bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional catheter tip force sensing using multi-core fiber Bragg gratings
Authors: Al-Ahmad Omar , Ourak Mouloud , Vlekken Johan , Lindner Eric , Vander Poorten Emmanuel
Published: March 2023

Awareness of catheter tip interaction forces is a crucial aspect during cardiac ablation procedures. The most important contact forces are the ones that originate between the catheter tip and the beating cardiac tissue. Clinical studies have shown that effective ablation occurs when contact forces are in the proximity of 0.2 N. Lower contact forces lead to ineffective ablation, while higher contact forces may result in complications such as cardiac perforation. Accurate and high resolution force sensing is therefore indispensable in such critical situations. Accordingly, this work presents the development of a unique and novel catheter tip force sensor utilizing a multi-core fiber with inscribed fiber Bragg gratings. A customizable helical compression spring is designed to serve as the flexural component relaying external forces to the multi-core fiber. The limited number of components, simple construction, and compact nature of the sensor makes it an appealing solution towards clinical translation. An elaborated approach is proposed for the design and dimensioning of the necessary sensor components. The approach also presents a unique method to decouple longitudinal and lateral force measurements. A force sensor prototype and a dedicated calibration setup are developed to experimentally validate the theoretical performance. Results show that the proposed force sensor exhibits 7.4 mN longitudinal resolution, 0.8 mN lateral resolution, 0.72 mN mean longitudinal error, 0.96 mN mean lateral error, a high repeatability, and excellent decoupling between longitudinal and lateral forces.
Using machine learning to evaluate 1.2 million studies on small-scale farming and post-production food systems in low- and middle-income countries
Authors: Porciello Jaron , Lipper Leslie , Ivanina Maryia
Published: March 2023

Recent developments have emphasized the need for agrifood systems to move beyond a production-oriented approach to recognize agriculture as part of a broader agrifood system that prioritizes livelihoods, social equity, diets, and climate and environmental outcomes. At the same time, the knowledge base for agriculture is growing exponentially. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches, we reviewed more than 1.2 million publications from the past 20 years to assess the current landscape of agricultural research taking place in low- and middle-income countries. The result is a clearer picture of what research has been conducted on small-scale farming and post-production systems from 2000 to the present, and where persistent evidence gaps exist. We found that the greatest focus of the literature is on economic outcomes, such as productivity, yield, and incomes. There is also some emphasis on identifying and measuring environmental outcomes. However, noticeable data gaps exist for agricultural research focused on nutrition and diet, and gender and inclusivity.
Compliance of biosecurity practices for compartmentalization to foot-mouth disease and classical swine fever viruses in commercial swine companies from southern Brazil
Authors: Serafini Poeta Silva Ana Paula , Khan Kori , Corbellini Luís Gustavo , Medeiros Antônio Augusto , Silva Gustavo S.
Published: March 2023

Classical swine fever (CSF) and foot-mouth disease (FMD) are both highly contagious disease and disruptive to commercial trades, but they are examples of foreign animal diseases that biosecurity-based compartmentalization could be used to support trade in free zones in response to an outbreak. This study aimed to evaluate biosecurity compliance to the Federal Normative Instruction #44 from December 4th, 2017 (BRAZIL, 2017) in commercial swine farms located in southern Brazil. A total of 604 swine farms from 10 commercial swine companies were sampled, from which 28.5% were breeding farms, 29.1% nursery, 32.8% finishing, 6.8% multipliers, and 2.8% farrow-to-finish. Cluster analyses revealed that farms with high compliance (n = 303, Cluster 1) performed 71% of the practices, moderate (n = 219, Cluster 2) 47%, and the low (n = 82, Cluster 3) 33%. A spatial logistic regression model estimated that biosecurity compliance was highest in only one of 10 commercial swine companies, and within a company, multipliers (when present) obtained the highest biosecurity compliance (p-value < 0.01). These results suggest that major improvements in biosecurity practices are needed in breeding herds, nursery, and grow-finish farms to be compliant to the Federal Instruction #44. Based on the combination of these analyses, only one commercial swine company was more suitable to establish compartments for CSF and FMD with minimal investments. Still, this study revealed that the majority of commercial swine companies needs to improve biosecurity practice protocols to then target compartmentalization.
Status języka polskiego wśród uczniów uczących się w klasach z językiem
polskim jako językiem nauczania (na przykładzie Iwano-Frankiwska, Ukraina)
Authors: Pelekhata Olena
Published: March 2023

This article presents the results of a sociolinguistic survey of 2019 conducted among the youth of Polish and non-Polish descent studying together in classes dedicated to the Polish national minority in the 3rd Upper-Secondary School in Ivano-Frankivsk (formerly: Stanyslaviv). The survey was composed of 170 questionnaires concerning the status of the Polish language among the youth aged 12–17 studying in classes with Polish as the language of instruction. Under the statute of the School, pupils of non-Polish descent may also study in such classes. For the group of pupils of Polish descent, i.e. 42 pupils (25% of the total number of respondents), Polish has the status of an inherited language, the language of ancestors, and the economic status, Polish is associated with studying and living in Poland in the future. For the group of pupils of non-Polish descent, i.e. 128 pupils (75% of the total number of respondents), Polish has the economic status and the status of Polish as a second foreign language of instruction; around 40% of the pupils intend to emigrate to Poland in the future.
Mediacja tekstowa w rozwijaniu językowych kompetencji akademickich
studentów z Ukrainy (na przykładzie abstraktu)
Authors: Busiło Samanta
Published: March 2023

