bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lanthanum Strontium Cobaltite-Alumina Fiber Composite Contact Material for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Chou Yeong-Shyung , Jin Tongan , Canfield Nathan L , Bonnett Jeff , Choi Jung Pyung , Hardy John S
Published: July 2021

Short alumina fibers were added to LSCo contact material to enhance the contact strength and improve thermal cycle stability. Alumina fiber from 2.5 v% to 20 v% were mixed with LSCo and sintered at elevated temperatures. Sintering study showed retardation in densification of LSCo matrix with increasing alumina content. Sintered bulk strength exhibited similar behavior where strength greatly reduced at high alumina v%. Coefficient of thermal expansion showed consistent results with prediction from rule of mixture. Contact strength using anode supported YSZ bilayer coupons improved greatly with the presence of small amount (2.5-5 v%) alumina fibers and no substantial reduction after 10 deep thermal cycles. Candidate LSCo-Al2O3 contact materials was validated in a generic stack test fixture for 1000h at 800oC followed by 10 thermal cycles. Results of impedance analysis showed substantial improvement in thermal cycle stability as compared to LSCo parent materials.
A New Design Using a Metal Wire Brush as the Current Collector of Micro-Tubular SOFCs
Authors: Shi Jixin , Fan Junhua , Wang Yuqing , Shi Yixiang , Cai Ningsheng
Published: July 2021

In this study, a novel current collecting method was designed and demonstrated by inserting a metal wire brush into the anode supported micro-tubular SOFC. The new design enables a tight and stable contact between the wire and the inner wall of the anode which leads to a fine performance of the SOFC. Different kinds of metal wires were applied, where the copper wire brush (CZWB) shows a better performance than the stainless steel wire brush (SSWB). At a temperature of 700℃ and a fuel feed of hydrogen, the SOFC using CZWB can achieve a maximum power density of 290 mW/cm2 and an ohmic resistance of 0.66 Ω∙cm2. And the brush size has been approved to have little effect on the ohmic resistance. A 108 h long-time discharge test was carried on, resulting with a degradation rate of 1.728‰/h and indicating a relative stability.
Synthesis of Borate Doped La10Ge6O27: Confirming the Presence of a Secondary Conducting Pathway
Authors: Thomas Samuel W , James Matthew Samuel , Stockham Mark P , Deakin Joshua , Jarvis Abbey , Slater Peter R.
Published: July 2021

The investigation of oxide ion conductivity in apatite germanates has attracted significant interest due to potential applications in SOFC electrolyte materials. These systems conduct via interstitial oxide ions, and a range of studies have indicated the importance of the GeO4 units in the conduction process. In this paper, we investigate the effect of boron incorporation on the structure and conductivity. Studies show that heat treatment of La10Ge6O27 with H3BO3 leads to an expansion in cell volume, attributed to incorporation of borate groups in the oxygen ion channels within the structure. For low levels of dopant i.e La10Ge6O27(BO1.5)0.5, a small enhancement in conductivity was observed attributed to a transition from a triclinic to a hexagonal apatite. For further increases in boron content, the conductivity was shown to decrease attributed to the blocking of the conduction pathway down the apatite channels. Interestingly, significant oxide ion conductivity was still observed, which provides the first experimental support for a secondary conduction mechanism perpendicular to the apatite channels proposed by prior modelling studies.
Reevaluating the Cr Evaporation Characteristics of Ce/Co Coatings for Interconnect Applications
Authors: Reddy Mareddy Jayanth , Svensson Jan-Erik , Froitzheim Jan
Published: July 2021

Cathode poisoning by chromium evaporation from the interconnects is one of the major degradation mechanisms in SOFC. Coatings have proved to be very effective in suppressing chromium evaporation on interconnects. The quantification of chromium evaporation is important for determining the chromium consumption in the interconnect and predicting the lifetime of the interconnect. Chromium evaporation of uncoated and Ce/Co coated Crofer 22 APU is reevaluated at 800°C. The chromium evaporation of Ce/Co coatings on steel sheets and precut steels is studied. Coupons cut from Ce/Co coated sheets have uncoated edges, which influence the chromium evaporation measurements. The true chromium evaporation of the coated interconnects is evaluated. The PVD Ce/Co coatings on Crofer 22 APU reduce the chromium evaporation by at least 60 times compared to the uncoated at 800°C.
Influence of Sr2+ Concentration and A-Site Deficiency on Surface Stability of (La1
-
ySry)xCr0.5Mn0.45 Ni0.05O3
-δ
Authors: Kivi Indrek , Korjus Ove , Moeller Prit , Aruväli Jaan , Nurk Gunnar
Published: July 2021

