bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimizing electric vehicle paths to charging stations using parallel greylag goose algorithm and Restricted Boltzmann Machines
Authors: Alharbi Amal H. , Khafaga Doaa Sami , El-kenawy El-Sayed M. , Eid Marwa M. , Ibrahim Abdelhameed , Abualigah Laith , Khodadadi Nima , Abdelhamid Abdelaziz A.
Published: July 2024

As the number of individuals who drive electric vehicles increases, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure that charging infrastructure is both dependable and conveniently accessible. Methodology: In this paper, a recommendation system is proposed with the purpose of assisting users of electric vehicles in locating charging stations that are closer to them, improving the charging experience, and lowering range anxiety. The proposed method is based on restricted Boltzmann machine learning to collect and evaluate real-time data on a variety of aspects, including the availability of charging stations and historical patterns of consumption. To optimize the parameters of the restricted Boltzmann machine, a new optimization algorithm is proposed and referred to as parallel greylag goose (PGGO) algorithm. The recommendation algorithm takes into consideration a variety of user preferences. These preferences include charging speed, cost, network compatibility, amenities, and proximity to the user’s present location. By addressing these preferences, the proposed approach reduces the amount of irritation experienced by users, improves charging performance, and increases customer satisfaction. Results: The findings demonstrate that the method is effective in recommending charging stations that are close to drivers of electric vehicles. On the other hand, the Wilcoxon rank-sum and Analysis of Variance tests are utilized in this work to investigate the statistical significance of the proposed parallel greylag goose optimization method and restricted Boltzmann machine model. The proposed methodology could achieve a recommendation accuracy of 99% when tested on the adopted dataset. Conclusion: Based on the achieved results, the proposed method is effective in recommending systems for the best charging stations for electric vehicles.
Impaired B-cell function in ERCC2 deficiency
Authors: Rossmanith Raphael , Sauerwein Kai , Geier Christoph B. , Leiss-Piller Alexander , Stemberger Roman F. , Sharapova Svetlana , Gruber Robert W. , Bergler Helmut , Verbsky James W. , Csomos Krisztian , Walter Jolan E. , Wolf Hermann M.
Published: July 2024

Background

Trichothiodystrophy-1 (TTD1) is an autosomal-recessive disease and caused by mutations in ERCC2, a gene coding for a subunit of the TFIIH transcription and nucleotide-excision repair (NER) factor. In almost half of these patients infectious susceptibility has been reported but the underlying molecular mechanism leading to immunodeficiency is largely unknown.

Objective

The aim of this study was to perform extended molecular and immunological phenotyping in patients suffering from TTD1.

Methods

Cellular immune phenotype was investigated using multicolor flow cytometry. DNA repair efficiency was evaluated in UV-irradiation assays. Furthermore, early BCR activation events and proliferation of TTD1 lymphocytes following DNA damage induction was tested. In addition, we performed differential gene expression analysis in peripheral lymphocytes of TTD1 patients.

Results

We investigated three unrelated TTD1 patients who presented with recurrent infections early in life of whom two harbored novel ERCC2 mutations and the third patient is a carrier of previously described pathogenic ERCC2 mutations. Hypogammaglobulinemia and decreased antibody responses following vaccination were found. TTD1 B-cells showed accumulation of γ-H2AX levels, decreased proliferation activity and reduced cell viability following UV-irradiation. mRNA sequencing analysis revealed significantly downregulated genes needed for B-cell development and activation. Analysis of B-cell subpopulations showed low numbers of naïve and transitional B-cells in TTD1 patients, indicating abnormal B-cell differentiation in vivo.

Conclusion

In summary, our analyses confirmed the pathogenicity of novel ERCC2 mutations and show that ERCC2 deficiency is associated with antibody deficiency most likely due to altered B-cell differentiation resulting from impaired BCR-mediated B-cell activation and activation-induced gene transcription.
Enhanced LSTM-based robotic agent for load forecasting in low-voltage distributed photovoltaic power distribution network
Authors: Zhang Xudong , Wang Junlong , Wang Jun , Wang Hao , Lu Lijun
Published: July 2024

