bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emerging roles of the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases in gastric cancer
Authors: Sun Aiqin , Tian Xianyan , Chen Yifei , Yang Wannian , Lin Qiong
Published: February 2023

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most pernicious gastrointestinal tumors with extraordinarily high incidence and mortality. Ubiquitination modification of cellular signaling proteins has been shown to play important roles in GC tumorigenesis, progression, and prognosis. The E3 ubiquitin ligase is the crucial enzyme in the ubiquitination reaction and determines the specificity of ubiquitination substrates, and thus, the cellular effects. The HECT E3 ligases are the second largest E3 ubiquitin ligase family characterized by containing a HECT domain that has E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. The HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases have been found to engage in GC progression. However, whether HECT E3 ligases function as tumor promoters or tumor suppressors in GC remains controversial. In this review, we will focus on recent discoveries about the role of the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases, especially members of the NEDD4 and other HECT E3 ligase subfamilies, in GC.
Effects of T3 Administration on Ex Vivo Rat Hearts Subjected to Normothermic Perfusion: Therapeutic Implications in Donor Heart Preservation and Repair
Authors: Mourouzis Iordanis , Kounatidis Dimitris , Brozou Vassiliki , Anagnostopoulos Dimitris , Katsaouni Athanasia , Lourbopoulos Athanasios , Pantos Constantinos
Published: February 2023

The present study investigated the effects of triiodothyronine (T3) administration in ex vivo model of rat heart normothermic perfusion. T3 is cardioprotective and has the potential to repair the injured myocardium. Isolated hearts were subjected to normothermic perfusion (NP) with Krebs-Henseleit for 4 h with vehicle (NP) or 60 nM T3 in the perfusate (NP + T3). Left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), perfusion pressure (PP) and percentage of change of these parameters from the baseline values were measured. Activation of stress induced kinase signaling was assessed in tissue samples. Baseline parameters were similar between groups. LVEDP was increased from the baseline by 13% (70) for NP + T3 vs. 139% (160) for NP group, p = 0.048. LVDP was reduced by 18.2% (5) for NP + T3 vs. 25.3% (19) for NP group, p = 0.01. PP was increased by 41% (19) for NP + T3 vs.91% (56) for NP group, p = 0.024. T3 increased activation of pro-survival Akt by 1.85 fold (p = 0.047) and AMPK by 2.25 fold (p = 0.01) and reduced activation of pro-apoptotic p38 MAPK by 3fold (p = 0.04) and p54 JNK by 4.0 fold (p = 0.04). Administration of T3 in normothermic perfusion had favorable effects on cardiac function and perfusion pressure and switched death to pro-survival kinase signaling.
Integrating Assessment of Characterization, Sustainability and Efficiency for the Production of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): A Case Study in the Amazonas Region of Peru
Authors: Zabarburú Roberto Carlos Mori , Millones Carlos , Guadalupe Grobert A. , Idrogo-Vásquez Guillermo , Chu-Koo Fred William , Fernández-Jeri Armstrong B. , Gill Elizabeth , Chavez Segundo G. , García Ligia
Published: February 2023

In this research, aspects of sustainability and efficiency were evaluated to provide information to decision makers. First, 39 rainbow trout farms were characterized, sustainability indices were determined for 36 production units using Sarandon’s methodology, and technical efficiency was evaluated using input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The production units studied were grouped into three clusters, and the most determining variables were associated with total annual production. In addition, a medium-level general index was obtained with a total of 60 sub-indicators, divided into four social indicators (with 10 sub-indicators), four economic indicators (with 34 sub-indicators) and three environmental indicators (totaling 16 sub-indicators). Of 33 production units evaluated, 14 were identified as efficient; the Amazonas region’s trout farmers were found to operate at 83.87% technical efficiency on average. All resources showed room for improvement and thus can be further adjusted. The most underutilized resources were land (area), feed and seed (fry), which could be reduced to increase technical efficiency. In conclusion, the trout farming units in northeastern Peru are differentiated into three groups by production volume and operate at a medium level of sustainability, with most at levels of technical inefficiency.
Research on the Measurement Method of Feeding Rate in Silage Harvester Based on Components Power Data
Authors: Wang Fengzhu , Wang Jizhong , Ji Yuxi , Zhao Bo , Liu Yangchun , Jiang Hanlu , Mao Wenhua
Published: February 2023

