bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A propensity score-matched comparative study of balloon guide catheters versus conventional guide catheters for concurrent mechanical thrombectomy with carotid stenting in tandem strokes: comparison of first pass effect, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and 90-day functional outcomes
Authors: Baig Ammad A , Waqas Muhammad , Turner Ryan C , Kuo Cathleen C , Donnelly Brianna M , Lai Pui Man Rosalind , Raygor Kunal P , Bouslama Mehdi , Lim Jaims , Neumaier BS Jenna , Cappuzzo Justin M , Davies Jason M , Snyder Kenneth V , Siddiqui Adnan H , Levy Elad I
Published: April 2023

Background

Extensive clot burden in tandem strokes accounts for poor mechanical thrombectomy (MT) outcomes. Several studies have shown the benefit of balloon guide catheters (BGCs) in MT and carotid artery stenting.

Objective

In view of this potential benefit, to investigate the safety and effectiveness of proximal flow arrest using a BGC during concurrent MT and carotid revascularization for tandem stroke treatment in a comparative, propensity score-matched (PSM) study.

Methods

Patients with a tandem stroke identified from our endovascular database were dichotomized into groups treated with BGCs versus conventional guide catheters. One-to-one PSM adjustment for baseline demographics and treatment selection bias using nearest-neighbor matching was performed. Patient demographics, presentation characteristics, and procedural details were recorded. Outcomes assessed were final modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) grade, periprocedural symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) rate, in-hospital mortality, and 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score. Mann-Whitney U test and multivariate logistic regression were performed to compare procedural parameters and clinical outcomes.

Results

Concurrent carotid revascularization (stenting with/without angioplasty) and MT was performed in 125 cases (BGC: 85; no BGC: 40). After PSM (40 patients/group), the BGC group had a significantly shorter procedure duration (77.9 vs 61.5 min; OR=0.996; P=0.006), lower discharge National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (8.0 vs 11.0; OR=0.987; P=0.042), and higher odds of 90-day mRS 0–2 score (52.3% vs 27.5%; OR=0.34; P=0.040). On multivariate regression, the BGC group had a significantly higher first pass effect rate (mTICI 2b or 3)(OR=1.115, 95% CI 1.015 to 1.432; P=0.013) and lower periprocedural sICH rate (OR=0.615, 95% CI 0.406 to 0.932; P=0.025). No difference in in-hospital mortality was observed (OR=1.591, 95% CI 0.976 to 2.593; P=0.067).

Conclusion

BGCs used for concurrent MT–carotid revascularization with flow arrest were safe and resulted in superior clinical and angiographic outcomes in patients with a tandem stroke.
E-cigarette use among early adolescent tobacco cigarette smokers: testing the disruption and entrenchment hypotheses in two longitudinal cohorts
Authors: Kelly Brian C , Vuolo Mike , Maggs Jennifer , Staff Jeremy
Published: April 2023

Objective

Using longitudinal data from two large-scale cohorts in the UK and USA, we examine whether e-cigarette use steers adolescent early smokers away from tobacco cigarettes (disruption hypothesis) or deepens early patterns of tobacco smoking (entrenchment hypothesis) in comparison with early smokers who do not use e-cigarettes.

Methods

Youth who smoked tobacco cigarettes by early adolescence (before age 15) were selected from the ongoing UK Millennium Cohort Study (n=1090) and the US Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (n=803) study. In regression models, the focal predictor was lifetime use of an e-cigarette by early adolescence and the primary outcome was current tobacco use by late adolescence (before age 18). Logistic and multinomial models controlled for early adolescent risk factors and sociodemographic background, and were weighted for attrition and adjusted for complex survey designs.

Results

Among youth who were early cigarette smokers, 57% of UK and 58% of US youth also used e-cigarettes. The odds of later adolescent smoking among early smoking youth were significantly higher among e-cigarette users relative to those who had not used e-cigarettes (adjusted OR (AOR
UK
)=1.45; AOR
USA
=2.19). In both samples, multinomial models indicated that early smoking youth who used e-cigarettes were more likely to be frequent smokers relative to not smoking (AOR
UK
=2.01; AOR
USA
=5.11) and infrequent smoking (AOR
UK
=1.67; AOR
USA
=2.11).

Conclusions

Despite national differences in e-cigarette regulation and marketing, there is evidence e-cigarette use among early adolescent smokers in the UK and USA leads to higher odds of any smoking and more frequent tobacco cigarette use later in adolescence.
AAC Connery hard red spring wheat
Authors: Cuthbert R.D. , DePauw R.M. , Knox R.E. , Singh A.K. , McCallum B. , Fetch T.
Published: April 2023

