bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Silent Neonatal Incubators, Prototype Nica+
Authors: Hernández-Molina Ricardo , Puyana-Romero Virginia , Beira-Jiménez Juan Luis , Morgado-Estévez Arturo , Bienvenido-Bárcena Rafael , Fernández-Zacarías Francisco
Published: July 2024

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the noise levels in current incubator models and a prototype designed to improve acoustic comfort in neonatal incubators. Methods: Tests were carried out on three different models of incubators and a prototype called Neonatal Incubator Acoustic Comfort Class (NICA). The tests measured both internal and external sound pressure levels under laboratory conditions. The noise index has been taken as the A-weighted equivalent continuous sound pressure level (LAeq,T) for a time interval of 1 min. Results: The results obtained show variations between the different models of incubators, although, overall, they are high values (around 56/60 dBA). The results prove that premature newborns under normal conditions of using these incubators are exposed to noise levels above international recommendations. The new incubator design minimizes noise generation and generates noise levels lower than international recommendations. Conclusions: The results obtained from the prototype (NICA+) show the effectiveness of the proposed design in improving acoustic comfort in neonatal incubators. The data show that the noise levels generated by the prototype under normal operating conditions are significantly lower than international recommendations.
Cucumber Downy Mildew Disease Prediction Using a CNN-LSTM Approach
Authors: Wang Yafei , Li Tiezhu , Chen Tianhua , Zhang Xiaodong , Taha Mohamed Farag , Yang Ning , Mao Hanping , Shi Qiang
Published: July 2024

It is of great significance to develop early prediction technology for controlling downy mildew and promoting cucumber production. In this study, a cucumber downy mildew prediction method was proposed by fusing quantitative disease information and environmental data. Firstly, the number of cucumber downy mildew spores during the experiment was collected by a portable spore catcher, and the proportion of cucumber downy mildew leaf area to all cucumber leaf area was recorded, which was used as the incidence degree of cucumber plants. The environmental data in the greenhouse were monitored and recorded by the weather station in the greenhouse. Environmental data outside the greenhouse were monitored and recorded by a weather station in front of the greenhouse. Then, the influencing factors of cucumber downy mildew were analyzed based on the Pearson correlation coefficient method. The influencing factors of the cucumber downy mildew early warning model in greenhouse were identified. Finally, the CNN-LSTM (Convolutional Neural Network-Long Short-Term Memory) algorithm was used to establish the cucumber downy mildew incidence prediction model. The results showed that the Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Square Error (MSE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and determination coefficient (R2) of the CNN-LSTM network model were 0.069, 0.0098, 0.0991, and 0.9127, respectively. The maximum error between the predicted value and the true value for all test sets was 16.9398%. The minimum error between the predicted value and the true value for all test sets was 0.3413%. The average error between the predicted and true values for all test sets was 6.6478%. The Bland–Altman method was used to analyze the predicted and true values of the test set, and 95.65% of the test set data numbers were within the 95% consistency interval. This work can serve as a foundation for the creation of early prediction models of greenhouse crop airborne diseases.
Quality of Red Clover Forage in Different Organic Production Systems
Authors: Purwin Cezary , Żuk-Gołaszewska Krystyna , Tyburski Józef , Borsuk-Stanulewicz Marta , Stefańska Barbara
Published: July 2024

The aim of this study was to determine the quality of organically grown red clover herbage and silage after being influenced by supplementary mineral fertilization. The experimental treatments were as follows: control treatment without fertilization (group C), treatment where kalimagnesia (Patentkali) was applied (group P), and treatment where potassium sulfate (SOP) was applied (group S). In each year of the experiment, first-cut herbage was harvested at the beginning of flowering and ensiled. The year of the study had a significant (p ≤ 0.05) influence on the analyzed parameters of herbage and silage, excluding the content of calcium (Ca), acetic acid (AA), and ammonia nitrogen (N-NH3). The organic production system exerted a significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect on the concentrations of crude protein (CP), acid detergent lignin (ADL), water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), minerals (P, K, Ca, Na), lactic acid (LA), ethanol, and N-NH3. The pattern of fermentation was affected by both experimental factors. True protein (TP) content was determined at 70–84% CP in herbage and 53–65% CP in silages. The energy value and the protein value of herbage varied significantly across years of the study and in response to the combined effects of both experimental factors (p ≤ 0.05). Red clover grown in organic production systems supplied high-quality forage.
Enteromorpha compressa Macroalgal Biomass Nanoparticles as Eco-Friendly Biosorbents for the Efficient Removal of Harmful Metals from Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Younis Alaa M. , Saleh Sayed M. , Albadri Abuzar E. A. E. , Elkady Eman M.
Published: July 2024

