bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasma Metabolomics and Machine Learning-Driven Novel Diagnostic Signature for Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis
Authors: Ji Moongi , Jo Yunju , Choi Seung Joon , Kim Seong Min , Kim Kyoung Kon , Oh Byung-Chul , Ryu Dongryeol , Paik Man-Jeong , Lee Dae Ho
Published: July 2022

We performed targeted metabolomics with machine learning (ML)-based interpretation to identify metabolites that distinguish the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a cohort. Plasma metabolomics analysis was conducted in healthy control subjects (n = 25) and patients with NAFL (n = 42) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, n = 19) by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and liquid chromatography-MS/MS as well as RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses on liver tissues from patients with varying stages of NAFLD (n = 12). The resulting metabolomic data were subjected to routine statistical and ML-based analyses and multi-omics interpretation with RNA-seq data. We found 6 metabolites that were significantly altered in NAFLD among 79 detected metabolites. Random-forest and multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that eight metabolites (glutamic acid, cis-aconitic acid, aspartic acid, isocitric acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, oxaloacetic acid, myristoleic acid, and tyrosine) could distinguish the three groups. Then, the recursive partitioning and regression tree algorithm selected three metabolites (glutamic acid, isocitric acid, and aspartic acid) from these eight metabolites. With these three metabolites, we formulated an equation, the MetaNASH score that distinguished NASH with excellent performance. In addition, metabolic map construction and correlation assays integrating metabolomics data into the transcriptome datasets of the liver showed correlations between the concentration of plasma metabolites and the expression of enzymes governing metabolism and specific alterations of these correlations in NASH. Therefore, these findings will be useful for evaluation of altered metabolism in NASH and understanding of pathophysiologic implications from metabolite profiles in relation to NAFLD progression.
The Role of Inflammatory Cytokines in the Pathogenesis of Colorectal Carcinoma—Recent Findings and Review
Authors: Borowczak Jędrzej , Szczerbowski Krzysztof , Maniewski Mateusz , Kowalewski Adam , Janiczek-Polewska Marlena , Szylberg Anna , Marszałek Andrzej , Szylberg Łukasz
Published: July 2022

The inflammatory process plays a significant role in the development of colon cancer (CRC). Intestinal cytokine networks are critical mediators of tissue homeostasis and inflammation but also impact carcinogenesis at all stages of the disease. Recent studies suggest that inflammation is of greater importance in the serrated pathway than in the adenoma-carcinoma pathway. Interleukins have gained the most attention due to their potential role in CRC pathogenesis and promising results of clinical trials. Malignant transformation is associated with the pro-tumorigenic and anti-tumorigenic cytokines. The harmony between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors is crucial to maintaining homeostasis. Immune cells in the tumor microenvironment modulate immune sensitivity and facilitate cancer escape from immune surveillance. Therefore, clarifying the role of underlying cytokine pathways and the effects of their modulation may be an important step to improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.
Tracking Clonal Evolution of Multiple Myeloma Using Targeted Next-Generation DNA Sequencing
Authors: Salomon-Perzyński Aleksander , Barankiewicz Joanna , Machnicki Marcin , Misiewicz-Krzemińska Irena , Pawlak Michał , Radomska Sylwia , Krzywdzińska Agnieszka , Bluszcz Aleksandra , Stawiński Piotr , Rydzanicz Małgorzata , Jakacka Natalia , Solarska Iwona , Borg Katarzyna , Spyra-Górny Zofia , Szpila Tomasz , Puła Bartosz , Grosicki Sebastian , Stokłosa Tomasz , Płoski Rafał , Lech-Marańda Ewa , Jakubikova Jana , Jamroziak Krzysztof
Published: July 2022

Clonal evolution drives treatment failure in multiple myeloma (MM). Here, we used a custom 372-gene panel to track genetic changes occurring during MM progression at different stages of the disease. A tumor-only targeted next-generation DNA sequencing was performed on 69 samples sequentially collected from 30 MM patients. The MAPK/ERK pathway was mostly affected with KRAS mutated in 47% of patients. Acquisition and loss of mutations were observed in 63% and 37% of patients, respectively. Four different patterns of mutation evolution were found: branching-, mutation acquisition-, mutation loss- and a stable mutational pathway. Better response to anti-myeloma therapy was more frequently observed in patients who followed the mutation loss—compared to the mutation acquisition pathway. More than two-thirds of patients had druggable genes mutated (including cases of heavily pre-treated disease). Only 7% of patients had a stable copy number variants profile. Consequently, a redistribution in stages according to R-ISS between the first and paired samples (R-ISS″) was seen. The higher the R-ISS″, the higher the risk of MM progression and death. We provided new insights into the genetics of MM evolution, especially in heavily pre-treated patients. Additionally, we confirmed that redefining R-ISS at MM relapse is of high clinical value.
Wearables for Engagement Detection in Learning Environments: A Review
Authors: Bustos-López Maritza , Cruz-Ramírez Nicandro , Guerra-Hernández Alejandro , Sánchez-Morales Laura Nely , Cruz-Ramos Nancy Aracely , Alor-Hernández Giner
Published: July 2022