(La1–ySry)xCr0.5Mn0.45Ni0.05O3–δ
(LSCMN) is a perovskite (ABO3) type mixed ionic-electronic conductive (MIEC) oxide and has been proposed as an electrode material for high temperature fuel cell. The material is catalytically active for oxidation of hydrogen and hydrocarbons. A significant amount of attention has been paid to stability issues if the material is used as an anode in a solid oxide fuel cell. So far, there is a lack of information about the dependence between A-site stoichiometry and stability performance of LSCMN surface. The La/Sr ratio and deficiency of A-site, i.e. A-site stoichiometry of (La1–ySry)xCr0.5Mn0.45Ni0.05O3–δ
were varied and chemical composition of LSCMN surface and lattice parameters was studied. The chemical and structural changes of the material surface (segregation of some LSCMN components onto the surface and decomposition of perovskite phase) have a key role in the electrochemical performance and initial degradation rate of the electrode. XRD results for studied electrode powders showed significant dependence of the lattice parameters on the A-site composition. Materials were treated in synthetic air and in H2 environment. TOF SIMS analysis demonstrated the dependence of the surface stoichiometry on the A-site composition of bulk electrode as well as on the different gas environments after heat treatment. To improve the durability of the solid oxide cell fuel electrodes, it is inevitable to understand the degradation mechanisms during the cell operation and during cell fabrication.
Development of Flowerlike Ce1-XZrxO2-δ-Dispersed Paper-Structured Catalyst for Direct-Biogas SOFC
Authors: Tu Phuc Hoan , Sakamoto Mio , Sasaki Kanzunari , Shiratori Yusuke
Published: July 2021

Ce0.5Zr0.5O2-δ (CZ) with a high specific surface area and high oxygen storage capacity (OSC) was synthesized by a two-step hydrothermal process to obtain a flowerlike geometry, which can prevent the sintering of Ni under a reducing atmosphere. Durability tests on the prepared paper-structured catalysts (PSCs) for dry reforming of methane (DRM) at 750°C revealed that for both cases with and without CZ dispersion (Ni/CZ-PSC and Ni-PSC, respectively), the methane conversions were stable with degradation rates of 3.70% and 15.2% kh−1, respectively. After the one-week DRM test, the weights of the deposited carbon were 0.2 and 3.4 times those of the PSCs for Ni/CZ-PSC and Ni-PSC, respectively. Ni sintering and its detachment from the ceramic fiber that occurred in the Ni-PSC was solved by the dispersion of CZ (Ni/CZ-PSC) due to its unique morphology and high OSC.
Exchange Current Density of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell Electrodes
Authors: Fukumoto Takuro , Endo Naoki , Mori Kouki , Tachikawa Yuya , Matsuda Junko , Taniguchi Shunsuke , Sasaki Kazunari
Published: July 2021

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are expected to become widespread as an energy conversion technology that can directly produce electrical energy from fuel. Solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) are essentially SOFCs operating in reverse to produce fuel from electricity. The exchange current density is one of the most important parameters to simulate SOEC/SOFC. In this study, experimental data was evaluated as apparent exchange current density and the effects of SOEC/SOFC operation and different electrode materials were discussed.
Long-Term Behavior of a SOC Stack in Reversible Fuel Cell/Electrolysis Operation
Authors: Lang Michael , Braig Michael , Alqubati Nageeb , Szabo Patric
Published: July 2021

The German funded project “Reversible Solid Oxide Cell" (RSOC) aims to demonstrate a reversible SOC system made by Sunfire GmbH (Dresden/Germany) in the industrial power-to-gas plant of Audi AG in Werlte (Germany). For the optimization of the RSOC system, a fundamental understanding of the stack behavior during reversible SOFC/SOEC long-term cycling is obligatory. Therefore, this paper presents the degradation results of a 30-cell stack of Sunfire GmbH with electrolyte supported cells operated for 9200 h and 337 SOFC/SOEC cycles with 70% fuel gas conversion. The stack showed a very good and homogeneous initial performance in both modes. During the following 8600 h of operation with 326 SOFC/SOEC cycles, very low degradation rates were measured. The degradation was dominated by the increase of the ohmic resistance. The resulting enhancement of the temperature gradients and the thermo-mechanical stresses inside the stack have led to progressive degradation after 9000 h of operation.
Performance Simulation of Tubular Segmented-in-Series SOFC Using Simplified Equivalent Circuit
Authors: Yoshida Shun , Tanaka Tadashi , Inui Yoshitaka
Published: July 2021

In this study, the authors proposed a calculation method incorporating complex current path in simulation of tubular segmented-in-series SOFC. In the proposed method, a detailed equivalent circuit with many resistance elements is utilized in the preprocessing of the calculation. In the detailed equivalent circuit, the large number of resistances are required to secure convergence in the numerical result. However, since the detailed equivalent circuit where many resistance elements are required is utilized only in the preprocessing, the proposed method has the merit of saving calculation load. Afterwards, the effect of the complex current path inside the single cell of the tubular segmented-in-series SOFC on the calculation result was discussed. From the investigation, there exists the effect of the complex current path on the calculation result for the tubular segmented-in-series SOFC. Thus, the proposed method is effective to simulate the performance of the tubular segmented-in-series SOFC.
Evaluation of Transport Properties of Lanthanum-Based Proton-Conducting Composite Electrolytes
Authors: Tajima Seiya , Matsuo Hiroki , Otomo Junichiro
Published: July 2021

Control of the transport property of proton-conducting oxides is a key issue for the development of high-performance energy conversion devices. In this study, we focus on the transport property of composites of a proton-conducing electrolyte of La2Ce2O7 (LDC) and a mixed ionic-electronic conductor of La0.3Sr0.6TiO3 (LST). The results for electrical conductivity dependences on oxygen partial pressure do not indicate the improvement of the ionic conductivity at the grain boundary resistance, while the ionic conductivity in the bulk has been improved partially. The mechanism was discussed in terms of the electronic state at LDC-LST interface or polarity at the interface.
Design and Fabrication of a Functionally Gradient SOFC Electrode with Controllable Porous Microstructure
Authors: Dan Edward , Du Yanhai
Published: July 2021

