bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrogen as a Renewable Energy Carrier in a Hybrid Configuration of Distributed Energy Systems: Bibliometric Mapping of Current Knowledge and Strategies
Authors: Ogarek Przemysław , Wojtoń Michał , Słyś Daniel
Published: July 2023

Storing energy in hydrogen deposits balances the operation of energy systems and is an effective tool in the process of energy transformation towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals. To assess the validity of its use as an alternative renewable energy carrier in dispersed energy systems of hybrid configuration, a comprehensive review of scientific literature was conducted in this study, based on bibliometric analysis. The bibliographic database used in the study was the international Web of Science database. This review contributes to a better understanding of the characteristics of the selected research area. The evolution of research trends implemented in the design of energy systems associated with hydrogen technologies is revealed, clearly indicating that it is a developing field. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of publications, although the territorial range of research (mainly simulation) conducted in the domain does not include areas with the most favourable infrastructural conditions. The analysis reveals weak cooperation between South American, African, East Asian, and Oceanic countries. In the light of earlier, thematically similar literature reviews, several research gaps are also identified and proposals for future research are presented. They concern, in particular, the parallel implementation and optimization of the operation of hydrogen (HRES—Hybrid Renewable Energy System and HESS—Hybrid Energy Storage System) solutions in terms of economics, ecology, lifespan, and work efficiency, as well as their feasibility analysis. With the support of other researchers and those involved in the subject matter, this review may contribute to the further development of hybrid hydrogen systems in terms of increasing competitiveness and promoting the implementation of these technologies.
How Big Is the Yeast Prion Universe?
Authors: Zhouravleva Galina A. , Bondarev Stanislav A. , Trubitsina Nina P.
Published: July 2023

The number of yeast prions and prion-like proteins described since 1994 has grown from two to nearly twenty. If in the early years most scientists working with the classic mammalian prion, PrPSc, were skeptical about the possibility of using the term prion to refer to yeast cytoplasmic elements with unusual properties, it is now clear that prion-like phenomena are widespread and that yeast can serve as a convenient model for studying them. Here we give a brief overview of the yeast prions discovered so far and focus our attention to the various approaches used to identify them. The prospects for the discovery of new yeast prions are also discussed.
The Role of Genetics and Epigenetic Regulation in the Pathogenesis of Osteoarthritis
Authors: Kiełbowski Kajetan , Herian Mariola , Bakinowska Estera , Banach Bolesław , Sroczyński Tomasz , Pawlik Andrzej
Published: July 2023

Osteoarthritis (OA) is progressive disease characterised by cartilage degradation, subchondral bone remodelling and inflammation of the synovium. The disease is associated with obesity, mechanical load and age. However, multiple pro-inflammatory immune mediators regulate the expression of metalloproteinases, which take part in cartilage degradation. Furthermore, genetic factors also contribute to OA susceptibility. Recent studies have highlighted that epigenetic mechanisms may regulate the expression of OA-associated genes. This review aims to present the mechanisms of OA pathogenesis and summarise current evidence regarding the role of genetics and epigenetics in this process.
Effective Healing of Staphylococcus aureus-Infected Wounds in Pig Cathelicidin Protegrin-1-Overexpressing Transgenic Mice
Authors: Soundrarajan Nagasundarapandian , Somasundaram Prathap , Kim Dohun , Cho Hye-Sun , Jeon Hyoim , Ahn Byeonyong , Kang Mingue , Song Hyuk , Park Chankyu
Published: July 2023

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising alternatives to existing treatments for multidrug-resistant bacteria-infected wounds. Therefore, the effect of protegrin-1 (PG1), a potent porcine AMP with broad-spectrum activity, on wound healing was evaluated. PG1-overexpressing transgenic mice were used as an in vivo model to evaluate its healing efficiency against Staphylococcus aureus-infected (106 colony forming units) wounds. We analyzed the wounds under four specific conditions in the presence or absence of antibiotic treatment. We observed the resolution of bacterial infection and formation of neo-epithelium in S. aureus-infected wounds of the mice, even without antibiotic treatment, whereas all wild-type mice with bacterial infection died within 8 to 10 days due to uncontrolled bacterial proliferation. Interestingly, the wound area on day 7 was smaller (p < 0.01) in PG1 transgenic mice than that in the other groups, including antibiotic-treated mice, suggesting that PG1 exerts biological effects other than bactericidal effect. Additionally, we observed that the treatment of primary epidermal keratinocytes with recombinant PG1 enhanced cell migration in in vitro scratch and cell migration assays. This study contributes to the understanding of broad-spectrum endogenous cathelicidins with potent antimicrobial activities, such as PG1, on wound healing. Furthermore, our findings suggest that PG1 is a potent therapeutic candidate for wound healing.
MD–Ligand–Receptor: A High-Performance Computing Tool for Characterizing Ligand–Receptor Binding Interactions in Molecular Dynamics Trajectories
Authors: Pieroni Michele , Madeddu Francesco , Di Martino Jessica , Arcieri Manuel , Parisi Valerio , Bottoni Paolo , Castrignanò Tiziana
Published: July 2023

