bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of crocin I on ANIT-induced intrahepatic cholestasis by combined metabolomics and transcriptomics
Authors: Song Dandan , Zhu Pei , Dong Yankai , Wang Mengchao , Zhao Anna , Xia Hongdong , Chen Yunting , Zhou Qingguang , Xiang Lun , Zhang Junyi , Luo Guangming , Luo Yangjing
Published: January 2023

Background: Intrahepatic cholestasis (IC) is a disorder of bile production, secretion, and excretion with various causes. Crocin I (CR) is effective in the treatment of IC, but its underlying mechanisms need to be further explored. We aimed to reveal the therapeutic mechanism of crocin I for IC by combining an integrated strategy of metabolomics and transcriptomics.

Methods: The hepatoprotective effect of CR against cholestasis liver injury induced by α-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) was evaluated in rats. The serum biochemical indices, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bile acid (TBA), total bilirubin (TBIL), direct bilirubin (DBIL), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin 1β (IL-1β), as well as the liver oxidative stress indexes and the pathological characteristics of the liver were analyzed. In addition, we also performed a serum metabolomics study using UPLC-Q Exactive HF-X technology to investigate the effect of CR on the serum of rats with ANIT-induced IC and screened potential biomarkers. The enrichment analysis of differential expressed genes (DEGs) was performed by transcriptomics. Finally, the regulatory targets of CR on potential biomarkers were obtained by combined analysis, and the relevant key targets were verified by western blotting.

Results: CR improved serum and liver homogenate indexes and alleviated liver histological injury. Compared with ANIT group, the CR group had 76 differential metabolites, and 10 metabolic pathways were enriched. There were 473 DEGs significantly changed after CR treatment, most of which were enriched in the retinol metabolism, calcium signaling pathway, PPAR signaling pathway, circadian rhythm, chemokine signaling pathway, arachidonic acid metabolism, bile secretion, primary bile acid biosynthesis, and other pathways. By constructing the “compound-reaction-enzyme-gene” interaction network, three potential key-target regulation biomarkers were obtained, including 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), ATP-binding cassette transporter G5 (ABCG5), and sulfotransferase2A1(SULT2A1), which were further verified by western blotting. Compared with the ANIT group, the CR group significantly increased the expression of ABCG5 and SULT2A1, and the expression of HMGCR significantly decreased.

Conclusion: Combined metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses show that CR has a therapeutic effect on IC through regulation of the biosynthesis of bile acids and bilirubin in the bile secretion pathway and regulation of the expression of HMGCR, ABCG5, and SULT2A1.
Experimental comparison of Yb/Al/Ce and Yb/Al/P co-doped fibers on the suppression of transverse mode instability
Authors: Zhang Zhilun , Luo Yonghui , Xing Yingbin , Li Haiqing , Peng Jinggang , Dai Nengli , Li Jinyan
Published: January 2023

We presented an experimental comparison of the core-composition difference on the suppression of the photodarkening and transverse mode instability effects. Two core-composition fibers, entailing Yb/Al/Ce and Yb/Al/P co-doped fibers, were fabricated by MCVD process combined with solution doping technique. The parameters of two fibers were almost the same. The PD-induced loss at equilibrium was 3.94 dB/m at 702 nm in Yb/Al/Ce fiber, while it was 0.99 dB/m in Yb/Al/P fiber. To obtain a deeper understanding of the impact of PD on laser performance, a bidirectional pumping fiber amplifier was constructed. Compared with Yb/Al/Ce co-doped fiber, the TMI thresholds of Yb/Al/P co-doped fiber were enhanced in co-pumped and counter-pumped schemes. Meanwhile, the slope efficiency in bidirectional scheme was promoted by 4%. Moreover, the transmittance at 638 nm confirmed the superior PD resistance of Yb/Al/P co-doped fiber. These experimental results pave the way for the further development of high-power fiber lasers.
Improved fatty acid composition of field cress (Lepidium campestre) by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing
Authors: Sandgrind Sjur , Li Xueyuan , Ivarson Emelie , Wang Eu Sheng , Guan Rui , Kanagarajan Selvaraju , Zhu Li-Hua
Published: January 2023