AAC Connery, a doubled haploid awnless hard red spring wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), was similar in grain yield to CDC Osler and significantly higher yielding than the other check cultivars Katepwa, CDC Teal, and AC Splendor. Wheat and flour protein concentrations were within the range of the checks. AAC Connery matured significantly later than AC Splendor and in a comparable number of days as Katepwa, CDC Teal, and CDC Osler. AAC Connery was significantly shorter than all of the checks and was significantly more resistant to lodging than Katepwa, AC Splendor, and CDC Osler. AAC Connery had significantly heavier kernel weight than Katepwa, CDC Teal, and AC Splendor. The test weight of AAC Connery was within the range of the checks. End-use quality specifications of AAC Connery are suitable for the Canada Western Red Spring wheat market class. AAC Connery expressed moderate resistance to Fusarium head blight, an improvement over the checks, resistance to prevalent races of stem rust and yellow rust, and moderate resistance to leaf rust, loose smut, and common bunt.
Low-energy nuclear reactions with stored ions: a new era of astrophysical experiments at heavy ion storage rings
Authors: Glorius Jan , Bruno Carlo Giulio
Published: April 2023

Heavy ion storage rings are powerful tools to store and observe key nuclear properties of rare radioactive isotopes. Recent developments in ring physics and enhanced beam intensities have now opened up the possibility to carry out low-energy investigations of nuclear reactions at rings. Pure, intense, exotic beams of isotopes that are otherwise challenging to access can be impinged on pure, ultra-thin targets, allowing the study of long-standing nuclear astrophysical puzzles in a variety of stellar sites that have so far resisted traditional approaches. In this review paper, we will describe pioneering studies with decelerated beams at the ESR storage ring at GSI (Germany), as well as future exciting prospects at the ESR and CRYRING at GSI/FAIR.
Revealing the determinants of gender inequality in urban cycling with large-scale data
Authors: Battiston Alice , Napoli Ludovico , Bajardi Paolo , Panisson André , Perotti Alan , Szell Michael , Schifanella Rossano
Published: April 2023

Cycling is an outdoor activity with massive health benefits, and an effective solution for sustainable urban transport. Despite these benefits and the recent rising popularity of cycling, most countries still have a negligible uptake. This uptake is especially low for women: there is a largely unexplained, persistent gender gap in cycling. To understand the determinants of this gender gap in cycling at scale, here we use massive, automatically-collected data from the tracking application Strava on outdoor cycling for 61 cities across the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy and the Benelux area. While Strava data is particularly well-suited to describe the behavior of regular cyclists and its generalizability to occasional cyclists requires further investigation, the size of these data and their characteristics represent an unprecedented opportunity for the literature on cycling. Leveraging the associated gender and usage information, we first quantify the emerging gender gap in recreational cycling at city-level. A comparison of cycling rates of women across cities within similar geographical areas—where the penetration of Strava is assumed to be comparable—unveils a broad range of gender gaps. On a macroscopic level, we link this heterogeneity to a variety of urban indicators and provide evidence for traditional hypotheses on the determinants of the gender-cycling-gap. We find a positive association between female cycling rate and urban road safety. On a microscopic level, we identify female preferences for street-specific features in the city of New York. Assuming that the determinants of the gender-cycling-gap are similar across regular and occasional cyclists, our study suggests that enhancing the quality of the dedicated cycling infrastructure may be a way to make urban environments more accessible for women, thereby making urban transport more sustainable for everyone.
New optical geometric recursional electromagnetic ferromagnetic microscale
Authors: Körpinar Talat , Körpinar Zeliha
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we design optical geometric ferromagnetic illustration for recursional optical electromagnetic elastic microscale beams with optical fields. Thus, the modeling of recursional operator for Heisenberg ferromagnetic electromagnetic normalized optical optimistic density is characterized by using recursional operator with optical fields. Also, we collect new optical flexible electroosmotic electromagnetic normalized optimistic density. Finally, optical recursional magnetical flexible elastic microscale beam demonstrated the optical ring resonator.
New model of the excess charge generation by nuclear reaction products in electronic components
Authors: Novikov N. V. , Chechenin N. G. , Shirokova A. A.
Published: April 2023

A method for calculating the cross-section for single event effect (SEE) in the electronics operation is proposed; it is caused by secondary ions — products of the interaction between a high-energy proton with the atomic nucleus of one of the materials of an integrated circuit. To estimate the excess charge generated in this case, the contribution of all secondary ions, including those born outside the sensitive layer, is taken into account in the model. Along with the traditional approach based on inelastic energy losses, the model considers the process of atom ionization in the approximation of the effective ion charge. The new method gives lower values of the number of electron–hole pairs and the SEE cross-section.
The Impact of Arabic Diacritization on Word Embeddings
Authors: Abbache Mohamed , Abbache Ahmed , Xu Jingwen , Meziane Farid , Wen Xianbin
Published: April 2023

