bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“It’s Not That We Care Less”: Insights into Health Care Utilization for Comorbid Diabetes and Depression among Latinos
Authors: Borja Sharon , Valdovinos Miriam G. , Rivera Kenia M. , Giraldo-Santiago Natalia , Gearing Robin E. , Torres Luis R.
Published: January 2024

Despite robust knowledge regarding the socio-economic and cultural factors affecting Latino* access to healthcare, limited research has explored service utilization in the context of comorbid conditions like diabetes and depression. This qualitative study, embedded in a larger mixed-methods project, aimed to investigate perceptions held by Latinos and their social support systems (i.e., family members) regarding comorbid diabetes and depression and to identify barriers and facilitators to their help-seeking behaviors and treatment engagement. Bilingual and bicultural researchers conducted eight focus groups with 94 participants in a large U.S. metropolitan area and were primarily conducted in Spanish. The participants either had a diagnosis of diabetes and depression or were closely associated with someone who did. This study identified key individual and structural barriers and facilitators affecting healthcare access and treatment for Latinos living with comorbid diagnoses. A thematic analysis revealed structural barriers to healthcare access, including financial burdens and navigating healthcare institutions. Personal barriers included fears, personal responsibility, and negative family dynamics. Facilitators included accessible information, family support, and spirituality. These findings underscore the need to address these multi-level factors and for healthcare institutions and providers to actively involve Hispanic community members in developing services and interventions.
Role of the Menstrual Cycle on Performance and Injury Risk: A Survey of Female Professional Rugby Players in the United Kingdom
Authors: Hayward Eloise , Akam Liz , Hunter David , Mastana Sarabjit
Published: January 2024

Background: Female athletic performance and injury risk is impacted by variations in the menstrual cycle (MC), but the understanding of the impacts and mechanisms influenced by the menstrual cycle on exercise performance are not fully delineated. Aims and Objectives: Evaluate associations between the menstrual cycle, perceived performance, and injury risk of elite female rugby players using an online survey. Methods: An anonymous online questionnaire was completed by 150 elite female rugby players from two English rugby leagues, the Betfred Women’s Super League (BWSL) and the Allianz Premier 15s (AP15s). The collected data were analysed thematically. Results: The Chi-square test was used to assess associations between age groups and contraception usage, weight change, and training and playing performance; none of the associations were statistically significant (all p values > 0.05). Thematic analysis of 11,660 words of data revealed four themes: (a) MC impact on training and competition, (b) education and period management plans, (c) openness of conversations and comfort taking time off, and (d) injury risk. The impacted performance areas were physical (83.7%), psychological (85.7%), and nutritional (80.3%); players experienced decreased appetite, nausea, fatigue, strength declines, heighted emotions, and worsened focus. In total, 87.8% of athletes perceived the MC to negatively impact performance, 85.7% of players desired to be educated further to prevent injuries, improve nutrition, and training adaptions, 51.7% of participants perceived risk of injury to be higher during MC, and 86.4% of participants did not feel comfortable taking time off due to the MC, worrying that selection would be affected and about opinions from others. Conclusion: A clear negative impact on perceived performance and injury risk was reported by survey participants. The interaction of physical, psychological, and nutritional factors, and a lack of awareness and education emphasise the need for further comprehensive studies and interventions, with measures such as MC monitoring and profiling, education, and training adaptions to develop openness, knowledge, and understanding.
Phosphoproteome Microarray Analysis of Extracellular Particles as a Tool to Explore Novel Biomarker Candidates for Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Soares Martins Tânia , Pelech Steven , Ferreira Maria , Pinho Beatriz , Leandro Kevin , de Almeida Luís Pereira , Breitling Benedict , Hansen Niels , Esselmann Hermann , Wiltfang Jens , da Cruz e Silva Odete A. B. , Henriques Ana Gabriela
Published: January 2024

Phosphorylation plays a key role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis, impacting distinct processes such as amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide production and tau phosphorylation. Impaired phosphorylation events contribute to senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles’ formation, two major histopathological hallmarks of AD. Blood-derived extracellular particles (bdEP) can represent a disease-related source of phosphobiomarker candidates, and hence, in this pilot study, bdEP of Control and AD cases were analyzed by a targeted phosphoproteomics approach using a high-density microarray that featured at least 1145 pan-specific and 913 phosphosite-specific antibodies. This approach, innovatively applied to bdEP, allowed the identification of 150 proteins whose expression levels and/or phosphorylation patterns were significantly altered across AD cases. Gene Ontology enrichment and Reactome pathway analysis unraveled potentially relevant molecular targets and disease-associated pathways, and protein-protein interaction networks were constructed to highlight key targets. The discriminatory value of both the total proteome and the phosphoproteome was evaluated by univariate and multivariate approaches. This pilot experiment supports that bdEP are enriched in phosphotargets relevant in an AD context, holding value as peripheral biomarker candidates for disease diagnosis.
A Core and Valence-Level Spectroscopy Study of the Enhanced Reduction of CeO2 by Iron Substitution—Implications for the Thermal Water-Splitting Reaction
Authors: Idriss Hicham
Published: January 2024

