bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First-principles study of the electronic and optical properties of GeSe/SnSe vertical heterojunction via P-doping
Authors: Guo Gang , Xu Yajuan , Xu Guobao
Published: August 2023

Recent huge progress in the field of chemical doping for modifying the physical properties of nano-materials has inspired us to perform this investigation on the electronic and optical properties of GeSe/SnSe vertical heterojunction via P-doping. The calculated results indicate that the pristine GeSe/SnSe vertical heterojunction is a semiconductor and shows a type-II band alignment. After P-doping, all doped heterojunctions have good structural stability due to the negative binding energies. Interestingly, the typical p-type and n-type degenerate semiconductors can be found. In addition, the optical properties including the absorption coefficient, reflectivity and loss function of P-doped GeSe/SnSe vertical heterojunction are discussed. Particularly, in the ultraviolet light range, the optical absorption coefficient of P-doped systems can reach up to [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text], which suggests that P-doping GeSe/SnSe vertical heterojunctions can serve as a promising material for ultraviolet light detecting. Meanwhile, the absorption and the loss peaks of doped cases exhibit an apparent trend of blue shift with respect to the pristine heterojunction. All these interesting results show that the P-doping gives GeSe/SnSe heterojunction the possibility to tune its electronic and optical properties.
Influence of spatial extension of impurity on the nonlinear optical properties of doped GaAs quantum dot in presence of noise
Authors: Bhakti Bhaskar , Datta Swarnab , Ghosh Manas
Published: August 2023

This work examines the role of spatial impurity extension (SIE) on a few nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of impurity-doped GaAs quantum dot (QD). The NLO properties considered are the nonlinear optical rectification (NOR), the second harmonic generation (SHG) and the third harmonic generation (THG). The study also includes 1 (GWN) which has been incorporated into the doped QD through additive and multiplicative pathways. The study uncovers the delicate interplay between GWN and SIE which ultimately fabricates the said NLO properties. NOR, SHG and THG manifest red-shift with enhancement of SIE both with and without GWN. The study also shows possibilities of attaining maximum NLO response by prudently applying GWN in a particular pathway. Depending upon the particular NLO property concerned, the presence of noise and its mode of application can either deplete or amplify it to different extents with respect to the noise-free situation.
MODELING AND CHARACTERISTIC ANALYSIS OF FRACTIONAL-ORDER BOOST CONVERTER BASED ON THE CAPUTO–FABRIZIO FRACTIONAL DERIVATIVES
Authors: YU DONGHUI , LIAO XIAOZHONG , WANG YONG , RAN MANJIE , DALIN  , XIA JINHUI
Published: August 2023

This paper presents a novel approach for modeling Boost converters using the Caputo–Fabrizio (C-F) definition-based fractional-order model to address singular characteristics in fractional-order definitions and enhance model accuracy. A small signal modeling method is proposed to improve the accuracy of circuit parameter design and to derive state-averaged models, state-space equations, and transfer functions. The influence of capacitor and inductor orders on steady-state characteristics is analyzed and the influence of fractional-order on ripple characteristics is investigated through simulation. When the fractional-order approaches 1, the output voltage increases and the inductance current decreases, with waveform jitter mitigation. Moreover, boundary conditions for continuous conduction mode operation are established based on ripple characteristics. The numerical and circuit-oriented simulations verify the correctness of the proposed model. Finally, the orders and accurate parameters of capacitors and inductors based on the C-F definition are determined and the experiments are conducted. The comparison between the experimental and simulation results demonstrates that the proposed model can accurately describe the steady-state characteristics of the practical circuit systems, which further validates the accuracy of the proposed method.
Multi-Objective Optimization Flow Shop Scheduling Problem Solving the Makespan and Total Flow Time with Sequence Independent Setup Time
Authors: Sadki Hajar , Aqil Said , Belabid Jabrane , Allali Karam
Published: August 2023

In this paper, a multi-objective permutation flow shop scheduling problem with sequence independent setup time is studied. The bi-objective function that we consider is a linear combination of the makespan and total flow time with a weighted factor for each criterion. We propose a set of exact and approximate methods to minimize the makespan and total flow time in our flow shop optimization problem case. Hence, our main goal is to find the sequence of jobs that minimizes the two criteria of makespan and total flow time. The purpose is to solve this problem, with a mixed integer linear programming model (MILP) and a collection of efficient metaheuristics for different sizes of instances. Moreover, three metaheuristics are used: the Genetic Algorithm (GA), the Iterative Local Search (ILS) algorithm and the Iterated Greedy (IG) algorithm. The three last algorithms GA, ILS and IG are suggested in two ways for exploring the neighborhood. In order to test the efficacy of our resolution approach, different series of instances containing n jobs and m machines are generated randomly ranging from small to relatively large instances. The examination of the suggested simulations allowed us to remark that, for large and medium-scale instances, IG based on the exploration of the neighborhood records the best performances in terms of comparison with the other metaheuristics.
Hybrid norm structures applied to hemirings
Authors: Keerthika V. , Muhiuddin G. , Al-Kadi D. , Elavarasan B.
Published: August 2023