To ensure the safe operation and dispatching control of a low-voltage distributed photovoltaic (PV) power distribution network (PDN), the load forecasting problem of the PDN is studied in this study. Based on deep learning technology, this paper proposes a robot-assisted load forecasting method for low-voltage distributed photovoltaic power distribution networks using enhanced long short-term memory (LSTM). This method employs the frequency domain decomposition (FDD) to obtain boundary points and incorporates a dense layer following the LSTM layer to better extract data features. The LSTM is used to predict low-frequency and high-frequency components separately, enabling the model to precisely capture the voltage variation patterns across different frequency components, thereby achieving high-precision voltage prediction. By verifying the historical operation data set of a low-voltage distributed PV-PDN in Guangdong Province, experimental results demonstrate that the proposed “FDD+LSTM” model outperforms both recurrent neural network and support vector machine models in terms of prediction accuracy on both time scales of 1 h and 4 h. Precisely forecast the voltage in different seasons and time scales, which has a certain value in promoting the development of the PDN and related technology industry chain.
SaE-GBLS: an effective self-adaptive evolutionary optimized graph-broad model for EEG-based automatic epileptic seizure detection
Authors: Cheng Liming , Xiong Jiaqi , Duan Junwei , Zhang Yuhang , Chen Chun , Zhong Jingxin , Zhou Zhiguo , Quan Yujuan
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Epilepsy is a common neurological condition that affects a large number of individuals worldwide. One of the primary challenges in epilepsy is the accurate and timely detection of seizure. Recently, the graph regularized broad learning system (GBLS) has achieved superior performance improvement with its flat structure and less time-consuming training process compared to deep neural networks. Nevertheless, the number of feature and enhancement nodes in GBLS is predetermined. These node settings are also randomly selected and remain unchanged throughout the training process. The characteristic of randomness is thus more easier to make non-optimal nodes generate, which cannot contribute significantly to solving the optimization problem.

Methods

To obtain more optimal nodes for optimization and achieve superior automatic detection performance, we propose a novel broad neural network named self-adaptive evolutionary graph regularized broad learning system (SaE-GBLS). Self-adaptive evolutionary algorithm, which can construct mutation strategies in the strategy pool based on the experience of producing solutions for selecting network parameters, is incorporated into SaE-GBLS model for optimizing the node parameters. The epilepsy seizure is automatic detected by our proposed SaE-GBLS model based on three publicly available EEG datasets and one private clinical EEG dataset.

Results and discussion

The experimental results indicate that our suggested strategy has the potential to perform as well as current machine learning approaches.
Gender differences in body composition, dietary patterns, and physical activity: insights from a cross-sectional study
Authors: Lombardo Mauro , Feraco Alessandra , Armani Andrea , Camajani Elisabetta , Gorini Stefania , Strollo Rocky , Padua Elvira , Caprio Massimiliano , Bellia Alfonso
Published: July 2024

Introduction

This study investigates the interplay between body composition, dietary patterns, and physical activity across genders, focusing on gender-specific differences in food preferences and eating behaviors. Understanding these interactions is crucial for developing targeted nutritional and lifestyle interventions.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,333 participants (58.7% female, 41.3% male), aged 18–65 years. Participants were categorized into tertiles based on their fat mass to fat-free mass (FM-to-FFM) ratio. Data on dietary choices, eating behaviors, and physical activity were collected and analyzed to identify gender-specific trends.

Results

Significant gender-specific differences were observed in food preferences and eating behaviors. Males experienced greater hunger in the late afternoon, while females felt more hunger in the morning. Males showed a preference for processed and red meats, whereas females preferred cooked vegetables. Eating behaviors such as meal skipping, uncontrolled eating, nocturnal eating, and taste preferences (sweet or salty) varied distinctly between FM-to-FFM tertiles and genders. Higher FM-to-FFM ratios correlated with lower physical activity levels, particularly in strength training and general sports engagement.

Discussion

These findings highlight the complex interactions between body composition, dietary habits, and lifestyle factors, emphasizing gender-specific differences. The results suggest that body composition and BMI significantly impact health-related behaviors, necessitating tailored interventions to address these differences and promote healthier lifestyles.
Variation in outcomes and practice patterns among patients with localized pancreatic cancer: the impact of the pancreatic cancer multidisciplinary clinic
Authors: Pathak Priya , Hacker-Prietz Amy , Herman Joseph M. , Zheng Lei , He Jin , Narang Amol K.
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Patients with localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) benefit from multi-modality therapy. Whether care patterns and oncologic outcomes vary if a patient was seen through a pancreatic multi-disciplinary clinic (PMDC) versus only individual specialty clinics is unclear.

Methods

Using institutional Pancreatic Cancer Registry, we identified patients with localized PDAC from 2019- 2022 who eventually underwent resection. It was our standard practice for borderline resectable (BRPC) patients to undergo ≤4 months of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, ± radiation, followed by exploration, while locally advanced (LAPC) patients were treated with 4-6 months of chemotherapy, followed by radiation and potential exploration. Descriptive and multivariable analyses (MVA) were performed to examine the association between clinic type (PMDC vs individual specialty clinics i.e. surgical oncology, medical oncology, or radiation oncology) and study outcomes.

Results

A total of 416 patients met inclusion criteria. Of these, 267 (64.2%) had PMDC visits. PMDC group received radiation therapy more commonly (53.9% versus 27.5%, p=0.001), as compared to individual specialty clinic group. Completion of neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) was far more frequent in patients seen through PMDC compared to patients seen through individual specialty clinics (69.3% vs 48.9%). On MVA, PMDC group was significantly associated with receipt of NAT per institutional standards (adjusted OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.46-7.07, p=0.006). Moreover, the average treatment effect of PMDC on progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.45 (95CI: 0.87-8.03) months. No significant association between overall survival (OS) and clinic type was observed.

