bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Blood Glucose Monitoring
Authors: Selea Zivojinovic Anujka
Published: November 2022

Glucose monitoring is the integral part of diabetes management. We have over the years moved from qualifying sugars in urine to identifying glucose alone in the interstitial tissue. Even more we are anow able to identify and use minute to minuet glucose fluctuations and use them to avoid the dangers and unpleasantries of hypoglycemia. We look at the development of glucose monitoring methods. The development of classic basic glucose monitors as well as the development of continuous glucose monitors. Basic principles of function, advantages, and disadvantages, as well as areas of actual and projected use are mentioned. We name some of the patient groups that have proven to get most advantage of glucose monitoring. He need for individual approach an patient activation as well as for alert diabetes health care provided is necessary for optimal use of technology for glucose monitoring.
Impact on Forest and Vegetation Due to Human Interventions
Authors: Prasad Bhatt Ramesh
Published: November 2022

Forest and vegetation play an important role in balancing ecosystem patterns, providing food security, and blessing the environment for living beings, so the status of global forests and biodiversity, their impact and change overtime with climatic effects and challenges is important. This study’s methods include a review of global forest cover and status; distribution, and assessment; biodiversity, forest carbon assessment; causes of forest loss; and the impacts and implications of CO2 emissions. Forests encompass 31% of the world’s forests, are home to 2 million to 1 trillion species, and provide habitat for 80% of amphibian species, 75% of bird species, 68% of mammalian species, and so on. Deforestation is the major cause of forest loss, with a decrease of 4.7 million ha. From 2010 to 2020, only in the Asia Pacific region and from 2000 to 2010, 13 million ha of world forests were lost. All flora, fauna, and microbes are slowly degrading and disappearing due to human activities such as deforestation, intensive use, inappropriate forest management, agriculture, encroachment of forest land, slash burn practices, forest fires, urbanization, overharvesting, environmental deterioration, etc. Because the globe has emitted over 1.5 trillion tonnes of CO2 since 1751, the persistence of biodiversity in human-modified habitats is crucial for conservation and the provision of ecosystem services.
Miscible Displacement Oil Recovery
Authors: Mohammed Al Hinai Nasser , Saeedi Ali
Published: November 2022

Miscible gas injection (MGI) is an effective enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method used worldwide often for light oil recovery. In the petroleum industry, many MGI processes typically involve injection of an associated gas (AG) mixture or CO2, which have both been recognised as excellent candidates for such processes. The initial part of this chapter provides a broad introduction and background to the EOR techniques used worldwide as well as those implemented in Oman oil fields and briefly discusses their critical importance. Oman is one of the most active countries in terms of successful MGI processes in the Middle East, hence the emphasis given in this chapter to such projects in this country. The second part covers the technical details of the MGI process and the potential problems and challenges associated with it, while the third part focuses mainly on the common techniques used to control gas mobility during gas flooding including MGI. The impediments and challenges for wider application of the mobility control techniques are also covered. The last section presents a sample feasibility evaluation for a real oil field around the implementation of mobility control techniques for an MGI process.
The Interaction of Gut Microbiota-brain Axis in Relation to Human Health with the Use of Animal Models
Authors: Thergarajan Gaythri , Bhassu Subha
Published: November 2022

The human gastrointestinal tract harbors an extremely complex and dynamic microbial community, including archaea, bacteria, viruses and eukaryota. This gut microbiota usually works with the host to promote health but can sometimes initiate or promote disease. Dysbiosis relationship in gut health indicating the role gut microbiota in promoting the development and progression of brain health. The human gut microbiota is a complex and dynamics microbial community that plays an important role in protecting the host against pathogenic microbes, modulating immunity and regulating metabolic processes. The insights can be elucidated with help of latest omics technology and animal model studies.
The Present Situation and Development for Spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar Antenna Arrays
Authors: Li Hua , Li Zhenning , Liu Kaiyu , Ren Mingshan , Deng Yunkai
Published: November 2022

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) based on satellites and or space vehicles as motion platform has the capability to work under all weather conditions, day and nights, and has become an indispensable mean for earth observation. At present, the large-scale phased array antenna, such as the active microstrip-phased array antenna of SIR-C imaging radar and the waveguide slot-phased array antenna of Radarsat-1 imaging radar, is one of the core components of spaceborne SAR and determines the system performance to a large extent. Although the traditional antenna array scheme has been widely used in existing spaceborne SAR systems due to strong beam control ability, sufficient failure redundancy backup, mature design method and so on, it still has drawbacks, for example, large volume, high weight and manufacturing cost, and low energy utilization rate, which restrict the further improvement of performance and are burdens on the research of next-generation high-performance spaceborne SAR system. With the development of electric and electronic techniques, forthcoming SAR array-phased array antennas will make breakthroughs in antenna architectures, concepts, technologies and modes, for instance, periodic reflector array antennas and metamaterial array antennas. This chapter focuses on the present and forthcoming development of spaceborne SAR antenna arrays.
Hydrogen Oxyfuel Combustion for Energy-Intensive Industries
Authors: Iplik Esin , Adendorff Martin , Muren David
Published: November 2022