This study focuses on the biosorption of harmful metals from aqueous solutions using Enteromorpha compressa macroalgal biomass nanoparticles as the biosorbent. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) were employed to characterize the biosorbent. The effects of pH, initial metal ion concentration, biosorbent dosage, and contact time on the biosorption process were investigated. The maximum biosorption capacity for metals was observed at a pH of 5.0. The experimental equilibrium data were analyzed using three-parameter isotherm models, namely Freundlich, Temkin, and Langmuir equations, which provided better fits for the equilibrium data. A contact time of approximately 120 min was required to achieve biosorption equilibrium for various initial metal concentrations. Cr(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Cd(II) demonstrated distinct maximum biosorption capacities of 24.99375 mg/g, 25.06894 mg/g, 24.55796 mg/g, 24.97502 mg/g, and 25.3936 mg/g, respectively. Different kinetic models were applied to fit the kinetic data, including intraparticle diffusion, pseudo-second-order, and pseudo-first-order versions. The pseudo-second-order model showed good agreement with the experimental results, indicating its suitability for describing the kinetics of the biosorption process. Based on these findings, it can be stated that E. compressa nanoparticle demonstrates potential as an effective biosorbent for removing targeted metals from water.
Humanization of Pan-HLA-DR mAb 44H10 Hinges on Critical Residues in the Antibody Framework
Authors: Kassardjian Audrey , Ivanochko Danton , Barber Brian , Jetha Arif , Julien Jean-Philippe
Published: July 2024

Reducing the immunogenicity of animal-derived monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for use in humans is critical to maximize therapeutic effectiveness and preclude potential adverse events. While traditional humanization methods have primarily focused on grafting antibody Complementarity-Determining Regions (CDRs) on homologous human antibody scaffolds, framework regions can also play essential roles in antigen binding. Here, we describe the humanization of the pan-HLA-DR mAb 44H10, a murine antibody displaying significant involvement of the framework region in antigen binding. Using a structure-guided approach, we identify and restore framework residues that directly interact with the antigen or indirectly modulate antigen binding by shaping the antibody paratope and engineer a humanized antibody with affinity, biophysical profile, and molecular binding basis comparable to that of the parental 44H10 mAb. As a humanized molecule, this antibody holds promise as a scaffold for the development of MHC class II-targeting therapeutics and vaccines.
The Antioxidant Properties, Metabolism, Application and Mechanism of Ferulic Acid in Medicine, Food, Cosmetics, Livestock and Poultry
Authors: Zheng Mengli , Liu Yating , Zhang Guanfeng , Yang Zhikang , Xu Weiwei , Chen Qinghua
Published: July 2024

Ferulic acid is a ubiquitous ingredient in cereals, vegetables, fruits and Chinese herbal medicines. Due to the ferulic phenolic nucleus coupled to an extended side chain, it readily forms a resonant-stable phenoxy radical, which explains its potent antioxidant potential. In addition, it also plays an important role in anti-cancer, pro-angiogenesis, anti-thrombosis, neuroprotection, food preservation, anti-aging, and improving the antioxidant performance of livestock and poultry. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the structure, mechanism of antioxidation, application status, molecular mechanism of pharmacological activity, existing problems, and application prospects of ferulic acid and its derivatives. The aim is to establish a theoretical foundation for the utilization of ferulic acid in medicine, food, cosmetics, livestock, and poultry.
A Comparison of the Microbial Populations in a Culture-Dependent and a Culture-Independent Analysis of Industrial Water Samples
Authors: McIlwaine Douglas B. , Moore Mackenzie , Corrigan Alexsandra , Niemaseck Benjamin , Nicoletti Danika
Published: July 2024

Culture-dependent and culture-independent microbiological methods are two approaches used to study microbial community composition. Culture-dependent methods have been the standard method used for many years but have limited utility with unculturable microorganisms. Culture-independent methods, including molecular techniques, enable direct analysis of microbial DNA without requiring cultivation. Both culture-dependent and -independent methods have roles in advancing our understanding of microbiology, and a combination of these approaches often yields a comprehensive depiction of the microbial diversity within a dynamic system. Bacterial activity reaction tests (BARTs) are a common culture-dependent test used to identify bacteria growing in industrial water samples. In this study, next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to identify the taxa growing in BARTs and compared with the BART reaction patterns. Additionally, several water samples were analyzed by both BART and NGS analysis to determine whether the bacteria found in the water were also present in the BARTs. The results showed overall agreement between NGS and BARTs, though, in some cases, the most abundant taxa found in the water samples differed from those in the BARTs. This highlights the need for further study into the microbial community dynamics of culture-dependent tests to determine whether they are representative of the original sample.
Building an Educational Automated Mechatronics-Based Sorting System
Authors: Jackvony Benjamin , Jouaneh Musa
Published: July 2024

This paper discusses the development of an automated sorting machine designed as a comprehensive mechatronics educational project. The project integrates mechanical and electrical design, incorporating a robot arm, a microcontroller, sensors, and actuators. The sorting machine uses color identification to sort wooden blocks of three different colors. The blocks are stacked and dropped onto a conveyor belt by a hopper system that employs a solenoid actuator and a servo to release one block at a time at specific intervals. As the belt runs continuously, each block passes under a color sensor, which monitors the color and signals one of three servo-powered mechanical arms to guide the block into the appropriate chute. Each chute is equipped with a capacitive proximity sensor that sends a voltage signal to the robot controller, queuing commands for the robot to pick up the blocks from the bottom of each chute and return them to the hopper to form a continuously running sorting system. This paper details the design and integration of the system’s various elements and the development of the control software. The designed system can drop blocks every 8.05 s, sort each block within 5 s of being sensed, and return them to the sorting system every 12 s. It has a color-sensing accuracy of 97%, with a failure rate of around 7%. The system achieved quick and reliable sorting using various low-cost, accessible, and open-source parts. The project exemplifies a cost-effective solution suitable for mechatronics education, demonstrating the numerous challenges involved in developing automated sorting systems.
Battery Scheduling Optimization and Potential Revenue for Residential Storage Price Arbitrage
Authors: Paulauskas Nerijus , Kapustin Vsevolod
Published: July 2024