Discussion

Provision of care through PMDC was associated with significantly higher odds of completing NAT per institutional standards as compared to individual specialty clinics, which possibly translated into improved PFS. The development of multidisciplinary clinics for management of pancreatic cancer should be incentivized, and any barriers to such development should be addressed.
Cost-effectiveness of utidelone and capecitabine versus monotherapy in anthracycline- and taxane-refractory metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Chen Mulan , Zhang Heng , He Xiaoyan , Lin Yingtao
Published: July 2024

Background

This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of combining utidelone with capecitabine, compared to capecitabine monotherapy, for the treatment of anthracycline- and taxane-refractory metastatic breast cancer within the Chinese healthcare system.

Methods

A partitioned survival model was formulated based on patient characteristics from the NCT02253459 trial. Efficacy, safety, and health economics data were sourced from the trial and real-world clinical practices. We derived estimates for costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for the two treatment strategies. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were conducted to rigorously evaluate uncertainties' impact.

Results

Over a 5-year span, the combination therapy manifested substantially higher costs than capecitabine monotherapy, with a differential of US$ 26,370.63. This combined approach conferred an additional 0.49 QALYs, resulting in an ICER of US$ 53,874.17/QALY. Utilizing the established willingness-to-pay threshold, the combination might not consistently be deemed cost-effective when juxtaposed against monotherapy. However, at an ICER of US$ 53,874.4/QALY, the probability of the combination being cost-effective increased to 48.97%. Subgroup analysis revealed that the combination was more cost-effective than capecitabine alone in specific patient groups, including those <60 years, patients with more than two chemotherapy rounds, patients lacking certain metastases, patients having limited metastatic sites, patients with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status of 0, and patients with particular hormone receptor profiles.

Conclusion

Although the combination of utidelone and capecitabine may not be an economically viable universal choice for anthracycline- and taxane-refractory metastatic breast cancer, it could be more cost-effective in specific patient subgroups than capecitabine monotherapy.
The relationship between psychological distress and cognitive failure among breast cancer survivors: a network analysis
Authors: Han Bingxue , Yan Jialin , Xiong Ruoyu , Wang Miaomiao , Liu Jinxia , Jia Liping , Dou Jinhua , Liu Xiaoli , Fan Huaju , Li Jianying , Zhang Caiyun , Sun Xiuhong , Du He , Ma Yufeng , Teng Shuai , Jiang Nengzhi , Lu Guohua
Published: July 2024

Background

Psychological distress is highly prevalent and has a severe impact on the quality of life among breast cancer survivors. This type of distress is associated with cognitive failure. However, previous studies have focused solely on the total scale scores of these two concepts while ignoring the unique relationship between specific components. In the present study, we utilized network analysis to explore the relationship between psychological distress and cognitive failure in breast cancer survivors.

Methods

The network analysis approach was adopted to estimate the regularized partial correlation network in a cross-sectional sample of 409 breast cancer survivors. All participants were assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and the Cognitive Failure Questionnaire. The Gaussian Graphical Model was employed to estimate the network, centrality indices, and edge weights, providing a description of the characteristics of the network.

Results

The results indicated that anxiety–stress and depression–stress were the strongest edges in the community of psychological distress. Distractibility–memory was the strongest edge in the community of cognitive failure. Distractibility and memory were the most central nodes, with the highest expected influence in the network. Depression and motor coordination acted as important bridge nodes with the highest bridge expected influence.

Conclusion

Distractibility and memory in cognitive failure played important roles in activating and maintaining the relationship network. Motor coordination was identified as the crucial pathway for the impact of cognitive failure on psychological distress. Interventions targeting these specific issues might be more effective in improving cognitive failure and reducing psychological distress among breast cancer survivors.
Connecting the organizational incomes and outcomes: a systematic review of the relationship between talent management, employee engagement, and turnover intention
Authors: Sinisterra Luna , Peñalver Jonathan , Salanova Marisa
Published: July 2024

Introduction

In a post-pandemic environment, characterized by volatility and uncertainty, organizations need to adapt to it for their survival.

Methods

Following a systematic review method, the aim of this study is to assess the relationship between talent management practices, employee engagement, and turnover intention. Carried out using PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review includes 43 studies.

Results

Results showed a lack of consensus on the talent management concept, definition, and measurement. Also, talent management practices seem to increase employee engagement and decrease turnover intentions. That is, when organizations provide effective talent management practices to employees, they become more engaged and less likely to abandon the company. It is important to highlight the mediating role of engagement in the relation between talent management and turnover intention. Furthermore, the most studied talent management practices for promoting engagement and reducing turnover intention were identified. Regarding control variables, data highlighted the importance of age and organizational tenure in the aforementioned relationships.