Word embedding is used to represent words for text analysis. It plays an essential role in many Natural Language Processing (NLP) studies and has hugely contributed to the extraordinary developments in the field in the last few years. In Arabic, diacritic marks are a vital feature for the readability and understandability of the language. Current Arabic word embeddings are non-diacritized. In this article, we aim to develop and compare word embedding models based on diacritized and non-diacritized corpora to study the impact of Arabic diacritization on word embeddings. We propose evaluating the models in four different ways: clustering of the nearest words; morphological semantic analysis; part-of-speech tagging; and semantic analysis. For a better evaluation, we took the challenge to create three new datasets from scratch for the three downstream tasks. We conducted the downstream tasks with eight machine learning algorithms and two deep learning algorithms. Experimental results show that the diacritized model exhibits a better ability to capture syntactic and semantic relations and in clustering words of similar categories. Overall, the diacritized model outperforms the non-diacritized model. We obtained some more interesting findings. For example, from the morphological semantics analysis, we found that with the increase in the number of target words, the advantages of the diacritized model are also more obvious, and the diacritic marks have more significance in POS tagging than in other tasks.
Incentive Mechanism Design for Responsible Data Governance: A Large-scale Field Experiment
Authors: Timko Christina , Niederstadt Malte , Goel Naman , Faltings Boi
Published: April 2023

A crucial building block of responsible artificial intelligence is responsible data governance, including data collection. Its importance is also underlined in the latest EU regulations. The data should be of high quality, foremost correct and representative, and individuals providing the data should have autonomy over what data is collected. In this article, we consider the setting of collecting personally measured fitness data (physical activity measurements), in which some individuals may not have an incentive to measure and report accurate data. This can significantly degrade the quality of the collected data. On the other hand, high-quality collective data of this nature could be used for reliable scientific insights or to build trustworthy artificial intelligence applications. We conduct a framed field experiment (N = 691) to examine the effect of offering fixed and quality-dependent monetary incentives on the quality of the collected data. We use a peer-based incentive-compatible mechanism for the quality-dependent incentives without spot-checking or surveilling individuals. We find that the incentive-compatible mechanism can elicit good-quality data while providing a good user experience and compensating fairly, although, in the specific study context, the data quality does not necessarily differ under the two incentive schemes. We contribute new design insights from the experiment and discuss directions that future field experiments and applications on explainable and transparent data collection may focus on.
NIM: Generative Neural Networks for Automated Modeling and Generation of Simulation Inputs
Authors: Cen Wang , Haas Peter J.
Published: April 2023

Fitting stochastic input-process models to data and then sampling from them are key steps in a simulation study but highly challenging to non-experts. We present Neural Input Modeling (NIM), a Generative Neural Network (GNN) framework that exploits modern data-rich environments to automatically capture simulation input processes and then generate samples from them. The basic GNN that we develop, called
NIM-VL
, comprises (i) a variational autoencoder architecture that learns the probability distribution of the input data while avoiding overfitting and (ii) long short-term memory components that concisely capture statistical dependencies across time. We show how the basic GNN architecture can be modified to exploit known distributional properties—such as independent and identically distributed structure, nonnegativity, and multimodality—to increase accuracy and speed, as well as to handle multivariate processes, categorical-valued processes, and extrapolation beyond the training data for certain nonstationary processes. We also introduce an extension to NIM called
Conditional Neural Input Modeling
(CNIM), which can learn from training data obtained under various realizations of a (possibly time series valued) stochastic “condition,” such as temperature or inflation rate, and then generate sample paths given a value of the condition not seen in the training data. This enables users to simulate a system under a specific working condition by customizing a pre-trained model; CNIM also facilitates what-if analysis. Extensive experiments show the efficacy of our approach. NIM can thus help overcome one of the key barriers to simulation for non-experts.
Increasing the Social Interaction of Autism Child using Virtual Reality Intervention (VRI)
Authors: Manju T. , Magesh  , Padmavathi S. , Durairaj
Published: April 2023

Nowadays there is an increase in number of autisms, a neuro-developmental disorder across the world. The level of autism varies with the symptoms such as inattention, interaction, social communication, repetitive behaviors, irritability and the like. Early recovery of a child from autism is necessary to live in a normal socio-communicable life. To measure the inattention of the autism child by enhancing the visual perception through virtual environment. The proposed Virtual Reality Intervention (VRI) enhances visual perception, learning, and social interaction. The proposed method observes the attention level of the autism child through eye tracking or eye movements who interacts with virtual world using eye tracking methodology. As eye tracking is the major component to measure the reduced looking time of objects and subjects which considered being the earliest signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For observing the attention of kids during testing, Eye movements and gestures plays a major role. Using head position and eye pupil direction, attention has been analyzed. Quantitative and Qualitative findings conclude that the inattention of autism child can gradually be reduced by iterating the virtual therapy through eye ball tracking technique. Qualitative finding is done using Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and quantitative using eye-pupil and head position. Autism affected children can easily recovered from this inattention symptom by continuous iterations on virtual therapy. Similar virtual therapies can also be provided to address other symptoms of autism.
A Systematic Review of Data Quality in CPS and IoT for Industry 4.0
Authors: Goknil Arda , Nguyen Phu , Sen Sagar , Politaki Dimitra , Niavis Harris , Pedersen Karl John , Suyuthi Abdillah , Anand Abhilash , Ziegenbein Amina
Published: April 2023

