bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Glass Ceramic with Improved Structure and Properties Made with Wastes from FeNi Production
Authors: Karamanov Alexander
Published: May 2023

Hazardous residues from ferronickel production are vitrified. The optimum thermal regime for the conversion of the resulting glass into glass-ceramics is estimated by rapid alternative methods: the nucleation step is valued by DTA, and the crystallization step by density measurements. The results show that a short and inexpensive thermal treatment can be used. The evolution of phase formation is highlighted by XRD, SEM–EDS, FESEM and TEM. Due to the presence of 1.5 wt % chromium oxides and high amounts of iron and magnesium oxides, the crystallization process is peculiar. It starts during the melt’s cooling with the precipitation of preliminary Fe-Mg-Cr spinel crystals, which then act as centers for growth of pyroxenes. Simultaneously, due to liquid–liquid immiscibility, the main amorphous phase forms a nonhomogeneous binodal structure, which becomes finer after the nucleation treatment. Subsequently, thus formed iron-rich drops are transformed into tiny secondary magnetite spinel, acting as nuclei for the main crystallization process. As a result, new pyroxenes with sizes of about 200 nm are formed and the total crystallinity reaches about 60%. Regardless of the large amounts of problematic wastes in the batch, the resulting glass shows good chemical durability, while the glass-ceramic is characterized by optimal mechanical characteristics.
Magnetic and Optical Properties of Natural Diamonds with Subcritical Radiation Damage Induced by Fast Neutrons
Authors: Poklonski Nikolai A. , Khomich Andrey A. , Svito Ivan A. , Vyrko Sergey A. , Poklonskaya Olga N. , Kovalev Alexander I. , Kozlova Maria V. , Khmelnitskii Roman A. , Khomich Alexander V.
Published: May 2023

Raman spectroscopy and magnetic properties of the natural single crystalline diamonds irradiated with high fluences of fast reactor neutrons have been investigated. Raman spectra transformations were studied in the range from moderate levels up to radiation damage leading to diamond graphitization. The selection of fast neutrons irradiated diamonds for magnetic measurements was carried out according to Raman scattering data on the basis of the intensity criterion and the spectral position of the “1640” band. It was found that in natural diamonds irradiated with neutrons with an extremely high subcritical fluence F = 5 × 1020 cm−2, the transition from a diamagnetic to a ferromagnetic state is observed at the Curie–Weiss temperature of ≈150 K. The energy of the exchange magnetic interaction of uncompensated spins is estimated to be ≈1.7 meV. The differential magnetic susceptibility estimated from the measurements of magnetic moment for temperature 2 K in the limit of B ≈ 0 is χdiff ≈ 1.8 × 10−3 SI units. The nature of magnetism in radiation-disordered single-crystal hydrogen- and metal-free natural diamond grains was discussed.
A Statistical Analysis of Long-Term Grid-Connected PV System Operation in Niš (Serbia) under Temperate Continental Climatic Conditions
Authors: Todorović Dragana D. , Stojanović Krasić Marija , Jovanović Slavica , Drljača Branko , Kevkić Tijana
Published: May 2023

This study analyzes the grid-connected PV system performances over a 10-year period under temperate continental conditions in Niš. Based on the experimental results, we found the following: the 10-year yearly average values of PV system efficiency, Yf, CF, and PR are 10.49%, 1178.51 kWh/kWp, 13.45%, and 0.87, respectively. The yearly average value of PV performances for a 10-year measurement indicates that the behavior of the given PV system over 10 years does not change significantly. Besides, a mathematical prediction model was obtained through regression analysis, and ANOVA was applied for testing the model’s validity. It is shown that the obtained model is statistically significant and enables prediction better than a simple average, the mean values of PV electricity are not changed statistically significantly over the 10 observed years, and there is a statistically significant difference in POA mean radiation during the months over 10 years. Based on the obtained model and POA radiation values, a prediction of the PV system output can be made for similar PV installations. The analysis presented in this study significantly impacts energy prediction, PV energy modeling, and the economics and profitability of the grid-connected PV system utilization, as well as the PV systems’ operation planning and maintenance.
An FSFS-Net Method for Occluded and Aggregated Fish Segmentation from Fish School Feeding Images
Authors: Yang Ling , Chen Yingyi , Shen Tao , Li Daoliang
Published: May 2023

Smart feeding is essential for maximizing resource utilization, enhancing fish growth and welfare, and reducing environmental impact in intensive aquaculture. The image segmentation technique facilitates fish feeding behavior analysis to achieve quantitative decision making in smart feeding. Existing studies have largely focused on single-category object segmentation, ignoring issues like occlusion, overlap, and aggregation amongst individual fish in the fish feeding process. To address the above challenges, this paper presents research on fish school feeding behavior quantification and analysis using a semantic segmentation algorithm. We propose the use of the fish school feeding segmentation method (FSFS-Net), together with the shuffle polarized self-attention (SPSA) and lightweight multi-scale module (LMSM), to achieve two-class pixel-wise classification in fish feeding images. Specifically, the SPSA method proposed is designed to extract long-range dependencies between features in an image. Moreover, the use of LMSM techniques is proposed in order to learn contextual semantic information by expanding the receptive field to extract multi-scale features. The extensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms several state-of-the-art semantic segmentation methods such as U-Net, SegNet, FCN, DeepLab v3 plus, GCN, HRNet-w48, DDRNet, LinkNet, BiSeNet v2, DANet, and CCNet, achieving competitive performance and computational efficiency without data augmentation. It has a 79.62% mIoU score on annotated fish feeding datasets. Finally, a feeding video with 3 min clip is tested, and two index parameters are extracted to analyze the feeding intensity of the fish. Therefore, our proposed method and dataset provide promising opportunities for the urther analysis of fish school feeding behavior.
Uday Shan-Kar and Me: Stories of Self-Orientalization, Hyphenization, and Diasporic Declarations
Authors: Popkin Lionel
Published: May 2023

