bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Smart Manufacturing Scheduling Approaches—Systematic Review and Future Directions
Authors: Alemão Duarte , Rocha André Dionisio , Barata José
Published: March 2021

The recent advances in technology and the demand for highly customized products have been forcing manufacturing companies to adapt and develop new solutions in order to become more dynamic and flexible to face the changing markets. Manufacturing scheduling plays a core role in this adaptation since it is crucial to ensure that all operations and processes are running on time in the factory. However, to develop robust scheduling solutions it is necessary to consider different requirements from the shopfloor, but it is not clear which constraints should be analyzed and most research studies end up considering very few of them. In this review article, several papers published in recent years were analyzed to understand how many and which requirements they consider when developing scheduling solutions for manufacturing systems. It is possible to understand that the majority of them are not able to be adapted to real systems since some core constraints are not even considered. Consequently, it is important to consider how manufacturing scheduling solutions can be structured to be adapted effortlessly for different manufacturing scenarios.
Convolutional Neural Networks and Geometric Moments to Identify the Bilateral Symmetric Midplane in Facial Skeletons from CT Scans
Authors: Dalvit Carvalho da Silva Rodrigo , Jenkyn Thomas Richard , Carranza Victor Alexander
Published: March 2021

In reconstructive craniofacial surgery, the bilateral symmetry of the midplane of the facial skeleton plays an important role in surgical planning. Surgeons can take advantage of the intact side of the face as a template for the malformed side by accurately locating the midplane to assist in the preparation of the surgical procedure. However, despite its importance, the location of the midline is still a subjective procedure. The aim of this study was to present a 3D technique using a convolutional neural network and geometric moments to automatically calculate the craniofacial midline symmetry of the facial skeleton from CT scans. To perform this task, a total of 195 skull images were assessed to validate the proposed technique. In the symmetry planes, the technique was found to be reliable and provided good accuracy. However, further investigations to improve the results of asymmetric images may be carried out.
The Synergy between Organ-on-a-Chip and Artificial Intelligence for the Study of NAFLD: From Basic Science to Clinical Research
Authors: De Chiara Francesco , Ferret-Miñana Ainhoa , Ramón-Azcón Javier
Published: March 2021

Non-alcoholic fatty liver affects about 25% of global adult population. On the long-term, it is associated with extra-hepatic compliances, multiorgan failure, and death. Various invasive and non-invasive methods are employed for its diagnosis such as liver biopsies, CT scan, MRI, and numerous scoring systems. However, the lack of accuracy and reproducibility represents one of the biggest limitations of evaluating the effectiveness of drug candidates in clinical trials. Organ-on-chips (OOC) are emerging as a cost-effective tool to reproduce in vitro the main NAFLD’s pathogenic features for drug screening purposes. Those platforms have reached a high degree of complexity that generate an unprecedented amount of both structured and unstructured data that outpaced our capacity to analyze the results. The addition of artificial intelligence (AI) layer for data analysis and interpretation enables those platforms to reach their full potential. Furthermore, the use of them do not require any ethic and legal regulation. In this review, we discuss the synergy between OOC and AI as one of the most promising ways to unveil potential therapeutic targets as well as the complex mechanism(s) underlying NAFLD.
Association between Radiotherapy and Risk of Cancer Associated Venous Thromboembolism: A Sub-Analysis of the COMPASS—CAT Study
Authors: Temraz Sally , Moukalled Nour , Gerotziafas Grigorios T. , Elalamy Ismail , Jara-Palomares Luis , Charafeddine Maya , Taher Ali
Published: March 2021

Background: The role and effect of radiotherapy in the development of VTE has not been extensively explored; Methods: This is a post-hoc analysis from the COMPASS-CAT trial. Patients with breast, lung, colon or ovarian cancer, with early, locally advanced or metastatic disease and receiving chemotherapy were included. Primary endpoint was documented symptomatic VTE; Results: A total of 1355 patients were enrolled between November 2013 and November 2015. Of those, 194 patients were excluded because of missing data or the use of anticoagulation. Of the evaluable patients, 361 patients received radiotherapy (33.6%) At a median follow up of 6 months, 9.1% (n = 33) of patients receiving radiotherapy developed a VTE event (excluding those with missing data on follow up). After applying the competing risk model, radiotherapy remained significantly associated with increased risk for VTE (HR 2.47, 95% CI: 1.47–4.12, p = 0.001). Stratification analysis for the cohort that received radiotherapy revealed an increased risk of VTE in women compared to men (10.8% vs. 2.7%; p = 0.03), in those older than 50 (12.2% vs. 3.7%; p = 0.011); for patients receiving anthracycline chemotherapy (14.4% vs. 2.9%; p < 0.001) and hormonal therapy (12.9% vs. 3.9%; p < 0.001); Conclusions: Analysis from the COMPASS-CAT revealed a significant correlation between radiotherapy and VTE in patients with cancer. Further studies are needed to better understand the potential cellular toxicity associated with radiotherapy.
Traditional and Novel Adiposity Indicators and Pancreatic Cancer Risk: Findings from the UK Women’s Cohort Study
Authors: Shyam Sangeetha , Greenwood Darren , Mai Chun-Wai , Tan Seok Shin , Mohd Yusof Barakatun Nisak , Moy Foong Ming , Cade Janet
Published: March 2021

