bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low-Milliampere CT Fluoroscopy-Guided Percutaneous Drainage Placement after Pancreatic Surgery: Technical and Clinical Outcome in 133 Consecutive Patients during a 14-Year Period
Authors: Trumm Christoph G. , Hackner Danilo , Badmann Katharina , Crispin Alexander , Forbrig Robert , Ozpeynirci Yigit , Kuppinger David , Pedersen Vera , Liebig Thomas , Stahl Robert
Published: September 2022

(1) Purpose: To retrospectively assess the technical and clinical outcome of patients with symptomatic postoperative fluid collections after pancreatic surgery, treated with CT-guided drainage (CTD). (2) Methods: 133 eligible patients between 2004 and 2017 were included. We defined technical success as the sufficient drainage of the fluid collection(s) and the absence of peri-interventional complications (minor or major according to SIR criteria). Per definition, clinical success was characterized by normalization of specific blood parameters within 30 days after the intervention or a decrease by at least 50% without requiring additional surgical revision. C-reactive protein (CRP), Leukocytes, Interleukin-6, and Dose length product (DLP) for parts of the intervention were determined. (3) Results: 97.0% of 167 interventions were technically successful. Clinical success was achieved in 87.5% of CRP, in 78.4% of Leukocytes, and in 87.5% of Interleukin-6 assessments. The median of successful decrease was 6 days for CRP, 5 days for Leukocytes, and 2 days for Interleukin-6. No surgical revision was necessary in 93.2%. DLP was significantly lower in the second half of the observation period (total DLP: median 621.5 mGy*cm between 2011–2017 vs. median 944.5 mGy*cm between 2004–2010). (4) Conclusions: Technical success rate of CTD was very high and the clinical success rate was fair to good. Given an elderly and multimorbid patient cohort, CTD can have a temporizing effect in the postoperative period after pancreatic surgery. Reducing the radiation dose over time might reflect developments in CT technology and increased experience of interventional radiologists.
Convolutional Neural Network Performance for Sella Turcica Segmentation and Classification Using CBCT Images
Authors: Duman Şuayip Burak , Syed Ali Z. , Celik Ozen Duygu , Bayrakdar İbrahim Şevki , Salehi Hassan S. , Abdelkarim Ahmed , Celik Özer , Eser Gözde , Altun Oğuzhan , Orhan Kaan
Published: September 2022

The present study aims to validate the diagnostic performance and evaluate the reliability of an artificial intelligence system based on the convolutional neural network method for the morphological classification of sella turcica in CBCT (cone-beam computed tomography) images. In this retrospective study, sella segmentation and classification models (CranioCatch, Eskisehir, Türkiye) were applied to sagittal slices of CBCT images, using PyTorch supported by U-Net and TensorFlow 1, and we implemented the GoogleNet Inception V3 algorithm. The AI models achieved successful results for sella turcica segmentation of CBCT images based on the deep learning models. The sensitivity, precision, and F-measure values were 1.0, 1.0, and 1.0, respectively, for segmentation of sella turcica in sagittal slices of CBCT images. The sensitivity, precision, accuracy, and F1-score were 1.0, 0.95, 0.98, and 0.84, respectively, for sella-turcica-flattened classification; 0.95, 0.83, 0.92, and 0.88, respectively, for sella-turcica-oval classification; 0.75, 0.94, 0.90, and 0.83, respectively, for sella-turcica-round classification. It is predicted that detecting anatomical landmarks with orthodontic importance, such as the sella point, with artificial intelligence algorithms will save time for orthodontists and facilitate diagnosis.
Potential Use of Exhaled Breath Condensate for Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Riccò Matteo , Zaniboni Alessandro , Satta Elia , Ranzieri Silvia , Marchesi Federico
Published: September 2022

Background. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays performed on respiratory samples collected through nasal swabs still represent the gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis. Alternative methods to this invasive and time-consuming options are still being inquired, including the collection of airways lining fluids through exhaled breath condensate (EBC). Materials and Methods. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis in order to explore the reliability of EBC as a way to collect respiratory specimens for RT-qPCR for diagnosis of COVID-19. Results. A total of 4 studies (205 specimens), were ultimately collected, with a pooled sensitivity of 69.5% (95%CI 26.8–93.4), and a pooled specificity of 98.3% (95%CI 87.8–99.8), associated with high heterogeneity and scarce diagnostic agreement with the gold standard represented by nasal swabs (Cohen’s kappa = 0.585). Discussion. Even though non-invasive options for diagnosis of COVID-19 are still necessary, EBC-based RT-qPCR showed scarce diagnostic performances, ultimately impairing its implementation in real-world settings. However, as few studies have been carried out to date, and the studies included in the present review are characterized by low numbers and low sample power, further research are requested to fully characterize the actual reliability of EBC-based RT-qPCR in the diagnosis of COVID-19.
The Role of Widefield and Ultra Widefield Optical Coherence Tomography in the Diagnosis and Management of Vitreoretinal Diseases
Authors: Ripa Matteo , Motta Lorenzo , Florit Teresa , Sahyoun Jean-Yves , Matello Veronika , Parolini Barbara
Published: September 2022