Molecular dynamics simulation is a widely employed computational technique for studying the dynamic behavior of molecular systems over time. By simulating macromolecular biological systems consisting of a drug, a receptor and a solvated environment with thousands of water molecules, MD allows for realistic ligand–receptor binding interactions (lrbi) to be studied. In this study, we present MD–ligand–receptor (MDLR), a state-of-the-art software designed to explore the intricate interactions between ligands and receptors over time using molecular dynamics trajectories. Unlike traditional static analysis tools, MDLR goes beyond simply taking a snapshot of ligand–receptor binding interactions (lrbi), uncovering long-lasting molecular interactions and predicting the time-dependent inhibitory activity of specific drugs. With MDLR, researchers can gain insights into the dynamic behavior of complex ligand–receptor systems. Our pipeline is optimized for high-performance computing, capable of efficiently processing vast molecular dynamics trajectories on multicore Linux servers or even multinode HPC clusters. In the latter case, MDLR allows the user to analyze large trajectories in a very short time. To facilitate the exploration and visualization of lrbi, we provide an intuitive Python notebook (Jupyter), which allows users to examine and interpret the results through various graphical representations.
The Involvement of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Apoptosis Mechanisms and Their Implications in Cancer
Authors: Montecillo-Aguado Mayra , Tirado-Rodriguez Belen , Huerta-Yepez Sara
Published: July 2023

Cancer is a significant global public health issue and, despite advancements in detection and treatment, the prognosis remains poor. Cancer is a complex disease characterized by various hallmarks, including dysregulation in apoptotic cell death pathways. Apoptosis is a programmed cell death process that efficiently eliminates damaged cells. Several studies have indicated the involvement of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in apoptosis, including omega-3 PUFAs such as alpha-linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid. However, the role of omega-6 PUFAs, such as linoleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid, and arachidonic acid, in apoptosis is controversial, with some studies supporting their activation of apoptosis and others suggesting inhibition. These PUFAs are essential fatty acids, and Western populations today have a high consumption rate of omega-6 to omega-3 PUFAs. This review focuses on presenting the diverse molecular mechanisms evidence in both in vitro and in vivo models, to help clarify the controversial involvement of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs in apoptosis mechanisms in cancer.
Prognostic Survival Significance of Signet Ring Cell (SRC) Gastric Cancer: Retrospective Analysis from a Single Western Center
Authors: Graziosi Luigina , Marino Elisabetta , Natalizi Nicola , Donini Annibale
Published: July 2023

Introduction: Signet ring cell carcinoma accounts for 35% to 45% of all gastric cancer. Despite the acknowledgment of its more aggressive pathological features, various controversies surrounding this topic still exist. Thus, we investigate the clinical pathological characteristics and survival prognostic significance of signet ring cell components in patients affected by gastric cancer. Methods: From January 2004 to December 2020, in a retrospective study, we enrolled 404 patients with gastric cancer who were curatively treated in our department. The male-to-female ratio was 249/142, and the median age was 75 (range 37–94). We dichotomized patients into two groups (75 patients vs. 316 patients) based on the signet ring cell presence; according to preoperative, operative, and postoperative characteristics, we performed a univariate and multivariate analysis for overall survival. Results: Signet ring cell carcinoma indicated an increasing incidence trend over the time analyzed. Overall median survival of signet ring cell and non-signet ring cell carcinoma were, respectively, 16 vs. 35 months, p < 0.05. In early gastric cancer, the prognosis of the signet ring cell is better than that of the non-signet ring cell, as opposed to advanced cancer. Among the entire population in the multivariate analysis, the only independent factors were preoperative serum albumin level, complete surgical resection, level of lymphadenectomy, and pathological stage. Recurrence occurred more frequently in patients affected by signet ring cell, but in our data, we could not identify a peculiar site of recurrence. Conclusions: Signet ring cell carcinoma has a specific oncogenetic phenotype and treatment resistance heterogeneity; however, it is not always associated with poor prognosis. According to our results, a radical surgical procedure associated with an adequate lymphadenectomy should be advocated to improve patients survival. Gastric cancer patients with signet ring cell components should draw clinicians’ attention.
Scenedesmus rubescens Heterotrophic Production Strategies for Added Value Biomass
Authors: Santo Gonçalo Espírito , Barros Ana , Costa Margarida , Pereira Hugo , Trovão Mafalda , Cardoso Helena , Carvalho Bernardo , Soares Maria , Correia Nádia , Silva Joana T. , Mateus Marília , Silva Joana L.
Published: July 2023

Microalgae attract interest worldwide due to their potential for several applications. Scenedesmus is one of the first in vitro cultured algae due to their rapid growth and handling easiness. Within this genus, cells exhibit a highly resistant wall and propagate both auto- and heterotrophically. The main goal of the present work is to find scalable ways to produce a highly concentrated biomass of Scenedesmus rubescens in heterotrophic conditions. Scenedesmus rubescens growth was improved at the lab-scale by 3.2-fold (from 4.1 to 13 g/L of dry weight) through medium optimization by response surface methodology. Afterwards, scale-up was evaluated in 7 L stirred-tank reactor under fed-batch operation. Then, the optimized medium resulted in an overall productivity of 8.63 g/L/day and a maximum biomass concentration of 69.5 g/L. S. rubescens protein content achieved approximately 31% of dry weight, similar to the protein content of Chlorella vulgaris in heterotrophy.
Electrospun Fibrous Materials with Propolis Extracts for Edible Food Packagings
Authors: Zelca Zane , Merijs-Meri Remo , Krumme Andres , Bernava Aina
Published: July 2023