A controllable and gradient porous ceramic structure is desirable for many applications including solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), ceramic filters, or gaseous component separation. The process we used was string-coating. In this research, ceramic microtubes were made using removable templates covered by layers of ceramic materials using sol-gel technology. A low-cost device was designed and built for coating multiple layers of slurry onto templates. Tested templates included silk, cotton thread, and angel hair pasta coated with 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 layers of slurry and then fired with a 5-stage heating cycle up to 1,100°C/1,450°C over a period of 20 hours. Samples were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. Average diameters were calculated by measuring 30 diameters from different locations of each tube. The 20× and 25× coatings on the single silk strand, sintered at 1,450°C, resulted in the strongest and most density-uniform microtubes. The single silk strand with 20× coating under 1,450°C firing formed a 25µm diameter hole and an average outer diameter (OD) of 39.90µm with a standard deviation of 0.97µm, while the 20× coating under 1,100°C resulted in an average 67.46µm OD with a standard deviation of 1.14µm. The 25× coating resulted in a 49.89 µm OD with standard deviation of 0.99 µm when fired up to 1,450°C. The success of this process set a foundation for assembling the individually controllable single microtubes to form ceramic planar or tubular shapes with a microstructure that is controllable in terms of composition, pores size, porosity, and connectivity.
Clean Conversion of Aqueous Ammonia Using a Solid Oxide Cell
Authors: Ragu Marta , Laycock Christian James , Owen Gareth , Lloyd Gareth , Guwy Alan
Published: July 2021

Waste aqueous ammonia is produced in significant quantities as part of coke production processes required for steelmaking. In this work, the utilization of a simulated aqueous ammonia waste (ammonium hydroxide) was investigated using a commercially available anode-supported solid oxide cell. The electrical performance of the cell was characterized using I-V curves and the output gases from the anode were measured in real-time using quadrupole mass spectrometry. Upon delivery to the anode, there was total decomposition of ammonia to form hydrogen and nitrogen with no NO
x
formation observed. The cell operated more efficiently in fuel cell mode due to alleviation of OCV, activation, and concentration losses. In electrolysis mode, the cell produced H2 through a mixture of catalytic ammonia decomposition (48 vol%) and electrochemical H2O reduction (52 vol%) to yield output gas mixtures composed of 90-93 vol% H2 (voltage dependent) balanced only in N2.
Synthesis and Characterisation of P-Doped Sr2MnFeO6-δ Systems
Authors: James Matthew Samuel , Berry Frank J , Marco Jose F , Slater Peter R.
Published: July 2021

Perovskite systems have attracted considerable interest for fuel cell/electrolyser applications. Here we show that phosphate can be incorporated into the mixed Mn/Fe system Sr2MnFeO6-δ. In all cases, the conductivity was shown to increase for low doping levels (≤10 % phosphate incorporation) with a subsequent decrease for higher doping levels, attributed to the presence of Sr3(PO4)2 impurity as the solubility limit is exceeded. The work further illustrates that phosphate can be doped into perovskite systems, highlighting this doping approach as an alternative strategy to modify the structure and properties.
Thermal Residual Stress and Failure Probability of Functionally Grade Ni-YSZ Anode of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Using a Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Zhang Xi , Yan Zilin , Zhou Yexin , Zhong Zheng
Published: July 2021

The differences of thermal expansion coefficient between the components in the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is one of the important causes of large residual thermal stress in the fabrication process of the cell. The functionally graded (FG) Ni-YSZ anode design was introduced between Ni-YSZ support and YSZ electrolyte. Residual thermal stress was calculated by finite element method (FEM) using the commercial ANSYS package. Weibull probability model was used to evaluate the failure probability. The effects of sublayer number
w
, exponential factor
n
, and gradient layer thickness on the stress and failure probability are discussed. The calculation results show that the FG anode layer can obviously reduce the stress. The failure probability can be reduced by several orders of magnitude at most as compared with the conventional SOFC. The sublayers number
w
=2 is a suitable value. The research provides a reference for further optimizing the stress in SOFC.
Microstructure and Performance of Ni-Free Nano La0.75Sr0.25Cr0.5Mn0.5O3 - Gd0.2Ce0.8Ox Composite Anode
Authors: Sciazko Anna , Kubota Jo , Sato Kazuyoshi , Komatsu Yosuke , Shikazono Naoki
Published: July 2021

The correlation between microstructure and performance of La0.75Sr0.25Cr0.5Mn0.5O3 - Gd0.2Ce0.8Ox (LSCM-GDC) solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anode is investigated. The fuel electrode is fabricated with the nano-composite powder prepared through colloidal-processing-based approach. The well dispersed nano-powder results in the limited particle coarsening during sintering and fine electrode microstructure. The influences of sintering temperature and electrode thickness on polarization resistance are investigated. The lowered sintering temperature results in particle size below 100 nm, which improves electrochemical performance. On the other hand, porosity over 57% inhibits percolation of the solid phases, in particular the LSCM. The performance of thinner composite electrode is superior, which is in good agreement with the deteriorated LSCM and GDC percolations. The electrochemical performance of the optimized electrode is competitive to the conventional Ni-YSZ, Ni-GDC, and LSCM-GDC anodes fabricated with submicron powders.
Development of Anode-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cell by Sequential Tape-Casting and Co-Sintering
Authors: Rodrigues Lays Nunes , Machado Marina , Moraes Leticia Poras Reis , Thyssen Vivian Vazquez , Fonseca Fabio Coral
Published: July 2021