Background: This study reports on the advantages of wide-field (WF)- and ultra-widefield (UWF)- optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in managing different vitreoretinal diseases in a real-life setting using the new WF—Swept Source (SS)—OCT Xephilio S1 (Canon, Tokyo, Japan). Methods: We conducted an observational retrospective case series study involving 1472 eyes that underwent retinal scans with Canon Xephilio® OCT-S1 between 1 March 2021 and 1 December 2021 at Eyecare Clinic (Brescia, Italy). All patients underwent routine ophthalmologic examinations along with WF and UWF color fundus retinography with Clarus 500™ (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dublin, CA, USA) and Xephilio® OCT-S1. WF SS-OCT, UWF-OCT, WF-OCTA, and UWF-OCTA were taken by using Xephilio® OCT-S1. Results: We analyzed 122 peripheral retinal lesions, 144 retinal detachment, 329 high myopic eyes, 37 pediatric cases, 60 vascular retinopathies, 15 choroidal lesions, and 90 eyes as follow-up post vitreoretinal surgery. The OCT-S1 was the only reliable and diagnostic exam for peripheral lesions, pediatric and high myopic cases, and significantly influenced the management in 10% of cases and the postoperative follow-up. Conclusions: WF and UWF OCT and OCTA imaging may help in the management of several vitreoretinal diseases, becoming an indispensable tool for the high-quality management of patients.
The Association of Organ Preservation Fluid Pathogens with Early Infection-Related Events after Kidney Transplantation
Authors: Li Jianming , Su Xiaojun , Li Jianyi , Wu Wenrui , Wu Chenglin , Guo Penghao , Liao Kang , Fu Qian , Li Jun , Liu Longshan , Wang Changxi
Published: September 2022

(1) Background: The need to elucidate the microbial patterns in preservation fluid and explore their relationship with early infection-related events post kidney transplant and investigate antimicrobial resistance and the effects of preemptive antibiotic therapy. (2) Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the clinical data of 514 kidney transplant donors and 808 recipients from April 2015 to October 2020. Clinical data of donor and recipient characteristics, preservation fluid microbes, early infections (≤30 days), probable donor-derived infections (P-DDIs), antimicrobial resistance and preemptive antibiotic therapy was collected. (3) Results: The incidence of bloodstream (10.3% versus 5.2%, p = 0.006) and graft-site infections (9.7% versus 4.6%, p = 0.004) was significantly higher in recipients with culture-positive preservation fluid. In addition, recipients with ESKAPE pathogens or Candida species had a notably higher rate of bloodstream infections (14.1% versus 6.9%, p = 0.033) and graft-site infections (16.7% versus 3.5%, p < 0.01) than those with other positive pathogens. Preemptive antibiotic therapy decreased the bloodstream infection rate (11.8% versus 35.7%, p = 0.047) when preservation fluid was positive for ESKAPE pathogens. (4) Conclusions: Culture-positive preservation fluid has potential implications for kidney transplant recipients. ESKAPE pathogens or Candida species in preservation fluid as well as their antimicrobial resistance properties and non-preemptive antibiotic therapy could pose a risk of early infection-related events.
Precision of a Hand-Held 3D Surface Scanner in Dry and Wet Skeletal Surfaces: An Ex Vivo Study
Authors: Probst Jannis , Dritsas Konstantinos , Halazonetis Demetrios , Ren Yijin , Katsaros Christos , Gkantidis Nikolaos
Published: September 2022

Three-dimensional surface scans of skeletal structures have various clinical and research applications in medicine, anthropology, and other relevant fields. The aim of this study was to test the precision of a widely used hand-held surface scanner and the associated software’s 3D model generation-error in both dry and wet skeletal surfaces. Ten human dry skulls and ten mandibles (dry and wet conditions) were scanned twice with an industrial scanner (Artec Space Spider) by one operator. Following a best-fit superimposition of corresponding surface model pairs, the mean absolute distance (MAD) between them was calculated on ten anatomical regions on the skulls and six on the mandibles. The software’s 3D model generation process was repeated for the same scan of four dry skulls and four mandibles (wet and dry conditions), and the results were compared in a similar manner. The median scanner precision was 31 μm for the skulls and 25 μm for the mandibles in dry conditions, whereas in wet conditions it was slightly lower at 40 μm for the mandibles. The 3D model generation-error was negligible (range: 5–10 μm). The Artec Space Spider scanner exhibits very high precision in the scanning of dry and wet skeletal surfaces.
Prognostic Impact of Myosteatosis on Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19
Authors: Kang Min-Kyu , Lee Yu-Rim , Song Jeung-Eun , Kweon Young-Oh , Tak Won-Young , Jang Se-Young , Park Jung-Gil , Park Soo-Young
Published: September 2022