Hydrogen has been seen as a decarbonization enabler for the last few decades, and in the last couple of years, there have been many investments in its production through renewables and use in different industrial applications. It is often researched for energy storage, and combustion is an excellent alternative to recover the energy stored in hydrogen. It might be the most viable alternative, especially when it comes to energy-intensive metal and glass production processes. The utilization of hydrogen as a fuel in these processes would reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly, considering their share in total emissions. Since these industries already benefit from oxyfuel combustion with traditional fuels for fuel savings, part of the infrastructure already exists for hydrogen oxyfuel combustion. Fuel change is expected to require some minor adjustments other than simply changing the oxidizer; however, each industry has specific points to consider. This chapter investigates metal and glass production processes based on their needs and challenges in using hydrogen oxyfuel combustion for heating. Additionally, possible exhaust gas stream improvements are suggested to recover energy and reduce emissions. Finally, safety aspects of hydrogen and oxygen use are discussed together with the community acceptance of hydrogen use.
Carbon Dioxide-Oil Minimum Miscibility Pressure Methods Overview
Authors: Mohamed Ibrahim Mansour Eman
Published: November 2022

One of the essential parameters in carbon dioxide (CO2) miscible flooding is the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP). Minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) is defined as the lowest pressure at which recovery of oil is (90–92%) at injection (1.2 PV) of carbon dioxide (CO2). The injected gas and oil become a multi-contact miscible at a fixed temperature. Before any field trial, minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) must be determined. This parameter must be determined before any field trial because any engineer needs a suitable plan to develop an injection and surface facilities environment. Estimation of reliable (MMP) maybe by traditional laboratory techniques, but it is very costly and time-consuming. Also, it can rely on various literature (MMP) empirical correlations, but this is not a good strategy because each minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) correlation relates to a unique formation condition.
Anesthesia Management to Improve Outcomes
Authors: Irizaga Gonzalo , Angulo Gonzalo
Published: November 2022

Neoplastic pathology is the second cause of death in developed countries. In our specialty, there is great concern about the implications of the anesthetic technique and the drugs used, present in the perioperative period of the cancer patient; as well as other perioperative factors. Among the latter, we highlight the management of psychological stress, adequate pain control, the type of surgery, avoiding hypothermia, and reducing transfusions of blood products. This concern is based on the fact that despite great advances in both surgical techniques for tumor resection and neoadjuvant and adjuvant polychemotherapy techniques; tumor recurrence rates have not decreased as desired. This suggests that the previously mentioned perioperative factors play an active role in tumor recurrence in cancer patients. Based on current evidence and our experience, we can affirm that the use of anesthetic/analgesic techniques based on the use of propofol, NSAIDs, and regional anesthesia with local anesthetics that achieve a decrease in the perioperative consumption of opiates, especially morphine, can be beneficial to protect the anti-metastatic immune response of the organism in a period of special protumoral susceptibility such as the perioperative period.
Image-Based Crop Leaf Disease Identification Using Convolution Encoder Networks
Authors: Bharathi Indira , Sonai Veeramani
Published: November 2022

Nowadays, agriculture plays a major role in the progress of our nation’s economy. However, the advent of various crop-related infections has a negative impact on agriculture productivity. Crop leaf disease identification plays a critical role in addressing this issue and educating farmers on how to prevent the spread of diseases in crops. Researchers have already used methodologies such as decision trees, random forests, deep neural networks, and support vector machines. In this chapter, we proposed a hybrid method using a combination of convolutional neural networks and an autoencoder for detecting crop leaf diseases. With the help of convolutional encoder networks, this chapter presents a unique methodology for detecting crop leaf infections. Using PlantVillage dataset, the model is trained to recognize crop infections based on leaf images and achieves an accuracy of 99.82%. When compared with existing work, this chapter achieves better results with a suitable selection of hyper tuning parameters of convolution neural networks.
POCUS in Abdominal Trauma: Old Gadget, New Insights
Authors: Ramaswami Akshaya , Prakash Sinha Tej
Published: November 2022

