bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Sensory Deficits on Upper Limb Motor Performance in Individuals with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Poitras Isabelle , Martinie Ophélie , Robert Maxime T. , Campeau-Lecours Alexandre , Mercier Catherine
Published: June 2021

People living with cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit motor and sensory impairments that affect unimanual and bimanual functions. The importance of sensory functions for motor control is well known, but the association between motor and sensory functions remains unclear in people living with CP. The objective of this systematic review was to characterize the relationship between sensory deficits and upper limb motor function in individuals living with CP. Methods: Five databases were screened. The inclusion criteria were: (1) including people living with CP, (2) reporting measurements of upper limb motor and sensory functions. A qualitative analysis of the studies’ level of evidence was done. Results: Thirty-three articles were included. Twenty-five articles evaluated tactile functions, 10 proprioceptive functions and 7 visual functions; 31 of the articles reported on unimanual functions and 17 of them reported on bimanual functions. Tactile functions showed a moderate to high association; it was not possible to reach definitive conclusions for proprioceptive and visual functions. Conclusions: The heterogeneity of the results limits the ability to draw definitive conclusions. Further studies should aim to perform more comprehensive assessments of motor and sensory functions, to determine the relative contribution of various sensory modalities to simple and more complex motor functions.
Exosomal microRNA in Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment: From Bench to Bedside
Authors: Uddin Md. Hafiz , Al-Hallak Mohammed Najeeb , Philip Philip A. , Mohammad Ramzi M. , Viola Nerissa , Wagner Kay-Uwe , Azmi Asfar S.
Published: June 2021

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death among men and women in the United States, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) accounts for more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases. PDAC is one of the most lethal gastrointestinal malignancies with an overall five-year survival rate of ~10%. Developing effective therapeutic strategies against pancreatic cancer is a great challenge. Novel diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic strategies are an immediate necessity to increase the survival of pancreatic cancer patients. So far, studies have demonstrated microRNAs (miRNAs) as sensitive biomarkers because of their significant correlation with disease development and metastasis. The miRNAs have been shown to be more stable inside membrane-bound vesicles in the extracellular environment called exosomes. Varieties of miRNAs are released into the body fluids via exosomes depending on the normal physiological or pathological conditions of the body. In this review, we discuss the recent findings on the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic roles of exosomal miRNAs in pancreatic cancer.
A Novel Nodule Edge Sharpness Radiomic Biomarker Improves Performance of Lung-RADS for Distinguishing Adenocarcinomas from Granulomas on Non-Contrast CT Scans
Authors: Alilou Mehdi , Prasanna Prateek , Bera Kaustav , Gupta Amit , Rajiah Prabhakar , Yang Michael , Jacono Frank , Velcheti Vamsidhar , Gilkeson Robert , Linden Philip , Madabhushi Anant
Published: June 2021

The aim of this study is to evaluate whether NIS radiomics can distinguish lung adenocarcinomas from granulomas on non-contrast CT scans, and also to improve the performance of Lung-RADS by reclassifying benign nodules that were initially assessed as suspicious. The screening or standard diagnostic non-contrast CT scans of 362 patients was divided into training (St, N = 145), validation (Sv, N = 145), and independent validation (Siv, N = 62) sets from different institutions. Nodules were identified and manually segmented on CT images by a radiologist. A series of 264 features relating to the edge sharpness transition from the inside to the outside of the nodule were extracted. The top 10 features were used to train a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) machine learning classifier on St. In conjunction with the LDA classifier, NIS radiomics classified nodules with an AUC of 0.82 ± 0.04, 0.77, and 0.71 respectively on St, Sv, and Siv. We evaluated the ability of the NIS classifier to determine the proportion of the patients in Sv that were identified initially as suspicious by Lung-RADS but were reclassified as benign by applying the NIS scores. The NIS classifier was able to correctly reclassify 46% of those lesions that were actually benign but deemed suspicious by Lung-RADS alone on Sv.
Early Survival Prediction Framework in CD19-Specific CAR-T Cell Immunotherapy Using a Quantitative Systems Pharmacology Model
Authors: Mueller-Schoell Anna , Puebla-Osorio Nahum , Michelet Robin , Green Michael R. , Künkele Annette , Huisinga Wilhelm , Strati Paolo , Chasen Beth , Neelapu Sattva S. , Yee Cassian , Kloft Charlotte
Published: June 2021