(1) Background: We studied the association of both conventional (BMI, waist and hip circumference and waist–hip ratio) and novel (UK clothing sizes) obesity indices with pancreatic cancer risk in the UK women’s cohort study (UKWCS). (2) Methods: The UKWCS recruited 35,792 women from England, Wales and Scotland from 1995 to 1998. Cancer diagnosis and death information were obtained from the National Health Service (NHS) Central Register. Cox’s proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the association between baseline obesity indicators and pancreatic cancer risk. (3) Results: This analysis included 35,364 participants with a median follow-up of 19.3 years. During the 654,566 person-years follow up, there were 136 incident pancreatic cancer cases. After adjustments for age, smoking, education and physical activity, each centimetre increase in hip circumference (HR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01–1.05, p = 0.009) and each size increase in skirt size (HR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.02–1.23, p = 0.041) at baseline increased pancreatic cancer risk. Baseline BMI became a significant predictor of pancreatic cancer risk (HR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.00–1.08, p = 0.050) when latent pancreatic cancer cases were removed. Only baseline hip circumference was associated with pancreatic cancer risk (HR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00–1.05, p = 0.017) when participants with diabetes at baseline were excluded to control for reverse causality. (4) Conclusion: Hip circumference and skirt size were significant predictors of pancreatic cancer risk in the primary analysis. Thus, hip circumference is useful to assess body shape relationships. Additionally, standard skirt sizes offer an economical and objective alternative to conventional obesity indices for evaluating pancreatic cancer risk in women.
Type I and II Interferons in the Anti-Tumor Immune Response
Authors: Fenton Sarah E. , Saleiro Diana , Platanias Leonidas C.
Published: March 2021

The interferons (IFNs) are essential components of the immune response against infections and malignancies. IFNs are potent promoters of the anti-tumor response, but there is also evidence that feedback mechanisms regulated by IFNs negatively control immune responses to avoid hyper-activation and limit inflammation. This balance of responses plays an important role in cancer surveillance, immunoediting and response to anticancer therapeutic approaches. Here we review the roles of both type I and type II IFNs on the control of the immune response against malignancies in the context of effects on both malignant cells and cells of the immune system in the tumor microenvironment.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 Exerts Its Anti-Metastatic Effect in Aerodigestive Tract Cancers by Disrupting the Protein Stability of Vimentin
Authors: Le Huong Thuy , Lee Ho Jin , Cho Jaebeom , Min Hye-Young , Lee Ji-Sun , Lee Su-Jae , Lee Ho-Young
Published: March 2021

The proapoptotic, antiangiogenic, and antimetastatic activities of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) through IGF-dependent or -independent mechanisms have been suggested in various types of human cancers. However, a mechanistic explanation of and downstream targets involved in the antimetastatic effect of IGFBP-3 is still lacking. In this study, by applying various in vitro and in vivo models, we show that IGFBP-3 suppresses migration and invasion of human head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Silencing IGFBP-3 expression elevated the migration and invasion of NSCLC and HNSCC cells in vitro and their local invasion and metastasis in vivo, whereas overexpression of IGFBP-3 decreased such prometastatic changes. Local invasion of 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO)-induced HNSCC tumors was consistently significantly potentiated in Igfbp3 knockout mice compared with that in wild-type mice. Mechanistically, IGFBP-3 disrupted the protein stability of vimentin via direct binding and promoting its association with the E3 ligase FBXL14, causing proteasomal degradation. The C-terminal domain of IGFBP-3 and the head domain of vimentin are essential for their interaction. These results provide a molecular framework for IGFBP-3′s IGF-independent antimetastatic and antitumor activities.
Reduced USP22 Expression Impairs Mitotic Removal of H2B Monoubiquitination, Alters Chromatin Compaction and Induces Chromosome Instability That May Promote Oncogenesis
Authors: Jeusset Lucile M. , Guppy Brent J. , Lichtensztejn Zelda , McDonald Darin , McManus Kirk J.
Published: March 2021

Chromosome instability (CIN) is an enabling feature of oncogenesis associated with poor patient outcomes, whose genetic determinants remain largely unknown. As mitotic chromatin compaction defects can compromise the accuracy of chromosome segregation into daughter cells and drive CIN, characterizing the molecular mechanisms ensuring accurate chromatin compaction may identify novel CIN genes. In vitro, histone H2B monoubiquitination at lysine 120 (H2Bub1) impairs chromatin compaction, while in vivo H2Bub1 is rapidly depleted from chromatin upon entry into mitosis, suggesting that H2Bub1 removal may be a pre-requisite for mitotic fidelity. The deubiquitinating enzyme USP22 catalyzes H2Bub1 removal in interphase and may also be required for H2Bub1 removal in early mitosis to maintain chromosome stability. In this study, we demonstrate that siRNA-mediated USP22 depletion increases H2Bub1 levels in early mitosis and induces CIN phenotypes associated with mitotic chromatin compaction defects revealed by super-resolution microscopy. Moreover, USP22-knockout models exhibit continuously changing chromosome complements over time. These data identify mitotic removal of H2Bub1 as a critical determinant of chromatin compaction and faithful chromosome segregation. We further demonstrate that USP22 is a CIN gene, indicating that USP22 deletions, which are frequent in many tumor types, may drive genetic heterogeneity and contribute to cancer pathogenesis.
The Role of Network Science in Glioblastoma
Authors: Lopes Marta B. , Martins Eduarda P. , Vinga Susana , Costa Bruno M.
Published: March 2021