The wild species field cress (Lepidium campestre) has the potential to become a novel cover and oilseed crop for the Nordic climate. Its seed oil is however currently unsuitable for most food, feed, and industrial applications, due to the high contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and erucic acid (C22:1). As the biosynthesis of these undesirable fatty acids is controlled by a few well-known major dominant genes, knockout of these genes using CRISPR/Cas9 would thus be more effective in improving the seed oil quality. In order to increase the level of the desirable oleic acid (C18:1), and reduce the contents of PUFAs and C22:1, we targeted three important genes FATTY ACID ELONGASE1 (FAE1), FATTY ACID DESATURASE2 (FAD2), and REDUCED OLEATE DESATURASE1 (ROD1) using a protoplast-based CRISPR/Cas9 gene knockout system. By knocking out FAE1, we obtained a mutated line with almost no C22:1, but an increase in C18:1 to 30% compared with 13% in the wild type. Knocking out ROD1 resulted in an increase of C18:1 to 23%, and a moderate, but significant, reduction of PUFAs. Knockout of FAD2, in combination with heterozygous FAE1fae1 genotype, resulted in mutated lines with up to 66% C18:1, very low contents of PUFAs, and a significant reduction of C22:1. Our results clearly show the potential of CRISPR/Cas9 for rapid trait improvement of field cress which would speed up its domestication process. The mutated lines produced in this study can be used for further breeding to develop field cress into a viable crop.
A study on the relationship between mindfulness and work performance of web editors: Based on the chain mediating effect of workplace spirituality and digital competencies
Authors: He Jiazi , Li Xinwei , Wang Huiyi , Xu Zhiwu
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Based on the job demands-resources model, this study aims to explore the relationship between mindfulness in web editors, work performance, workplace spirituality, and digital competencies.

Methods

Online data from the Tencent Questionnaire Platform was used to examine the proposed research model. We distributed questionnaires to new media companies, and a total of 431 valid questionnaires were collected.

Results and Discussion

The results suggested that mindfulness in web editors can improve workplace spirituality, digital competencies, and work performance. In addition, workplace spirituality was found to act as a mediator between mindfulness and work performance. And, digital competencies did not play a mediating role between mindfulness and work performance, but workplace spirituality and digital competencies played a chain mediating role between mindfulness and work performance. The study explained the internal impact mechanism of mindfulness on work performance in web editors, and proposed methods to improve mindfulness, revealing the chain mediating role of workplace spirituality and digital competencies in the impact of mindfulness on work performance, which might provide new insights into existing research. It can provide a reference for new media companies to manage the team of web editors and improve the work performance of web editors.
Synergy effect of talent policies on corporate innovation—Evidence from China
Authors: Chen Qiuling , Sun Ting , Wang Tianchi
Published: January 2023

The talent policy is a powerful tool for the government to implement and the talent is the key resources attributed to corporate innovation. Different types of talent policy instruments need to be synergistically combined to promote corporate innovation. By using the sample of China’s listed companies during the period 2007–2020, this paper applies the multidimensional fixed-effect OLS method to explore the impact of different types of talent policies and talent policy mixes on corporate innovation, and adopts threshold regression model to detect the threshold effect of talent gathering in the framework of government-enterprise interaction. The results are shown as follows: The supply-side talent policy (STP), demand-side talent policy (DTP), and environmental-side talent policy (ETP) all positively affect corporate innovation. Talent policy mixes have a significant synergy on corporate innovation. And the effect of STP- DTP-ETP mixes is greater than that of any two types of talent policy mixes. Talent gathering has a threshold effect on the relationship between STP-DTP-ETP mixes and corporate innovation. Our study provides empirical evidence of the positive impact of different types of talent policy and their mixes on corporate innovation and enriches the literature related to talent gathering.
Neurocognitive function and associations with mental health in adults born preterm with very low birthweight or small for gestational age at term
Authors: Weider Siri , Lærum Astrid M. W. , Evensen Kari Anne I. , Reitan Solveig Klæbo , Lydersen Stian , Brubakk Ann Mari , Skranes Jon , Indredavik Marit S.
Published: January 2023

Objectives

To assess neurocognitive function in adults born with low birthweight compared with controls and to explore associations between neurocognitive function and psychopathology in these groups.

Methods

In this prospective cohort study, one group born preterm with very low birthweight (VLBW: birthweight <1,500 g, n = 53), one group born small for gestational age at term (SGA: birthweight <10th percentile, n = 63) and one term-born control group (birthweight ≥10th percentile, n = 81) were assessed with neurocognitive tests, diagnostic interviews, and self-report questionnaires at 26 years of age.

Results

The VLBW group scored significantly below the control group on several neurocognitive measures, including IQ measures, psychomotor speed, verbal fluency, aspects of visual learning and memory, attention, social cognition, working memory and fine motor speed. The SGA group consistently scored at an intermediate level between the VLBW and the control group and had significantly lower scores than controls on Performance IQ and psychomotor speed, including switching. In the VLBW group, associations were found between lower spatial working memory and the presence of anxiety disorders, internalizing and attention problems, and autistic traits. Furthermore, lower Full scale IQ was associated with attention problems when adjusting for sex and parental socioeconomic status.

Conclusion

Adults born preterm with VLBW or born term SGA displayed neurocognitive difficulties. Spatial working memory was associated with difficulties with attention, anxiety, and social function of VLBW adults. The finding and its clinical applicability should be further explored.
What factors determine brand communication? A hybrid brand communication model from utilitarian and hedonic perspectives
Authors: Fang Lingzhi Brian , Liu Mingzhen , Tang Liu
Published: January 2023

Introduction

With the advancement of new media, brand communication has been taken into consideration by lots of firms. Apparently, customer affection plays a significant role in brand communications, though few studies have determined how the twofold of information function works in this communication mechanism. Based on this research gap and practical background, this paper proposes a hybrid model of communication comprising the utilitarian and hedonic aspects.