This article discusses how orientalism has operated and continues to operate within the North American artistic landscape of dance artists. The author starts by focusing on Uday Shankar (1900–1977), one of the major, though often overlooked, figures over the last 100 years of South Asian (and predominantly Indian) dance performance on the concert stage in the diasporic context, to consider how orientalism, the desire for authenticity, a nationalist agenda, religious fundamentalism, economic necessities, multi-cultural initiatives, and diversity desires all interact and coalesce to form an undercurrent of limited potentials about how and why South Asian dance can exist within the American performance discourse. In an auto-ethnographic move, the author then juxtaposes Shankar’s historical legacy with a new artistic project by the author (b. 1969), entitled Reorient the Orient, premiering in 2024. The writing uses archival sources such as photographs, programs, publicity materials, featured essays, newspaper previews, reviews, filmed dance footage, choreographic analysis, and personal reflections to explore how social factors and personal ambitions create awkward relationships within orientalism’s manifestations in the diasporic U.S. performance landscape.
Emerging Quantitative Biochemical, Structural, and Biophysical Methods for Studying Ribosome and Protein–RNA Complex Assembly
Authors: Gor Kavan , Duss Olivier
Published: May 2023

Ribosome assembly is one of the most fundamental processes of gene expression and has served as a playground for investigating the molecular mechanisms of how protein–RNA complexes (RNPs) assemble. A bacterial ribosome is composed of around 50 ribosomal proteins, several of which are co-transcriptionally assembled on a ~4500-nucleotide-long pre-rRNA transcript that is further processed and modified during transcription, the entire process taking around 2 min in vivo and being assisted by dozens of assembly factors. How this complex molecular process works so efficiently to produce an active ribosome has been investigated over decades, resulting in the development of a plethora of novel approaches that can also be used to study the assembly of other RNPs in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Here, we review biochemical, structural, and biophysical methods that have been developed and integrated to provide a detailed and quantitative understanding of the complex and intricate molecular process of bacterial ribosome assembly. We also discuss emerging, cutting-edge approaches that could be used in the future to study how transcription, rRNA processing, cellular factors, and the native cellular environment shape ribosome assembly and RNP assembly at large.
Socioeconomic Deprivation Is Not Associated with Outcomes after Esophagectomy at a German High-Volume Center
Authors: Kemper Marius , Zagorski Jana , Wagner Jonas , Graß Julia-Kristin , Izbicki Jakob R. , Melling Nathaniel , Wolter Stefan , Reeh Matthias
Published: May 2023

In Germany, socioeconomically deprived citizens more often develop esophageal carcinoma, since typical risk factors follow the social gradient. Therefore, we hypothesized that socioeconomic deprivation might also be associated with advanced tumor stages and comorbidities at the time of surgery. As a consequence, socioeconomic deprivation may be related to postoperative complications and reduced overall survival. Therefore, 310 patients who had undergone esophagectomy for cancer in curative intent between 2012 and 2020 at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) were included in this study. Socioeconomic status (SES) was estimated using the purchasing power of patients’ postal codes as a surrogate parameter. No association was found between SES and tumor stage or comorbidities at the time of surgery. Moreover, SES was neither associated with postoperative complications nor overall survival. In conclusion, socioeconomic inequalities of patients treated at a high-volume center do not affect treatment outcomes.
2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Breast Cancer
Authors: Saha Sourav Taru , Abdulla Naaziyah , Zininga Tawanda , Shonhai Addmore , Wadee Reubina , Kaur Mandeep
Published: May 2023

Cholesterol accumulation is documented in various malignancies including breast cancer. Consequently, depleting cholesterol in cancer cells can serve as a viable treatment strategy. We identified the potency of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD), a cholesterol-depletor in vitro against two breast cancer cell lines: MCF-7 (Oestrogen-receptor positive, ER+) and MDA-MB-231 (Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)). The results were then compared against two non-cancerous cell lines using cytotoxic-, apoptosis-, and cholesterol-based assays. Treatment with HPβCD showed preferential and significant cytotoxic potential in cancer cells, inducing apoptosis in both cancer cell lines (p < 0.001). This was mediated due to significant depletion of cholesterol (p < 0.001). We further tested HPβCD in a MF-1 mice (n = 14) xenograft model and obtained 73.9%, 94% and 100% reduction in tumour size for late-, intermediate-, and early-stage TNBC, respectively. We also detected molecular-level perturbations in the expression patterns of several genes linked to breast cancer and cholesterol signalling pathways using RT2-PCR arrays and have identified SFRP1 as a direct binding partner to HPβCD through SPR drug interaction analysis. This work unravels mechanistic insights into HPβCD-induced cholesterol depletion, which leads to intrinsic apoptosis induction. Results from this study potentiate employing cholesterol depletion as a promising unconventional anticancer therapeutic strategy, which warrants future clinical investigations.
Skull Base Tumors: The Equilibrium between Curation and Preservation
Authors: Keizer Max E. , Kunst Henricus P. M. , Temel Yasin
Published: May 2023