Body composition, including sarcopenia, adipose tissue, and myosteatosis, is associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, few studies have identified the impact of body composition, including pre-existing risk factors, on COVID-19 mortality. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of body composition, including pre-existing risk factors, on mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. This two-center retrospective study included 127 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who underwent unenhanced chest computed tomography (CT) between February and April 2020. Using the cross-sectional CT images at the L2 vertebra level, we analyzed the body composition, including skeletal muscle mass, visceral to subcutaneous adipose tissue ratio (VSR), and muscle density using the Hounsfield unit (HU). Of 127 patients with COVID-19, 16 (12.6%) died. Compared with survivors, non-survivors had low muscle density (41.9 vs. 32.2 HU, p < 0.001) and high proportion of myosteatosis (4.5 vs. 62.5%, p < 0.001). Cox regression analyses revealed diabetes (hazard ratio [HR], 3.587), myosteatosis (HR, 3.667), and a high fibrosis-4 index (HR, 1.213) as significant risk factors for mortality in patients with COVID-19. Myosteatosis was associated with mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, independent of pre-existing prognostic factors.
Clinical Utility of Quantitative Parameters of Salivary Gland Scintigraphy for Diagnosing Burning Mouth Syndrome
Authors: Byeon Hyung Kwon , Jeong Geum Cheol , Kim Beomsoo , Lee Yeongrok , Park Jae Hong , Lee Sang Mi
Published: September 2022

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic disorder characterized by a burning sensation in the oral cavity, often accompanied by xerostomia, with no relevant clinical or laboratory findings. This study aimed to investigate diagnostic values of quantitative parameters of salivary gland scintigraphy for BMS in patients with xerostomia. A total of 164 patients who underwent salivary gland scintigraphy for the workup of xerostomia were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were classified into patient groups with primary BMS, secondary BMS, and non-specific xerostomia. From salivary gland scintigraphy, 22 quantitative parameters were calculated and their diagnostic values were assessed based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values. Among salivary gland scintigraphy parameters, uptake speed in the left submandibular gland showed the highest AUC value (0.647) for detecting BMS and pre-stimulatory oral activity showed the highest AUC value (0.710) for detecting primary BMS. A salivary gland scintigraphy scoring system based on these two parameters further enhanced the diagnostic ability, demonstrating AUC values of 0.731 for BMS and 0.782 for primary BMS. These results suggest a potential diagnostic value of the quantitative parameters of salivary gland scintigraphy for detecting BMS in patients with xerostomia.
Spherical Indoor Coandă Effect Drone (SpICED): A Spherical Blimp sUAS for Safe Indoor Use
Authors: Pheh Ying Hong , Kyi Hla Win Shane , Foong Shaohui
Published: September 2022

Even as human–robot interactions become increasingly common, conventional small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), typically multicopters, can still be unsafe for deployment in an indoor environment in close proximity to humans without significant safety precautions. This is due to their fast-spinning propellers, and lack of a fail-safe mechanism in the event of a loss of power. A blimp, a non-rigid airship filled with lighter-than-air gases is inherently safer as it ’floats’ in the air and is generally incapable of high-speed motion. The Spherical Indoor Coandă Effect Drone (SpICED), is a novel, safe spherical blimp design propelled by closed impellers utilizing the Coandă effect. Unlike a multicopter or conventional propeller blimp, the closed impellers reduce safety risks to the surrounding people and objects, allowing for SpICED to be operated in close proximity with humans and opening up the possibility of novel human–drone interactions. The design implements multiple closed-impeller rotors as propulsion units to accelerate airflow along the the surface of the spherical blimp and produce thrust by utilising the Coandă effect. A cube configuration with eight uni-directional propulsion units is presented, together with the closed-loop Proportional–Integral–Derivative (PID) controllers, and custom control mixing algorithm for position and attitude control in all three axes. A physical prototype of the propulsion unit and blimp sUAS was constructed to experimentally validate the dynamic behavior and controls in a motion-captured environment, with the experimental results compared to the side-tetra configuration with four bi-directional propulsion units as presented in our previously published conference paper. An up to 40% reduction in trajectory control error was observed in the new cube configuration, which is also capable of motion control in all six Degrees of Freedom (DoF) with additional pitch and roll control when compared to the side-tetra configuration.
Inter-District Road Infrastructure and Spatial Inequality in Rural Indonesia
Authors: Wahyuni Ribut Nurul Tri , Ikhsan Mohamad , Damayanti Arie , Khoirunurrofik Khoirunurrofik
Published: September 2022

Road quality plays an important role, especially in rural areas where most poor households are situated. This study aims to calculate the Rural Access Index (RAI), an indicator of rural road quality (SDG indicator 9.1.1), at the district level, to evaluate the implementation of the Nawacita programme in Indonesia from 2014–2020. The RAI describes the proportion of rural residents who live within 2 km of an all-season road. This study recommends the utilisation of road network maps, urban–rural boundary maps, three road network condition datasets, and WorldPop data to calculate the RAI. The results show that during this period, the RAI increased and its inequality decreased, specifically in the regions of priority for this programme (Papua and West Papua). The results also capture a strong pattern of regional convergence. To ensure the future success of this implementation, the government can create regulations to designate several road infrastructure projects as a national strategy, as well as increase tax collection and private sector investment as sources of road infrastructure development funding.
The Role of Mathematics in STEM Secondary Classrooms: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Just Janina , Siller Hans-Stefan
Published: September 2022