This article discusses strategies of developing text mediation competences in the field of Polish Language for Academic Purposes taking into account the needs of students from Ukraine and the phenomenon of language interference. The author proposes a list of language proficiency indicators as part of the processing of texts based on the indicators of the Council of Europe published in the CEFR-Companion Volume on the example of an abstract. Based on the phenomenon of language interference, she defines the area of positive and negative transfer, comparing genre features and lexical structures from the CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) in Polish and Ukrainian, to finally present teaching strategies helpful in developing mediation skills related to writing and editing the abstract.
Experimental Study on the Dynamic Characteristics of Gas-Centered Swirl Coaxial Injector under Varying Ambient Pressure
Authors: Zhang Xiaoguang , Qiao Wentong , Gao Qixiang , Zhang Dingwei , Yang Lijun , Fu Qingfei
Published: March 2023

To determine the dynamic characteristics of a gas-centered swirl coaxial injector under backpressure, an experimental system of dynamic injection in a backpressure chamber was constructed. Filtered water and nitrogen were used as simulant media for rocket propellants, which are typically used with this kind of injector. An inertial flow pulsator was manufactured to generate the pulsation of the flows that feed to the liquid injector. The electric conductance method was adopted to measure liquid film thickness. After the pulsation of incoming flow in the feedline was tested, and the operating conditions for the injector to start pulsating were validated, the effects of the chamber backpressure and the recess length of the injector on the dynamic characteristics of spray, such as liquid film thickness, breakup length, and amplitude of pulsation, have been investigated in detail. Experimental results demonstrated that the increase in chamber backpressure prompts the liquid sheet to rupture earlier with a shorter breakup length, which results from the increased density of the ambient gas. Chamber backpressure suppresses the pulsation of the outlet flow, especially for a longer recess length. Moreover, a decrease in the recess length results in a reduction in breakup length due to an intense gas–liquid shearing in a narrower recess section. For a lower backpressure, the amplitude of outlet flow generally increases when the recess length increases. However, this phenomenon is not obvious for the conditions of higher backpressure and lower pulsation frequency.
Simulation and Experimental Study of the Tillage Mechanism for the Optimal Design of Wheat Rotary Strip–Tiller Blades
Authors: Yang Yanshan , Hu Zhichao , Gu Fengwei , Ding Qishuo
Published: March 2023

In order to clarify the mechanism of tiller–soil interaction in the process of strip rotary tillage, this paper conducted a simulation and experimental research on four blade configurations composed of three rotary blades (bent C, straight and hoe) at three rotation speeds (280, 380 and 510 rpm). The study found that the soil throwing characteristics of the blades are the key factors affecting the quality of tillage. The increase in the rotation speed not only improved the soil breaking effect, but also enhanced the phenomenon of soil throwing and then led to a reduction in the soil backfill. In the BC configuration (combination of four bent C blades), the bent C blades showed the best soil throwing characteristics and created the best soil fragmentation. However, due to the obvious side throwing of the soil, the backfill effect of soil fragmentation was the worst. The backfill rate was only 8% when the rotation speed was 510 rpm and could not allow reaching the required seed–soil contact during sowing. The hoe blades in the HC configuration (combination of four hoe blades) could collect part of the soil fragments and throw them towards the direction of the machine during the cultivation process, which led to a good soil breaking effect and a low soil side throwing rate. When the rotation speed was 510 rpm, 36% of the soil was backfilled into the seedbed. In the SC configuration (combination of four straight blades), the straight blades could well control the scattering of the side-thrown soil fragments. At a super-high rotation speed (510 rpm), the side throwing rate was only 70%, and the backfill rate was as high as 60%. However, the soil fragments created by the blades were too large (average soil block diameter > 40 mm) and could not form a loose and finely broken seedbed environment. The MC configuration (combination of two straight blades and two hoe blades) benefited from the combination of straight blades and hoe blades, offering outstanding advantages for backfill and soil fragmentation. Therefore, under the condition of a centralized configuration of field surface straw, it is recommended to use the MC configuration of the wheat rotary strip–till planter for cohesive paddy soil.
Evaluation of Fungicides and Fungicide Application Methods to Manage Phytophthora Blight of Pigeonpea
Authors: Sharma Mamta , Gaviyappanavar Ramanagouda , Tarafdar Avijit
Published: March 2023