The reduction of Ce cations in CeO2 can be enhanced by their partial substitution with Fe cations. The enhanced reduction of Ce cations results in a considerable increase in the reaction rates for the thermal water-splitting reaction when compared to CeO2 alone. This mixed oxide has a smaller crystallite size when compared to CeO2, in addition to a smaller lattice size. In this work, two Fe-substituted Ce oxides are studied (Ce0.95Fe0.05O2-δ and Ce0.75Fe0.25O2-δ; δ < 0.5) by core and valence level spectroscopy in their as-prepared and Ar-ion-sputtered states. Ar ion sputtering substantially increases Ce4f lines at about 1.5 eV below the Fermi level. In addition, it is found that the XPS Ce5p/O2s ratio is sensitive to the degree of reduction, most likely due to a higher charge transfer from the oxygen to Ce ions upon reduction. Quantitatively, it is also found that XPS Ce3d of the fraction of Ce3+ (uo, u′ and vo, v′) formed upon Ar ion sputtering and the ratio of Ce5p/O2s lines are higher for reduced Ce0.95Fe0.05O2-δ than for reduced Ce0.75Fe0.25O2-δ. XPS Fe2p showed, however, no preferential increase for Fe3+ reduction to Fe0 with increasing time for both oxides. Since water splitting was higher on Ce0.95Fe0.05O2-δ when compared to Ce0.75Fe0.25O2-δ, it is inferred that the reaction centers for the thermal water splitting to hydrogen are the reduced Ce cations and not the reduced Fe cations. These reduced Ce cations can be tracked by their XPS Ce5p/O2s ratio in addition to the common XPS Ce3d lines.
Efficacy and Safety of Thirty-Day Dual-Antiplatelet Therapy Following Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Apostolos Anastasios , Chlorogiannis David-Dimitris , Chrysostomidis Grigorios , Bozika Maria , Timpilis Filippos , Kramvis Angelos , Karamasis Grigoris V. , Leventopoulos Georgios , Davlouros Periklis , Tsigkas Grigorios
Published: January 2024

The optimal duration of DAPT after complex PCI remains under investigation. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to explore the safety and efficacy of a one-month therapy period versus a longer duration of DAPT after complex PCI. We systematically screened three major databases, searching for randomized controlled trials or sub-analyses of them, which compared shortened DAPT (S-DAPT), namely, one month, and longer DAPT (L-DAPT), namely, more than three months. The primary endpoint was any Net Adverse Clinical Event (NACE), and the secondary was any MACE (Major Adverse Cardiac Event), its components (mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and stent thrombosis), and major bleeding events. Three studies were included in the analysis, with a total of 6275 patients. Shortening DAPT to 30 days after complex PCI did not increase the risk of NACEs (OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.52–1.14), MACEs, mortality, myocardial infractions, stroke, or stent thrombosis. Pooled major bleeding incidence was reduced, but this finding was not statistically significant. This systematic review and meta-analysis showed that one-month DAPT did not differ compared to a longer duration of DAPT after complex PCI in terms of safety and efficacy endpoints. Further studies are still required to confirm these findings.
Impact of CoFe2O4 Magnetic Nanoparticles on the Physical and Mechanical Properties and Shape Memory Effect of Polylactide
Authors: Zimina Anna , Nikitin Aleksey , Lvov Vladislav , Bulygina Inna , Kovaleva Polina , Vodopyanov Stepan , Zadorozhnyy Mikhail , Peshkina Elizaveta , Karshieva Saida , Choudhary Rajan , Abakumov Maxim , Senatov Fedor
Published: January 2024

The acceleration in advancements of smart materials and non-contact controlled devices in the field of 4D printing is facilitated by the use of magnetically responsive shape memory polymer (SMP) composites. This study is dedicated to the development of promising shape memory materials based on polylactic acid (PLA) and cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles. The activation of the shape memory effect (SME) in magnetic nanoparticle composites was achieved by applying a high-frequency alternating magnetic field (HFAMF). The PLA/CoFe2O4 composites exhibited a remarkable shape recovery ratio (>84%) and underwent rapid heating when exposed to HFAMF. The interaction of these composites with mouse adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells demonstrated adequate cytocompatibility. The rapid magnetosensitive behavior and high shape recovery characteristics of PLA/CoFe2O4 composites make them promising candidates for biomedical applications.
The Impact of Ultrashort Pulse Laser Structuring of Metals on In-Vitro Cell Adhesion of Keratinocytes
Authors: Staehlke Susanne , Barth Tobias , Muench Matthias , Schroeter Joerg , Wendlandt Robert , Oldorf Paul , Peters Rigo , Nebe Barbara , Schulz Arndt-Peter
Published: January 2024