In this study, propolis additives provide antibacterial and antifungal effects that prolong the product’s shelf life. The aim of the study is to obtain homogeneous fiber membranes of polyvinyl alcohol and propolis by the electrospinning method and to evaluate their suitability for food packaging. Three propolis extracts are used in the study—water, ethyl alcohol, and glycerin-based. The membranes’ morphology and fiber diameter distribution, tensile deformation, air permeability, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and microbiological tests (Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli) were analyzed for electrospun samples. The results of the study show that propolis extracts are incorporated into membranes and the additive provides an antimicrobial effect with the contact surface. The obtained membranes are breathable: gas exchange can be controlled by using a material of appropriate thickness (air permeability coefficient is 0.046 and 0.276 mm/s). The mechanical properties of membranes are affected by moisture, but tensile strength can be improved with thermal post-processing at 100 °C. The propolis-containing fibers’ diameters are from 293 ± 8 to 664 ± 11 nm. Depending on membranes’ demonstrated properties, it can be concluded that the composites have the potential to increase the shelf life of fresh fruits and berries.
Effects of Solid Fermentation on Polygonatum cyrtonema Polysaccharides: Isolation, Characterization and Bioactivities
Authors: Cheng Yi , Huang Xueyuan , Li Lixia , Liu Lu , Zhang Chunsheng , Fan Xiang , Xie Yu , Zou Yuanfeng , Geng Zhe , Huang Chao
Published: July 2023

Polygonati Rhizoma is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with complex pre-processing steps. Fermentation is a common method for processing TCM to reduce herb toxicity and enhance their properties and/or produce new effects. Here, in this study, using Bacillus subtilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we aimed to evaluate the potential application of solid fermentation in isolating different functional polysaccharides from Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua. With hot water extraction, ethanol precipitation, DEAE anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration, multiple neutral and acidic polysaccharides were obtained, showing different yields, content, compositions and functional groups after fermentation. Combining in vitro experiments and in vivo aging and immunosuppressed mouse models, we further compared the antioxidant and immunomodulating bioactivities of these polysaccharides and found a prominent role of a natural polysaccharide (BNP) from fermented P. cyrtonema via Bacillus subtilis in regulating intestinal antioxidant defense and immune function, which may be a consequence of the ability of BNP to modulate the homeostasis of gut microbiota. Thus, this work provides evidence for the further development and utilization of P. cyrtonema with fermentation, and reveals the potential values of BNP in the treatment of intestinal disorders.
K2CO3-Promoted oxy-Michael Addition/Cyclization of α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds with Naphthols: Synthesis of Naphthopyrans
Authors: Li Shan-Shan , Zhao Li-Li , Pan Min , Feng Na , Peng Jin-Bao , Ma Ai-Jun
Published: July 2023

A potassium carbonate promoted tandem oxy-Michael addition/cyclization of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with naphthol derivatives for the synthesis of 2-substituted naphthopyrans was developed. Using the readily available, inexpensive potassium carbonate as the promoter, a range of different substituted naphthopyrans were prepared.
Resonant Inner-Shell Photofragmentation of Adamantane (C10H16)
Authors: Ganguly Smita , Gisselbrecht Mathieu , Eng-Johnsson Per , Feifel Raimund , Díaz-Tendero Sergio , Muchová Eva , Milosavljević Aleksandar R. , Rousseau Patrick , Maclot Sylvain
Published: July 2023

Adamantane, the smallest diamondoid molecule with a symmetrical cage, contains two distinct carbon sites, CH and CH2. The ionization/excitation of the molecule leads to the cage opening and strong structural reorganization. While theoretical predictions suggest that the carbon site CH primarily causes the cage opening, the role of the other CH2 site remains unclear. In this study, we used advanced experimental Auger electron–ion coincidence techniques and theoretical calculations to investigate the fragmentation dynamics of adamantane after resonant inner-shell photoexcitation. Our results demonstrate that some fragmentation channels exhibit site-sensitivity of the initial core–hole location, indicating that different carbon site excitations could lead to unique cage opening mechanisms.
Effect of Solvent Polarity on the Spectral Characteristics of 5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(p-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin
Authors: Guo Hongwei , Liu Xianhu , Li Lan , Chang Yanping , Yao Wanqing
Published: July 2023