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has revolutionized treatment of relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). However, since 36–60% of patients relapse, early response prediction is crucial. We present a novel population quantitative systems pharmacology model, integrating literature knowledge on physiology, immunology, and adoptive cell therapy together with 133 CAR-T cell phenotype, 1943 cytokine, and 48 metabolic tumor measurements. The model well described post-infusion concentrations of four CAR-T cell phenotypes and CD19+ metabolic tumor volume over 3 months after CAR-T cell infusion. Leveraging the model, we identified a low expansion subpopulation with significantly lower CAR-T cell expansion capacities amongst 19 NHL patients. Together with two patient-/therapy-related factors (autologous stem cell transplantation, CD4+/CD8+ T cells), the low expansion subpopulation explained 2/3 of the interindividual variability in the CAR-T cell expansion capacities. Moreover, the low expansion subpopulation had poor prognosis as only 1/4 of the low expansion subpopulation compared to 2/3 of the reference population were still alive after 24 months. We translated the expansion capacities into a clinical composite score (CCS) of ‘Maximum naïve CAR-T cell concentrations/Baseline tumor burden’ ratio and propose a CCSTN-value > 0.00136 (cells·µL−1·mL−1 as predictor for survival. Once validated in a larger cohort, the model will foster refining survival prediction and solutions to enhance NHL CAR-T cell therapy response.
NMR-Based Lipid Metabolite Profiles to Predict Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Interventional Therapy for a Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC): A Substudy of the SORAMIC Trial
Authors: Geyer Thomas , Rübenthaler Johannes , Alunni-Fabbroni Marianna , Schinner Regina , Weber Sabine , Mayerle Julia , Schiffer Eric , Höckner Sebastian , Malfertheiner Peter , Ricke Jens
Published: June 2021

Background: This exploratory study aimed to evaluate lipidomic and metabolomic profiles in patients with early and advanced HCCs and to investigate whether certain metabolic parameters may predict the overall survival in these patients. Methods: A total of 60 patients from the prospective, randomized-controlled, multicenter phase II SORAMIC trial were included in this substudy; among them were 30 patients with an early HCC who underwent radiofrequency ablation combined with sorafenib or a placebo and 30 patients with an advanced HCC who were treated with a selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) plus sorafenib vs. sorafenib alone. The blood serum of these patients was analyzed using a standardized nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) platform. All tested metabolites were correlated with the overall survival. Results: The overall survival (OS) was significantly higher in patients with an early HCC (median OS: 34.0 months) compared with patients with an advanced HCC (median OS: 12.0 months) (p < 0.0001). Patients with high serum concentrations of myo-inositol (MI) had a higher overall survival compared with patients with low concentrations (21.6 vs. 13.8 months) with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.331 (p = 0.011). Patients with high serum concentrations of dimethylamine had a higher overall survival compared with patients with low concentrations (25.1 vs. 19.7 months) with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.279 (p = 0.034). High concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and LDL particles (LDL-P) were associated with a decreased overall survival. Conclusions: NMR-based lipidomic and metabolomic profiling has the potential to identify individual metabolite biomarkers that predict the outcome of patients with an HCC exposed to non-invasive therapeutic management.
Indolent T-Cell Lymphoproliferative Disorders of the Gastrointestinal Tract (iTLPD-GI): A Review
Authors: Sanguedolce Francesca , Zanelli Magda , Zizzo Maurizio , Luminari Stefano , Martino Giovanni , Soriano Alessandra , Ricci Linda , Caprera Cecilia , Ascani Stefano
Published: June 2021

iTLPD-GI is a low-grade clonal T-cell lymphoproliferative disease arising in GI organs. It is an uncommon disease, and only recently has it been enlisted as a distinct provisional entity in the current WHO Classification. Data from the literature disclose high heterogeneity in terms of pathological and molecular features; on the other hand, establishing an accurate diagnosis of iTLPD-GI is of pivotal importance, since treatment options are different from that of other, more frequent lymphomas that arise in the gastrointestinal tract. In this review, we aimed to better define this novel entity, and to identify useful diagnostic biomarkers; moreover, we provide a biomarker-based approach to the diagnosis and describe the most common issues in differentiating iTLPD-GI from other neoplastic and non-neoplastic disorders.
Pathogenic Intronic Splice-Affecting Variants in MYBPC3 in Three Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Wood Katherine A. , Ellingford Jamie M. , Eden James , Thomas Huw B. , O’Keefe Raymond T. , Hopton Claire , Newman William G.
Published: June 2021

Genetic variants in MYBPC3 are one of the most common causes of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). While variants in MYBPC3 affecting canonical splice site dinucleotides are a well-characterised cause of HCM, only recently has work begun to investigate the pathogenicity of more deeply intronic variants. Here, we present three patients with HCM and intronic splice-affecting MYBPC3 variants and analyse the impact of variants on splicing using in vitro minigene assays. We show that the three variants, a novel c.927-8G>A variant and the previously reported c.1624+4A>T and c.3815-10T>G variants, result in MYBPC3 splicing errors. Analysis of blood-derived patient RNA for the c.3815-10T>G variant revealed only wild type spliced product, indicating that mis-spliced transcripts from the mutant allele are degraded. These data indicate that the c.927-8G>A variant of uncertain significance and likely benign c.3815-10T>G should be reclassified as likely pathogenic. Furthermore, we find shortcomings in commonly applied bioinformatics strategies to prioritise variants impacting MYBPC3 splicing and re-emphasise the need for functional assessment of variants of uncertain significance in diagnostic testing.
Palladium Nanoparticles Supported on Smopex-234® as Valuable Catalysts for the Synthesis of Heterocycles
Authors: Albano Gianluigi , Evangelisti Claudio , Aronica Laura
Published: June 2021