Besides the need for biomaterial surface modification to improve cellular attachment, laser-structuring is favorable for designing a new surface topography for external bone fixator pins or implants. The principle of this study was to observe how bioinspired (deer antler) laser-induced nano–microstructures influenced the adhesion and growth of skin cells. The goal was to create pins that allow the skin to attach to the biomaterial surface in a bacteria-proof manner. Therefore, typical fixator metals, steel, and titanium alloy were structured using ultrashort laser pulses, which resulted in periodical nano- and microstructures. Surface characteristics were investigated using a laser scanning microscope and static water contact angle measurements. In vitro studies with human HaCaT keratinocytes focused on cell adhesion, morphology, actin formation, and growth within 7 days. The study showed that surface functionalization influenced cell attachment, spreading, and proliferation. Micro-dimple clusters on polished bulk metals (DC20) will not hinder viability. Still, they will not promote the initial adhesion and spreading of HaCaTs. In contrast, additional nanostructuring with laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) promotes cell behavior. DC20 + LIPSS induced enhanced cell attachment with well-spread cell morphology. Thus, the bioinspired structures exhibited a benefit in initial cell adhesion. Laser surface functionalization opens up new possibilities for structuring, and is relevant to developing bioactive implants in regenerative medicine.
Dietary Fishmeal Replacement by Methanol-Extracted Cottonseed Meal with Amino Acid Supplementation for Juvenile Cobia Rachycentron canadum
Authors: Wang Jun , Wu Guangde , Gatlin Delbert M. , Lan Kunpeng , Wang Yun , Zhou Chuanpeng , Ma Zhenhua
Published: January 2024

The present study aims to evaluate methanol-extracted cottonseed meal (CSM) as a potential replacement for fishmeal (FM) in aquafeeds for juvenile cobia Rachycentron canadum. Five isonitrogenous (41% crude protein) and isolipidic (11% crude lipid) diets were formulated with 0 (i.e., the full fishmeal diet, as Control), 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the dietary protein from FM replaced by methanol-extracted CSM with L-lysine (L-Lys) and DL-methionine (DL-Met) and supplemented to the established requirement levels for cobia. Diets were fed to triplicate groups of juvenile fish with an average initial weight (±SEM) of 11.35 ± 0.23 g/fish for 9 weeks. Percent weight gain (WG), feed efficiency (FE) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) of fish fed diets with 25% and 50% of FM protein replaced by methanol-extracted CSM were higher or comparable to those of fish fed the Control diet. Those responses were gradually reduced with increasing levels of CSM substitution, resulting in significant (p < 0.05) negative linear trends. Condition factor (CF) and hepatosomatic index (HSI) values significantly decreased with increasing dietary CSM inclusion, as did whole-body protein and lipid composition. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) of fish fed CSM diets were not significantly different compared to that of fish fed the Control diet. The glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and malonaldehyde (MDA) levels, as well as serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities from fish fed diets with 50% or greater of CSM were lower than those of fish fed the Control and CSM25 diets. These results indicated that the inclusion of CSM did not induce any apparent stress on juvenile cobia. Additionally, methanol-extracted CSM with Lys and Met supplementation was able to replace up to 20~30% of crude protein provided by FM in the diet of cobia without drastically affecting the growth performance or body composition.
Dynamic Fluid Structure Interaction of NACRA 17 Foil
Authors: Knudsen Stig Staghøj , Marimon Giovannetti Laura , Legarth Brian Nyvang , Walther Jens Honoré
Published: January 2024

The NACRA 17 is a small foiling catamaran that is lifted out of the water by two asymmetric z-foils and two rudder elevators. This paper investigates how foil deflection affects not only foil performance but overall boat behaviour using a numerical Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) model. The deformations are solved with a solid model based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and the flow is solved with a Reynolds Average Navier-Stokes (RANS) based Finite Volume Model (FVM). The models are strongly coupled to allow dynamic FSI simulations. The numerical model is validated by comparing it to an experimental campaign conducted at the RISE SSPA Maritime Center in Sweden.Validation shows reasonable agreement, but the model can only be considered validated for some rake angles. The large deformation of the foils is found to have a profound effect on the performance of the foils and therefore of the overall catamaran. Turbulence transition and boat speed are found to affect foil forces and, in turn, deformation. Dynamic response of the foils during boat motion as exposed to waves is investigated and finally the full boat hydrodynamic is simulated by including both foils and the rudders in various scenarios.
Damp Buildings: Associated Fungi and How to Find Them
Authors: Loukou Evangelia , Jensen Nickolaj Feldt , Rohde Lasse , Andersen Birgitte
Published: January 2024

The number of buildings experiencing humidity problems and fungal growth appears to be increasing as energy-saving measures and changes in construction practices and climate become more common. Determining the cause of the problem and documenting the type and extent of fungal growth are complex processes involving both building physics and indoor mycology. New detection and identification methods have been introduced, and new fungal species have been added to the list of building-related fungi. However, the lack of standardised procedures and general knowledge hampers the effort to resolve the problems and advocate for an effective renovation plan. This review provides a framework for building inspections on current sampling methods and detection techniques for building-related fungi. The review also contains tables with fungal species that have been identified on commonly used building materials in Europe and North America (e.g., gypsum wallboard, oriented strand board (OSB), concrete and mineral wool). The most reported building-associated fungi across all materials are Penicillium chrysogenum and Aspergillus versicolor. Chaetomium globosum is common on all organic materials, whereas Aspergillus niger is common on all inorganic materials.
RETRACTED: Hosni Mahmoud, H.A.; Alabdulkreem, E. Bidirectional Neural Network Model for Glaucoma Progression Prediction. J. Pers. Med. 2023, 13, 390
Authors: Hosni Mahmoud Hanan A. , Alabdulkreem Eatedal
Published: January 2024