Discussion

This review draws attention to the need of designing and implementing talent management practices in an effective way in order to generate a healthy and engaged workforce that is willing to remain in an organization.
Evolutionary trend analysis of the pharmaceutical management research field from the perspective of mapping the knowledge domain
Authors: Shen Junkai , Wei Sen , Guo Jieyu , Xu Shuangshuang , Li Meixia , Wang Dejiao , Liu Ling
Published: July 2024

Background

Pharmaceutical management is a new frontier subject between pharmacy, law and management, and related research involves the whole process of drug development, production, circulation and use. With the development of medical systems and the diversification of patients’ drug needs, research in the field of pharmaceutical management is becoming increasingly abundant. To clarify the development status of this field, this study conducted a bibliometric analysis of relevant literature in the field based on the knowledge graph method for the first time and explored the evolutionary trends of research hotspots and frontiers.

Methods

Literature was obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection database. CiteSpace 6.2.R4 (Advanced), VOSViewer, Scimago Graphica, Pajek and the R programming language were used to visualize the data.

Results

A total of 12,771 publications were included in the study. The publications in the field of pharmaceutical management show an overall increasing trend. In terms of discipline evolution, early research topics tended to involve the positioning of pharmacists and pharmaceutical care and the establishment of a management system. From 2000 to 2005, this period tended to focus on clinical pharmacy and institutional norms. With the development of globalization and the market economy, research from 2005 to 2010 began to trend to the fields of drug markets and economics. From 2010 to 2015, research was gradually integrated into health systems and medical services. With the development of information technology, after 2015, research in the field of pharmaceutical management also began to develop in the direction of digitalization and intelligence. In light of the global pandemic of COVID-19, research topics such as drug supply management, pharmaceutical care and telemedicine services under major public health events have shown increased interest since 2020.

Conclusion

Based on the knowledge mapping approach, this study provides a knowledge landscape in the field of pharmaceutical management research. The results showed that the reform of pharmacy education, the challenge of drug management under the COVID-19 pandemic, digital transformation and the rise of telemedicine services were the hot topics in this field. In addition, the research frontier also shows the broad prospects of the integration of information technology and pharmaceutical management, the practical value of precision pharmaceutical services, the urgent need of global drug governance, and the ethical and legal issues involved in the application of artificial intelligence technology in drug design, which points out the direction for the future development of pharmaceutical practice.
Evaluating the Expressive Range of Super Mario Bros Level Generators
Authors: Schaa Hans , Barriga Nicolas A.
Published: July 2024

Procedural Content Generation for video games (PCG) is widely used by today’s video game industry to create huge open worlds or enhance replayability. However, there is little scientific evidence that these systems produce high-quality content. In this document, we evaluate three open-source automated level generators for Super Mario Bros in addition to the original levels used for training. These are based on Genetic Algorithms, Generative Adversarial Networks, and Markov Chains. The evaluation was performed through an Expressive Range Analysis (ERA) on 200 levels with nine metrics. The results show how analyzing the algorithms’ expressive range can help us evaluate the generators as a preliminary measure to study whether they respond to users’ needs. This method allows us to recognize potential problems early in the content generation process, in addition to taking action to guarantee quality content when a generator is used.
Bakanae Disease Resistance in Rice: Current Status and Future Considerations
Authors: Zhan Liwei , Chen Ling , Hou Yuxuan , Zeng Yuxiang , Ji Zhijuan
Published: July 2024

Bakanae disease is mainly caused by Fusarium fujikuroi and is a significant fungal disease with a number of disastrous consequences. It causes great losses in rice production. However, few studies have focused on the details of bakanae disease resistance in rice. Here, we summarize and discuss the progress of bakanae disease resistance in rice. Besides rice germplasm screening and resistance-related gene/quantitative trait locus (QTL) exploration, the route of pathogen invasion in rice plants was determined. We further discussed the regulation of phytohormone-related genes and changes in endogenous phytohormones in rice plants that are induced by the pathogen. To achieve better control of bakanae disease, the use of natural fungicides was assessed in this review. During rice—F. fujikuroi interactions, the infection processes and spatial distribution of F. fujikuroi in infected seedlings and adult plants exhibit different trends. Fungal growth normally occurs both in resistant and susceptible cultivars, with less abundance in the former. Generally, bakanae disease is seed-borne, and seed disinfection using effective fungicides should always be the first and main option to better control the disease. Besides the friendly and effective measure of using natural fungicides, breeding and utilization of resistant rice cultivars is also an effective control method. To some extent, rice cultivars with low grain quality, indica subspecies, and some dwarf or semi-dwarf rice germplasms are more resistant to bakanae disease. Although no highly resistant germplasms were obtained, 37 QTLs were located, with almost half of the QTLs being located on chromosome 1. Using omics methods, WRKYs and MAPKs were usually found to be regulated during rice—F. fujikuroi interactions. The regulation of certain phytohormone-related genes and changes in some endogenous phytohormones induced by the pathogen were clear, i.e., it downregulated gibberellin-related genes and repressed endogenous gibberellins in resistant genotypes, but the opposite results were noted in susceptible rice genotypes. Overall, exploring resistant germplasms or resistance-related genes/QTLs for the breeding of rice with bakanae disease resistance, expanding research on the complex mechanism of rice—F. fujikuroi interactions, and using cost-effective and eco-friendly innovative control methods against the disease are necessary for present and future bakanae disease management.
Mechanism of Iron Transport in the Triticum aestivum L.–Soil System: Perception from a Pot Experiment
Authors: Zhang Surong , Yang Junquan , Wang Daming , Liu Jihong , Wang Jianhua , Duan Xiaolong , Yang Lingzhi
Published: July 2024

