bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Multimodel-Based Approach for Estimating Cause of Scanning Failure and Delay in IoT Wireless Network
Authors: Ojetunde Babatunde , Egashira Naoto , Suzuki Kenta , Kurihara Takuya , Yano Kazuto , Suzuki Yoshinori
Published: October 2022

The rapid growth in the IoT network comes with a huge security threat. Network scanning is considered necessary to identify vulnerable IoT devices connected to IP networks. However, most existing network scanning tools or system do not consider the burden of scan packet traffic on the network, especially in the IoT network where resources are limited. It is necessary to know the status of the communication environment and the reason why network scanning failed. Therefore, this paper proposes a multimodel-based approach which can be utilized to estimate the cause of failure/delay of network scanning over wireless networks where a scan packet or its response may sometimes be dropped or delayed. Specifically, the factors that cause network scanning failure/delay were identified and categorized. Then, using a machine learning algorithm, we introduced a multimodel linear discriminant analysis (MM-LDA) to estimate the cause of scan failure/delay based on the results of network scanning. In addition, a one-to-many model and a training data filtering technique were adopted to ensure that the estimation error was drastically reduced. The goal of our proposed method was to correctly estimate the causes of scan failure/delay in IP-connected devices. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated using computer simulation assuming a cellular (LTE) network as the targeted IoT wireless network and using LTE-connected devices as the targeted IoT devices. The proposed MM-LDA correctly estimates the cause of failure/delay of the network scan at an average probability of 98% in various scenarios. In comparison to other conventional machine learning classifiers, the proposed MM-LDA outperforms various classification methods in the estimation of the cause of scan failure/delay.
Psychiatric Symptoms and Frequency of Eating out among Commuters in Beijing: A Bidirectional Association?
Authors: Zhang Ling , Xie Yunyi , Li Bingxiao , Weng Fuyuan , Zhang Fengxu , Xia Juan
Published: October 2022

Background: Mental illness places as a distant first in global burdens, exceeding both cardiovascular and circulatory diseases, in terms of the years lived with the disability. The emergence of the new and burgeoning area of “Nutrition Psychiatry” offers promise in improving mental health with diet. Mental health and well-being are critical to commuters but rarely recieve the attention they need. This study aimed to examine the bidirectional relationship between the frequency of eating out and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in a sample of Beijing commuters. Methods: A total of 3337 commuters (mean (SD) age, 38.78 (10.41); 74.74% males) from the cohort study CHCN-BTH were included. The psychiatric symptoms were evaluated using a 21-item self-reported depression–anxiety–stress scale (DASS-21). A Cochran–Armitage trend chi-square test, restricted cubic spline, multiple logistic regression, multinomial logit models, and E-values were performed to estimate the associations between eating out and psychiatric symptoms in both directions. Results: A daily rate of eating out more than 50% had a higher risk for depression (OR, 95% CI: 1.68, 1.184–2.393), anxiety (1.73, 1.259–2.369), and stress (1.99, 1.191–3.329) than the individuals eating at home. A higher frequency of eating out for lunch was significantly associated with an increased risk of depression (1.78, 1.28–2.46), anxiety (1.67, 1.26–2.23), and stress (2.05, 1.31–3.22). Similar results were found when eating out for dinner with increased risks for depression 2.20 (1.59, 3.06), anxiety 1.91 (1.42, 2.59), and stress 2.61 (1.68, 4.05). There is limited evidence supporting the effects of psychiatric symptoms on the frequency of eating out in the reverse analyses. Conclusions: The frequency of eating out is positively associated with an increased risk of psychiatric symptoms, especially when eating out for lunch and dinner. People eating at home have the lowest risk of suffering psychiatric symptoms, followed by those eating in the workplace canteen. Eating at home should be considered for future recommendations for the prevention of psychiatric symptoms.
Postpartum Women’s Preferences for Lifestyle Intervention after Childbirth: A Multi-Methods Study Using the TIDieR Checklist
Authors: Makama Maureen , Chen Mingling , Moran Lisa J. , Skouteris Helen , Harrison Cheryce L. , Choi Tammie , Lim Siew
Published: October 2022

Postpartum lifestyle interventions are known to be efficacious in reducing postpartum weight retention, but uptake and engagement are poor. This multi-method study explored the preferences of postpartum women for the delivery of lifestyle interventions based on the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 women within 2 years of childbirth, recruited through convenience and snowball sampling throughout Australia (15 May 2020 to 20 July 2020). Transcripts were analysed thematically using an open coding approach. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in November 2021 among postpartum women within 5 years of childbirth in Australia. Data were summarised using descriptive statistics. The survey was completed by 520 women. Both the survey and interviews revealed that women were interested in receiving lifestyle support postpartum and wanted a program delivered by health professionals. They preferred a flexible low-intensity program embedded within existing maternal and child health services that is delivered through both online and face-to-face sessions. Having a pragmatic approach that taught practical strategies and enlists the support of partners, family and peers was important to mothers. Consumer-informed postpartum lifestyle interventions promote optimal engagement and improve program reach and therefore, impact.
Association of Healthy Eating Index-2015 and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Patterns with Insulin Resistance in Schoolchildren
Authors: Salas-González María Dolores , Aparicio Aranzazu , Loria-Kohen Viviana , Ortega Rosa M. , López-Sobaler Ana M.
Published: October 2022