The Journal of Personalized Medicine retracts the article Bidirectional Neural Network Model for Glaucoma Progression Prediction [...]
Decrease in Mortality after the Implementation of a Hospital Model to Improve Performance in Sepsis Care: Princess Sepsis Code
Authors: Méndez Rosa , Figuerola Angels , Ramasco Fernando , Chicot Marta , Pascual Natalia F. , García Íñigo , von Wernitz Andrés , Zurita Nelly D. , Semiglia Auxiliadora , Pizarro Alberto , Saez Carmen , Rodríguez Diego
Published: January 2024

Sepsis is a time-dependent disease whose prognosis is influenced by early diagnosis and therapeutic measures. Mortality from sepsis remains high, and for this reason, the guidelines of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommend establishing specific care programs aimed at patients with sepsis. We present the results of the application of a hospital model to improve performance in sepsis care, called Princess Sepsis Code, with the aim of reducing mortality. A retrospective study was conducted using clinical, epidemiological, and outcome variables in patients diagnosed with sepsis from 2015 to 2022. A total of 2676 patients were included, 32% of whom required admission to the intensive care unit, with the most frequent focus of the sepsis being abdominal. Mortality in 2015, at the beginning of the sepsis code program, was 24%, with a declining rate noted over the study period, with mortality reaching 17% in 2022. In the multivariate analysis, age > 70 years, respiratory rate > 22 rpm, deterioration in the level of consciousness, serum lactate > 2 mmol/L, creatinine > 1.6 mg/dL, and the focus of the sepsis were identified as variables independently related to mortality. The implementation of the Princess Sepsis Code care model reduces the mortality of patients exhibiting sepsis and septic shock.
Policy Evaluation and Monitoring of Agricultural Expansion in Forests in Myanmar: An Integrated Approach of Remote Sensing Techniques and Social Surveys
Authors: San Su Mon , Kumar Navneet , Biber-Freudenberger Lisa , Schmitt Christine B.
Published: January 2024

Agricultural expansion is the main driver of deforestation in Myanmar. We analyzed the effectiveness of a national policy intervention on agricultural encroachment in state forests in Taungoo District in Myanmar from 2010 to 2020. The policy aims to stop agricultural encroachment and reforest encroached areas through farmers’ participation in an agroforestry community forestry. We applied an integrated approach that involved a land cover change analysis together with a household survey about encroachment behavior. The remote sensing analysis for the years 2010, 2015 and 2020 showed the land cover change pattern and an increase in agricultural encroachment from 9.5% to 18.5%, while forests declined from 62.8% to 51.9%. The survey showed that most farmers (91%) believed that the policy intervention did not lead to a change in their encroachment behavior or farm size. The main reasons that incentivized encroachment were stated to be livelihood needs, immigration due to marriage and increased accessibility due to road construction. The main reason for reducing encroachment was plantation establishment, leading to a loss of land for encroaching farmers. In conclusion, the integrated approach showed that the policy intervention did not decrease encroachment, whereas other factors influenced encroachment behavior. We recommend solving interministerial conflicts of interest related to encroachment in Myanmar and using an integrated approach for future studies.
The Role of Tourism Planning in Land-Use/Land-Cover Changes in the Kızkalesi Tourism Destination
Authors: Sarıkaya Levent Yasemin , Şahin Ezgi , Levent Tolga
Published: January 2024

Tourism is widely recognised as a significant economic source, especially for small-scale settlements. Nevertheless, tourism may potentially result in adverse effects on the environment. In order to mitigate adverse effects and enhance the advantages, tourism development necessitates a comprehensive planning process. In order to direct and control tourism’s development effectively, it is imperative to ensure that local spatial plans are integrated with national policies and regional strategies. The aim of this article is to investigate the role of tourism planning processes in the spatial development of tourism destinations, specifically by analysing the land-use/land-cover changes along the western coastline of Mersin, with a particular emphasis on the Kızkalesi tourism destination.
Construction and Identification of a Breast Bioreactor for Human-Derived Hypoglycemic Protein Amylin
Authors: Huang Kongwei , Yan Xiuying , Li Zhipeng , Liu Fuhang , Cui Kuiqing , Liu Qingyou
Published: January 2024