The Internet of Things (IoT) and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are the backbones of Industry 4.0, where data quality is crucial for decision support. Data quality in these systems can deteriorate due to sensor failures or uncertain operating environments. Our objective is to summarize and assess the research efforts that address data quality in data-centric CPS/IoT industrial applications. We systematically review the state-of-the-art data quality techniques for CPS and IoT in Industry 4.0 through a systematic literature review (SLR) study. We pose three research questions, define selection and exclusion criteria for primary studies, and extract and synthesize data from these studies to answer our research questions. Our most significant results are (i) the list of data quality issues, their sources, and application domains, (ii) the best practices and metrics for managing data quality, (iii) the software engineering solutions employed to manage data quality, and (iv) the state of the data quality techniques (data repair, cleaning, and monitoring) in the application domains. The results of our SLR can help researchers obtain an overview of existing data quality issues, techniques, metrics, and best practices. We suggest research directions that require attention from the research community for follow-up work.
Security Threat Mitigation for Smart Contracts: A Comprehensive Survey
Authors: Ivanov Nikolay , Li Chenning , Yan Qiben , Sun Zhiyuan , Cao Zhichao , Luo Xiapu
Published: April 2023

The blockchain technology, initially created for cryptocurrency, has been re-purposed for recording state transitions of smart contracts—decentralized applications that can be invoked through external transactions. Smart contracts gained popularity and accrued hundreds of billions of dollars in market capitalization in recent years. Unfortunately, like all other computer programs, smart contracts are prone to security vulnerabilities that have incurred multibillion-dollar damages over the past decade. As a result, many automated threat mitigation solutions have been proposed to counter the security issues of smart contracts. These threat mitigation solutions include various tools and methods that are challenging to compare. This survey develops a comprehensive classification taxonomy of smart contract threat mitigation solutions within five orthogonal dimensions: defense modality, core method, targeted contracts, input-output data mapping, and threat model. We classify 133 existing threat mitigation solutions using our taxonomy and confirm that the proposed five dimensions allow us to concisely and accurately describe any smart contract threat mitigation solution. In addition to learning
what
the threat mitigation solutions do, we also show
how
these solutions work by synthesizing their actual designs into a set of uniform workflows corresponding to the eight existing defense core methods. We further create an integrated coverage map for the known smart contract vulnerabilities by the existing threat mitigation solutions. Finally, we perform the evidence-based evolutionary analysis, in which we identify trends and future perspectives of threat mitigation in smart contracts and pinpoint major weaknesses of the existing methodologies. For the convenience of smart contract security developers, auditors, users, and researchers, we deploy and maintain a regularly updated comprehensive open-source online registry of threat mitigation solutions, called Security Threat Mitigation (STM) Registry at
https://seit.egr.msu.edu/research/stmregistry/
.
A Robust Monitoring Platform for Rural Cultural and Natural Heritage
Authors: Barrientos Francisco , Egusquiza Aitziber , De Luca Claudia , Tondelli Simona , Martín-Lerones Pedro , Olmedo David , Martin John , Pavlova Irina , Gómez-García-Bermejo Jaime , Casanova Eduardo Zalama
Published: April 2023

Rural areas in Europe represent outstanding examples of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CNH) that could be used as a valuable asset for social and economic development. This article describes the process for developing a monitoring platform based on Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and implemented in six rural areas around Europe. The goal of this monitoring system is to provide evidence of the role of CNH in rural areas as a driver for sustainable growth. Several data collection procedures are described, including regular, non-regular, and co-monitoring. To combine the selected cross-thematic and multi-scale KPIs, weights have been assigned to indicators, according to the knowledge provided by domain experts and using group decision-making techniques. A detailed description of the dashboards developed for the monitoring platform, and all the information gathered is included. Several dashboards have been designed focusing on KPI values and their evolution.
Tracking Electrolyte Motion in Cylindrical Li-ion Cells Using Moment of Inertia Measurements
Authors: Aiken C. P. , Kowalski Nicholas , Fitzner R. Christian , Trussler Simon , Harlow J. E. , Butler Emily J. , Dahn J. R.
Published: April 2023

High energy density cylindrical Li-ion cells are densely packed with active materials, inactive materials and electrolyte. Injected electrolyte generally fills all pore spaces in the electrodes and separators of manufactured cells with possibly some excess. When such cells are charged, the overall volume of the electrode materials increases and therefore some electrolyte is pushed under hydraulic pressure to the spaces outside the electrode winding at the ends of the cylindrical can and also possibly into the hollow core of the cylindrical electrode winding. During discharge this electrolyte reenters the pore spaces of the electrodes as electrode particles contract. Therefore, the moment of inertia of the cell about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical can change as the cell is charged and discharged. We have built a torsional oscillator that can measure the resonant frequency, and hence the moment of inertia, of a cylindrical Li-ion cell as it is charged and discharged. Because the moment of inertia of the cell depends on the electrolyte distribution, we can “watch” the electrolyte move within the cell. The design and operation of the instrument is described here as well as experiments that demonstrate the electrolyte motion that occurs in cylindrical cells. Consequences of this electrolyte motion are discussed.
Transforming Soft Robotics: Laminar Jammers Unlocking Adaptive Stiffness Potential in Pneunet Actuators
Authors: Singh Kunal , Gupta Shilpa , Khosla Ajit , Furukawa Hidemitsu
Published: April 2023