Tumors located at the skull base constitute a particular challenge for medical teams [...]
The Lack of Standardized Outcomes for Surgical Salvage of HPV-Positive Recurrent Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Scoping Review
Authors: Taniguchi April N. , Sutton Sarah R. , Nguyen Shaun A. , Kejner Alexandra E. , Albergotti William G.
Published: May 2023

Although HPV status is known to provide an improved prognosis in initial treatments of HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), it is unclear how it affects patients who receive salvage surgery (SS), which has historically poor survival rates. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of SS for patients with locoregional recurrence (LRR) of HPV-positive OPSCC and its impact survival rates. We conducted a scoping review of literature through October 2022 and included 995 individuals. Survival endpoints, such as overall survival (OS), Kaplan–Meier curves, and median post-recurrence survival, were analyzed in addition to demographics. Of all studies, 18.8% (6/32) reported any survival data for SS patients, with the most prevalent reporting 2- and 5-year OS in two studies. Median post-recurrence survival was not reported for SS. These findings reveal the limited and unpredictable reporting of survival-specific data on SS for HPV-positive OPSCC. With limited survival assessment, it is difficult to assess the potential advantages and disadvantages of this therapy to guide clinical decision-making.
The Prognostic Relevance of MRI Characteristics in Myxofibrosarcoma Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Radiotherapy
Authors: van Ravensteijn Stefan G. , Nederkoorn Maikel J. L. , Wal Tom C. P. , Versleijen-Jonkers Yvonne M. H. , Braam Pètra M. , Flucke Uta E. , Bonenkamp Johannes J. , Schreuder Bart H. W. , van Herpen Carla M. L. , de Wilt Johannes H. W. , Desar Ingrid M. E. , de Rooy Jacky W. J.
Published: May 2023

To improve local control, neoadjuvant radiotherapy (nRT) followed by surgery is the standard of care in myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) because of its infiltrative growth pattern. Nevertheless, local recurrence rates are high. Data on prognostic factors for poor clinical outcomes are lacking. This retrospective study thus investigates the prognostic relevance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics before and after nRT in 40 MFS patients, as well as their association with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). A vascular pedicle, defined as extra-tumoral vessels at the tumor periphery, was observed in 12 patients (30.0%) pre-nRT and remained present post-nRT in all cases. Patients with a vascular pedicle had worse DFS (HR 5.85; 95% CI 1.56–21.90; p = 0.009) and OS (HR 9.58; 95% CI 1.91–48.00; p = 0.006). An infiltrative growth pattern, referred to as a tail sign, was observed in 22 patients (55.0%) pre-nRT and in 19 patients (47.5%) post-nRT, and was associated with worse DFS post-nRT (HR 6.99; 95% CI 1.39–35.35; p = 0.019). The percentage of tumor necrosis estimated by MRI was increased post-nRT, but was not associated with survival outcomes. The presence of a tail sign or vascular pedicle on MRI could support the identification of patients at risk for poor clinical outcomes after nRT.
Investigating Predictive Factors of Dysphagia and Treatment Prolongation in Patients with Oral Cavity or Oropharyngeal Cancer Receiving Radiation Therapy Concurrently with Chemotherapy
Authors: Alexidis Petros , Kolias Pavlos , Mentesidou Vaia , Topalidou Maria , Kamperis Efstathios , Giannouzakos Vasileios , Efthymiadis Konstantinos , Bangeas Petros , Timotheadou Eleni
Published: May 2023

Radiation therapy (RT) treatment for head and neck cancer has been associated with dysphagia manifestation leading to worse outcomes and decrease in life quality. In this study, we investigated factors leading to dysphagia and treatment prolongation in patients with primaries arising from oral cavity or oropharynx that were submitted to radiation therapy concurrently with chemotherapy. The records of patients with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer that received RT treatment to the primary and bilateral neck lymph nodes concurrently with chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the potential correlation between explanatory variables and the primary (dysphagia ≥ 2) and secondary (prolongation of total treatment duration ≥ 7 days) outcomes of interest. The Toxicity Criteria of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) were used to evaluate dysphagia. A total of 160 patients were included in the study. Age mean was 63.31 (SD = 8.24). Dysphagia grade ≥ 2 was observed in 76 (47.5%) patients, while 32 (20%) experienced treatment prolongation ≥ 7 days. The logistic regression analysis showed that the volume in the primary site of disease that received dose ≥ 60 Gy (≥118.75 cc, p < 0.001, (OR = 8.43, 95% CI [3.51–20.26]) and mean dose to the pharyngeal constrictor muscles > 40.6 Gy (p < 0.001, OR = 11.58, 95% CI [4.84–27.71]) were significantly associated with dysphagia grade ≥ 2. Treatment prolongation ≥ 7 days was predicted by higher age (p = 0.007, OR = 1.079, 95% CI [1.021–1.140]) and development of grade ≥ 2 dysphagia (p = 0.005, OR = 4.02, 95% CI [1.53–10.53]). In patients with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer that receive bilateral neck irradiation concurrently with chemotherapy, constrictors mean dose and the volume in the primary site receiving ≥ 60 Gy should be kept below 40.6 Gy and 118.75 cc, respectively, whenever possible. Elderly patients or those that are considered at high risk for dysphagia manifestation are more likely to experience treatment prolongation ≥ 7 days and they should be closely monitored during treatment course for nutritional support and pain management.
Limobrevibacterium gyesilva gen. nov., sp. nov., Isolated from Forest Soil
Authors: Tuyet Nhan Le Thi , Kim Jaisoo
Published: May 2023