Supported catalysts are important tools for developing green-economy-based processes. Palladium nanoparticles (NPs) that are immobilized on two fibers developed as metal scavengers (i.e., Smopex®-234 and Smopex®-111, 1% w/w) have been prepared and tested in copper-free cyclocarbonylative Sonogashira reactions. Their catalytic activity has been compared with that of a homogeneous catalyst (i.e., PdCl2(PPh3)2). Pd/Smopex®-234 showed high activity and selectivity in the synthesis of functionalized heterocycles, such as phthalans and isochromans, even when working with a very low amount of palladium (0.2–0.5 mol%). The extension of Pd/Smopex®-234 promoted cyclocarbonylative reactions to propargyl and homopropargyl amides afforded the corresponding isoindoline and dihydrobenzazepine derivatives. A preliminary test on Pd NPs leaching into the solution (1.7 × 10−3 mg) seems to indicate that, at the end of the reaction, almost all of the active metal is present on the fiber surface.
A Systematic Review on the Role of SIRT1 in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: Domi Elisa , Hoxha Malvina , Prendi Emanuela , Zappacosta Bruno
Published: June 2021

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a muscular disease characterized by progressive muscle degeneration. Life expectancy is between 30 and 50 years, and death is correlated with cardiac or respiratory complications. Currently, there is no cure, so there is a great interest in new pharmacological targets. Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) seems to be a potential target for DMD. In muscle tissue, SIRT1 exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The aim of this study is to summarize all the findings of in vivo and in vitro literature studies about the potential role of SIRT1 in DMD. A systematic literature search was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Twenty-three articles satisfied the eligibility criteria. It emerged that SIRT1 inhibition led to muscle fragility, while conversely its activation improved muscle function. Additionally, resveratrol, a SIRT1 activator, has brought beneficial effects to the skeletal, cardiac and respiratory muscles by exerting anti-inflammatory activity that leads to reduced myofiber wasting.
“Out of Pocket” Protein Binding—A Dilemma of Epitope Imprinted Polymers Revealed for Human Hemoglobin
Authors: Zhang Xiaorong , Caserta Giorgio , Yarman Aysu , Supala Eszter , Waffo Armel , Wollenberger Ulla , Gyurcsányi Róbert , Zebger Ingo , Scheller Frieder
Published: June 2021

The epitope imprinting approach applies exposed peptides as templates to synthesize Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) for the recognition of the parent protein. While generally the template protein binding to such MIPs is considered to occur via the epitope-shaped cavities, unspecific interactions of the analyte with non-imprinted polymer as well as the detection method used may add to the complexity and interpretation of the target rebinding. To get new insights on the effects governing the rebinding of analytes, we electrosynthesized two epitope-imprinted polymers using the N-terminal pentapeptide VHLTP-amide of human hemoglobin (HbA) as the template. MIPs were prepared either by single-step electrosynthesis of scopoletin/pentapeptide mixtures or electropolymerization was performed after chemisorption of the cysteine extended VHLTP peptide. Rebinding of the target peptide and the parent HbA protein to the MIP nanofilms was quantified by square wave voltammetry using a redox probe gating, surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. While binding of the pentapeptide shows large influence of the amino acid sequence, all three methods revealed strong non-specific binding of HbA to both polyscopoletin-based MIPs with even higher affinities than the target peptides.
A Study on the Combination of Enzyme Stabilizers and Low Temperatures in the Long-Term Storage of Glutamate Biosensor
Authors: Bacciu Andrea , Arrigo Paola , Migheli Rossana , Peana Alessandra T. , Rocchitta Gaia , Serra Pier Andrea
Published: June 2021

The importance of physiological glutamate has been widely demonstrated in cognitive and memory processes, as well as in neurotransmission. The involvement of physiological glutamate in several pathologies has also been established. Therefore, analytical devices for studying variations in physiological glutamate are of fundamental importance, particularly in preclinical studies. The necessary knowledge to develop and characterize biosensors for glutamate detection is often restricted to only a few research groups. However, many more groups have sought to implant such analytical devices to study the glutamatergic system in vivo. On this basis, a series of studies was undertaken to explore the medium-term storage of biosensors, thereby allowing their usage results to be differentiated from their construction and characterization processes to facilitate the wider diffusion and use of such sensors. Therefore, it has become vital to determine the best storage conditions to extend the life and functionality of these biosensors, especially due to the diachronic instability of the enzyme present on the surface. In the present study, we analyzed the impact of glycols, such as glycerol and triethylene glycol, as enzyme stabilizers coupled with long-term storage at low temperatures (−20 and −80 °C) on biosensor performance. The biosensors were observed for 5 months and evaluated for their enzymatic activity by measuring the VMAX(app) and KM(app). The analytical features were also evaluated in terms of the Linear Region Slope, which is one the most important parameters for indicating the efficiency and the sensitivity of biosensors. Interestingly, both glycols proved to be capable of increasing enzymatic activity and maintaining good biosensor efficiency over time. Moreover, the combination with low-temperature storage highlighted the different behaviors of the two glycols. In particular, glycerol was more effective in stabilizing the enzyme and maintaining analytical performance when the biosensors were stored at −20 °C. Instead, triethylene glycol performed the same function as glycerol but when the biosensors were stored at −80 °C.
Sevoflurane Modulates AKT Isoforms in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells. An Experimental Study
Authors: Tiron Crina E. , Patrașcanu Emilia , Postu Paula A. , Vacarean Trandafir Irina C. , Tiron Adrian , Grigoras Ioana
Published: June 2021