Abdominal trauma is difficult to identify, especially in a patient with multiple injuries. Mechanism of injury can guide us to the likely organs injured, but the extent and location cannot be accurately pinpointed in most cases. Owing to the multitude of structures located in the abdomen, timely identification and appropriate intervention are crucial to ensure the good patient outcomes. Focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) and its extended version (eFAST) has become the standard care as per ATLS guidelines in patient evaluation. The main goal is to identify hemoperitoneum, hemothorax, and/or pneumothorax. However, sonography can be applied to detect varying injuries to abdominal viscera, beyond the elementary eFAST examination. This includes assessment of solid organs, hollow viscus, vascular structures, and even soft tissues. Sonography, when wielded with necessary knowledge and practice, can be an incredible asset at the bedside. This chapter aims to explore these possible applications of point of care ultrasonography (POCUS) in abdominal trauma.
Potential of Aquatic Plants for Pesticide Removal in Wastewater: A Case Study on Pentachlorophenol
Authors: Werheni Ammeri Rim , Souid Faiza , Hajjeji Feryell , Eturki Saifeddine , Moussa Mohamed
Published: November 2022

Today, soil and water pollution by pesticides is a serious problem worldwide. Compared with conventionally expensive, invasive, and sometimes ineffective techniques for pentachlorophenol (PCP) dealing, such as excavation, dredging and some chemical methods, in situ treatment strategies are more effective at reducing risk and decreasing expenditures on management. Among the in situ treatments, bioremediation (microbial remediation and phytoremediation) is thought to be capable in permanent pollutants elimination at low cost. Therefore, phytoremediation has received more attention in the last decade. Phytoremediation is applicable owing to its esthetic value, environment friendly, manipulation in situ and economic benefit. However, the previous phytoremediation studies mostly focused on the use of terrestrial plants and remediation of heavy metals. Sediments in aquatic environment are regarded as ultimate sink of organic contaminants, but little information is available on the possibility of use of aquatic macrophytes for remediation of organic toxicants in aquatic environment. It is, therefore, necessary to develop phytoremediation method of PCP by using aquatic macrophytes.
Trichuris: A Critical Review
Authors: Yousuf Parvaiz , Parvaiz Semran , Razzak Shahid , Zehbi Nisheet
Published: November 2022

Trichuris (whipworms) is a type of roundworm that is responsible for trichuriasis in human beings. Globally, 600–800 million people are infected by this helminthic worm per year. Trichuris is more prevalent in some tropical and sub-tropical areas such as East Asia, China, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Americas. These parasitic nematodes affect the small intestines of mammals, causing a great deal of discomfort. Their life cycle is completed in two stages; mammals and the external environment. The zoonotic transmission of the disease is responsible for huge infections and deaths around the world. In recent times, researchers have gained a lot of understanding about the genetics and parasitology of Trichuris. In this chapter, we will discuss the origin, phylogeny, life cycle, diagnosis, and zoonotic transmission of the parasite. At the same time, the chapter discusses the genomics of the parasite and the future directions that can help us contain this parasitic nematode.
Machine Learning and Cognitive Robotics: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Tawiah Thomas
Published: November 2022

The chapter reviews recent developments in cognitive robotics, challenges and opportunities brought by new developments in machine learning (ML) and information communication technology (ICT), with a view to simulating research. To draw insights into the current trends and challenges, a review of algorithms and systems is undertaken. Furthermore, a case study involving human activity recognition, as well as face and emotion recognition, is also presented. Open research questions and future trends are then presented.
Perspective Chapter: Breast Reduction with Central Pedicle and Autologous Mesh Dermis – Surgical Tecnique
Authors: Rudolph Geisse Armin , Rudolph Oppliger Klaus , Rudolph Oppliger Thomas
Published: November 2022

Looking to improve the esthetic and functional results of the central pedicle technique, we add the dermis mesh shaping and support forming a “central cone” to manage the mammary tissue. The periareolar skin agglomeration searches for a reduction in horizontal submammary scars’ size. The purpose of this chapter is to describe this surgical technique (combination of techniques).
Sets of Fractional Operators and Some of Their Applications
Authors: Torres-Hernandez A. , Brambila-Paz F. , Ramirez-Melendez R.
Published: November 2022

This chapter presents one way to define Abelian groups of fractional operators isomorphic to the group of integers under addition through a family of sets of fractional operators and a modified Hadamard product, as well as one way to define finite Abelian groups of fractional operators through sets of positive residual classes less than a prime number. Furthermore, it is presented one way to define sets of fractional operators which allow generalizing the Taylor series expansion of a vector-valued function in multi-index notation, as well as one way to define a family of fractional fixed-point methods and determine their order of convergence analytically through sets.
Ulcerative Colitis and Pregnancy
Authors: Kaluarachchi Athula , Fernandopulle Nilesh , Ranaweera Probhodana , Kaluarachchi Dinindu , Kaluarachchi Indumini , Kumarasiri Jayawardena Sanupa
Published: November 2022