Appropriate teaching–learning strategies lead to student engagement during learning activities. Scientific progress and modern technology have made it possible to measure engagement in educational settings by reading and analyzing student physiological signals through sensors attached to wearables. This work is a review of current student engagement detection initiatives in the educational domain. The review highlights existing commercial and non-commercial wearables for student engagement monitoring and identifies key physiological signals involved in engagement detection. Our findings reveal that common physiological signals used to measure student engagement include heart rate, skin temperature, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and electrocardiogram (ECG) data. Similarly, stress and surprise are key features of student engagement.
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic in South-East Gabon
Authors: Imboumy-Limoukou Roméo Karl , Ngoubangoye Barthélemy , Dibakou Serge Ely , Oyegue-Liabagui Sandrine Lydie , Mounioko Franck , Kouna Lady Charlene , Matangoye Walter Roddy , Ontoua Steede Seinnat , Mbani Mpega Nancy Cheronne , Lekana-Douki Jean-Bernard
Published: July 2022

COVID-19 is an emerging respiratory disease; it was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. This survey aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, perception and practices of the Gabonese public towards COVID-19. This study was performed on 1016 participants. All participants filled in the questionnaire voluntarily, reporting demographic characteristics and answering questions assessing their level of knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and practice towards COVID-19. Among participants, there were 535 men and 476 women. The mean age of the participants was 33.2 ± 16.7 years old. Almost all participants (98.1%) said that they had heard about COVID-19 but only 2.8% knew the pathogenic agent responsible for COVID-19. More than 80% knew that the disease could be transmitted by greeting infected people (87.3%), kissing an infected person (90.0%), touching an infected doorknob (83.5%) and attending meetings (83.9%). The mean knowledge score was higher among younger than older participants, higher among participants living in urban areas than those living in rural areas and higher among participants with higher levels of education than those with lower levels of education. In general, respondents had good knowledge of COVID-19 and a positive attitude towards using protective measures; however, there were differences according to gender, age group, place of residence, professional group and level of education.
High PANX1 Expression Leads to Neutrophil Recruitment and the Formation of a High Adenosine Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment in Basal-like Breast Cancer
Authors: Chen Wuzhen , Li Baizhou , Jia Fang , Li Jiaxin , Huang Huanhuan , Ni Chao , Xia Wenjie
Published: July 2022

Background: A high adenosine level is an important characteristic of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in breast cancer. Pannexin 1 (PANX1) can release intracellular ATP to the extracellular space and elevate extracellular ATP (exATP) levels under physiological conditions. Methods: We performed public database bioinformatics analysis, surgical specimen histological validation, RNA sequencing, and exATP/extracellular adenosine (exADO) assays to reveal the role of PANX1 in regulating the immune microenvironment of basal-like breast cancer. Results: Our results revealed that PANX1 acted as a poor prognostic factor for breast cancer and had high expression in basal-like breast cancer. PANX1 expression was positively correlated with exATP and exADO levels in basal-like breast cancer TME. PANX1 expression was also positively correlated with tumor-associated neutrophil (TAN) infiltration in breast cancer TME and TANs highly expressed ENTPD1 (CD39)/NT5E (CD73). Conclusions: This study suggests that high PANX1 expression is associated with high TAN infiltration and adenosine production to induce local immunosuppression in basal-like breast cancer TME.
PRIM2 Promotes Cell Cycle and Tumor Progression in p53-Mutant Lung Cancer
Authors: Wang Taoyuan , Tang Tiansheng , Jiang Youguo , He Tao , Qi Luyu , Chang Hongkai , Qiao Yaya , Sun Mingming , Shan Changliang , Zhu Xinyuan , Liu Jianshi , Wang Jiyan
Published: July 2022

p53 is a common tumor suppressor, and its mutation drives tumorigenesis. What is more, p53 mutations have also been reported to be indicative of poor prognosis in lung cancer, but the detailed mechanism has not been elucidated. In this study, we found that DNA primase subunit 2 (PRIM2) had a high expression level and associated with poor prognosis in lung cancer. Furthermore, we found that PRIM2 expression was abnormally increased in lung cancer cells with p53 mutation or altered the p53/RB pathway based on database. We also verified that PRIM2 expression was elevated by mutation or deletion of p53 in lung cancer cell lines. Lastly, silence p53 increased the expression of RPIM2. Thus, these data suggest that PRIM2 is a cancer-promoting factor which is regulated by the p53/RB pathway. The p53 tumor-suppressor gene integrates numerous signals that control cell proliferation, cell cycle, and cell death; and the p53/RB pathway determines the cellular localization of transcription factor E2F, which regulates the expression of downstream targets. Next, we explored the role of PRIM2 in lung cancer and found that knockdown of PRIM2 induced cell cycle arrest, increased DNA damage, and increased cell senescence, leading to decreased lung cancer cell proliferation. Lastly, the positive correlation between PRIM2 and E2F/CDK also indicated that PRIM2 was involved in promoting cell cycle mediated by p53/RB pathway. These results confirmed that the expression of PRIM2 is regulated by the p53/RB pathway in lung cancer cells, promotes DNA replication and mismatch repair, and activates the cell cycle. Overall, we found that frequent p53 mutations increased PRIM2 expression, activated the cell cycle, and promoted lung cancer progression.
Optical Genome Mapping: A Promising New Tool to Assess Genomic Complexity in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Authors: Puiggros Anna , Ramos-Campoy Silvia , Kamaso Joanna , de la Rosa Mireia , Salido Marta , Melero Carme , Rodríguez-Rivera María , Bougeon Sandrine , Collado Rosa , Gimeno Eva , García-Serra Rocío , Alonso Sara , Moro-García Marco Antonio , García-Malo María Dolores , Calvo Xavier , Arenillas Leonor , Ferrer Ana , Mantere Tuomo , Hoischen Alexander , Schoumans Jacqueline , Espinet Blanca
Published: July 2022