The electronic absorption and vibrational spectra of deprotonated 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(p-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin (THPP) are studied as a function of solvent polarity in H2O-DMF, H2O-acetone, H2O-methanol, and DMF-acetone mixtures. The maximum absorption wavelength (λmax) of the lowest energy electronic absorption band of deprotonated THPP shows an unusual solvatochromism-a bathochromic followed by a hypsochromic shift with reduced polarity. According to the correlation analysis, both specific interactions (H-bonds) and nonspecific interactions affect the spectral changes of this porphyrin. Furthermore, the solvent polarity scale ET(30) can explain both shifts very well. At higher polarity (ET(30) > 48), THPP exists as a hyperporphyrin. The ET(30) is linear with λmax and a decrease in solvent polarity is accompanied by a bathochromic shift of λmax. These results can be rationalized in terms of the cooperative effects of H-bonds and nonspecific interactions on the spectra of hyperporphyrin. At relatively low polarity (45.5 < ET(30) < 48), hyperporphyrin gradually becomes Na2P as ET(30) reaches the critical value of 45.5. The spectrum of the hyperporphyrin turns into the three-band spectrum of the metalloporphyrin, which is accompanied by a hypsochromic shift of λmax.
Antimicrobial and Apoptotic Efficacy of Plant-Mediated Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Radzikowska-Büchner Elżbieta , Flieger Wojciech , Pasieczna-Patkowska Sylwia , Franus Wojciech , Panek Rafał , Korona-Głowniak Izabela , Suśniak Katarzyna , Rajtar Barbara , Świątek Łukasz , Żuk Natalia , Bogucka-Kocka Anna , Makuch-Kocka Anna , Maciejewski Ryszard , Flieger Jolanta
Published: July 2023

Phytogenically synthesised nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery systems have promising potential in the field of biopharmaceuticals. From the point of view of biomedical applications, such systems offer the small size, high surface area, and possible synergistic effects of NPs with embedded biomolecules. This article describes the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) using extracts from the flowers and leaves of tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.), which is known as a remedy for many health problems, including cancer. The reducing power of the extracts was confirmed by total phenolic and flavonoid content and antioxidant tests. The Ag-NPs were characterised by various analytical techniques including UV–vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and a dynamic light scattering (DLS) system. The obtained Ag-NPs showed higher cytotoxic activity than the initial extracts against both human cervical cancer cell lines HeLa (ATCC CCL-2) and human melanoma cell lines A375 and SK-MEL-3 by MTT assay. However, the high toxicity to Vero cell culture (ATCC CCL-81) and human fibroblast cell line WS-1 rules out the possibility of their use as anticancer agents. The plant-mediated Ag-NPs were mostly bactericidal against tested strains with MBC/MIC index ≤ 4. Antifungal bioactivity (C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. parapsilosis) was not observed for aqueous extracts (MIC > 8000 mg L−1), but Ag-NPs synthesised using both the flowers and leaves of tansy were very potent against Candida spp., with MIC 15.6 and 7.8 µg mL−1, respectively.
3-Nitroindoles Serving as N-Centered Nucleophiles for Aza-1,6-Michael Addition to para-Quinone Methides
Authors: Zhao Jian-Qiang , Wang Wen-Jie , Zhou Shun , Xiao Qi-Lin , Xue Xi-Sha , Zhang Yan-Ping , You Yong , Wang Zhen-Hua , Yuan Wei-Cheng
Published: July 2023

An unprecedented N-alkylation of 3-nitroindoles with para-quinone methides was developed for the first time. Using potassium carbonate as the base, a wide range of structurally diverse N-diarylmethylindole derivatives were obtained with moderated to good yields via the protection group migration/aza-1,6-Michael addition sequences. The reaction process was also demonstrated by control experiments. Different from the previous advances where 3-nitrodoles served as electrophiles trapping by various nucleophiles, the reaction herein is featured that 3-nitrodoles is defined with latent N-centered nucleophiles to react with ortho-hydrophenyl p-QMs for construction of various N-diarylmethylindoles.
Core-Shell Composite MIL-101(Cr)@TiO2 for Organic Dye Pollutants and Vehicle Exhaust
Authors: Wu Lei , Zhao Mengmeng , Xin Xian , Ye Qiuyan , Zhang Kun , Wang Ziwei
Published: July 2023

MIL-101(Cr)@TiO2 core-shell composite material was synthesized via the hydrothermal method, where MIL-101(Cr) served as the core and TiO2 acted as the shell. SEM results revealed that the metal-organic framework core effectively prevented the aggregation of TiO2 nanoparticles and facilitated their dispersion. Characterization techniques such as XRD, XPS, and TGA were utilized to confirm the successful loading of TiO2 onto MIL-101(Cr) and its excellent thermal stability. MIL-101(Cr)@TiO2 was employed in photocatalytic degradation of dye pollutants and vehicle exhaust, and the potential degradation mechanisms were investigated in detail. The results showed that MIL-101(Cr)@TiO2 exhibited excellent photocatalytic degradation performance towards dye pollutants, with degradation efficiencies of 91.7% and 67.8% achieved for MB and RhB, respectively, under visible light irradiation for 90 min. Furthermore, the photocatalytic degradation of automobile exhaust revealed that the MIL-101(Cr)@TiO2 composite material also exhibited degradation effects on NOx, CO, and HC. The degradation efficiency for NO reached 24.2%, indicating its broader applicability.
An Optoelectronics-Based Compressive Force Sensor with Scalable Sensitivity
Authors: Pennel Zachary , McGeehan Michael , Ong Keat Ghee
Published: July 2023