Methods

For this study, 575 questionnaires were collected, followed by the structural equation modeling of the derived data to test the research model.

Results

The results of statistical analysis show that the brand communication can be improved in terms of both utilitarian and hedonic aspects. Moreover, psychological contract and customer engagement play a chain mediation role in this mechanism.

Discussion

These findings contribute to the research of brand communication mechanism in digital era. Likewise, the findings offers several practical implications to the brand management.
Can alexithymia be assessed through an interview in adolescents? The Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia: Reliability, concurrent validity, discriminant validity, and relationships with emotional-behavioral symptoms
Authors: Muzi Stefania , Di Trani Michela , Renzi Alessia , Pace Cecilia Serena
Published: January 2023

Alexithymia is connected to adolescents' psychopathology, but the current methods of assessment present limitations. The Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia (TSIA) was developed to overcome the limits of the main used self-rating scale in adults, but no studies investigated its feasibility with adolescents. This study involved 95 community adolescents aged 12–19 years. Adolescents were assessed with the TSIA, the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Verbal Comprehension Index of the WISC-IV for verbal skills, and the Child Behavior Checklist and Youth Self Report for emotional-behavioral symptoms. The aims were to investigate the TSIA internal consistency, concurrent validity with the TAS-20, discriminant validity with participants' verbal skills, and relationships with emotional-behavioral symptoms. TSIA showed good internal consistency, concurrent validity with the TAS-20 (except for factor DDF), and independence by participants' verbal skills, but few relationships with emotional-behavioral symptoms. In conclusion, TSIA showed some good psychometric proprieties but little convergence with research findings obtained with the TAS-20, suggesting the need for further research to check the feasibility of using the TSIA with adolescents. Meanwhile, a precautionary multi-method assessment of alexithymia is recommended.
The wellbeing of adolescents and the role of greenness: A cross-sectional study among Italian students
Authors: Scaioli Giacomo , Squillacioti Giulia , Bersia Michela , Bellisario Valeria , Borraccino Alberto , Bono Roberto , Dalmasso Paola , Lemma Patrizia
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Adolescence is a critical period of life, and the level of wellbeing acquired during this stage might have an influence on health status in adulthood. The wellbeing of adolescents is associated with both biological and environmental determinants. To date, few studies have evaluated the effect of exposure to urban green spaces (i.e., greenness) on adolescents' wellbeing. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the association between exposure to greenness and the wellbeing of adolescents, accounting for the level of urbanization surrounding schools.

Methods

In the frame of the 2018 Italian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC), we analyzed cross-sectional data from the Piedmont Region. Exposure to greenness was quantified by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Schools were geocoded, and a fixed buffer (radius 1,500 m) centered on each school was then built to enable average NDVI calculations. Adolescents' wellbeing was assessed by self-reported psychological, somatic, and psychosomatic health complaints as follows. Respondents were asked how often, in the last 6 months, they had experienced: (a) headache, (b) stomachache, (c) backache, (d) dizziness, (e) feeling low, (f) irritability or bad temper, (g) feeling nervous, and (h) difficulties getting to sleep using the HBSC Symptom Checklist (HBSC-SCL), an eight-item tool. Multivariable, multilevel logistic regression models tested the association between exposure to NDVI and psychosomatic, somatic, and psychological health complaints, one at a time, using schools as a random intercept.

Results

In total, 2065 subjects (47.6% girls) aged 11 (48.4%) and 13 (51.6%) years were involved. Greenness was found to be inversely associated with reported psychosomatic (OR 0.72, 95% CI: 0.53–0.98) and psychological health complaints (OR 0.67, 95% CI: 0.49–0.92) in boys only, adjusting for age, urbanization level, and socioeconomic status, and stratifying by gender.

Discussion

Our results support the implementation of future policies for urban environmental design supporting the increase of green spaces, as suggested by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Societal dangers of migrant crisis narratives with a special focus on Belarussian and Ukrainian borders with Poland
Authors: Grabowska Izabela
Published: January 2023