Nowadays, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) play a critical role in a nation’s global competitiveness and prosperity. Thus, there is a need to educate students in these subjects to meet the current and future demands of personal life and society. While applications, especially in science, engineering, and technology, are directly obvious, mathematics underpins the other STEM disciplines. It is recognized that mathematics is the foundation for all other STEM disciplines; the role of mathematics in classrooms is not clear yet. Therefore, the question arises: What is the current role of mathematics in secondary STEM classrooms? To answer this question, we conducted a systematic literature review based on three publication databases (Web of Science, ERIC, and EBSCO Teacher Referral Center). This literature review paper is intended to contribute to the current state of the role of mathematics in STEM education in secondary classrooms. Through the search, starting with 1910 documents, only 14 eligible documents were found. In these, mathematics is often seen as a minor matter and a means to an end in the eyes of science educators. From this, we conclude that the role of mathematics in the STEM classroom should be further strengthened. Overall, the paper highlights a major research gap, and proposes possible initial solutions to close it.
‘Lockdown’: Digital and Emergency eLearning Technologies—A Student Perspective
Authors: Venter Isabella M. , Cranfield Desirée J. , Tick Andrea , Blignaut Renette J. , Renaud Karen V.
Published: September 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent emergency measures had a fundamental and disruptive impact on societies and, in particular, on the educational sector. The transition of the modality of educational delivery from face-to-face to online occurred within days; this research study considered the concepts of digital trust and digital access, using structuration, postmodernism, and critical social theory as lenses to understand Higher Education (HE) student experiences during the first wave of the lockdown. The study compared these aspects in Hungary, South Africa, and Wales (UK) with different digital and network readiness indices. The digital development of the countries is presented using both the Digital Intelligence and Network Readiness indices. The research approach was cross-country, international, comparative, inductive, and quantitative. The research study found that there was a significant relationship between the countries’ GDP and their network readiness, impacting students’ online learning experiences. Significant differences were found between the participating universities in terms of digital access and digital trust; this research provides valuable insights for informing future pedagogical approaches and teaching best practice, specifically for residential universities. Understanding challenges and barriers to student learning experiences, and the impact of inequitable access to digital technologies and communication, is key for future pedagogical policy and practice. Several recommendations are made to inform practice.
Low-Power Energy-Based Spike Detector ASIC for Implantable Multichannel BMIs
Authors: Saggese Gerardo , Strollo Antonio Giuseppe Maria
Published: September 2022

Advances in microtechnology have enabled an exponential increase in the number of neurons that can be simultaneously recorded. To meet high-channel count and implantability demands, emerging applications require new methods for local real-time processing to reduce the data to transmit. Nonlinear energy operators are widely used to distinguish neural spikes from background noise featuring a good tradeoff between hardware resources and accuracy. However, they require an additional smoothing filter, which affects both area occupation and power dissipation. In this paper, we investigate a spike detector, based on a series of two nonlinear energy operators, and a simple and adaptive threshold, based on a three-point median operator. We show that our proposal provides good accuracy compared to other energy-based detectors on a synthetic dataset at different noise levels. Based on the proposed technique, a 1024-channel neural signal processor was designed in a 28 nm TSMC CMOS process by using latch-based static random-access memory (SRAM), demonstrating a total power consumption of 1.4 μW/ch and a silicon area occupation of 230 μm2/ch. These features, together with a comparison with the state of the art, demonstrate that our proposal constitutes an alternative for the development of next-generation multichannel neural interfaces.
A Knowledge Base Technique for Detecting Multiple High-Speed Serial Interface Synchronization Errors in Multiprocessor-Based Real-Time Embedded Systems
Authors: Masood Sabeen , Khan Shoab Ahmed , Hassan Ali , Khalique Fatima
Published: September 2022

The heterogeneity of the multiple processing elements (PEs) is a feature of real-time embedded systems. General-purpose processors and several embedded processors, as well as dedicated high-speed interfaces, are among these elements. Communication between the processors is among the most significant characteristics of developing such complex systems. Furthermore, synchronization is a common issue during interprocessor communication in embedded systems. Debugging and testing such systems is time-consuming, difficult, and laborious, with the majority of the complexities centered on debugging real-time interprocessor communication, such as synchronization in terms of timing and accuracy. While the hardware design features of heterogeneous multiprocessor real-time embedded systems have received a lot of attention, the design and development of software-based solutions still have the potential to be addressed. In particular, software-based testing becomes challenging due to interprocessor communication and the synchronization of real-time applications. A knowledge-based technique that aids in testing high-speed serial interfaces in multiprocessor-based real-time embedded systems is proposed that needs debugging in real time while an application is running. It is becoming much more important to test and validate these interfaces in real time as the demand for high data transmission rates increases. The presented work uses a technique to simulate, create and enhance the knowledge base used as correlation-based error detection that reduces the development time. The proposed technique helps in detecting synchronization-related errors that occur during communication among multiple high-speed serial interfaces. The presented work also lists a series of experiments to validate the effectiveness of the proposed technique. The results show that the presented techniques are effective for error identification in real-time embedded systems.
Deterministic Brownian-like Motion: Electronic Approach
Authors: Echenausía-Monroy José Luis , Campos Eric , Jaimes-Reátegui Rider , García-López Juan Hugo , Huerta-Cuellar Guillermo
Published: September 2022