Phytophthora, a blight of pigeonpea caused by Phytophthora cajani, has been significantly increasing in major pigeonpea production regions of India. Limited information on infection with this pathogen and its epidemiology, as well as a lack of adequate resistant cultivars, is hampering the management of Phytophthora blight significantly. Therefore, five fungicides, viz., metiram + dimethomorph, cymoxanil + mancozeb, famoxadone + cymoxanil, mancozeb, and metalaxyl-M + mancozeb, were evaluated against P. cajani under control conditions to control zoospore induction, as well as the infection of zoospores, at the seedling stage. The half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) of fungicides for mycelial inhibition was calculated. The lowest EC50 was recorded in metiram + dimethomorph (0.17 µg/mL), followed by the metalaxyl-M + mancozeb (2.49 µg/mL) and cymoxanil + mancozeb (8.23 µg/mL) fungicides. The formation of the sporangium and zoospores was most significantly affected by metalaxyl-M + mancozeb, followed by metiram + dimethomorph and cymoxanil + mancozeb, in terms of sporangia viability and zoospore germination and encystment. Further, under glasshouse conditions, different fungicide application methods (e.g., seed-treatment; soil-drench; foliar-spray, either singly or in combinations) were evaluated with fungicides on susceptible (ICP 7119) moderately resistant pigeonpea (ICPL 99010, ICPL 20135 and ICPL 99048) cultivars. The seed-treatment + soil-drench, soil-drench + foliar-spray, and soil-drench of fungicide application methods were found to be effective in controlling the Phytophthora blight, at p < 0.001. A combination of the seed-treatment + soil-drench and soil-drench + foliar-spray methods, using metalaxyl-M + mancozeb or metiram + dimethomorph fungicides on moderately resistant cultivars (ICPL 99010), has a synergistic effect on the ability to control the Phytophthora blight at the seedling stage.
Enolase Is Implicated in the Emergence of Gonococcal Tolerance to Ceftriaxone
Authors: Manoharan-Basil Sheeba Santhini , Balduck Margaux , Abdellati Saïd , Gestels Zina , de Block Tessa , Kenyon Chris
Published: March 2023

Antibiotic tolerance is associated with antibiotic treatment failure, and molecular mechanisms underlying tolerance are poorly understood. We recently succeeded in inducing tolerance to ceftriaxone (CRO) in an N. gonorrhoeae reference isolate. In a prior in vitro study, six biological replicates of WHO P strains were exposed to CRO (10× the MIC) followed by overnight growth, and tolerance was assessed using a modified Tolerance Disc (T.D.) test. In the current study, we characterized the mutation profile of these CRO-tolerant phenotypes. The whole genome was sequenced from isolates from different replicates and time points. We identified mutations in four genes that may contribute to ceftriaxone tolerance in N. gonorrhoeae, including a mutation in the enolase (eno) gene that arose independently in three lineages.
The Diversity, Resistance Profiles and Plasmid Content of Klebsiella spp. Recovered from Dairy Farms Located around Three Cities in Pakistan
Authors: Habib Samia , Gibbon Marjorie J. , Couto Natacha , Kakar Khadija , Habib Safia , Samad Abdul , Munir Asim , Fatima Fariha , Mohsin Mashkoor , Feil Edward J.
Published: March 2023

The rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacterial pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) is a pressing public health and economic concern. The ‘One-Health’ framework recognizes that effective management of AMR requires surveillance in agricultural as well as clinical settings, particularly in low-resource regions such as Pakistan. Here, we use whole-genome sequencing to characterise 49 isolates of Klebisella spp. (including 43 Kp) and 2 presumptive Providencia rettgeri isolates recovered from dairy farms located near 3 cities in Pakistan—Quetta (n = 29), Faisalabad (n = 19), and Sargodha (n = 3). The 43 Kp isolates corresponded to 38 sequence types (STs), and 35 of these STs were only observed once. This high diversity indicates frequent admixture and limited clonal spread on local scales. Of the 49 Klebsiella spp. isolates, 41 (84%) did not contain any clinically relevant antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), and we did not detect any ARGs predicted to encode resistance to carbapenems or colistin. However, four Kp lineages contained multiple ARGs: ST11 (n = 2), ST1391-1LV (n = 1), ST995 (n = 1) and ST985 (n = 1). STs 11, 1391-1LV and 995 shared a core set of five ARGs, including blaCTX-M-15, harboured on different AMR plasmids. ST985 carried a different set of 16 resistance genes, including blaCTX-M-55. The two presumptive P. rettgeri isolates also contained multiple ARGs. Finally, the four most common plasmids which did not harbour ARGs in our dataset were non-randomly distributed between regions, suggesting that local expansion of the plasmids occurs independently of the host bacterial lineage. Evidence regarding how dairy farms contribute to the emergence and spread of AMR in Pakistan is valuable for public authorities and organizations responsible for health, agriculture and the environment, as well as for industrial development.
Hydrogen Peroxide Signaling in Physiology and Pathology
Authors: Rampon Christine , Vriz Sophie
Published: March 2023