Novel treatments in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have generated interest regarding the clinical impact of genomic complexity, currently assessed by chromosome banding analysis (CBA) and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). Optical genome mapping (OGM), a novel technique based on imaging of long DNA molecules labeled at specific sites, allows the identification of multiple cytogenetic abnormalities in a single test. We aimed to determine whether OGM is a suitable alternative to cytogenomic assessment in CLL, especially focused on genomic complexity. Cytogenomic OGM aberrations from 42 patients were compared with CBA, FISH, and CMA information. Clinical–biological characteristics and time to first treatment (TTFT) were analyzed according to the complexity detected by OGM. Globally, OGM identified 90.3% of the known alterations (279/309). Discordances were mainly found in (peri-)centromeric or telomeric regions or subclonal aberrations (<15–20%). OGM underscored additional abnormalities, providing novel structural information on known aberrations in 55% of patients. Regarding genomic complexity, the number of OGM abnormalities had better accuracy in predicting TTFT than current methods (C-index: 0.696, 0.602, 0.661 by OGM, CBA, and CMA, respectively). A cut-off of ≥10 alterations defined a complex OGM group (C-OGM, n = 12), which included 11/14 patients with ≥5 abnormalities by CBA/CMA and one patient with chromothripsis (Kappa index = 0.778; p < 0.001). Moreover, C-OGM displayed enrichment of TP53 abnormalities (58.3% vs. 3.3%, p < 0.001) and a significantly shorter TTFT (median: 2 vs. 43 months, p = 0.014). OGM is a robust technology for implementation in the routine management of CLL patients, although further studies are required to define standard genomic complexity criteria.
An Enzyme-Free Photoelectrochemical Sensor Platform for Ascorbic Acid Detection in Human Urine
Authors: Zhao Zhengzheng , Han Dongfang , Xiao Ren , Wang Tianqi , Liang Zhishan , Wu Zhifang , Han Fangjie , Han Dongxue , Ma Yingming , Niu Li
Published: July 2022

A novel enzyme-free photoelectrochemical (PEC) potential measurement system based on Dy-OSCN was designed for ascorbic acid (AA) detection. The separation and transmission of internal carriers were accelerated and the chemical properties became more stable under light excitation due to the regular microstructure of the prepared Dy-OSCN monocrystal. More importantly, the PEC potential method (OCPT, open circuit potential-time) used in this work was conducive to the reduction of photoelectric corrosion and less interference introduced during the detection process, which effectively ensured the repeatability and stability of the electrode. Under optimal conditions, the monocrystal successfully served as a matrix for the detection of AA, and the prepared PEC sensor exhibited a wide linear range from 7.94 × 10−6 mol/L to 1.113 × 10−2 mol/L and a sensitive detection limit of 3.35 μM. Practical human urine sample analysis further revealed the accuracy and feasibility of the Dy-OSCN-based PEC platform. It is expected that such a PEC sensor would provide a new way for rapid and non-invasive AA level assessment in human body constitution monitoring and lays a foundation for the further development of practical products.
Microscopic Phase-Field Simulation of γ′ Precipitation in Ni-Based Binary Alloys Coupled with CALPHAD Method
Authors: Liu Zhenzhi , Zhao Yan , Zhang Xuyu , Lu Xiao-Gang , Wang Chuanjun , Zhang Yu
Published: July 2022

In the present work, the first (1st) and second (2nd) nearest-neighbor interaction energies are calculated by coupling the microscopic phase-field kinetic model with the calculation of phase diagrams (CALPHAD) method. The morphological evolution of the γ′ precipitate and the variation of its atomic ordering parameter for Ni–X (X = Al, Fe, Mn, Pt, or Si) alloys during aging are studied. The simulation results predict different occupation preferences for solute and solvent atoms in the γ′ phase, i.e., solute atoms are inclined to occupy the corner sites and solvent atoms tend to occupy the face sites. In order to understand the precipitation process of the γ′ phase systematically, the ordering and clustering behaviors of solute atoms are analyzed.
Significance of the Number and the Location of Metastatic Lymph Nodes in Locally Recurrent or Persistent Cervical Cancer Patients Treated with Salvage Hysterectomy plus Lymphadenectomy
Authors: Mabuchi Seiji , Komura Naoko , Kodama Michiko , Maeda Michihide , Matsumoto Yuri , Kamiura Shoji
Published: July 2022