An aerobic, oxidase-positive, catalase-negative, non-motile, oval/rod-shaped, and Gram-negative strain RN2-1T was isolated from a Korean forest soil sample. Cells grew in a pH range of 6–9 (optimum range: 7–8), in a temperature range of 20–40 °C (optimum range: 30–35 °C), and in the presence of 0–1% (w/v) NaCl. The major polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidyl glycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, and a group of phospholipids, aminolipids, and polar lipids with unidentified structures. The major quinone was ubiquinone 10. The main fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c/C18:1 ω6c), C16:0, Cyclo-C17:0, cyclo C19:0 ω8c, and C18:1 2OH. Phylogenetic similarities based on 16S rDNA sequences showed that strain RN2-1T grouped in the family Acetobacteraceae included the genera Rhodovastum, Acidisoma, Acidisphaera, and Acidibrevibacterium. The aerobic phototrophic bacterium Rhodovastum atsumiense G2-11T was the closest relative to RN2-1T (96.04% sequence similarity). Genomic DNA revealed 68.7% G+C content. Whole genome analysis and phenotypic data of the strain RN2-1T confirmed its distinctive phylogenetic location within the family Acetobacteraceae. Because of these results, strain RN2-1T represents the novel species of a new genus for which the name Limobrevibacterium gyesilva gen. nov., sp. nov. was proposed. The type of strain was strain RN2-1T (KACC 23001 = JCM 35944).
Imaging Function and Relative Light Transmission of Explanted Opacified Hydrophilic Acrylic Intraocular Lenses
Authors: Naujokaitis Tadas , Khoramnia Ramin , Łabuz Grzegorz , Choi Chul Young , Auffarth Gerd U. , Tandogan Tamer
Published: May 2023

We evaluated the influence of intraocular lens (IOL) opacification on the optical performance of explanted hydrophilic acrylic IOLs. We performed a laboratory analysis of 32 Lentis LS-502-1 (Oculentis GmbH, Berlin, Germany) IOLs, explanted due to opacification, in comparison with six clear unused samples of the same IOL model. Using an optical bench setup, we obtained modulation transfer function (MTF), Strehl ratio, two-dimensional MTF, and United States Air Force (USAF) chart images. In addition, we assessed light transmission through the IOLs. The MTF values of opacified IOLs at 3-mm aperture were similar to those of clear lenses, with the median (interquartile range) values of 0.74 (0.01) vs. 0.76 (0.03) at the spatial frequency of 50 line pairs per millimeter in clear and opacified IOLs, respectively. The Strehl ratio of opacified lenses was not lower than that of clear lenses. The USAF-chart analysis showed a considerable reduction in brightness in opacified IOLs. The median (interquartile range) relative light transmission of opacified IOLs in comparison to clear lenses was 55.6% (20.8%) at the aperture size of 3 mm. In conclusion, the explanted opacified IOLs had comparable MTF values to those of clear lenses but significantly reduced light transmission.
Cemento-Osseous Dysplasia of the Jaw: Demographic and Clinical Analysis of 191 New Cases
Authors: Decolibus Katherine , Shahrabi-Farahani Shokoufeh , Brar Anmol , Rasner Shane D. , Aguirre Sarah E. , Owosho Adepitan A.
Published: May 2023

Cemento-osseous dysplasia (COD) is a form of benign fibro-osseous lesion of the jaw. We sought to evaluate the demographic and clinical presentations of COD by collecting and analyzing the demographic, clinical, radiographic, and pathologic data of COD diagnosed in our institution from 2017 to 2022. Over this six-year period, the records of 191 patients with COD were reviewed. Most patients were African American and female. Eighty-five patients were diagnosed with florid COD (FLCOD), 63 with periapical COD (PCOD), and 43 with focal COD (FCOD). Twenty-eight (14.7%) patients presented symptoms. The most common symptom was pain. All the symptomatic cases of COD that were histopathologically diagnosed were osteomyelitis in the setting of COD. Symptomatic patients were older (mean of 61.3 years) than the asymptomatic patients (mean of 51.2 years). Due to the radiographic appearance of a radiolucency or a mixture of radiolucency and radiopacity, forty-five asymptomatic patients were biopsied. Most of the asymptomatic patients biopsied were patients with FCOD (n = 19, 54.3%), followed by PCOD (n = 16, 25.8%), and FLCOD (n = 10, 15.2%). FLCOD is the most common form of COD to present with symptoms. Due to the significant overlap in clinical and radiographic presentation with other entities, FCOD and PCOD remain a diagnostic challenge to dentists. In conclusion, we analyzed the demographic and clinical features of 191 new cases of COD, which reaffirms that cemento-osseous dysplasia is a condition that primarily affects middle-aged females of African descent and occurs more frequently in the mandible.
Study of Generalized Chaotic Synchronization Method Incorporating Error-Feedback Coefficients
Authors: Xing Yanan , Dong Wenjie , Zeng Jian , Guo Pengteng , Zhang Jing , Ding Qun
Published: May 2023

