bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Various Applications of ZnO Thin Films Obtained by Chemical Routes in the Last Decade
Authors: Gartner Mariuca , Stroescu Hermine , Mitrea Daiana , Nicolescu Madalina
Published: June 2023

This review addresses the importance of Zn for obtaining multifunctional materials with interesting properties by following certain preparation strategies: choosing the appropriate synthesis route, doping and co-doping of ZnO films to achieve conductive oxide materials with p- or n-type conductivity, and finally adding polymers in the oxide systems for piezoelectricity enhancement. We mainly followed the results of studies of the last ten years through chemical routes, especially by sol-gel and hydrothermal synthesis. Zinc is an essential element that has a special importance for developing multifunctional materials with various applications. ZnO can be used for the deposition of thin films or for obtaining mixed layers by combining ZnO with other oxides (ZnO-SnO2, ZnO-CuO). Also, composite films can be achieved by mixing ZnO with polymers. It can be doped with metals (Li, Na, Mg, Al) or non-metals (B, N, P). Zn is easily incorporated in a matrix and therefore it can be used as a dopant for other oxidic materials, such as: ITO, CuO, BiFeO3, and NiO. ZnO can be very useful as a seed layer, for good adherence of the main layer to the substrate, generating nucleation sites for nanowires growth. Thanks to its interesting properties, ZnO is a material with multiple applications in various fields: sensing technology, piezoelectric devices, transparent conductive oxides, solar cells, and photoluminescence applications. Its versatility is the main message of this review.
Cavitation-Effect-Based Treatments and Extractions for Superior Fruit and Milk Valorisation
Authors: Bucur Madalina-Petruta , Radulescu Maria-Cristina , Radu Gabriel Lucian , Bucur Bogdan
Published: June 2023

Ultrasound generates cavities in liquids with high-energy behaviour due to large pressure variations, leading to (bio)chemical effects and material modification. Numerous cavity-based treatments in food processes have been reported, but the transition from research to industrial applications is hampered by specific engineering factors, such as the combination of several ultrasound sources, more powerful wave generators or tank geometry. The challenges and development of cavity-based treatments developed for the food industry are reviewed with examples limited to two representative raw materials (fruit and milk) with significantly different properties. Both active compound extraction and food processing techniques based on ultrasound are taken into consideration.
Curcumin and Its Supramolecular Complex with Disodium Glycyrrhizinate as Potential Drugs for the Liver Fluke Infection Caused by Opisthorchis felineus
Authors: Lvova Maria N. , Ponomarev Denis V. , Tarasenko Alena A. , Kovner Anna V. , Minkova Galina A. , Tsyganov Michail A. , Li Meijun , Lou Yan , Evseenko Veronica I. , Dushkin Alexander V. , Sorokina Irina V. , Tolstikova Tatiana G. , Mordvinov Viatcheslav A. , Avgustinovich Damira F.
Published: June 2023

Opisthorchiosis is a parasitic liver disease found in mammals that is widespread throughout the world and causes systemic inflammation. Praziquantel remains the drug of choice for the treatment of opisthorchiosis, despite its many adverse effects. An anthelmintic effect is attributed to the main curcuminoid of Curcuma longa L. roots—curcumin (Cur)—along with many other therapeutic properties. To overcome the poor solubility of curcumin in water, a micellar complex of curcumin with the disodium salt of glycyrrhizic acid (Cur:Na2GA, molar ratio 1:1) was prepared via solid-phase mechanical processing. In vitro experiments revealed a noticeable immobilizing effect of curcumin and of Cur:Na2GA on mature and juvenile Opisthorchis felineus individuals. In vivo experiments showed that curcumin (50 mg/kg) had an anthelmintic effect after 30 days of administration to O. felineus-infected hamsters, but the effect was weaker than that of a single administration of praziquantel (400 mg/kg). Cur:Na2GA (50 mg/kg, 30 days), which contains less free curcumin, did not exert this action. The complex, just as free curcumin or better, activated the expression of bile acid synthesis genes (Cyp7A1, Fxr, and Rxra), which was suppressed by O. felineus infection and by praziquantel. Curcumin reduced the rate of inflammatory infiltration, whereas Cur:Na2GA reduced periductal fibrosis. Immunohistochemically, a decrease in liver inflammation markers was found, which is determined by calculating the numbers of tumor-necrosis-factor-positive cells during the curcumin treatment and of kynurenine-3-monooxygenase-positive cells during the Cur:Na2GA treatment. A biochemical blood test revealed a normalizing effect of Cur:Na2GA (comparable to that of curcumin) on lipid metabolism. We believe that the further development and investigation of therapeutics based on curcuminoids in relation Opisthorchis felineus and other trematode infections will be useful for clinical practice and veterinary medicine.
Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry-Based Profiling of Secondary Metabolites in Two Unexplored Eminium Species and Bioactivity Potential
Authors: Babacan Ebru Yuce , Zheleva-Dimitrova Dimitrina , Gevrenova Reneta , Bouyahya Abdelhakim , Balos Mehmet Maruf , Cakilcioglu Ugur , Sinan Kouadio Ibrahime , Zengin Gokhan
Published: June 2023