There is an increasing need to accurately measure compressive force for biomedical and industrial applications. However, this need has not been fully addressed, as many sensors are bulky, have high power requirements, and/or are susceptible to electromagnetic interference. This paper presents an optoelectronics-based force sensor that can overcome the limitations of many sensors in the market. The sensor uses a light emitting diode (LED) to transmit visible broad-spectrum light into a photoresistor through an optically clear spacer on top of an elastomeric medium. In the absence of an external force, the light path is mostly blocked by the opaque elastomeric medium. Under a compressive force, the clear spacer compresses the elastomer, moving itself into the light path, and thus increasing the overall light transmission. The amount of light received by the photoresistor is used to quantify compressive force based on elastomer displacement/compression and a priori knowledge of elastomer stiffness. This sensing scheme was tested under eight different configurations: two different sized sensors with four types of elastomers per size (20A neoprene, 30A neoprene, 50A neoprene, and 75A styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR)). All configurations measured force with R2 > 0.97, RMSE < 1.9 N, and sensitivity values ranging from 17 to 485 N/V. This sensing scheme provides a low-cost, low-power method for accurate force sensing with a wide force range.
A Mixed-Field Circular and Non-Circular Source Localization Algorithm Based on Exact Spatial Propagation Geometry
Authors: Lin Wei , Cui Weijia , Ba Bin , Xu Haiyun , Li Jingjing
Published: July 2023

In passive localization techniques, as the scale of the array of the sensors used increases, the source distribution may be a coexistence of near-field (NF) and far-field (FF) sources. Most of the existing algorithms dedicated to the localization of mixed-field sources are based on a simplified model, which has model errors and cannot make good use of non-circular properties when non-circular signals are present in the sources. In this paper, we present a mixed-field circular and non-circular source localization algorithm based on exact spatial propagation geometry. First, we make an initial estimate of the source parameters using exact spatial geometry relations. The MUSIC algorithm is then used in combination with the non-circular properties of the signal to achieve an accurate estimate. The algorithm does not lose performance due to model mismatch and is able to make good use of the non-circular properties of the sources to improve the estimation accuracy. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can effectively distinguish between sources and that the algorithm performs satisfactorily.
Remote Estimation of Blood Pressure Using Millimeter-Wave Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave Radar
Authors: Singh Lovedeep , You Sungjin , Jeong Byung Jang , Koo Chiwan , Kim Youngwook
Published: July 2023

This paper proposes to remotely estimate a human subject’s blood pressure using a millimeter-wave radar system. High blood pressure is a critical health threat that can lead to diseases including heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and vision loss. The commonest method of measuring blood pressure is based on a cuff that is contact-based, non-continuous, and cumbersome to wear. Continuous remote monitoring of blood pressure can facilitate early detection and treatment of heart disease. This paper investigates the possibility of using millimeter-wave frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar to measure the heart blood pressure by means of pulse wave velocity (PWV). PWV is known to be highly correlated with blood pressure, which can be measured by pulse transit time. We measured PWV using a two-millimeter wave radar focused on the subject’s chest and wrist. The measured time delay provided the PWV given the length from the chest to the wrist. In addition, we analyzed the measured radar signal from the wrist because the shape of the pulse wave purveyed information on blood pressure. We investigated the area under the curve (AUC) as a feature and found that AUC is strongly correlated with blood pressure. In the experiment, five human subjects were measured 50 times each after performing different activities intended to influence blood pressure. We used artificial neural networks to estimate systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (SBP) with both PWV and AUC as inputs. The resulting root mean square errors of estimated blood pressure were 3.33 mmHg for SBP and 3.14 mmHg for DBP.
Single-Wire Control and Fault Detection for Automotive Exterior Lighting Systems
Authors: Seriţan George-Călin , Raicu Costel-Ciprian , Enache Bogdan-Adrian
Published: July 2023

The design of exterior lighting is crucial for automotive manufacturers to ensure the visibility and safety of the driver. This article proposes a new strategy to control and diagnose one or more exterior lighting functions in electric vehicles by maximising the electrical faults that are detected and their transfer over a single-wire. The outcome is a decreased system cost and an additional method for vehicle lighting infrastructure control and diagnosis. Virtual simulation tools are used to explore the correlation between master-slave architecture and the effectiveness of the single-wire approach to comply with safety and regulatory demands. Safety-related and non-safety-related needs are explored to properly assess lighting functions, internal logic, and fault-case scenarios. Furthermore, assessing the viability of minimizing wire harness utilization while retaining the diagnostic capabilities for the controlled lighting sources, thereby simultaneously reducing the vehicle’s overall weight. This approach aims to concurrently decrease the overall weight of the vehicle. This work has three main contributions: (1) the development of efficient and reliable lighting systems in electric vehicles, a critical factor for achieving optimal performance, ensuring customer satisfaction, meeting regulatory compliance, and enhancing cost-effectiveness in automotive lighting systems. (2) Framework for future development and implementation of lighting systems in electric vehicles. (3) Simulation of the hardware architecture associated with the system strategy to achieve the desired system strategy for effectively applying the single-wire approach.
Improved Skip-Gram Based on Graph Structure Information
Authors: Wang Xiaojie , Zhao Haijun , Chen Huayue
Published: July 2023