Society in the 21st century has experienced a variety of crises, from the fiscal crisis and the migration crisis to the pandemic and the inflation crisis. This paper aims to explore societal dangers of migrant crises narratives. This paper forms part of the Horizon 2020 MIMY research projects with an expert stakeholder Delphi study from seven European countries: Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Luxembourg, Sweden and the UK. It takes also into account contextual international and national public opinion surveys. We formulated a number of societal dangers related to the migrant crisis narrative, which are not sharp and exclusive but invite further consideration: (1) Societal fatigue, which relates to a rapid change in societal moods, usually from a positive to a negative attitude toward migrants, but above all this danger is connected with an aid burnout in a civil society; (2) Othering, which includes normativity, the labeling of migrants, double or multiple standards in the treatment of migrants and refugees from various origins; the societal danger of othering contributes to societal divisions, polarizations, tensions and conflicts based on ethnicity, religion, race and gender; (3) Political functionality, whereby migration as a political construct serves as a “whipping boy” for politicians to divert public opinion from recurrent problems; it also involves the creation of piecemeal, reactionary, ad hoc public policies, and the overuse of a protocol of a state of emergency in order to bring about a centralization of political power.
Integrated modeling framework for sustainable agricultural intensification
Authors: Brown Molly E. , Carcedo Ana J. P. , Eggen Michael , Grace Kathryn L. , Neff Jason , Ciampitti Ignacio A.
Published: January 2023

Agricultural scientists are pursuing sustainable intensification strategies to increase global food availability, but integration from research to impact at the local-level requires knowledge of demographic and human-environment to enhance the adaptive capacity of farmers cultivating <10 ha. Enhancing close collaboration among transdisciplinary teams and these smallholders is critical to co-elaborate policy solutions to ongoing food security crises that are likely to be attuned with local conditions. Human and socio-cultural aspects need to be considered to facilitate both adoption and dissemination of adapted management practices. Despite this well-known need to co-produce knowledge in human systems, we demonstrate the inequality of current agricultural research in smallholder farming systems with heavy focus on a few domains of the sustainable intensification agricultural framework (SIAF), ultimately reducing the overall impact of interventions due to the lack compatibility with prevailing social contexts. Here we propose to integrate agriculture and agronomic models with social and demographic modeling approaches to increase agricultural productivity and food system resilience, while addressing persistent issues in food security. Researchers should consider the scale of interventions, ensure attention is paid to equality and political processes, explore local change interactions, and improve connection of agriculture with nutrition and health outcomes, via nutrition-sensitive agricultural investments.
Computational design of custom therapeutic cells to correct failing human cardiomyocytes
Authors: Tieu Andrew , Phillips Katherine G. , Costa Kevin D. , Mayourian Joshua
Published: January 2023

Background: Myocardial delivery of non-excitable cells—namely human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and c-kit+ cardiac interstitial cells (hCICs)—remains a promising approach for treating the failing heart. Recent empirical studies attempt to improve such therapies by genetically engineering cells to express specific ion channels, or by creating hybrid cells with combined channel expression. This study uses a computational modeling approach to test the hypothesis that custom hypothetical cells can be rationally designed to restore a healthy phenotype when coupled to human heart failure (HF) cardiomyocytes.

Methods: Candidate custom cells were simulated with a combination of ion channels from non-excitable cells and healthy human cardiomyocytes (hCMs). Using a genetic algorithm-based optimization approach, candidate cells were accepted if a root mean square error (RMSE) of less than 50% relative to healthy hCM was achieved for both action potential and calcium transient waveforms for the cell-treated HF cardiomyocyte, normalized to the untreated HF cardiomyocyte.

Results: Custom cells expressing only non-excitable ion channels were inadequate to restore a healthy cardiac phenotype when coupled to either fibrotic or non-fibrotic HF cardiomyocytes. In contrast, custom cells also expressing cardiac ion channels led to acceptable restoration of a healthy cardiomyocyte phenotype when coupled to fibrotic, but not non-fibrotic, HF cardiomyocytes. Incorporating the cardiomyocyte inward rectifier K+ channel was critical to accomplishing this phenotypic rescue while also improving single-cell action potential metrics associated with arrhythmias, namely resting membrane potential and action potential duration. The computational approach also provided insight into the rescue mechanisms, whereby heterocellular coupling enhanced cardiomyocyte L-type calcium current and promoted calcium-induced calcium release. Finally, as a therapeutically translatable strategy, we simulated delivery of hMSCs and hCICs genetically engineered to express the cardiomyocyte inward rectifier K+ channel, which decreased action potential and calcium transient RMSEs by at least 24% relative to control hMSCs and hCICs, with more favorable single-cell arrhythmia metrics.

Conclusion: Computational modeling facilitates exploration of customizable engineered cell therapies. Optimized cells expressing cardiac ion channels restored healthy action potential and calcium handling phenotypes in fibrotic HF cardiomyocytes and improved single-cell arrhythmia metrics, warranting further experimental validation studies of the proposed custom therapeutic cells.
A Method for Assessing Background Concentrations near Sources of Strong CO2 Emissions
Authors: Sun Qingfeng , Chen Cuihong , Wang Hui , Xu Ningning , Liu Chao , Gao Jixi
Published: January 2023