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were originally described as toxic by-products of aerobic cellular energy metabolism associated with the development of several diseases, such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes [...]
Shielding Grounding Optimization Method for Spaceborne Multi-Cable
Authors: Gong Zhentao , Du Haoting , Wu Wenming , Chen Kehan , Tian Jiang , Ji Chengsheng , Sun Dexin , Liu Yinnian
Published: March 2023

The coupling relationship between space electronics systems is complex, and the signals of optoelectronic load cables are susceptible to interference, especially the early anomalous weak signals on a ground surface used for immediate remote sensing, which are more susceptible to coupling interference between cables. Ensuring a good grounding state for the cable shield is vital for reducing the interference suffered by cables and increasing the electromagnetic compatibility of the system. In this paper, we propose a shielding grounding optimization method for a spaceborne multi-cable shield, including a cable model and parameter extremization and parameter scanning simulation performed using CST, data processing and truth table transformation conducted using MATLAB, and logic expression extraction carried out using Multisim. The method can sort and classify the shielding effects of all the grounding states of multi-cable shields in batches, and ultimately output logical expressions specifying the mapping relationship between the shield grounding state and shielding effect, allowing the optimal shield grounding state to be quickly identified. Finally, the method was applied to a satellite-borne scanning mirror drive control system, and the effectiveness and accuracy of the method were verified by experimental tests.
Production of Sustainable Postbiotics from Sugarcane Straw for Potential Food Applications
Authors: Oliveira Ana L. S. , Seara Marta , Carvalho Maria João , de Carvalho Nelson Mota , Costa Eduardo M. , Silva Sara , Duarte Marco , Pintado Manuela , Oliveira Carla , Madureira Ana Raquel
Published: March 2023

The production of postbiotics for food applications has been growing in recent years owing to their biological potential and superior technological performance over probiotics. Their production involves the use of synthetic culture media, and in this work, we propose using sugarcane straw as a source of sugar and biological components and a sustainable alternative. Thus, this by-product was used as a substrate to produce a postbiotic extract using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a fermentative microorganism. Sugarcane straw underwent a precedent saccharification step to release the fermentable sugars. The final extracts were characterized for their total content of sugars, phenolic compounds, organic acids, and their respective chromatographic profiles. Seventeen different polyphenols were identified with the predominance of three classes, the hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavonoids, where ferulic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid were most prevalent. The current work evaluated the potential use of this postbiotic extract for food applications, its antioxidant activity, gut microbiota modulatory effect, and intestinal anti-inflammatory potential. The resultant extracts showed considerable antioxidant activity and the ability to lower the pro-inflammatory mediators (i.e., interleukin 6, 8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha) in Caco-2 cells. During the fecal fermentability assay, no modulatory effect was observed on the main beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Nevertheless, a significant increase in short-chain fatty acids, namely, acetate, propionate, butyrate, and valerate was observed. Moreover, the extract also demonstrated capacity to inhibit the proliferation of putrefactive bacteria such as Enterobacteriaceae. Finally, sustainable postbiotic extracts produced by S. cerevisiae fermentation using sugarcane straw as a substrate exhibited relevant biological properties with potential use as food and nutraceutical ingredients.
Influence of Saccharomyces pastorianus and Saccharomyces bayanus Inoculation Ratio to Oenological Characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc Wine
Authors: Dimopoulou Maria , Troianou Vicky , Toumpeki Chrisavgi , Lola Despina , Goulioti Elli , Tzamourani Aikaterini , Dorignac Etienne , Paramithiotis Spiros , Kotseridis Yorgos
Published: March 2023

The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of the inoculation ratio between Saccharomyces pastorianus strain SP2 and S. bayanus strain BCS103 on the enological properties and aroma profile of Sauvignon Blanc wines. For that purpose, a total of eight different fermentation trials on Sauvignon Blanc must took place. These included spontaneous fermentation as well as inoculation with pure and mixed cultures of the S. pastorianus and S. bayanus strains. The mixed cultures contained different proportions of the two strains (S. pastorianus SP2 to S. bayanus BCS103: 99–1%, 97–3%, 95–5%, 90–10% and 70–30% w/w). Classical oenological analyses were employed to assess the course of fermentation and classical microbiological enumeration combined with inter-delta sequence profile analysis was used for yeast population dynamics estimation. The volatile compounds of each wine were analyzed with GC/MS. The fermentation was completed between 11 and 13 days, while the inoculation ratio significantly affected the chemical composition and the sensorial evaluation of the resulting wines. Based on the sensory evaluation, the least-appreciated Sauvignon Blanc wine was the one resulting from spontaneous fermentation, and the higher the ratio of the S. bayanus strain in the inoculum, the higher the level of appreciation of the wine.
Quantitative Modeling of Near-Field Interactions in Terahertz Near-Field Microscopy
Authors: Peng Zhaomin , Zhang Dehai , Ge Shuqi , Meng Jin
Published: March 2023