In this paper, taking the generalized synchronization problem of discrete chaotic systems as a starting point, a generalized synchronization method incorporating error-feedback coefficients into the controller based on the generalized chaos synchronization theory and stability theorem for nonlinear systems is proposed. Two discrete chaotic systems with different dimensions are constructed in this paper, the dynamics of the proposed systems are analyzed, and finally, the phase diagrams, Lyapunov exponent diagrams, and bifurcation diagrams of these are shown and described. The experimental results show that the design of the adaptive generalized synchronization system is achievable in cases in which the error-feedback coefficient satisfies certain conditions. Finally, a chaotic hiding image encryption transmission system based on a generalized synchronization approach is proposed, in which an error-feedback coefficient is introduced into the controller.
TSFN: A Novel Malicious Traffic Classification Method Using BERT and LSTM
Authors: Shi Zhaolei , Luktarhan Nurbol , Song Yangyang , Yin Huixin
Published: May 2023

Traffic classification is the first step in network anomaly detection and is essential to network security. However, existing malicious traffic classification methods have several limitations; for example, statistical-based methods are vulnerable to hand-designed features, and deep learning-based methods are vulnerable to the balance and adequacy of data sets. In addition, the existing BERT-based malicious traffic classification methods only focus on the global features of traffic and ignore the time-series features of traffic. To address these problems, we propose a BERT-based Time-Series Feature Network (TSFN) model in this paper. The first is a Packet encoder module built by the BERT model, which completes the capture of global features of the traffic using the attention mechanism. The second is a temporal feature extraction module built by the LSTM model, which captures the time-series features of the traffic. Then, the global and time-series features of the malicious traffic are incorporated together as the final feature representation, which can better represent the malicious traffic. The experimental results show that the proposed approach can effectively improve the accuracy of malicious traffic classification on the publicly available USTC-TFC dataset, reaching an F1 value of 99.50%. This shows that the time-series features in malicious traffic can help improve the accuracy of malicious traffic classification.
Stabilizing the Boost PFC Converter with a Time Delay Feedback Controller
Authors: Zhang Rui , Dong Jie , Wang Lei , Ma Wei , Yin Guofu
Published: May 2023

The One-Cycle Controlled Boost Power Factor Correction converter has one voltage control loop, which may exhibit instability when the load is light. The instability results in a low Power Factor. To ensure that the Power Factor is high, a time delay circuit was adopted in this paper to control the instability of the converter. The architecture of the time delay circuit is described, and its transfer function is derived. The double averaging method was applied to the converter to determine the parameters in the control method. Experimental results verified the time delay control method in the converter. The power factor increased from 0.82 to 0.99 after activating the delay control circuit.
Synergic Combination of Hardware and Software Innovations for Energy Efficiency and Process Control Improvement: A Steel Industry Application
Authors: Zanoli Silvia Maria , Pepe Crescenzo , Orlietti Lorenzo
Published: May 2023

The present paper proposes a steel industry case study focused on a reheating furnace and a rolling mill. Hardware and software innovations were successfully combined in order to obtain process control and energy efficiency improvement. The reheating furnace at study is pusher type and processes billets. The hardware innovation is related to the installation of an insulated tunnel at the end of the reheating furnace, in order to guarantee a higher heat retention of the billets before their path along the rolling mill stands. The software innovation refers to the design and the installation of an Advanced Process Control system which manipulates the gas flow rate and the stoichiometric ratio of the furnace zones in order to satisfy the control specifications on billets and furnace variables. The control system is based on Model Predictive Control strategy and on a virtual sensor which tracks and estimates the billet features inside/outside the furnace. The designed controller was commissioned on the real plant, providing significant performances in terms of service factor, process control, and energy efficiency.
Modelling and Simulating Eulerian Venturi Effect of SBM to Increase the Rate of Penetration with Roller Cone Drilling Bit
Authors: Wayo Dennis Delali Kwesi , Irawan Sonny , Satyanaga Alfrendo , Abbas Ghulam
Published: May 2023

Drilling bits are essential downhole hardware that facilitates drilling operations in high-pressure, high-temperature regions and in most carbonate reservoirs in the world. While the drilling process can be optimized, drilling operators and engineers become curious about how drill bits react during rock breaking and penetration. Since it is experimentally expensive to determine, the goal of the study is to maximize the rate of penetration by modeling fluid interactions around the roller cone drilling bit (RCDB), specifying a suitable number of jet nozzles and venturi effects for non-Newtonian fluids (synthetic-based muds), and examining the effects of mud particles and drill cuttings. Ansys Fluent k-epsilon turbulence viscous model, a second order upwind for momentum, turbulent kinetic energy, and dissipation rate, were used to model the specified 1000 kg/m3 non-Newtonian fluid around the roller cone drill bit. The original geometry of the nozzles was adapted from a Chinese manufacturer whose tricone had three jet nozzles. The results of our six redesigned jet nozzles (3 outer, 39.12 mm, and 3 proximal, 20 mm) sought to offer maximum potential for drilling optimization. However, at a pressure of 9.39 × 104 Pa, the wellbore with particle sizes between 0.10 mm and 4.2 mm drill cuttings observed an improved rate of penetration with a rotation speed of 150 r/min.
Locating and Sizing Electric Vehicle Chargers Considering Multiple Technologies
Authors: Schettini Tommaso , dell’Amico Mauro , Fumero Francesca , Jabali Ola , Malucelli Federico
Published: May 2023