In the quantification model of emission intensity of emission sources, the estimation of the background concentration of greenhouse gases near an emission source is an important problem. The traditional method of estimating the background concentration of greenhouse gases through statistical information often results in a certain deviation. In order to solve this problem, we propose an adaptive estimation method of CO2 background concentrations near emission sources in this work, which takes full advantage of robust local regression and a Gaussian mixture model to achieve accurate estimations of greenhouse gas background concentrations. It is proved by experiments that when the measurement error is 0.2 ppm, the background concentration estimation error is only 0.08 mg/m3, and even when the measurement error is 1.2 ppm, the background concentration estimation error is less than 0.4 mg/m3. The CO2 concentration measurement data all show a good background concentration assessment effect, and the accuracy of top-down carbon emission quantification based on actual measurements should be effectively improved in the future.
Automated Estimation of Crop Yield Using Artificial Intelligence and Remote Sensing Technologies
Authors: Ilyas Qazi , Ahmad Muneer , Mehmood Abid
Published: January 2023

Agriculture is the backbone of any country, and plays a viable role in the total gross domestic product (GDP). Healthy and fruitful crops are of immense importance for a government to fulfill the food requirements of its inhabitants. Because of land diversities, weather conditions, geographical locations, defensive measures against diseases, and natural disasters, monitoring crops with human intervention becomes quite challenging. Conventional crop classification and yield estimation methods are ineffective under unfavorable circumstances. This research exploits modern precision agriculture tools for enhanced remote crop yield estimation, and types classification by proposing a fuzzy hybrid ensembled classification and estimation method using remote sensory data. The architecture enhances the pooled images with fuzzy neighborhood spatial filtering, scaling, flipping, shearing, and zooming. The study identifies the optimal weights of the strongest candidate classifiers for the ensembled classification method adopting the bagging strategy. We augmented the imagery datasets to achieve an unbiased classification between different crop types, including jute, maize, rice, sugarcane, and wheat. Further, we considered flaxseed, lentils, rice, sugarcane, and wheat for yield estimation on publicly available datasets provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Word Bank DataBank. The ensemble method outperformed the individual classification methods for crop type classification on an average of 13% and 24% compared to the highest gradient boosting and lowest decision tree methods, respectively. Similarly, we observed that the gradient boosting predictor outperformed the multivariate regressor, random forest, and decision tree regressor, with a comparatively lower mean square error value on yield years 2017 to 2021. Further, the proposed architecture supports embedded devices, where remote devices can adopt a lightweight classification algorithm, such as MobilenetV2. This can significantly reduce the processing time and overhead of a large set of pooled images.
Continuous Shoulder Activity Tracking after Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of Proximal Humerus Fractures
Authors: Herteleer Michiel , Runer Armin , Remppis Magdalena , Brouwers Jonas , Schneider Friedemann , Panagiotopoulou Vasiliki C. , Grimm Bernd , Hengg Clemens , Arora Rohit , Nijs Stefaan , Varga Peter
Published: January 2023

Postoperative shoulder activity after proximal humerus fracture treatment could influence the outcomes of osteosynthesis and may depend on the rehabilitation protocol. This multi-centric prospective study aimed at evaluating the feasibility of continuous shoulder activity monitoring over the first six postoperative weeks, investigating potential differences between two different rehabilitation protocols. Shoulder activity was assessed with pairs of accelerometer-based trackers during the first six postoperative weeks in thirteen elderly patients having a complex proximal humerus fracture treated with a locking plate. Shoulder angles and elevation events were evaluated over time and compared between the two centers utilizing different standard rehabilitation protocols. The overall mean shoulder angle ranged from 11° to 23°, and the number of daily elevation events was between 547 and 5756. Average angles showed longitudinal change <5° over 31 ± 10 days. The number of events increased by 300% on average. Results of the two clinics exhibited no characteristic differences for shoulder angle, but the number of events increased only for the site utilizing immediate mobilization. In addition to considerable inter-patient variation, not the mean shoulder angle but the number of elevations events increased markedly over time. Differences between the two sites in number of daily events may be associated with the different rehabilitation protocols.
MicroRNAs in the Pathogenesis, Prognostication and Prediction of Treatment Resistance in Soft Tissue Sarcomas
Authors: Teo Andrea York Tiang , Lim Vivian Yujing , Yang Valerie Shiwen
Published: January 2023

Soft tissue sarcomas are highly aggressive malignant neoplasms of mesenchymal origin, accounting for less than 1% of adult cancers, but comprising over 20% of paediatric solid tumours. In locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic disease, outcomes from even the first line of systemic treatment are invariably poor. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are short non-coding RNA molecules, target and modulate multiple dysregulated target genes and/or signalling pathways within cancer cells. Accordingly, miRNAs demonstrate great promise for their utility in diagnosing, prognosticating and improving treatment for soft tissue sarcomas. This review aims to provide an updated discussion on the known roles of specific miRNAs in the pathogenesis of sarcomas, and their potential use in prognosticating outcomes and prediction of therapeutic resistance.
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of ChemEngineering in 2022
Authors: ChemEngineering Editorial Office ChemEngineering Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
SNPs Sets in Codifying Genes for Xenobiotics-Processing Enzymes Are Associated with COPD Secondary to Biomass-Burning Smoke
Authors: Ambrocio-Ortiz Enrique , Pérez-Rubio Gloria , Ramírez-Venegas Alejandra , Hernández-Zenteno Rafael de Jesús , Fernández-López Juan Carlos , Ramírez-Díaz María Elena , Cruz-Vicente Filiberto , Martínez-Gómez María de Lourdes , Sansores Raúl , Pérez-Ramos Julia , Falfán-Valencia Ramcés
Published: January 2023