Simple and cost-effective technologies to produce solid oxide fuel cells require control of microstructure, thickness, homogeneity, and reproducibility of the functional layers. The manufacturing of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) involves significant ceramic processing challenges to obtain layers with controlled microstructure. Possibly the most common technique for large-scale production of SOFCs is tape casting. In this study, YSZ electrolyte and 60NiO/YSZ anode slurries were studied for the production of half-cells deposited by the sequential tape casting technique. A co-sintering procedure was developed for the half-cells and after cathode deposition the single cells were tested.
Prostaglandin EP3 receptor signaling is required to prevent insulin hypersecretion and metabolic dysfunction in a non-obese mouse model of insulin resistance
Authors: Wisinski Jaclyn A. , Reuter Austin , Peter Darby C. , Schaid Michael D. , Fenske Rachel J. , Kimple Michelle E.
Published: July 2021

Islet prostaglandin EP3 receptor (EP3) signaling is well known as upregulated in the pathophysiological conditions of type 2 diabetes, contributing to β-cell dysfunction. Unexpected findings in mouse models of non-obese insulin sensitivity and resistance provide a new dimension to our understanding of EP3 as a key modulator of insulin secretion. A previously unknown relationship between mouse insulin resistance and the penetrance of rat insulin promoter-driven germline floxed allele recombination is critical to consider when creating β-cell-specific knockouts.
Duodenal and proximal jejunal motility inhibition associated with bisacodyl-induced colonic high-amplitude propagating contractions
Authors: Dinning Phil G. , Wiklendt Lukasz , Costa Marcello , Brookes Simon J. H. , Amicangelo Maureen , Whitter Lyneisha , Nurko Samuel
Published: July 2021

The present study has shown, for the first time, that the presence of high-amplitude propagating contractions induced by bisacodyl is associated with a significant reduction in small bowel motility. These findings support of possible existence of a reflex pathway that causes inhibition of small bowel motility in response to rectal distension.
HIF-1α is transcriptionally regulated by NF-κB in acute kidney injury
Authors: Li Zuo-Lin , Ji Jia-Ling , Wen Yi , Cao Jing-Yuan , Kharbuja Naresh , Ni Wei-Jie , Yin Di , Feng Song-Tao , Liu Hong , Lv Lin-Li , Liu Bi-Cheng , Wang Bin
Published: July 2021

Here, the mechanism of hypoxia-inducible factor-α (HIF-α) regulation in acute kidney injury (AKI) was investigated. We found that tubular HIF-1α expression significantly increased at the transcriptional level, which was closely associated with macrophage-dependent inflammation. Meanwhile, NF-κB was involved in the increasing expression of HIF-1α in AKI. Mechanistically, NF-κB directly bound to the HIF-1α promoter and enhanced its transcription. Our findings not only provide novel insights into HIF-1 regulation in AKI but also offer to understand the pathophysiology of kidney diseases.
Neural dynamics of stimulus-response representations during inhibitory control
Authors: Prochnow Astrid , Bluschke Annet , Weissbach Anne , Münchau Alexander , Roessner Veit , Mückschel Moritz , Beste Christian
Published: July 2021

The “mental representation” of how stimulus input translate into the appropriate response is central for goal-directed behavior. However, little is known about the dynamics of such representations on the neurophysiological level when it comes to the inhibition of motor processes. This dynamic is shown in the current study.
On Improving the Robustness of MEC with Big Data Analysis for Mobile Video Communication
Authors: Zhao Jianming , Zeng Peng , Liu Yingjun , Wang Tianyu
Published: July 2021

Mobile video communication and Internet of Things are playing a more and more important role in our daily life. Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), as the essential network architecture for the Internet, can significantly improve the quality of video streaming applications. The mobile devices transferring video flow are often exposed to hostile environment, where they would be damaged by different attackers. Accordingly, Mobile Edge Computing Network is often vulnerable under disruptions, against either natural disasters or human intentional attacks. Therefore, research on secure hub location in MEC, which could obviously enhance the robustness of the network, is highly invaluable. At present, most of the attacks encountered by edge nodes in MEC in the IoT are random attacks or random failures. According to network science, scale-free networks are more robust than the other types of network under the random failures. In this paper, an optimization algorithm is proposed to reorganize the structure of the network according to the amount of information transmitted between edge nodes. BA networks are more robust under random attacks, while WS networks behave better under human intentional attacks. Therefore, we change the structure of the network accordingly, when the attack type is different. Besides, in the MEC networks for mobile video communication, the capacity of each device and the size of the video data influence the structure significantly. The algorithm sufficiently takes the capability of edge nodes and the amount of the information between them into consideration. In robustness test, we set the number of network nodes to be 200 and 500 and increase the attack scale from 0% to 100% to observe the behaviours of the size of the giant component and the robustness calculated for each attack method. Evaluation results show that the proposed algorithm can significantly improve the robustness of the MEC networks and has good potential to be applied in real-world MEC systems.
Two‐Stage Cubature Kalman Filtering Based on T‐Transform and Its Application
Authors: Zhang Lu , Xiao Qiugen , Wang Hailun , Hou Yinyin
Published: July 2021