An essential and quite different class of functions is the triangular norm and its related operators (uninorms, nullnorms, and associative copulas). They are used widely in many disciplines, including fuzzy set theory, probability and statistics, decision sciences, and others. This paper proposes the notion of hybrid [Formula: see text]-norm and defines the concepts of [Formula: see text]-hybrid ideals, [Formula: see text]-hybrid [Formula: see text]-ideals in a hemiring [Formula: see text]. Some equivalent conditions are obtained for a hybrid structure to be a [Formula: see text]-hybrid left [Formula: see text]-ideal, and it is proved that every imaginable [Formula: see text]-hybrid left [Formula: see text]-ideal of hemiring is a hybrid left [Formula: see text]-ideal, but not conversely by an example.
Smart-DNN+: A Memory-efficient Neural Networks Compression Framework for the Model Inference
Authors: Wu Donglei , Yang Weihao , Zou Xiangyu , Xia Wen , Li Shiyi , Hu Zhenbo , Zhang Weizhe , Fang Binxing
Published: August 2023

Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have achieved remarkable success in various real-world applications. However, running a Deep Neural Network (DNN) typically requires hundreds of megabytes of memory footprints, making it challenging to deploy on resource-constrained platforms such as mobile devices and IoT. Although mainstream DNNs compression techniques such as pruning, distillation, and quantization can reduce the memory overhead of model parameters during DNN inference, they suffer from three limitations: (i) low model compression ratio for the lightweight DNN structures with little redundancy, (ii) potential degradation in model inference accuracy, and (iii) inadequate memory compression ratio is attributable to ignoring the layering property of DNN inference. To address these issues, we propose a lightweight memory-efficient DNN inference framework called Smart-DNN+, which significantly reduces the memory costs of DNN inference without degrading the model quality. Specifically, ① Smart-DNN+ applies a layerwise
binary-quantizer
with a remapping mechanism to greatly reduce the model size by quantizing the typical floating-point DNN weights of 32-bit to the 1-bit signs layer by layer. To maintain model quality, ② Smart-DNN+ employs a
bucket-encoder
to keep the compressed quantization error by encoding the multiple similar floating-point residuals into the same integer bucket IDs. When running the compressed DNN in the user’s device, ③ Smart-DNN+ utilizes a
partially decompressing strategy
to greatly reduce the required memory overhead by first loading the compressed DNNs in memory and then dynamically decompressing the required materials for model inference layer by layer.

Experimental results on popular DNNs and datasets demonstrate that Smart-DNN+ achieves lower 0.17%–0.92% memory costs at lower runtime overheads compared with the states of the art without degrading the inference accuracy. Moreover, Smart-DNN+ potentially reduces the inference runtime up to 2.04× that of conventional DNN inference workflow.
Dynamic Multimodal Fusion via Meta-Learning Towards Micro-Video Recommendation
Authors: Liu Han , Wei Yinwei , Liu Fan , Wang Wenjie , Nie Liqiang , Chua Tat-Seng
Published: August 2023

Multimodal information (e.g., visual, acoustic, and textual) has been widely used to enhance representation learning for micro-video recommendation. For integrating multimodal information into a joint representation of micro-video, multimodal fusion plays a vital role in the existing micro-video recommendation approaches. However, the static multimodal fusion used in previous studies is insufficient to model the various relationships among multimodal information of different micro-videos. In this article, we develop a novel meta-learning-based multimodal fusion framework called
Meta Multimodal Fusion
(MetaMMF), which dynamically assigns parameters to the multimodal fusion function for each micro-video during its representation learning. Specifically, MetaMMF regards the multimodal fusion of each micro-video as an independent task. Based on the meta information extracted from the multimodal features of the input task, MetaMMF parameterizes a neural network as the item-specific fusion function via a meta learner. We perform extensive experiments on three benchmark datasets, demonstrating the significant improvements over several state-of-the-art multimodal recommendation models, like MMGCN, LATTICE, and InvRL. Furthermore, we lighten our model by adopting canonical polyadic decomposition to improve the training efficiency, and validate its effectiveness through experimental results. Codes are available at
https://github.com/hanliu95/MetaMMF
.
Unpacking and validating the “physiological adaptation” core concept of physiology
Authors: Estaphan Suzanne , Wadley Glenn D. , Todd Gabrielle , Towstoless Michelle , Hryciw Deanne H. , Lexis Louise , Hayes Alan , Tangalakis Kathy ,   Task Force
Published: August 2023

An Australian Task Force of physiology educators identified physiological adaptation as a core concept of physiology. It was subsequently unpacked into four themes and nine subthemes. These were rated, by the Task Force, Essential or Important and Moderately Difficult for students to learn. The themes and subthemes can inform the design of learning outcomes, assessments, and teaching and learning activities that have commonality and consistency across curricula.
Tissue pleiotropic effect of biotin and prebiotic supplementation in established obesity
Authors: Voland Lise , Yuan Meng , Lecoutre Simon , Debédat Jean , Pelloux Véronique , Pradeau Marion , Coles Emavieve , Merabtene Fatiha , Zhang Cheng , Mardinoglu Adil , Le Roy Tiphaine , Soula Hedi , Clément Karine
Published: August 2023