Background: Diet quality patterns are associated with a lower incidence of insulin resistance (IR) in adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between two diet quality indices and IR in schoolchildren and to identify the best diet quality index associated with a lower risk of IR. Methods: A total of 854 schoolchildren (8–13 years) were included in a cross-sectional study, who completed a three-day dietary record to assess their diet. Fasting plasma glucose and insulin were also measured, and anthropometric data were collected. Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and adjusted DASH (aDASH) were calculated as diet quality indices. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was used, and IR was defined as HOMA-IR > 3.16. Results: The prevalence of IR was 5.5%, and it was higher in girls. The mean HEI-2015 and DASH scores were 59.3 and 23.4, respectively, and boys scored lower in both indices. In girls, having a HEI-2015 score above the 33rd percentile was associated with a lower risk of IR (odds ratio [95% CI]: 0.43 [0.19–0.96], p = 0.020). Conclusion: Greater adherence to a healthy dietary pattern, as assessed by a higher HEI-2015 score, was associated with a lower risk of IR in schoolchildren, especially in girls.
Infant Red Blood Cell Arachidonic to Docosahexaenoic Acid Ratio Inversely Associates with Fat-Free Mass Independent of Breastfeeding Exclusivity
Authors: Young Bridget E. , Kyere-Davies Gertrude , Farriester Jacob W. , Varshney Rohan , MacLean Paul S. , Krebs Nancy F. , Rudolph Michael C.
Published: October 2022

The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased nearly ten times over the last 40 years, influenced by early life nutrients that have persistent effects on life-long metabolism. During the first six months, infants undergo accelerated adipose accumulation, but little is known regarding infant fatty acid status and its relationship to infant body composition. We tested the hypothesis that a low arachidonic to docosahexaenoic acid ratio (AA/DHA) in infant red blood cells (RBCs), a long-term indicator of fatty acid intake, would associate with more infant fat-free mass (FFM) and/or less adipose accumulation over the first 4 months of life. The fatty acid and composition of breastmilk and infant RBCs, as well as the phospholipid composition of infant RBCs, were quantified using targeted and unbiased lipid mass spectrometry from infants predominantly breastfed or predominantly formula-fed. Regardless of feeding type, FFM accumulation was inversely associated with the infant’s RBC AA/DHA ratio (p = 0.029, R2 = 0.216). Infants in the lowest AA/DHA ratio tertile had significantly greater FFM when controlling for infant sex, adiposity at 2 weeks, and feeding type (p < 0.0001). Infant RBC phospholipid analyses revealed greater peroxisome-derived ether lipids in the low AA/DHA group, primarily within the phosphatidylethanolamines. Our findings support a role for a low AA/DHA ratio in promoting FFM accrual and identify peroxisomal activity as a target of DHA in the growing infant. Both FFM abundance and peroxisomal activity may be important determinants of infant metabolism during development.
Fish Consumption and Risk of Stroke in Chinese Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study in Shanghai, China
Authors: Cui Shuheng , Yi Kangqi , Wu Yiling , Su Xuyan , Xiang Yu , Yu Yuting , Tang Minhua , Tong Xin , Zaid Maryam , Jiang Yonggen , Zhao Qi , Zhao Genming
Published: October 2022

Present studies on the association of fish consumption with risk of stroke have shown controversial results, and this association within the Chinese population remains unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between fish consumption and incidence of total stroke, ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke among adults in China. We analyzed the data of 57,701 adults aged 20–74 years, with no history of stroke, in a prospective cohort study in Shanghai. Fish consumption was calculated from a food frequency questionnaire at baseline and divided into four categories (less than 300, 300–450, 450–600 and more than 600 g/week). Participant information was linked to health information systems in which stroke event information was collected up until 31 December 2021. The hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the associations of fish consumption with risk of total stroke, ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke were estimated using cox proportional hazards regression models. Dose–response relationships were estimated using restricted cubic spline analyses. During a median follow-up of 4.56 years, 807 newly developed stroke events were ascertained, including 664 ischemic stroke events and 113 hemorrhagic stroke events. Fish consumption of 300–450 g/week was associated with a reduced risk of total stroke (HR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.64–0.94) and ischemic stroke (0.70 (0.57–0.88)) compared with fish consumption of less than 300 g/week, after adjustment for comprehensive covariates including sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, dietary patterns and disease histories. No significant association was found between fish consumption and hemorrhagic stroke. The findings of our study support the consumption level of fish recommended in the dietary guidelines.
Animal Models of Trypanosoma cruzi Congenital Transmission
Authors: Avalos-Borges Eduardo E. , Rios Lizette E. , Jiménez-Coello Matilde , Ortega-Pacheco Antonio , Garg Nisha J.
Published: October 2022