Brownian motion is a dynamic behavior with random changes over time (stochastic) that occurs in many vital functions related to fluid environments, stock behavior, or even renewable energy generation. In this paper, we present a circuit implementation that reproduces Brownian motion based on a fully deterministic set of differential equations. The dynamics of the electronic circuit are characterized using four well-known metrics of Brownian motion, namely: (i) Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA), (ii) power law in the power spectrum, (iii) normal probability distribution, and (iv) Mean Square Displacement (MSD); where traditional Brownian motion exhibits linear time growth of the MSD, a Gaussian distribution, a −2 power law of the frequency spectrum, and DFA values close to 1.5. The obtained results show that for a certain combination of values in the deterministic model, the dynamics in the electronic circuit are consistent with the expectations for a stochastic Brownian behavior. The presented electronic circuit improves the study of Brownian behavior by eliminating the stochastic component, allowing reproducibility of the results through fully deterministic equations, and enabling the generation of physical signals (analog electronic signals) with Brownian-like properties with potential applications in fields such as medicine, economics, genetics, and communications, to name a few.
Research on Generalized Intelligent Routing Technology Based on Graph Neural Network
Authors: Zheng Xiangyu , Huang Wanwei , Li Hui , Li Guangyuan
Published: September 2022

Aiming at the problems of poor load balancing ability and weak generalization of the existing routing algorithms, this paper proposes an intelligent routing algorithm, GNN-DRL, in the Software Defined Networking (SDN) environment. The GNN-DRL algorithm uses a graph neural network (GNN) to perceive the dynamically changing network topology, generalizes the state of nodes and edges, and combines the self-learning ability of Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) to find the optimal routing strategy, which makes GNN-DRL minimize the maximum link utilization and reduces average end-to-end delay under high network load. In this paper, the GNN-DRL intelligent routing algorithm is compared with the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Equal-Cost Multi-Path (ECMP), and intelligence-driven experiential network architecture for automatic routing (EARS). The experimental results show that GNN-DRL reduces the maximum link utilization by 13.92% and end-to-end delay by 9.48% compared with the superior intelligent routing algorithm EARS under high traffic load, and can be effectively extended to different network topologies, making possible better load balancing capability and generalizability.
Current Source Topologies for Photovoltaic Applications: An Overview
Authors: Rodríguez-Benítez Oscar Miguel , Aqui-Tapia Juan Antonio , Ortega-Velázquez Isaac , Espinosa-Pérez Gerardo
Published: September 2022

Current source topologies have several advantages compared to conventional voltage systems. Their inherent voltage-boosting function, intrinsic short-circuit protection, no electrolytic capacitor, direct-current control, continuous input current, and high reliability make them exceptional candidates for power generation systems, particularly for photovoltaic applications. This study provides an overview of the current source topologies for multi-stage photovoltaic grid-connected systems by comparing the number of components, performance, power-decoupling techniques, efficiency, and frequency operation. The overview reveals gain, performance, energy quality and lifetime improvements, thereby providing current source systems as an attractive alternative for renewable applications.
Queue-Buffer Optimization Based on Aggressive Random Early Detection in Massive NB-IoT MANET for 5G Applications
Authors: Jafri Syed Talib Abbas , Ahmed Irfan , Ali Sundus
Published: September 2022

Elements in massive narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) for 5G networks suffer severely from packet drops due to queue overflow. Active Queue Management (AQM) techniques help in maintaining queue length by dropping packets early, based on certain defined parameters. In this paper, we have proposed an AQM technique, called Aggressive Random Early Detection (AgRED) which, in comparison to previously used Random Early Detection (RED) and exponential RED technique, improves the overall end-to-end delay, throughput, and packet delivery ratio of the massive NB-IoT 5G network while using UDP. This improvement has been achieved due to a sigmoid function used by the AgRED technique, which aggressively and randomly drops the incoming packets preventing them from filling the queue. Because of the incorporation of the AgRED technique, the queue at different nodes will remain available throughout the operation of the network and the probability of delivering the packets will increase. We have analyzed and compared the performance of our proposed AgRED technique and have found that the performance gain for the proposed technique is higher than other techniques (RED and exponential RED) and passive queue management techniques (drop-tail and drop-head). The improvement in results is most significant in congested network deployment scenarios and provides improvements in massive Machine Type Communication, while also supporting ultra-low latency and reliable communication for 5G applications.
A Measurement Compensation Method for Electrical Capacitance Tomography Sensors with Inhomogeneous Electrode Parameters
Authors: Tang Yaohong , Lin Weiqing , Xiao Shungen , Tang Kaihao , Lin Xiufang
Published: September 2022

An electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) sensor is an array capacitive sensor that is sensitive to the medium of the measured object and can be widely used in oil, natural gas, machinery and other industrial fields to solve the problem of multiphase fluid object parameter detection in industrial processes. However, ECT sensor uniformity defects need to be addressed. Aiming at the problem that the non-uniform electrode spacing angle affects the characteristics of the measured value of the actual ECT sensor, a method for compensating the measured value of the ECT sensor based on the assumption that the geometric factor is invariant is proposed. The simulated measurement value in the case of the tube and the measurement value of the actual sensor in the case of an empty tube and a full tube are to compensate the measurement value of the actual ECT. Experiments show that, without compensation, non-ideal sensor monitoring has large error, and, after compensation, it has a good effect and can be expected to perform satisfactorily in practical use.
Scale Effects on the Relationship between Plant Diversity and Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Arid Desert Areas
Authors: Liu Jiaxin , Hu Dong , Wang Hengfang , Jiang Lamei , Lv Guanghui
Published: September 2022

Understanding the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality is popular topic in ecological research. Although scale is an important factor driving changes in biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality, we still know little about the scale effects of the relationship between the different dimensions of biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality. Using plant communities in the northwest of the Qira Desert Ecosystem National Field Research Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Qira County, Xinjiang, as the study object, we explored the scale effects of plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality at different sampling scales (5 m × 5 m, 20 m × 20 m, and 50 m × 50 m) and the relative contribution of different dimensions of diversity (species diversity, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity) to variation in ecosystem multifunctionality. At different scales, a significant scale effect was observed in the relationship between plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality. Species diversity dominated ecosystem multifunctionality at large scales (50 m × 50 m), and species diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality varied linearly between scales. Functional diversity made the greatest contribution in small scales (5 m × 5 m), and the relationship between phylogenetic diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality tended to show a single-peaked variation between scales, with a dominant effect on multifunctionality at the mesoscale (20 m × 20 m). The results of the study deepen the understanding of the scale effect of the relationship between plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality in arid desert areas, and help to further conserve plant diversity and maintain ecosystem multifunctionality.
Genetic Diversity and Structure of a Diverse Population of Picea sitchensis Using Genotyping-by-Sequencing
Authors: Byrne Tomás , Farrelly Niall , Kelleher Colin , Hodkinson Trevor R. , Byrne Stephen L. , Barth Susanne
Published: September 2022

Picea sitchensis, Sitka spruce, is of interest to forestry as both a conservation species and a highly productive crop. Its native range stretches from Alaska to California, and it is hence distributed across a large environmental cline with areas of local adaptation. The IUFRO collection, established in 1968–1970, consists of 81 provenances of commercial and scientific interest spanning this native range. We used genotyping-by-sequencing on 1177 genotypes, originating from 80 of the IUFRO provenances which occupy 19 geographic regions of the Pacific Northwest, resulting in an SNP database of 36,567 markers. We detected low levels of genetic differentiation across this broad environmental cline, in agreement with other studies. However, we discovered island effects on geographically distant populations, such as those on Haida Gwaii and Kodiak Island. Using glaciation data, alongside this database, we see apparent post-glacial recolonization of the mainland from islands and the south of the range. Genotyping the IUFRO population expands upon the use of the collection in three ways: (i) providing information to breeders on genetic diversity which can be implemented into breeding programs, optimizing genetic gain for important traits; (ii) serving a scientific resource for studying spruce species; and (iii) utilizing provenances in breeding programs which are more tolerant to climate change.
An Alternative Approach to Improve the Butanol Production Efficiency from Sweet Sorghum Stem Juice Using Immobilized Cells Combined with an In Situ Gas Stripping System
Authors: Thanapornsin Thanawat , Laopaiboon Pattana , Laopaiboon Lakkana
Published: September 2022

The effects of the nitrogen source and buffers used in butanol production with Clostridium beijerinckii TISTR 1461 from sweet sorghum stem juice (SSJ) containing 60 g/L of total sugar were first studied in this paper. Among the various nitrogen sources (dried spent yeast, urea, ammonium acetate, ammonium sulfate), urea was found to be the most suitable for butanol production. SSJ supplemented with urea (0.64 g/L) and cocktail buffers (KH2PO4, 0.5 g/L; K2HPO4, 0.5 g/L; ammonium acetate, 2.2 g/L) gave the highest butanol concentration (PB, 10.13 g/L). Then, the capability of immobilized C. beijerinckii TISTR 1461 cells for butanol fermentation was investigated. Two residual waste materials were examined as immobilized cell carriers. Bamboo chopstick pieces were more appropriate as carriers for cell immobilization than cigarette filter tips. The PB value of the immobilized cells on the bamboo chopstick pieces was ~13% higher than that on the cigarette filter tips. Using the response surface methodology (RSM), 1.9 cm bamboo chopstick pieces with a carrier loading of 1:32 (w/v) were the optimum conditions for cell immobilization for butanol production. Under these conditions, the PB value was 11.62 g/L. To improve the butanol production efficiency, a gas stripping system (GS) was connected to the fermenter. It was found that the PB (14.02 g/L) and butanol productivity (QB, 0.29 g/L·h) values improved by ~21% compared to butanol fermentation using no gas stripping.
Recent Advances in Marine Microalgae Production: Highlighting Human Health Products from Microalgae in View of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)
Authors: Ashour Mohamed , Omran Ashraf M. M.
Published: September 2022