Network science has long been recognized as a well-established discipline across many biological domains. In the particular case of cancer genomics, network discovery is challenged by the multitude of available high-dimensional heterogeneous views of data. Glioblastoma (GBM) is an example of such a complex and heterogeneous disease that can be tackled by network science. Identifying the architecture of molecular GBM networks is essential to understanding the information flow and better informing drug development and pre-clinical studies. Here, we review network-based strategies that have been used in the study of GBM, along with the available software implementations for reproducibility and further testing on newly coming datasets. Promising results have been obtained from both bulk and single-cell GBM data, placing network discovery at the forefront of developing a molecularly-informed-based personalized medicine.
Clinical Significance of PDCD4 in Melanoma by Subcellular Expression and in Tumor-Associated Immune Cells
Authors: Tran Thuy T. , Rane Chetan K. , Zito Christopher R. , Weiss Sarah A. , Jessel Shlomit , Lucca Liliana , Lu Benjamin Y. , Oria Victor O. , Adeniran Adebowale , Chiang Veronica L. , Omay Sacit Bulent , Hafler David A. , Kluger Harriet M. , Jilaveanu Lucia B.
Published: March 2021

Little is known about the subcellular localization and function of programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) in melanoma. Our past studies suggest PDCD4 interacts with Pleckstrin Homology Domain Containing A5 (PLEKHA5) to influence melanoma brain metastasis outcomes, as high intracranial PDCD4 expression leads to improved survival. We aimed to define the subcellular distribution of PDCD4 in melanoma and in the tumor microenvironment during neoplastic progression and its impact on clinical outcomes. We analyzed multiple tissue microarrays with well-annotated clinicopathological variables using quantitative immunofluorescence and evaluated single-cell RNA-sequencing on a brain metastasis sample to characterize PDCD4+ immune cell subsets. We demonstrate differences in PDCD4 expression during neoplastic progression, with high tumor and stromal PDCD4 levels associated with improved survival in primary melanomas and in intracranial metastases, but not in extracranial metastatic disease. While the expression of PDCD4 is well-documented on CD8+ T cells and natural killer cells, we show that it is also found on B cells and mast cells. PDCD4 expression in the tumor microenvironment is associated with increased immune cell infiltration. Further studies are needed to define the interaction of PDCD4 and PLEKHA5 and to evaluate the utility of this pathway as a therapeutic target in melanoma brain metastasis.
Silencing CDCA8 Suppresses Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth and Stemness via Restoration of ATF3 Tumor Suppressor and Inactivation of AKT/β–Catenin Signaling
Authors: Jeon Taewon , Ko Min Ji , Seo Yu-Ri , Jung Soo-Jung , Seo Daekwan , Park So-Young , Park Keon Uk , Kim Kwang Seok , Kim Mikyung , Seo Ji Hae , Park In-Chul , Kim Min-Ji , Bae Jae-Hoon , Song Dae-Kyu , Cho Chi Heum , Lee Jae-Ho , Lee Yun-Han
Published: March 2021

Big data analysis has revealed the upregulation of cell division cycle associated 8 (CDCA8) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its poorer survival outcome. However, the functions of CDCA8 during HCC development remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate in vitro that CDCA8 silencing inhibits HCC cell growth and long-term colony formation and migration through the accumulation of the G2/M phase cell population. Conversely, CDCA8 overexpression increases the ability to undergo long-term colony formation and migration. RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis revealed that CDCA8 knockdown led to the same directional regulation in 50 genes (25 down- and 25 upregulated). It was affirmed based on protein levels that CDCA8 silencing downregulates the levels of cyclin B1 and p-cdc2 and explains how it could induce G2/M arrest. The same condition increased the protein levels of tumor-suppressive ATF3 and GADD34 and inactivated AKT/β–catenin signaling, which plays an important role in cell growth and stemness, reflecting a reduction in sphere-forming capacity. Importantly, it was demonstrated that the extent of CDCA8 expression is much greater in CD133+ cancer stem cells than in CD133− cancer cells, and that CDCA8 knockdown decreases levels of CD133, p-Akt and β-catenin and increases levels of ATF3 and GADD34 in the CD133+ cancer stem cell (CSC) population. These molecular changes led to the inhibition of cell growth and sphere formation in the CD133+ cell population. Targeting CDCA8 also effectively suppressed tumor growth in a murine xenograft model, showing consistent molecular alterations in tumors injected with CDCA8siRNA. Taken together, these findings indicate that silencing CDCA8 suppresses HCC growth and stemness via restoring the ATF3 tumor suppressor and inactivating oncogenic AKT/β–catenin signaling, and that targeting CDCA8 may be the next molecular strategy for both primary HCC treatment and the prevention of metastasis or recurrence.
Advanced Synthesis and Characterization of Vanadia/Titania Catalysts through a Molecular Approach
Authors: Tella Eleni , Trimpalis Antonios , Tsevis Athanasios , Kordulis Christos , Lycourghiotis Alexis , Boghosian Soghomon , Bourikas Kyriakos
Published: March 2021