Chagas disease, initiated by the etiological agent Trypanosoma cruzi, is an endemic infection in the American continent. Although vectorial transmission of T. cruzi is recognized as the main mode of infection, other routes such as congenital and blood transfusion are also documented as important methods of transmission. T. cruzi maternal–fetal transmission has been recorded in humans and examined by some investigators in naturally and experimentally infected mammals. Dogs are recognized as the major reservoir host in maintaining the domestic transmission of T. cruzi; however, the importance of congenital transmission in preserving the infection cycle in dogs has not been studied in detail. In this article, we reviewed the current knowledge of congenital transmission of T. cruzi in humans and compared the placental architecture of humans and different animals with particular attention to rodents, dogs, and non-human primates that have been used as experimental models of T. cruzi infection, congenital transmission, and Chagas disease pathogenesis. The placentas of humans and animals have some similar and dissimilar characteristics that should inform the study design and interpretation of results when evaluating the efficacy of new anti-parasite drugs and therapies against congenital infection.
Consumption of Galactose by Trypanosoma cruzi Epimastigotes Generates Resistance against Oxidative Stress
Authors: Lobo-Rojas Ángel , Quintero-Troconis Ender , Rondón-Mercado Rocío , Pérez-Aguilar. Mary Carmen , Concepción Juan Luis , Cáceres Ana Judith
Published: October 2022

In this study, we demonstrate that Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes previously grown in LIT medium supplemented with 20 mM galactose and exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (100 μM) showed two-fold and five-fold viability when compared to epimastigotes grown in LIT medium supplemented with two different glucose concentrations (20 mM and 1.5 mM), respectively. Similar results were obtained when exposing epimastigotes from all treatments to methylene blue 30 μM. Additionally, through differential centrifugation and the selective permeabilization of cellular membranes with digitonin, we found that phosphoglucomutase activity (a key enzyme in galactose metabolism) occurs predominantly within the cytosolic compartment. Furthermore, after partially permeabilizing epimastigotes with digitonin (0.025 mg × mg−1 of protein), intact glycosomes treated with 20 mM galactose released a higher hexose phosphate concentration to the cytosol in the form of glucose-1-phosphate, when compared to intact glycosomes treated with 20 mM glucose, which predominantly released glucose-6-phosphate. These results shine a light on T. cruzi’s galactose metabolism and its interplay with mechanisms that enable resistance to oxidative stress.
Targeting Host Tyrosine Kinase Receptor EPHA2 Signaling Affects Uropathogen Infection in Human Bladder Epithelial Cells
Authors: Prakash Prema S. , Kruse Alexander , Vogel Christian , Schagdarsurengin Undraga , Wagenlehner Florian
Published: October 2022

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect a major proportion of the world population but have limited non-antibiotic-based therapeutic and preventative strategies against UTIs. Facultative intracellular uropathogens such as strains of uropathogenic E. coli, K. pneumoniae, E. faecalis, E. cloacae are well-known uropathogens causing UTIs. These pathogens manipulate several host-signaling pathways during infection, which contributes to recurrent UTIs and inappropriate antibiotic application. Since host cell receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are critical for the entry, survival and replication of intracellular pathogens, we investigated whether different uropathogens require host EPHA2 receptors for their intracellular survival using a cell culture model of intracellular infection in human bladder epithelial cells (BECs). Infection of BECs with seven different uropathogens enhanced the expression levels and activation of EPHA2. The significance of EPHA2 signaling for uropathogen infection was investigated by silencing EPHA2 expression using RNA interference or by inhibiting the kinase activity of EPHA2 using small-molecule compounds such as dasatinib or ALW-II-41-27. Both preventive and therapeutic tyrosine kinase inhibition significantly reduced the intracellular bacterial load. Thus, our results demonstrate the involvement of host cell EPHA2 receptor during intracellular uropathogen infection of BECs, and targeting RTK activity is a viable non-antibiotic therapeutic strategy for managing recurrent UTIs.
Microwave Discharge in Hollow Optical Fibers as a Pump for Gas Fiber Lasers
Authors: Gladyshev Alexey , Nefedov Sergey , Kolyadin Anton , Kosolapov Alexey , Velmiskin Vladimir , Mineev Alexander , Bufetov Igor
Published: October 2022

To excite plasma in the core of a hollow fiber, a scheme similar to a slot antenna in the wall of a metal microwave waveguide was proposed and implemented. An analytical estimate of the magnitude of the electric field in the slot region where the fiber with a hollow core is placed has been obtained. Using the proposed scheme, the possibility of maintaining argon plasma in the core of a hollow fiber with a diameter as small as 110 μm was demonstrated. The total length of plasma column in the hollow-core fiber was up to 25 cm at Ar pressure ~10 Torr. The frequency of microwave radiation used was 2.4 GHz, the average generated power was below 20 W. The obtained luminescence spectra of argon plasma in the fiber core showed that the argon luminescence in our experiments was observed only in the form of radiation from neutral atoms. The results obtained show that the microwave slot antenna is a promising pumping scheme for gas-discharge fiber lasers based on hollow-core fibers.
Broadband Polarization Rotator and Splitter Based on 70 nm-Etched Waveguides on SOI Platform
Authors: Tian Ye , Kang Zhe , Dai Tingge , Xu Peipeng , Li Yan , Lv Yegang , Zhang Xiaowei
Published: October 2022