We retrospectively investigated the significance of metastatic lymph nodes in patients with locally recurrent or persistent cervical cancer in a previously irradiated field and subsequently had salvage hysterectomy. Clinical data were obtained from a chart review, and the prognostic impact of the presence, number (1–2 versus ≥3), and location (pelvic versus pelvic plus para-aortic) of lymph node metastasis was investigated by comparing recurrence and survival. In total, 50 patients were included in this study, of which 21 (42.0%) showed pathological evidence of lymph node metastasis (node-positive group). Both the univariate and multivariate analyses showed that lymph node metastasis was an independent prognostic factor for postoperative recurrence (hazard ratio (HR) 5.36; 95% CI 1.41–6.66; p = 0.0020). The predominant sites of recurrence after salvage surgery were the visceral organs and lymph nodes in the node-negative and node-positive groups, respectively. Patients with ≥3 node metastases showed similar survival to those with 1–2 node metastases. Patients with pelvic node metastasis showed similar survival to those with pelvic and para-aortic node metastases. The presence, not number or location, of lymph node metastasis was an independent poor prognostic factor for post-operative recurrence in patients who developed locally recurrent or persistent cervical cancer treated with salvage hysterectomy plus lymphadenectomy.
Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Clinical Outcome, Toxicity and Predictive Factors in Patients Treated with Hypofractionated Sequential or Exclusive Radiotherapy
Authors: Massaro Maria , Franceschini Davide , Spoto Ruggero , Dominici Luca , Franzese Ciro , Baldaccini Davide , Marini Beatrice , di Cristina Luciana , Marzo Marco A. , lo Faro Lorenzo , Paganini Lucia , Reggiori Giacomo , Galdieri Carmela , Testori Alberto , Scorsetti Marta
Published: July 2022

Background: This study evaluated the outcome, toxicity and predictive factors in patients unfit for concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CT-RT) treated with hypofractionated sequential CT-RT or exclusive radiotherapy (RT) for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). Methods: We included patients affected by LA-NSCLC (stage IIA-IVA) treated with a total dose of 50–60 Gy in 20 fractions. The primary outcomes were local control (LC), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Univariate analysis was used to correlate outcomes with prognostic factors. Results: Between 2011 and 2019, 210 patients were treated, 113 (53.8%) with sequential CT-RT and 97 (46.2%) with exclusive RT. After a median follow-up of 15.3 months, 74 patients (35.2%) had a local progression and 133 (63.3%) had a distant progression. The one-, two- and five-year LC were 73.6%, 55.3% and 47.9%, respectively. At the time of analysis, 167 patients (79.5%) died. The one-, two- and five-year OS were 64.7%, 36% and 20%, respectively. PTV volume correlated with PFS (p = 0.001) and LC (p = 0.005). Acute and late toxicity occurred in 82% and 26% of patients. Conclusions: Albeit with the known limitations of a retrospective and heterogeneous study, our work shows that hypofractionated sequential CT-RT or exclusive RT offer a good local control and toxicity profile and a promising survival rate in LA-NSCLC patients unfit for the concurrent CT-RT scheme.
Adverse Effects of Fusarium Toxins in Ruminants: A Review of In Vivo and In Vitro Studies
Authors: Gallo Antonio , Mosconi Martina , Trevisi Erminio , Santos Regiane R.
Published: July 2022

With an increased knowledge of the mechanism of action of Fusarium mycotoxins, the concept that these substances are deleterious only for monogastric species is obsolete. Indeed, most mycotoxins can be converted into less toxic compounds by the rumen microflora from healthy animals. However, mycotoxin absorption and its conversion to more toxic metabolites, as well as their impact on the immune response and subsequently animal welfare, reproductive function, and milk quality during chronic exposure should not be neglected. Among the Fusarium mycotoxins, the most studied are deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), and fumonisins from the B class (FBs). It is remarkable that there is a paucity of in vivo research, with a low number of studies on nutrient digestibility and rumen function. Most of the in vitro studies are related to the reproductive function or are restricted to rumen incubation. When evaluating the production performance, milk yield is used as an evaluated parameter, but its quality for cheese production is often overlooked. In the present review, we summarize the most recent findings regarding the adverse effects of these mycotoxins with special attention to dairy cattle.
Ecthyma Gangrenosum Secondary to Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus in an Atopic Child with Transient Neutropenia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Fang Ko-Chun , Lin Fang-Ju , Chen Chih-Ho , Huang Yi-Ning , Lan Jui , Tseng Han-Chi , Huang Yi-Chuan
Published: July 2022

In addition to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, other organisms including Staphylococcus aureus have been reported to have associations with ecthyma gangrenosum (EG). There are very limited reports of Staphylococcus aureus EG causing systemic symptoms in an immunocompetent child. We present the case of an atopic child with transient neutropenia developing characteristic skin lesions of EG. Culture of the skin wounds yielded methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), and incisional biopsy of the skin lesions revealed aggregates of Gram-positive cocci at the subepidermal area and necrotic vasculitis but without perivascular bacterial invasion. In the literature review, seven cases of Staphylococcus aureus EG were reported, and only two were pediatric cases. From this case, we emphasize the importance of early culturing for microorganisms in cases presenting with EG. When toxin-mediated systemic symptoms accompany EG-like skin lesions, MSSA should be considered in an atopic child with transient neutropenia.
Relevance of Nerve Biopsy in the Diagnosis of Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy—A Systematic Review
Authors: Moise Elena-Sonia , Bratu Razvan Matei , Hanganu Andreea , Sajin Maria
Published: July 2022

Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy is an immune-mediated pathology of the peripheral nerves and nerve roots that leads to weakness and sensory symptoms. Given its clinical heterogeneity, often times diagnosis is challenging. Even though nerve conduction studies and clinical features are the main criteria used for diagnosis, supplementary investigations, such as nerve biopsies, cerebral spinal fluid examination and magnetic resonance studies, may be used in order to confirm the diagnosis. Given the fact that the hallmark in CIDP physiopathology is the demyelination process, nerve biopsies are used to demonstrate and assess the magnitude of the phenomenon. The question and the main interest of this review is whether histopathological findings are relevant for the diagnosis and can be useful in disease assessment.
Extra-Gynecological Pelvic Pathology: A Challenge in the Differential Diagnosis of the Female Pelvis
Authors: Graupera Betlem , Pascual Maria Ángela , Guerriero Stefano , Browne Jean Laurent , Valero Beatriz , Ajossa Silvia , Springer Serena , Alcázar Juan Luis
Published: July 2022

Ultrasound technology with or without color Doppler allows a real-time evaluation of the entire female pelvis including gynecologic and non-gynecological organs, as well as their pathology. As ultrasound is an accurate tool for gynecological diagnosis and is less invasive and less expensive than other techniques, it should be the first imaging modality used in the evaluation of the female pelvis. We present a miscellany of non-gynecological pelvic images observed during the realization of gynecological ultrasound. Transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasound is the first choice among diagnostic techniques for the study of the female pelvis, providing information about gynecological and extra-gynecological organs, allowing for an orientation toward the pathology of a specific organ or system as well as for additional tests to be performed that are necessary for definitive diagnosis.
Optimal Information Update for Energy Harvesting Sensor with Reliable Backup Energy
Authors: Wang Lixin , Peng Fuzhou , Chen Xiang , Zhou Shidong
Published: July 2022

The timely delivery of status information collected from sensors is critical in many real-time applications, e.g., monitoring and control. In this paper, we consider a scenario where a wireless sensor sends updates to the destination over an erasure channel with the supply of harvested energy and reliable backup energy. We adopt the metric age of information (AoI) to measure the timeliness of the received updates at the destination. We aim to find the optimal information updating policy that minimizes the time-average weighted sum of the AoI and the reliable backup energy cost. First, when all the environmental statistics are assumed to be known, the optimal information updating policy exists and is proved to have a threshold structure. Based on this special structure, an algorithm for efficiently computing the optimal policy is proposed. Then, for the unknown environment, a learning-based algorithm is employed to find a near-optimal policy. The simulation results verify the correctness of the theoretical derivation and the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Little Evidence of Leaf Damage to Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor; Arecaceae) during an Unusual Arctic Outbreak
Authors: Butler Christopher J.
Published: July 2022

The dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor) is a widespread understory palm of the southeastern United States. This palm is expected to be one of the species that exhibits a range shift in response to climate change, and the population at the northwestern edge of its distribution in Oklahoma appears to be increasing in both numbers and extent. However, this palm may also be susceptible to cold damage during unusually severe winters, which could potentially limit the spread of this species. An unusually cold arctic outbreak spread across the southern Great Plains during 13–17 February 2021, with minimum temperatures of −11 °C recorded in Houston (Texas), −15 °C in San Antonio (Texas), and −26 °C in Oklahoma City (Oklahoma). In order to evaluate the effects of the arctic outbreak on Sabal minor, I examined individuals in four counties (one site in Brazoria County, TX; one site in Brazos County, TX; two sites in McCurtain County, Oklahoma; and two sites in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma) in the period of 5–16 March 2021. At nearly every site, 30 individuals were examined, and the number of palmate leaves as well as the extent of the green area on the leaf was visually estimated, with percentages rounded to the nearest 5%. There was little evidence of cold damage from southeastern Oklahoma to coastal Texas, with palmate leaves retaining a median of 85% green area. However, some damage was noted in seedlings at the northernmost population in McCurtain County, Oklahoma. In contrast, extensive leaf damage was noted in dwarf palmetto plantings in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, with plants retaining a median of only 5% green leaf area. The results of this study suggest that arctic outbreaks are unlikely to prohibit the continued spread of this species at the northern edge of its native range but may cause damage to multiple plant growth stages that could reduce the rate at which the species survives and reproduces.
Use of Alternative Methodologies in Veterinary Medicine Learning and Acceptance of Students
Authors: Marín-García Pablo-Jesús , Llobat Lola
Published: July 2022