(1) Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive tumor, associated with high rates of early distant recurrence and short survival times, and treatment may require surgery, and thus anesthesia. The effects of anesthetic drugs on cancer progression are under scrutiny, but published data are controversial, and the involved mechanisms unclear. Anesthetic agents have been shown to modulate several molecular cascades, including PI3K/AKT/mTOR. AKT isoforms are frequently amplified in various malignant tumors and associated with malignant cell survival, proliferation and invasion. Their activation is often observed in human cancers and is associated with decreased survival rate. Certain anesthetics are known to affect hypoxia cell signaling mechanisms by upregulating hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). (2) Methods: MCF-10A and MDA-MB 231 cells were cultivated and CellTiter-Blue® Cell Viability assay, 2D and 3D matrigel assay, immunofluorescence assays and gene expressions assay were performed after exposure to different sevoflurane concentrations. (3) Results: Sevoflurane exposure of TNBC cells results in morphological and behavioral changes. Sevoflurane differently influences the AKT isoforms expression in a time-dependent manner, with an important early AKT3 upregulation. The most significant effects occur at 72 h after 2 mM sevoflurane treatment and consist in increased viability, proliferation and aggressiveness and increased vimentin and HIF expression. (4) Conclusions: Sevoflurane exposure during surgery may contribute to cancer recurrence via AKT3 induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and by all three AKT isoforms enhanced cancer cell survival and proliferation.
To Sit or Not to Sit in VR: Analyzing Influences and (Dis)Advantages of Posture and Embodied Interaction
Authors: Zielasko Daniel , Riecke Bernhard E.
Published: June 2021

Virtual Reality (VR) users typically either sit or stand/walk when using VR; however, the impact of this is little researched, and there is a lack of any broad or systematic analysis of how this difference in physical posture might affect user experience and behavior. To address this gap, we propose such a systematic analysis that was refined through discussions and iterations during a dedicated workshop with VR experts. This analysis was complemented by an online survey to integrate the perspectives of a larger and more diverse group of VR experts, including developers and power users. The result is a validated expert assessment of the impact of posture and degree of embodiment on the most relevant aspects of VR experience and behavior. In particular, we posit potential strong effects of posture on user comfort, safety, self-motion perception, engagement, and accessibility. We further argue that the degree of embodiment can strongly impact cybersickness, locomotion precision, safety, self-motion perception, engagement, technical complexity, and accessibility. We provide a compact visualization of key findings and discuss areas where posture and embodiment do or do not have a known influence, as well as highlight open questions that could guide future research and VR design efforts.
A New Approach to Direct Friction Stir Processing for Fabricating Surface Composites
Authors: Almazrouee Abdulla , Al-Fadhalah Khaled , Alhajeri Saleh
Published: June 2021

Friction stir processing (FSP) is a green fabrication technique that has been effectively adopted in various engineering applications. One of the promising advantages of FSP is its applicability in the development of surface composites. In the current work, a new approach for direct friction stir processing is considered for the surface fabrication of aluminum-based composites reinforced with micro-sized silicon carbide particles (SiC), eliminating the prolonged preprocessing stages of preparing the sample and filling the holes of grooves. The proposed design of the FSP tool consists of two parts: an inner-threaded hollow cylindrical body; and a pin-less hollow shoulder. The design is examined with respect to three important tool processing parameters: the tilt angle of the tool, the tool’s dispersing hole, and the tool’s plunge depth. The current study shows that the use of a dispersing hole with a diameter of 6 mm of and a plunge depth of 0.6 mm, in combination with a tilting angle of 7°, results in sufficient mixing of the enforcement particles in the aluminum matrix, while still maintaining uniformity in the thickness of the composite layer. Metallographic examination of the Al/SiC surface composite demonstrates a uniform distribution of the Si particles and excellent adherence to the aluminum substrate. Microhardness measurements also show a remarkable increase, from 38.5 Hv at the base metal to a maximum value of 78 Hv in the processed matrix in the surface composites layer. The effect of the processing parameters was also studied, and its consequences with respect to the surface composites are discussed.
Quality of Colon Cancer Care in Patients Undergoing Emergency Surgery
Authors: Guidolin Keegan , Withers Rebecca , Shariff Farhana , Ashamalla Shady , Nadler Ashlie
Published: June 2021