According to the actual application system model which has bias, this paper analyzes the shortage of the conventional augmented algorithm, the two‐stage cubature Kalman filtering algorithm, which is presented on the basis of a two‐stage nonlinear transformation. The core ideas of the algorithm are to obtain the block diagonalization of the covariance matrix using the matrix transformation and avoid calculating the covariance of the state and bias to reduce the amount of calculation and ensure a smooth filtering process. Then, the equivalence of the two‐stage cubature Kalman filtering algorithm and the cubature Kalman filtering algorithm is proved by updating equivalent transformation. Through the experiment of trajectory tracking of a wheeled robot, it is verified that the two‐stage cubature Kalman filtering algorithm can obtain good tracking accuracy and stability with the presence of unknown random bias. Simultaneously, the equivalence of the two‐stage cubature Kalman filtering algorithm and cubature Kalman filtering algorithm is verified again using the contrast experiment.
Fracture Strength and Marginal Adaptation of Conservative and Extended MOD Cavities Restored with Cention N
Authors: Firouzmandi Maryam , Alavi Ali Asghar , Jafarpour Dana , Sadatsharifee Soroush
Published: July 2021

The aim of the present study was to compare the fracture strength and marginal adaptation of MOD cavities restored with Cention N, bonded Cention N, and resin composite, as well as to investigate the effect of cavity preparation volume on those properties. In this experimental study, 120 human maxillary premolars were randomly divided into six groups according to the type of restoration and cavity volume (n = 20): (I) conservative MOD restored with Cention N, (II) conservative MOD restored with bonded Cention N, (III) conservative MOD restored with Z250 resin composite, (IV) extended MOD restored with Cention N, (V) extended MOD restored with bonded Cention N, and (VI) extended MOD restored with Z250 resin composite. Fracture strength (MPa) was tested using a universal testing machine. To investigate marginal adaptation, polyvinyl-siloxane impressions were taken and poured with epoxy resin. Resin replicas were examined by SEM (×400) for marginal adaptation. ANOVA tests, Tukey’s test, and independent t-test were used to analyze data (P ≤ 0.05). Among conservative restorations, the fracture strength of bonded Cention N was significantly greater than that of Cention N (P = 0.001), while in the extended preparations, there was no significant difference between fracture strengths of different types of restorations (P = 0.579). In terms of marginal adaptation, there was no significant difference between different types of conservative restorations (P = 0.232). However, in extended preparations, composite showed significantly lower marginal adaptation than Cention N and bonded Cention N (P = 0.004 andP = 0.045, respectively). Conservative preparations showed significantly greater fracture strength and marginal adaptation compared to extended ones in groups restored with composite. The volume of cavity preparation was shown to be effective in the materials fracture strength and marginal adaptation. Cention N showed promising results in terms of fracture strength and marginal adaptation.
Clinical Study on Long-Term Sinus Reversion Rate and Left Atrial Function Recovery of Mitral Valve Disease with Atrial Fibrillation under Modified Surgical Radiofrequency Ablation
Authors: Cui Jingle , Hu Ziyang , Li Tao , Guo Ziyang , Luo Weiquan , Huang Zhiyong
Published: July 2021

We aimed to study the long-term sinus reversion rate and recovery of left atrial function after modified surgical radiofrequency ablation for permanent atrial fibrillation caused by mitral valve disease. From March 2014 to May 2020, 35 patients who underwent modified surgical radiofrequency ablation during cardiac valve surgery in our hospital were selected as the study group, and 25 normal individuals without cardiac structural changes were selected as the control group. The time of modified surgical radiofrequency ablation and long-term sinus reversion rate were measured, and left atrial anteroposterior, superoinferior, left and right diameters, left atrial ejection fraction, left atrial filling index, and left atrial ejection force were measured before and 6 months after surgery. The mean ablation time was 23.2 min, and the long-term sinus reversion rate was 80.0%. The left atrium diameter decreased and the left atrium ejection fraction increased after the operation (

P
<
0.05

). The left atrium filling index and ejection force were significantly increased in 28 patients with sinus reversion (

P
<
0.05

). The decrease in left atrial diameter and the increase in left atrial ejection fraction were correlated with sinus conversion after surgery (

P
<
0.05

). The modified operation is simple, the curative effect is definite, and the sinus reversion rate is high, which is beneficial to the restoration of left atrial structure, ejection function, and hemodynamic function.
[Retracted] Trophinin Is an Important Biomarker and Prognostic Factor in Osteosarcoma: Data Mining from Oncomine and the Cancer Genome Atlas Databases
Authors: Cai Pan , Lu Yan , Yin Zhifeng , Wang Xiuhui , Zhou Xiaoxiao , Li Zhuokai
Published: July 2021