Iron is one of the necessary trace elements for plant growth and the human body. The ‘hidden hunger’ phenomenon in the human body caused by an imbalance of iron in soil is increasingly prominent. Addressing this issue and optimizing soil through regulatory measures to improve the absorption and utilization of iron by crops has become an urgent priority in agricultural development. This study carries out pot experiments to observe the growth process of Triticum aestivum L. under various soil iron environments. Combined with previous research results, the transport mechanism of iron in the soil—Triticum aestivum L. system was systematically explored. The results indicate that during the jointing and maturity stages of Triticum aestivum L., iron was preferentially enriched in the underground parts; at the maturity stage, the iron content in various organs of Triticum aestivum L. shows a trend of increase followed by a decrease with the soil iron content varying in the following sequence: deficient, moderately deficient, medium, moderately adequate, and adequate. The iron-deficient stress environment causes an increase in the effectiveness of rhizosphere iron, resulting in a higher level of iron in the plant stems, leaves, and seeds. Conversely, when the soil iron content is medium or adequate, the effectiveness of rhizosphere iron decreases, leading to a reduction in the iron content in each part of the plant. A concentration gradient of 7.2 mg/kg in the experimental setup is found to be the most favorable to the enrichment of iron in the shoots of Triticum aestivum L. plants. The findings of this experiment provide guidance for the fertilization strategy to mitigate iron deficiency symptoms in plants under similar acidic-alkaline conditions of soil, as well as a systematic mechanism reference and basis for studying the soil-plant-human health relationship.
Metal Nanoparticle-Based Biosensors for the Early Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases Caused by ESKAPE Pathogens in the Fight against the Antimicrobial-Resistance Crisis
Authors: Gutiérrez-Santana Juan Carlos , Rosas-Espinosa Viridiana , Martinez Evelin , Casiano-García Esther , Coria-Jiménez Victor Rafael
Published: July 2024

The species included in the ESKAPE group (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the genus Enterobacter) have a high capacity to develop antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a health problem that is already among the leading causes of death and could kill 10 million people a year by 2050. The generation of new potentially therapeutic molecules has been insufficient to combat the AMR “crisis”, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that it will seek to promote the development of rapid diagnostic strategies. The physicochemical properties of metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) have made it possible to design biosensors capable of identifying low concentrations of ESKAPE bacteria in the short term; other systems identify antimicrobial susceptibility, and some have been designed with dual activity in situ (bacterial detection and antimicrobial activity), which suggests that, in the near future, multifunctional biosensors could exist based on MNPs capable of quickly identifying bacterial pathogens in clinical niches might become commercially available. This review focuses on the use of MNP-based systems for the rapid and accurate identification of clinically important bacterial pathogens, exhibiting the necessity for exhaustive research to achieve these objectives. This review focuses on the use of metal nanoparticle-based systems for the rapid and accurate identification of clinically important bacterial pathogens.
How Subjective Socioeconomic Status Influences Pro-Environmental Behavior: The Mediating Role of Sense of Control and Life History Strategy
Authors: Zhong Bowei , Niu Nana , Li Jin , Wu Yun , Fan Wei
Published: July 2024