Vanadia/titania catalysts were synthesized by the equilibrium deposition filtration (EDF) method, which is a synthesis route that follows a molecular-level approach. The type of interfacial deposition as well as the interfacial speciation of the deposited oxo-V(V) species were determined by means of a model that takes into account experimental “proton-ion” curves and “adsorption edges”. It is shown that at pH ≥ 9.5, the deposition proceeds exclusively through the formation of mono-substituted inner sphere monomeric species in an “umbrella”-like Ti–OV(OH)2O configuration, whilst with lowering of the pH, a second species, namely the disubstituted inner sphere quadrameric species in a (Ti-O)2V4O10 configuration possessing two mono-oxo V=O and two di-oxo V(=O)2 terminations gradually prevails, which is in co-existence with the monomeric species. Raman spectroscopy is used for verifying the solution speciation, which is different compared to the interfacial speciation of the deposited oxo-V(V) species. Furthermore, in situ Raman spectroscopy was used to verify the model-predicted interfacial speciation of the deposited oxo-V(V) species and to monitor the temperature-dependent evolution up to 430 °C. Hence, a controlled formation of a specific vanadia species on a titania surface is enabled, which, depending on the synthesis conditions, can result in specific catalyst characteristics and thus possibly different catalytic behavior for a specific reaction.
Assessing the Differential Effects of Peer Tutoring for Tutors and Tutees
Authors: Thurston Allen , Cockerill Maria , Chiang Tien-Hui
Published: March 2021

There is strong evidence that peer tutoring, as a form of cooperative learning, has a positive impact on tutor and tutee outcomes. However, little previous research has been reported as to the differential effects of engaging in cooperative learning in dyads for peer tutors and peer tutees, respectively. A randomised controlled experimental study was undertaken involving 295, 11- to 13-year-old students, drawn from 12 classrooms, across three secondary/high schools situated in areas of low-socio-economic status, in the north east of England. In total, 146 students engaged in cooperative learning for a period of 12 weeks, and 149 students served as a comparison group. Gains were significantly greater on independent standardised reading comprehension tests for those engaged in cooperative learning than those in comparison classes, and greater for tutors than tutees. The results are explored by critically reflecting on the underlying theories of education that may be at play in classrooms using this form of cooperative learning.
Numerical Simulations of Light Scattering in Soft Anisotropic Fibrous Structures and Validation of a Novel Optical Setup from Fibrous Media Characterization
Authors: di Bartolo Francesco , Vignali Emanuele , Gasparotti Emanuele , Malacarne Antonio , Landini Luigi , Celi Simona
Published: March 2021

The insight of biological microstructures is at the basis of understanding the mechanical features and the potential pathologies of tissues, like the blood vessels. Different techniques are available for this purpose, like the Small Angle Light Scattering (SALS) approach. The SALS method has the advantage of being fast and non-destructive, however investigation of its physical principles is still required. Within this work, a numerical study for SALS irradiation of soft biological fibrous tissues was carried out through in-silico simulations based on a Monte Carlo approach to evaluate the effect of the thickness of the specimen. Additionally, the numerical results were validated with an optical setup based on SALS technique for the characterization of fibrous samples with dedicated tests on four 3D-printed specimens with different fibers architectures. The simulations revealed two main regions of interest according to the thickness (thk) of the analyzed media: a Fraunhofer region (thk < 0.6 mm) and a Multiple Scattering region (thk > 1 mm). Semi-quantitative information about the tissue anisotropy was successfully gathered by analyzing the scattered light spot. Moreover, the numerical results revealed a remarkable coherence with the experimental data, both in terms of mean orientation and dispersion of fibers.
Cyber Resilience Meta-Modelling: The Railway Communication Case Study
Authors: Bellini Emanuele , Marrone Stefano , Marulli Fiammetta
Published: March 2021

Recent times have demonstrated how much the modern critical infrastructures (e.g., energy, essential services, people and goods transportation) depend from the global communication networks. However, in the current Cyber-Physical World convergence, sophisticated attacks to the cyber layer can provoke severe damages to both physical structures and the operations of infrastructure affecting not only its functionality and safety, but also triggering cascade effects in other systems because of the tight interdependence of the systems that characterises the modern society. Hence, critical infrastructure must integrate the current cyber-security approach based on risk avoidance with a broader perspective provided by the emerging cyber-resilience paradigm. Cyber resilience is aimed as a way absorb the consequences of these attacks and to recover the functionality quickly and safely through adaptation. Several high-level frameworks and conceptualisations have been proposed but a formal definition capable of translating cyber resilience into an operational tool for decision makers considering all aspects of such a multifaceted concept is still missing. To this end, the present paper aims at providing an operational formalisation for cyber resilience starting from the Cyber Resilience Ontology presented in a previous work using model-driven principles. A domain model is defined to cope with the different aspects and “resilience-assurance” processes that it can be valid in various application domains. In this respect, an application case based on critical transportation communications systems, namely the railway communication system, is provided to prove the feasibility of the proposed approach and to identify future improvements.
A Numerical Study on the Combustion Process and Emission Characteristics of a Natural Gas-Diesel Dual-Fuel Marine Engine at Full Load
Authors: Pham Van Chien , Choi Jae-Hyuk , Rho Beom-Seok , Kim Jun-Soo , Park Kyunam , Park Sang-Kyun , Le Van Vang , Lee Won-Ju
Published: March 2021