Residential energy storage systems offer significant potential for price arbitrage by capitalizing on fluctuations in electricity prices throughout the day. This study investigates the potential revenue from optimal battery scheduling for residential storage in different north-western European electricity price zones during 2023. Using Nord Pool day-ahead prices, we applied an optimization model to determine the revenue for two types of batteries: 5 kW/10 kWh and 10 kW/10 kWh. The analysis considered battery capacity, charging and discharging efficiency, and maximum charge/discharge rates. Our results show notable variations in potential revenue across different regions, with the Baltic states demonstrating the highest revenue potential. The findings indicate that while 10 kW batteries can generate higher total revenue, 5 kW batteries are more efficient in terms of revenue per cycle. These regional disparities underscore the need for targeted incentives and policies to enhance the economic viability of residential energy storage. The research results provide valuable insights into optimizing residential battery storage for price arbitrage, offering guidance for consumers, policymakers, and energy providers to maximize economic benefits in various electricity markets.
Comparative Cost Modeling of Battery Cell Formats and Chemistries on a Large Production Scale
Authors: Soldan Cattani Natalia , Noronha Eduardo , Schmied Jessica , Frieges Moritz , Heimes Heiner , Kampker Achim
Published: July 2024

As lithium-ion batteries increasingly become a cornerstone of the automotive sector, the importance of efficient and cost-effective battery production has become paramount. Even though electric vehicle battery cells are produced in three different geometries—cylindrical, prismatic, and pouch—no specific model exists to compare the manufacturing costs of producing cells with different geometries but similar performances. In this paper, we present a process-based cost model with a cell design functionality which enables design and manufacturing cost prediction of user-defined battery cells.
Chitosan Scaffolds from Crustacean and Fungal Sources: A Comparative Study for Bone-Tissue-Engineering Applications
Authors: Iqbal Neelam , Ganguly Payal , Yildizbakan Lemiha , Raif El Mostafa , Jones Elena , Giannoudis Peter V. , Jha Animesh
Published: July 2024

Chitosan (CS), a biopolymer, holds significant potential in bone regeneration due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability attributes. While crustacean-derived CS is conventionally used in research, there is growing interest in fungal-derived CS for its equally potent properties in bone regenerative applications. Here, we investigated the physicochemical and biological characteristics of fungal (MDC) and crustacean (ADC)-derived CS scaffolds embedded with different concentrations of tricalcium phosphate minerals (TCP), i.e., 0(wt)%: ADC/MDC-1, 10(wt)%: ADC/MDC-2, 20(wt)%: ADC/MDC-3 and 30(wt)%: ADC/MDC-4. ADC-1 and MDC-1 lyophilised scaffolds lacking TCP minerals presented the highest zeta potentials of 47.3 ± 1.2 mV and 55.1 ± 1.6 mV, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy revealed prominent distinctions whereby MDC scaffolds exhibited striation-like structural microarchitecture in contrast to the porous morphology exhibited by ADC scaffold types. With regard to the 4-week scaffold mass reductions, MDC-1, MDC-2, MDC-3, and MDC-4 indicated declines of 55.98 ± 4.2%, 40.16 ± 3.6%, 27.05 ± 4.7%, and 19.16 ± 5.3%, respectively. Conversely, ADC-1, ADC-2, ADC-3, and ADC-4 presented mass reductions of 35.78 ± 5.1%, 25.19 ± 4.2%, 20.23 ± 6.3%, and 13.68 ± 5.4%, respectively. The biological performance of the scaffolds was assessed through in vitro bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell (BMMSCs) attachment via indirect and direct cytotoxicity studies, where all scaffold types presented no cytotoxic behaviours. MDC scaffolds indicated results comparable to ADC, where both CS types exhibited similar physiochemical properties. Our data suggest that MDC scaffolds could be a potent alternative to ADC-derived scaffolds for bone regeneration applications, particularly for 10(wt)% TCP concentrations.
Inflammatory Profile of Different Absorbable Membranes Used for Bone Regeneration: An In Vivo Study
Authors: Bizelli Vinícius Ferreira , Alécio Viotto Arthur Henrique , Delamura Izabela Fornazari , Baggio Ana Maira Pereira , Ramos Edith Umasi , Faverani Leonardo Perez , Bassi Ana Paula Farnezi
Published: July 2024