Thirty percent of colon cancer diagnoses occur following emergency presentations, often with bowel obstruction or perforation requiring urgent surgery. We sought to compare cancer care quality between patients receiving emergency versus elective surgery. We conducted an institutional retrospective matched (46 elective:23 emergency; n = 69) case control study. Patients who underwent a colon cancer resection from January 2017 to February 2019 were matched by age, sex, and cancer stage. Data were collected through the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and chart review. Process outcomes of interest included receipt of cross-sectional imaging, CEA testing, pre-operative cancer diagnosis, pre-operative colonoscopy, margin status, nodal yield, pathology reporting, and oncology referral. No differences were found between elective and emergency groups with respect to demographics, margin status, nodal yield, oncology referral times/rates, or time to pathology reporting. Patients undergoing emergency surgery were less likely to have CEA levels, CT staging, and colonoscopy (p = 0.004, p = 0.017, p < 0.001). Emergency cases were less likely to be approached laparoscopically (p = 0.03), and patients had a longer length of stay (p < 0.001) and 30-day readmission rate (p = 0.01). Patients undergoing emergency surgery receive high quality resections and timely post-operative referrals but receive inferior peri-operative workup. The adoption of a hybrid acute care surgery model including short-interval follow-up with a surgical oncologist or colorectal surgeon may improve the quality of care that patients with colon cancer receive after acute presentations. Surgeons treating patients with colon cancer emergently can improve their care quality by ensuring that appropriate and timely disease evaluation is completed.
Possible Therapeutic Potential of Disulfiram for Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Weiser Drozdkova Denisa , Smesny Trtkova Katerina
Published: June 2021

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant disease of the plasma cells representing approximately 10% of all hemato-oncological diseases. Detection of the disease is most probable at around 65 years of age, and the average survival of patients is estimated to be 5–10 years, specifically due to frequent relapses and resistance to the therapy used. Thus, the search for new therapeutic approaches is becoming a big challenge. Disulfiram (DSF), a substance primarily known as a medication against alcoholism, has often been mentioned in recent years in relation to cancer treatment for its secondary anti-cancer effects. Recent studies performed on myeloma cell lines confirm high inhibition of the cell growth activity if a complex of disulfiram and copper is used. Its significant potential is now being seen in the cure of haematological malignities.
Importance of Potential New Biomarkers in Patient with Serouse Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Cymbaluk-Płoska Aneta , Chudecka Karolina , Chudecka-Głaz Anita , Piotrowska Katarzyna , Kwiatkowski Sebastian , Tarnowski Maciej
Published: June 2021

Ovarian cancer remains the gynecological cancer with the highest mortality rate. In our study, we compare a number of proteins from different effector pathways to assess their usefulness in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. The tissue expression of the tested proteins was assessed by two methods: qRT-PCR and an immunohistochemical analysis. A significantly higher level of mRNA expression was found in the ovarian cancer group for YAP and TEAD4 (p = 0.004 and p = 0.003, respectively). There was no statistical significance in the expression of mRNA for SMAD3, and there was borderline statistical significance for SMAD2 between the groups of ovarian cancer patients and other subgroups of patients with simple cysts and healthy ovarian tissue (p = 0.726 and p = 0.046, respectively). Significantly higher levels of transferrin receptor (CD71), H2A.X, and ADH1A gene expression were found in the ovarian cancer group compared to the control group for YAP, and TEAD4 showed strong nuclear and cytoplasmic staining in ovarian carcinoma and weak staining in non-carcinoma ovarian samples, ADH1A1 showed strong staining in the cytoplasm of carcinoma sections and a weak positive reaction in the non-carcinoma section, H2A.X showed strong positive nuclear staining in carcinoma sections and moderate positive staining in non-carcinoma samples, and CD71 showed moderate positive staining in carcinoma and non-carcinoma samples. YAP, TEAD4, and ADH1A proteins appear to be promising biomarkers in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
Entanglement Robustness via Spatial Deformation of Identical Particle Wave Functions
Authors: Piccolini Matteo , Nosrati Farzam , Compagno Giuseppe , Livreri Patrizia , Morandotti Roberto , Lo Franco Rosario
Published: June 2021

We address the problem of entanglement protection against surrounding noise by a procedure suitably exploiting spatial indistinguishability of identical subsystems. To this purpose, we take two initially separated and entangled identical qubits interacting with two independent noisy environments. Three typical models of environments are considered: amplitude damping channel, phase damping channel and depolarizing channel. After the interaction, we deform the wave functions of the two qubits to make them spatially overlap before performing spatially localized operations and classical communication (sLOCC) and eventually computing the entanglement of the resulting state. This way, we show that spatial indistinguishability of identical qubits can be utilized within the sLOCC operational framework to partially recover the quantum correlations spoiled by the environment. A general behavior emerges: the higher the spatial indistinguishability achieved via deformation, the larger the amount of recovered entanglement.
Understanding the Effect of Zn Doping on Stability of Cobalt-Free P2-Na0.60Fe0.5Mn0.5O2 Cathode for Sodium Ion Batteries
Authors: Darbar Devendrasinh , Reddy M. V. , Bhattacharya Indranil
Published: June 2021

