Informer for fault prediction, detection, and localization in order to address the challenges of online monitoring of the operating health of nuclear steam turbines. Unlike traditional approaches that involve separate design and execution of feature extraction for fault diagnosis, classification, and prediction, PT-Informer aims to extract fault features from the raw vibration signal and perform ultra-real-time fault prediction prior to their occurrence. Specifically, the encoding and decoding structure in PT-Informer ensures the capture of temporal dependencies between input features, enabling accurate time series prediction. Subsequently, the predicted data are utilized for fault detection using PCA in the PT-Informer framework, aiming to assess the likelihood of equipment failure in the near future. In the event of potential future failures, t-SNE is utilized to project high-dimensional data into a lower-dimensional space, facilitating the identification of clusters or groups associated with different fault types or operational conditions, thereby achieving precise fault localization. Experimental results on a nuclear steam turbine rotor demonstrate that PT-Informer outperformed the traditional GRU with a 4.94% improvement in R2 performance for prediction. Furthermore, compared to the conventional model, the proposed PT-Informer enhanced the fault classification accuracy of the nuclear steam turbine rotor from 97.4% to 99.6%. Various comparative experiments provide strong evidence for the effectiveness of PT-Informer framework in the diagnosis and prediction of nuclear steam turbine.
Modified and Improved Algorithm for Finding a Median Path with a Specific Length (ℓ) for a Tree Network
Authors: Aboutahoun Abdallah , Mahdi Salem , El-Alem Mahmoud , ALrashidi Mohamed
Published: August 2023

The median path problem (min-sum criterion) is a common problem in graph theory and tree networks. This problem is open to study because its applications are growing and extending in different fields, such as providing insight for decision-makers when selecting the optimal location for non-emergency services, including railroad lines, highways, pipelines, and transit routes. Also, the min-sum criterion can deal with several networks in different applications. The location problem has traditionally been concerned with the optimal location of a single-point facility at either a vertex or along an edge in a network. Recently, numerous investigators have investigated this classic problem and have studied the location of many facilities, such as paths, trees, and cycles. The concept of the median, which measures the centrality of a vertex in a graph, is extended to the paths in a graph. In this paper, we consider the problem of locating path-shaped facilities on a tree network. A new modified and improved algorithm for finding a median single path facility of a specified length in a tree network is proposed. The median criterion for optimality considers the sum of the distances from all vertices of the tree to the path facility. This problem under the median criterion is called the ℓ-core problem. The distance between any two vertices in the tree is equal to the length of the unique path connecting them. This location problem usually has applications in distributed database systems, pipelines, the design of public transportation routes, and communication networks.
AI-Enabled Condition Monitoring Framework for Outdoor Mobile Robots Using 3D LiDAR Sensor
Authors: Pookkuttath Sathian , Palanisamy Povendhan Arthanaripalayam , Elara Mohan Rajesh
Published: August 2023

An automated condition monitoring (CM) framework is essential for outdoor mobile robots to trigger prompt maintenance and corrective actions based on the level of system deterioration and outdoor uneven terrain feature states. Vibration indicates system failures and terrain abnormalities in mobile robots; hence, five vibration threshold classes for CM in outdoor mobile robots were identified, considering both vibration source system deterioration and uneven terrain. This study proposes a novel CM approach for outdoor mobile robots using a 3D LiDAR, employed here instead of its usual use as a navigation sensor, by developing an algorithm to extract the vibration-indicated data based on the point cloud, assuring low computational costs without losing vibration characteristics. The algorithm computes cuboids for two prominent clusters in every point cloud frame and sets motion points at the corners and centroid of the cuboid. The three-dimensional vector displacement of these points over consecutive point cloud frames, which corresponds to the vibration-affected clusters, are compiled as vibration indication data for each threshold class. A simply structured 1D Convolutional Neural Network (1D CNN)-based vibration threshold prediction model is proposed for fast, accurate, and real-time application. Finally, a threshold class mapping framework is developed which fuses the predicted threshold classes on the 3D occupancy map of the workspace, generating a 3D CbM map in real time, fostering a Condition-based Maintenance (CbM) strategy. The offline evaluation test results show an average accuracy of vibration threshold classes of 89.6% and consistent accuracy during real-time field case studies of 89%. The test outcomes validate that the proposed 3D-LiDAR-based CM framework is suitable for outdoor mobile robots, assuring the robot’s health and operational safety.
Platform Operations under Dual-Channel Catering Supply Chain
Authors: Li Xin , Li Kenan , Li Yongjian
Published: August 2023