This work investigates mechanisms involved in metabolic improvements induced by concomitant supplementation of prebiotic and biotin in a murine model of established obesity. We show that this strategy modulates lipid handling at the systemic and tissue level while alleviating inflammation and fibrosis of key tissues of obesity pathophysiology, such as adipose depots and liver. Our results provide meaningful insights for the translation of biotin and prebiotic supplementation into clinical studies.
Identifying spinal tracts transmitting distant effects of trans-spinal magnetic stimulation
Authors: Chung Yu-Chen , Shemmell Jonathan , Kumala Caitlin , Soedirdjo Subaryani D. H. , Dhaher Yasin Y.
Published: August 2023

This study explored the capability of trans-spinal magnetic stimulation (TSMS) over the thoracic spine to modulate distal reflex circuits, H-reflexes involving sacral-level motoneurons, in young adults. TSMS induced two inhibition phases of H-reflex across interstimulus intervals (ISIs): a relatively long-lasting period at 2- to 9-ms ISIs, and a short phase at 11- to 12-ms ISIs. An estimated probability model constructed from tract-specific conduction velocities allowed the identification of potential spinal tracts contributing to the changes in motoneuron excitability.
Inferring Travel Modes from Cellular Signaling Data Based on the Gated Recurrent Unit Neural Network
Authors: Wang Yanchen , Yang Fei , He Li , Liu Haode , Tan Li , Wang Cheng
Published: August 2023

Cellular signaling data have become increasingly indispensable in analyzing residents’ travel characteristic. Especially with the enhancement of positioning quality in 4G-LTE and 5G wireless communication systems, it is expected that the identification accuracy of fine-grained travel modes will achieve an optimal level. However, due to data privacy issues, the empirical evaluation of the performance of different identification methods is not yet sufficient. This paper builds a travel mode identification model that utilizes the gated recurrent unit (GRU) neural network. With 24 features as input, this method can identify four traffic modes, including walking, bicycle, car, and bus. Moreover, in cooperation with the operator, we organized an experiment collecting cellular signaling data, as well as the corresponding GPS data. Using the collected dataset as ground-truth data, the performance of the method presented in this paper and other popular methods is verified and compared. The results indicate that the GRU-based method has a better performance, with a precision, recall, and F score of 90.5%. Taking F score as an example, the outcome of the GRU-based method is about 6% to 7% higher than methods based on other machine learning algorithms. Considering the identification accuracy and model training time comprehensively, the method suggested in this paper outperforms the other three deep learning-based methods, namely, recurrent neural network (RNN), long short-term memory network (LSTM), and bidirectional long short-term memory network (Bi-LSTM). This study may provide some insights for the application and development of cellular signaling-based travel information collection technology for residents in the future.
MicroRNAs Regulate Function in Atherosclerosis and Clinical Implications
Authors: Li Zhaoyi , Zhao Yidan , Suguro Sei , Suguro Rinkiko
Published: August 2023

Background. Atherosclerosis is considered the most common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Athermanous plaque formation is pathognomonic of atherosclerosis. The main feature of atherosclerosis is the formation of plaque, which is inseparable from endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and macrophages. MicroRNAs, a small highly conserved noncoding ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecule, have multiple biological functions, such as regulating gene transcription, silencing target gene expression, and affecting protein translation. MicroRNAs also have various pharmacological activities, such as regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, and metabolic processes. It is noteworthy that many studies in recent years have also proved that microRNAs play a role in atherosclerosis. Methods. To summarize the functions of microRNAs in atherosclerosis, we reviewed all relevant articles published in the PubMed database before June 2022, with keywords “atherosclerosis,” “microRNA,” “endothelial cells,” “vascular smooth muscle cells,” “macrophages,” and “cholesterol homeostasis,” briefly summarized a series of research progress on the function of microRNAs in endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and macrophages and atherosclerosis. Results and Conclusion. In general, the expression levels of some microRNAs changed significantly in different stages of atherosclerosis pathogenesis; therefore, MicroRNAs may become new diagnostic biomarkers for atherosclerosis. In addition, microRNAs are also involved in the regulation of core processes such as endothelial dysfunction, plaque formation and stabilization, and cholesterol metabolism, which also suggests the great potential of microRNAs as a therapeutic target.
A Cooperative Lane-Changing Strategy for Weaving Sections of Urban Expressway under the Connected Autonomous Vehicle Environment
Authors: Zhou Zhi , Li Linheng , Ran Bin , Qu Xu
Published: August 2023