The standard silicon photonic platforms provide three-step silicon etching, i.e., 220 nm for full etching, 70 nm for shallow etching, and 130 nm (or 150 nm) for slab etching. Previously reported mode-evolution-based polarization rotators and splitters (PSRs) usually employ 130 nm-etched slab waveguides for adiabatic TM0-to-TE1 conversion, however, they are not compatible with the platforms adopting 150 nm-etching techniques. In this paper, we demonstrate a broadband PSR based on 70 nm-etched slab waveguides, which is compatible with all the platforms. The PSR consists of a bi-level taper and an inverse-tapered coupler. The length of the polarization rotator shrinks from hundreds to only thirty microns by employing the 70 nm-etched slab waveguides, while a high efficiency of >95% is achieved, covering an ultra-wide bandwidth from 1250 nm to 1650 nm. The proposed PSR shows superior performance over S, C, and L bands. Low cross-talk of <−20 dB and a loss of <1.5 dB are experimentally confirmed over a wavelength range of 75 nm.
Enhancement of Piezoelectric Properties of Flexible Nanofibrous Membranes by Hierarchical Structures and Nanoparticles
Authors: Wang Feng , Dou Hao , You Cheng , Yang Jin , Fan Wei
Published: October 2022

Piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) show superiority in self-powered energy converters and wearable electronics. However, the low power output and ineffective transformation of mechanical energy into electric energy l limit the role of PENGs in energy conversion and storage devices, especially in fiber-based wearable electronics. Here, a PAN-PVDF/ZnO PENG with a hierarchical structure was designed through electrospinning and a hydrothermal reaction. Compared with other polymer nanofibers, the PAN-PVDF/ZnO nanocomposites not only showed two distinctive diameter distributions of uniform nanofibers, but also the complete coverage and embedment of ZnO nanorods, which brought about major improvements in both mechanical and piezoelectric properties. Additionally, a simple but effective method to integrate the inorganic nanoparticles into different polymers and regulate the hierarchical structure by altering the types of polymers, concentrations of spinning solutions, and growth conditions of nanoparticles is presented. Further, the designed P-PVDF/ZnO PENG was demonstrated as an energy generator to successfully power nine commercial LEDs. Thus, this approach reveals the critical role of hierarchical structures and processing technology in the development of high-performance piezoelectric nanomaterials.
A Preliminary Study on Grip-Induced Nerve Damage Caused by a Soft Pneumatic Elastomeric Gripper
Authors: Guo Jin , Low Jin Huat , Rajagopal Iyer Vinaya , Wong Peiyan , Ong Chee Bing , Loh Wen Lin , Yeow Chen Hua
Published: October 2022

Forceps, clamps, and haemostats are essential surgical tools required for all surgical interventions. While they are widely used to grasp, hold, and manipulate soft tissue, their metallic rigid structure may cause tissue damage due to the potential risk of applying excessive gripping forces. Soft pneumatic surgical grippers fabricated by silicone elastomeric materials with low Young’s modulus may offer a promising solution to minimize this unintentional damage due to their inherent excellent compliance and compressibility. The goal of this work is to evaluate and compare the grip-induced nerve damage caused by the soft pneumatic elastomeric gripper and conventional haemostats during surgical manipulation. Twenty-four Wistar rats (male, seven weeks) are subjected to sciatic nerve compression (right hind limb) using the soft pneumatic elastomer gripper and haemostats. A histopathological analysis is conducted at different time-points (Day 0, Day 3, Day 7 and Day 13) after the nerve compression to examine the morphological tissue changes between the rats in the ‘soft gripper’ group and the ‘haemostats’ group. A free walking analysis is also performed to examine the walking function of the rats after recovery from different time points. Comparing the rigid haemostats and soft gripper groups, there is a visible difference in the degree of axonal vacuolar degeneration between the groups, which could suggest the presence of substantial nerve damage in the ‘haemostats’ group. The rats in the haemostats group exhibited reduced right hind paw pressure and paw size after the nerve compression. It shows that the rats tend not to exert more force on the affected right hind limb in the haemostats group compared to the soft gripper group. In addition, the stance duration was reduced in the injured right hind limb compared to the normal left hind limb in the haemostats group. These observations show that the soft pneumatic surgical gripper made of silicone elastomeric materials might reduce the severity of grip-induced damage by providing a safe compliant grip compared to the conventional haemostats. The soft pneumatic elastomer gripper could complement the current surgical gripping tool in delicate tissue manipulation.
Preparation of Calcined Kaolin by Efficient Decarburization of Coal-Series Kaolinite in a Suspended Bed Reactor
Authors: Cheng Simeng , Jiu Shaowu , Li Hui
Published: October 2022