Background: Guided bone regeneration (GBR) has become a necessary practice in implantology. Absorbable membranes have shown advantages over non-absorbable membranes, such as blood support of bone tissue. This study aimed to evaluate five collagen membranes in rat calvaria critical-size defects through a histomorphometric analysis of the inflammatory profile during the initial phase of bone repair. Materials and methods: A total of 72 Albinus Wistar rats were used for the study, divided into six groups, with 12 animals per group, and two experimental periods, 7 and 15 days. The groups were as follows: the CG (clot), BG (Bio-Gide®), JS (Jason®), CS (Collprotect®), GD (GemDerm®), and GDF (GemDerm Flex®). Results: Data showed that the BG group demonstrated an inflammatory profile with an ideal number of inflammatory cells and blood vessels, indicating a statistically significant difference between the JS and CS groups and the BG group in terms of the number of inflammatory cells and a statistically significant difference between the JS and CS groups and the GD group in terms of angiogenesis (p < 0.05). Conclusions: We conclude that different origins and ways of obtaining them, as well as the thickness of the membrane, can interfere with the biological response of the material.
Aptamer Based on Silver Nanoparticle-Modified Flexible Carbon Ink Printed Electrode for the Electrochemical Detection of Chikungunya Virus
Authors: Sharma Pradakshina , Hasan Mohd. Rahil , Naikoo Ubaid Mushtaq , Khatoon Shaheen , Pilloton Roberto , Narang Jagriti
Published: July 2024

Medical devices have progressed from their initial bulky forms to smart devices. However, their rigidity hampers their seamless integration into everyday life. The fields of stretchable, textile, and flexible electronics are emerging research areas with the potential to drive significant technological progress. This research presents a laboratory-based technique to produce highly sensitive and flexible biosensors for detecting the chikungunya virus. These biosensors are based on 0D nanomaterials and demonstrate significant advancements in voltammetry. The electrochemical platform was created utilizing the stencil printing (StPE) technique. Adapting the biosensor setup involved the selection of aptamer as the biorecognition element bound with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). This biosensor was employed in the voltammetric identification of the Chikungunya virus antigen (CHIKV-Ag) within a solution containing 0.5 mM potassium ferro/ferri cyanide, a redox pair. The biosensor was employed to evaluate CHIKV-Ag within a human serum sample. It demonstrated a linear detection span ranging from 0.1 ng/mL to 1 μg/mL, with a detection limit of 0.1 ng/mL for CHIKV-Ag. The proposed approach, due to its flexibility in production and the electrocatalytic attributes displayed by the zero-dimensional nanostructure, presents innovative opportunities for cost-effective and tailored aptamer-based bioelectronics, thereby broadening the scope of this domain.
Parental Involvement and Children’s Subjective Well-Being: Mediating Roles of the Sense of Security and Autonomous Motivation in Chinese Primary School Students
Authors: Liu Xiaoxian , Fan Hengyuan , Shang Xinya , Li Wange , He Xinhui , Cao Purui , Ding Xiaosheng
Published: July 2024

Parental involvement may influence the subjective well-being of primary school students, but the specific mechanisms remain unclear. This study explores the mechanisms between parental involvement and primary school students’ subjective well-being. The current study investigated 340 fifth and sixth grade students and their parents from a primary school using the Parental Education Involvement Behavior Scale, the Well-Being Scale, the Sense of Security Scale, and the Learning Self-Regulation Scale. We found that (1) sense of security plays a complete mediating role between parental involvement and primary school students’ subjective well-being; (2) autonomous motivation has a marginal mediating effect between parental involvement and subjective well-being of primary school students; and (3) sense of security and autonomous motivation play a chain mediating role between parents’ educational involvement and primary school students’ well-being. In conclusion, parental involvement appears to contribute to primary school children’s subjective well-being, and this effect may be mediated individually and sequentially by the children’s sense of security and autonomous motivation.
Nature-Based Solutions to Enhance Urban Resilience in the Climate Change and Post-Pandemic Era: A Taxonomy for the Built Environment
Authors: Sommese Francesco
Published: July 2024

Global environmental and health issues such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the weaknesses of current urban systems, including the poor availability and accessibility of green and public spaces in cities. Nature-based Solutions are configured as promising solutions to increase the resilience and health of the built environment by addressing climate and pandemic issues, promoting the psycho-physical well-being of users and proposing solutions for the protection of the environment and ecosystems. Following a systematic review of the scientific literature using the PRISMA methodology, this study aims to provide a taxonomic framework for Nature-based Solutions for the built environment that is applicable to the urban and building scales, highlighting key benefits in addressing pandemic and climate challenges and achieving urban resilience. This framework proposes a holistic and multifunctional approach that will prove to be a useful tool for researchers and policy makers to incorporate greening strategies into urban regeneration and redevelopment processes. The application of Nature-based Solutions still seems to be limited. It is therefore necessary to raise awareness of this issue among citizens and policy makers and to promote close co-operation between the different actors in territorial decision-making processes.
Classroom Interior Design: Wooden Furniture Prototype with Feedback from Students and Teachers
Authors: Podrekar Loredan Nastja , Prelovšek Niemelä Eva , Šarabon Nejc
Published: July 2024