Understanding the psychological drivers of pro-environmental behavior across different socioeconomic statuses (SESs) is crucial for effectively addressing environmental challenges. To assist businesses and management departments in adequately identifying the psychological characteristics of target consumer groups from different SES backgrounds, our research manipulated subjective SES through three experimental studies to investigate the influence of subjective SES on pro-environmental behavior. Studies 1 and 2 adopted online experiments to examine the influence of subjective SES on pro-environmental behavior within the private sphere and the public sphere. Subsequently, Study 3 further investigated the psychological mechanisms through which subjective SES influences pro-environmental behavior. These results indicated that individuals from high SES backgrounds exhibit a greater propensity for green consumption behavior and contribute more financially to environmental organizations than those from low SES backgrounds. In addition, these studies further elucidated that the sense of control and life history strategy sequentially mediate the relationship. These findings provide empirical evidence for understanding whether and how subjective SES influences pro-environmental behavior, and enriching the theoretical framework of the relationship between subjective SES on pro-environmental behavior.
BIM-Based Analysis and Strategies to Reduce Carbon Emissions of Underground Construction in Public Buildings: A Case on Xi’an Shaanxi, China
Authors: Han Yuheng , Wang Yue , Zhao Liang , Li Tilian , Yang Zhi , Wang Zixiao , Wang Haining
Published: July 2024

The construction of public buildings involves a significant amount of carbon emissions, particularly during the materialization phase of underground construction, which is characterized by a rapid and intense release of carbon emissions. In response to this issue, this study aims to develop a Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based method for assessing the factors influencing carbon emissions during the materialization phase of underground construction in public buildings. To achieve this goal, a process-based quantitative and qualitative method was established to evaluate carbon emissions at various stages, including raw material extraction and processing, building material/equipment production, and on-site processing of components, as well as construction and installation. The proposed method may serve as a valuable tool for selecting design schemes in the early stages of building design. By analyzing 125 actual cases in Xi’an, China and utilizing a carbon emission calculation model, accurate carbon emission data was obtained. This study’s findings indicate a correlation between the embodied carbon emissions and the area of underground space in the cases analyzed. Specifically, larger underground spaces were associated with higher embodied carbon emissions in underground engineering. Furthermore, this study categorized the cases into two groups based on the presence or absence of underground space, resulting in the identification of 16 factors for cases without underground space and 19 factors for cases with underground space. These findings provide valuable insights for understanding and mitigating the impact of carbon emissions during the materialization phase of underground construction in public buildings.
Environment Assessment of Modified Red Mud Utilized in Roadbed
Authors: Cheng Yu , Jiang Na , Wang Wentong , Jin Lu , Yan Shiying
Published: July 2024

Utilization of red mud in road projects is an effective way to consume large amounts of red mud on a large scale. In order to meet the requirements for road performance, a modified material, Heinchem, has been developed on the basis of extensive experiments, and the long-term environmental risks of red mud modified by this material have been investigated. By collecting and modifying original red mud samples, a series of continuous leaching tank experiments are carried out based on the exposure scenario analysis. According to the leaching content of pollution in the original and modified red mud, the characteristic pollutants are identified. The release mechanism of these characteristic pollutants in the modified red mud is revealed, and the long-term release amount is predicted. Furthermore, in light of the actual road use scenario of the modified red mud, a risk assessment model is established and used to simulate the release, migration, and transformation of characteristic pollutants during the use of modified red mud as roadbed material. The groundwater environmental risk is then assessed. Finally, an acute toxicity test of earthworms and a seed germination test are conducted to investigate the impact of the modified red mud on the farmlands. The results showed that the proposed red mud modified materials have obvious curing effects on V, As, Se, Mo, and F. When the leaching contents of V, Cr6+, Cr3+, As3+, Se4+, Se6+, Mo, and F in the modified red mud were lower than 0.15 mg/L, 0.1 mg/L, 0.2 mg/L, 0.012 mg/L, 0.012 mg/L, 0.012 mg/L, 0.075 mg/L, and 1.2 mg/L, respectively, the environmental risk of modified red mud during long-term road use is acceptable. This study provides a new way for the resource utilization of red mud.
Evaluating Space Efficiency of Tall Buildings in Turkey
Authors: Aslantamer Özlem Nur , Ilgın Hüseyin Emre
Published: July 2024

In response to the increasing building demands in Turkey, particularly in the metropolitan area of Istanbul, followed by other major cities such as Ankara and Izmir, the expansion of construction zones has led to the emergence of tall towers as a pragmatic solution. The design and implementation of tall buildings require newer technologies and interdisciplinary collaboration in aspects such as facade installation, vertical circulation solutions, and fire systems, compared to low-rise buildings. In spite of the proliferation of skyscrapers, there is a noticeable lack of thorough study on space efficiency in Turkey’s tall buildings. This article aims to fill this significant gap in the literature. The research method employed in this study focuses on a case study of 54 modern towers constructed in Turkey between 2010 and 2023, ranging in height from 147 to 284 m. Key findings are as follows: (1) residential use, central core, and prismatic forms are the most prevalent architectural preferences; (2) the most preferred structural material and system are concrete and the shear-walled frame system, respectively; (3) average space efficiency and the percentage of core-to-gross-floor area (GFA) were 78% and 19%, respectively, with measurement ranges varying from a minimum of 64% and 9% to a maximum of 86% and 34%. This paper will provide insight for construction stakeholders, especially architects, for sound planning decisions in the development of Turkish tall buildings.
Morphological Change in Optical Coherence Tomography and Functional Outcomes in Epiretinal Membrane Peeling with or without SF6 Tamponade
Authors: Chi Yi-Chun , Chu Wei-Lun , Chen Kuo-Jen , Cheng Kai-Chun
Published: July 2024