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a type of bone malignancy with a high rate of treatment failure. To date, few evident biomarkers for the prognostic significance of OS have been established. Oncomine was used to integrate RNA and DNA‐seq data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and the published literature. The correlation of the gene Trophinin (TRO) and different types of cancers was generated using the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) online tool. Prognostic values of featured Melanoma Antigen Gene (MAGE) members were further assessed by establishing the overall survival using the Kaplan‐Meier plotter. Moreover, the online tool, Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery version (DAVID), was used to understand the biological meaning list of the genes. MAGEB10, MAGED2, TRO, MAGEH1, MAGEB18, MAGEB6, MAGEB4, MAGEB1, MAGED4B, MAGED1, MAGEB2, and MAGEB3 were significantly overexpressed in sarcoma. TRO was further demonstrated to be distinctively upregulated in osteosarcoma cell lines and associated with shorter overall survival. TRO may play an important role in the development of OS and may be a promising potential biomarker and prognostic factor.
Some Dimensional Results of a Class of Homogeneous Moran Sets
Authors: Zhang Jingru , Li Yanzhe , Lou Manli
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we construct a class of special homogeneous Moran sets:

m

k

-quasi-homogeneous perfect sets, and obtain the Hausdorff dimension of the sets under some conditions. We also prove that the upper box dimension and the packing dimension of the sets can get the maximum value of the homogeneous Moran sets under the condition

sup

k
≥
1

m

k

<
∞

and estimate the upper box dimension of the sets in two cases.
Increased Rotatory Laxity after Anterolateral Ligament Lesion in Anterior Cruciate Ligament‐ (ACL‐) Deficient Knees: A Cadaveric Study with Noninvasive Inertial Sensors
Authors: Grassi Alberto , Roberti di Sarsina Tommaso , Di Paolo Stefano , Signorelli Cecilia , Bonanzinga Tommaso , Raggi Federico , Mosca Massimiliano , Zaffagnini Stefano
Published: July 2021

The anterolateral ligament (ALL) has been suggested as an important secondary knee restrain on the dynamic laxity in anterior cruciate ligament‐ (ACL‐) deficient knees. Nevertheless, its kinematical contribution to the pivot‐shift (PS) phenomenon has not been clearly and objectively defined, and noninvasive sensor technology could give a crucial contribution in this direction. The aim of the present study was to quantify in vitro the PS phenomenon in order to investigate the differences between an ACL‐deficient knee and an ACL+ALL‐deficient knee. Ten fresh‐frozen paired human cadaveric knees (n = 20) were included in this controlled laboratory study. Intact, ACL‐deficient, and ACL+ALL‐deficient knees were subjected to a manual PS test quantified by a noninvasive triaxial accelerometer (KiRA, OrthoKey). Kinematic data (i.e., posterior acceleration of the tibial lateral compartment) were recorded and compared among the three statuses. Pairwise Student’s t‐test was used to compare the single groups (p < 0.05). Intact knees, ACL‐deficient knees, and ACL+ALL‐deficient knees showed an acceleration of 5.3 ± 2.1 m/s2, 6.3 ± 2.3 m/s2, and 7.8 ± 2.1 m/s2, respectively. Combined sectioning of ACL and ALL resulted in a statistically significant acceleration increase compared to both the intact state (p < 0.01) and the ACL‐deficient state (p < 0.01). The acceleration increase determined by isolated ACL resection compared to the intact state was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The ALL sectioning increased the rotatory laxity during the PS after ACL sectioning as measured through a user‐friendly, noninvasive triaxial accelerometer.
Existence of Positive Solutions for Second-Order Third-Point Semipositive BVP
Authors: Su Hua , Yu Jinmin
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we study the existence of positive solutions for the following nonlinear second-order third-point semi-positive BVP. We derive an explicit interval of positive parameters, which for any

l
,
μ

in this interval, the existence of positive solutions to the boundary value problem is guaranteed under the condition that

a

t
,
x

,
b

t
,
x

are all superlinear (sublinear), or one is superlinear, the other is sublinear.
Sociological Analysis of Chinese Sports Viewers with Differences in Social Capital
Authors: Liu Wei , Liu Xing
Published: July 2021

Despite the swift growth of China’s sports programs, the sports audience in China vary markedly in terms of social class and urban types. Thus, understanding the audience characteristics of Chinese sports programs is of utmost socioeconomic significance for the development of sports programs. This study aims to investigate the population of different social capital and regions through the Internet and uses an ologist to perform regression analysis. People with different social capital exhibited significant differences in the love of sports programs, with significant social divisions. In addition, the differences in the groups’ love for sports programs in different regions were significant, suggesting field differences among the audiences of Chinese sports programs. Besides, we found that although sports programs are a type of public social resources, the Chinese audience’s preference for sports programs is affected by social capital and regional differences. In general, this study is helpful for the government and the media to formulate targeted sports planning policies, further promoting the development of sports and promoting the improvement of business model under industry 4.0.
Design of English Automatic Translation System Based on Machine Intelligent Translation and Secure Internet of Things
Authors: Ban Haidong , Ning Jing
Published: July 2021