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide; the main risk factors associated with the suffering are tobacco smoking (TS) and chronic exposure to biomass-burning smoke (BBS). Different biological pathways have been associated with COPD, especially xenobiotic or drug metabolism enzymes. This research aims to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) profiles associated with COPD from two expositional sources: tobacco smoking and BBS. One thousand-five hundred Mexican mestizo subjects were included in the study and divided into those exposed to biomass-burning smoke and smokers. Genome-wide exome genotyping was carried out using Infinium Exome-24 kit arrays v. 1.2. Data quality control was conducted using PLINK 1.07. For clinical and demographic data analysis, Rstudio was used. Eight SNPs were found associated with COPD secondary to TS and seven SNPs were conserved when data were analyzed by genotype. When haplotype analyses were carried out, five blocks were predicted. In COPD secondary to BBS, 24 SNPs in MGST3 and CYP family genes were associated. Seven blocks of haplotypes were associated with COPD-BBS. SNPs in the ARNT2 and CYP46A1 genes are associated with COPD secondary to TS, while in the BBS comparison, SNPs in CYP2C8, CYP2C9, MGST3, and MGST1 genes were associated with increased COPD risk.
Machine Learning and Deep Learning Techniques for Spectral Spatial Classification of Hyperspectral Images: A Comprehensive Survey
Authors: Grewal Reaya , Singh Kasana Singara , Kasana Geeta
Published: January 2023

The growth of Hyperspectral Image (HSI) analysis is due to technology advancements that enable cameras to collect hundreds of continuous spectral information of each pixel in an image. HSI classification is challenging due to the large number of redundant spectral bands, limited training samples and non-linear relationship between the collected spatial position and the spectral bands. Our survey highlights recent research in HSI classification using traditional Machine Learning techniques like kernel-based learning, Support Vector Machines, Dimension Reduction and Transform-based techniques. Our study also digs into Deep Learning (DL) techniques that involve the usage of Autoencoders, 1D, 2D and 3D-Convolutional Neural Networks to classify HSI. From the comparison, it is observed that DL-based classification techniques outperform ML-based techniques. It has also been observed that spectral-spatial HSI classification outperforms pixel-by-pixel classification because it incorporates spectral signatures and spatial domain information. The performance of ML and DL-based classification techniques has been reviewed on commonly used land cover datasets like Indian Pines, Salinas valley and Pavia University.
Overview of Integration of Power Electronic Topologies and Advanced Control Techniques of Ultra-Fast EV Charging Stations in Standalone Microgrids
Authors: Saadaoui Achraf , Ouassaid Mohammed , Maaroufi Mohamed
Published: January 2023

For longer journeys, when drivers of electric vehicles need a charge on the road, the best solution is off-board ultra-fast chargers, which offer a short charging time for electric vehicle batteries. Consequently, the ultra-fast charging of batteries is a major issue in electric mobility development globally. Current research in the area of power electronics for electric vehicle charging applications is focused on new high-power chargers. These chargers will significantly increase the charging power of electric vehicles, which will reduce the charging time. Furthermore, electric vehicles can be deployed to achieve improved efficiency and high-quality power if vehicle to microgrid (V2µG) is applied. In this paper, standards for ultra-fast charging stations and types of fast charging methods are reviewed. Various power electronic topologies, the modular design approach used in ultra-fast charging, and integration of the latter into standalone microgrids are also discussed in this paper. Finally, advanced control techniques for ultra-fast chargers are addressed.
Optimization Approach for Planning Soft Open Points in a MV-Distribution System to Maximize the Hosting Capacity
Authors: de Oliveira Ricardo , de Oliveira Leonardo Willer , de Oliveira Edimar José
Published: January 2023

Distributed energy resources (DERs) based on renewable power, such as photovoltaic (PV), have been increasing worldwide. To support this growth, some technologies have been developed to increase the hosting capacity (HC) of distribution networks (DNs), such as the Soft Open Point (SOP), which can replace normally open switches in DNs with the advantage of allowing power and voltage control. The benefits of SOPs in terms of increasing distributed generation (DG) hosting capacity can be enhanced by network reconfiguration (NR). In this work, an optimization-based approach is proposed for placing SOP in DN with simultaneous NR; that is, the proposed algorithm consists of a promising alternative to previous works in the literature that deal with SOP placement and NR in an iteratively way or in a two-step procedure, considering that better results can be obtained by simultaneously handling both options, as shown in the introduced case studies. The optimization problem is modeled as nonlinear mixed-integer programming, and solved by a Multi-objective Artificial Immune System (MOAIS). The proposed algorithm is applied to a well-known medium-voltage (MV) test system that is widely used for the problem at hand, and the results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach to maximize the HC by optimizing the SOP installation site in the tested system. An important outcome is that the association of SOP planning and NR in a simultaneous manner tends to provide better quality solutions, where HC can overcome 400% for multiple SOPs. Another outcome is that the proposed MOAIS is able to provide good concurrent solutions to support the decision-making of the DN planner.
A Novel Single-Turn Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine for Electric Aircraft
Authors: Cheng Zeyu , Cao Zhi , Hwang John T. , Mi Chris
Published: January 2023