Studies indicate that natural wooden materials positively affect students’ well-being in classrooms. In addition, students spend a considerable amount of their time in classrooms predominantly seated, making school interiors a suitable place to reduce sedentary behaviors of children. A mixed team of experts in human factors, architecture, design and engineering designed a prototype wooden standing desk for indoor use and formed focus groups with students and teachers to gather feedback on the development process and to evaluate the suitability of the prototype. The prototype desk was well received by the primary school teachers and students. The students appreciated plywood as the main material for the construction of the desk; however, they criticized that the wooden tabletop should be more resistant. The height adjustability of the desk and the tiltable tabletop were the most appreciated features of the prototype. Further studies should be conducted to investigate the optimal material, shape and color of the school desk, especially the tabletop, and additional efforts should be made to design furniture that promotes a less sedentary classroom and improves students’ well-being at school.
Research on Coupling Effect Measurement and Coupling Risk Simulation of Green Building Construction Safety Risk Factors
Authors: Wang Yingchen , Guo Jiayao , Geng Xiaoxiao , Li Wei
Published: July 2024

The construction of green buildings is an important direction for the transformation and development of the construction industry, but it is beset with problems such as a lack of construction experience, immature new technologies, and unstable material properties; these issues bring risks to the construction stage of green buildings, and the coupling of uncertain risk factors in the construction process of green buildings may lead to unfavorable results. The purpose of this study is to explore the coupling degree of green building construction safety risk factors and the changing trend in their coupling combinations at the system risk level. First, the risk factor index system was defined by reading the literature and gathering expert opinions, and the coupling degree between risk factors was measured using an improved coupling degree model. Then, a system dynamics model was established to simulate and analyze the coupling effects among the risk factors and determine the combinations with the greatest influence. The results show that the risk probability is proportional to the risk coupling value, the human–environment coupling value is the largest, and the material equipment–management coupling value is the smallest. The human–environment system simulation shows that reducing the coupling value of system factors will promote a decrease in the total level of system risk. According to the research conclusions, measures to prevent risk coupling are proposed, which offer theoretical references for green building practitioners carrying out risk management; these measures hold a certain guiding significance for the risk control and future development of green buildings.
The Hydrogen Spillover Effect—A Misunderstanding Study II: Single Oxide and Zeolite Supports
Authors: Bettahar Mohammed M.
Published: July 2024

This investigation confirms that the existence of the hydrogen spillover effect (HSPE) in the case of metal catalysts supported on non-reducible monoxides or zeolites is based on a strong corpus of experimental studies, enlarging and deepening previous statements. The structure of hydrogen spillover consists of H/OH pairs conjugated with Mm+/Op− pairs (p = 1 or 2). It is formed by dehydroxylation followed by OH/OH exchange or by the hydrogenation of conjugated pairs. Such a structure imposes the following chemical processes: (i) hydrogenations take place over OH Brönsted acid sites (BAS); (ii) they are excluded over Mm+/Op− Lewis acid sites (LASs), which are deactivating or dehydrogenating; (iii) surface diffusion of hydrogen spillover proceeds through the migration of H/H pairs from LASs to LASs; (iv) the diffusion rates are determined by the oxide supports’ basicity; and (v) H/D exchange is proof of the existence of hydrogen spillover. The nature of hydrogen spillover (radical/ionic) depends on the polarity of the H/OH pairs, which in turn, is determined by the basicity of the support. Our concept of conjugated active sites is a good descriptor of the reaction paths at the molecular level. The view of LASs bringing about additional activity to BAS is not pertinent.
Advances in the Design of Renewable Energy Power Supply for Rural Health Clinics, Case Studies, and Future Directions
Authors: Abdulkarim Abubakar , Faruk Nasir , Alozie Emmanuel , Olagunju Hawau , Aliyu Ruqayyah Yusuf , Imoize Agbotiname Lucky , Adewole Kayode S. , Imam-Fulani Yusuf Olayinka , Garba Salisu , Baba Bashir Abdullahi , Hussaini Mustapha , Oloyede Abdulkarim A. , Abdullahi Aminu , Kanya Rislan Abdulazeez , Usman Dahiru Jafaru
Published: July 2024

Globally, effective and efficient healthcare is critical to the wellbeing and standard of living of any society. Unfortunately, several distant communities far from the national grid do not have access to reliable power supply, owing to economic, environmental, and technical challenges. Furthermore, unreliable, unavailable, and uneconomical power supply to these communities contributes significantly to the delivery of substandard or absence of qualitative healthcare services, resulting in higher mortality rates and associated difficulty in attracting qualified healthcare workers to the affected communities. Given these circumstances, this paper aims to conduct a comprehensive review of the status of renewable energy available to rural healthcare clinics around the globe, emphasizing its potential, analysis, procedures, modeling techniques, and case studies. In this light, several renewable energy modeling techniques were reviewed to examine the optimum power supply to the referenced healthcare centers in remote communities. To this end, analytical techniques and standard indices for reliable power supply to the isolated healthcare centers are suggested. Specifically, different battery storage systems that are suitable for rural healthcare systems are examined, and the most economical and realistic procedure for the maintenance of microgrid power systems for sustainable healthcare delivery is defined. Finally, this paper will serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and experts in rural power supply to remote healthcare centers globally.
Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Biomedical Science Curricula: Advancing Healthcare Education
Authors: Sharma Aarti , Al-Haidose Amal , Al-Asmakh Maha , Abdallah Atiyeh M.
Published: July 2024