The study aimed at the metabolite profiling and evaluation of antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties of methanol extracts from flowers, leaves, and tubers of unexplored Eminium intortum (Banks & Sol.) Kuntze and E. spiculatum (Blume) Schott (Araceae). A total of 83 metabolites, including 19 phenolic acids, 46 flavonoids, 11 amino, and 7 fatty acids were identified by UHPLC-HRMS in the studied extracts for the first time. E. intortum flower and leaf extracts had the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents (50.82 ± 0.71 mg GAE/g and 65.08 ± 0.38 RE/g, respectively). Significant radical scavenging activity (32.20 ± 1.26 and 54.34 ± 0.53 mg TE/g for DPPH and ABTS) and reducing power (88.27 ± 1.49 and 33.13 ± 0.68 mg TE/g for CUPRAC and FRAP) were observed in leaf extracts. E. intortum flowers showed the maximum anticholinesterase activity (2.72 ± 0.03 mg GALAE/g). E. spiculatum leaves and tubers exhibited the highest inhibition towards α-glucosidase (0.99 ± 0.02 ACAE/g) and tirosinase (50.73 ± 2.29 mg KAE/g), respectively. A multivariate analysis revealed that O-hydroxycinnamoylglycosyl-C-flavonoid glycosides mostly accounted for the discrimination of both species. Thus, E. intortum and E. spiculatum can be considered as potential candidates for designing functional ingredients in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.
Drying Temperature Precision Control System Based on Improved Neural Network PID Controller and Variable-Temperature Drying Experiment of Cantaloupe Slices
Authors: Yang Taoqing , Zheng Xia , Xiao Hongwei , Shan Chunhui , Yao Xuedong , Li Yican , Zhang Jikai
Published: June 2023

A drying temperature precision control system was studied to provide technical support for developing and further proving the superiority of the variable-temperature drying process. In this study, an improved neural network (INN) proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller (INN-PID) was designed. The dynamic performance of the PID, neural network PID (NN-PID) and INN-PID controllers was simulated with unit step signals as an input in MATLAB software. A drying temperature precision control system was set up in an air impingement dryer, and the drying temperature control experiment was carried out to verify the performance of the three controllers. Linear variable-temperature (LVT) and constant-temperature drying experiments of cantaloupe slices were carried out based on the system. Moreover, the experimental results were evaluated comprehensively with the brightness (L value), colour difference (ΔE), vitamin C content, chewiness, drying time and energy consumption (EC) as evaluation indexes. The simulation results show that the INN-PID controller outperforms the other two controllers in terms of control accuracy and regulation time. In the drying temperature control experiment at 50 °C–55 °C, the peak time of the INN-PID controller is 237.37 s, the regulation time is 134.91 s and the maximum overshoot is 4.74%. The INN-PID controller can quickly and effectively regulate the temperature of the inner chamber of the air impingement dryer. Compared with constant-temperature drying, LVT is a more effective drying mode as it ensures the quality of the material and reduces the drying time and EC. The drying temperature precision control system based on the INN-PID controller meets the temperature control requirements of the variable-temperature drying process. This system provides practical and effective technical support for the variable-temperature drying process and lays the foundation for further research. The LVT drying experiments of cantaloupe slices also show that variable-temperature drying is a better process than constant-temperature drying and is worthy of further study to be applied in production.
Correction: Miedaner et al. Effective Pollen-Fertility Restoration Is the Basis of Hybrid Rye Production and Ergot Mitigation. Plants 2022, 11, 1115
Authors: Miedaner Thomas , Korzun Viktor , Wilde Peer
Published: June 2023

In the original publication [...]
Separation of Rare Earth Elements in Multistage Extraction Columns in Chromatography Mode: Experimental Study and Mathematical Simulation
Authors: Kostanyan Artak E. , Belova Vera V. , Tsareva Yulia V. , Petyaeva Maria M.
Published: June 2023

The application of liquid–liquid chromatography principles to solvent extraction processes in hydrometallurgy can greatly simplify rare earth metal separation technologies by separating multicomponent mixtures in one technological operation. In this study, the chromatographic separation of rare earth elements (REEs) in multistage extraction columns was experimentally studied under conditions of impulse sample injection—single and multiple loading of large volumes of metal salt solution into the installation. The results obtained showed the feasibility of operating sieve plate extraction columns in the liquid–liquid chromatography mode. A closed-loop recycling technology is proposed for the separation of rare earth elements in multistage extraction columns operating in the liquid–liquid chromatography mode. For further development and industrial implementation of this technology, experimental studies should be conducted on intensified multistage extraction columns, such as sectioned columns with agitators and vibrating plate columns. Computer simulation of the chromatographic separation of rare earth elements by closed-loop recycling liquid–liquid chromatography was carried out.
Automatic Optimization of Multi-Well Multi-Stage Fracturing Treatments Combining Geomechanical Simulation, Reservoir Simulation and Intelligent Algorithm
Authors: Wang Bo , Fang Yan , Li Lizhe , Liu Zhe
Published: June 2023