PneuNet actuators emulate human finger function and have broad application potential in domestic and industrial settings. To unlock their full potential, enhancing their controlled stiffness is crucial. This study presents the innovative design, fabrication, and evaluation of a cost-effective soft hybrid bending actuator by merging a homogeneous laminar structure, composed of 75 GSM printer paper, with a PneuNet actuator produced through soft lithography techniques. This research also characterizes the ensemble based on its tunable stiffness properties and examines the friction tests on jamming layers, highlighting the stabilization of frictional properties over time, which is critical for achieving consistent tunable stiffness. Experiments revealed that the actuator’s resistive force increases due to deformation when subjected to an external load. Furthermore, this linear rise in resistive force can be modulated through the use of an integrated laminar jammer by adjusting the vacuum pressure. Results reveal a negligible stiffness increase beyond −53.33 kPa of vacuum pressure, signifying an ideal vacuum pressure limit for energy conservation during vacuum jamming. A maximum stiffness of 0.116 N was achieved at −80 kPa of vacuum pressure. This study propels the field of soft robotics by offering enhanced tunable stiffness characteristics for diverse applications.
Electron Beam Induced Current Study of Photocurrent Gain in κ-Ga2O3 Schottky Diodes
Authors: Yakimov E. B. , Nikolaev V. I. , Pechnikov A. I. , Polyakov A.Y. , Shchemerov I.V. , Vasilev A. A. , Kulanchikov Y. O. , Vergeles P. S. , Yakimov E. E. , Pearton S. J.
Published: April 2023

The κ-Ga2O3 polytype is attracting attention because of its high spontaneous electric polarization, which exceeds that of III-Nitrides. However, little is known of its transport and photoconductive properties. The electron beam induced current gain effect in Schottky barriers prepared on thick films of κ-Ga2O3 has been studied. It is shown that the gain originates in the depletion region of the Schottky barrier. It is demonstrated that the induced current gain takes place only in some local regions, several which increases with applied bias. Such unusual behavior can be explained by an inhomogeneous distribution of hole traps or by a formation of conductive channels under applied bias.
Inhibition of GPR120 signaling in intestine ameliorates insulin resistance and fatty liver under high-fat diet feeding
Authors: Yasuda Takuma , Harada Norio , Hatoko Tomonobu , Ichimura Atsuhiko , Ikeguchi-Ogura Eri , Murata Yuki , Wada Naoki , Kiyobayashi Sakura , Yamane Shunsuke , Hirasawa Akira , Inagaki Nobuya
Published: April 2023

We generated novel intestine-specific GPR120-knockout ( GPR120int−/−) mice and investigated the metabolic effect of GPR120 in the intestine. GPR120int−/− mice exhibited a reduction of GIP secretion and CCK action after a single administration of LCT. Under a high-LCT diet, GPR120int−/− mice showed mild improvement in obesity and marked amelioration of insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis. Our results indicate an important role of intestinal GPR120 on insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis.
Simulations of active zone structure and function at mammalian NMJs predict that loss of calcium channels alone is not sufficient to replicate LEMS effects
Authors: Ginebaugh Scott P. , Badawi Yomna , Laghaei Rozita , Mersky Glenn , Wallace Caleb J. , Tarr Tyler B. , Kaufhold Cassandra , Reddel Stephen , Meriney Stephen D.
Published: April 2023

We used a computational model of the active zone (AZ) in the mammalian neuromuscular junction to investigate Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) pathophysiology. This model suggests that disruptions in presynaptic active zone organization and protein content (particularly synaptotagmin), beyond the simple removal of presynaptic calcium channels, play an important role in LEMS pathophysiology.
Detection and Counter Measure of Packet Misrouting by GPS-Free Positioning of Ad-Hoc Nodes
Authors: Sathianesan Godfrey Winster , Gnanavel S. , Salini R. , Raji V. , Vijay Anand R. , Uddin Md Salah
Published: April 2023

The ad-hoc networks are a developing area of research with a large and wide variety of applications and related requirements. The nodes participating in an ad-hoc network use different routing protocols to send their packets from one node to another. But most of the time, the ad-hoc network is not suitable for urgent needs. For this, an ad-hoc network GPS-free positioning system can be used in emergency situations to save people in danger. Nodes participating in an ad-hoc network choose the best route from various nodes near them to send information through the complex system. For this, we have used trust dynamic source routing (TDSR) in our research work to determine and design the best route to transmit information, and we designed this system with the aim of being able to be used in emergencies. We have compared our proposed routing protocols with dynamic source routing (DSR) and found out that TDSR is working excellent.
Charging Management of Electric Vehicles on Loading Capability of Distribution System Equipment, Voltage Quality, and Energy Loss by Monte Carlo Simulation and Linear Programming
Authors: Sirisumrannukul Somporn
Published: April 2023