The reaction process, mechanism, and kinetics of the decarbonation of coal-series kaolinite (CSK) were investigated using the thermal analysis (TG)–infrared spectrum analysis (IR) coupling method. A pilot test was performed using a suspended calcination system. Further, the carbon content, phase composition, whiteness, oil-absorbed value, and micromorphology of calcined kaolin were characterized. Results showed that the decarburization reaction of CSK was a two-step reaction that mainly occurred in the ranges of 593 °C–836 °C. The mechanism of the decarburization reaction was a phase-boundary reaction (unreacted-core shrinking model) with an activation energy of 214.56 kJ/mol. Calcination at 900 °C or 950 °C for ~3.3 s in a suspension reactor resulted in the decarburization rate of CSK becoming >99.9%. The whiteness of calcined kaolin was mainly positively associated with the decarburization rate, and increasing the calcination temperature aided in increasing the whiteness. The oil-absorbed value of calcined kaolin was positively correlated with the specific surface area. Insufficient or over-calcination decreased the oil-absorbed value of calcined kaolin products. The calcined kaolin product with a whiteness of 89.3% and an oil-absorbed value of 76.1 g/100 g was obtained via suspension calcination process, which meets the requirements of calcined kaolin for paper-making.
FDA-Approved Trifluoromethyl Group-Containing Drugs: A Review of 20 Years
Authors: Nair Aathira Sujathan , Singh Ashutosh Kumar , Kumar Astik , Kumar Sunil , Sukumaran Sunitha , Koyiparambath Vishal Payyalot , Pappachen Leena K. , Rangarajan T. M. , Kim Hoon , Mathew Bijo
Published: October 2022

As people around the world regard 2020 as the year of COVID-19, the medical community considers this year to be the second-best year, shared with the year 1996, with respect to the number of drug molecules approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Both years, 2020 and 1996, had a record of 53 new drug molecules approved by the FDA. In the year 2020, 53 new chemical entities and 13 biological medicines were approved, including 10 monoclonal antibodies, 2 antibody-drug conjugates, 3 peptides, and 2 oligonucleotides. Among them, most of the compounds were found to have fluorine or fluorine-containing functional groups exhibiting numerous pharmacological activities. Herein, we summarized the trifluoromethyl (TFM, -CF3)-group-containing FDA-approved drugs for the last 20 years. This article specially features and details the previous 20-year literature data, covering CF3-incorporated potential drug molecules, including their syntheses and uses for various diseases and disorders. The review covers the detailed chemistry of 19 FDA-approved drugs in the past 20 years, which contains the TFM group as one of the pharmacophores.
Performance Assessment of GPM IMERG Products at Different Time Resolutions, Climatic Areas and Topographic Conditions in Catalonia
Authors: Peinó Eric , Bech Joan , Udina Mireia
Published: October 2022

Quantitative Precipitation Estimates (QPEs) from the Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) provide crucial information about the spatio-temporal distribution of precipitation in semiarid regions with complex orography, such as Catalonia (NE Spain). The network of automatic weather stations of the Meteorological Service of Catalonia is used to assess the performance of three IMERG products (Early, Late and Final) at different time scales, ranging from yearly to sub-daily periods. The analysis at a half-hourly scale also considered three different orographic features (valley, flat and ridgetop), diverse climatic conditions (BSk, Csa, Cf and Df) and five categories related to rainfall intensity (light, moderate, intense, very intense and torrential). While IMERG_E and IMERG_L overestimate precipitation, IMERG_F reduces the error at all temporal scales. However, the calibration to which a Final run is subjected causes underestimation regardless in some areas, such as the Pyrenees mountains. The proportion of false alarms is a problem for IMERG, especially during the summer, mainly associated with the detection of false precipitation in the form of light rainfall. At sub-daily scales, IMERG showed high bias and very low correlation values, indicating the remaining challenge for satellite sensors to estimate precipitation at high temporal resolution. This behaviour was more evident in flat areas and cold semi-arid climates, wherein overestimates of more than 30% were found. In contrast, rainfall classified as very heavy and torrential showed significant underestimates, higher than 80%, reflecting the inability of IMERG to detect extreme sub-daily precipitation events.
Empirical Mode Decomposition-Based Feature Extraction for Environmental Sound Classification
Authors: Ahmed Ammar , Serrestou Youssef , Raoof Kosai , Diouris Jean-François
Published: October 2022