The mammary gland of mammals can generate numerous bioactive proteins. To express the human amylin protein in the mammary glands of domestic animals, we engineered a transgenic mammary gland bioreactor. For this study, we produced transgenic mice through prokaryotic microinjection. RT-PCR, qPCR, and Western blotting confirmed the presence of transgenes in the mice. The ELISA assay indicated an amylin yield of approximately 1.44 μg/mL in the mice milk. Further research revealed that consuming milk containing amylin resulted in a slight, but insignificant enhancement in food consumption, blood sugar equilibrium, and glucose tolerance. The influence of amylin-fortified milk on the abundance of fecal strains in mice was examined, and a significant difference in the quantity of strains needed for fatty acid synthesis and metabolism was discovered. The amylin protein gathered from humans is safe to consume, as no harmful effects were detected in the mice. Our study examined the production of human amylin using a new safety strategy that could potentially alleviate diabetic symptoms in the future through oral administration of milk containing amylin.
Real-World Data on Faricimab Switching in Treatment-Refractory Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Ng Benjamin , Kolli Hema , Ajith Kumar Naduviledeth , Azzopardi Matthew , Logeswaran Abison , Buensalido Julius , Mushtaq Bushra , Chavan Randhir , Chong Yu Jeat
Published: January 2024

Faricimab is a newly approved bispecific antibody for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Our study aims to evaluate clinical outcomes of faricimab switching in patients with treatment-refractory nAMD; determine parameters that predict these outcomes; and obtain patient subjective experience on this new injection. This is a retrospective case review with clinical and imaging data from a tertiary referral unit (Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, UK), involving patients who were switched to faricimab between 1 January and 1 December 2023. In all, 63 eyes (54 patients) with a mean age of 79.2 ± 7.8 and mean of 41.5 ± 22.4 previous anti-VEGF injections were analysed. With a mean of 4.81 ± 1.16 faricimab injections over 6.98 ± 1.75 months, post-treatment visual acuity was logMAR 0.49 ± 0.36 and central macular thickness (CMT) was 320.3 ± 97.9 µm. After first dose, 39.1% achieved complete dryness and 89.1% had anatomical improvement. Presence of subretinal fluid was a predictor of better functional outcomes (p = 0.001, β = −0.182), while initial CMT predicted better anatomical outcomes (p = 0.001, β = 0.688). Compared to their experiences of previous anti-VEGF injections, 89% of patients reported no more discomfort and 87.0% experienced no more floaters, photopsia, or bubbles post-injection. Faricimab switching has anatomical efficacy but limited functional improvement in treatment-refractory AMD. Patient experiences of faricimab compared to previous injections were overall positive.
A Soluble Model for the Conflict between Lying and Truth-Telling
Authors: Vieira Eduardo V. M. , Fontanari José F.
Published: January 2024

Lying and truth-telling are conflicting behavioral strategies that pervade much of the lives of social animals and, as such, have always been topics of interest to both biology and philosophy. This age-old conflict is linked to one of the most serious threats facing society today, viz., the collapse of trustworthy sources of information. Here, we revisit this problem in the context of the two-choice sender–receiver game: the sender tosses a coin and reports the supposed outcome to the receiver, who must guess the true outcome of the toss. For the sender, the options are to lie or tell the truth, while for the receiver, the options are to believe or disbelieve the sender’s account. We assume that social learning determines the strategy used by players and, in particular, that players tend to imitate successful individuals and thus change their strategies. Using the replicator equation formulation for infinite populations and stochastic simulations for finite populations, we find that when the sender benefits from the receiver’s failure, the outcome of the game dynamics depends strongly on the choice of initial strategies. This sensitivity to the initial conditions may reflect the unpredictability of social systems whose members have antagonistic interests.
MSI-HHO: Multi-Strategy Improved HHO Algorithm for Global Optimization
Authors: Wang Haosen , Tang Jun , Pan Qingtao
Published: January 2024

The Harris Hawks Optimization algorithm (HHO) is a sophisticated metaheuristic technique that draws inspiration from the hunting process of Harris hawks, which has gained attention in recent years. However, despite its promising features, the algorithm exhibits certain limitations, including the tendency to converge to local optima and a relatively slow convergence speed. In this paper, we propose the multi-strategy improved HHO algorithm (MSI-HHO) as an enhancement to the standard HHO algorithm, which adopts three strategies to improve its performance, namely, inverted S-shaped escape energy, a stochastic learning mechanism based on Gaussian mutation, and refracted opposition-based learning. At the same time, we conduct a comprehensive comparison between our proposed MSI-HHO algorithm with the standard HHO algorithm and five other well-known metaheuristic optimization algorithms. Extensive simulation experiments are conducted on both the 23 classical benchmark functions and the IEEE CEC 2020 benchmark functions. Then, the results of the non-parametric tests indicate that the MSI-HHO algorithm outperforms six other comparative algorithms at a significance level of 0.05 or greater. Additionally, the visualization analysis demonstrates the superior convergence speed and accuracy of the MSI-HHO algorithm, providing evidence of its robust performance.
A Matheuristic Approach for the Multi-Depot Periodic Petrol Station Replenishment Problem
Authors: Carotenuto Pasquale , Giordani Stefano , Salvatore Alessio
Published: January 2024