In order to foster electric vehicle (EV) adoption rates, the availability of a pervasive and efficient charging network is a crucial requirement. In this paper, we provide a decision support tool for helping policymakers to locate and size EV charging stations. We consider a multi-year planning horizon, taking into account different charging technologies and different time periods (day and night). Accounting for these features, we propose an optimization model that minimizes total investment costs while ensuring a predetermined adequate level of demand coverage. In particular, the setup of charging stations is optimized every year, allowing for an increase in the number of chargers installed at charging stations set up in previous years. We have developed a tailored heuristic algorithm for the resulting problem. We validated our algorithm using case study instances based on the village of Gardone Val Trompia (Italy), the city of Barcelona (Spain), and the country of Luxembourg. Despite the variability in the sizes of the considered instances, our algorithm consistently provided high-quality results in short computational times, when compared to a commercial MILP solver. Produced solutions achieved optimality gaps within 7.5% in less than 90 s, often achieving computational times of less than 5 s.
Numerical Simulation of Melted Glass Flow Structures inside a Glass Furnace with Different Heat Release Profiles from Combustion
Authors: Cravero Carlo , Marsano Davide
Published: May 2023

A glass production furnace requires a considerable amount of energy to allow the correct glass melting process. In this work, a CFD model has been developed in order to simulate the convective flow movements within the molten glass bath of the glass furnace. A heat flux profile has been assigned to the glass free surface to model the combustion process, and the glass has been modelled with thermophysical properties variable with temperature based on its chemical composition. The model has been validated by comparing the flow structure and temperature with a reference work. Subsequently, a flow analysis has been carried out by using different shapes for the heat flux profile and by varying its main parameters. The above heat release profiles are representative of different settings of the combustion operating points and can be useful to understand the effects of different flames (i.e., from different fuels also) on the glass flow structure. It has been demonstrated that only the thermal distribution with a maximum generates two convective macro-cells: the first is necessary for the glass melting, the second for its homogenization. It has also been observed that the length of these vortices is related to the flame length. However, a portion of the flow exits directly from the throat (furnace exit port) without entering into the second cell; a low-quality product will be generated in this case.
Modeling the Effects of Electromagnetic Interference from Multi-Wire Traction Networks on Pipelines
Authors: Suslov Konstantin , Kryukov Andrey , Ilyushin Pavel , Cherepanov Aleksander , Kryukov Aleksander
Published: May 2023

The 25 kV traction network creates highly intensive electromagnetic fields. These fields affect the long conductive structures located near railway lines and can induce voltage, posing a danger for maintenance personnel. Typical examples of such structures are pipelines, which are used to transport liquid and gaseous products. In addition to compromising electrical safety, the induced voltage can result in dangerous densities of corrosion currents in pipe insulation defects. Therefore, the determination of the induced voltage and current in the pipes is undoubtedly relevant. An analysis of existing literature on the electromagnetic compatibility of traction networks and pipelines indicates that important aspects regarding the effects of traction networks and high-voltage power lines on extended conductive structures have been addressed. However, these works do not present a unified method to determine the induced voltage on parts of the structures and the current flowing through the pipeline. Such a method could be based on a technology that models the operation of electric power systems in phase coordinates. This paper presents the development of a method and the results of the studies aimed at modeling the voltage induced by complex traction networks. The developed digital models make it possible to adequately determine the induced voltage created by multi-wire traction networks and the current flowing through the pipes. Using these models, one can make an informed decision regarding the appropriate measure to ensure the safety of personnel working on these structures, as well as the development of corrosion prevention methods and measures.
An Evolutionary Annealing–Simplex Method for Inductance Value Selection for LCL Filters
Authors: Yang Xingyu , Zhou Huanyi , Alathamneh Mohammad , Nelms R. M.
Published: May 2023

Grid-connected voltage-source inverters (VSIs) have evolved over the past years for the interconnection of renewable energy sources with the grid to satisfy the increased electrical load demand and utilize clean carbon-free energy. However, VSIs suffer a significant drawback of switching harmonics caused by the inverter switches. To reduce the amount of current distortion injected into the utility grid and meet harmonic constraints as defined by power quality standards, an LCL filter is often used. Although extensive literature describes assorted design procedures for an LCL filter, all these methods cannot guarantee an optimal solution, because no direct mathematical function between the LCL filter parameters and the total harmonic distortion (THD) exists. Presented in this paper is the application of an evolutionary annealing–simplex method to select the inductance values in the LCL filter. This method is compared to other methods previously presented in the literature: a systematic method and an inductance grid-search method based on a calculated distribution of total harmonic distortion for various inductance values. The goal is to select the smallest overall inductance values to ensure lower manufacturing costs while maintaining the filter performance. Simulation and experimental results verify that at least a 40% reduction in overall inductance can be achieved with the proposed method while simultaneously guaranteeing the filtering performance.
Economic and Technological Advances of Green Energy and Sustainable Development: The Overview
Authors: Zhironkin Sergey , Cehlár Michal
Published: May 2023