In environment sound classification, log Mel band energies (MBEs) are considered as the most successful and commonly used features for classification. The underlying algorithm, fast Fourier transform (FFT), is valid under certain restrictions. In this study, we address these limitations of Fourier transform and propose a new method to extract log Mel band energies using amplitude modulation and frequency modulation. We present a comparative study between traditionally used log Mel band energy features extracted by Fourier transform and log Mel band energy features extracted by our new approach. This approach is based on extracting log Mel band energies from estimation of instantaneous frequency (IF) and instantaneous amplitude (IA), which are used to construct a spectrogram. The estimation of IA and IF is made by associating empirical mode decomposition (EMD) with the Teager–Kaiser energy operator (TKEO) and the discrete energy separation algorithm. Later, Mel filter bank is applied to the estimated spectrogram to generate EMD-TKEO-based MBEs, or simply, EMD-MBEs. In addition, we employ the EMD method to remove signal trends from the original signal and generate another type of MBE, called S-MBEs, using FFT and a Mel filter bank. Four different datasets were utilised and convolutional neural networks (CNN) were trained using features extracted from Fourier transform-based MBEs (FFT-MBEs), EMD-MBEs, and S-MBEs. In addition, CNNs were trained with an aggregation of all three feature extraction techniques and a combination of FFT-MBEs and EMD-MBEs. Individually, FFT-MBEs achieved higher accuracy compared to EMD-MBEs and S-MBEs. In general, the system trained with the combination of all three features performed slightly better compared to the system trained with the three features separately.
A Survey on Wireless Wearable Body Area Networks: A Perspective of Technology and Economy
Authors: Bhatti David Samuel , Saleem Shahzad , Imran Azhar , Iqbal Zafar , Alzahrani Abdulkareem , Kim HyunJung , Kim Ki-Il
Published: October 2022

The deployment of wearable or body-worn devices is increasing rapidly, and thus researchers’ interests mainly include technical and economical issues, such as networking, interoperability, security, power optimization, business growth and regulation. To address these issues properly, previous survey papers usually focused on describing the wireless body area network architecture and network protocols. This implies that deployment issues and awareness issues of wearable and BAN devices are not emphasized in previous work. To defeat this problem, in this study, we have focused on feasibility, limitations, and security concerns in wireless body area networks. In the aspect of the economy, we have focused on the compound annual growth rate of these devices in the global market, different regulations of wearable/wireless body area network devices in different regions and countries of the world and feasible research projects for wireless body area networks. In addition, this study focuses on the domain of devices that are equally important to physicians, sportsmen, trainers and coaches, computer scientists, engineers, and investors. The outcomes of this study relating to physicians, fitness trainers and coaches indicate that the use of these devices means they would be able to treat their clients in a more effective way. The study also converges the focus of businessmen on the Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) and provides manufacturers and vendors with information about different regulatory bodies that are monitoring and regulating WBAN devices. Therefore, by providing deployment issues in the aspects of technology and economy at the same time, we believe that this survey can serve as a preliminary material that will lead to more advancements and improvements in deployment in the area of wearable wireless body area networks. Finally, we present open issues and further research direction in the area of wireless body area networks.
Detector Processor for a 5G Base Station
Authors: Niu Cao , Liu Dake
Published: October 2022

Nonlinear soft bit detection is essential for the uplink receivers of 5G base stations, especially for users around the cell edge. However, its throughput and computing complexity are always challenges for both research and industry. A low-cost and low-power parallel implementation of a soft-output detector based on sorted QR decomposition (SQRD) and the K-best breadth-first search algorithm is thus proposed to reduce computational complexity and latency. In addition, to save area and reduce latency, two improvement methods are used: (1) reduce the computing cost by saturating and truncating large values during PED computing and (2) reduce the sorting cost by using the binary bit sorting method for a reduced sample set with finite accuracy. Furthermore, a pipelined VLSI architecture is designed using 28-nm digital CMOS technology offered by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC). It can achieve a peak throughput of 6400 Mbps while consuming 153 K gates (including all flip-flops) for SMIC’s 28-nm technology and running at 800 MHz, a 32% cost reduction compared with the published reference design.
Separation and Purification of Taxanes from Crude Taxus cuspidata Extract by Antisolvent Recrystallization Method
Authors: Zhang Yajing , Zhao Zirui , Li Wenlong , Tang Yuanhu , Meng Huiwen , Wang Shujie
Published: October 2022

Taxanes are natural compounds with strong antitumor activity. In this study, we first enriched taxanes by ultrasonic extraction and liquid–liquid extraction from Taxus cuspidata, then purified these taxanes by the antisolvent recrystallization method, and discussed the effects of four recrystallization conditions on the purity of eight target compounds. The most promising purification results were obtained using methanol as a solvent and water as an antisolvent. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to further optimize the optimal purification conditions: when the crude extraction concentration was 555.28 mg/mL, an antisolvent to solvent volume ratio was 28.16 times, the deposition temperature was 22.91 °C, and the deposition time was 1.76 min, the purity of the taxanes reached its maximum. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that recrystallization could effectively reduce the particle size of crude Taxus cuspidata and control the particle morphology. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectrum experiments demonstrated that the amorphous state of the crude Taxus cuspidata did not change during the recrystallization process, and always remained amorphous. This recrystallization method can effectively improve the purity of taxanes in Taxus cuspidata, and is suitable for the preliminary purification of taxanes.
Building Greibach Normal Form Grammars Using Genetic Algorithms
Authors: Anastasopoulos Nikolaos , Dermatas Evangelos
Published: October 2022