For existing problems, such as the complex interactions between a crop and a machine, the measuring difficulty and the limited measurement precision of the feeding quantity within the corn silage harvester, a method of feeding rate measurement based on key conditions data, working data cleaning, and multiple variate regression is proposed. Non-destructive rotation speed, rotation torque, and power consumption sensors are designed for the key mechanical components. The data conditions, such as rotating speed, rotating torque, power consumption, hydraulic pressure, and hydraulic flow for the key operation of parts including cutting, feeding, shredding, and throwing are monitored and collected in real-time during field harvesting. The working data are screened and preprocessed, and the Mann-Kendall boundary extraction algorithm is applied, as is multiple component time lag correction analysis, and the Grubbs exception detection method. Based on a Pearson correlation analysis results, one-factor and multiple-factor regression models are respectively developed to achieve an accurate measurement of the corn feeding rate. The field validation tests show that the working data boundary extraction results among the load-stabilizing components such as shredding roller and throwing blower are highly reliable, with a correct rate of 100%. The power monitoring data of the shredding roller and throwing blowers are significantly correlated with the crop feeding rate, with a max correlation coefficient of 0.97. The determination coefficient of the single-factor feeding rate model based on the shredding roller reaches 0.94, and the maximum absolute error of the multi-factor feeding rate model is 0.58 kg/s. The maximum relative error is ±5.84%, providing technical and data support for the automatic measuring and intelligent tuning of the feeding quantity in a silage harvester.
Parasiticides: Weapons for Controlling Microbial Vector-Borne Diseases in Veterinary Medicine; The Potential of Ethnobotanic/Phytoparasiticides: An Asset to One Health
Authors: Carvalho da Silva Rita , Meisel Leonor , Farinha Nóemia , Póvoa Orlanda , De Mello-Sampayo Cristina
Published: February 2023

Some ectoparasites are vectors of illness-causing bacteria and viruses, and these are treated with antibiotic and antiviral drugs, which eventually contribute to the excessive use of antimicrobials. Therefore, the control of ectoparasites is crucial, and the challenge will be to manage them in a sustainable way. Data from a preliminary ethnobotanical survey was reanalyzed to obtain information on the use of various plant species in companion animals and livestock as ectoparasiticides. The survey responses were reviewed for traditional use of plants as ectoparasiticides, and cross-sectional bibliographic research was undertaken. The following plants were selected among the nine mentioned plants: Juglans regia, Daphne gnidium and Ruta graveolens, which have the most potential to be developed as veterinary ectoparasiticides. Moreover, the absence of published data for Plantago lanceolata and Cistus populifolius suggests that their traditional use as ectoparasiticides is noted here for the first time. In summary, these plants could give promising plant-derived veterinary ectoparasiticides that, ultimately, will help reduce and even avoid the excessive use of antimicrobials.
Prevalence of Potential Pathogenic and Antimicrobial Resistant Escherichia coli in Danish Broilers
Authors: Poulsen Louise Ladefoged , Bisgaard Magne , Christensen Henrik
Published: February 2023

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) are important bacteria in broiler production in terms of economy, welfare, and use of antibiotics. During a previous outbreak of APEC in the Nordic countries, it was suggested that the pathogenic clones of E. coli causing the outbreak originated from grandparent stock and were transmitted to the offspring, causing increased first week mortality. This study investigated whether the pathogenic potential of E. coli at the parent and broiler level differs in relation to pathogenic potential described by the level of virulence-associated genes and pattern of antimicrobial resistance. The hypothesis was that, due to higher biosecurity at the parent level, the E. coli population will show a lower level of antimicrobial resistance and carry fewer virulence-associated genes, as a result of fewer E. coli infections observed. From four parent flocks and eight broiler flocks, 715 E. coli were isolated from cloacal swabs of newly hatched chickens (Ross 308). The isolated E. coli were characterized by eight virulence-associated genes and phenotypic resistance against six antimicrobials. It was found that the prevalence of virulence-associated genes and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance varied significantly between flocks, and the virulence-associated genes papC and irp2 and resistance against ampicillin were significantly more prevalent in breeder flocks compared to broiler flocks.
Neuroprotective Effect of Melatonin on Sleep Disorders Associated with Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Hu Xinyu , Li Jingwen , Wang Xinyi , Liu Hanshu , Wang Tao , Lin Zhicheng , Xiong Nian
Published: February 2023

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex, multisystem disorder with both neurologic and systemic manifestations, which is usually associated with non-motor symptoms, including sleep disorders. Such associated sleep disorders are commonly observed as REM sleep behavior disorder, insomnia, sleep-related breathing disorders, excessive daytime sleepiness, restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movements. Melatonin has a wide range of regulatory effects, such as synchronizing circadian rhythm, and is expected to be a potential new circadian treatment of sleep disorders in PD patients. In fact, ongoing clinical trials with melatonin in PD highlight melatonin’s therapeutic effects in this disease. Mechanistically, melatonin plays its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-excitotoxity, anti-synaptic dysfunction and anti-apoptotic activities. In addition, melatonin attenuates the effects of genetic variation in the clock genes of Baml1 and Per1 to restore the circadian rhythm. Together, melatonin exerts various therapeutic effects in PD but their specific mechanisms require further investigations.
Design Procedures for Sustainable Structural Concretes Using Wastes and Industrial By-Products
Authors: Neves Ana , Almeida João , Cruz Fábio , Miranda Tiago , Cunha Vítor M. C. F. , Rodrigues Mafalda , Costa José , Pereira Eduardo B.
Published: February 2023