This paper presents the impact of uncoordinated and coordinated charging management of electric vehicles (EVs) on the loading capability of major distribution system equipment, voltage quality, and energy loss in a distribution system. The main emphasis is given to the overloading of distribution transformers, primary feeders, and a substation transformer. The voltage quality of load points along the feeders and the system energy loss are also underlined. The load profile for uncoordinated EV charging is simulated by a Monte Carlo method with several deterministic and stochastic variables involved. To mitigate the overloading of the system components, a coordinated charging (also known as smart charging) model formulated as a linear programming problem is proposed with the objective of maximizing the total amount of energy consumption by EVs and the sum of all individual final states of charge (SoCs), and minimizing the sum of the absolute deviation of individual SoCs from the overall average SoC. The optimization problem is subject to equipment capability loading and planning criteria constraints with low, medium, and high EV penetration levels. The voltage quality problem and energy loss are also analyzed by an unbalanced three-phased power flow model. A case study of a real and practical 115/22 kV distribution system of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) with a 50 MVA substation transformer, 5 feeders, and 732 distribution transformers shows that the possibility of overloaded system components, voltage drops along the feeders, and the system energy loss can be identified in the uncoordinated charging scenario and offer the readiness for equipment replacement and network reinforcement planning. The proposed smart charging model allows the distribution system to accommodate more EVs by appropriately managing the power and the start times of charging for the individual EVs over the timeslots of a day. The study results confirm no violation of the system components and voltage regulation imposed by the system planning guidelines. In addition, the system peak demand and the system energy loss are significantly lower in the smart charging scenario, thus deferring investment upgrades, offering better asset utilization, and retaining network security and service quality.
[Retracted] Exploring Purification Methods of Exosomes from Different Biological Samples
Authors: Qian Xiaoqing , Xie Feng , Cui Daxiang
Published: April 2023

Objective. Exosomes were extracted from a variety of biological samples using several different purification processes, and our goal was to determine which method and sample were the most effective for exosome extraction. Methods. We used ExoQuick‐TC combined with ultrafiltration to separate and purify exosomes from the supernatant of gastric cancer cells, while we used the ExoQuick kit and ultracentrifugation to purify exosomes from human serum samples. Furthermore, exosomes were isolated and purified from human urine samples by diafiltration and from postparturition human breast milk samples by the filtration‐polyethylene glycol precipitation method. The isolated exosomes were morphologically analyzed using a transmission electron microscope, the particle size was measured by NanoSight, and the protein content was analyzed by western blotting. Results. The isolated exosomes showed an obvious cup holder shape, with a clear outline and typical exosome morphological characteristics. The sizes of exosomes derived from gastric cancer cell supernatant, serum, urine, and milk were 65.8 ± 26.9 nm, 87.6 ± 50.9 nm, 197.5 ± 55.2 nm, and 184.1 ± 68.7 nm, respectively. Western blot results showed that CD9 and TSG101 on the exosomes were expressed to varying degrees based on the exosome source. Exosome abundance was higher in the serum, urine, and breast milk than in the supernatant. It is suggested that its exosomes can be extracted to obtain an excellent potential biological source of exosomes. Conclusion. In this study, the extraction and separation methods of foreign bodies from different biological samples were obtained, and it was found that human breast milk was a potential excellent material for administration because of its high abundance.
Efficacy of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Essential Hypertension: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
Authors: Fan Maoxia , Dai Guohua , Li Runmin , Wu Xiaoqi
Published: April 2023

Background. Acupuncture is widely used in the clinical treatment of essential hypertension (EH). This overview is aimed at summarizing current systematic reviews of acupuncture for EH and assessing the methodological bias and quality of evidence. Methods. Two researchers searched and extracted 7 databases for systematic reviews (SRs)/meta-analyses (MAs) and independently assessed the methodological quality, risk of bias, reporting quality, and quality of evidence of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) included in the SRs/MAs. Tools used included the measurement tool to assess systematic reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the risk of bias in systematic (ROBIS) scale, the checklist of preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA), and the grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) system. Results. This overview included 14 SRs/MAs that use quantitative calculations to comprehensively assess the various effects of acupuncture in essential hypertension interventions. The methodological quality, reporting quality, risk of bias, and quality of evidence for outcome measures of SRs/MAs were all unsatisfactory. According to the results of the AMSTAR-2 assessment, all SRs/MAs were of low or very low quality. According to the results of the ROBIS evaluation, a few SRs/MAs were assessed as low risk of bias. According to the results of the PRISMA checklist assessment, SRs/MAs that were not fully reported on the checklist accounted for the majority. According to the GRADE system, 86 outcomes were assessed under different interventions in SRs/MAs, and 2 were rated as moderate-quality evidence, 23 as low-quality evidence, and 61 as very low-quality evidence. Limitations of the included SRs/MAs included the lack of necessary items, such as not being registered in the protocol, not providing a list of excluded studies, and not analyzing and addressing the risk of bias. Conclusion. Currently, acupuncture may be an effective and safe treatment for EH, but the quality of evidence is low, and caution should be exercised when applying this evidence in clinical practice.
Deciphering the Hantavirus Host Range Combining Virology and Species Distribution Models with an Emphasis on the Yellow Pygmy Rice Rat (Oligoryzomys flavescens)
Authors: Cabrera Andrés , Romero David , Guerrero José Carlos , Clara Mario , Delfraro Adriana
Published: April 2023