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into healthcare practice has improved patient management and care. Many clinical laboratory specialties have already integrated AI in diagnostic specialties such as radiology and pathology, where it can assist in image analysis, diagnosis, and clinical reporting. As AI technologies continue to advance, it is crucial for biomedical science students to receive comprehensive education and training in AI concepts and applications and to understand the ethical consequences for such development. This review focus on the importance of integrating AI into biomedical science curricula and proposes strategies to enhance curricula for different specialties to prepare future healthcare workers. Improving the curriculum can be achieved by introducing specific subjects related to AI such as informatics, data sciences, and digital health. However, there are many challenges to enhancing the curriculum with AI. In this narrative review, we discuss these challenges and suggest mitigation strategies.
A Framework for Cleaning Streaming Data in Healthcare: A Context and User-Supported Approach
Authors: Alotaibi Obaid , Tomy Sarath , Pardede Eric
Published: July 2024

Nowadays, ubiquitous technology makes life easier, especially devices that use the internet (IoT). IoT devices have been used to generate data in various domains, including healthcare, industry, and education. However, there are often problems with this generated data such as missing values, duplication, and data errors, which can significantly affect data analysis results and lead to inaccurate decision making. Enhancing the quality of real-time data streams has become a challenging task as it is crucial for better decisions. In this paper, we propose a framework to improve the quality of a real-time data stream by considering different aspects, including context-awareness. The proposed framework tackles several issues in the data stream, including duplicated data, missing values, and outliers to improve data quality. The proposed framework also provides recommendations on appropriate data cleaning techniques to the user to help improve data quality in real time. Also, the data quality assessment is included in the proposed framework to provide insight to the user about the data stream quality for better decisions. We present a prototype to examine the concept of the proposed framework. We use a dataset that is collected in healthcare and process these data using a case study. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is verified by the ability to detect and repair stream data quality issues in selected context and to provide a recommended context and data cleaning techniques to the expert for better decision making in providing healthcare advice to the patient. We evaluate our proposed framework by comparing the proposed framework against previous works.
Temozolomide (TMZ) in the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme—A Literature Review and Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Jezierzański Marcin , Nafalska Natalia , Stopyra Małgorzata , Furgoł Tomasz , Miciak Michał , Kabut Jacek , Gisterek-Grocholska Iwona
Published: July 2024

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive primary tumors of the central nervous system. It is associated with a very poor prognosis, with up to half of patients failing to survive the first year after diagnosis. It develops from glial tissue and belongs to the adult-type diffuse glioma group according to the WHO classification of 2021. Therapy for patients with GBM is currently based on surgical resection, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, but despite many efforts, there has been minimal progress in tumor management. The most important chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of this tumor is temozolomide (TMZ), a dacarbazine derivative that presents alkylating activity. It is usually administered to patients concurrently with radiation therapy after surgical resection of the tumor, which is defined as the Stupp protocol. Temozolomide demonstrates relatively good efficacy in therapy, but it could also present with several side effects. The resistance of GBM to the drug is currently the subject of work by specialists in the field of oncology, and its use in various regimens and patient groups may bring therapeutic benefits in the future. The aim of this review paper is to summarize the relevance of TMZ in the treatment of GBM based on recent reports.
Prolonged Response to Osimertinib in EGFR-Mutated Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma, a Case Report
Authors: Ali Sareen T. , VanderWeele David J.
Published: July 2024

A 48-year-old woman without obvious environmental risk factors was diagnosed with metastatic urothelial carcinoma harboring a mutation in EGFR typical of driver mutations for non-small cell lung cancer. Within a year, her cancer progressed on four standard therapies for urothelial cancer, including cancer in lungs, liver, bone, and brain. As fifth-line therapy, she received osimertinib, leading to a complete response in the brain and improvement elsewhere, and the cancer remained controlled for six months. Targeted therapy for rare driver mutations can be effective in urothelial cancer and should be considered prior to exhausting standard therapies.
Vertical and Lateral Dynamics of 4L Freight Bogie
Authors: Megna Gianluca
Published: July 2024

Freight wagons in Europe have used Y25 bogies since the 1960s. Although very cost-effective, Y25 suffers from intrinsic limitations due to its architecture and running behaviour. This study introduces an innovative lightweight bogie, named 4L bogie, aimed at removing those limitations as well as improving running dynamics and track friendliness. This task was particularly challenging as the high ratio between laden and tare weight (up to 5:1) forced us to use a non-conventional suspension system and an innovative architecture of frame, reducing the mass by about 15% and the yaw moment of inertia by about 30% with respect to the Y25 bogie. Maintenance issues were addressed by reducing the number of components and easing overhaul, while the new design was validated from both the structural and the running dynamics point of view, assessing its interaction with the track in terms of stability, curving behaviour and the vertical response of the 4L bogie. Stability was improved by about 20% even in empty conditions and high conicity at the wheel/rail contact. Vertical dynamic force on a straight track, evaluated according to the Ride Force Count metric, and wear behaviour on sharp and mild curves were considerably reduced, leading to an improved track friendliness of the bogie.
Sexual Well-Being and Aging Patterns: Findings of a Cluster Analysis among Older Adults in Portugal and Spain
Authors: von Humboldt Sofia , Cabras Emilia , Low Gail , Leal Isabel
Published: July 2024