The protection of the environment must be a priority in our society, and the construction sector can contribute significantly to this goal. Construction, being one of the industrial sectors that is more demanding in terms of raw materials, must reinforce its effort to implement, in a more profound and systematic way, the paradigm of the circular economy. In this sense, in recent years several studies have been trying to contribute solutions aimed at reintroducing industrial by-products or residues in new products for the construction industry. It should be noted that nowadays it is increasingly important to introduce a higher percentage of recycled materials in concrete. In this context, the present work addresses the appropriateness of a design procedure proposed to maximize the content of electric arc furnace slag (EAFS) and include recycled tire steel fibers (RTSF) in the production of more sustainable structural concretes. For this, the properties of various concrete mixtures at the fresh and hardened state, obtained by the substantial substitution of coarse and fine natural aggregates by EAFS and fly ash (FA), were investigated. The design of EAFS mixtures was based on two conventional reference mixtures (REF1 and REF2), and by using the modified Andreasen and Andersen particle packing model, these were optimized to achieve maximum packing density. Compressive strength, modulus of elasticity behavior, and fresh and physical properties were assessed in order to define the best mix proportions with respect to the predefined requirements of ordinary mixtures. Untreated recycled tire steel fibers (RTSF) were included in the developed sustainable concrete to perform a comparison of the physical properties with unreinforced concretes developed with natural aggregates (REF2) and with EAFS aggregates (EAFS8D1). This incorporation was intended to improve the physical behavior of unreinforced concretes with EAFS aggregates. Mixtures with high percentages of waste aggregates up to 70% (in weight), and 10% (in weight) of FA were obtained, showing competitive mechanical behavior compared to REF1 and REF2. These concrete compositions showed minimum and maximum compressive strengths between 9 MPa and 37 MPa, respectively. This study coverd the two major classes of concrete used as structural material, namely structural concrete and fiber reinforced concrete.
Technological and Functional Approaches Applied to Miniature Vessels with Pigment Traces: Two Middle Bronze Age Case Studies from Eastern Subcarpathians of Romania
Authors: Drob Ana , Vasilache Viorica , Bolohan Neculai
Published: February 2023

Vessels with a special shape have always been a point of interest for pottery studies, especially from the perspective of the distinct functionality that these pots would have had. The ceramic typologies made for the miniature finds specific to the Middle Bronze Age in the Eastern Carpathian area include a series of such vessels attributed to the Costișa communities. Currently, the role of these pots is still under debate, being classified as ritual or special, which led to two case studies focused on investigating these miniatures. The analyzed vessels come from the Piatra Neamț—Bâtca Doamnei and Siliștea—Pe Cetățuie settlements (Neamț County), where these containers were discovered with traces of pigment or in association with colored minerals. These findings led to a series of questions related to their use, as it is known that in the Middle Bronze Age there are not many archaeological discoveries that explain the presence of pigments in the studied area. In this sense, multiplication of information was achieved by performing detailed analyses, such as optical microscopy (texture and surface details), colorimetry CIE L*a*b* (color investigation), SEM-EDX (elemental composition) and µ-FTIR (chemical compounds). The results of the interdisciplinary study led to new data on the nature of the pigment and the method of preparation, and also clues on the source of the raw material. Thus, these items illustrate the special use of miniature vessels and their probable functions.
The Inhibition Effect and Mechnism of a Thiadiazole Derivative on Q235 Carbon Steel in 1 M HCl Solution
Authors: Zhou Yuxin , Tao Ji , Jin Dingshuainan , Zhang Shiping , He Yan , Niu Longlong
Published: February 2023