Shale reserves have become an ever-increasing component of the world’s energy map. The optimal design of multi-well multi-stage fracturing (MMF) treatments is essential to the economic development of such resources. However, optimizing MMF treatments is a complex process. It requires geomechanical simulation, reservoir simulation, and automatic optimization. In this work, an integrated workflow is proposed to optimize MMF treatments in an unconventional reservoir, and the net present value (NPV) of reserves was treated as the objective function. The forward model consists of two submodels: a hydraulic fracturing model and a reservoir simulation model. The stochastic simplex approximation gradient (StoSAG) is used with the steepest ascent algorithm to maximize the NPV function. The computational results show that optimizing the fracture design can achieve a 20% higher NPV than that obtained with the field reference case. The drainage area of the optimal design is larger than that of the initial design. The maximum gas production rate increases from 23.75 MMSCF/day to 34.43 MMSCF/day and the maximum oil production rate increases from 497 STB/day to 692 STB/day. Therefore, new optimization paths can accelerate fracture design and help increase well production. This paper innovatively proposes a coupled workflow that can reduce the waste of manpower and improve the optimization results.
Research on and Design of an Electric Drive Automatic Control System for Mine Belt Conveyors
Authors: Wang Li , Li Haoxin , Huang Jingkai , Zeng Jinbin , Tang Luxin , Wu Weibin , Luo Yuanqiang
Published: June 2023

Conveyor belts are widely used in ore transportation in large-scale mines for their long transportation range, high safety, and strong economic applicability. Coal mine belt conveyors are not only traditional, simple mechanical conveying devices but also automatic control system operating devices that integrate safety, stability, and low power consumption. In the process of coal mining, a conveyor belt control system also needs to be closely integrated with modern industrial systems and information systems, which greatly improves its work efficiency. The purpose of this article is to improve the methods for designing automatic control systems for electric motors in order to obtain mechanical characteristics close to a constant power line, which would ensure the reliable operation of belt conveyors. An automatic control system was designed based on the controller Siemens S7-1200; then, a mathematical model of an automated electric drive was developed. Based on the mathematical model, a simulation model of an automatic electric drive was built, and the modes were modeled. After designing, the obtained plots of transients completely corresponded to the required transients, which means that the Siemens frequency converter automatic control system (ACS) parameters were calculated quite accurately and the conveyor electric drive met all requirements.
Recent Progress on Hydrogen-Rich Syngas Production from Coal Gasification
Authors: Dai Fei , Zhang Shengping , Luo Yuanpei , Wang Ke , Liu Yanrong , Ji Xiaoyan
Published: June 2023

Coal gasification is recognized as the core technology of clean coal utilization that exhibits significant advantages in hydrogen-rich syngas production and CO2 emission reduction. This review briefly discusses the recent research progress on various coal gasification techniques, including conventional coal gasification (fixed bed, fluidized bed, and entrained bed gasification) and relatively new coal gasification (supercritical water gasification, plasma gasification, chemical-looping gasification, and decoupling gasification) in terms of their gasifiers, process parameters (such as coal type, temperature, pressure, gasification agents, catalysts, etc.), advantages, and challenges. The capacity and potential of hydrogen production through different coal gasification technologies are also systematically analyzed. In this regard, the decoupling gasification technology based on pyrolysis, coal char–CO2 gasification, and CO shift reaction shows remarkable features in improving comprehensive utilization of coal, low-energy capture and conversion of CO2, as well as efficient hydrogen production. As the key unit of decoupling gasification, this work also reviews recent research advances (2019–2023) in coal char–CO2 gasification, the influence of different factors such as coal type, gasification agent composition, temperature, pressure, particle size, and catalyst on the char–CO2 gasification performance are studied, and its reaction kinetics are also outlined. This review serves as guidance for further excavating the potential of gasification technology in promoting clean fuel production and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
Berlin’s Savoyard Vicar: Religious Skepticism and Toleration in Mendelssohn and Rousseau
Authors: Fogel Jeremy
Published: June 2023

While both Mendelssohn and Rousseau were deeply spiritual thinkers whose writings continually reflect a profound belief in a benevolent God, they both still used religious skepticism in order to undermine the logic of religious intolerance. In doing so, these religious thinkers reflect a critical assumption they share with the far less religiously inclined David Hume, namely, that skepticism is a critical tool for the promotion of tolerance. This paper analyses the skeptical and tolerant similarities in Mendelssohn’s and Rousseau’s religious thought. It explores Mendelssohn’s reception of Rousseau, before focusing on Rousseau’s arguments for religious tolerance and showing both how they reflect a skeptical undercurrent and how Mendelssohn uses many similar skeptical arguments for the same purpose. Finally, this analysis will lead to concluding thoughts on the dialectic between skepticism, faith and tolerance in the Enlightenment, and more generally, for skeptical believers ever since.
Energy-Efficient Configuration and Control Allocation for a Dynamically Reconfigurable Underwater Robot
Authors: Dang Tho , Lapierre Lionel , Zapata Rene , Ropars Benoit
Published: June 2023

A dynamically reconfigurable underwater robot, which can vary its configuration during a mission, would be useful for confined environment exploration and docking because of its versatility. A mission can be performed by choosing among different configurations, and the energy cost may increase, owing to the reconfigurability of the robot. Energy saving is the critical issue in long-range missions with underwater robots. Moreover, control allocation must be considered for a redundant system and input constraints. We propose an approach for an energy-efficient configuration and control allocation for a dynamically reconfigurable underwater robot that is built for karst exploration. The proposed method is based on sequential quadratic programming, which minimizes an energy-like criterion with respect to robotic constraints, i.e., mechanical limitations, actuator saturations, and a dead zone. The optimization problem is solved in each sampling instant. Two popular tasks for underwater robots, i.e., path-following and station-keeping (observation) problems, are simulated, and the simulation results show the efficiency of the method. Moreover, an experiment is carried out to highlight the results.
Hybrid FSK–FDM Scheme for Data Rate Enhancement in Dual-Function Radar and Communication
Authors: Munir Muhammad , Basit Abdul , Khan Wasim , Waseem Athar , Khan Muhammad , Saleem Ahmed , AlQahtani Salman , Daraz Amil , Pathak Pranavkumar
Published: June 2023