Planning petrol station replenishment is an important logistics activity for all the major oil companies. The studied Multi-Depot Periodic Petrol Station Replenishment problem derives from a real case in which the company must replenish a set of petrol stations from a set of depots, during a weekly planning horizon. The company must ensure refuelling according to available visiting patterns, which can be different from customer to customer. A visiting pattern predefines how many times (days) the replenishment occurs during a week and in which visiting days a certain amount of fuel must be delivered. To fulfill the weekly demand of each petrol station, one of the available replenishment plans must be selected among a given set of visiting patterns. The aim is to minimize the total distance travelled by the fleet of tank trucks during the entire planning horizon. A matheuristic approach is proposed, based on the cluster-first route-second paradigm, to solve it. The proposed approach is thoroughly tested on a set of realistic random instances. Finally, a weekly large real instance is considered with 194 petrol stations and two depots.
The Friedrichs Extension of Elliptic Operators with Conditions on Submanifolds of Arbitrary Dimension
Authors: Savin Anton
Published: January 2024

We describe the Friedrichs extension of elliptic symmetric pseudodifferential operators on a closed smooth manifold with the domain consisting of functions vanishing on a given submanifold. In summary, the Friedrichs extension is an elliptic Sobolev problem defined in terms of boundary and coboundary operators, and the number of boundary and coboundary conditions in the problem depends on the order of the operator and the codimension of the submanifold. In this paper, the discreteness of the spectrum is proved, and singularities of eigenfunctions are described.
CNVbd: A Method for Copy Number Variation Detection and Boundary Search
Authors: Lan Jingfen , Liao Ziheng , Haque A. K. Alvi , Yu Qiang , Xie Kun , Guo Yang
Published: January 2024

Copy number variation (CNV) has been increasingly recognized as a type of genomic/genetic variation that plays a critical role in driving human diseases and genomic diversity. CNV detection and analysis from cancer genomes could provide crucial information for cancer diagnosis and treatment. There still remain considerable challenges in the control-free calling of CNVs accurately in cancer analysis, although advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology have been inspiring the development of various computational methods. Herein, we propose a new read-depth (RD)-based approach, called CNVbd, to explore CNVs from single tumor samples of NGS data. CNVbd assembles three statistics drawn from the density peak clustering algorithm and isolation forest algorithm based on the denoised RD profile and establishes a back propagation neural network model to predict CNV bins. In addition, we designed a revision process and a boundary search algorithm to correct the false-negative predictions and refine the CNV boundaries. The performance of the proposed method is assessed on both simulation data and real sequencing datasets. The analysis shows that CNVbd is a very competitive method and can become a robust and reliable tool for analyzing CNVs in the tumor genome.
Multithreaded Reproducible Banded Matrix-Vector Multiplication
Authors: Tang Tao , Qi Haijun , Lu Qingfeng , Jiang Hao
Published: January 2024

Reproducibility refers to getting bitwise identical floating point results from multiple runs of the same program, is an important basis for debugging or correctness checking in many codes. However the round-off error and non-associativity of floating point makes attaining reproducibility a challenge in large-scale, long-term parallel computing or solving ill conditioned problems. The dgbmv performs general banded matrix-vector multiplication for double precision, is the most basic Level-2 operation in BLAS. First, we designed a reproducible algorithm for banded matrix-vector multiplication repro_dgbmv based on the technique of error-free transformation. Then the error of the algorithm is analyzed. Second, the algorithm is parallelized into repro_dgbmv_thread on ARM and x86 platforms. The numerical test results verify that repro_dgbmv_thread is reproducible and has higher accuracy than ordinary dgbmv. In numerical experiments on ARM platform, as the number of threads increases from 1 to 8, the run time of this algorithm is reduced by 5.2–7 times, while the run time of multithreaded dgbmv is only reduced by 2.2–3.8 times. In numerical experiments on x86 platform, as the number of threads increases from 1 to 15, the run time of this algorithm is reduced by 7.7–10.6 times, while the run time of multithreaded dgbmv is only reduced by 4.2–6.8 times.
Regime Tracking in Markets with Markov Switching
Authors: Borisov Andrey
Published: January 2024

The object of the investigation is a model of the incomplete financial market. It includes a bank deposit with a known interest rate and basic risky securities. The instant interest rate and volatility are governed by a hidden market regime, represented by some finite-state Markov jump process. The paper presents a solution to two problems. The first one consists of the characterization of the derivatives based on the existing market securities, which are valid to complete the considered market. It is determined that for the market completion, it is sufficient to add the number of derivatives equal to the number of possible market regimes. A generalization of the classic Black–Scholes equation, describing the evolution of the fair derivative price, is obtained along with the structure of a self-financing portfolio, replicating an arbitrary contingent claim in the market. The second problem consists of the online estimation of the market regime, given the observations of both the underlying and derivative prices. The available observations are either a combination of the time-discretized risky security prices or some high-frequency multivariate point processes associated with these prices. The paper presents the numerical algorithms of the market regime tracking for both observation types. The comparative numerical experiments illustrate the high quality of the proposed estimates.
Intelligent Vehicle Computation Offloading in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks: A Multi-Agent LSTM Approach with Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Sun Dingmi , Chen Yimin , Li Hao
Published: January 2024