With the rapid development of Internet technology and the development of economic globalization, international exchanges in various fields have become increasingly active, and the need for communication between languages has become increasingly clear. As an effective tool, automatic translation can perform equivalent translation between different languages while preserving the original semantics. This is very important in practice. This paper focuses on the Chinese-English machine translation model based on deep neural networks. In this paper, we use the end-to-end encoder and decoder framework to create a neural machine translation model, the machine automatically learns its function, and the data is converted into word vectors in a distributed method and can be directly through the neural network perform the mapping between the source language and the target language. Research experiments show that, by adding part of the voice information to verify the effectiveness of the model performance improvement, the performance of the translation model can be improved. With the superimposition of the number of network layers from two to four, the improvement ratios of each model are 5.90%, 6.1%, 6.0%, and 7.0%, respectively. Among them, the model with an independent recurrent neural network as the network structure has the largest improvement rate and a higher improvement rate, so the system has high availability.
The Impact of Effective Microorganisms (EM) on Egg Quality and Laying Performance of Chickens
Authors: Atsbeha Alem Tadesse , Hailu Teweldemedhn Gebretinsae
Published: July 2021

Chickens kept under modern production system are very small and contribute less than 2% of eggs and meat production in Ethiopia. In some parts of the country, effective microorganism (EM) has been used as a means of improving egg and meat production. However, there is information gap on the use and effect of EM on egg quality and laying performance of chickens in the local context. This study was conducted in Aksum University’s poultry farm located at the main campus in Axum, to evaluate egg laying performance and quality of eggs in layer chickens treated with effective microorganisms in feed and water. In this experiment, 180 pullets of ISA Brown chickens with uniform age and weight were used and managed in a cage system. Chickens were subjected to 4 treatments with 3 replications, and each replication consisted of 15 chickens. Data collection was started at the first egg lay. Data including feed intake, conversion ratio, and age at first laying, laying percentage, and egg quality parameters were collected. Statistical analysis was carried out using JMP. Chickens fed with EM in feed and drinking water had higher egg production percentage. There was a significant difference in egg laying percentage between the treated and control groups (

P
<
0.001

). Eggs from chickens given EM in feed and water were 6% heavier in weight than those from control birds. Lower feed daily intake (115.5 gram) and feed conversion rate (2.05) were achieved in chickens treated with EM in feed and water. Significant improvement on egg quality was revealed in chickens that received EM in feed and water. From this experiment, it can be concluded that the use of EM in feed and water improves egg production in layer chickens and therefore recommended for medium-scale poultry farms in Northern Ethiopia.
Cluster Analysis and Visualization for the Legend of the Condor Heroes Based on Social Network
Authors: Fan Chao , Yang Zhihui , Yuan Yuyi
Published: July 2021

The Legend of the Condor Heroes (LCH) is one of the fifteen well-known Wuxia novels penned by Jin Yong. It portrays a number of characters in the background of the Southern Song Dynasty. In this research, we attempt to analyze the relationship of characters in LCH based on social network, including network feature analysis, cluster analysis, and data visualization. Moreover, the approach can be extended to other literary works because our research provides a general framework for analyzing character relationships. We first perform lexical analysis on the corpus to extract character names and then utilize co-word analysis to build a social network of character relationships. We reckon characters as nodes and count the cooccurrences of characters as weights of links. By applying the social network analysis of created network, we can obtain network features of LCH. Furthermore, a hierarchical clustering algorithm is implemented to study the structure of LCH network. Both the dendrogram and Venn diagram are used for data visualization. An improved approach of visualizing the clustering results is advanced in order to display the group and hierarchical structure better. The final experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method shows a good effect.
Knowledge Management System Adoption to Improve Decision-Making Process in Higher Learning Institutions in the Developing Countries: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: Oumran Hanan Mohammed , Atan Rodziah Binti , Binti Nor Rozi Nor Haizan , Abdullah Salfarina Binti , Mukred Muaadh
Published: July 2021

Currently, higher learning institutions (HLIs) are facing their most challenging problem in inefficient information management. The knowledge management system (KMS) application calls for providing several benefits to lecturers and students, producing daily information, documenting records for evidence of a transaction, and eventually improving the decision-making process. Knowledge management can be coupled with fuzzy logic to deal with imprecision and uncertainty of data in a KMS. The ICT dynamic development has shifted the HLI operations from manual to electronic-based handling of related information. KMS is one of the systems that are of significant consideration in this regard. Nevertheless, such a system has not been extensively adopted as expected due to users’ rejection of its use. In the present paper, the factors affecting the decision to adopt/reject KMS are highlighted. The study is qualitative and entails a critical review of the related literature concerning the topic, backed by interviews. KMS experts working with highly reputable HLI were interviewed. A total of 11 factors were focused on in light of their effect on the decision to adopt/reject KMS, as argued by the technological adoption theories and literature review. All the factors were validated and placed in ranks by the experts. From the results, a novel conceptual framework of KMS adoption was developed for Libyan HLIs to bring about technology adoption and improved decision-making.
A Robust Context‐Based Deep Learning Approach for Highly Imbalanced Hyperspectral Classification
Authors: Ramirez Rochac Juan F. , Zhang Nian , Thompson Lara A. , Deksissa Tolessa
Published: July 2021