In this paper, we present a hybrid frequency shift keying and frequency division multiplexing (i.e., FSK–FDM) approach for information embedding in dual-function radar and communication (DFRC) design to achieve an improved communication data rate. Since most of the existing works focus on merely two-bit transmission in each pulse repetition interval (PRI) using different amplitude modulation (AM)- and phased modulation (PM)-based techniques, this paper proposes a new technique that doubles the data rate by using a hybrid FSK–FDM technique. Note that the AM-based techniques are used when the communication receiver resides in the side lobe region of the radar. In contrast, the PM-based techniques perform better if the communication receiver is in the main lobe region. However, the proposed design facilitates the delivery of information bits to the communication receivers with an improved bit rate (BR) and bit error rate (BER) regardless of their locations in the radar’s main lobe or side lobe regions. That is, the proposed scheme enables information encoding according to the transmitted waveforms and frequencies using FSK modulation. Next, the modulated symbols are added together to achieve a double data rate using the FDM technique. Finally, each transmitted composite symbol contains multiple FSK-modulated symbols, resulting in an increased data rate for the communication receiver. Numerous simulation results are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed technique.
Direct Fabrication of a Copper RTD over a Ceramic-Coated Stainless-Steel Tube by Combination of Magnetron Sputtering and Sol–Gel Techniques
Authors: Bikarregi Aitor , Dominguez Santiago , Brizuela Marta , López Alejandra , Suarez-Vega Ana , Agustín-Sáenz Cecilia , Presa Micael , López Gabriel A.
Published: June 2023

Reducing the economic and environmental impact of industrial process may be achieved by the smartisation of different components. In this work, tube smartisation is presented via direct fabrication of a copper (Cu)-based resistive temperature detector (RTD) on their outer surfaces. The testing was carried out between room temperature and 250 °C. For this purpose, copper depositions were studied using mid-frequency (MF) and high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). Stainless steel tubes with an outside inert ceramic coating were used after giving them a shot blasting treatment. The Cu deposition was performed at around 425 °C to improve adhesion as well as the electrical properties of the sensor. To generate the pattern of the Cu RTD, a photolithography process was carried out. The RTD was then protected from external degradation by a silicon oxide film deposited over it by means of two different techniques: sol–gel dipping technique and reactive magnetron sputtering. For the electrical characterisation of the sensor, an ad hoc test bench was used, based on the internal heating and the external temperature measurement with a thermographic camera. The results confirm the linearity (R2 > 0.999) and repeatability in the electrical properties of the copper RTD (confidence interval < 0.0005).
Passive Radar Tracking in Clutter Using Range and Range-Rate Measurements
Authors: Asif Asma , Kandeepan Sithamparanathan , Evans Robin J.
Published: June 2023

Passive bistatic radar research is essential for accurate 3D target tracking, especially in the presence of missing or low-quality bearing information. Traditional extended Kalman filter (EKF) methods often introduce bias in such scenarios. To overcome this limitation, we propose employing the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) for handling the nonlinearities in 3D tracking, utilizing range and range-rate measurements. Additionally, we incorporate the probabilistic data association (PDA) algorithm with the UKF to handle cluttered environments. Through extensive simulations, we demonstrate a successful implementation of the UKF-PDA framework, showing that the proposed method effectively reduces bias and significantly advances tracking capabilities in passive bistatic radars.
A Novel Fusion Method for State-of-Charge Estimation of Lithium-Ion Batteries Based on Improved Genetic Algorithm BP and Adaptive Extended Kalman Filter
Authors: Cao Liling , Shao Changfu , Zhang Zheng , Cao Shouqi
Published: June 2023

The lithium-ion battery is the power source of an electric vehicle, so it is of great significance to estimate the state of charge (SOC) of lithium-ion batteries accurately to ensure vehicle safety. To improve the accuracy of the parameters of the equivalent circuit model for batteries, a second-order RC model for ternary Li-ion batteries is established, and the model parameters are identified online based on the forgetting factor recursive least squares (FFRLS) estimator. To improve the accuracy of SOC estimation, a novel fusion method, IGA-BP-AEKF, is proposed. Firstly, an adaptive extended Kalman filter (AEKF) is used to predict the SOC. Then, an optimization method for BP neural networks (BPNNs) based on an improved genetic algorithm (IGA) is proposed, in which pertinent parameters affecting AEKF estimation are utilized for BPNN training. Furthermore, a method with evaluation error compensation for AEKF based on such a trained BPNN is proposed to enhance SOC evaluation precision. The excellent accuracy and stability of the suggested method are confirmed by the experimental data under FUDS working conditions, which indicates that the proposed IGA-BP-EKF algorithm is superior, with the highest error of 0.0119, MAE of 0.0083, and RMSE of 0.0088.
Image-Evoked Emotion Recognition for Hearing-Impaired Subjects with EEG Signals
Authors: Zhu Mu , Jin Haonan , Bai Zhongli , Li Zhiwei , Song Yu
Published: June 2023