Different university degrees focus on students acquiring theoretical and practical knowledge, aiming to develop their professional activity in the future. However, the usual study plans often forget other skills that will be very useful for the correct performance of their professional activity. In the case of veterinarians, these can range from dialogue with farmers to the unification of knowledge, so that they can provide a simple and effective solution to the different questions that may arise throughout their work activity. On the other hand, the perception of the world and the ways of acquiring knowledge have been changing over the years. Currently, our students require new ways of being presented with the information and knowledge that they should acquire, using, in most cases, new technologies. The present study was carried out with two cases. First, we used gamification through role-play as an alternative methodology to generate a method to unify the knowledge acquired in the subject and, mainly, to acquire skills such as the transfer of this acquired knowledge to other classes and situations. The second case aims to verify if the use of new technologies, specifically the use of interactive videos, can improve the acceptance of students and their training. A total of 2 h of videos were recorded, and 31 min and 42 s of that footage were ultimately used. A special edition and some specific illustrations and designs were made for this work, taking care of the format–background relationship. The results obtained show that these alternative-learning methodologies could be applied to many subjects, so that students, in a playful and relaxed way, are able to unify all the knowledge they are acquiring in their training as veterinarians, preparing them to face the exercise of their future professional activity with greater ease and safety. Finally, we provide the degree of acceptance of these new learning methodologies by students.
A Review on Autonomous Vehicles: Progress, Methods and Challenges
Authors: Parekh Darsh , Poddar Nishi , Rajpurkar Aakash , Chahal Manisha , Kumar Neeraj , Joshi Gyanendra Prasad , Cho Woong
Published: July 2022

Vehicular technology has recently gained increasing popularity, and autonomous driving is a hot topic. To achieve safe and reliable intelligent transportation systems, accurate positioning technologies need to be built to factor in the different types of uncertainties such as pedestrian behavior, random objects, and types of roads and their settings. In this work, we look into the other domains and technologies required to build an autonomous vehicle and conduct a relevant literature analysis. In this work, we look into the current state of research and development in environment detection, pedestrian detection, path planning, motion control, and vehicle cybersecurity for autonomous vehicles. We aim to study the different proposed technologies and compare their approaches. For a car to become fully autonomous, these technologies need to be accurate enough to gain public trust and show immense accuracy in their approach to solving these problems. Public trust and perception of auto vehicles are also explored in this paper. By discussing the opportunities as well as the obstacles of autonomous driving technology, we aim to shed light on future possibilities.
A Wideband 6-Bit Digital Attenuator in a GaAs pHEMT MMIC
Authors: Hao Dongning , Zhang Wei , Liu Xiubo , Liu Yanyan
Published: July 2022

A low insertion loss, wideband 6-bit digital step attenuator is implemented in the 0.25-μm GaAs pHEMT process. Modified π- or T-type attenuator structures are adopted to expand the operation frequency bandwidth and reduce the insertion phase violation. Furthermore, the through-wafer via (TWV) is analyzed to reduce the influence of the parasitic effect on the high-frequency performance of the attenuator. The depletion mode single-gate switch transistors are used to control the on-off state of the attenuator, which provides low insertion loss and high isolation. The step of the attenuator is 0.5 dB, and the attenuation range is 31.5 dB. The measurement results show a maximum root mean square (RMS) attenuation error of 0.51 dB and RMS phase error of 6.6 degrees from DC-18 GHz. The chip area is 1.8 × 0.6 mm2.
Corpus Statistics Empowered Document Classification
Authors: Uddin Farid , Chen Yibo , Zhang Zuping , Huang Xin
Published: July 2022

In natural language processing (NLP), document classification is an important task that relies on the proper thematic representation of the documents. Gaussian mixture-based clustering is widespread for capturing rich thematic semantics but ignores emphasizing potential terms in the corpus. Moreover, the soft clustering approach causes long-tail noise by putting every word into every cluster, which affects the natural thematic representation of documents and their proper classification. It is more challenging to capture semantic insights when dealing with short-length documents where word co-occurrence information is limited. In this context, for long texts, we proposed Weighted Sparse Document Vector (WSDV), which performs clustering on the weighted data that emphasizes vital terms and moderates the soft clustering by removing outliers from the converged clusters. Besides the removal of outliers, WSDV utilizes corpus statistics in different steps for the vectorial representation of the document. For short texts, we proposed Weighted Compact Document Vector (WCDV), which captures better semantic insights in building document vectors by emphasizing potential terms and capturing uncertainty information while measuring the affinity between distributions of words. Using available corpus statistics, WCDV sufficiently handles the data sparsity of short texts without depending on external knowledge sources. To evaluate the proposed models, we performed a multiclass document classification using standard performance measures (precision, recall, f1-score, and accuracy) on three long- and two short-text benchmark datasets that outperform some state-of-the-art models. The experimental results demonstrate that in the long-text classification, WSDV reached 97.83% accuracy on the AgNews dataset, 86.05% accuracy on the 20Newsgroup dataset, and 98.67% accuracy on the R8 dataset. In the short-text classification, WCDV reached 72.7% accuracy on the SearchSnippets dataset and 89.4% accuracy on the Twitter dataset.
Optimization Selection Method of Post-Disaster Wireless Location Detection Equipment Based on Semi-Definite Programming
Authors: Hu Aihua , Deng Zhongliang , Li Jianke , Zhang Yao , Gao Yuhui , Zhao Di
Published: July 2022