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by relapsing and remitting episodes of inflammation limited to the mucosal layer of the colon. It commonly involves the rectum and may extend to involve other parts of the colon. The age of onset for females is during the reproductive years, and many are likely to get pregnant after the diagnosis of the disease. Women have comparable fertility to the general population when the disease is in remission. Fertility is likely to get affected in women with active disease and in women who had undergone ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). Assisted reproduction has improved the chances of successful pregnancy in these women whose fertility is impaired following surgery. Affected females delay pregnancy due to active disease, fear of medications affecting the fetus, and fear of transmitting the disease to the newborn. Most drugs used in the management are safe in pregnancy except for drugs such as methotrexate and tofacitinib. Congenital abnormalities are not increased in pregnancies complicated with ulcerative colitis. Preconception counseling with the objective of planning the pregnancy during remission, reviewing drug therapy, and educating on the importance of continuing medication and its safety are important for better outcomes for the mother and the baby.
The Strength of Masonry Based on the Deformation Characteristics of Its Components
Authors: N. Plotnikov Alexey , A. Ivanov Viktor , V. Mikhailov Boris , G. Rytova Tatyana , S. Yakovleva Olga , Yu Ivanov Mikhail , V. Ivanova Natalia
Published: November 2022

The chapter presents a new approach to determining the strength of masonry reinforced with transverse meshes in mortar joints. The method consists of using the values of the modulus of elasticity and limiting deformations of the stone material, mortar for joints, and both steel and composite reinforcements. An analytical notation is proposed that integrally takes into account the characteristics of the initial materials. The results of physical tests of centrally loaded masonry pillars reinforced with steel and composite meshes are given. To test the masonry, widely used materials were used: solid brick and cement-sand mortar. The values of the bearing capacity, deformations, and internal stresses of the masonry are obtained. It is determined that the stresses in the reinforcing bars of the meshes are unevenly distributed in the horizontal plane of the mortar joint and amount to 20–37% of the design resistance of the mesh material. The strength of masonry reinforced with composite meshes is 65–75% of steel of the same cross section. It is shown that there is a good convergence of test results with the presented analytical dependence.
Perspective Chapter: Consumers’ Curbside Pickup and Home Delivery Shopping Behavior in the Post-Pandemic Era
Authors: Li Jia , Fisher Patrick
Published: November 2022

Consumers’ shopping channel options have moved beyond the traditional brick-and-mortar channel and into e-commerce channels such as curbside-pickup-from-store and home-delivery-from-store. The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially accelerated consumers’ adoption of these e-commerce channels, particularly in their grocery shopping. Even allowing for the pandemic’s end, grocery shoppers’ reliance on e-commerce will stay and continue growing, calling for an urgent understanding of consumers’ curbside pickup and home delivery shopping behavior in the post-pandemic era. This chapter offers the first comprehensive manuscript to help understand the status-quo and future of consumers’ curbside pickup and home delivery shopping behavior. The unique collaboration between an academic scholar and a practitioner with rich industry experience provides practical insights and points of view with rigorous scientific support. Note that this chapter is beyond a review—a new digital-era shopping channel typology and framework is proposed; a new data analysis that compares the time consumers spend on shopping grocery online vs. offline is conducted; multiple predictions about grocery shoppers’ new behavior in the curbside-pickup-from-store and home-delivery-from-store channels in the post-pandemic era are presented. While the manuscript focuses on the grocery industry, the insights can be applied to other retail sectors that also provide curbside-pickup-from-store and/or home-delivery-from-store services.
The Molecular Epidemiological Study of MRSA in Mexico
Authors: Ángel Ortíz Gil Miguel , Irasu Cardona Alvarado Monica
Published: November 2022

The rapid spread of infections by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) emerged in the early 1960s, and this pathogen is one of the most common agents of nosocomial infections. As a reaction to the appearance and spread of multi-drug-resistant MRSA in Mexico, some hospitals have established molecular epidemiological surveillance, where pandemic clones of MRSA have been detected in different states in the north, the center, and the south of Mexico. The pandemic clones detected in Mexico are the Iberian, the New York/Japan, the pediatric, the EMRSA-16, and the USA-300. The surveillance or evolutionary studies carried out in Mexico, using different molecular methodologies, have shown a predominance of the New York/Japan clone, which has even displaced other MRSA clones. Therefore, it is necessary to continue establishing molecular surveillance and diagnostic programs as a special management for the confirmed MRSA infections, if these measures are not carried out to understand and control the changing lineages of MRSA, in the future, it may become an important public health problem, since the New York/Japan clone, which is the most predominant in our country, clearly demonstrates its great capacity for geographical expansion, multi-resistance, and virulence.
An Approach to Improve the Product Design Process
Authors: Kenger Patrick
Published: November 2022