Terahertz scattering-scanning near-field optical microscopy (THz s-SNOM), combining the best features of terahertz technology and s-SNOM technology, has shown unique advantages in various applications. Consequently, building a model to characterize near-field interactions and investigate practical issues has become a popular topic in THz s-SNOM research. In this study, a finite element model (FEM) is proposed to quantify the near-field interactions, and to investigate the edge effect and antenna effect in THz s-SNOM. Our results indicate that the proposed model can give us a better understanding of the near-field interactions and direct the parameter design of the probe for THz s-SNOM.
Synthesis and Tribological Properties of Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium Erucate as a Potential Environmentally Friendly Lubricant and Lubricant Additive
Authors: Kreivaitis Raimondas , Gumbytė Milda , Kupčinskas Artūras , Treinytė Jolanta , Sendžikienė Eglė
Published: March 2023

Recently, environmentally friendly lubricants and their additives have been of great interest. Using such lubricants can provide a few benefits, namely: nontoxicity and biodegradability when exposed to groundwater or soil. Moreover, renewable raw materials could be used to produce these lubricants. This study aims to synthesize bis (2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium erucate protic ionic liquid containing a renewable counterpart-erucic acid. The synthesis of bis (2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium erucate, its physical properties, solubility in the base lubricating fluid, and tribological properties were evaluated. The study shows that even though the investigated protic ionic liquid is liquid at room temperature, it has a very high kinematic viscosity, which drops when the temperature increases. Bis (2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium erucate can be dissolved in water up to 3 wt%. It also has excellent lubricity when used as a neat lubricant and could be successfully applied as a lubricity-enhancing additive in water.
Multi-Scale Receptive Fields Convolutional Network for Action Recognition
Authors: Dong Zhiang , Xie Miao , Li Xiaoqiang
Published: March 2023

Extracting good action representations from video frames is an intricate challenge due to the presence of moving objects of various sizes across current action recognition datasets. Most of the current action recognition methodologies have paid scant attention to this characteristic and have relied on deep learning models to automatically solve it. In this paper, we introduce a multi-scale receptive fields convolutional network (MSRFNet), which is fashioned after the pseudo-3D residual network architecture to mitigate the impact of scale variation in moving objects. The crux of MSRFNet is the integration of a multi-scale receptive fields block, which incorporates multiple dilated convolution layers that share identical convolutional parameters, but feature different receptive fields. MSRFNet leverages three scales of receptive fields to extract features from moving objects of diverse sizes, striving to produce scale-specific feature maps with a uniform representational power. Through visualization of the attention of MSRFNet, we analyze how the model re-allocates its attention to moving objects after implementing the multi-scale receptive fields approach. Experimental results on the benchmark dataset demonstrate that MSRFNet achieves improvement of 3.2% on UCF101, improvement of 5.8% on HMDB51, and improvement of 7.7% on Kinetics-400 compared with the baseline. Compared with state-of-the-art techniques, MSRFNet gets comparable or superior results, thereby affirming the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Fuzzy Cognitive Maps: Their Role in Explainable Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Apostolopoulos Ioannis D. , Groumpos Peter P.
Published: March 2023

Currently, artificial intelligence is facing several problems with its practical implementation in various application domains. The explainability of advanced artificial intelligence algorithms is a topic of paramount importance, and many discussions have been held recently. Pioneering and classical machine learning and deep learning models behave as black boxes, constraining the logical interpretations that the end users desire. Artificial intelligence applications in industry, medicine, agriculture, and social sciences require the users’ trust in the systems. Users are always entitled to know why and how each method has made a decision and which factors play a critical role. Otherwise, they will always be wary of using new techniques. This paper discusses the nature of fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs), a soft computational method to model human knowledge and provide decisions handling uncertainty. Though FCMs are not new to the field, they are evolving and incorporate recent advancements in artificial intelligence, such as learning algorithms and convolutional neural networks. The nature of FCMs reveals their supremacy in transparency, interpretability, transferability, and other aspects of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) methods. The present study aims to reveal and defend the explainability properties of FCMs and to highlight their successful implementation in many domains. Subsequently, the present study discusses how FCMs cope with XAI directions and presents critical examples from the literature that demonstrate their superiority. The study results demonstrate that FCMs are both in accordance with the XAI directives and have many successful applications in domains such as medical decision-support systems, precision agriculture, energy savings, environmental monitoring, and policy-making for the public sector.
The Influencing Factors of CO2 Utilization and Storage Efficiency in Gas Reservoir
Authors: Luo Yulong , Qin Jiazheng , Cai Jianqin , Tang Yong
Published: March 2023

Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technology is one of the most practical means to meet zero greenhouse gas emission goal of the Paris Agreement and to ensure profitability, which could achieve permanent sequestration of CO2. Due to the cost constraints of CCUS implementation, improving recovery and maximizing storage efficiency have become a critical part of ensuring economic efficiency. This research aims to analyze the effects of key factors on enhancing gas recovery and storage efficiency, combined with the validation of CO2 displacement and storage mechanisms. Therefore, long core experiments and different dimensional simulations were established based on R gas reservoir (one of the actual gas reservoirs in Northeast China), which were designed for sensitivity analyses of different influencing parameters and quantitative analyses of different storage mechanisms during CCUS process. When the conditions (temperature and pressure) were closer to the CO2 critical point, when the following parameters (the CO2 purity, the injection rate and the dip angle) became larger, when the reservoir rhythm was reversed and when the irreducible water was is in existence, the final displacement and storage effects became better because of weaker diffusion, stronger gravity segregation and slower CO2 breakthrough. The contributions of different storage mechanisms were quantified: 83.78% CO2 existed as supercritical fluid; 12.67% CO2 was dissolved in brine; and 3.85% CO2 reacted with minerals. Some supercritical and dissolved CO2 would slowly transform to solid precipitation over time. This work could provide theoretical supports for CCUS technology research and references for CCUS field application. At the same time, countries should further improve CCUS subsidy policies and make concerted efforts to promote the globalization and commercialization of CO2 transport.
I Dream of Being a Beautiful Princess but I Am a Socialist Girl: The Psychological and Ideological Aspects of the Illustrations for the Fairy Tale “Cinderella” in Bulgaria in the Second Half of the 20th Century
Authors: Gadjeva Katerina Zdravkova
Published: March 2023

Fairy tales are often accompanied by illustrations that extend and complicate the messages of the text, and adapt it to the specific characteristics of different political and cultural situations. This article focuses on the images of one of the best-known fairy tales recorded by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, “Cinderella,” and looks for an answer to the question of how, in the second half of the 20th century, when the world was divided by the Iron Curtain, the socialist ideology attempted to make a “visual translation” of the story, which had been known for centuries, thus sending new aesthetic and political messages to adolescents. The emphasis is placed not only on the opposition of the roles of woman in socialist and capitalist societies but also on making the differences in appearance, behavior, and upbringing stand out.
Electrical Modeling and Impedance Spectra of Lithium-Ion Batteries and Supercapacitors
Authors: Bae Jin-Yong
Published: March 2023

In this study, electrical models for cylindrical/pouch-type lithium Li-ion batteries and supercapacitors were investigated, and the impedance spectra characteristics were studied. Cylindrical Li-ion batteries use Ni, Co, and Al as the main materials, while pouch-type Li-ion batteries use Ni, Co, and Mn as the main materials. Herein, 2600–3600 mAh 18650-type cylindrical Li-ion batteries, 5000 mAh 21700-type cylindrical Li-ion batteries, 37–50.5 Ah pouch-type Li-ion batteries, and a 2.7 V, 600 F supercapacitor are compared and analyzed. For a cylindrical Li-ion battery, the RS value of a battery with a protection device (circular thermal disc cap) is in the range of 14–38 mΩ. For the 18650-type cylindrical Li-ion battery with a protection device, the RS value of the battery is between 48 and 105 mΩ, and the protection device increases the RS value by at least 33 mΩ. A good Li-ion battery exhibits RS. Moreover, it has small overall RP and CP values. For the 21700-type cylindrical Li-ion battery with a protection device, the RS value of the battery is 25 mΩ. For the pouch-type Li-ion battery, the RS value of the battery is between 0.86 and 1.04 mΩ. For the supercapacitor, the RS value of the battery is between 0.4779 and 0.5737 mΩ. A cylindrical Li-ion battery exhibits a semicircular shape in the impedance spectrum, due to the oxidation and reduction reactions of Li ions, and the impedance increases with a slope of 45° in the complex plane, due to the ZW generated by Li ion diffusion. However, for a pouch-type Li-ion battery, the impedance spectrum exhibits a part of the semicircular shape, due to the oxidation and reduction reactions of Li ions, and the ZW generated by Li ion diffusion does not appear. In a supercapacitor, the oxidation and reduction reactions of ions do not appear at all, and the ZW generated by Li ion diffusion does not occur.
Applications of Genomics and Transcriptomics in Precision Medicine for Myopia Control or Prevention
Authors: Jiang Liqin , Goh Dong Xuan , Koh James Hao Zhong , Chan Xavier , Brennan Noel A. , Barathi Veluchamy Amutha , Hoang Quan V.
Published: March 2023

Myopia is a globally emerging concern accompanied by multiple medical and socio-economic burdens with no well-established causal treatment to control thus far. The study of the genomics and transcriptomics of myopia treatment is crucial to delineate disease pathways and provide valuable insights for the design of precise and effective therapeutics. A strong understanding of altered biochemical pathways and underlying pathogenesis leading to myopia may facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of myopia, ultimately leading to the development of more effective preventive and therapeutic measures. In this review, we summarize current data about the genomics and transcriptomics of myopia in human and animal models. We also discuss the potential applicability of these findings to precision medicine for myopia treatment.
Circulating Biomarkers of Fibrosis Formation in Patients with Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: van der Voorn Stephanie M. , Bourfiss Mimount , Muller Steven A. , Çimen Tolga , Saguner Ardan M. , Duru Firat , te Riele Anneline S. J. M. , Remme Carol Ann , van Veen Toon A. B.
Published: March 2023