Blue biotechnology can greatly help solve some of the most serious social problems due to its wide biodiversity, which includes marine environments. Microalgae are important resources for human needs as an alternative to terrestrial plants because of their rich biodiversity, rapid growth, and product contributions in many fields. The production scheme for microalgae biomass mainly consists of two processes: (I) the Build-Up process and (II) the Pull-Down process. The Build-Up process consists of (1) the super strain concept and (2) cultivation aspects. The Pull-Down process includes (1) harvesting and (2) drying algal biomass. In some cases, such as the manufacture of algal products, the (3) extraction of bioactive compounds is included. Microalgae have a wide range of commercial applications, such as in aquaculture, biofertilizer, bioenergy, pharmaceuticals, and functional foods, which have several industrial and academic applications around the world. The efficiency and success of biomedical products derived from microalgal biomass or its metabolites mainly depend on the technologies used in the cultivation, harvesting, drying, and extraction of microalgae bioactive molecules. The current review focuses on recent advanced technologies that enhance microalgae biomass within microalgae production schemes. Moreover, the current work highlights marine drugs and human health products derived from microalgae that can improve human immunity and reduce viral activities, especially COVID-19.
The Purification and Biochemical Characterization of a Weissella cibaria F1 Derived β-Mannanase for Its Use in the Preparation of Konjac Oligo-Glucomannan with Immunomodulatory Properties
Authors: Wang Shuo , Ji Hairui , Du Renpeng , Ping Wenxiang , Ge Jingping , Zhao Dan
Published: September 2022

Mannanase with a molecular weight of 33.1 kDa was purified from Weissella cibaria F1. The F1 mannanase contained 289 amino acid residues and shared 70.0% similarity with mannanase from Bacillus subtilis (P55278 (MANB_BACIU)). The optimum reaction conditions of F1 mannanase were 50 °C and pH 6.5. After incubation at pH 4.5–8.0 and 30–60 °C for 2 h, the enzyme activity remained above 60%. The effects of metal ions on mannanase enzyme activity were measured, and Mn2+, Mg2+, and Cu2+ increased enzyme activity. The Km (16.96 ± 0.01 μmol·mL−1) and Vmax (1119.05 ± 0.14 μmol·min−1) values showed that the enzyme exhibited high affinity for locust bean gum. Mannanase was used to hydrolyze konjac glucomannan to produce konjac oligo-glucomannan (KOGM). KOGM increased the proliferation and phagocytosis of RAW264.7 macrophages and enhanced nitric oxide, and cytokine production in macrophages, which showed potent immunostimulatory activity. In this study, the advantages of mannanase derived from lactic acid bacteria were utilized to expand the application of KOGM in the medical field, which is helpful to explore the broad prospects of KOGM in functional food or medicine.
Pressure Fluctuation near the Limiting Characteristics in a Sonic Flow around NACA0012 Airfoil
Authors: Zhang Lei , Wu Zi-Niu
Published: September 2022

Pressure fluctuation for flow around an airfoil has been well studied for subsonic, transonic and supersonic flows. In this paper, the sonic flow case is studied using a NACA0012 airfoil. It is known that such a flow has a limiting characteristic line which is known to separate the supersonic region into an upstream zone(U-zone) and a downstream zone(D-zone) where the pressure waves propagate into different directions, thus it is interesting to investigate whether the pressure fluctuation also exhibits special behavior along the limiting characteristic line. From an analysis of the pressure fluctuation properties by detached eddy simulation and method of characteristics, it is found that the pressure fluctuation exhibits different behavior in these two zones, and displays interesting properties along the limiting characteristic line. The fluctuation pressure is the largest along the limiting characteristic line, while the correlation coefficient between two adjacent points is the smallest along the limiting characteristic line. Away from the limiting characteristic line, the fluctuation pressure decays. Moreover, there is a spatial variation of the pressure fluctuation across the boundary layer. This spatial variation is in the mid-frequency band in the U-zone, in the high-frequency band in the D-zone, and in the entire-frequency band along the limiting characteristics line.The special behavior of the pressure fluctuation along the limiting characteristic line revealed by this study enriches our knowledge about transonic flow.
Design of a Pyroacuotubular (Mixed) Boiler for the Reduction of Flue Gas Emissions through the Simultaneous Generation of Hot Water and Water Steam
Authors: Aguilar Vizcarra Duilio , Esenarro Doris , Rodriguez Ciro
Published: September 2022

Environmental protection is a continuous challenge that requires innovating the combustion process of boilers that emit polluting gases. This research proposes a novel pyroacuotubular (mixed) boiler design that reduces the emission of combustion gases by hot water and steam. The applied methodology considers the dimensioning-construction, modification, and analytical calculation of water volume, metallic masses, heat for hot water and steam generation, and combustion gases. The Ganapaty method of heat transfer is applied to prioritize the velocity of gas displacement, the pressure drop along the pipe, and its application on surfaces. In the parallel generation of hot water and steam, a mass of CO2 (1782.72 kg/h) and CO (5.48 kg/h) was obtained; these masses were compared with the results of the proposed design, obtaining a reduction in the mass of gases emitted to the environment in hot water CO2 (44.35%) and CO (44.27%); steam CO2 (55.65%) and CO (55.66%). A significant reduction was achieved in the simultaneous generation of hot water and steam compared to the individual generation, which shows that the simultaneous generation of the pyroacuotubular (mixed) boiler reduces the emission of combustion gases.
UV Fingerprinting Approaches for Quality Control Analyses of Food and Functional Food Coupled to Chemometrics: A Comprehensive Analysis of Novel Trends and Applications
Authors: Farag Mohamed , Sheashea Mohamed , Zhao Chao , Maamoun Amal
Published: September 2022