Signal propagation attenuation is greater in the post-disaster collapsed environment than that it is indoor or outdoor. The transmission environment is seriously affected by multi-path and non-line-of-sight transmission. When the signals penetrate the ruins and reach the receiver, their power may become very weak, which greatly affects the success rate of signal acquisition by the receiver. In the post-disaster environment, wireless signal propagation is severely blocked, which leads to serious signal attenuation and non-line-of-sight propagation, and signal acquisition distance and direction of detection equipment are limited. An optimization method of post-disaster wireless positioning detection equipment based on semi-deterministic programming was proposed, which allowed us to construct a location model of multiple detection equipment. The decision variable with variable nodes was generated. The reference node and penalty function were determined by fast rough positioning of the target. The node selection algorithm based on semi-definite programming was used to find the optimal node combination and complete the precise location. The performance of this algorithm was better than other known SDP optimization algorithms for reference nodes, and the correct selection accuracy of locating nodes was higher than 90%. Compared with the fixed main nodes, the positioning accuracy of the optimization algorithm was improved by 15.8%.
Data Alignment on Embedded CPUs for Programmable Control Devices
Authors: Hubacz Marcin , Trybus Bartosz
Published: July 2022

This work aims to investigate the impact of memory access limitations in microcontrollers and microprocessors on the performance of software that deals with binary data. The research area covers control systems that process data from the IEC 61131-3 standard using a software-implemented virtual machine. Three methods of memory access are considered, namely byte access, memory copying, and direct pointer. Tests of these methods are performed on several CPUs with ARM architecture (with variants), MIPS, RISC-V, Quark, and others, often used as hardware platforms for control devices. The tests cover 1-, 2-, 4-, and 8-byte data sizes, which correspond to the integer types of the IEC 61131-3 standard. By analyzing the results covering both unaligned and aligned data, the goal of this paper is to indicate which of the memory access methods is the most efficient for a particular platform. The research is supplemented with an evaluation of power and memory requirements for a group of STM32 microcontrollers. Therefore, the contribution of this paper rests in indicating the most efficient memory access method for each of more than a dozen CPUs intended for control applications, with consideration of power and memory requirements.
Unshielded Two-Wire Circuit Systems under Weak Unbalance for High-Intensity Radiated Field Radiated Susceptibility by Double Bulk Current Injection
Authors: Sun Jiangning , Pan Xiaodong , Lu Xinfu , Wan Haojiang , Wei Guanghui
Published: July 2022

In unshielded two-wire circuits of weapon systems, the equipment at both ends of the cable needs to be tested at the same time. The theoretical model of substituting double bulk current injection (DBCI) for high-intensity radiated field (HIRF) electromagnetic radiation is established, which aims to calculate the relationship between the injection excitation voltage source and the radiation field intensity. Additionally, the conditions required for linear extrapolation is clarified. Subsequently, the test method of using DBCI for the HIRF radiated susceptibility (RS) is proposed. Next, the verification of the CST studio and the pass-through load test are performed. All results shows that the test method can avoid the influence of the impedance parameters of the two equipment at both ends, which can be applied to nonlinear terminals for the HIRF RS test.
Maximum Versoria Criterion Algorithm with Adaptive Radius in Active Impulse Noise Control
Authors: Peng Nuomeng , Li Chen , Yu Linghao , Yu Ping , Yao Tiannan
Published: July 2022

The conventional algorithm used in active noise control (ANC) performs poorly under non-Gaussian (impulse) noise. This is because the stability of a conventional adaptive controller is easily damaged by the impulse noise. For the purpose of eliminating the noise and enhancing stability, two improvements are listed in the paper. Firstly, based on the robustness of the Versoria function to impulsive noise, a filtered-x recursive maximum Versoria criterion (FXRMVC) algorithm is proposed to attenuate the impulsive noise. Secondly, the FXRMVC algorithm employs an adaptive radius strategy which is only subject to the estimated error signal. The strategy can adjust the radius of Versoria function online. The benefit of this method is that the FXRMVC with adaptive radius algorithm breaks step size limitation and avoids noise prior information. The computer simulation results manifest that the proposed algorithm has superior noise reduction, faster convergence rate, lower minimum steady state error and better power spectral density compared with other algorithms in different noise environments.
A Big Data Approach for Demand Response Management in Smart Grid Using the Prophet Model
Authors: Kumari Sanju , Kumar Neeraj , Rana Prashant Singh
Published: July 2022

Smart Grids (SG) generate extensive data sets regarding the system variables, viz., and demand and supply. These extremely large data sets are known as big data. Hence, preprocessing of this vast data and integration become critical steps in the load forecasting process. The precise prediction of the load is the primary concern while balancing the demand and supply in SG. Many techniques were devised for load forecasting using machine learning methods such as Deep-learning Models. However, in the case of large data sets, only a few models provide good performance, viz. Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA). However, this approach is complex, as it takes a minimum of 50 observations to make an evaluation. In this paper, the Prophet technique is used in the prediction of future demand response based on the past data, which is in the form of a time series. This technique is valid even if a few values in the time series are not available. Furthermore, the procedure is not affected by fluctuations, trends, and abnormal variations. The automatic model fitting approach is adopted for its effective performance. Further, ARIMA and Prophet model have been used to forecast and the approach is verified using various evaluation metrics. The demand response management was achieved and is being validated with two data sets. The results show the effectiveness of the Prophet model in the demand response management scheme involving large data sets.
A Bi-Directional Dual-Input Dual-Output Converter for Voltage Balancer in Bipolar DC Microgrid
Authors: Kim Sung-Hun , Byun Hyung-Jun , Yi Junsin , Won Chung-Yuen
Published: July 2022