The design work made by design engineers needs to be clearly defined and structured. The design process to follow should naturally lead to a systematic design work that reduces wasteful work, and reuses competence and knowledge from previous design work. In a time when products become more complex regarding performance, tolerances, material, and with more technological and digital things built into the products, this design process becomes even more important. The Way We Design (TWWD) presented in this chapter is one contribution to such a design process for the day-to-day design work. The work behind TWWD is based on both research and industrial practice over more than 15 years. The process is built on 11 checkpoints (A to K), which gives details on the design process and is customized for the specific company. Implementations of TWWD in companies are described in this chapter, where the results have shown a gain in lead-time, development cost, and improved design quality.
How to Measure the Happy-Productive Worker Thesis
Authors: Costa Natália , Miguel Oliveira Carlos , Ferreira Pedro
Published: November 2022

Globalisation and intensifying competition force organisations to create distinctive competitive advantages, transforming classic management models and seeking effective responses to the mutability and dynamics of markets. People management plays a central role in achieving differentiating capacities, forcing more effective management of human resources. In an environment marked by high absenteeism and turnover, followed by the growing difficulty in retaining talent, organisations have been seeking to increase the satisfaction of internal customer needs (employees), working on issues such as well-being and happiness at work. The increasing concern with employee well-being and their association with job performance have been the basis for many research studies aimed at understanding the impact of the concept of happiness on employee behaviour and performance. This chapter seeks to summarise the main ways of operationalising the constructs inherent to the thesis of the happy-productive worker (happiness and performance). This chapter is structured as follows: introduction, exploration of the happy-productive worker thesis (concept and origin and main theoretical frameworks related to the idea), measuring the constructs (happiness and performance), and conclusion.
Perspective Chapter: Osteosarcomas of the Head and Neck
Authors: Plass Ingrid
Published: November 2022

Osteosarcomas of the head and neck (HNOS) are an infrequent disease, representing less than 10% of all osteosarcomas and 1% of all head and neck cancers. However, they exhibit a different clinical behavior and natural history than extremities osteosarcomas (OS), therefore requiring a specific study and analysis. Specifically, in head and neck sites, OS have shown a different presentation age, reduced likelihood of distant metastases, and a severely higher local recurrence rates. This may be due to the difficulties in ensuring wide negative margins, given the multiple vital structures surrounding tumors in this particular region. This singular features render HNOS a different prognosis and prognostic factors, becoming a topic that should be assessed independently, as they may need a different treatment approach than osteosarcomas of the trunk or extremities.
Zika Virus for Brain Cancer Treatment?
Authors: Gonçalves de Sena Barbosa Mateus , Nunes Rabelo Nicollas
Published: November 2022

Malignant brain tumors are among the most aggressive cancers with poor prognosis and no effective treatment despite all available therapies and technologies. The search for treatments for gliomas allowed the discovery that the Zika virus (ZIKV), a flavivirus, has a tropism for brain tumor cells and acts with an oncolytic effect, reaching brain tumors, in addition to stimulating the antitumor immunity of the host. Thus, it provides long-term immunity against cancer remission, reduces tumor burden, less metastasis and complete remission in some animals, consequently increases survival. There has been support that treatment with ZIKV against glioblastoma can be effective, suggesting a new future therapy that could revolutionize the prognosis of patients with brain tumors.
Solid-State Synthesis of Organoclays: Physicochemical Properties and Application for Bisphenol A Removal from Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Garikoé Issaka , Guel Boubié
Published: November 2022

The solid-state intercalation of organoclays, by using surfactants bromide salts (n-C12H25(CH3)3NBr, n-C14H29(CH3)3NBr, n-C16H33(CH3)3NBr and n-C12H25)2(CH3)2NBr) at different levels of the cation exchange capacity (CEC), was reported. According to XRPD data, the basal spacing of the smectite phase unit cell increased systematically up to >38 Å at 2.0-CEC of surfactants loading, indicating that they entered into the smectite interlayers and were arranged parallel to the layers at low concentrations and nearly vertical at high ones. Organoclays FTIR spectra showed a drop in the water band intensities at around 1630 and 3400 cm−1, and new specific bands close to 2920 and 2850 cm−1 were assigned to the asymmetric and symmetric stretching of the surfactants CH2 groups, respectively. Various factors, impacting bisphenol A (BPA) removal from water, were estimated in batch studies. It is shown that both physisorption and chemisorption describe the BPA sorption, and the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm fit better the BPA sorption results. The adsorption capacities of the organoclays are ranged from 88 to 127 mg/g at ambient temperature and in acidic solution. The effect of pH on the adsorption showed a remarkable drop in the quantity of adsorbed BPA when the pH is greater than 10 (pH ≥ 10).
Right Game, Wrong Place? A Case Study: Using a Gamified AR Application in a Heritage Context to Promote Engagement and Learning
Authors: Noah Jefferies Liam
Published: November 2022