In the modern catering business model, restaurants usually use established platforms to promote their food and use two channels to sell their food: online and offline sales. We construct demand functions for online and offline, considering promotion and substitution relationships by a revised Bertrand model. We first consider three classic models: the decentralized decision model, the equilibrium decision model, and the centralized decision model. In the decentralized decision model, the platform decides both the promotional effort and the online discount; in the equilibrium decision model, the platform decides the online discount, while the food service provider decides the promotional effort. In the centralized decision model, the takeaway platform and the food service provider have maximized the overall profit as the decisive goal. We find that the online discount decreases in price when the impact factor of the online promotion is high but increases in price when the impact factor of the online promotion is low. Then, we analyze and compare the results under three models. We find that when the substitution factor is low enough, or the impactor factor of online promotion is low enough, the global optimal platform discount is higher than the equilibrium platform discount and the decentralized online discount; otherwise, the results are the opposite. In addition, the global optimal promotional effort is always higher than the optimal promotional effort in the decentralized model. When the substitution factor is low enough, or the impactor factor of online promotion is low enough, the global optimal promotional effort is higher than the equilibrium optimal promotional effort; otherwise, the result is the opposite.
Consumer Sentiment and Luxury Behavior in the United States before and after COVID-19: Time Trends and Persistence Analysis
Authors: Marcos Ceron Berta , Monge Manuel
Published: August 2023

This paper analyzes the stochastic properties of consumer sentiment to understand how they affected the luxury sector in the United States before and after COVID-19. The results were derived using fractional integration methodologies and suggest that, before the pandemic episode, both variables were expected to be mean reverting and the shocks were transitory, having similar behavior. However, after the appearance of COVID-19, results suggest that consumer sentiment recovered before the luxury sector. Results from the use of cointegration methodologies show that the effects of COVID-19 disappeared in the short-run. Finally, the sentiment of consumers acts as a leading indicator of the behavior of the luxury sector according to wavelet analysis. Thus, an increase in consumer sentiment implies an increase of 3.6% in the luxury sector.
Nonselective versus Selective Angioembolization for Trauma Patients with Pelvic Injuries Accompanied by Hemorrhage: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Jang Hyunseok , Jeong Soon Tak , Park Yun Chul , Kang Wu Seong
Published: August 2023

Background and Objectives: Angioembolization has emerged as an effective therapeutic approach for pelvic hemorrhages; however, its exact effect size concerning the level of embolized artery remains uncertain. Therefore, we conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effect size of embolization-related pelvic complications after nonselective angioembolization compared to that after selective angioembolization in patients with pelvic injury accompanying hemorrhage. Materials and Methods: Relevant articles were collected by searching the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases until 24 June 2023. Meta-analyses were conducted using odds ratios (ORs) for binary outcomes. Quality assessment was conducted using the risk of bias tool in non-randomized studies of interventions. Results: Five studies examining 357 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Embolization-related pelvic complications did not significantly differ between patients with nonselective and selective angioembolization (OR 1.581, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.592 to 4.225, I2 = 0%). However, in-hospital mortality was more likely to be higher in the nonselective group (OR 2.232, 95% CI 1.014 to 4.913, I2 = 0%) than in the selective group. In the quality assessment, two studies were found to have a moderate risk of bias, whereas two studies exhibited a serious risk of bias. Conclusions: Despite the favorable outcomes observed with nonselective angioembolization concerning embolization-related pelvic complications, determining the exact effect sizes was limited owing to the significant risk of bias and heterogeneity. Nonetheless, the low incidence of ischemic pelvic complications appears to be a promising result.
The Carotid–Hyoid Topography Is Variable
Authors: Manta Mihaela Daniela , Rusu Mugurel Constantin , Hostiuc Sorin , Vrapciu Alexandra Diana , Manta Bogdan Adrian , Jianu Adelina Maria
Published: August 2023