Grammatical inference of context-free grammars using positive and negative language examples is among the most challenging task in modern artificial and natural language technology. Recently, several implementations combining various techniques, usually including the Backus–Naur form, have been proposed. In this paper, we explore a new implementation of grammatical inference using evolution methods focused on the Greibach normal form and exploiting its properties, and also propose new solutions both in the evolutionary processes and in the corresponding fitness estimation.
eDNA Metabarcoding Analysis of the Composition and Spatial Patterns of Fish Communities in the Sanbanxi Reservoir, China
Authors: Ma Xiuhui , Yang Hanwei , Zhong Xue , Zeng Peng , Zhou Xianjun , Zeng Sheng , Dong Xianghong , Min Wenwu , Huang Fujiang
Published: October 2022

The construction of a reservoir dam alters the environment within its basin, including composition of the fish community, fish biodiversity, and the river ecosystem itself. This study was conducted in the Sanbanxi Reservoir and used eDNA metabarcoding technology comprising eDNA capture and extraction, PCR amplification, sequencing and database comparison analysis, and other environmental DNA metabarcoding standardized analysis processes to characterize the composition and diversity of fish communities and assess their current status. A total of 48 species of fish were detected. Previously, 68 species of fish were screened and identified in this reservoir based on the reports of Dai and Gu. The results for fish community composition showed that species of the order Cypriniformes are still the most dominant in the Reservoir with 38 species of cyprinids, accounting for 90.81% of all OTUs. Carp were no longer the dominant species, and Spinibarbus denticulatus, Homalopteridae, Cobitidae, and Sisoridae were not detected, with the exception of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cobitidae). These families have the common characteristic of being adapted to survive in fast-water, sandstone substrate habitats. The results also show that two of the sampling sites, sbx03 and sbx10, significantly differed from other sampling sites due to their geographical environment. The impact of the construction of reservoirs on freshwater fish communities is extreme, since the transformation from a lotic to a lentic habitat contributes to habitat destruction and constrains fish in movement. The change in the aquatic environment before and after the storage of water in the Sanbanxi Reservoir has reduced the number of fish species found in the reservoir, and species characteristically found in fast moving, rapids habitats are virtually absent. The profound change in the aquatic environment from that of a lotic to a lentic habitat leads to changes in the composition of fish populations in the reservoir and to a certain extent a reduction in the ecological stability and species diversity within the reservoir. Therefore, the protection of fish diversity in the reservoir is of great significance to the stability of the ecosystem.
The Future of Farming: The (Non)-Sense of Big Data Predictive Tools for Sustainable EU Agriculture
Authors: Luyckx Margot , Reins Leonie
Published: October 2022

The agricultural sector is one of the key sectors that need to be transformed in order to mitigate climate change. The use of predictive models supported by big data (“big data predictive tools”) has already been named in the literature as one key possibility to facilitate this change. This contribution maps out the possibilities and potential harms of big data predictive tools for sustainable agricultural use and analyses the role that regulation can play to address these challenges, answering the following question: how can the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the European Green Deal address potential harms of big data predictive tools for sustainable agriculture while safeguarding its possibilities. Based on a combination of doctrinal legal research and a review of secondary sources, this contribution concludes that in theory, both instruments recognize the possibilities of big data predictive tools for agriculture and emphasize the necessity of environmental sustainability in this regard. However, some of the most promising and essential elements of achieving sustainable digitalisation in agriculture, risk not being substantiated because of a watered-down CAP, significant focus on larger farms and strong member state margin of appreciation. Although at first sight the CAP and Green Deal seem aligned, it can be concluded that the depth has yet to be proven. Whether this depth can be substantiated will also determine the extent to which digital technologies, such as big data predictive tools, will help in enforcing a sustainable agriculture or risk intensifying unsustainable practices in the EU.
Detecting Female Students Transforming Entrepreneurial Competency, Mindset, and Intention into Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Authors: Chang Angel , Chang Dian-Fu , Chen Tien-Li
Published: October 2022

Entrepreneurship has been viewed as an opportunity for economic development and changing economic scenario in global markets. Women are viewed as a reservoir of entrepreneurial talents, so they can be growth engines in novel markets. Previous studies have considered entrepreneurship as the most effective way towards the economic empowerment of women. Female students engaged in entrepreneurial education have been addressed persistently, while what transforms them in an education process is still unclear. Considering the transforming global economy and its influence on higher education, this study aims to detect female students transforming entrepreneurial competency, mindset, and intention into sustainable entrepreneurship. Using a self-compiled survey, we targeted 752 female students to investigate their entrepreneurial competency, mindset, and intention. SPSS and AMOS were used to transform the data for interpretation. We assumed that the impact of female student’s entrepreneurial competency could be modified by an entrepreneurial mindset and result in entrepreneurial intention. To detect this causal relationship, this study employed reliability, factor, structural equation modeling (SEM), and bootstrapping analyses to verify the evidence. The result of the SEM confirms that the female students’ entrepreneurial competency will, through their entrepreneurial mindset, impact entrepreneurial intention. With bootstrapping, 5000 samples were collected, and it was demonstrated that the measure constructs were still reliable in the model. This study found that there is a mediation effect between entrepreneurial competency and entrepreneurial intention. The entrepreneurial mindset plays a crucial role in the transformation process. Without an entrepreneurial mindset, entrepreneurial competency cannot exert a significant effect on entrepreneurial intention. The findings can help reinvent related entrepreneurial education in higher education.
Valuable Business Knowledge Asset Discovery by Processing Unstructured Data
Authors: Sanchez-Segura Maria-Isabel , González-Cruz Roxana , Medina-Dominguez Fuensanta , Dugarte-Peña German-Lenin
Published: October 2022