To alleviate the lane-changing conflicts between weaving vehicles and enhance the traffic efficiency in the weaving section of urban expressway under the connected autonomous vehicle (CAV) environment, a cooperative lane-changing strategy for CAVs is proposed. The strategy consists of an upper layer of decision making, which determines the lane-changing sequences of weaving vehicles based on their lane-changing advantages quantified by a set of utility functions, and a lower layer of control, which generates detailed instructions of speed adjustments and lane-changing manoeuvres for weaving vehicles. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy under different traffic demand settings, a numerical simulation, including a base case and a control case, is conducted. Then, to further verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy for the mixed traffic state and compare its performance with the existing CAV lane-changing method, benchmark and comparison tests with six different market penetration rates (MPRs) of CAVs are carried out under the congested demand setting. In addition, the delay improvement ratio, inverse time-to-collision, and ratio of large deceleration time are selected as performance indicators to investigate the effect of the proposed strategy on enhancing the operational efficiency, traffic safety, and passenger’s comfort within the weaving section. According to the simulation results, the overall efficiency, safety and comfort in the weaving section under the CAV environment, are all improved, when the proposed strategy is applied to weaving vehicles. The proposed strategy is also superior to the existing CAV lane-changing method on maintaining traffic efficiency and safety. Therefore, the proposed cooperative lane-changing strategy, based on CAV technologies, shows good potential in solving the problem of lane-changing conflicts within the weaving section and facilitating the traffic management and traffic control of urban expressway.
Optimum Design, Socioenvironmental Impact, and Exergy Analysis of a Solar and Rice Husk-Based Off-Grid Hybrid Renewable Energy System
Authors: Das Barun K. , Hassan Rakibul , Kumar Polamarasetty P. , Hoque Ismail , Nuvvula Ramakrishna S. S. , Maruf Anas M. , Das Arnob , Okonkwo Paul C. , Khan Baseem
Published: August 2023

This study examines the optimal sizing of an off-grid hybrid system comprising solar photovoltaic (PV), rice husk-based biomass, and lead-acid battery for meeting the electric demand of a rural community. Considering a selected remote village in Bangladesh as a case study, the proposed optimized system is primarily compared with the diesel generator and the micro gas turbine (MGT)-based options in techno-economic and environmental terms. The potential social benefits, such as the employment creation and the improvement in the human development index in the locality, have been investigated in this study. Moreover, the impacts of operational greenhouse gas emissions on the human health damage and the surrounding ecosystem have been examined. Additionally, an exergy analysis of the hybrid system and the components has been carried out. Results indicate that in addition to being the environmentally preferable option, the proposed PV/biomass/battery system offers a lower cost of energy of 0.314 $/kWh compared to the MGT-based system (0.377 $/kWh). Although the diesel-based system offers a marginally better economy (9.55% less energy cost), it comes with the expense of probable damages to human health and the ecosystem worth of $15,211 and $6,608, respectively, making biomass the best option with no such damages. Exergy analysis reveals higher loss from PV than biomass and 13.09% system exergy efficiency. The assessment of the social indicators testifies to the potential of promoting the human development index from its current value and the formation of 1.41 jobs to as high as 15.15 full-time permanent jobs with the installation of hybrid systems in the community.
Two‐Stage Focus Measurement Network with Joint Boundary Refinement for Multifocus Image Fusion
Authors: Zhai Hao , Pan Xin , Yang You , Jiang Jinyuan , Li Qing
Published: August 2023

Focus measurement, one of the key tasks in multifocus image fusion (MFIF) frameworks, identifies the clearer parts of multifocus images pairs. Most of the existing methods aim to achieve disposable pixel‐level focus measurement. However, the lack of sufficient accuracy often gives rise to misjudgments in the results. To this end, a novel two‐stage focus measurement with joint boundary refinement network is proposed for MFIF. In this work, we adopt a coarse‐to‐fine strategy to gradually achieve block‐level and pixel‐level focus measurement for producing more fine‐grained focus probability maps, instead of directly predicting at the pixel level. In addition, the joint boundary refinement optimizes the performance on the focused/defocused boundary component (FDB) during the focus measurement. To improve feature extraction capability, both CNN and transformer are employed to, respectively, encode local patterns and capture long‐range dependencies. Then, the features from two input branches are legitimately aggregated by modeling the spatial complementary relationship in each pair of multifocus images. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed model achieves state‐of‐the‐art performance in both subjective perception and objective assessment.
Novel Recombinant Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV2) is Circulating in China within 12 Months after Original RHDV2 Arrival
Authors: Hu Bo , Fan Zhiyu , Qiu Rulong , Chen Mengmeng , Wei Houjun , Song Yanhua , Liu Weilong , Xu Weizhong , Wang Fang
Published: August 2023

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) causes lethal fulminant hepatitis in rabbits. Two different genotypes (GI.1 and GI.2) responsible for RHD are reported. GI.2 was first detected in France in 2010 and subsequently spread to other countries in Europe. In April 2020, GI.2 was detected in China. In this study, we report a novel recombinant strain of fatal rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2 or GI.2) detected from domestic rabbits in three provinces in China in 2020–2021. Full-length genomic analysis has revealed that the recombinant virus contained an RHDV2 capsid gene and nonstructural genes from an unclassified lagovirus genotype. This type of virus emerged and circulated throughout China within a year after the initial detection of the original RHDV2. Compared with the original strain, the new virus showed a longer infected time and lower mortality rate but almost the same viral load at the moribund stage of infection. This might have resulted in high virus contamination in the environment, facilitating virus transmission. As the consequences of the presence of novel recombinant strains are unpredictable, the circulation of the novel variant in the population should be carefully monitored in China.
Vulnerability Analysis of Catenary-Bridge-Track System
Authors: Yan Bin , Yu Limei , Li Zhe , Zeng Zhiping
Published: August 2023