(1) Background: Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy is a common analytical tool to detect chromophore in compounds by monitoring absorbance spectral wavelengths. Further, it could provide spectral information about complex conjugated systems in mixtures aided by chemometric tools to visualize large UV-Vis datasets as typical in food samples. This review provides novel insight on UV-Vis applications in the last 20 years, as an advanced analytical tool in the quality control of food and dietary supplements, as well as several other applications, including chemotaxonomy, authentication, fingerprinting, and stability studies. (2) Conclusions: A critical assessment of the value of UV application and its novel trends in the quality control (QC) of nutraceuticals reveals the advantages and limitations, focusing on areas where future advancements are in need. Although simple, UV and its novel trends present potential analytical tools with an acceptable error for QC applications from a non-targeted perspective compared to other expensive spectral tools.
Amino Acid Fingerprinting of Authentic Nonfat Dry Milk and Skim Milk Powder and Effects of Spiking with Selected Potential Adulterants
Authors: Bhandari Sneh D. , Gallegos-Peretz Tiffany , Wheat Thomas , Jaudzems Gregory , Kouznetsova Natalia , Petrova Katya , Shah Dimple , Hengst Daniel , Vacha Erika , Lu Weiying , Moore Jeffrey C. , Metra Pierre , Xie Zhuohong
Published: September 2022

A collaborative study was undertaken in which five international laboratories participated to determine amino acid fingerprints in 39 authentic nonfat dry milk (NFDM)/skim milk powder (SMP) samples. A rapid method of amino acid analysis involving microwave-assisted hydrolysis followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (UHPLC-UV) was used for quantitation of amino acids and to calculate their distribution. The performance of this rapid method of analysis was evaluated and was used to determine the amino acid fingerprint of authentic milk powders. The distribution of different amino acids and their predictable upper and lower tolerance limits in authentic NFDM/SMP samples were established as a reference. Amino acid fingerprints of NFDM/SMP were compared with selected proteins and nitrogen rich compounds (proteins from pea, soy, rice, wheat, whey, and fish gelatin) which can be potential economically motivated adulterants (EMA). The amino acid fingerprints of NFDM/SMP were found to be affected by spiking with pea, soy, rice, whey, fish gelatin and arginine among the investigated adulterants but not by wheat protein and melamine. The study results establish an amino acid fingerprint of authentic NFDM/SMP and demonstrate the utility of this method as a tool in verifying the authenticity of milk powders and detecting their adulteration.
Use of Ultrasonic Cleaning Technology in the Whole Process of Fruit and Vegetable Processing
Authors: Zhou Wenhao , Sarpong Frederick , Zhou Cunshan
Published: September 2022

In an era of rapid technological development, ultrasound technology is being used in a wide range of industries. The use of ultrasound technology in fruit and vegetable processing to improve production efficiency and product quality has been an important research topic. The cleaning of whole fresh fruits and vegetables is an important part of fruit and vegetable processing. This paper discusses the development process of components of the ultrasonic equipment, the application of ultrasonic technology in fruit and vegetable cleaning, and the research advances in ultrasonic cleaning technology. Moreover, the feasibility of ultrasonication of fruits and vegetables for cleaning from the perspectives of microbial inactivation, commodity storage, and sensory analysis were discussed. Finally, the paper identified the inevitable disadvantages of cavitation noise, erosion, and tissue damage in fruit and vegetable processing and points out the future directions of ultrasonic fruit and vegetable cleaning technology.
Effects of Rearing Management Applied throughout the Charolais Young Bulls’ Life on Carcass and Meat Quality
Authors: Soulat Julien , Monteils Valérie , Picard Brigitte
Published: September 2022

The aim of this work was to study, for the first time, the effects of the rearing management (from birth to slaughter) applied throughout the life of young bulls on carcass and meat quality. Five rearing managements were defined statistically, from a combination of 30 rearing factors, using a hierarchical clustering on principal components. This study considered the individual data of 179 Charolais young bulls from commercial farms. The carcass traits were more sensitive to rearing management than the meat traits. Rearing management had an effect mainly on fat and overall meat grain for the carcass, and on color and tenderness for the longissimus meat. However, it was possible to produce carcass and/or meat with similar properties from different rearing managements. Among the five rearing managements defined in this study, two were identified as allowing the best trade-off to produce simultaneously high carcass and meat quality. The first management was characterized by absence of growth period and a short fattening duration, with a wrapped haylage or corn silage-based diet. The second management was characterized by short pre-weaning and growth periods, and a long fattening period.