Applying the Skip-gram to graph representation learning has become a widely researched topic in recent years. Prior works usually focus on the migration application of the Skip-gram model, while Skip-gram in graph representation learning, initially applied to word embedding, is left insufficiently explored. To compensate for the shortcoming, we analyze the difference between word embedding and graph embedding and reveal the principle of graph representation learning through a case study to explain the essential idea of graph embedding intuitively. Through the case study and in-depth understanding of graph embeddings, we propose Graph Skip-gram, an extension of the Skip-gram model using graph structure information. Graph Skip-gram can be combined with a variety of algorithms for excellent adaptability. Inspired by word embeddings in natural language processing, we design a novel feature fusion algorithm to fuse node vectors based on node vector similarity. We fully articulate the ideas of our approach on a small network and provide extensive experimental comparisons, including multiple classification tasks and link prediction tasks, demonstrating that our proposed approach is more applicable to graph representation learning.
IoT-Enabled Few-Shot Image Generation for Power Scene Defect Detection Based on Self-Attention and Global–Local Fusion
Authors: Chen Yi , Yan Yunfeng , Wang Xianbo , Zheng Yi
Published: July 2023

Defect detection in power scenarios is a critical task that plays a significant role in ensuring the safety, reliability, and efficiency of power systems. The existing technology requires enhancement in its learning ability from large volumes of data to achieve ideal detection effect results. Power scene data involve privacy and security issues, and there is an imbalance in the number of samples across different defect categories, all of which will affect the performance of defect detection models. With the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), the integration of IoT with machine learning offers a new direction for defect detection in power equipment. Meanwhile, a generative adversarial network based on multi-view fusion and self-attention is proposed for few-shot image generation, named MVSA-GAN. The IoT devices capture real-time data from the power scene, which are then used to train the MVSA-GAN model, enabling it to generate realistic and diverse defect data. The designed self-attention encoder focuses on the relevant features of different parts of the image to capture the contextual information of the input image and improve the authenticity and coherence of the image. A multi-view feature fusion module is proposed to capture the complex structure and texture of the power scene through the selective fusion of global and local features, and improve the authenticity and diversity of generated images. Experiments show that the few-shot image generation method proposed in this paper can generate real and diverse defect data for power scene defects. The proposed method achieved FID and LPIPS scores of 67.87 and 0.179, surpassing SOTA methods, such as FIGR and DAWSON.
An Iterative Implementation of the Signal Space Separation Method for Magnetoencephalography Systems with Low Channel Counts
Authors: Holmes Niall , Bowtell Richard , Brookes Matthew J , Taulu Samu
Published: July 2023

The signal space separation (SSS) method is routinely employed in the analysis of multichannel magnetic field recordings (such as magnetoencephalography (MEG) data). In the SSS method, signal vectors are posed as a multipole expansion of the magnetic field, allowing contributions from sources internal and external to a sensor array to be separated via computation of the pseudo-inverse of a matrix of the basis vectors. Although powerful, the standard implementation of the SSS method on MEG systems based on optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) is unstable due to the approximate parity of the required number of dimensions of the SSS basis and the number of channels in the data. Here we exploit the hierarchical nature of the multipole expansion to perform a stable, iterative implementation of the SSS method. We describe the method and investigate its performance via a simulation study on a 192-channel OPM-MEG helmet. We assess performance for different levels of truncation of the SSS basis and a varying number of iterations. Results show that the iterative method provides stable performance, with a clear separation of internal and external sources.
Approaches for Hybrid Coregistration of Marker-Based and Markerless Coordinates Describing Complex Body/Object Interactions
Authors: Kim Hyeonseok , Miyakoshi Makoto , Iversen John Rehner
Published: July 2023

Full-body motion capture is essential for the study of body movement. Video-based, markerless, mocap systems are, in some cases, replacing marker-based systems, but hybrid systems are less explored. We develop methods for coregistration between 2D video and 3D marker positions when precise spatial relationships are not known a priori. We illustrate these methods on three-ball cascade juggling in which it was not possible to use marker-based tracking of the balls, and no tracking of the hands was possible due to occlusion. Using recorded video and motion capture, we aimed to transform 2D ball coordinates into 3D body space as well as recover details of hand motion. We proposed four linear coregistration methods that differ in how they optimize ball-motion constraints during hold and flight phases, using an initial estimate of hand position based on arm and wrist markers. We found that minimizing the error between ball and hand estimate was globally suboptimal, distorting ball flight trajectories. The best-performing method used gravitational constraints to transform vertical coordinates and ball-hold constraints to transform lateral coordinates. This method enabled an accurate description of ball flight as well as a reconstruction of wrist movements. We discuss these findings in the broader context of video/motion capture coregistration.
Interactive Attention Learning on Detection of Lane and Lane Marking on the Road by Monocular Camera Image
Authors: Tian Wei , Yu Xianwang , Hu Haohao
Published: July 2023