This chapter describes an experiment in the use of gamified processes within a downloadable smartphone augmented reality (AR) application situated in a heritage context of national (UK) significance. The AR project incorporated two distinct game modes, both of which were designed to simultaneously provide users with information and motivate continued engagement. The learning gained from the AR project pertains specifically to three core threads; the first, being of fundamental importance to gamification, is that of challenge and how this links to user motivation, audience ability and prior knowledge. The second considers methodology, specifically the observation of ‘representative’ and ‘expert users’ and how a comparison of these can provide insight. The final, and most significant, thread reflects upon gamified content in relation to context, user expectation and environmental influences. The conclusion may assist others who seek to use gamification in any context by its exploration of the mistakes made and successes encountered in this case study.
Predictive Data Analysis Using Linear Regression and Random Forest
Authors: Olufemi Ogunleye Julius
Published: November 2022

A statistical technique called predictive analysis (or analytics) makes use of machine learning and computers to find patterns in data and forecasts future actions. It is now preferred to go beyond descriptive analytics in order to learn whether training initiatives are effective and how they may be enhanced. Data from the past as well as the present can be used in predictive analysis to make predictions about what might occur in the future. Businesses can improve upcoming learning projects by taking actionable action after identifying the potential risks or possibilities. This chapter compares two predictive analysis models used in the predictive analysis of data: the Generalized Linear Model with Linear Regression (LR) and the Decision Trees with Random Forest (RF). With an RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) of 0.0264965 and an arithmetic mean for all errors of 0.016056967, Linear Regression did better in this analysis than Random Forest, which had an RMSE of 0.117875 and an arithmetic mean for all errors of 0.07062315. Through the hyper-parameter tuning procedure, these percentage errors can still be decreased. The combined strategy of combining LR and RF predictions, by averaging, nevertheless produced even more accurate predictions and will overcome the danger of over-fitting and producing incorrect predictions by individual algorithms, depending on the quality of data used for the training.
Ballast Water Utopia and Some Environmental Protection Ideas
Authors: Portia Ndlovu Fikile
Published: November 2022

An environmental protection plan that would resemble a true utopia might still be distant however, employing advanced methods and innovation that will get the global community on the road to the best marine and other environmental protections should be every generation’s intent. Ballast water management as related to shipping, trade, and the marine world as a special concern of this paper has been one of the most notable innovation drivers in the maritime space in the last couple of decades in order to close doors to the dangers of introducing new aquatic invasive species in sensitive environments around the world (bio invasions). This paper aims to selectively survey some established ballast water management methods reimagined by the latest innovations reflecting on some latest developments. The world is constantly facing troubling concerns over environmental protection issues particularly related to marine and maritime related endeavors. For example, what it may mean to lose many Russian scientists that are involved in arctic research as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, especially with ship traffic and ballast water management slated to be more and more of a concern in that area as shipping channels become more open in that region.
Advances in Pyridyl-Based Fluorophores for Sensing Applications
Authors: Leite Andreia , Queirós Carla , M.G. Silva Ana
Published: November 2022

Fluorescence sensing plays an important role in high sensitivity, selectivity, and real-time monitoring of biological and environmentally relevant species. Several classes of fluorescent dyes (fluorophores) including rhodamine, BODIPY, 1,8-naphthalimide, and coumarin-among others−when conveniently functionalized with reactive pyridyl receptors, have emerged as effective sensors to detect and quantify chemical species with high accuracy through fluorescent imaging and spectroscopy. Among the sensing targets, monitoring of harmful chemical species, e.g., metal ions (zinc, copper, iron, mercury, cadmium, lead, etc.) and anions (chloride, fluoride, sulfide, thiocyanate, etc.) can be used to understand their physiological and pathological role in live-cells and tissues, as well as to protect human health. This chapter focuses on recent advances in the molecular design of pyridyl-substituted fluorophores, their photophysical properties, and sensing applications.
Chitosan Is the Ideal Resource for Plant Disease Management under Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: A.E. Abdellatef Magdi , Elagamey Eman , M. Kamel Said
Published: November 2022

In the spirit of returning to nature and using scientific applications to raise plant efficiency and reduce pathogen risk, scientists began searching for safe, natural alternatives to pesticides that are highly effective and low cost. On top of these alternatives, chitosan came with its biodegradability, biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity, and nontoxicity, which granted it dual energetic effects during the host-pathogen interaction. Chitosan promotes plant growth, regulates plant cell homeostasis and metabolic processes, and triggers plant defense mechanisms; on the other hand, it inhibits the ability of pathogens by disrupting pathogen growth and reducing reproduction, wherefore chitosan will become an increasingly prevalent and ideal resource for agricultural sustainability.
Compatibility of Filter Materials Used with Ionic Liquids’ Uses in Hydraulic Drive Control Systems and a Filterability Test
Authors: Lovrec Darko , Tič Vito
Published: November 2022