This paper presents research on the combustion and emission characteristics of a four-stroke Natural gas–Diesel dual-fuel marine engine at full load. The AVL FIRE R2018a (AVL List GmbH, Graz, Austria) simulation software was used to conduct three-dimensional simulations of the combustion process and emission formations inside the engine cylinder in both diesel and dual-fuel mode to analyze the in-cylinder pressure, temperature, and emission characteristics. The simulation results were then compared and showed a good agreement with the measured values reported in the engine’s shop test technical data. The simulation results showed reductions in the in-cylinder pressure and temperature peaks by 1.7% and 6.75%, while NO, soot, CO, and CO2 emissions were reduced up to 96%, 96%, 86%, and 15.9%, respectively, in the dual-fuel mode in comparison with the diesel mode. The results also show better and more uniform combustion at the late stage of the combustions inside the cylinder when operating the engine in the dual-fuel mode. Analyzing the emission characteristics and the engine performance when the injection timing varies shows that, operating the engine in the dual-fuel mode with an injection timing of 12 crank angle degrees before the top dead center is the best solution to reduce emissions while keeping the optimal engine power.
Research into Dissociation Zones of Gas Hydrate Deposits with a Heterogeneous Structure in the Black Sea
Authors: Bazaluk Oleg , Sai Kateryna , Lozynskyi Vasyl , Petlovanyi Mykhailo , Saik Pavlo
Published: March 2021

Ukraine is an energy-dependent country, with less that 50% of its energy consumption fulfilled by its own resources. Natural gas is of paramount importance, especially for industry and society. Therefore, there is an urgent need to search for alternative and potential energy sources, such as gas hydrate deposits in the Black Sea, which can reduce the consumption of imported gas. It is necessary to refine the process parameters of the dissociation of gas hydrate deposits with a heterogeneous structure. The analyzed known geological–geophysical data devoted to the study of the offshore area and the seabed give grounds to assert the existence of a significant amount of hydrate deposits in the Black Sea. An integrated methodological approach is applied, which consists of the development of algorithms for analytical and laboratory studies of gas volumes obtained during the dissociation of deposits with a heterogeneous structure. These data are used for the computer modelling of the dissociation zone in the Surfer-8.0 software package based on the data interpolation method, which uses three methods for calculating the volumes of modelling bodies. A 3D grid-visualization of the studied part of the gas hydrate deposit has been developed. The dissociation zone parameters of gas hydrate deposits with different shares of rock intercalation, that is, the minimum and maximum diameters, have been determined, and the potentially recoverable gas volumes have been assessed. The effective time of the process of gas hydrate deposit dissociation has been substantiated. The obtained research results of the dissociation process of gas hydrate deposits can be used in the development of new technological schemes for gas recovery from the deep-water Black Sea area.
Magnetic Field Energy Harvesting with a Lead-Free Piezoelectric High Energy Conversion Material
Authors: Wang Quan , Kim Kyung-Bum , Woo Sang Bum , Sung Tae Hyun
Published: March 2021

This article presents a high-performance lead-free piezoelectric energy harvester (LPEH) system for magnetic field. It based on a Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.90Zr0.10O3 + CuO 0.3 wt% (BCTZC0.3) composite was fabricated by sintering at 1450 °C. The BCTZC0.3 composite, which has an enhanced high energy conversion constant (d33×g33), shows improved piezoelectric power-generation performance when compared with conventional piezoelectric energy harvesters. The BCTZC0.3-based LPEH produces instantaneous maximum power of 8.2 mW and an energy density of 107.9 mW/cm3 in a weak magnetic field of 250 μT. This system can be used to charge a capacitor and operate a wireless sensor network (WSN) system to provide temperature sensing and radio-frequency (RF) transmission in a 250 μT magnetic field. The proposed LPEH is a promising green-energy device for potentially self-powering WSN systems when applied.
Reduced-Order Modelling Applied to the Multigroup Neutron Diffusion Equation Using a Nonlinear Interpolation Method for Control-Rod Movement
Authors: Heaney Claire E. , Buchan Andrew G. , Pain Christopher C. , Jewer Simon
Published: March 2021

Producing high-fidelity real-time simulations of neutron diffusion in a reactor is computationally extremely challenging, due, in part, to multiscale behaviour in energy and space. In many scientific fields, including nuclear modelling, the application of reduced-order modelling can lead to much faster computation times without much loss of accuracy, paving the way for real-time simulation as well as multi-query problems such as uncertainty quantification and data assimilation. This paper compares two reduced-order models that are applied to model the movement of control rods in a fuel assembly for a given temperature profile. The first is a standard approach using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) to generate global basis functions, and the second, a new method, uses POD but produces global basis functions that are local in the parameter space (associated with the control-rod height). To approximate the eigenvalue problem in reduced space, a novel, nonlinear interpolation is proposed for modelling dependence on the control-rod height. This is seen to improve the accuracy in the predictions of both methods for unseen parameter values by two orders of magnitude for keff and by one order of magnitude for the scalar flux.
A Fully Meshless Approach to the Numerical Simulation of Heat Conduction Problems over Arbitrary 3D Geometries
Authors: Miotti Davide , Zamolo Riccardo , Nobile Enrico
Published: March 2021