As distributed computing evolves, edge computing has become increasingly important. It decentralizes resources like computation, storage, and bandwidth, making them more accessible to users, particularly in dynamic Telematics environments. However, these environments are marked by high levels of dynamic uncertainty due to frequent changes in vehicle location, network status, and edge server workload. This complexity poses substantial challenges in rapidly and accurately handling computation offloading, resource allocation, and delivering low-latency services in such a variable environment. To address these challenges, this paper introduces a “Cloud–Edge–End” collaborative model for Telematics edge computing. Building upon this model, we develop a novel distributed service offloading method, LSTM Muti-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning (L-MADRL), which integrates deep learning with deep reinforcement learning. This method includes a predictive model capable of forecasting the future demands on intelligent vehicles and edge servers. Furthermore, we conceptualize the computational offloading problem as a Markov decision process and employ the Multi-Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (MADDPG) approach for autonomous, distributed offloading decision-making. Our empirical results demonstrate that the L-MADRL algorithm substantially reduces service latency and energy consumption by 5–20%, compared to existing algorithms, while also maintaining a balanced load across edge servers in diverse Telematics edge computing scenarios.
Developer Assignment Method for Software Defects Based on Related Issue Prediction
Authors: Liu Baochuan , Zhang Li , Liu Zhenwei , Jiang Jing
Published: January 2024

The open-source software platform hosts a large number of software defects, and the task of relying on administrators to manually assign developers is often time consuming. Thus, it is crucial to determine how to assign software defects to appropriate developers. This paper presents DARIP, a method for assigning developers to address software defects. First, the correlation between software defects and issues is considered, predicting related issues for each defect and comprehensively calculating the textual characteristics of the defect using the BERT model. Second, a heterogeneous collaborative network is constructed based on the three development behaviors of developers: reporting, commenting, and fixing. The meta-paths are defined based on the four collaborative relationships between developers: report–comment, report–fix, comment–comment, and comment–fix. The graph-embedding algorithm metapath2vec extracts developer characteristics from the heterogeneous collaborative network. Then, a classifier based on a deep learning model calculates the probability assigned to each developer category. Finally, the assignment list is obtained according to the probability ranking. Experiments on a dataset of 20,280 defects from 9 popular projects show that the DARIP method improves the average of the Recall@5, the Recall@10, and the MRR by 31.13%, 21.40%, and 25.45%, respectively, compared to the state-of-the-art method.
A Coordinate-Free Variational Approach to Fourth-Order Dynamical Systems on Manifolds: A System and Control Theoretic Viewpoint
Authors: Fiori Simone
Published: January 2024

The present paper describes, in a theoretical fashion, a variational approach to formulate fourth-order dynamical systems on differentiable manifolds on the basis of the Hamilton–d’Alembert principle of analytic mechanics. The discussed approach relies on the introduction of a Lagrangian function that depends on the kinetic energy and the covariant acceleration energy, as well as a potential energy function that accounts for conservative forces. In addition, the present paper introduces the notion of Rayleigh differential form to account for non-conservative forces. The corresponding fourth-order equation of motion is derived, and an interpretation of the obtained terms is provided from a system and control theoretic viewpoint. A specific form of the Rayleigh differential form is introduced, which yields non-conservative forcing terms assimilable to linear friction and jerk-type friction. The general theoretical discussion is complemented by a brief excursus about the numerical simulation of the introduced differential model.
Damage Detection in Structures by Using Imbalanced Classification Algorithms
Authors: Moghadam Kasra Yousefi , Noori Mohammad , Silik Ahmed , Altabey Wael A.
Published: January 2024

Detecting damage constitutes the primary and pivotal stage in monitoring a structure’s health. Early identification of structural issues, coupled with a precise understanding of the structure’s condition, represents a cornerstone in the practices of structural health monitoring (SHM). While many existing methods prove effective when the number of data points in both healthy and damaged states is equal, this article employs algorithms tailored for detecting damage in situations where data are imbalanced. Imbalance, in this context, denotes a significant difference in the number of data points between the healthy and damaged states, essentially introducing an imbalance within the dataset. Four imbalanced classification algorithms are applied to two benchmark structures: the first, a numerical model of a four-story steel building, and the second, a bridge constructed in China. This research thoroughly assesses the performance of these four algorithms for each structure, both individually and collectively.
Solving the Electronic Schrödinger Equation by Pairing Tensor-Network State with Neural Network Quantum State
Authors: Kan Bowen , Tian Yingqi , Xie Daiyou , Wu Yangjun , Fan Yi , Shang Honghui
Published: January 2024

Neural network methods have shown promise for solving complex quantum many-body systems. In this study, we develop a novel approach through incorporating the density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) method with the neural network quantum state method. The results demonstrate that, when tensor-network pre-training is introduced into the neural network, a high efficiency can be achieved for quantum many-body systems with strong correlations.
Existence and Uniqueness of Weak Solutions to Frictionless-Antiplane Contact Problems
Authors: Fadlia Besma , Dalah Mohamed , Torres Delfim F. M.
Published: January 2024