Background and Objectives: The carotid bifurcation (CB) is presented in most anatomy textbooks as having a unique location at the upper margin of the thyroid cartilage. Although a number of case reports have provided evidence of the possibility of carotid artery location either lateral or medial to the greater hyoid horn, these reports have not established specific anatomic possibilities and prevalences. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analysed a batch of 147 CT angiograms for 12 types of carotid–hyoid relationships and classified the bilateral combination possibilities of these types. Results: In 168/294 sides there were no carotid–hyoid relationships. Type I, external carotid artery (ECA) medial to the greater horn of the hyoid bone (GHHB), was observed in 0.34%; type II, internal carotid artery (ICA) medial to GHHB, in 0.34%; type III, ICA and ECA medial to GHHB, in 1.02%; type IV, common carotid artery (CCA) medial to GHHB, in 1.02%; type V, CB medial to GHHB, in 0.34%; type VI, ECA lateral to GHHB, in 20.41%; type VII, ICA lateral to GHHB, was not recorded; type VIII, ECA and ICA lateral to GHHB, in 3.74%; type IX, CCA lateral to GHHB, in 8.5%; type X, CB lateral to GHHB, in 6.46%; type XI, ECA lateral and ICA medial to GHHB, in 0.34%; and type XII, ICA lateral and ECA medial to GHHB, in 0.34%. Bilateral symmetry was found in 70.74% of cases, including the null types without carotid–hyoid relationships as well as types IV, VI, VIII, IX, and X. There was a highly significant association between the left and right variants of the carotid–hyoid relationship. Conclusions: Mechanical compression of the hyoid bone on the carotid arteries has various undesirable effects on the ICA and cerebral circulation. Underlying these are several variational anatomical patterns of carotid–hyoid relationships, which can be accurately documented on CT angiograms. A case-by-case anatomical study is better than assuming the carotid anatomy learned from textbooks.
Total Talar Prosthesis, Learning from Experience, Two Reports of Total Talar Prosthesis after Talar Extrusion and Literature Review
Authors: Leonetti Danilo , Basile Giorgio Carmelo , Giuca Gabriele , Corso Elena , Fenga Domenico , Sanzarello Ilaria
Published: August 2023

Recently, total talar prosthesis has been proposed to substitute the talus during the management of complex talar lesions such as talar extrusion, comminuted talar fractures, or avascular necrosis. Herein, we report two cases of talar extrusion treated with total talar replacement after a high-intensity trauma. Both cases subsequently required revision surgery due to degenerative changes of the tibial plafond (arthrodesis in the first case, conversion to a total ankle prosthesis in the latter). We report and analyze the literature concerning total talar replacement to discuss strategies that could help improve prosthesis survival and reduce the incidence of osteoarthritis.
Ultrafiltration and Nanofiltration for the Removal of Pharmaceutically Active Compounds from Water: The Effect of Operating Pressure on Electrostatic Solute—Membrane Interactions
Authors: Giacobbo Alexandre , Pasqualotto Isabella Franco , Machado Filho Rafael Cabeleira de Coronel , Minhalma Miguel , Bernardes Andréa Moura , Pinho Maria Norberta de
Published: August 2023