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the study of emotion recognition through electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. One particular group of interest are individuals with hearing impairments, who may have a bias towards certain types of information when communicating with those in their environment. To address this, our study collected EEG signals from both hearing-impaired and non-hearing-impaired subjects while they viewed pictures of emotional faces for emotion recognition. Four kinds of feature matrices, symmetry difference, and symmetry quotient based on original signal and differential entropy (DE) were constructed, respectively, to extract the spatial domain information. The multi-axis self-attention classification model was proposed, which consists of local attention and global attention, combining the attention model with convolution through a novel architectural element for feature classification. Three-classification (positive, neutral, negative) and five-classification (happy, neutral, sad, angry, fearful) tasks of emotion recognition were carried out. The experimental results show that the proposed method is superior to the original feature method, and the multi-feature fusion achieved a good effect in both hearing-impaired and non-hearing-impaired subjects. The average classification accuracy for hearing-impaired subjects and non-hearing-impaired subjects was 70.2% (three-classification) and 50.15% (five-classification), and 72.05% (three-classification) and 51.53% (five-classification), respectively. In addition, by exploring the brain topography of different emotions, we found that the discriminative brain regions of the hearing-impaired subjects were also distributed in the parietal lobe, unlike those of the non-hearing-impaired subjects.
Li2100deplMoO4 Scintillating Bolometers for Rare-Event Search Experiments
Authors: Bandac Iulian C. , Barabash Alexander S. , Bergé Laurent , Borovlev Yury A. , Calvo-Mozota José Maria , Carniti Paolo , Chapellier Maurice , Dafinei Ioan , Danevich Fedor A. , Dumoulin Louis , Ferri Federico , Giuliani Andrea , Gotti Claudio , Gras Philippe , Grigorieva Veronika D. , Ianni Aldo , Khalife Hawraa , Kobychev Vladislav V. , Konovalov Sergey I. , Loaiza Pia , Madhukuttan Madhujith , Makarov Evgeny P. , de Marcillac Pierre , Marnieros Stefanos , Marrache-Kikuchi Claire A. , Martinez Maria , Nones Claudia , Olivieri Emiliano , Ortiz de Solórzano Alfonso , Pessina Gianluigi , Poda Denys V. , Redon Thierry , Scarpaci Jean-Antoine , Shlegel Vladimir N. , Tretyak Volodymyr I. , Umatov Vladimir I. , Zarytskyy Mykola M. , Zolotarova Anastasiia
Published: June 2023

We report on the development of scintillating bolometers based on lithium molybdate crystals that contain molybdenum that has depleted into the double-β active isotope 100Mo (Li2100deplMoO4). We used two Li2100deplMoO4 cubic samples, each of which consisted of 45-millimeter sides and had a mass of 0.28 kg; these samples were produced following the purification and crystallization protocols developed for double-β search experiments with 100Mo-enriched Li2MoO4 crystals. Bolometric Ge detectors were utilized to register the scintillation photons that were emitted by the Li2100deplMoO4 crystal scintillators. The measurements were performed in the CROSS cryogenic set-up at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (Spain). We observed that the Li2100deplMoO4 scintillating bolometers were characterized by an excellent spectrometric performance (∼3–6 keV of FWHM at 0.24–2.6 MeV γs), moderate scintillation signal (∼0.3–0.6 keV/MeV scintillation-to-heat energy ratio, depending on the light collection conditions), and high radiopurity (228Th and 226Ra activities are below a few µBq/kg), which is comparable with the best reported results of low-temperature detectors that are based on Li2MoO4 using natural or 100Mo-enriched molybdenum content. The prospects of Li2100deplMoO4 bolometers for use in rare-event search experiments are briefly discussed.
Aligning Community-Engaged Research Methods with Diverse Community Organizing Approaches
Authors: Raphael Chad , Matsuoka Martha
Published: June 2023

Community-Engaged Research (CER) often involves partnerships between academic or professional researchers and community organizers. Critical CER and organizing each aim to mobilize people and resources to produce actionable knowledge in order to build grassroots leadership and power that promote equity and justice for marginalized communities. This article argues that critical CER collaborations can benefit by carefully matching the choice of research methods with community partners’ organizing strategies to ensure that research aligns with and supports organizing goals. We aim to add to the CER literature a more specific rationale for why professional researchers should share control over the choice of research methods with community organizers, and more detailed guidance for how CER teams can select methods that best advance organizers’ goals. After summarizing the many ways in which collaborative research can support community organizing efforts, we argue that different CER methods align best with widely-used organizing approaches (including Alinskyite, Freirean, feminist, community building and resilience-based, and transformative approaches). We illustrate the discussion with examples of research conducted by and with organizations rooted in the environmental justice (EJ) movement, which prioritizes community organizing as a strategy and draws from multiple organizing traditions, including a case study of research techniques used by the Environmental Health Coalition, one of the oldest EJ groups in the U.S.
A Study on the Mechanism of Spiritual Leadership on Burnout of Elementary and Secondary School Teachers: The Mediating Role of Career Calling and Emotional Intelligence
Authors: Li Jing , Ju Soon-Yew , Kong Lai-Kuan , Jiang Nana
Published: June 2023