In this work, we report a sol-gel synthesis-based Zn-doped Na0.6Fe0.5Mn0.5O2 (NFM) cathode and understand the effect of Zn doping on the crystal structure and electrochemical performances such as discharge capacity and rate capability. Detailed X-Ray diffraction (XRD) pattern analysis indicated a decrease in the Na-layer thickness with Zn doping. Small amount of Zn2+ dopant (i.e., 2 at.%) slightly improved cycling stability, reversibility, and rate performances at higher discharge current rates. For example, at 1 C-rate (1 C = 260 mAh/g), the Zn2+-doped cathode retained a stable reversible capacity of 72 mAh/g, which was ~16% greater than that of NFM (62 mAh/g) and showed a minor improvement in the capacity retention of 60% compared to 55% for the pristine NFM after 65 cycles. Slight improvement in the electrochemical performance for the Zn-doped cathode can be attributed to a better structural stability, which prevented the initial phase transition and showed the presence of electrochemical active Fe3+/4+ even after 10 cycles compared to NFM.
Botnet Attack Detection Using Local Global Best Bat Algorithm for Industrial Internet of Things
Authors: Alharbi Abdullah , Alosaimi Wael , Alyami Hashem , Rauf Hafiz Tayyab , Damaševičius Robertas
Published: June 2021

The need for timely identification of Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks in the Internet of Things (IoT) has become critical in minimizing security risks as the number of IoT devices deployed rapidly grows globally and the volume of such attacks rises to unprecedented levels. Instant detection facilitates network security by speeding up warning and disconnection from the network of infected IoT devices, thereby preventing the botnet from propagating and thereby stopping additional attacks. Several methods have been developed for detecting botnet attacks, such as Swarm Intelligence (SI) and Evolutionary Computing (EC)-based algorithms. In this study, we propose a Local-Global best Bat Algorithm for Neural Networks (LGBA-NN) to select both feature subsets and hyperparameters for efficient detection of botnet attacks, inferred from 9 commercial IoT devices infected by two botnets: Gafgyt and Mirai. The proposed Bat Algorithm (BA) adopted the local-global best-based inertia weight to update the bat’s velocity in the swarm. To tackle with swarm diversity of BA, we proposed Gaussian distribution used in the population initialization. Furthermore, the local search mechanism was followed by the Gaussian density function and local-global best function to achieve better exploration during each generation. Enhanced BA was further employed for neural network hyperparameter tuning and weight optimization to classify ten different botnet attacks with an additional one benign target class. The proposed LGBA-NN algorithm was tested on an N-BaIoT data set with extensive real traffic data with benign and malicious target classes. The performance of LGBA-NN was compared with several recent advanced approaches such as weight optimization using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO-NN) and BA-NN. The experimental results revealed the superiority of LGBA-NN with 90% accuracy over other variants, i.e., BA-NN (85.5% accuracy) and PSO-NN (85.2% accuracy) in multi-class botnet attack detection.
Precise Reactive Power-Voltage Droop Control of Parallel Virtual Synchronous Generators That Considers Line Impedance
Authors: Yan Xiangwu , Ma Hongbin , Jia Jiaoxin , Aslam Waseem , Wang Chenguang , Zhang Shizheng , Liang Baixue
Published: June 2021

Problems such as high power coupling, low distribution accuracy, and insufficient reactive power-voltage droop accuracy occur when distributed generators are operated in parallel due to the influence of line impedance. The precise control of output reactive power and voltage is difficult to achieve using traditional virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control. Taking this into consideration, this study proposes a virtual synchronous generator reactive power-voltage integrated control strategy that considers line parameters to solve this problem. First, the impedance voltage drop of the line is compensated for in accordance with local information control to ensure the consistency of the control voltage in parallel operation of distributed generators and to realize the precise droop control of reactive power and the voltage of the point of common coupling (UPCC). Second, virtual negative impedance control is added to change the equivalent output impedance characteristics of the system and achieve power decoupling. On this basis, the active frequency and reactive voltage decoupling control effect of the improved control strategy is quantified and analyzed using the relative gain matrix. The accuracy of reactive power distribution and droop control is theoretically derived and analyzed by establishing a small-signal model of a two-machine parallel system. Finally, the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed integrated control strategy are verified via a simulation model and an experimental platform for parallel operation. Results show that the proposed integrated control strategy can effectively solve the problems of power decoupling and accurate distribution, reduce system loop current, and realize accurate reactive power-voltage droop. Compared with the traditional VSG control strategy, the dynamic deviation of UPCC is reduced by at least 40% when a large-scale load disturbance occurs.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Gaseous and Solid Air Pollutants Concentrations and Emissions in the EU, with Particular Emphasis on Poland
Authors: Rybak Aurelia , Rybak Aleksandra
Published: June 2021

This article presents the research on the analysis of the impact of social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on gaseous air pollutant concentrations. For this purpose, the authors presented (thermal maps) and analyzed the concentrations of selected gases such as NO2, CO, SO2, and PM2.5 particles during the strict quarantine period in Poland and other EU countries. Statistical analysis of the concentration level of these gases was performed. It was noticed that in Poland, Germany, and France, the concentrations of such gases as CO, NO2, and PM2.5 particles decreased, while in Italy and Spain, the tendency was the opposite. To verify whether the discovered dependencies are not a natural continuation of the trends shaping the given phenomenon, the time series of gas and PM2.5 particle emissions were analyzed. On this basis, the emission forecast up to 2023 was created, using the ARIMA class models. The obtained results allowed to construct five scenarios for the development of NO2, CO, SO2, and PM2.5 emissions until 2023, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was stated that in the optimistic scenario, in 2023, a decrease in CO, NO2, and PM2.5 emissions could be achieved by maximums of 51%, 95%, and 28%, respectively.
Study on Inelastic Strain-Based Seismic Fragility Analysis for Nuclear Metal Components
Authors: Koo Gyeong-Hoi , Kwag Shinyoung , Nam Hyun-Suk
Published: June 2021