We investigate a quasi-static-antiplane contact problem, examining a thermo-electro-visco-elastic material with a friction law dependent on the slip rate, assuming that the foundation is electrically conductive. The mechanical problem is represented by a system of partial differential equations, and establishing its solution involves several key steps. Initially, we obtain a variational formulation of the model, which comprises three systems: a hemivariational inequality, an elliptic equation, and a parabolic equation. Subsequently, we demonstrate the existence of a unique weak solution to the model. The proof relies on various arguments, including those related to evolutionary inequalities, techniques for decoupling unknowns, and certain results from differential equations.
Mechanistic Study in Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis through Microchip Laser Ablation in Organic Solvents
Authors: Hettiarachchi Barana Sandakelum , Takaoka Yusuke , Uetake Yuta , Yakiyama Yumi , Yoshikawa Hiroshi Y. , Maruyama Mihoko , Sakurai Hidehiro
Published: January 2024

The utilization of pulsed laser ablation in liquids (PLALs) for preparing gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) in organic solvents holds immense potential across diverse applications. This study introduces a compact and low-power microchip laser (MCL) system (average power 50 mW; pulse energy 0.5 mJ). Due to its compactness, an MCL is advantageous for easy manipulation in organic laboratories during the production of metal nanoparticles (NPs) for research and development purposes. In this research, poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) is used as a stabilizing agent for the preparation of Au NPs in organic solvents (CH2Cl2, CHCl3, 2-PrOH, MeCN, DMF, EtOH, NMP, and DMSO). Our experimental results demonstrate that the particle size remains consistent across all the organic solvents. This study explores the productivity of Au NPs in different organic solvents, revealing the necessity of multiple laser pulses to generate Au NPs successfully. This phenomenon, known as the ‘incubation effect,’ is linked to the lower pulse energy in the experimental condition and the thermal conductivity of the solvents. The findings emphasize the crucial role of solvent properties in determining the Au NPs productivity in PLAL.
Investigating Technological Parameters and TiN-Coated Electrodes for Enhanced Efficiency in Ti-6Al-4V Micro-EDM Machining
Authors: Pham Hoang-Vuong , Nguyen Huu-Phan , Shailesh Shirguppikar , Nguyen Duc-Toan , Bui Ngoc-Tam
Published: January 2024

Micro-electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) stands out as a transformative methodology, offering substantial progress in both technical and economic efficiency through the integration of coated electrodes. This study meticulously analyzes various technological parameters in micro-EDM, focusing specifically on Ti-6Al-4V, a widely employed titanium alloy. The application of a titanium nitride (TiN) coating material on a tungsten carbide (WC) electrode is investigated using the Taguchi method of experimental design. This study employs an ANOVA and factorial design methodology to scrutinize the influence of key parameters, namely voltage (V), capacitance (C), and spindle rotation (in revolutions per minute) (RPM) on the tool wear rate (TWR), overcut (OVC), and Z coordinate (depth) within the micro-EDM process. The findings unveil a noteworthy increase in the TWR with an elevated V, C, and RPM, with capacitance exerting a pronounced influence while voltage exhibits the least impact. OVC exhibits notable variations, revealing an inverse relationship with RPM. The Z coordinate (depth) is significantly affected by capacitance, with voltage and RPM each having a relatively negligible impact. A surface quality analysis exposes similarities and numerous defects in both coated and uncoated electrodes, emphasizing the need for further exploration into the effectiveness of coated electrodes in enhancing post-micro-EDM machined surface layers. This study contributes valuable insights to optimize and advance micro-EDM processes, laying groundwork for future innovations in precision machining.
Perovskite Solar Cells: A Review of the Latest Advances in Materials, Fabrication Techniques, and Stability Enhancement Strategies
Authors: Afre Rakesh A. , Pugliese Diego
Published: January 2024

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are gaining popularity due to their high efficiency and low-cost fabrication. In recent decades, noticeable research efforts have been devoted to improving the stability of these cells under ambient conditions. Moreover, researchers are exploring new materials and fabrication techniques to enhance the performance of PSCs under various environmental conditions. The mechanical stability of flexible PSCs is another area of research that has gained significant attention. The latest research also focuses on developing tin-based PSCs that can overcome the challenges associated with lead-based perovskites. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in materials, fabrication techniques, and stability enhancement strategies for PSCs. It discusses the recent progress in perovskite crystal structure engineering, device construction, and fabrication procedures that has led to significant improvements in the photo conversion efficiency of these solar devices. The article also highlights the challenges associated with PSCs such as their poor stability under ambient conditions and discusses various strategies employed to enhance their stability. These strategies include the use of novel materials for charge transport layers and encapsulation techniques to protect PSCs from moisture and oxygen. Finally, this article provides a critical assessment of the current state of the art in PSC research and discusses future prospects for this technology. This review concludes that PSCs have great potential as a low-cost alternative to conventional silicon-based solar cells but require further research to improve their stability under ambient conditions in view of their definitive commercialization.