Leadership style has become an important construct in the research literature on alleviating burnout among elementary and secondary school teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of spiritual leadership, career calling, and emotional intelligence on teacher burnout. Purposive sampling was utilized in this study to obtain data from 380 elementary and secondary school teachers in Heze City, Shandong Province, China. SmartPLS software was used to establish a partial least squares structural equation model to verify the research hypothesis. The results indicated that there was a significant negative direct relationship between spiritual leadership, career calling, emotional intelligence, and teacher burnout. There was a direct and significant positive relationship between spiritual leadership on career calling and emotional intelligence. In addition, spiritual leadership influenced teacher burnout through two mediating variables: career calling and emotional intelligence. The results broadened the understanding of the intrinsic relationship between spiritual leadership and teacher burnout and explained the mediating role of career calling and emotional intelligence in spiritual leadership and teacher burnout. Based on the findings, elementary and secondary school leaders should practice spiritual leadership styles to stimulate teachers’ career calling and emotional intelligence in order to reduce teacher burnout.
Can the Metaverse and Its Associated Digital Tools and Technologies Provide an Opportunity for Destinations to Address the Vulnerability of Overtourism?
Authors: Kouroupi Nansy , Metaxas Theodore
Published: June 2023

Overtourism has become a critical problem in many popular destinations around the world, leading to negative impacts on the environment, local communities, and the quality of the visitor experience. This article explores the potential of the metaverse, a virtual world that combines elements of augmented reality and virtual reality, and other new digital technologies for addressing the challenges of overtourism. Drawing on a systematic literature review of recent studies, the currently available technologies are listed, and their potential implications for the tourism industry and local communities are portrayed. It was found that while there is some evidence to suggest that the metaverse and its associated digital technologies such as the extended realities/XR (virtual reality/VR, augmented reality/AR, mixed reality/MR), can help mitigate overtourism, further research is necessary to investigate their effectiveness in reducing overtourism and their potential unintended consequences. This article makes an original contribution to overtourism research and adds to existing knowledge by providing a practical list of currently available technologies that could help DMOs and tourism professionals mitigate the negative effects of overtourism. The article concludes with suggestions for future research and practice in the field, highlighting the importance of continued exploration and innovation in this area.
Novel Essential Oils Blend as a Repellent and Toxic Agent against Disease-Transmitting Mosquitoes
Authors: Kamaraj Chinnaperumal , Satish Kumar Rajappan Chandra , Al-Ghanim Khalid A. , Nicoletti Marcello , Sathiyamoorthy V. , Sarvesh Sabarathinam , Ragavendran Chinnasamy , Govindarajan Marimuthu
Published: June 2023

Bio-insecticidal research has focused on long-term vector control using essential oils (EOs). This study examined the larvicidal, oviposition-deterrent, and repellent properties of five medicinal herb-based EO formulations (EOFs) on mosquitoes that are vectors of dengue, filariasis, and malaria. EOFs were significantly more toxic to the larvae and pupae of Culex quinquefasciatus, Anopheles stephensi, and Aedes aegypti with LC50 = 9.23, 12.85, and 14.46 ppm, as well with 10.22, 11.39, and 12.81 ppm, with oviposition active indexes of −0.84, −0.95, and −0.92, respectively. Oviposition-deterrent repellence was found in 91.39%, 94.83%, and 96.09%. EOs and N, N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) were prepared at various concentrations for time duration repellent bioassays (6.25–100 ppm). Ae. aegypti, An. stephensi, and Cx. quinquefasciatus were monitored for 300, 270, and 180 min, respectively. At 100 ppm, EOs and DEET had comparable repellence in terms of test durations. EOF’s primary components d-limonene (12.9%), 2,6-octadienal, 3,7-dimethyl, (Z) (12.2%), acetic acid, phenylmethyl ester (19.6%), verbenol (7.6%), and benzyl benzoate (17.4%) may be combined to make a mosquito larvicidal and repellant equivalent to synthetic repellent lotions. In the molecular dynamics simulations, limonene (−6.1 kcal/mol) and benzyl benzoate (−7.5 kcal/mol) had a positive chemical association with DEET (−6.3 kcal/mol) and interacted with the OBP binding pocket with high affinity and stability. This research will help local herbal product manufacturers and the cosmetics industry in developing 100% herbal insect repellent products to combat mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue, malaria, and filariasis.
Is the Pharmacokinetics of First-Line Anti-TB Drugs a Cause of High Mortality Rates in TB Patients Admitted to the ICU? A Non-Compartmental Pharmacokinetic Analysis
Authors: Beraldi-Magalhaes Francisco , Parker Suzanne L. , Sanches Cristina , Garcia Leandro Sousa , Souza Carvalho Brenda Karoline , Costa Amanda Araujo , Fachi Mariana Millan , de Liz Marcus Vinicius , de Souza Alexandra Brito , Safe Izabella Picinin , Pontarolo Roberto , Wallis Steven , Lipman Jeffrey , Roberts Jason A. , Cordeiro-Santos Marcelo
Published: June 2023