This paper proposes a novel multi-phase single-turn permanent magnet synchronous motor (MSPMSM) to meet the stringent requirements of electric aircraft, such as high power density, high torque, and low mass and volume. The MSPMSM features a unique single-turn winding configuration, which can reduce the coil overhang, increase the power density and torque, and reduce the weight of the motor in conventional multi-turn motors. The proposed MSPMSM is studied by the finite element method (FEM) and compared to a conventional PMSM with the same geometry and PM usage. The performance comparison results under different load conditions show that the proposed MSPMSM has higher torque and power density than the conventional motor.
A Post-Mortem Study Case of a Dynamically Aged Commercial NMC Cell
Authors: Hosen Md Sazzad , Yadav Poonam , Van Mierlo Joeri , Berecibar Maitane
Published: January 2023

Lithium-ion batteries are currently the pioneers of green transition in the transportation sector. The nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) technology, in particular, has the largest market share in electric vehicles (EVs), offering high specific energy, optimized power performance, and lifetime. The aging of different lithium-ion battery technologies has been a major research topic in the last decade, either to study the degradation behavior, identify the associated aging mechanisms, or to develop health prediction models. However, the lab-scale standard test protocols are mostly utilized for aging characterization, which was deemed not useful since batteries are supposed to age dynamically in real life, leading to aging heterogeneity. In this research, a commercial NMC variation (4-4-2) was aged with a pragmatic standard-drive profile to study aging behavior. The characterized measurable parameters were statistically investigated before performing an autopsy on the aged battery. Harvested samples of negative and positive electrodes were analyzed with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and the localized volumetric percentile of active materials was reported. Loss of lithium inventory was found to be the main aging mechanism linked to 20% faded capacity due to heavy electrolyte loss. Sparsely distributed fluorine from the lithium salt was found in both electrodes as a result of electrolyte decomposition.
Forecasting the Monash Microgrid for the IEEE-CIS Technical Challenge
Authors: Bean Richard
Published: January 2023

Effective operation of a microgrid depends critically on accurate forecasting of its components. Recently, internet forecasting competitions have been used to determine the best methods for energy forecasting, with some competitions having a special focus on microgrids and COVID-19 energy-use forecasting. This paper describes forecasting for the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society 3rd Technical Challenge, which required predicting solar and building loads of a microgrid system at Monash University for the month of November 2020. The forecast achieved the lowest error rate in the competition. We review the literature on recent energy forecasting competitions and metrics and explain how the solution drew from top-ranked solutions in previous energy forecasting competitions such as the Global Energy Forecasting Competition series. The techniques can be reapplied in other forecasting endeavours, while approaches to some of the time-series forecasting are more ad hoc and specific to the competition. Novel thresholding approaches were used to improve the quality of the input data. As the training and evaluation phase of the challenge occurred during COVID-19 lockdown and reopening, the building demand was subject to pandemic-related effects. Finally, we assess other data sources which would have improved the model forecast skill such as data from different numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, solar observations, and high-resolution price and demand data in the vicinity of the campus.
Decoupled Speed and Flux Control of Three-Phase PMSM Based on the Proportional-Resonant Control Method
Authors: Ghanayem Haneen , Alathamneh Mohammad , Nelms R. M.
Published: January 2023

Field-oriented control (FOC) has achieved great success in permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) control. For the PMSM drive, FOC allows the motor torque and flux to be controlled separately, which means the torque and flux are decoupled from each other. Since the torque control is achieved by the speed controller, it can be considered that the speed and the flux of the PMSM are also decoupled from each other and can be controlled separately. In this paper, we propose a PMSM vector control using decoupled speed and flux controllers based on the proportional-resonant (PR) control method. A flux controller is proposed to control the flux of the PMSM and generate the d-axis reference current, whereas the speed regulator is used to generate the torque as well as the q-axis reference current. The PR controller is proposed to control the dq-axis currents and generate the reference voltages; its design is included.Therefore, decoupled speed and flux controllers are controlled separately using the PR controller. The Matlab/Simulink environment is utilized for the simulation, while the dSPACE DS1104 is used for the experimental work. The proposed control method is simple; there are no flux or torque estimators required, so it can avoid the complexity of estimators in the control scheme. The motor is tested under different scenarios, including flux change, speed change, and load torque change. The simulation and hardware results show the effectiveness of the proposed control method in controlling the the speed and the flux of PMSM with fast motor response and good dynamic performance in the different scenarios.
Linear Diagnostic Procedure Elicited by Clinical Genetics and Validated by mRNA Analysis in Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis 7 Associated with a Novel Non-Canonical Splice Site Variant in MFSD8
Authors: Pasquetti Domizia , Marangi Giuseppe , Orteschi Daniela , Carapelle Marina , L’Erario Federica Francesca , Venditti Romina , Maietta Sabrina , Battaglia Domenica Immacolata , Contaldo Ilaria , Veredice Chiara , Zollino Marcella
Published: January 2023