Currently, global science is at the forefront of discussions concerning the transition to sustainable development [...]
MHSEER: A Meta-Heuristic Secure and Energy-Efficient Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Network-Based Industrial IoT
Authors: Sharma Anshika , Babbar Himanshi , Rani Shalli , Sah Dipak Kumar , Sehar Sountharrajan , Gianini Gabriele
Published: May 2023

Several industries use wireless sensor networks (WSN) for various tasks such as monitoring, data transmission, and data gathering. They find applications in the industrial internet of things (IIoT). WSNs are utilized to track and monitor changes in the environment. Since they include multiple small sensor nodes (SN), they are severely constrained, so resource management geared toward energy efficiency is crucial in this kind of network. Minimizing the power to interpret, transmit, and store data between various sensors poses important challenges. Experts have considered various ways to address these issues that unavoidably affect the network’s performance: reducing energy usage while maintaining system throughput remains the primary research issue. Another important concern relates to network security. Specifically, intrusion detection and avoidance are major concerns. In this work, we introduce the meta-heuristic-based secure and energy-efficient routing (MHSEER) protocol for WSN-IIoT. The protocol learns the forwarding decisions using the number of hops, connection integrity characteristics, and accumulated remaining energy. To make the method more secure, the protocol also employs counter-encryption mode (CEM) to encrypt the data. A meta-heuristics study designed to achieve reliable learning is used in the suggested protocol. The protocol consists of two stages. The first stage uses a heuristics method to improve the option for dependable data routing. Security based on a computationally simple and random CEM is accomplished in the second stage. The proposed MHSEER protocol has been compared to the secure trust routing protocol for low power (Sectrust-RPL), heuristic-based energy-efficient routing (HBEER), secure and energy-aware heuristic-based routing (SEHR), and secure energy-aware meta-heuristic routing (SEAMHR) in terms of packet drop ratio, throughput, network delay, energy usage, and faulty pathways. The proposed protocol increases throughput to 95.81% and decreases the packet drop ratio, packet delay, energy consumption, and faulty pathways to 5.12%, 0.10 ms, 0.0102 mJ, and 6.51%, respectively.
Study on the Selection of Single-Screw Steam Compressors in Industrial Steam Supply
Authors: Zhang Pan , Ke Xiwei , Wang Weiliang , Tang Xueyu , Lyu Junfu , Tang Qinghong
Published: May 2023

Both direct and indirect heating compression methods were proposed to satisfy the requirement of industrial steam compression and supply. The compression process in a single-screw compressor was analyzed with the determination of different inlet and outlet boundary conditions. Considering the misalignment of meshing pairs caused by the offset of the star wheel axis and screw origin, the differential expansion of the vertical meshing pair was further analyzed. The inner ring of the sealing end face, the wall of the inner ring of the bearing at the inlet and outlet ends, and the bottom surface of the bracket were analyzed by different coordinate systems and different constraints, thus facilitating the design and selection of the single screw. The critical point for the design of a steam-type single-screw compressor is an outlet temperature of 350 °C and an outlet volume flow rate of 130 m3/min. At a flow rate of 130 m3/min, when the temperature exceeds 350 °C, the reliability of the compressor is still limited, and the differential expansion of the meshing pair exceeds 0.3 mm. In addition, superheating of steam can be improved by applying a centrifugal compressor with cascade compression and centrifugal compression in conjunction with reflux adjustment at the compression outlet.
Review of Flow Field Designs for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
Authors: Wang Yulin , Liao Xiangling , Liu Guokun , Xu Haokai , Guan Chao , Wang Huixuan , Li Hua , He Wei , Qin Yanzhou
Published: May 2023

The performance of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) closely depends on internal reactant diffusion and liquid water removal. As one of the key components of PEMFCs, bipolar plates (BPs) provide paths for reactant diffusion and product transport. Therefore, to achieve high fuel cell performance, one key issue is designing BPs with a reasonable flow field. This paper provides a comprehensive review of various modifications of the conventional parallel flow field, interdigitated flow field, and serpentine flow field to improve fuel cells’ overall performance. The main focuses for modifications of conventional flow fields are flow field shape, length, aspect ratio, baffle, trap, auxiliary inlet, and channels, as well as channel numbers. These modifications can partly enhance reactant diffusion and product transport while maintaining an acceptable flow pressure drop. This review also covers the detailed structural description of the newly developed flow fields, including the 3D flow field, metal flow field, and bionic flow field. Moreover, the effects of these flow field designs on the internal physical quantity transport and distribution, as well as the fuel cells’ overall performance, are investigated. This review describes state-of-the-art flow field design, identifies the key research gaps, and provides references and guidance for the design of high-performance flow fields for PEMFCs in the future.
Piper nigrum Extract: Dietary Supplement for Reducing Mammary Tumor Incidence and Chemotherapy-Induced Toxicity
Authors: Mad-adam Nadeeya , Madla Siribhon , Lailerd Narissara , Hiransai Poonsit , Graidist Potchanapond
Published: May 2023