Objectives: From a cross-cultural perspective, aging well may encompass pertinent challenges in terms of adjustment, sexual well-being, and satisfaction with life in the late years. Considering the paucity of empirical data concerning cultural diversity of experiencing aging, this study aims to help fill this gap by assessing the specific patterns of sexual satisfaction, adjustment to aging (AtA), and life satisfaction with life (SwL) of older adults in Portugal and Spain. Methods: This cross-national study included 326 older adults, age 65 and older, from Portugal and Spain. Five instruments were applied: (a) Adjustment to Aging Scale (ATAS); (b) Satisfaction with Life Scale (SwLS); (c) New Sexual Satisfaction Scale-Short (NSSS-S); (d) Mini-Mental State Exam; and (e) Sociodemographic, Health and Lifestyle questionnaire. K-means cluster analysis was employed to identify and characterize the clusters considering adjustments to aging, sexual satisfaction, and life satisfaction. One-way ANOVAs were conducted to analyze differences in sexual well-being among clusters. Results: Findings indicated three clusters, which explained 77.7% (R-sq = 0.777) of the total variance: Cluster 1: “Most skilled” (n = 26, 8.0%), Cluster 2: “Least adjusted” (n = 115, 35.3%), and Cluster 3: “Aging strivers” (n = 185, 56.7%). Participants in Cluster 1 were mostly Portuguese, with high levels of AtA, sexual satisfaction, and SWL. Conversely, Cluster 2 included mostly Portuguese participants with moderate sexual satisfaction and lower levels of AtA and SwL. Participants from Cluster 3 were mostly Spanish, with moderate levels of AtA and reduced sexual satisfaction and SwL. Conclusions: This study innovates by exploring the elaborate interplay among sexual satisfaction, AtA, and SwL in a cross-cultural perspective, with implications for tailoring interventions, service planning, development, and evaluation of culturally diverse older populations.
Virtualized Fault Injection Framework for ISO 26262-Compliant Digital Component Hardware Faults
Authors: Almeida Rui , Silva Vitor , Cabral Jorge
Published: July 2024

Simulation-based Fault Injection (FI) is crucial for validating system behaviour in safety-critical applications, such as the automotive industry. The ISO 26262 standard’s Part 11 extension provides failure modes for digital components, driving the development of new fault models to assess software-implemented mechanisms against random hardware failures (RHF). This paper proposes a Fault Injection framework, QEFIRA, and shows its ability to achieve the failure modes proposed by Part 11 of the ISO 26262 standard and estimate relevant metrics for safety mechanisms. QEFIRA uses QEMU to inject permanent and transient faults during runtime, whilst logging the system state and providing automatic post-execution analysis. Complemented with a confusion matrix, it allows us to gather standard compliant metrics to characterise and evaluate different designs in the early stages of development. Comparatively to the native QEMU implementation, the tool only shows a slowdown of 1.4× for real-time microcontroller-based applications.
An Ultra-Thin Multi-Band Logo Antenna for Internet of Vehicles Applications
Authors: Li Jun , Huang Junjie , He Hongli , Wang Yanjie
Published: July 2024

In this paper, an ultra-thin logo antenna (LGA) operating in multiple frequency bands for Internet of Vehicles (IoVs) applications was proposed. The designed antenna can cover five frequency bands, 0.86–1.01 GHz (16.0%) for LoRa communication, 1.3–1.36 GHz (4.6%) for GPS, 2.32–2.71 GHz (16.3%) for Bluetooth communication, 3.63–3.89 GHz (6.9%) for 5G communication, and 5.27–5.66 GHz (7.1%) for WLAN, as the simulation indicated. The initial antenna started with a modified coplanar waveguide (CPW)-fed circular disk monopole radiator. To create extra current paths and further excite other modes, the disk was hollowed out into the shape of the car logo of the Chinese smart EV brand XPENG composing four rhombic parasitic patches. Next, four triangular parasitic patches were inserted to improve the impedance matching of the band at 5.6 GHz. Finally, four metallic vias were loaded for adjusting resonant points and the return loss reduction. Designed on a flexible substrate, the antenna can easily bend to a certain degree in complex vehicular communication for IoV. The measured results under horizontal and vertical bending showed the LGA can operate in a bending state while maintaining good performance. The proposed LGA addresses the issue of applying one single multi-band antenna to allow vehicles to communicate over several channels, which relieves the need for a sophisticated antenna network.
Density-Driven CO2 Dissolution in Depleted Gas Reservoirs with Bottom Aquifers
Authors: Lyu Xiaocong , Cen Fang , Wang Rui , Liu Huiqing , Wang Jing , Xiao Junxi , Shen Xudong
Published: July 2024