Hantaviruses are the causative agents of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in the Americas. In Central and South America, 28 hantavirus lineages were associated with different Sigmodontinae rodents. Of these, Lechiguanas hantavirus was initially described as a lineage associated with HPS cases in the central region of Argentina. Initial studies on the rodent hosts and viral lineages performed between 1999 and 2005 showed that HPS cases in Uruguay were distributed mostly in the southern region of the country, and that the Lechiguanas hantavirus (LECV) and the closely related Andes Central Plata hantaviruses were the viral lineages most frequently associated with HPS cases, both carried by the yellow pygmy rice rat (Oligoryzomys flavescens). Although these rodents are present all across the Uruguayan territory, determining the extent of the risk areas for hantavirus transmission based on the distribution of the infected rodents may be a useful tool for disease control and prevention. Distribution models are positioned as an effective instrument in the prediction of diseases affecting human health. Assessment of the potential distribution of rodent reservoir hosts and analysis of the influence of environmental factors on hantavirus transmission can help to understand the spatial patterns of disease transmission risk. In the present study, virological studies and species distribution models were integrated to understand the hantavirus infection risk pattern in Uruguay. Virological analyses confirmed that in Uruguay, the primary hantavirus reservoir host for both viral lineages is the yellow pygmy rice rat. Additionally, we report an Azara’s grass mouse (Akodon azarae) infected with the Andes Central Plata viral lineage. Based on the seropositive and nonseropositive yellow pygmy rice rats tested, the distribution models emphasized that favorable environmental conditions for the infected rodents are mainly related to the availability of human-disturbed rural environments with high humidity. We conclude that the innovative application of the methodologies reported herein allowed for the assessment of the current risk territory for HPS in Uruguay.
An Antioxidant and Intelligent pH-Sensitive Composite Film Based on Gelatin and Persian Gum Using Purple Carrot Extract
Authors: Arab Mohammad Sadegh , Lashkari Hannan , Niakousari Mehrdad , Eskandari Mohammad Hadi
Published: April 2023

The present research is aimed at developing novel intelligent pH-sensitive films based on Persian gum and gelatin using purple carrot extract. To this end, films were developed by mixing polymer solutions containing Persian gum (5%) and gelatin (5%), in equal proportions and partially replacing distilled water of solutions with purple carrot extract at 0, 15, 30, and 45%. Total anthocyanin content, antioxidant activity, color indices, and tensile strength of films were evaluated. Purple carrot extract incorporation in the film caused a slight reduction in the lightness and an increase in the anthocyanin content, DPPH inhibition, yellowness, redness, and tensile strength. The sample containing 45% extract (anthocyanin concentration was 2.39 mg/ml) was selected as the best pH-sensitive film based on mechanical and antioxidant properties and evaluated in terms of moisture content, moisture absorption, pH, heat seal ability, thickness, contact angle, FTIR, X-ray diffraction, and colorimetric tests. The sensitivity of the film to pH changes was assessed in the range of 2-12. The color of the film changed from pink to blue as a function of pH. The results proved that films based on Persian gum, gelatin, and purple carrot extract could be used as novel food grade biomaterials to monitor the freshness/spoilage of food.
Physicochemical and Sensory Characteristics of Developed Instant Foutou (Fufu), Plantain-Based Dough in West Africa
Authors: Gnagne Eliane Hadiowe , Kouadio Olivier Kouadio , Nindjin Charlemagne , Irie Kady Rosine , Scher Joel , Amani Georges N’guessan
Published: April 2023

This study is aimed at evaluating the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of developed instant foutou flour. Blanched semiripe plantain dried flakes, blanched/unblanched cassava dried flakes, and cassava starch were blended in the proportions 70 : 20 : 10 (FTF1), 80 : 30 : 0 (FTF3/FTF2), and 80 : 0 : 20 (FTF4), respectively, and ground. Foutou made from FTF1 and FTF2 were the most similar to traditional foutou (FTTRAD) for texture attributes. These foutou were fairly stick (5.66-5.73), firm (5.66-6.04), easy to mold (6.13-6.20), and pasty (6.00-6.26). FTF1 was appreciated and preferred by consumers because its color is relatively more yellow and its sweetness is relatively higher than those of other reconstituted foutou. All studied foutou flours exhibited low moisture content (6.09%-8.33%) and values of

a

w

<
0.6

. FTF1 and FTF2 formulations had the highest ash (1.71%-1.73%) and protein (4.08%-4.53%) contents. FTF1 had the highest

a

∗

value (1.80) and total sugar (TS) content (7.77%).
Green Chemistry Applied to Ground Coffee Volatile Compounds Modification Aiming Coffee Aroma Improvement
Authors: Rodrigues Sueli , Fernandes Fabiano A. N.
Published: April 2023