A low piperine fractional Piper nigrum extract (PFPE) was prepared by mixing cold-pressed coconut oil and honey in distilled water, namely, PFPE-CH. In this study, PFPE-CH was orally administered as a dietary supplement to decrease the risk of tumor formation and reduce the side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs during breast cancer treatment. The toxicity study demonstrated no mortality or adverse effects after administrating PFPE-CH at 5000 mg/kg during a 14-day observation period. Additionally, PFPE-CH at 86 mg/kg BW/day did not cause any harm to the kidney or liver function of the rats for six months. In a cancer prevention study, treatment with PFPE-CH at 100 mg/kg BW for 101 days induced oxidative stress and increased the immune response by altering the levels of cancer-associated cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, and IFN-g), leading to a reduction in the tumor incidence of up to 71.4% without any adverse effects. In combination with doxorubicin, PFPE-CH did not disrupt the anticancer effects of the drug in rats with mammary tumors. Surprisingly, PFPE-CH reduced chemotherapy-induced toxicity by improving some hematological and biochemical parameters. Therefore, our results suggest that PFPE-CH is safe and effective in reducing breast tumor incidence and toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs during cancer treatment in mammary tumor rats.
Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Dendrocalamus farinosus CCoAOMT Gene Family and the Role of DfCCoAOMT14 Involved in Lignin Synthesis
Authors: Wei Lixian , Zhao Xin , Gu Xiaoyan , Peng Jiahui , Song Wenjuan , Deng Bin , Cao Ying , Hu Shanglian
Published: May 2023

As the main component of plant cell walls, lignin can not only provide mechanical strength and physical defense for plants, but can also be an important indicator affecting the properties and quality of wood and bamboo. Dendrocalamus farinosus is an important economic bamboo species for both shoots and timber in southwest China, with the advantages of fast growth, high yield and slender fiber. Caffeoyl-coenzyme A-O-methyltransferase (CCoAOMT) is a key rate-limiting enzyme in the lignin biosynthesis pathway, but little is known about it in D. farinosus. Here, a total of 17 DfCCoAOMT genes were identified based on the D. farinosus whole genome. DfCCoAOMT1/14/15/16 were homologs of AtCCoAOMT1. DfCCoAOMT6/9/14/15/16 were highly expressed in stems of D. farinosus; this is consistent with the trend of lignin accumulation during bamboo shoot elongation, especially DfCCoAOMT14. The analysis of promoter cis-acting elements suggested that DfCCoAOMTs might be important for photosynthesis, ABA/MeJA responses, drought stress and lignin synthesis. We then confirmed that the expression levels of DfCCoAOMT2/5/6/8/9/14/15 were regulated by ABA/MeJA signaling. In addition, overexpression of DfCCoAOMT14 in transgenic plants significantly increased the lignin content, xylem thickness and drought resistance of plants. Our findings revealed that DfCCoAOMT14 can be a candidate gene that is involved in the drought response and lignin synthesis pathway in plants, which could contribute to the genetic improvement of many important traits in D. farinosus and other species.
The Impact of Serum Levels of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species on the Disease Severity of COVID-19
Authors: Ahmed Sameh A. , Alahmadi Yaser M. , Abdou Yasser A.
Published: May 2023

Elucidation of the redox pathways in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) might aid in the treatment and management of the disease. However, the roles of individual reactive oxygen species (ROS) and individual reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in COVID-19 severity have not been studied to date. The main objective of this research was to assess the levels of individual ROS and RNS in the sera of COVID-19 patients. The roles of individual ROS and RNS in COVID-19 severity and their usefulness as potential disease severity biomarkers were also clarified for the first time. The current case-control study enrolled 110 COVID-19-positive patients and 50 healthy controls of both genders. The serum levels of three individual RNS (nitric oxide (NO•), nitrogen dioxide (ONO−), and peroxynitrite (ONOO−)) and four ROS (superoxide anion (O2•−), hydroxyl radical (•OH), singlet oxygen (1O2), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)) were measured. All subjects underwent thorough clinical and routine laboratory evaluations. The main biochemical markers for disease severity were measured and correlated with the ROS and RNS levels, and they included tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The results indicated that the serum levels of individual ROS and RNS were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients than in healthy subjects. The correlations between the serum levels of ROS and RNS and the biochemical markers ranged from moderate to very strongly positive. Moreover, significantly elevated serum levels of ROS and RNS were observed in intensive care unit (ICU) patients compared with non-ICU patients. Thus, ROS and RNS concentrations in serum can be used as biomarkers to track the prognosis of COVID-19. This investigation demonstrated that oxidative and nitrative stress play a role in the etiology of COVID-19 and contribute to disease severity; thus, ROS and RNS are probable innovative targets in COVID-19 therapeutics.
Editorial of Special Issues “Gut Microbiota–Host Interactions: From Symbiosis to Dysbiosis 2.0”
Authors: Zuccaro Valentina , Ponziani Francesca Romana , Bruno Raffaele
Published: May 2023

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is where external agents meet the internal environment [...]