One of the goals of new CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) software is to reduce both time and costs of the design process without compromising accuracy. This result can be achieved, for instance, by promoting a “plug and play” philosophy, based on the adoption of automatic mesh generation algorithms. This in turn brings about some drawbacks, among others an unavoidable loss of accuracy due to the lack of specificity of the produced discretization. Alternatively it is possible to rely on the so called “meshless” methods, which skip the mesh generation process altogether. The purpose of this paper is to present a fully meshless approach, based on Radial Basis Function generated Finite Differences (RBF-FD), for the numerical solution of generic elliptic PDEs, with particular reference to time-dependent and steady 3D heat conduction problems. The absence of connectivity information, which is a peculiar feature of this meshless approach, is leveraged in order to develop an efficient procedure that accepts as input any given geometry defined by a stereolithography surface (.stl file format). In order to assess its performance, the aforementioned strategy is tested over multiple geometries, selected for their complexity and engineering relevance, highlighting excellent results both in terms of accuracy and computational efficiency. In order to account for future extensibility and performance, both node generation and domain discretization routines are entirely developed using Julia, an emerging programming language that is rapidly establishing itself as the new standard for scientific computing.
Evaluation of Pressure Resonance Phenomena in DCT Actuation Circuits
Authors: Terzi Stefano , Montorsi Luca , Milani Massimo
Published: March 2021

The paper investigates hydraulic wave propagation phenomena through hydraulic circuits of power transmission systems by means of numerical approaches. The actuation circuit of a Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) power transmission system supplied by a Gerotor pump is analyzed. A steady state approach is adopted to detect resonance phenomena due to Gerotor design parameters and circuit lengths, while one-dimensional numerical models are implemented to predict the pressure oscillations through the hydraulic ducts for the whole pump operating domain. CFD-1D pipelines are adopted to address the pressure oscillation behavior through the hydraulic pipeline, while spectral maps and order tracking techniques are used to evaluate their fluctuation intensity in function of the pump speed rate. The numerical models are validated with experimental tests performed on an ad hoc test rig for power transmission systems and a good match is found between the numerical and the experimental results. Pump design parameters as well as hydraulic accumulators and resonators are numerically investigated to quantitatively evaluate their improvement on the circuits’ hydro-dynamic behavior. Furthermore, simplified numerical models are implemented to investigate the frequency response behavior of the hydraulic circuits by means of linear analysis. This approach resulted to be particularly effective for the prediction of the resonance frequencies location, and it can be adopted as an optimization tool since significant simulation time can be saved. Finally, the performance of the circuits operating with an eco-friendly fluid is evaluated numerically and the results are compared with the ones obtained with a traditional petroleum-based oil.
A Convolutional Neural Network-Based Model for Multi-Source and Single-Source Partial Discharge Pattern Classification Using Only Single-Source Training Set
Authors: Mantach Sara , Ashraf Ahmed , Janani Hamed , Kordi Behzad
Published: March 2021

Classification of the sources of partial discharges has been a standard procedure to assess the status of insulation in high voltage systems. One of the challenges while classifying these sources is the decision on the distinct properties of each one, often requiring the skills of trained human experts. Machine learning offers a solution to this problem by allowing to train models based on extracted features. The performance of such algorithms heavily depends on the choice of features. This can be overcome by using deep learning where feature extraction is done automatically by the algorithm, and the input to such an algorithm is the raw input data. In this work, an enhanced convolutional neural network is proposed that is capable of classifying single sources as well as multiple sources of partial discharges without introducing multiple sources in the training phase. The training is done by using only single-source phase-resolved partial discharge (PRPD) patterns, while testing is performed on both single and multi-source PRPD patterns. The proposed model is compared with single-branch CNN architecture. The average percentage improvements of the proposed architecture for single-source PDs and multi-source PDs are 99.6% and 96.7% respectively, compared to 96.2% and 77.3% for that of the traditional single-branch CNN architecture.
Electrochemical Cell Loss Minimization in Modular Multilevel Converters Based on Half-Bridge Modules
Authors: Brando Gianluca , Chatzinikolaou Efstratios , Rogers Dan , Spina Ivan
Published: March 2021

In the developing context of distributed generation and flexible smart grids, in order to realize electrochemical storage systems, Modular Multilevel Converters (MMCs) represent an interesting alternative to the more traditional Voltage Source Inverters (VSIs). This paper presents a novel analytical investigation of electrochemical cell power losses in MMCs and their dependence on the injected common mode voltage. Steady-state cell losses are calculated under Nearest Level Control (NLC) modulation for MMCs equipped with a large number of half-bridge modules, each directly connected to an elementary electrochemical cell. The total cell losses of both a Single Star MMC (SS-MMC) and a Double Star MMC (DS MMC) are derived and compared to the loss of a VSI working under the same conditions. An optimum common mode voltage injection law is developed, leading to the minimum cell losses possible. In the worst case, it achieves a 17.5% reduction in cell losses compared to conventional injection laws. The analysis is experimentally validated using a laboratory prototype set-up based on a two-arm SS-MMC with 12 modules per arm. The experimental results are within 2.5% of the analytical models for all cases considered.
Design Implication of a Distribution Transformer in Solar Power Plants Based on Its Harmonic Profile
Authors: Macías Ruiz Iván Rafael , Trujillo Guajardo Luis Alonso , Rodríguez Alfaro Luis Humberto , Salinas Salinas Fernando , Rodríguez Maldonado Johnny , González Vázquez Mario Alberto
Published: March 2021