Depleted gas reservoirs with bottom water show significant potential for long-term CO2 storage. The residual gas influences mass-transfer dynamics, further affecting CO2 dissolution and convection in porous media. In this study, we conducted a series of numerical simulations to explore how residual-gas mixtures impact CO2 dissolution trapping. Moreover, we analyzed the CO2 dissolution rate at various stages and delineated the initiation and decline of convection in relation to gas composition, thereby quantifying the influence of residual-gas mixtures. The findings elucidate that the temporal evolution of the Sherwood number observed in the synthetic model incorporating CTZ closely parallels that of the single-phase model, but the order of magnitude is markedly higher. The introduction of CTZ serves to augment gravity-induced convection and expedites the dissolution of CO2, whereas the presence of residual-gas mixtures exerts a deleterious impact on mass transfer. The escalation of residual gas content concomitantly diminishes the partial pressure and solubility of CO2. Consequently, there is an alleviation of the concentration and density differentials between saturated water and fresh water, resulting in the attenuation of the driving force governing CO2 diffusion and convection. This leads to a substantial reduction in the rate of CO2 dissolution, primarily governed by gravity-induced fingering, thereby manifesting as a delay in the onset and decay time of convection, accompanied by a pronounced decrement in the maximum Sherwood number. In the field-scale simulation, the injected CO2 improves the reservoir pressure, further pushing more gas to the producers. However, due to the presence of CH4 in the post-injection process, the capacity for CO2 dissolution is reduced.
Design and Numerical Analysis of an Annular Combustion Chamber
Authors: Moreno-Pacheco Luis Alfonso , Sánchez-López Fernando , Barbosa-Saldaña Juan Gabriel , Martínez-Trinidad José , Carpinteyro-Pérez Mario Alberto , Wong-Ángel Wilbert , García-León Ricardo Andrés
Published: July 2024

Designing a combustion chamber for gas turbines is considered both a science and an art. This study presents a comprehensive methodology for designing an annular combustion chamber tailored to the operating conditions of a CFM-56 engine, a widely used high bypass ratio turbofan engine. The design process involved calculating the basic criteria and dimensions for the casing, liner, diffuser, and swirl, followed by an analysis of the cooling sections of the liner. Numerical simulations using NUMECA software and the HEXPRESS meshing tool were conducted to predict the combustion chamber’s behavior and performance, employing the κ-ε turbulence model and the Flamelet combustion model. Methane was used as the fuel, and simulations were performed for three fuel injection angles: axial, 45°, and 60°. Results demonstrate that the combustion chamber is properly dimensioned and achieves complete combustion for all configurations. The pressure ratio is 0.96, exceeding the minimum design criteria. Additionally, the emissions of unburned hydrocarbons are zero, while nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide levels are below regulatory limits. These findings validate the proposed design methodology, ensuring efficient and environmentally compliant combustion chamber performance.
Transcriptomic and Physiological Analysis Reveals the Possible Mechanism of Inhibiting Strawberry Aroma Changes by Ultrasound after Harvest
Authors: Li Yutong , Liu Siyue , Kuang Huiyu , Zhang Junyi , Wang Bei , Wang Shaojia
Published: July 2024

The volatile compounds in strawberries play a significant role in the formation of strawberry aroma. However, these compounds undergo continual changes during storage, resulting in a decline in quality. In this study, a total of 67 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified in strawberries through quantitative analysis. At the end of the storage period, the VOC content in the ultrasonic group was 119.02 µg/kg higher than that in the control group. The results demonstrated that the ultrasonic treatment increased the contents of terpenes and esters at the end of storage. Among these, linalool increased from 67.09 to 91.41 µg/kg, while ethyl cinnamate increased from 92.22 to 106.79 µg/kg. Additionally, the expression of the key metabolic genes closely related to these substances was significantly up-regulated. The expression of the FaNES gene, related to terpene metabolism, was up-regulated by 2.8 times in the second day, while the expression of the FaAAT gene, related to ester metabolism, was up-regulated by 1.5 times. In summary, this study provides a theoretical basis for exploring the mechanism of ultrasonic effect on strawberry flavor and quality after harvest.
Probabilistic Modelling of the Food Matrix Effects on Curcuminoid’s In Vitro Oral Bioaccessibility
Authors: de Castro Cogle Kevin , Kubo Mirian T. K. , Merlier Franck , Josse Alexandra , Anastasiadi Maria , Mohareb Fady R. , Rossi Claire
Published: July 2024

The bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds plays a major role in the nutritional value of foods, but there is a lack of systematic studies assessing the effect of the food matrix on bioaccessibility. Curcuminoids are phytochemicals extracted from Curcuma longa that have captured public attention due to claimed health benefits. The aim of this study is to develop a mathematical model to predict curcuminoid’s bioaccessibility in biscuits and custard based on different fibre type formulations. Bioaccessibilities for curcumin-enriched custards and biscuits were obtained through in vitro digestion, and physicochemical food properties were characterised. A strong correlation between macronutrient concentration and bioaccessibility was observed (p = 0.89) and chosen as a main explanatory variable in a Bayesian hierarchical linear regression model. Additionally, the patterns of food matrix effects on bioaccessibility were not the same in custards as in biscuits; for example, the hemicellulose content had a moderately strong positive correlation to bioaccessibility in biscuits (p = 0.66) which was non-significant in custards (p = 0.12). Using a Bayesian hierarchical approach to model these interactions resulted in an optimisation performance of r2 = 0.97 and a leave-one-out cross-validation score (LOOCV) of r2 = 0.93. This decision-support system could assist the food industry in optimising the formulation of novel food products and enable consumers to make more informed choices.