Hyperspectral imaging is an area of active research with many applications in remote sensing, mineral exploration, and environmental monitoring. Deep learning and, in particular, convolution‐based approaches are the current state‐of‐the‐art classification models. However, in the presence of noisy hyperspectral datasets, these deep convolutional neural networks underperform. In this paper, we proposed a feature augmentation approach to increase noise resistance in imbalanced hyperspectral classification. Our method calculates context‐based features, and it uses a deep convolutional neuronet (DCN). We tested our proposed approach on the Pavia datasets and compared three models, DCN, PCA + DCN, and our context‐based DCN, using the original datasets and the datasets plus noise. Our experimental results show that DCN and PCA + DCN perform well on the original datasets but not on the noisy datasets. Our robust context‐based DCN was able to outperform others in the presence of noise and was able to maintain a comparable classification accuracy on clean hyperspectral images.
Anti-Asian American Racism: A Wake-Up Call for Population-Based Cancer Research
Authors: Dee Edward Christopher , Chen Sophia , Santos Patricia Mae Garcia , Wu Shirley Z. , Cheng Iona , Gomez Scarlett Lin
Published: July 2021

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have been subjected to rising overt discrimination and violent hate crimes, highlighting the health implications of racism toward Asian Americans. As Asian Americans are the only group for whom cancer is the leading cause of death, these manifestations of anti-Asian racism provoke the question of the impact of racism across the cancer continuum for Asian Americans. In this Commentary, we describe how the myth of the “model minority” overlooks the diversity of Asian Americans. Ignoring such diversity in sociocultural trends, immigration patterns, socioeconomic status, health behaviors, and barriers to care masks disparities in cancer risk, access to care, and outcomes across Asian American populations. We recommend cancer epidemiologists, population science researchers, and oncology providers direct attention toward: (i) studying the impacts of structural and personally mediated racism on cancer risk and outcomes; (ii) ensuring studies reflect the uniqueness of individual ethnic groups, including intersectionality, and uncover underlying disparities; and (iii) applying a critical race theory approach that considers the unique lived experiences of each group. A more nuanced understanding of cancer health disparities, and how drivers of these disparities are associated with race and differ across Asian American ethnicities, may elucidate means through which these disparities can be alleviated.
Rapid Serial Immunoprofiling of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment by Fine Needle Sampling
Authors: Oh Juhyun , Carlson Jonathan C.T. , Landeros Christian , Lee Hakho , Ferguson Scott , Faquin William C. , Clark John R. , Pittet Mikael J. , Pai Sara I. , Weissleder Ralph
Published: July 2021

Purpose:

There is increasing effort to discover and integrate predictive and/or prognostic biomarkers into treatment algorithms. While tissue-based methods can reveal tumor–immune cell compositions at a single time point, we propose that single-cell sampling via fine needle aspiration (FNA) can facilitate serial assessment of the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) with a favorable risk–benefit profile.

Experimental Design:

Primary antibodies directed against 20 murine and 25 human markers of interest were chemically modified via a custom linker–bio-orthogonal quencher (FAST) probe. A FAST-FNA cyclic imaging and analysis pipeline were developed to derive quantitative response scores. Single cells were harvested via FNA and characterized phenotypically and functionally both in preclinical and human samples using the newly developed FAST-FNA assay.

Results:

FAST-FNA samples analyzed manually versus the newly developed deep learning–assisted pipeline gave highly concordant results. Subsequently, an agreement analysis showed that FAST and flow cytometry of surgically resected tumors were positively correlated with an R2 = 0.97 in preclinical samples and an R2 = 0.86 in human samples with the detection of the relevant tumor and immune biomarkers of interest. Finally, the feasibility of applying this minimally invasive approach to analyze the TME during immunotherapy was assessed in patients with cancer revealing local antitumor immune programs.

Conclusions:

The FAST-FNA is an innovative technology that combines bio-orthogonal chemistry coupled with a computational analysis pipeline for the comprehensive profiling of single cells obtained through FNA. This is the first demonstration that the complex and rapidly evolving TME during treatment can be accurately and serially measured by simple FNA.
Relationship between Plasma Trimethylamine N-Oxide Levels and Renal Dysfunction in Patients with Hypertension
Authors: Zhou Jia , Wang Dingkun , Li Bingong , Li Xuelian , Lai Xingjun , Lei Shufang , Li Na , Zhang Xuting
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a metabolite produced by gut bacteria. Although increased TMAO levels have been linked to hypertension (HTN) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) with poor prognosis, no clinical studies have directly addressed the relationship between them. In this study, we investigated the relationship between TMAO and renal dysfunction in hypertensive patients. Methods: We included healthy controls (n = 50), hypertensive patients (n = 46), and hypertensive patients with renal dysfunction (n = 143). Their blood pressure values were taken as the highest measured blood pressure. Renal function was evaluated using the estimated glomerular filtration rate. Plasma TMAO levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results: We found significant differences in plasma TMAO levels among the 3 groups (p < 0.01). The plasma TMAO of patients with HTN was significantly higher than that of healthy people, and the plasma TMAO of patients with HTN complicated by renal dysfunction was significantly higher than either of the other groups. Patients in the highest TMAO quartile were at a higher risk of developing CKD stage 5 than those in the lowest quartile. In the receiver operating characteristic curve, the area under the curve of TMAO combined with β 2-macroglobulin for predicting renal dysfunction in patients with HTN was 0.85 (95% confidence interval 0.80–0.90). Conclusion: An elevated TMAO level reflects higher levels of HTN and more severe renal dysfunction. TMAO, combined with β 2-macroglobulin levels, may assist in diagnosing CKD in hypertensive patients. Plasma TMAO has predictive value for early kidney disease in hypertensive patients.