Developments in the field of ionic liquids have led to industrial applications within various industrial processes, as they can be tailored to a specific purpose of use. Due to certain excellent physico-chemical properties, the first industrial applications also appear in the field of hydraulic drives. In these cases, efficient filtration of the hydraulic fluid is extremely important, as the safe, reliable, as well as long-lasting and economical operation of a heavily loaded hydraulic system depends on the efficiency of the filter and the cleanliness of the fluid. In the case of ionic hydraulic fluids, the question of compatibility with the materials of hydraulic components, including filters, arises. The chapter addresses the issue of compatibility of ionic hydraulic fluids with all filter materials, including the filter material that does the actual filtering. At the forefront of the discussion is the issue of incompatibility with cellulose-based filter material, which is considered the most effective when filtering conventional hydraulic fluids. The discussion is also related to off-line filter devices and the standardised filterability test, which prescribes cellulose filter membranes, and the resulting problems of practical and credible implementation of the standardised filterability test.
CANCELLED: Study of Temperature Variation over Shape Memory Polymer Hybrid Composite under Transverse Loading
Authors: M. Markad Kanif , Tiwari Nilesh
Published: November 2022

The chapter presents a nonlinear bending analysis of layered shape memory polymer composite beams under the influence of uniformly distributed transverse load. Simplified Co continuity Finite Element Method based on Higher Order Shear Deformation Theory has been adopted for bending analysis of shape memory polymer composite (SMPC) and shape memory polymer nanocomposite sandwich (SMPNCS) beam. The numerical solutions are obtained by the iterative Newton-Raphson method with Von-Karman nonlinear kinematics. Material properties of SMPC with shape memory polymer (SMP) as matrix and carbon fiber as reinforcements have been calculated by the theory of volume averaging. The effect of temperature on SMP, SMPC, SMP hybrid composite, and SMPNCS has been evaluated for various parameters such as aspect ratio, number of layers, boundary conditions, the volume fraction of carbon fiber, and laminate stacking orientation. The present study provides a detailed explanation of the influence of various parameters on the bending of SMPC and hybrid beam for large strain over a wide range of temperatures, which encompasses the glass transition region (Tg) of SMP. The deflection of the beam over this range of temperature indicates the elastic behavior of SMPC before and after its glass transition region due to constant modulus.
Perspective Chapter: Viscoelastic Mechanical Equivalent Models
Authors: Kamil Hussein Emad , Mardan Faisal Batool , Ahmed Subhi Kussay , Santos Thiago , Ghouali Samir , Asyraf Muhammad , Santos Caroliny
Published: November 2022

Today, we are living in a polymeric era where thousands of daily used products are manufactured from some polymeric materials with different tasks and under a wide range of ambient conditions, including time duration of loading and working condition temperature. This leads to focusing light spot on behavior of such specific materials and investigating the strain associated with the applied stress to understand both of creep and stress relaxation behavior of the loaded polymeric components. Hence, this chapter deals with the estimation of induced strain allied with the applied force on a polymeric material via establishing the so-called mechanical equivalent models starting from the simple elastic element (spring with a modulus of elasticity E), simple viscous element (damper or dashpot with fluid viscosity η), Maxwell model, Voigt model, modified Maxwell model, modified Voigt model, and Maxwell-Voigt model. The theoretical analysis was built on derivation of the prompted deformation, as a function of time in each of the employed models, as a result of the applied external load (force) and then by depending on Hook’s law transforming the gained expressions into stress (σ) and strain (ε) notation, followed by comparing the obtained equation with the general formula of the Hook’s law to find exact values of the constant and as coefficients of the stress and strain. Final theoretical analysis showed that Maxwell’s modified model was the best describing behavior of a loaded polymeric material to some extent followed by the other models.
An Overview of Effects on Reproductive Physiology of Melatonin
Authors: Gelen Volkan , Şengül Emin , Kükürt Abdulsamed
Published: November 2022

Melatonin is a neurotransmitter released from the pineal gland. The presence of receptor sites in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, ovaries, and testicles and secretion of pituitary hormones (FSH and LH) are some of the effects of this hormone on reproduction. In addition to its systemic effect, it also showed an effect on ovarian physiology with the detection of high levels in the follicular fluid and the presence of melatonin receptors in the ovarian cells. In addition, it has been determined that melatonin affects follicular growth, oocyte maturation, ovulation, and luteal function. It has been stated that the effects of melatonin on the male reproductive system are indirectly effective through the gonads and indirectly by affecting the hormones. Again, some studies have expressed that melatonin has strong antioxidant properties and affects reproductive physiology due to this effect. This section discusses the effect of melatonin on male and female reproductive physiology.
Prospects of Biochar as a Renewable Resource for Electricity
Authors: Anitha Ariharaputhiran , Ramila Devi Nagarajan
Published: November 2022