Background: Patients with tuberculosis (TB) may develop multi-organ failure and require admission to intensive care. In these cases, the mortality rates are as high as 78% and may be caused by suboptimal serum concentrations of first-line TB drugs. This study aims to compare the pharmacokinetics of oral rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol patients in intensive care units (ICU) to outpatients and to evaluate drug serum concentrations as a potential cause of mortality. Methods: A prospective pharmacokinetic (PK) study was performed in Amazonas State, Brazil. The primary PK parameters of outpatients who achieved clinical and microbiological cure were used as a comparative target in a non-compartmental analysis. Results: Thirteen ICU and twenty outpatients were recruited. The clearance and volume of distribution were lower for rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol. ICU thirty-day mortality was 77% versus a cure rate of 89% in outpatients. Conclusions: ICU patients had a lower clearance and volume of distribution for rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol compared to the outpatient group. These may reflect changes to organ function, impeded absorption and distribution to the site of infection in ICU patients and have the potential to impact clinical outcomes.
Spatial and Temporal Data Visualisation for Mass Dissemination: Advances in the Era of COVID-19
Authors: Clements Archie C. A.
Published: June 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic is the first major pandemic of the digital age and has been characterised by unprecedented public consumption of spatial and temporal disease data, which can enable greater transparency and accountability of governments to the public for their public health decisions. A variety of state and non-state actors have collated and presented maps, charts, and plots of data related to the pandemic in both static and dynamic formats. In particular, there has been a proliferation of online dashboards presenting data related to the pandemic. The sources and types of information displayed have evolved rapidly during the pandemic, with a general trend towards providing more specialised information pertinent to specific aspects of epidemiology or disease control, as opposed simply to disease and death notifications. Limited evaluation of the quality of COVID-19 data visualisation tools has been conducted and significant effort now needs to be spent on standardisation and quality improvement of national and international data visualisation systems including developing common indicators, data quality assurance mechanisms and visualisation approaches, and building compatible electronic systems for data collection and sharing. The increasing availability of disease data for public consumption presents challenges and opportunities for government, media organisations, academic research institutions, and the general public. A key challenge is ensuring consistency and effectiveness of public health messaging to ensure a coordinated response and public trust in intervention strategies. Capitalising on opportunities for greater government accountability for public health decision-making, and more effective mobilisation of public health interventions, is predicated on the provision of accurate and timely information.
COVID-19 Vaccination Status as Well as Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy among Prisoners and the Implications
Authors: Shabir Alina , Alkubaisi Noorah A. , Shafiq Amna , Salman Muhammad , Baraka Mohamed A. , Mustafa Zia Ul , Khan Yusra Habib , Malhi Tauqeer Hussain , Meyer Johanna C. , Godman Brian
Published: June 2023

Prisoners form a population who are highly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to overcrowding, limited movement, and a poor living environment. Consequently, there is a need to ascertain the status of COVID-19 vaccination and factors associated with hesitancy among prisoners. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was undertaken among prisoners at three district jails in Punjab Province, Pakistan. A total of 381 prisoners participated and none of the study participants had received an influenza vaccine this year. In total, 53% received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with the majority having two doses. The top three reasons of vaccine acceptance were “fear of contracting SARS-CoV-2 infection” (56.9%), “desire to return to a pre-pandemic routine as soon as possible” (56.4%), and “having no doubts on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines” (39.6%). There was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) in any demographic variables between vaccinated and unvaccinated prisoners except for age, which was strongly association with COVID-19 vaccine uptake (χ2(3) = 76.645, p < 0.001, Cramer’s V = 0.457). Among the unvaccinated prisoners (N = 179), only 16 subsequently showed willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The top three reasons for hesitancy were: COVID-19 is not a real problem/disease (60.1%), safety concerns (51.1%), and COVID-19 vaccine is a conspiracy (50.3%). Efforts are needed to address their concerns given this population’s risks and high hesitancy rates, especially among younger prisoners.
Optimal Electric Vehicle Fleet Charging Management with a Frequency Regulation Service
Authors: Dahmane Yassir , Chenouard Raphaël , Ghanes Malek , Alvarado Ruiz Mario
Published: June 2023

Electric vehicles are able to provide immediate power through the vehicle-to-grid function, and they can adjust their charging power level when in the grid-to-vehicle mode. This allows them to provide ancillary services such as frequency control. Their batteries differ from conventional energy storage systems in that the owner’s energy requirement constraint must be met when the vehicles participate in a frequency control system. An optimization problem was defined by considering both the owner satisfaction and frequency control performance. The main contribution of the proposed paper, compared to the literature, are (1) to keep the total available energy stored in the batteries connected to a charging station in an optimal region that favors the frequency regulation capability of the station and the proposed QoS and (2) to consider the optimal region bounded by the efficiency thresholds of the charger to allow for maximum regulation power. The problem is expressed as a multi-criteria optimization problem with time-dependent references. The paper presents an energy management strategy for frequency control, describes a concept of an optimal time-dependent state of charge for electric vehicle charging demands, and considers the power dependence of the electric vehicle charger efficiency. Finally, the simulation results are presented via Matlab/Simulink to prove the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
An Improved Gaussian Process Regression Based Aging Prediction Method for Lithium-Ion Battery
Authors: Qu Weiwei , Deng Hu , Pang Yi , Li Zhanfeng
Published: June 2023