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of the seismic fragility analysis (FA) with the strain-based failure modes for the nuclear metal components retaining pressure boundary. Through this study, it is expected that we can find analytical ways to enhance the high confidence of low probability of failure (HCLPF) capacity potentially contained in the conservative seismic design criteria required for the nuclear metal components. Another goal is to investigate the feasibility of the seismic FA to be used as an alternative seismic design rule for beyond-design-basis earthquakes. To do this, the general procedures of the seismic FA using the inelastic seismic analysis for the nuclear metal components are investigated. Their procedures are described in detail by the exampled calculations for the surge line nozzles connecting hot leg piping and the pressurizer, known as one of the seismic fragile components in NSSS (Nuclear Steam Supply System). To define the seismic failure modes for the seismic FA, the seismic strain-based design criteria, with two seismic acceptance criteria against the ductile fracture failure mode and fatigue-induced failure mode, are used in order to reduce the conservatism contained in the conventional stress-based seismic design criteria. In the exampled calculation of the inelastic seismic strain response beyond an elastic regime, precise inelastic seismic analyses with Chaboche’s kinematic and Voce isotropic hardening material models are used. From the results of the seismic FA by the probabilistic approach for the exampled target component, it is confirmed that the approach of the strain-based seismic FA can extract the maximum seismic capacity of the nuclear metal components with more accurate inelastic seismic analysis minimizing the number of variables for the components.
Climate Impact of China’s Promotion of the Filling Mining Method: Bottom-Up Estimation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Underground Metal Mines
Authors: Liu Yang , Zhang Congrui , Huang Yingying , Xiao Zhixiong , Han Yaxuan , Ren Gaofeng
Published: June 2021

China recently implemented a “Green Mine” policy focused on promoting the filling method, aiming to mitigate the environmental impacts of underground mining; nevertheless, quantitative inventories have rarely been provided to support or negate such promotion, especially from a life-cycle perspective. Accordingly, this paper proposes a bottom-up model for estimating life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from underground metal mines using either filling or caving methods. Two filling-based (Luohe and Longtangyan) and two caving-based (Maogong and Xiaowanggou) iron mines were studied; their direct GHG emissions were 0.576, 0.278, 2.130, and 1.425 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per kiloton-extracted ore (t CO2 eq/kt), respectively. When indirect GHG emissions were considered, the results increased to 17.386, 15.211, 5.554, and 5.602 t CO2 eq/kt, respectively. In contrast to popular belief, such results demonstrate that promoting the filling method can potentially raise the overall GHG emissions. Although filling-based projects generate less direct GHG emissions, the emissions are transferred to upstream sectors, especially the cement and power sectors. The additional electricity consumption in the haulage and backfilling stages is primarily responsible for the greater GHG emissions occurring in filling-based projects. Some mitigation approaches are suggested, such as backfilling the subsidence pit, using industrial waste as cementing materials, employing energy-efficient pumps, and further developing hauling systems.
Inhomogeneities and Cell-to-Cell Variations in Lithium-Ion Batteries, a Review
Authors: Beck David , Dechent Philipp , Junker Mark , Sauer Dirk Uwe , Dubarry Matthieu
Published: June 2021

Battery degradation is a fundamental concern in battery research, with the biggest challenge being to maintain performance and safety upon usage. From the microstructure of the materials to the design of the cell connectors in modules and their assembly in packs, it is impossible to achieve perfect reproducibility. Small manufacturing or environmental variations will compound big repercussions on pack performance and reliability. This review covers the origins of cell-to-cell variations and inhomogeneities on a multiscale level, their impact on electrochemical performance, as well as their characterization and tracking methods, ranging from the use of large-scale equipment to in operando studies.
A Comparative Analysis of a Power System Stability with Virtual Inertia
Authors: Vetoshkin Lavr , Müller Zdeněk
Published: June 2021

The paper investigates the stability of a power system with synchronverters. A synchronverter is a control strategy for voltage source converters that introduces virtual inertia by mimicking synchronous machines. The authors picked a commonly known IEEE 9 bus and IEEE 39 bus test case systems for the test case studies. The paper presents the power system’s modal analysis with Voltage Source Converters (VSCs) controlled as synchronverters, vector control, or Rate of Change of Frequency-based Virtual Synchronous Generator, thus comparing different approaches to VSC control. The first case study compares selected control algorithms, the IEEE 9 bus system, with one VSC in the paper. The results demonstrate the benefits of synchronverters over other control strategies. The system with synchronverters has a higher minimal damping ratio, which is proven to be the case by numerical simulations. In the second case study, the effects of virtual inertia placement were investigated. The computations showed that placement is indeed important, however, the control strategy is as important. Besides, the system with synchronverters exhibits better stability characteristics. The paper demonstrates that the application of synchronverters is feasible and can meet the demand for algorithms that bring the benefits of virtual inertia.
Additive Manufacturing and Performance of E-Type Transformer Core
Authors: Tiismus Hans , Kallaste Ants , Belahcen Anouar , Rassolkin Anton , Vaimann Toomas , Shams Ghahfarokhi Payam
Published: June 2021