Vision-based identification of lane area and lane marking on the road is an indispensable function for intelligent driving vehicles, especially for localization, mapping and planning tasks. However, due to the increasing complexity of traffic scenes, such as occlusion and discontinuity, detecting lanes and lane markings from an image captured by a monocular camera becomes persistently challenging. The lanes and lane markings have a strong position correlation and are constrained by a spatial geometry prior to the driving scene. Most existing studies only explore a single task, i.e., either lane marking or lane detection, and do not consider the inherent connection or exploit the modeling of this kind of relationship between both elements to improve the detection performance of both tasks. In this paper, we establish a novel multi-task encoder–decoder framework for the simultaneous detection of lanes and lane markings. This approach deploys a dual-branch architecture to extract image information from different scales. By revealing the spatial constraints between lanes and lane markings, we propose an interactive attention learning for their feature information, which involves a Deformable Feature Fusion module for feature encoding, a Cross-Context module as information decoder, a Cross-IoU loss and a Focal-style loss weighting for robust training. Without bells and whistles, our method achieves state-of-the-art results on tasks of lane marking detection (with 32.53% on IoU, 81.61% on accuracy) and lane segmentation (with 91.72% on mIoU) of the BDD100K dataset, which showcases an improvement of 6.33% on IoU, 11.11% on accuracy in lane marking detection and 0.22% on mIoU in lane detection compared to the previous methods.
EMPAGLIFLOZIN IN THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE, AND ITS EFFECT ON VENTRICULAR ARRHYTHMIAS
Authors:   Ulyanovsk State University, Ulyanovsk, Russia, Разин В. А. , Царева А. А. ,   Ulyanovsk Regional Clinical Hospital, Cardiology Department No. 2, Ulyanovsk, Russia
Published: July 2023

The study aims to assess empagliflozin affecting ventricular dysrhythmia and late potential of ventricles in patients with chronic heart failure with low etiology ejection fraction. The study included 35 male patients (61.7 ± 11.2 years old) who received standard therapy, followed by 10 mg empagliflozin in 6 months. The examination included echocardioscopy, 12-leads electrocardiography, signal-averaged electrocardiography, and daily electrocardiography monitoring. 10 mg empagliflozin added to the standard therapy provided for a statistically significant decrease in the number of single premature heart beats by 67.7 % (p = 0.001), in the episodes of unstable ventricular tachycardia by 74.5 % (p = 0.001), in the frequency of late ventricular potential by 31 % (Chisquare = 5.51; р = 0.019), and for a statistically insignificant trend to ejection fraction increase (p > 0.05).
Comparative Analysis on the Ethical Guidelines on Euthanasia
Authors: SOHN Myong-sei , Kim Sangdeug , Kim Sohyoon
Published: July 2023

Background : The rapid development of biomedical engineering and medical technology has given us a lot of changes not only on our social environment but also on life itself. Even though legislation of Organ Transplantation Law expanded the discussion on life and death, still the academic discussion on euthanasia has been often prohibited in Korea.
Objectives : This study was performed (I) to identify the ethical standard in laws on euthanasia at other countries such as Netherlands, Australia, and the United States. (2) to understand the current status on euthanasia and its ethical implications in Korea, (3) to search the justified type of euthanasia in the ethical point of views, and finally (4) to suggest the ethical guideline on euthanasia in Korean situation.
Methods : In order to understand the current status on euthanasia in Korea, the survey was conducted to the attending physicians of 42 patients who died from August 1st to August 31st in 1995 at one of university hospitals in Korea. The survey consisted of two parts: general questions on euthanasia and specific questions on the hypothetical situations.
Results : Most of the physicians did not have a clear understanding on euthanasia and even gave conflict answers. Also, their answers were based not on the ethical reasoning but on the difficulties in medical practice. However, the study showed that they all experience the ethical dilemma in medical practice with euthanasia and terminally ill patients.
Conclusion : Overall study shows the actual need to establish the ethical guideline on euthanasia to give the physicians the practical solutions on their ethical dilemma. Therefore, we suggests the ethical guideline on euthanasia which can be effective on the Korean situation.
The Organization and Function of Hospital Ethics Committees
Authors: KIM Joong-Ho , HAN Sung Suk , UM Young Rhan , KU In-Hoe , SEO Cheol , HONG Suk-Young
Published: July 2023

This study provides suggestions on how to improve and activate Hospital Ethics Committees (HECs) in Korea. First, we analyzed several HECs in the U.S. and Germany. Secondly, we compared these with several HECs in Korea. Finally, we developed suggestions on ways to improve the function of HECs in Korea. These suggestions concern the legalization of HECs; the standardization of HEC regulations; the development of an HEC model; the establishment of a community network through the use of the Internet; the assurance of financial support for HECs; and the encouragement of ethics for senior-level hospital staff. Among these suggestions, the most important concerns the standardization of HEC regulations.
The Standard to Measure Patient;s Decision-Making competence in informed Consent
Authors: HONG So-Yoen
Published: July 2023