Bipolar DC microgrids (BDCMGs) have several issues related to the voltage and require numerous converters to supply power to both poles. To solve these issues, a bidirectional dual-input dual-output (DIDO) converter is proposed for the voltage balancer in BDCMG. The DIDO converter has dual-input sources and a dual-output port connected to the grid. Additionally, the DIDO converter simultaneously performs independent bidirectional power control and voltage balancing control. Based on the input voltages, this paper proposes modulation methods for three cases. The modulation method of the second case has a wide operating range and low balancing current ripple without increasing the switching frequency. Moreover, only voltage balancer mode without active input sources is proposed, considering the intermittent source. Therefore, it can operate as a voltage balancer under all conditions. The voltage balancing performance of the three cases was analyzed. Finally, the proposed modulation and control method of the DIDO converter were verified through experimental results.
Renewable Energy Decision Criteria on Green Consumer Values Comparing Poland and India Aligned with Environment Policy for Sustainable Development
Authors: Singh Uma Shankar , Rutkowska Małgorzata , Bartoszczuk Paweł
Published: July 2022

Renewable energy consumption is the call by United Nation Sustainable Development Goals, and sustainable consumption is the only solution for the future. This study found that the solution to the framed problem has a requirement to categorize the green consumer value parameters in hierarchy of importance for five specific RESs and their alignment with environment policy based on a comparison of Poland and India. The study revealed the importance of each criterion for renewable energy sources providing, a comparative table of Poland and India. The methodological approach used secondary data for selecting countries, and primary data are used for statistical analysis of Automatic Linear Modelling. The research concludes that the CRITERIA4 is one of the most important that emerged with all five RESs for Poland and three RESs for India. Both countries are aligned with the UN sustainable development goals and are switching over to all means of sustainability. Poland scores a higher value of importance compared to India, which justifies the awareness of consumers.
Experimental Study of Temperature Effect on Methane Adsorption Dynamic and Isotherm
Authors: Zhang Yongchun , Hu Aiguo , Xiong Pei , Zhang Hao , Liu Zhonghua
Published: July 2022

Knowing the methane adsorption dynamic is of great importance for evaluating shale gas reserves and predicting gas well production. Many experiments have been carried out to explore the influence of many aspects on the adsorption dynamic of methane on shale rock. However, the temperature effect on the adsorption dynamic as a potential enhanced shale gas recovery has not been well addressed in the publications. To explore the temperature effect on the adsorption dynamic of methane on gas shale rock, we conducted experimental measurement by using the volumetric method. We characterized the adsorption dynamic of methane on gas shale powders and found that the curves of pressure response at different pressure steps and temperatures all have the same tendency to decrease fast at first, then slowly in the middle and remain stable at last, indicating the methane molecules are mainly adsorbed in the initial stage. Methane adsorption dynamic and isotherm can be well fitted by the Bangham model and the Freundlich model, respectively. The constant z of the Bangham model first decreases and then increases with equilibrium pressure increasing at each temperature, and it decreases with temperature increasing at the same pressure. The adsorption rate, constant k of the Bangham model, is linearly positively correlated with the natural log of the equilibrium pressure, and it decreases with temperature increasing at the same pressure. Constant K and n of the Freundlich model all decrease with temperature increasing, indicating that low temperatures are favorable for methane adsorption on shale powders, and high temperatures can obviously reduce constant K and n of the Freundlich model. Finally, we calculated isosteric enthalpy and found that isosteric enthalpy is linearly positively correlated with the adsorption amount. These results will be profoundly meaningful for understanding the mechanism of methane adsorption dynamic on shale powders and provide a potential pathway to enhance shale gas recovery.
Compromise Multi-Criteria Selection of E-Scooters for the Vehicle Sharing System in Poland
Authors: Ziemba Paweł , Gago Izabela
Published: July 2022

In Poland, there is a high ratio of private transport and unfavorable patterns of daily commuting. These patterns can be changed by introducing comfortable and eco-friendly vehicles, such as e-scooters and e-bikes. At the same time, the development of the e-micromobility-based vehicle sharing services market is developing. The aim of the article is to analyze selected e-scooters available on the Polish market and to identify the most useful vehicles from two opposing perspectives, i.e., the potential customer and owner of the vehicle sharing system. The PROSA GDSS (PROMETHEE for Sustainability Assessment—Group Decision Support System) method and the graphical representation of GAIA (Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Assistance) were used to search for a compromise and balance between the needs of the indicated stakeholders. The results of the methods used were compared with the results of the PROMETHEE GDSS method, which does not take into account the balance between the stakeholders and allows for a strong compensation of the assessments of decision makers. The conducted research allowed indicating the optimal e-scooter to meet the needs of both decision makers, and it is the JEEP 2xe Urban Camou. Both the sensitivity analysis and the solution obtained with the use of the PROMETHEE GDSS method confirmed that it is the optimal alternative, the least sensitive to changes in criteria weights and changes in the decision makers’ compensation coefficients.