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a progressive inheritable disease which is characterized by a gradual fibro-(fatty) replacement of the myocardium. Visualization of diffuse and patchy fibrosis patterns is challenging using clinically applied cardiac imaging modalities (e.g., late gadolinium enhancement, LGE). During collagen synthesis and breakdown, carboxy–peptides are released into the bloodstream, specifically procollagen type-I carboxy-terminal propeptides (PICP) and collagen type-I carboxy-terminal telopeptides (ICTP). We collected the serum and EDTA blood samples and clinical data of 45 ACM patients (age 50.11 ± 15.53 years, 44% female), divided into 35 diagnosed ACM patients with a 2010 ARVC Task Force Criteria score (TFC) ≥ 4, and 10 preclinical variant carriers with a TFC < 4. PICP levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay and ICTP levels with a radio immunoassay. Increased PICP/ICTP ratios suggest a higher collagen deposition. We found significantly higher PICP and PICP/ICTP levels in diagnosed patients compared to preclinical variant carriers (p < 0.036 and p < 0.027). A moderate negative correlation existed between right ventricular ejection fractions (RVEF) and the PICP/ICTP ratio (r = −0.46, p = 0.06). In addition, significant correlations with left ventricular function (LVEF r = −0.53, p = 0.03 and end-systolic volume r = 0.63, p = 0.02) were found. These findings indicate impaired contractile performance due to pro-fibrotic remodeling. Follow-up studies including a larger number of patients should be performed to substantiate our findings and the validity of those levels as potential promising biomarkers in ACM.
The Interaction between Circulating Cell-Free Mitochondrial DNA and Inflammatory Cytokines in Predicting Human Mental Health Issue Risk in Adolescents: An Explorative Study
Authors: Alatalo Arto , de Sousa Maciel Izaque , Kucháriková Nina , Chew Sweelin , van Kamp Irene , Foraster Maria , Julvez Jordi , Kanninen Katja M.
Published: March 2023

Adolescence is often a challenging time in which psychiatric issues have a strong connection to mental health disorders later in life. The early identification of the problems can reduce the burden of disease. To date, the effective identification of adolescents at risk of developing mental health problems remains understudied. Altogether, the interaction between circulating cell-free mtDNA (ccf-mtDNA) and inflammatory cytokines in adolescents is insufficiently understood regarding experienced mental health difficulties. Our study selected the participants based on the Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ) score using the cut-off points of 3 and 18 for the low and the high score groups, respectively. The answers of the SDQ at the age of 12.2–15.7 years contributed to the investigation of (i) whether ccf-mtDNA units are associated with cytokines, and (ii) if an interaction model for predicting risk of mental health issues is observed. We discovered a sex-specific correlation between the screened markers associated with mental health problems in the low and high SDQ score groups among the male participants and in the low SDQ score group among the female participants. The mitochondrial MT-ND4 and MT-CO1 genes correlated significantly with interleukin-12p70 (IL-12p70) in males and with monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in females. Due to the nature of the explorative study, the studied markers alone did not indicate statistical significance for the prediction of mental health problems. Our analysis provided new insight into potential plasma-based biomarkers to predict mental health issues.
The Sympathetic Nervous System Regulates Sodium Glucose Co-Transporter 1 Expression in the Kidney
Authors: Matthews Jennifer , Hibbs Moira , Herat Lakshini , Schlaich Markus , Matthews Vance
Published: March 2023

Hyperactivation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) has been demonstrated in various conditions including obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Elevated levels of the major neurotransmitter of the SNS, norepinephrine (NE), is a cardinal feature of these conditions. Increased levels of the sodium glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT1) protein have been shown to occur in the parotid and submandibular glands of hypertensive rodents compared to normotensive controls. However, there was a need to examine SGLT1 expression in other tissues, such as the kidneys. Whether NE may directly affect SGLT1 protein expression has not yet been investigated, although such a link has been shown for sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2). Hence, we aimed to determine (i) whether our murine model of neurogenic hypertension displays elevated renal SGLT1 expression and (ii) whether NE may directly promote elevations of SGLT1 in human proximal tubule (HK2) cells. We did indeed demonstrate that in vivo, in our mouse model of neurogenic hypertension, hyperactivation of the SNS promotes SGLT1 expression in the kidneys. In subsequent in vitro experiments in HK2 cells, we found that NE increased SGLT1 protein expression and translocation as assessed by both specific immunohistochemistry and/or a specific SGLT1 ELISA. Additionally, NE promoted a significant elevation in interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels which resulted in the promotion of SGLT1 expression and proliferation in HK2 cells. Our findings suggest that the SNS upregulates SGLT1 protein expression levels with potential adverse consequences for cardiometabolic control. SGLT1 inhibition may therefore provide a useful therapeutic target in conditions characterized by increased SNS activity, such as chronic kidney disease.
Review of the Experimental Methods for Evaluation of Windows’ Thermal Transmittance: From Standardized Tests to New Possibilities
Authors: Simões Nuno , Moghaddam Saman Abolghasemi , da Silva Manuel Gameiro
Published: March 2023