Additive manufacturing of ferromagnetic materials for electrical machine applications is maturing. In this work, a full E-type transformer core is printed, characterized, and compared in terms of performance with a conventional Goss textured core. For facilitating a modular winding and eddy current loss reduction, the 3D printed core is assembled from four novel interlocking components, which structurally imitate the E-type core laminations. Both cores are compared at approximately their respective optimal working conditions, at identical magnetizing currents. Due to the superior magnetic properties of the Goss sheet conventional transformer core, 10% reduced efficiency (from 80.5% to 70.1%) and 34% lower power density (from 59 VA/kg to 39 VA/kg) of the printed transformer are identified at operating temperature. The first prototype transformer core demonstrates the state of the art and initial optimization step for further development of additively manufactured soft ferromagnetic components. Further optimization of both the 3D printed material and core design are proposed for obtaining higher electrical performance for AC applications.
Human Activity Affects Forest Fires: The Impact of Anthropogenic Factors on the Density of Forest Fires in Poland
Authors: Kolanek Aleksandra , Szymanowski Mariusz , Raczyk Andrzej
Published: June 2021

Forest fires, due to climate change, are a growing threat to human life, health, and property, especially in temperate climates. Unfortunately, the impact of individual factors on forest fires varies, depending on the geographical region and its natural and socio-economic conditions. The latter are rarely introduced into fire warning systems, which significantly reduces their effectiveness. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to quantify the impact of a wide range of anthropogenic factors on forest fires, using Poland as a representative example of a Central European country. Data were analyzed in relation to districts for the period 2007–2017, using correlation analysis and regression modeling applying global and local/mixed regression methods. It was found that almost all of the 28 variables taken for analysis significantly determined the density of forest fires, but the greatest role was played by the length of the border between forests and built-up areas, and road density. In addition, the impact of most of the analyzed variables on forest fires varied over the study area, so implementing non-stationarity in geographically weighted regression models significantly improved the goodness-of-fit compared to global models.
Zeolite Composite Nanofiber Mesh for Indoxyl Sulfate Adsorption toward Wearable Blood Purification Devices
Authors: Sasaki Makoto , Liu Yihua , Ebara Mitsuhiro
Published: June 2021

A nanofiber mesh was prepared for the adsorption of indoxyl sulfate (IS), a toxin associated with chronic kidney disease. Removing IS is highly demanded for efficient blood purification. The objective of this study is to develop a zeolite composite nanofiber mesh to remove IS efficiently. Eight zeolites with different properties were used for IS adsorption, where a zeolite with a pore size of 7 Å, H+ cations, and a silica to aluminum ratio of 240 mol/mol exhibited the highest adsorption capacity. This was primarily attributed to its suitable silica to aluminum ratio. The zeolites were incorporated in biocompatible poly (ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) (EVOH) nanofibers, and a zeolite composite nanofiber mesh was successfully fabricated via electrospinning. The nanofiber mesh exhibited an IS adsorption capacity of 107 μg/g, while the adsorption capacity by zeolite increased from 208 μg/g in powder form to 386 μg/g when dispersed in the mesh. This also led to an increase in cell viability from 86% to 96%. These results demonstrated that this zeolite composite nanofiber mesh can be safely and effectively applied in wearable blood purification devices.
Microbiological Changes in Meat and Minced Meat from Beavers (Castor fiber L.) during Refrigerated and Frozen Storage
Authors: Ziomek Monika , Drozd Łukasz , Gondek Michał , Pyz-Łukasik Renata , Pedonese Francesca , Florek Mariusz , Domaradzki Piotr , Skałecki Piotr
Published: June 2021

This study aims to evaluate the microbiological status, pH, and water activity of European beaver meat to establish its shelf-life and microbiological safety. In this study, the microbiological profiles of meat and minced meat obtained from the carcasses of beavers were investigated. Microbial evaluation of the chilled meat was performed within 24 h after hunting, on the 7th day and 14th day, and the evaluation of the frozen meat was made during the 11th week of storage. Meat samples were analysed for total viable count (TVC), psychrotrophic bacteria count (PBC), Enterobacteriaceae count (EBC), Escherichiacoli count (EC), total staphylococcal count (TSC), lactic acid bacteria count (LABC) and total yeast and mould counts (TYMC). Tests for the presence of pathogenic bacteria from the genus Salmonella and Listeria were also performed. Additionally, the pH and water activity were determined. The initial amount of TVC was 4.94 log CFU/g in meat samples and 4.80 log CFU/g in minced meat. After 14 days of storage, the TVC increased to 8.33 in meat samples and 8.08 log CFU/g in minced meat. Pathogenic bacteria such as Listeria and Salmonella were not found in the beaver meat tested. The microbiological state of meat stored frozen for 11 weeks was comparable to the state found in meat stored refrigerated for seven days regarding the number of microorganisms.