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (CNL) are lysosomal storage diseases that represent the most common cause of dementia in children. To date, 13 autosomal recessive (AR) and 1 autosomal dominant (AD) gene have been characterized. Biallelic variants in MFSD8 cause CLN7 type, with nearly 50 pathogenic variants, mainly truncating and missense, reported so far. Splice site variants require functional validation. We detected a novel homozygous non-canonical splice-site variant in MFSD8 in a 5-year-old girl who presented with progressive neurocognitive impairment and microcephaly. The diagnostic procedure was elicited by clinical genetics first, and then confirmed by cDNA sequencing and brain imaging. Inferred by the common geographic origin of the parents, an autosomal recessive inheritance was hypothesized, and SNP-array was performed as the first-line genetic test. Only three AR genes lying within the observed 24 Mb regions of homozygosity were consistent with the clinical phenotype, including EXOSC9, SPATA5 and MFSD8. The cerebral and cerebellar atrophy detected in the meantime by MRI, along with the suspicion of accumulation of ceroid lipopigment in neurons, prompted us to perform targeted MFSD8 sequencing. Following the detection of a splice site variant of uncertain significance, skipping of exon 8 was demonstrated by cDNA sequencing, and the variant was redefined as pathogenic.
Potential Issues in the Conservation of Bone and Teeth in Maritime Archaeology
Authors: Guareschi Edda Emanuela , Magni Paola Annarosa , Berry Heather G.
Published: January 2023

Since the 1940s, when maritime archaeology was established, the systematic excavation of submerged wrecks began to be refined. Systematic excavations led to the recovery of a vast array of organic and inorganic artefacts, including human and non-human bones and teeth. In order to preserve the materials recovered from the sea, the discipline of maritime conservation rapidly expanded and dealt with unique issues, including, but not limited to, marine salts’ encrustation of archaeological artefacts. Bone and teeth are organic artefacts which provide crucial information about natural and social environments of the past. When recovered from marine settings, they are often friable and require conservation processes and consolidation treatments, e.g., to prevent shrinkage during drying. However, conservation processes and consolidants can interfere with pathological, traumatic and taphonomical evidence associated with bone and teeth, and can bias sample preparation and analysis through mechanical action and chemical composition. The aim of this paper, in which a few examples of interference are listed, is to highlight the need of accurately documenting any type of conservation process and/or consolidation treatment that has been performed on bone and teeth stored in archaeological collections. This becomes essential when samples are selected for study, especially if this includes destructive analysis, and will assist in clarifying any conflicting results, leading to reliable interpretations.
Sponge City Construction and Urban Economic Sustainable Development: An Ecological Philosophical Perspective
Authors: Ma Jing , Liu Dan , Wang Zhengwen
Published: January 2023

The Party’s 14th Five-Year-Plan and the 2035 Visionary Goals point out that green and sustainable development is the direction of China’s road in the present age, and provide a theoretical basis for further improvement of ecological civilization. “Sponge city” is a new type of urban construction idea in China; moving from pilot to vigorous implementation at present, it is an important element of China’s promotion of green development and development of ecological civilization. At present, a number of sponge city pilot projects have been built in China, and evaluation of their effects is already a matter of urgency. The overall planning of China’s current policies in sponge city construction and the specific analyses conducted by experts from both subjective and objective aspects have not been able to completely fill the gap in this regard, thus making it particularly urgent to conduct in-depth studies. Based on this, this paper discusses the performance assessment of sponge cities in China on the basis of the prediction and analysis of the development trend of sponge cities in China. In the performance assessment system, the correctness and timeliness of the index system should be considered in terms of practical effects; in the city performance assessment, the ideas of new city development such as low-carbon cities and smart cities should be combined to build a comprehensive and multi-perspective intelligent assessment system, so as to provide a strong boost to promote the development of city construction and its evaluative research. Firstly, a system-dynamic model is applied to sort out and combine its internal operation mechanism, and a set of evaluation systems based on the ecological philosophical perspective of the sponge city and urban sustainable development performance is established. Second, to improve the accuracy of the research results, parallelism tests and robustness analysis were conducted on this performance index evaluation system. The study’s results show that sponge city construction has achieved good results in sustainable urban development and has contributed to future development.