One of the most important parameters that indicate the energy performance of a window system is the thermal transmittance (U-value). Many research studies that deal with numerical methods of determining a window’s U-value have been carried out. However, the possible assumptions and simplifications associated with numerical methods and simulation tools could increase the risk of under- or over-estimation of the U-value. For this reason, several experimental methods for investigating the U-value of windows have been developed to be used either alone or as a supplementary method for validation purposes. This review aims to analyze the main experimental methods for assessing the U-value of windows that have been published by national and international standards or as scientific papers. The analysis criteria include the type of the test in terms of boundary conditions (laboratory or in situ), the part of the window that was tested (only the center of glazing or the entire window), and the data analysis method (steady-state or dynamic). The experimental methods include the heat flow meter (HFM) method, guarded hot plate (GHP) method, hot box (HB) method, infrared thermography (IRT) method, and the so-called rapid U-value metering method. This review has been set out to give insights into the procedure, the necessary equipment units, the required length of time, the accuracy, the advantages and disadvantages, new possibilities, and the gaps associated with each method. In the end, it describes a set of challenges that are designed to provide more comprehensive, realistic, and reliable tests.
Comparison of Self-Tapping Screws and Bamboo Nails in Reinforcing the Zuo-Dou Connections in Traditional Oriental Timber Frames of Asia
Authors: Yeh Yu-Hsiang , Yeh Yi-Chi , Wang Tzu-Chi , Hsu Yin-Chia
Published: March 2023

This paper is focused on the retrofitting techniques of Zuo-Dou connections in Dieh-Dou timber frames in Far East Asia. The target is to develop appropriate techniques for the reinforcement and maintenance of the wooden cultural heritage. A series of full-scale tests are intended for the evaluation of the rotational and shear characteristics of the various retrofitting techniques for the Zuo-Dou joints. These retrofitting techniques are conceived by this study based on the principles of the conservation of cultural heritage. The reversible materials, invisible layouts, and structurally efficient schemes are taken into account to figure out the reinforcement strategies. Regarding the conservation targets, this study applies the self-tapping screw (STS) and the bamboo nail for reinforcement. Corresponding to the loading circumstances, moment- and shear-constraining schemes are developed. The STS and the bamboo nail are applied by means of moment- or shear-constraining strategies. Then, rotational and shear tests are carried out to estimate the structural efficiency of the conceived retrofitting techniques. With the appropriate schemes, the STS and the bamboo nail contribute to the enhancement of the structural performance of the Zuo-Dou connection. The STS in a moment-constraining profile can ameliorate the Zuo-Dou’s rotational behaviour. As far as post retrofitting and preventing reinforcing are concerned, the STS reveals considerable structural efficiency. The bamboo nail in a shear-constraining scheme can increase the shear capacity of the Zuo-Dou joint. Besides the quantitative outcomes, these retrofitting techniques exhibit ductility and enhance the deformation processes of the connections. With the alternative fasteners, the slump or vibration during the deformation becomes moderate and the severe damages, such as rocking or block shear failure, are alleviated. The techniques and associated materials used in this study exhibit compatibility and feasibility for constraining the rotation, deformation, and crack of the Zuo-Dou connection. These effects are helpful for retaining the joints’ structural behaviour and contribute to the conservation of traditional timber constructions.
Dexamethasone Selectively Inhibits Detachment of Metastatic Thyroid Cancer Cells during Random Positioning
Authors: Melnik Daniela , Cortés-Sánchez José Luis , Sandt Viviann , Kahlert Stefan , Kopp Sascha , Grimm Daniela , Krüger Marcus
Published: March 2023

We recently reported that synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX) is able to suppress metastasis-like spheroid formation in a culture of follicular thyroid cancer (FTC)-133 cells cultured under random positioning. We now show that this inhibition was selective for two metastatic thyroid carcinoma cells, FTC-133 and WRO, whereas benign Nthy-ori 3-1 thyrocytes and recurrent ML-1 follicular thyroid cancer cells were not affected by DEX. We then compare Nthy-ori 3-1 and FTC-133 cells concerning their adhesion and mechanosignaling. We demonstrate that DEX disrupts random positioning-triggered p38 stress signaling in FTC-133 cells, thereby antagonizing a variety of biological functions. Thus, DEX treatment of FTC-133 cells is associated with increased adhesiveness, which is mainly caused by the restored, pronounced formation of a normal number of tight junctions. Moreover, we show that Nthy-ori 3-1 and ML-1 cells upregulate the anti-adhesion protein mucin-1 during random positioning, presumably as a protection against mechanical stress. In summary, mechanical stress seems to be an important component in this metastasis model system that is processed differently by metastatic and healthy cells. The balance between adhesion, anti-adhesion and cell–cell connections enables detachment of adherent human cells on the random positioning machine—or not, allowing selective inhibition of thyroid in vitro metastasis by DEX.