Continuous welded rails on bridges are extensively employed in high-speed railways, where trains are predominantly electrically powered, and the open-air catenary represents the weakest link in the system. Despite the widespread use of continuous welded rail on bridges for high-speed railways, there exists a relative dearth of research on their vulnerability, particularly regarding seismic vulnerability studies that consider the catenary, track type, and bridge collectively. The vulnerability of fasteners and catenary on bridges under the longitudinal resistance of the line was investigated by constructing a 7−32 m high-speed railway double-line simply-supported box girder bridge. It reveals, for the first time, the influence of the longitudinal resistance of the line on the vulnerability of fasteners and catenary under seismic action. The study indicates that both the fasteners’ and catenary’s vulnerability increases with the intensity of ground shaking, with the catenary being more susceptible. The longitudinal resistance of the line has a greater impact on the fasteners’ vulnerability than the catenary. When the degree of damage is minimal, the order of damage to the fasteners is the ballasted track, small resistance fastener, and ballastless track when the probability of exceedance is 5%. The ballastless track can significantly increase the probability of no damage to the fasteners, and it is recommended that the ballastless track be used when designing high-speed railway bridges in earthquake-prone regions.
A Shear-Sliding Rigid-Flexible Coupled Skin Variable-Sweep Wing Design and Heat-Fluid-Structure Multifield Coupling Analysis
Authors: Xiao Hong , Guo Hongwei , Li Mingqi , Zhang Yu , Liu Rongqiang , Tao Jianguo
Published: August 2023

The variable-sweep wing is very attractive for cross-speed domain aircraft. The shear-sliding rigid-flexible coupled skin variable-sweep wing and its associated mechanism are designed and optimized. The variable-sweep wing has smooth continuous deformation and rigid-flexible coupling features. The calculation model of the sliding skin patch segmentation strategy is established, and the aerodynamic characteristics of the two-dimensional airfoil before and after the deformation of the wing skin are analyzed. According to the deformation characteristics of sliding skin, the configuration of the associated mechanism is determined, and the kinematic characteristics of the reference points of each skin are calculated. The kinematic simulation verifies the force of the mechanism model at the joint of skin surfaces during the deformation process. Considering the aerodynamic heat at supersonic speed, the heat transfer, heat distribution, and structural thermal modes between the flow field and the skin are calculated based on the finite element method. The dynamic characteristics of the swept wing with different flight speeds and different morphologies are analyzed. The natural frequencies are found to be reduced by about 30% to 50% compared to cold models at supersonic speeds. Based on the results of the thermal fluid-solid coupling calculation, the skeleton structure of the swept wing is optimized, and the skeleton structure with 25% mass reduction and better performance is obtained.
Optimal Parking Slots Reservation and Allocation Problem for Periodic Parking Platforms with Preference Constraints
Authors: Song Xianmin , Zhan Tianshu , Li Haitao , Liu Bo , Zhang Yunxiang , Liu Xin
Published: August 2023

Various solutions, such as parking reservation systems, have been proposed to alleviate the difficulty in finding parking slots. In such systems, parking requests are submitted in advance by drivers, and the systems will reserve appropriate parking spots for drivers if their requests are accepted. However, the parking slots may be allocated unreasonably, which may lead to a waste of space and time resources. In addition, there is a game relationship between operator’s profit (OP) and users’ benefits (UB), which may affect the sustainable development of the system, if balanced improperly. Given the drivers’ arrival and departure time and their parking preference, the paper proposes a periodic reservation and allocation mode (PRAM) and establishes a dual-objective binary integer linear model to solve the reservation and allocation problem. The model aims to maximize the comprehensive benefits of the operator and users and to take full advantage of parking resources. We proposed a TOPSIS-SA algorithm (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution and Simulated Annealing algorithm) to solve our model. Numerical experiments show that our model performs better than the baseline models on all performance metrics such as total operating profit, users’ average walking distance, acceptance rate, and utilization of parking slots.
Line Planning under the Operation Mode of Line Sharing between Metro and Suburban Railway
Authors: Lin Li , Meng Xuelei , Cheng Xiaoqing , Ma Yangyang , Xu Shichao , Han Zheng
Published: August 2023

Due to high transport efficiency, reduced transfer time, and various other advantages, the joint operation of different rail transit systems emerges as the optimal choice for rail transit systems. This article mainly studies the line-planning problem under the line-sharing operation mode between metro and suburban railway. First, a complex multiobjective programming model is established to maximize the net profit of two operating companies and the time savings of passengers. The constraints of this model encompass passenger flow, available vehicles, line carrying capacity, station capacity, cross-line configuration, departure frequency, and variable value range. Second, the linear weighted sum method is introduced to consolidate three objective functions into a single one, while utilizing the improved artificial bee colony (IABC) algorithm to address the line-planning problem. Besides, the traditional artificial bee colony (TABC) algorithm and the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm are provided as comparison groups to solve the same numerical example problem. The results demonstrate significant reductions in travel time by adopting the line-sharing operation mode. In addition, the IABC algorithm exhibits better solution quality and higher efficiency than both the TABC and SA algorithms. The proposed method proves to be valuable in formulating and optimizing the line plan.
Physicochemical Characteristics of Chitosan–Alginate Scaffold Containing Atorvastatin
Authors: Hamedfar Hananeh , Zivari-Ghader Tayebeh , Akbarzadeh Abolfazl , Davaran Soodabeh
Published: August 2023