In current medical area, it has become a common process that physicians obtain patients' clear consent after transfer of information on treatment to patients prior to start treatment, and there seems to be no problem in appearance. However, if the process to obtain patient consent is observed, it can easily be found that the process is merely a conventional process and, if the pattern obtaining the consents is more deeply reviewed, it can be found that requirements to be importantly treated in the process of obtaining consents are omitted. In the world of our medical society, the process that patients agree in treatment is hearing the information from physicians and signing on consent forms where such information is described in detail, at all. They believe that they have done their duties because patients read and signed and, therefore, requirements to be deeply considered in practice are not reviewed in the process to obtain consents.
The author reviewed the requirements for patients' decision-making competence among the requirements for patient consent. Despite patients' decision-making competence is the precondition of consent, procedure or standard to measure competence is not yet established. If medical information is disclosed and signature on consent forms is asked with no confirmation whether patients have the competence to make decisions, such an action cannot be considered to fulfill the liability to respect for patient's autonomy that is the original purpose.
Therefore, the author intend to introduce what are used as the standards for assessment of patients' decision-making competence in the Western and intends to review what kind of limits such standards have in assessment of patients' decision-making competence by reviewing the characteristics of patient's decision-making in practical medicine. While, one of the questions made by current medical area is that Western standards on decision-making are settled with exceedingly individual-centered decision-making, thus, there cannot be no limit in application in our medical area; this will also be reviewed together. Through the review of such limits, it will be reviewed how the physicians' standards on patients' decision-making competence should be settled, when physicians obtain patients' consent, for appropriate use in clinical practice and what requirements should be considered in assessment of patients' decision-making competence.
Clinical Nurses’ Knowledge of the Decision-making Process for End-of-life Care
Authors: KIM Shinmi , HONG Sun-Woo , LEE Insook
Published: July 2023

This article reports on a study that was conducted to assess clinical nurses’ knowledge of the decision-making process for end-of-life care in South Korea. A decision inventory consisting of 21 items was utilized, and 250 potential respondents were recruited, irrespective of their work unit, from six hospitals located in three areas of South Korea. A total of 238 clinical nurses completed the inventory from December 04, 2019 to December 28, 2019. Overall, the average score by item was 0.64±0.19 out of one point. Some of the items related to AD and POLST showed very low scores. Working experience and awareness of advance directives and physicians’ orders on life-sustaining treatment were found to affect the knowledge level of the decision-making process for end-of-life care. In general, the level of awareness concerning advance directives and physicians’ orders on life-sustaining treatment was unacceptably low considering that the respondents were clinical nurses. The results of this study highlight the need for further education for nurses in South Korea on the decision-making process for end-of-life care.
Incorporating the Ethical Concerns of Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Testing in Employee Education
Authors: PARK Sookyung , KIM Claire Junga
Published: July 2023

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing was legalized in Korea 2015. According to the 2020 amendment to the Bioethics and Safety Act, employees of genetic testing institutions must receive relevant training as prescribed by law, and the training should include education concerning the ethical issues raised by genetic testing. This study reviews the ethical issues associated with direct-to-consumer genetic testing from the perspectives of virtue ethics and Beauchamp and Childress’s four principles of biomedical ethics (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice). Additionally, this article suggests contents and methodologies for the ethics component of employee education in genetic testing. Raising awareness of the ethical issues associated with direct-to-consumer genetic testing through effective employee education is expected to reduce the occurrence of ethical problems and thereby protect consumers.
Afet Bilinci ve Stresli Durumlarla Başa Çıkma Arasındaki İlişkinin Belirlenmesi
Authors: GÜLDÜ Özgür
Published: July 2023

Toplumların ve bireylerin yaşamında derin etkiler yaratan afetler bireysel, toplumsal, ekonomik ve çevresel birçok kayıplara ve zararlara neden olurlar. Bir afetin gerçekleşme olasılığı bile kişinin yoğun stres ve kaygı yaşamasına neden olabilir. Böyle bir durumda bireyin yaşamı ve geleceği üzerindeki kontrolü, güvenlik hissi, umutları ve benlik saygısı azalabilir. Dolayısıyla afetlerin doğrudan ya da dolaylı olumsuz etkileriyle mücadele edilebilmesi için kişinin afetlere ilişkin bilgi düzeyinin ve farkındalığının arttırılması gereklidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı bireylerin afetlere yönelik bilgi ve farkındalık düzeyini ifade eden afet bilici algısı ile stresli durumlarla karşılaştıklarında üstesinden gelebilmek için geliştirdikleri ve/veya sergiledikleri bilişsel ve davranışsal çabalar arasındaki ilişkilerin incelenmesidir. Araştırmanın örneklemini 250’sı kadın ve 168’i erkek olmak üzere toplam 418 kişi oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmada Kişisel Bilgi Formu, Afet Bilinci Algı Ölçeği ve Stresle Başa Çıkma Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Analiz sonuçlarına göre afet bilinci algısı düzeyleri ve stresle başa çıkma tarzları arasında anlamlı ilişkiler olduğu belirlenmiştir. Afet bilinci algısı düzeyleri, stresle başa çıkma tarzlarını anlamlı düzeyde yordamaktadır. Katılımcıların afet bilinci algı düzeyleri ve stresle başa çıkma tarzları cinsiyet, yaş ve eğitim durumu sosyodemografik özelliklerine göre anlamlı düzeyde farklılaşmaktadır. Benzer şekilde katılımcıların afet bilinci algı düzeyleri ve stresle başa çıkma tarzları da afetlere ilişkin yaşanmışlık, eğitim ve hazırlık durumlarına göre farklılaşmaktadır.