A reliable aging-prediction method is significant for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) to prolong the service life and increase the efficiency of operation. In this paper, an improved Gaussian-process regression (GPR) is proposed to predict the degradation rate of LIBs under coupled aging stress to simulate working conditions. The complicated degradation processes at different ranges of the state of charge (SOC) under different discharge rates were analyzed. A composed kernel function was conducted to optimize the hyperparameter. The inputs for the kernel function of GPR were improved by coupling the constant and variant characteristics. Moreover, previous aging information was employed as a characteristic to improve the reliability of the prediction. Experiments were conducted on a lithium–cobalt battery at three different SOC ranges under three discharge rates to verify the performance of the proposed method. Some tips to slow the aging process based on the coupled stress were discovered. Results show that the proposed method accurately estimated the degradation rate with a maximum estimation root-mean-square error of 0.14% and regression coefficient of 0.9851. Because of the proposed method’s superiority to the exponential equation and GPR by fitting all cells under a different operating mode, it is better for reflecting the true degradation in actual EV.
UNA REVISIÓN DE CONTROL EN SISTEMAS DINÁMICOS DE EVENTOS DISCRETOS
Authors: Demera Reyna Carla Estefania , Mata Díaz Guelvis Enrique
Published: June 2023

A partir de los años ochenta es propuesta una teoría para el control de una clase de sistemas, llamados sistemas de eventos discretos. Tal teoría es referida en general como control supervisorio y es una herramienta potencial para la minimización o eliminación del bloqueo en la clase de sistemas antes mencionada. Aquí los resultados teóricos son establecidos naturalmente en el dominio de los lenguajes formales, mientras la síntesis y los resultados computacionales son dados en el campo de los autómatas finitos determinísticos. Esto es crucial pues apertura una extensión a sistemas de gran escala. En este trabajo se considera una revisión y discusión de la teoría de control supervisorio, estableciendo para esto un marco referencial que abarca los conceptos más relevantes desde su inicio hasta la actualidad, que permiten demostrar que el concepto de bloqueo en sistemas de eventos discretos es intrínsecamente monolítico (global). En verdad, este no puede ser tratado en general de una forma modular.
UNA REVISIÓN DE LA ECUACIÓN DE VAN DER POL Y SUS MODIFICACIONES
Authors: Mendoza Mendoza Winter Daniel , Acosta Orellana Antonio Ramón , Ruiz Leal Luis Bladismir
Published: June 2023

En los años veinte Van der Pol y Van der Mark descubren que la ecuación de segundo orden de oscilación de relajación modelaba el fenómeno generado cuando un marcapasos impulsa a un corazón real. Esto generó gran interés en el estudio de la ecuación de Van der Pol y Van der Mark, desde entonces se han realizado una gran variedad de modificaciones a la ecuación con la finalidad de obtener mejores resultados del estudio de la dinámica de ritmos cardiacos, modelar fenó- menos físicos y biológicos entre otros. Este trabajo exhibe una revisión y evolución de la ecuación de Van der Pol desde sus inicios hasta la actualidad enfocado en aquellas ecuaciones de segundo orden relacionadas con la dinámica del ritmo cardiaco. Se destaca la aparición de la llamada ecuación modificada de Van der Pol a partir de los años noventa hasta la actualidad.
Urinary Metabolite Profile Predicting the Progression of CKD
Authors: Kim Yaerim , Lee Jueun , Kang Mi Sun , Song Jeongin , Kim Seong Geun , Cho Semin , Huh Hyuk , Lee Soojin , Park Sehoon , Jo Hyung Ah , Yang Seung Hee , Paek Jin Hyuk , Park Woo Yeong , Han Seung Seok , Lee Hajeong , Lee Jung Pyo , Joo Kwon Wook , Lim Chun Soo , Hwang Geum-Sook , Kim Dong Ki
Published: June 2023

Key Points

As a biomarker, urinary metabolites could bridge the gap between genetic abnormalities and phenotypes of diseases.

We found that levels of betaine, choline, fumarate, citrate, and glucose were significantly correlated with kidney function and could predict kidney outcomes, providing prognostic biomarkers in CKD.

Background

Because CKD is caused by genetic and environmental factors, biomarker development through metabolomic analysis, which reflects gene-derived downstream effects and host adaptation to the environment, is warranted.

Methods

We measured the metabolites in urine samples collected from 789 patients at the time of kidney biopsy and from urine samples from 147 healthy participants using nuclear magnetic resonance. The composite outcome was defined as a 30% decline in eGFR, doubling of serum creatinine levels, or end-stage kidney disease.

Results

Among the 28 candidate metabolites, we identified seven metabolites showing (1) good discrimination between healthy controls and patients with stage 1 CKD and (2) a consistent change in pattern from controls to patients with advanced-stage CKD. Among the seven metabolites, betaine, choline, glucose, fumarate, and citrate showed significant associations with the composite outcome after adjustment for age, sex, eGFR, the urine protein–creatinine ratio, and diabetes. Furthermore, adding choline, glucose, or fumarate to traditional biomarkers, including eGFR and proteinuria, significantly improved the ability of the net reclassification improvement (P < 0.05) and integrated discrimination improvement (P < 0.05) to predict the composite outcome.

Conclusion

Urinary metabolites, including betaine, choline, fumarate, citrate, and glucose, were found to be significant predictors of the progression of CKD. As a signature of kidney injury–related metabolites, it would be warranted to monitor to predict the renal outcome.