To face the change in energy paradigm, we need to devise technology that utilizes renewable resources and eventually realizes sustainability. Fuel cells generate electricity in a greener way, the efficiency and its cost-effectiveness depend mainly on the electrode material. Biochar serves as the promising electrode material, fuel, and separator membrane for fuel cells by being cheap, renewable, and possessing excellent electrochemical performance. The chapter is expected to provide a database of knowledge on how biochar with diversified physical and chemical features and functionalities can be effectively utilized for the possible application as electrode material for energy systems. The chapter appreciates the immense wealth of choice of biochar available with us for an important application in the area of energy as electrode material, fuel, and separator membrane for fuel cells.
The Use of Leap Motion in Manual Dexterity Testing by the Box and Blocks Test: A Review Study
Authors: Regina Kintschner Natália , Leandro Liporace Thiago , Maria Blascovi-Assis Silvana , Grasielle Dionísio Corrêa Ana
Published: November 2022

This chapter aims to analyze works in the literature that show the therapeutic effects of using the Leap Motion Controller (LMC) sensor to assess hand fine motor dexterity, especially those involving the Box and Blocks Test. Besides the introduction, we will describe: (a) the LMC device and its forms of interaction in a Virtual Reality environment (immersive and non-immersive); (b) aspects of manual function assessment; (c) the functioning of the traditional Box and Blocks Test (BBT) and its virtual version (VBBT) developed with Virtual Reality technologies; (d) discussion about the VBBT integrated with the LMC, in physical therapy practice.
Adaptability of Different International Grape Varieties in Diverse Terroirs: Impact on Grape and Wine Composition
Authors: Otto Tatiane , Botelho Renato , Biasi Luiz , Miljić Uroš , C. Correia Ana , M. Jordão António
Published: November 2022

In the last two decades, several international grape varieties from different traditional wine countries such as, France, Portugal, Italy, and Spain have been introduced in several world wine regions, increasing their representation in the world. The introduction of grape varieties in emerging regions with diverse environmental conditions from their natural origin introduces challenges on the adaptability of these varieties in new specific “terroirs,” not only in terms of their productivity but also related with the grape and wine characteristics. In addition, it is also important to compare their characteristics with native grape varieties grown in the local regions. On the other hand, climate change has also promoted greater mobility of grapes to new regions, increasing the dispersion of various grape varieties in areas where viticulture was, until now, severely limited. Thus, considering the importance of the dispersion of several grape varieties in regions out of the original provenance, the purpose of this chapter is to present a review of the most recently published data about the adaptation of several grape varieties in different environments and the impact on their qualitative characteristics (including in wines produced). The comparative analysis with some of the native varieties existing in these environments, when applicable, will also be analyzed.
Modeling Female Sexual Desire: An Overview and Commentary
Authors: L. Kohut-Jackson Abigail , M. Borland Johnathan , L. Meisel Robert
Published: November 2022

Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in women is a condition of low sexual desire that develops over time. Sexual desire normally diminishes over long-term relationships, but is also negatively affected by a demanding lifestyle, poor self-esteem and body image, and loss of intimacy in a relationship. HSDD elevates to a disorder when it is a concern for the woman, arising from conflict with a partner who is interested in a greater frequency of sexual interaction. Two drugs have been marketed (Addyi and Vyleesi) to treat HSDD. Neither drug was originally developed for this purpose, nor is either drug particularly effective. The lack of rational development of drugs to treat sexual disorders in women is due to the mistaken belief that components of female sexuality, such as sexual desire, cannot be effectively modeled in animals. To the contrary, sexual interest, desire, arousal, and reward are measurable aspects of sexual behavior in female rodents. Going forward, basic research using these pre-clinical models should be the starting point for drug development. At the same time, it is not clear that drug development represents the primary therapeutic approach to the problem, with behavioral therapies providing good options for first line of treatments for HSDD.
The Role of Apoptosis in Autoimmune Destruction of Pancreatic b-Cells
Authors: Vladimirovna Lugovaya Anna , Phylippovich Mitreikin Vladimir , Mikhailovna Kalinina Natalia
Published: November 2022

The purpose of this section of the monograph is to familiarize readers with the role of programmed cell death type 1—apoptosis in autoimmune destruction of the pancreas in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM-1). The task of focusing the reader’s attention on the mechanisms of pancreatic b-cells apoptosis is explained by the fact that the interest of scientists in this problem continues to grow. Sections of the chapter are devoted to the modern concept of T1DM-1 immunopathogenesis, the role of insufficient apoptosis of circulating effector T cells, on the one hand, and enhanced apoptosis of b-cells, on the other hand. Special attention is paid to the prospects for the treatment and prevention of T1DM. The chapter presents the results of experimental studies on the role of apoptosis in the immunopathogenesis of T1DM. Separately, the results of the authors’ own studies are considered. The chapter was based on sources from international data bases: Scopus, Springer, PubMed. The authors express the hope that the chapter will contribute not only to a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of T1DM, but also to arouse interest in the prospects for the treatment and prevention of this disease. The chapter is intended for students of medical universities and a wide range of readers with higher medical and biological education.