Background: The present study compares the anatomical and functional outcomes (best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT)) among membrane peeling with or without SF6 tamponade in patients with epiretinal membrane. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with macular pucker who underwent pars plana vitrectomy and membrane peeling in a tertiary center in Taiwan from January 2021 to December 2022. Subjects were categorized into with or without SF6 tamponade groups (SF6 group and BSS group). Postoperative intraocular pressure and complications were documented. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the prognostic factors during follow-up. Results: A total of 89 eyes were enrolled, including 34 eyes in the BSS group and 55 eyes in the SF6 group. The mean age was 66 years old, and a female predilection was demonstrated. Both groups possessed statistically significant improvement in BCVA and CMT after the operation. There was no significant difference in CMT between the groups at any time of observation, yet we observed significant differences in baseline BCVA and BCVA at last follow-up among the two groups. Both groups yielded an approximate enhancement of LogMAR 0.3 in BCVA postoperatively. There was no significant difference noted in postoperative IOP between the two groups. Conclusion: Membrane peeling with or without SF6 tamponade yields comparable outcomes anatomically and functionally. This may indicate that SF6 tamponade for idiopathic macular pucker surgery may not provide extra benefit, and therefore warrants reconsideration as standard procedure.
Polyarthritis in Sjögren’s Syndrome: Difficulties in Distinguishing Extraglandular Manifestation and Associated Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Aradi Zsófia , Nagy Gábor , Horváth Ildikó Fanny , Antal-Szalmás Péter , Szántó Antónia
Published: July 2024

Aim of the study was to investigate the demographic data and disease course characteristics of patients with Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) and inflammatory joint pain of various origins and to search for factors that might help with the distinction of polyarthritis as an extraglandular manifestation and rheumatoid arthritis as an associated systemic autoimmune disorder. A total of 355 patients were retrospectively analyzed, 128 of whom served as controls (SS-C), while 159 had polyarthritis as an extraglandular symptom of Sjögren’s syndrome (SS-pa) and 68 were diagnosed as having associated rheumatoid arthritis (SS-RA). The patients without any inflammatory joint manifestations were significantly older than the SS-pa patients, while, for the SS-RA group, the difference was not significant. The onset of joint pain appeared significantly earlier in the SS-RA patients. Regarding either extraglandular manifestations or associated autoimmune disorders, there were significant differences between the controls and both SS-pa and SS-RA groups, while no significant difference was found between the SS-pa and SS-RA groups. Thus, laboratory and imaging methods should be used to differentiate between the two conditions, but laboratory biomarkers are even more important for early diagnosis. A ROC curve analysis showed an acceptable diagnostic accuracy in differentiating between SS-pa and SS-RA patients using a binary logistic regression model, where highly positive rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) values, kidney involvement, and anti-Ro/SS-A positivity were shown to significantly raise the odds of having RA, whereas anti-La/SS-B positivity seemed to have a protective role, since it significantly decreased the odds of having it. Further biomarkers are needed to better classify SS patient cohorts with inflammatory joint pain of different origins and, consequently, different management requirements.
Evaluation of Plasma Atherogenic Index, Triglyceride-Glucose Index and Other Lipid Ratios as Predictive Biomarkers of Coronary Artery Disease in Different Age Groups
Authors: Okan Taha , Doruk Mehmet , Ozturk Ali , Topaloglu Caner , Dogdus Mustafa , Yilmaz Mehmet Birhan
Published: July 2024

(1) Background: Dyslipidaemia and insulin resistance are major risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD). This study investigated the relationship between plasma atherogenic index (PA-I), triglyceride-glucose index (TGI) and other lipid ratios with the presence and prediction of CAD among different age categories. (2) Methods: The study included 223 participants diagnosed with CAD and those with normal coronary arteries (normal group) by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Participants were categorised by age and sex: premature CAD (PCAD) for men under 55 and women under 65, and older groups as elderly. (3) Results: PA-I, Lipid Combined Index, Castelli Risk Indices, and TGI were significantly higher in the PCAD group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). ROC analysis showed that a PA-I cut-off of 0.41 had a sensitivity of 62% and a specificity of 58% for predicting PCAD, while a TGI cut-off of 8.74 had a sensitivity of 68% and a specificity of 62%. In the elderly, no significant differences in these indices were found between the CAD and normal groups. (4) Conclusions: Traditional lipid profiles and non-traditional lipid indices such as PA-I and TGI show significant differences in predicting CAD in younger populations but not in older groups. TGI and PA-I may be promising biomarkers for the prediction of PAD, although further validation is needed.
Hardware Acceleration and Approximation of CNN Computations: Case Study on an Integer Version of LeNet
Authors: Leveugle Régis , Cogney Arthur , Gah El Hilal Ahmed Baba , Lailler Tristan , Pieau Maxime
Published: July 2024