In addition to being a lipid-lowering medication, atorvastatin (ATV) is an anti-inflammatory agent. When there is a bone defect or inflammation of adjacent tissues, it aids in bone repair. This study aimed to develop a chitosan–alginate (CS/ALG)–tripolyphosphate (TPP)–ATV hybrid hydrogel as a drug delivery system, using a tissue engineering scaffold for the first time. For this purpose, a CS/ALG hydrogel crosslinked with TPP was developed. The delivery profile of ATV and its physicochemical properties such as particle size and hydrogel swelling percentage were determined. The structure and morphology of the hydrogels were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. As a result, an alginate–chitosan hydrogel with a TPP crosslinker was prepared. The results revealed that drug loading was nearly complete, and the first hour revealed a 25% explosive release. The drug was gradually released over 10 hr at approximately 35%. The amount of crosslinker used significantly influenced the encapsulation gain and release profiles. Owing to its high porosity and swelling, the CS/ALG hydrogel crosslinked with PPT is an ideal scaffold for loading drugs, macromolecules, and cells.
Structural Racism, Lifestyle Behaviors, and Obesity-related Cancers among Black and Hispanic/Latino Adults in the United States: A Narrative Review
Authors: Pichardo Margaret S. , Ferrucci Leah M. , Molina Yamile , Esserman Denise A. , Irwin Melinda L.
Published: August 2023

One in three adults in the United States has obesity; a chronic disease that is implicated in the etiology of at least 14 cancers. Cancer is the leading cause of death among U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults and the second most common cause of death, after cardiovascular disease, for Black adults. Our country's legacy in overt discrimination (e.g., slavery, segregation) generated inequities across all spheres in which people function as defined by the socioecological model—biological, individual, community, structural—and two of the many areas in which it manifests today are the disproportionate burden of obesity and obesity-related cancers in populations of color. Inequities due to environmental, social, and economic factors may predispose individuals to poor lifestyle behaviors by hindering an individual's opportunity to make healthy lifestyles choices. In this review, we examined the evidence on obesity and the lifestyle guidelines for cancer prevention in relation to cancer risk and outcomes for Black and Hispanic/Latino adults. We also discussed the role of structural and societal inequities on the ability of these two communities to adopt and maintain healthful lifestyle behaviors in accordance with the lifestyle guidelines for cancer prevention and control.
Molecular Characterization of Endometrial Carcinomas in Black and White Patients Reveals Disparate Drivers with Therapeutic Implications
Authors: Weigelt Britta , Marra Antonio , Selenica Pier , Rios-Doria Eric , Momeni-Boroujeni Amir , Berger Michael F. , Arora Kanika , Nemirovsky David , Iasonos Alexia , Chakravarty Debyani , Abu-Rustum Nadeem R. , Da Cruz Paula Arnaud , Dessources Kimberly , Ellenson Lora H. , Liu Ying L. , Aghajanian Carol , Brown Carol L.
Published: August 2023

Although the incidence of endometrial carcinoma (EC) is similar in Black and White women, racial disparities are stark, with the highest mortality rates observed among Black patients. Here, analysis of 1,882 prospectively sequenced ECs using a clinical FDA-authorized tumor–normal panel revealed a significantly higher prevalence of high-risk histologic and molecular EC subtypes in self-identified Black (n = 259) compared with White (n = 1,623) patients. Clinically actionable alterations, including high tumor mutational burden/microsatellite instability, which confer benefit from immunotherapy, were less frequent in ECs from Black than from White patients. Ultramutated POLE molecular subtype ECs associated with favorable outcomes were rare in Black patients. Results were confirmed by genetic ancestry analysis. CCNE1 gene amplification, which is associated with aggressive clinical behavior, was more prevalent in carcinosarcomas occurring in Black than in White patients. ECs from Black and White patients display important differences in their histologic types, molecular subtypes, driver genetic alterations, and therapeutic targets.

Significance:

Our comprehensive analysis of prospectively clinically sequenced ECs revealed significant differences in their histologic and molecular composition and in the presence of therapeutic targets in Black versus White patients. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating diverse populations into molecular studies and clinical trials to address EC disparities.

This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 2293
Periurbanidad y universidad: experiencias juveniles universitarias del cinturón de General Pueyrredón (Argentina)
Authors: Nessi María Virginia
Published: August 2023

(analytical)The transits through university in Argentina are part of the search to expand access to it from state and institutional policies. This article seeks to understand how young people from horticultural families in the General Pueyrredón green belt, a peri-urban space in Argentina, interpret transit through the university, based on a qualitative strategy based on in-depth interviews. From the reconstruction of their life stories, it is evident as main findings that, although the policies and programs are a guarantee element for university continuity, other conditions that function as obstacles of their peri-urban anchorage are still relegated.
Keywords: Periurban youth; university education; sedimentations; qualitative method.
Loss of 12-Lipoxygenase Improves the Post-Transfusion Function of Stored Platelets
Authors: Larsen Hannah J. , Byrne Daire , Özpolat Tahsin , Chauhan Aastha , Bailey S. Lawrence , Rhoads Nicole , Reed Franklin , Stolla Massiel C. , Adili Reheman , Holinstat Michael , Fu Xiaoyun , Stolla Moritz
Published: August 2023

BACKGROUND:

Platelets for transfusion are stored for 5 to 7 days. Previous studies have shown that HETE levels in the storage bag negatively correlate with platelet performance in vivo, suggesting that the dysregulation of bioactive lipid mediators may contribute to the storage lesion. In the current study, we sought to understand how genetic deletion and pharmacological inhibition of 12-LOX (12-lipoxygenase) affects platelets during storage and after transfusion.