Modern organizations are challenged to enact a digital transformation and improve their competitiveness while contributing to the ninth Sustainable Development Goal (SGD), “Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The discovery of hidden process data’s knowledge assets may help to digitalize processes. Working on a valuable knowledge asset discovery process, we found a major challenge in that organizational data and knowledge are likely to be unstructured and undigitized, constraining the power of today’s process mining methodologies (PMM). Whereas it has been proved in digitally mature companies, the scope of PMM becomes wider with the complement proposed in this paper, embracing organizations in the process of improving their digital maturity based on available data. We propose the C4PM method, which integrates agile principles, systems thinking and natural language processing techniques to analyze the behavioral patterns of organizational semi-structured or unstructured data from a holistic perspective to discover valuable hidden information and uncover the related knowledge assets aligned with the organization strategic or business goals. Those assets are the key to pointing out potential processes susceptible to be handled using PMM, empowering a sustainable organizational digital transformation. A case study analysis from a dataset containing information on employees’ emails in a multinational company was conducted.
Study of Transformer Harmonic Loss Characteristic in Distribution Network Based on Field-Circuit Coupling Method
Authors: Ma Xiping , Jia Rong , Liang Chen , Du Haodong , Dong Xiaoyang , Ding Man
Published: October 2022

One of the primary causes of additional losses in dry-type distribution transformers is harmonic disturbances in the distribution network. It is critical to investigate the change law of trans-former losses under harmonic conditions. The effect of harmonics on transformer core losses and winding losses is first investigated in this paper. The field-circuit coupling method is then used to create a finite element model of a three-phase phase dry type distribution transformer. Finally, the relationship between core loss and harmonic voltage, winding loss and harmonic current is calculated and analyzed for each harmonic frequency. The AC resistance factor model is found to be more accurate than the conventional model in calculating transformer harmonic winding losses. This paper’s findings have significant theoretical implications for the analysis of harmonic losses and loss reduction in distribution networks.
Combining Green Metrics and Digital Twins for Sustainability Planning and Governance of Smart Buildings and Cities
Authors: Corrado Casey R. , DeLong Suzanne M. , Holt Emily G. , Hua Edward Y. , Tolk Andreas
Published: October 2022

Creating a more sustainable world will require a coordinated effort to address the rise of social, economic, and environmental concerns resulting from the continuous growth of cities. Supporting planners with tools to address them is pivotal, and sustainability is one of the main objectives. Modeling and simulation augmenting digital twins can play an important role to implement these tools. Although various green best practices have been utilized over time and there are related attempts at measuring green success, works in the published literature tend to focus on addressing a single problem (e.g., energy efficiency), and a comprehensive approach that takes the multiple facets of sustainable urban planning into consideration has not yet been identified. This paper begins with a review of recent research efforts in green metrics and digital twins. This leads to developing an approach that evaluates organizational green best practices to derive metrics, which are used for computational decision support by digital twins. Furthermore, it leverages these research results and proposes a metric-driven framework for sustainability planning that understands a city as a sociotechnical complex system. Such a framework allows the practitioner to take advantage of recent developments and provides computational decision support for the complex challenge of sustainability planning at the various levels of urban planning and governance.
Vertical Greening Systems: Technological Benefits, Progresses and Prospects
Authors: Wang Puyi , Wong Yew Hoong , Tan Chou Yong , Li Sheng , Chong Wen Tong
Published: October 2022

A vertical greening system is becoming increasingly crucial in resolving the energy crisis and environmental problems in a sustainable ecosystem. Researchers have conducted a comprehensive study on vertical greening systems from technology, functional and architectural perspectives. These include ecological, economic and social functions. Most of the current studies emphasize the benefits of vertical greening systems to the environment, while vertical greening technology and its socio-economic benefits receive insufficient attention. In order to study the vertical greening field in depth, this paper comprehensively and systematically summarizes vertical greening technology and functions. Meanwhile, based on the Web of Science (WOS), CiteSpace was used to analyze the relevant literature in the vertical greening field from 2012 to 2022, to explore the hot spots, development status and future trends of vertical greening technology, and to build a knowledge map in the vertical greening field. The research shows that as a low impact development technology, the vertical greening system has received the most extensive attention in the past few years. Air quality, microclimate regulation and energy have always been the focus and hot issues of people’s attention. The future research directions are cooling effect, active system and indoor space. This study is aimed at promoting the future development of vertical greening system technology and providing reference and direction for researchers, planners and developers, as well as individuals interested in future urban and rural planning.