This article presents a comparative analysis for the design considerations for a solar power generation transformer. One of the main existing problems in transformer manufacturing is in the renewable energy field, specifically the solar power generation, where the transformer connected to the inverter is operated under a certain harmonic content and operating conditions. The operating conditions of the transformer connected to the inverter are particularly unknown for each solar power plant; thus, the transformer will be subject to a particular harmonic content, which is defined by the inverter of the solar power plant. First, the fundamental calculations for solar power plant transformer and the proposed methodology for the design calculation of the distribution pad-mounted three phase transformer are presented. Then, a design study case is described where a distribution transformer and an inverter of a particular solar power plant are used for the analysis. Next, the transformer under analysis is modeled using finite element analysis in ANSYS Maxwell® software, where the transformer will be designed for a non-harmonic and harmonic content application. Lastly, the main design parameters, flux density, the core losses and the winding excitation voltage of the transformer are calculated and presented in results and discussion section.
Patient Perceptions of a Group-Based Lifestyle Intervention for Overweight Women with Urinary Incontinence: A Qualitative Descriptive Study
Authors: Roberts Shelley , Howard Zara , Weir Kelly A. , Nucifora Jennifer , Baker Nadine , Smith Leanne , Townsend Heidi , Ross Lynda
Published: March 2021

Urinary incontinence (UI) affects many women and impacts quality of life. Group-based interventions may be an effective and efficient method for providing UI care; however, interventions must be acceptable to patients to have an impact. This study aimed to explore patients’ perceptions of an exercise training and healthy eating group program (ATHENA) for overweight and obese women with UI. This qualitative descriptive study involved semi-structured interviews with a subset of participants sampled from a feasibility study of ATHENA. The ATHENA intervention was co-developed with end-users and implemented in Women’s Health Physiotherapy services at an Australian hospital. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. Eleven female patients participated (mean ± SD age 54.2 ± 9.9 years; body mass index 30.5 ± 3.25 kg/m2). Participants found ATHENA highly acceptable, with three themes emerging from interviews: (1) Participants’ journey of change through ATHENA, describing the shifts in knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and symptoms participants experienced; (2) High satisfaction with ATHENA, including educational content, exercise components and delivery style; and (3) Group setting integral to ATHENA’s success, with participants providing support, building friendships, and facilitating each other’s learning. Overall, ATHENA was acceptable to participants, who provided each other with peer support; an unexpected moderator to ATHENA’s success.
Biodecolourisation of Reactive Red 120 as a Sole Carbon Source by a Bacterial Consortium—Toxicity Assessment and Statistical Optimisation
Authors: Manogaran Motharasan , Yasid Nur Adeela , Othman Ahmad Razi , Gunasekaran Baskaran , Halmi Mohd Izuan Effendi , Shukor Mohd Yunus Abd
Published: March 2021

The application of microorganisms in azo dye remediation has gained significant attention, leading to various published studies reporting different methods for obtaining the best dye decolouriser. This paper investigates and compares the role of methods and media used in obtaining a bacterial consortium capable of decolourising azo dye as the sole carbon source, which is extremely rare to find. It was demonstrated that a prolonged acclimation under low substrate availability successfully isolated a novel consortium capable of utilising Reactive Red 120 dye as a sole carbon source in aerobic conditions. This consortium, known as JR3, consists of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain MM01, Enterobacter sp. strain MM05 and Serratia marcescens strain MM06. Decolourised metabolites of consortium JR3 showed an improvement in mung bean’s seed germination and shoot and root length. One-factor-at-time optimisation characterisation showed maximal of 82.9% decolourisation at 0.7 g/L ammonium sulphate, pH 8, 35 °C, and RR120 concentrations of 200 ppm. Decolourisation modelling utilising response surface methodology (RSM) successfully improved decolourisation even more. RSM resulted in maximal decolourisation of 92.79% using 0.645 g/L ammonium sulphate, pH 8.29, 34.5 °C and 200 ppm RR120.
The Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (SF-40): Adaptation and Validation of the Spanish Version
Authors: Summerfield Lynn Patricia , Prado-Gascó Vicente , Giménez-Espert María del Carmen , Mesa-Gresa Patricia
Published: March 2021