Aroma has a major role in coffee acceptance by consumers. This work has assessed the application of cold plasma technology to induce modifications in ground coffee beans without resorting to solvents or additives, thus applying a green chemistry approach. Cold plasma improved and modulated coffee aroma, increasing desirable and decreasing undesirable aroma notes. Ground coffee beans were subjected to dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) plasma at different excitation frequencies. Its volatile chemical profile was determined by GC-MS. The odor activity value technique was used to evaluate the aroma profile. Extensive chemical changes occurred with aldehydes, furans, and pyrazine compounds. This work showed that setting proper excitation frequency enables modulating changes toward oxidation and C-C bond scission. Chemical reaction pathways were postulated and discussed. DBD plasma technology enhanced the importance of the desirable cocoa note from 74.4 to 88.6% and decreased the significance of the green and fruity notes from 8.5 to 3.2% and 2.7 to 1.9%, respectively. Plasma-induced reactions can help mitigating aroma defects.
Experiences of Women Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder: Perception of Motherhood, Social, Health, and Construction of Gender
Authors: De-la-Morena-Perez Nerea , Corral-Liria Inmaculada , Sanchez-Alfonso Javier , Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo Ricardo , Losa-Iglesias Marta , Jimenez-Fernandez Raquel
Published: April 2023

Purpose. To explore the experiences of women diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) from a holistic perspective, incorporating their experiences in the social and health fields and their perception of motherhood, and to analyse the influence of the social construction of gender. Design and Methods. Qualitative study with a hermeneutic phenomenological design. Eight women with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder participated in the in‐depth interviews. Findings. The trauma, stigma, and difficulty associated with motherhood and being a woman are determinants in the experience of symptoms and the recovery from them. Practical Implications. The findings offer keys to improving the quality of women’s nursing care and the treatment they are provided according to gender factors.
Impacts of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles with Level 2 Automation on Traffic Efficiency and Energy Consumption
Authors: Song Haokun , Zhao Fuquan , Zhu Guangyu , Liu Zongwei
Published: April 2023

Evaluating the economic benefits of traffic optimization from connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) and relevant traffic organization methods is significant, which will help to put forward suggestions for policymakers to promote the application of CAVs. The impacts and related benefits from CAVs with level 2 automation (L2 CAVs) on traffic efficiency and energy consumption of expressways are analyzed in this paper. Average travel time and actual road capacity are on behalf of traffic efficiency while average electric energy consumption is used to compute traffic energy consumption. The corresponding traffic economic benefits consist of travel-time-saving benefits, road construction benefits, and energy-saving benefits. A benefit evaluation framework is newly proposed and microscopic traffic simulation software is applied as the experiment platform. Different market penetration rates of L2 CAVs and various traffic flow statuses are considered. Besides, dedicated lanes for CAVs are also involved in this research, which are regarded as a traffic organization method expected to promote the realization of CAV’s traffic benefits. It is found that L2 CAVs can save the average travel time and reduce average energy consumption for a single vehicle in most scenes. However, negative impacts on energy consumption are observed in several scenes due to the increase of actual road capacity. Positive economic benefits are obtained as soon as the traffic flow rate is out of saturation, which become increasingly higher as CAV’s market penetration rate turns larger. Additionally, amplification in traffic economic benefits appears only if CAV lanes are provided under proper conditions.
Nutritional, Sensory, and Microbial Quality of Cookies Produced by Partial Replacement of Wheat Flour with Plantain (Musa paradisiaca) and Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) Flours
Authors: Bawa Michael , Dzigbor Aaron , Gobe Vera Afua Dela , Opoku Genevieve Fremah , Barima Akosua Asaah Twum , Donkor Abena Kumia Larbi
Published: April 2023

Nutritional, sensory, texture, and microbiological load analyses were made of cookies consisting of a partial replacement of wheat flour with plantain (Musa paradisiaca) or cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) flour. There were slight differences in the amounts of protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Accordingly, the nutritional values per 100 g of the cookies correspond to 10-14% protein and 19-21% energy of the recommended daily allowance. In contrast, cookies containing either cocoyam or plantain flour have 20% and 30% more fiber, respectively, compared to cookies containing wheat flour alone. Similarly, plantain and cocoyam cookies’ iron and zinc contents were, respectively, 1-16% and 2-9% more than (

p
<
0.05

) the control. The levels of aerobic plate count in the cookies were lower than recommended thresholds for such food products. Those cookies containing 20% and 40% of either plantain or cocoyam flour had comparable sensory, texture, and color quality compared to the control. The effect of intake of plantain and cocoyam cookies is likely to eliminate population mineral deficiencies, particularly iron, and zinc. These results underline the potential of enabling food security crops such as plantain and cocoyam in sustaining cookies production, utilization, nutritional value, and the role of such crops in addressing food and nutrition insecurity.