The present work investigates nanofiltration (NF) and ultrafiltration (UF) for the removal of three widely used pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), namely atenolol, sulfamethoxazole, and rosuvastatin. Four membranes, two polyamide NF membranes (NF90 and NF270) and two polyethersulfone UF membranes (XT and ST), were evaluated in terms of productivity (permeate flux) and selectivity (rejection of PhACs) at pressures from 2 to 8 bar. Although the UF membranes have a much higher molecular weight cut-off (1000 and 10,000 Da), when compared to the molecular weight of the PhACs (253–482 Da), moderate rejections were observed. For UF, rejections were dependent on the molecular weight and charge of the PhACs, membrane molecular weight cut-off (MWCO), and operating pressure, demonstrating that electrostatic interactions play an important role in the removal of PhACs, especially at low operating pressures. On the other hand, both NF membranes displayed high rejections for all PhACs studied (75–98%). Hence, considering the optimal operating conditions, the NF270 membrane (MWCO = 400 Da) presented the best performance, achieving permeate fluxes of about 100 kg h−1 m−2 and rejections above 80% at a pressure of 8 bar, that is, a productivity of about twice that of the NF90 membrane (MWCO = 200 Da). Therefore, NF270 was the most suitable membrane for this application, although the tight UF membranes under low operating pressures displayed satisfactory results.
Comparison of the Grain-Refining Efficiencies of Ti and LaB6 Inoculants in Additively Manufactured 2024 Aluminum Alloy: The Important Role of Solutes
Authors: Tan Qiyang , Yin Yu , Zhang Ming-Xing
Published: August 2023

The present work aims to boost our understanding of factors governing the grain-refining efficiency of inoculation treatments by comparing the grain-refining efficiencies of two inoculators: Ti nanoparticles and LaB6 nanoparticles, in a 2024 Al alloy during additive manufacturing (AM). Experimental results obtained by scanning electron microscopy show that the LaB6 nanoparticle possessed almost no refining effect on the alloy, with the addition content ranging from 0.5 wt.% to 2 wt.%. Conversely, the Ti nanoparticle resulted in a more pronounced refinement and a fine, fully equiaxed microstructure at 1 wt.% Ti addition. Based on transmission electron microscopy analysis, the higher refining efficiency of Ti inoculation was ascribed to the incorporation of both Ti solute and the in situ-formed L12-Al3Ti nucleation particles. The former significantly increased the overall undercooling ahead of the growing Al grain, which ensured the activation of heterogeneous nucleation on the L12-Al3Ti nanoparticles, leading to grain refinement. This work highlights that despite the addition of nucleation particles, the incorporation of appropriate solutes to generate sufficient undercooling is the prerequisite for the activation of heterogenous nucleation in AM.
Particle Stimulated Nucleation Effect for Al-Mg-Zr-Sc Alloys with Ni Addition during Multidirectional Forging
Authors: Kishchik Mikhail S. , Mochugovskiy Andrey G. , Cuda Maxence , Kishchik Anna A. , Mikhaylovskaya Anastasia V.
Published: August 2023

The study aims to investigate the influence of fraction of coarse undeformed particles on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of alloys processed by isothermal multidirectional forging (MDF). For this purpose, Al-Mg-Ni-Sc-Zr-based alloys with different Ni concentrations and a fraction of Al3Ni particles of solidification origin phase were subjected to MDF at 350 °C. Precipitates of the L12-structured Al3(Sc,Zr) phase retained their structure, morphology, and size after MDF and were coherent with the aluminum matrix. The Al3Ni phase particles stimulated the nucleation of recrystallized grains and contributed significantly to the formation of an ultrafine-grained structure. The uniformity of the grain structure increased, and the average grain size decreased with an increase in the fraction of Al3Ni particles. A fine-grained structure with a mean grain size of 2.4–3.4 µm was observed after MDF with a cumulative strain of 12. The results demonstrate that a bimodal particles size distribution with a volume fraction of nanoscale f~0.1% and microscale f~8% particles provided for the formation of a homogenous fine-grained structure after MDF and improved the mechanical properties.