The coexistence of diverse cultures in our society indicates the need to examine the factors related to the success of multicultural interactions. The study aims were to examine the psychometric characteristics of the Spanish version of the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire short form (MPQ-SF40), in a convenience sample of 392 university students. Then, the effect of sex and age was assessed, and finally, the levels and percentiles of multicultural personality were measured. The scale’s validity was assessed with exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA). Reliability was evaluated with Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability (CR), and average variance extracted (AVE). The final structure of the MPQ-SF40 consisted of 18 items grouped into five factors that present adequate psychometric properties. Sex-specific differences in MPQ-SF40 were statistically significant for factor 1, cultural empathy, and for factor 5, flexibility; women showed greater values. When age was analyzed, significant low correlations were obtained. The students showed medium to high levels of multicultural personality. The highest levels correspond to the personality factors of cultural empathy and open-mindedness. The use of the Spanish version of the MPQ-SF40 seems justified to determine students’ multicultural personality traits, developing intervention programs to improve social support and the interpersonal relations between students.
A Deep Learning Model for Classification of Endoscopic Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Authors: Wang Chi-Chih , Chiu Yu-Ching , Chen Wei-Liang , Yang Tzu-Wei , Tsai Ming-Chang , Tseng Ming-Hseng
Published: March 2021

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disease with high prevalence, and its endoscopic severity can be evaluated using the Los Angeles classification (LA grade). This paper proposes a deep learning model (i.e., GERD-VGGNet) that employs convolutional neural networks for automatic classification and interpretation of routine GERD LA grade. The proposed model employs a data augmentation technique, a two-stage no-freezing fine-tuning policy, and an early stopping criterion. As a result, the proposed model exhibits high generalizability. A dataset of images from 464 patients was used for model training and validation. An additional 32 patients served as a test set to evaluate the accuracy of both the model and our trainees. Experimental results demonstrate that the best model for the development set exhibited an overall accuracy of 99.2% (grade A–B), 100% (grade C–D), and 100% (normal group) using narrow-band image (NBI) endoscopy. On the test set, the proposed model resulted in an accuracy of 87.9%, which was significantly higher than the results of the trainees (75.0% and 65.6%). The proposed GERD-VGGNet model can assist automatic classification of GERD in conventional and NBI environments and thereby increase the accuracy of interpretation of the results by inexperienced endoscopists.
Sext Dissemination: Differences across Nations in Motivations and Associations
Authors: Clancy Elizabeth M. , Klettke Bianca , Crossman Angela M. , Hallford David J. , Howard Dominika , Toumbourou John W.
Published: March 2021

Sext dissemination presents policy and legislative challenges given its potential psychological, social, and legal harms. We report on a cross-national comparison of sext-image dissemination in a large sample of 1148 young adults aged 18–29 years (M = 22.54, SD = 2.50, 53.0% women, 47.0% men), either U.S. (53.8%) or Australian (46.2%) residents. The results indicate that 14% of young adults disseminated sexts, with no difference by gender or country. Over 50% of respondents indicated that the last time they received a disseminated sext, it was unexpected or unwelcome, with women twice as likely as men to receive unwelcome sexts. The most frequent motivations for sext dissemination were similar cross-nationally, relating to the attractiveness of the person depicted, as a joke, to gossip, because it was not a big deal, bragging, roasting or teasing, and to increase social status. Motivations of attractiveness, bragging, or social status were more commonly endorsed by men, while women endorsed reasons around gossip or roasting/teasing. Unique predictors of sext dissemination included U.S. residence, requesting sexts, receiving disseminated sexts, having one’s own images disseminated, and more positive subjective norms to dissemination, and there was a country–gender interaction, where Australian women and U.S. men were more likely to disseminate sexts than then U.S. women or Australian men. The findings have implications for prevention programs seeking to address harmful online sexual interactions, including addressing respect, consent, and subjective norms supporting non-consensual dissemination.
Blood Parasites in Sympatric Vultures: Role of Nesting Habits and Effects on Body Condition
Authors: Chakarov Nayden , Blanco Guillermo
Published: March 2021

Avian haemosporidians are a common and widespread group of vector-borne parasites capable of infecting most bird species around the world. They can negatively affect host condition and fitness. Vultures are assumed to have a very low prevalence of these blood parasites, likely due to their strong immunity; however, factors contributing to variation in host exposure and susceptibility to haemosporidians are complex, and supporting evidence is still very limited. We analyzed blood samples collected from nestlings of three vulture species in Spain over 18 years, and used updated nested-PCR protocols capable of detecting all haesmosporidian cytochrome b lineages typical for diurnal birds of prey (Accipitriformes). Similarly to previous studies, we found low haemosporidian prevalence in cliff-breeding species, with Leucocytozoon as the only represented blood parasite genus: 3.1% in griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) (n = 128) and 5.3% in Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) (n = 114). In contrast, the tree-breeding cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) had a substantially higher prevalence: 10.3% (n = 146). By far the most common lineage in Spanish scavenging raptors was the Leucocytozoon lineage CIAE02. No effects of nestling age and sex, or temporal trends in prevalence were found, but an effect of nest habitat (tree-nest vs. cliff-nest) was found in the griffon vulture. These patterns may be explained by a preference of vectors to forage in and around trees rather than on cliffs and wide open spaces. We found an apparent detrimental effect of haemosporidians on body mass of nestling cinereous vultures. Further research is needed to evaluate the pathogenicity of each haemosporidian lineage and their interaction with the immune system of nestlings, especially if compromised due to pollution with pharmaceuticals and infection by bacterial and mycotic pathogens.