AI systems have an increasing sprawling impact in many application areas. Embedded systems built on AI have strong conflictual implementation constraints, including high computation speed, low power consumption, high energy efficiency, strong robustness and low cost. Neural Networks (NNs) used by these systems are intrinsically partially tolerant to computation disturbances. As a consequence, they are an interesting target for approximate computing seeking reduced resources, lower power consumption and faster computation. Also, the large number of computations required by a single inference makes hardware acceleration almost unavoidable to globally meet the design constraints. The reported study, based on an integer version of LeNet, shows the possible gains when coupling approximation and hardware acceleration. The main conclusions can be leveraged when considering other types of NNs. The first one is that several approximation types that look very similar can exhibit very different trade-offs between accuracy loss and hardware optimizations, so the selected approximation has to be carefully chosen. Also, a strong approximation leading to the best hardware can also lead to the best accuracy. This is the case here when selecting the ApxFA5 adder approximation defined in the literature. Finally, combining hardware acceleration and approximate operators in a coherent manner also increases the global gains.
Initial Development and Analysis of a Context-Aware Burn Resuscitation Decision-Support Algorithm
Authors: Kao Yi-Ming , Arabidarrehdor Ghazal , Parajuli Babita , Ziedins Eriks E. , McLawhorn Melissa M. , D’Orio Cameron S. , Oliver Mary , Moffatt Lauren , Mathew Shane K. , Kelly Edward J. , Carney Bonnie C. , Shupp Jeffrey W. , Burmeister David M. , Hahn Jin-Oh
Published: July 2024

Burn patients require high-volume intravenous resuscitation with the goal of restoring global tissue perfusion to make up for burn-induced loss of fluid from the vasculature. Clinical standards of burn resuscitation are predominantly based on urinary output, which is not context-aware because it is not a trustworthy indicator of tissue perfusion. This paper investigates the initial development and analysis of a context-aware decision-support algorithm for burn resuscitation. In this context, we hypothesized that the use of a more context-aware surrogate of tissue perfusion may enhance the efficacy of burn resuscitation in normalizing cardiac output. Toward this goal, we exploited the arterial pulse wave analysis to discover novel surrogates of cardiac output. Then, we developed the cardiac output-enabled burn resuscitation decision-support (CaRD) algorithm. Using experimental data collected from animals undergoing burn injury and resuscitation, we conducted an initial evaluation and analysis of the CaRD algorithm in comparison with the commercially available Burn NavigatorTM algorithm. Combining a surrogate of cardiac output with urinary output in the CaRD algorithm has the potential to improve the efficacy of burn resuscitation. However, the improvement achieved in this work was only marginal, which is likely due to the suboptimal tuning of the CaRD algorithm with the limited available dataset. In this way, the results showed both promise and challenges that are crucial to future algorithm development.
Dual-Band MIMO Antenna for n79 and sub-7 GHz Smartphone Applications
Authors: Zahid Muhammad , Ali Qammar , Bhowmike Nirman , Bolla Devi Prasanth , Shoaib Sultan , Amin Yasar
Published: July 2024

The optimal design of Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antennas is significant for next-generation smartphone solutions with the appearance of further communication. This paper describes the design, simulation, and measurements of a ten-element MIMO antenna for n79 at 4.4–5.0 GHz, n102 at 5.925–6.425 GHz, and n104 at 6.425–7.125 GHz ranges that will be implemented in today’s smartphones. The proposed antenna system has a maximum dimension of 158 mm × 60 mm and will use the low-cost FR-4 as the dielectric material. The design procedure is carried out with a lot of care to ensure that it does not compromise the spatial characteristics and at the same time minimizes the mutual coupling between the nearby antenna dimensions. High isolation and low ECC values are simulated using capturing techniques on the antenna geometry and its element position for proper MIMO performance improvement. The constructed antenna system portrays good performances in the intended bands as evidenced by the reflection coefficient values, radiation patterns, and individual gains. The performance of the above proposed ten-element MIMO antenna system in terms of bandwidth efficiency, diversity gain, and channel capacity loss is discussed. It also satisfies the demands of current standards of wireless communications and provides future possibilities for higher data transmission rates and message reliability in next-generation smartphone applications. Here, the application of the FR-4 substrate is remarkable as it provides comparatively better performance with significantly easier manufacturing and less cost, and thus, the design has good possibilities to be commercially viable. This work can be understood to form part of ongoing research in enhancing the advancement of the smartphone’s antenna technology, which offers a scalable approach to the prospective spectrum altitude and the emergent surge in the data rates of mobile communication.