METHODS:

Platelets from 12-LOX
+/+
(wild-type [WT]) and 12-LOX
−/−
mice were stored for 24 and 48 hours and profiled using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry–multiple reaction monitoring or transfused into thrombocytopenic hIL4R (human interleukin 4 receptor)-transgenic mice. Platelet function was assessed by flow cytometry and in vivo thrombosis and hemostasis models. To test the role of the COX-1 (cyclooxygenase-1) pathway, donor mice were treated with acetylsalicylic acid. Human platelets were treated with the 12-LOX inhibitor, VLX-1005, or vehicle, stored, and transfused to NOD/SCID (nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency) mice.

RESULTS:

Polyunsaturated fatty acids increased significantly in stored platelets from 12-LOX
−/−
mice, whereas oxylipin concentrations were significantly higher in WT platelets. After transfusion to thrombocytopenic mice, we observed significantly more baseline αIIbβ3 integrin activation in 12-LOX
−/−
platelets than in WT platelets. Stored platelets from 12-LOX
−/−
mice occluded vessels significantly faster than stored WT platelets. In hemostasis models, significantly more stored 12-LOX
−/−
than WT platelets accumulated at the site of venous injury leading to reduced blood loss. Inhibition of COX-1 abrogated both increased integrin activation and thromboxane generation in stored 12-LOX
−/−
platelets, highlighting the critical role of this pathway for improved post-transfusion function. Consistent with our mouse studies, human platelets stored with VLX-1005, showed increased integrin activation compared with vehicle-treated platelets after transfusion.

CONCLUSIONS:

Deleting 12-LOX improves the post-transfusion function of stored murine platelets by increasing thromboxane generation through COX-1–dependent arachidonic acid metabolism. Future studies should determine the feasibility and safety of 12-LOX–inhibited platelets transfused to humans.
Association of Supine Hypertension Versus Standing Hypotension With Adverse Events Among Middle-Aged Adults
Authors: Earle William B. , Kondo Jordan K. , Kendrick Karla N. , Turkson-Ocran Ruth-Alma , Ngo Long , Cluett Jennifer L. , Mukamal Kenneth J. , Daya Malek Natalie , Selvin Elizabeth , Lutsey Pamela L. , Coresh Josef , Juraschek Stephen P.
Published: August 2023

BACKGROUND:

Management of orthostatic hypotension (OH) prioritizes prevention of standing hypotension, sometimes at the expense of supine hypertension. It is unclear whether supine hypertension is associated with adverse outcomes relative to standing hypotension.

OBJECTIVES:

To compare the long-term clinical consequences of supine hypertension and standing hypotension among middle-aged adults with and without OH.

METHODS:

The ARIC study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) measured supine and standing blood pressure (BP) in adults aged 45 to 64 years, without neurogenic OH, between 1987 and 1989. We defined OH as a positional drop in systolic BP ≥20 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥10 mm Hg, supine hypertension as supine BP≥140/≥90 mm Hg, and standing hypotension as standing BP≤105/≤65 mm Hg. Participants were followed for >30 years. We used Cox regression models to examine associations with cardiovascular disease events, all-cause mortality, falls, and syncope.

RESULTS:

Of 12 489 participants (55% female, 26% Black, mean age 54 years, SD 6), 4.4% had OH. Among those without OH (N=11 943), 19% had supine hypertension and 21% had standing hypotension, while among those with OH (N=546), 58% had supine hypertension and 38% had standing hypotension. Associations with outcomes did not differ by OH status (
P
-interactions >0.25). Supine hypertension was associated with heart failure (hazard ratio, 1.83 [95% CI, 1.68–1.99]), falls (hazard ratio, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.02–1.22]), and all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.45 [95% CI, 1.37–1.54]), while standing hypotension was only significantly associated with mortality (hazard ratio, 1.06 [95% CI, 1.00–1.14]).

CONCLUSIONS:

Supine hypertension was associated with higher risk of adverse events than standing hypotension, regardless of OH status. This challenges conventional OH management, which prioritizes standing hypotension over supine hypertension.
Short‐Term Effects of Different Transcatheter Edge‐to‐Edge Devices on Mitral Valve Geometry
Authors: Rosch Sebastian , Kösser Luise , Besler Christian , Kister Tobias , Kresoja Karl‐Patrik , Kiefer Philipp , Marin‐Cuartas Mateo , Meineri Massimiliano , Leontyev Sergey , Abdel‐Wahab Mohamed , Borger Michael A. , Thiele Holger , Ender Jörg , Lurz Philipp , Noack Thilo
Published: August 2023

Background

Short‐term effects on mitral valve (MV) anatomy after transcatheter edge‐to‐edge repair using the PASCAL system remain unknown. Precise quantification might allow for an advanced analysis of predictors for mean transmitral gradients.

Methods and Results

Consecutive patients undergoing transcatheter edge‐to‐edge repair for secondary mitral regurgitation using PASCAL or MitraClip systems were included. Quantification of short‐term MV changes throughout the cardiac cycle was performed using peri‐interventional 3‐dimensional MV images. Predictors for mean transmitral gradients were identified in univariable and multivariable regression analysis. Long‐term results were described during 1‐year follow‐up. A total of 100 patients undergoing transcatheter edge‐to‐edge repair using PASCAL (n=50) or MitraClip systems (n=50) were included. Significant reductions of anterior‐posterior diameter, annular circumference, and area throughout the cardiac cycle were found in both cohorts (
P
<0.05 for all). Anatomic MV orifice area remained larger in the PASCAL cohort in mid (2.8±1.0 versus 2.4±0.9 cm
2
;
P
=0.049) and late diastole (2.7±1.1 versus 2.2±0.8 cm
2
;
P
=0.036) compared with the MitraClip cohort. Besides a device‐specific profile of independent predictor of mean transmitral gradients, reduction of middiastolic anatomic MV orifice area was identified as an independent predictor in both the PASCAL (
β
=−0.410;
P
=0.001) and MitraClip cohorts (
β
=−0.318;
P
=0.028). At follow‐up, reduction of mitral regurgitation grade to mild or less was more durable in the PASCAL cohort (90% versus 72%;
P
=0.035).

Conclusions

PASCAL and MitraClip showed comparable short‐term effects on MV geometry. However, PASCAL might better preserve MV function and demonstrated more durable mitral regurgitation reduction during follow‐up. Identification of independent predictors for mean transmitral gradients might potentially help to guide device selection in the future.
Smart Management Information Systems (Smis): Concept, Evolution, Research Hotspots and Applications
Authors: Liang Changyong , Wang Xiaoxiao , Gu Dongxiao , Li Pengyu , Chen Hui , Xu Zhengfei
Published: August 2023

Management information system (MIS), a human-computer system that deeply integrates next-generation information technology and management services, has become the nerve center of society and organizations. With the development of next-generation information technology, MIS has gradually entered the smart period. However, research on smart management information systems (SMIS) is still limited, lacking systematic summarization of its conceptual definition, evolution, research hotspots, and typical applications. Therefore, this paper defines the conceptual characteristics of SMIS, provides an overview of the evolution of SMIS, examines research focus areas using bibliometric methods, and elaborates on typical application practices of SMIS in fields such as health care, elderly care, manufacturing, and transportation. Furthermore, we discuss the future development directions of SMIS in four key areas: smart interaction, smart decisionmaking, efficient resource allocation, and flexible system architecture. These discussions provide guidance and a foundation for the theoretical development and practical application of SMIS.
Regional Mediation in African Transboundary Rivers Conflicts: Assessing the African Union’s Role in the Renaissance Dam Negotiations
Authors: Tawfik Rawia
Published: August 2023

In April 2021, Egypt and Sudan announced the failure of the African Union (au)-led negotiations over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (gerd). Why did the au fail to achieve progress on the contested issues in spite of the parties’ rhetorical commitment to settle these issues, the mediation capacity that the au developed over the last decade, and its comparative advantage as a regional organization close to the dispute? This article addresses this question. It integrates regional conflict resolution literature and water diplomacy approaches to identify the conditions of successful mediation in transboundary water conflicts, a task which contributes to ongoing au efforts to learn from past mediation experiences.
Youth Religiosity in Catholic European Countries
Authors: Pereira Coutinho José , Wilkins-Laflamme Sarah
Published: August 2023

This article compares youth religiosity in each Catholic European country (CEC) in two perspectives: with the rest of the population (35+) and among youth over time. Based on EVS (European Values Study) and ISSP (International Social Survey Programme), data comparisons are also made between CEC s, as well as between and within European regions. Three dimensions of religiosity are examined: community, belief, and practice. Results confirm that in general youth religiosity is lower than among the older age group and decreases over time with some exceptions. Results also confirm the theories of cohort replacement and of multiple secularizations.
Exposing Covert Border Enforcement: Why Failing to Shift the Burden of Proof in Pushback Cases is Wrong
Authors: Baranowska Grażyna
Published: August 2023

The paper analyses how the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR or the Court) assesses evidence when states conceal border practices, such as pushbacks, comparing the Court’s approach in those cases to that in enforced disappearance cases. In both types of cases, states deny that the conduct – which would have violated human rights – has taken place and provide neither the applicants nor the Court with evidence. While surface examination of the relevant case law could suggest that the ECtHR shifts the burden of proof in the same way in both sets of cases, I demonstrate that the Court expects applicants in covert border enforcement cases to provide stronger evidence, which is then labelled as prima facie evidence. I argue that the burden of proof should be shifted in the same way in both scenarios, as the position of the victims and the availability of evidence is strikingly similar.