N,N-dihydroxyethyl-(5-methyl-[1,3,4] thiadiazol-2-sulfur)-carbonyl acetamide was synthesized and used as an inhibitor to protect Q235 carbon steel in a 1 M HCl solution. The results showed an increased inhibition efficiency with the increase in the concentration of this inhibitor, and an inhibition efficiency higher than 96% at 40 mg/L can be obtained from weight loss, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and potentiodynamic polarization results. The inhibition effect was determined by the adsorption film according to the surface morphology and elemental distribution of the carbon steel surface. The adsorption consists of physical adsorption and chemical adsorption in view of the free adsorption energy of −40.64 kJ/mol derived from the Langmuir adsorption isotherm line. The lone pair electrons of N, O and S and π electronics of double bonds in molecules form stable covalent coordination bonds with the empty d orbitals of iron atoms, which is beneficial to chemical adsorption of the inhibitor. The high inhibiton efficiency of this inhibitor is important for the potential application in pickling field.
Comparison of Single-Camera-Based Depth Estimation Technology for Digital Twin Model Synchronization of Underground Utility Tunnels
Authors: Park Sangmi , Hong Changhee , Hwang Inkyu , Lee Jaewook
Published: February 2023

Digital twin technology can be used for disaster safety management of underground utility tunnels, which are social infrastructures. To verify its efficiency in an underground utility tunnel, it must be implemented and monitored in the real world. Therefore, the state of information about an object and the position of an object in the real world, which can change upon movement, should be correspondingly reflected in the digital model. Underground utility tunnels are monitored through closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras because the main infrastructure facilities are installed in a long and narrow form, which limits access to them. Therefore, synchronization of a digital twin model of an underground utility tunnel requires a method for identifying the location of an object through an installed CCTV camera. This study compares the DenseDepth transfer learning method and the coordinate system conversion method through floor plan projection to estimate depth using a single CCTV camera installed in an underground utility tunnel. The coordinate system conversion method through floor plane projection showed an error of 0.23 m to 1.5 m within a 50 m range. The DenseDepth transfer learning method showed an error of 1 m to 3 m; therefore, it was considered unsuitable for distance estimation. The coordinate system conversion method through floor plane projection showed a smaller error even at a longer distance than the DenseDepth transfer learning method. Therefore, the coordinate system conversion method through floor plane projection was considered more suitable than the DenseDepth transfer learning method for depth estimation using a single camera.
Own Method of Forehead Skin-Sinus Fistula Treatment with Enabling and Maintaining Physiological Drainage in Overgrowing Inflammation of the Sinuses-A Case Report
Authors: Łapok Marek , Polguj Michał , Miłoński Jarosław , Kozakiewicz Marcin
Published: February 2023

Surgical treatment of craniofacial region diseases associated with soft tissue and bone loss is always a challenge for medical specialists. The paper reports a case of a 70-year-old patient who presented with a defect in the forehead area that had been dermatologically treated. Following clinical, laboratory and imaging diagnostics, the lesion was classified as skin sinus fistula. The case study analyzes overgrowth of the nasofrontal duct associated with the laryngological endoscopic procedure (restoring the patency of the frontal sinus was performed as the initial part of the treatment.) Maxillofacial surgeons made an attempt to create an acrylic “space maintainer” which can be used either temporarily or as the ultimate option. The manuscript also describes a method of multi-specialized surgical treatment and subsequent esthetic management with the use of an individualized epithesis for soft tissue replacement.
Alcohol Use and the Risk of Colorectal Liver Metastasis: A Systematic Mapping Review
Authors: Sapkota Roshan , Zakaria Joseph , Glenn Emily , Richard Heather , Rimawi Ahmad , Tobi Martin , McVicker Benita
Published: February 2023

The consumption of alcohol has long been associated with the development of liver disease as well as cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC). Leading healthcare concerns include the prevalent use of alcohol and the high burden of CRC mortality. Many CRC deaths are attributed to the development of colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) as the liver is the foremost site of CRC spread. However, an association has not been defined for the role of alcohol intake and related liver injury with the development of CRLM. Here, a mapping review of recent research was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of CRLM. The literature search revealed 14 articles meeting the inclusion criteria that included patient database analyses and preclinical studies. Most of the human data analyses found alcohol use independently associates with worse CRC outcomes. The preclinical evaluations identified several pathways involved in the alcohol-mediated promotion of CRLM burden and CRC cell metastatic behavior. The limited number of studies identified exposes a significant need for more prospective analyses to define the role of alcohol intake and advanced CRC as well as the translation of preclinical research to fully characterize targetable mechanisms for the generation of new therapeutic options.
Construction of Ovarian Cancer Prognostic Model Based on the Investigation of Ferroptosis-Related lncRNA
Authors: Yang Shaoyi , Ji Jie , Wang Meng , Nie Jinfu , Wang Shujie
Published: February 2023

(1) Background: Ovarian cancer (OV) has the high mortality rate among gynecological cancers worldwide. Inefficient early diagnosis and prognostic prediction of OV leads to poor survival in most patients. OV is associated with ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death. Ferroptosis, believed to be regulated by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), may have potential applications in anti-cancer treatments. In this study, we aimed to identify ferroptosis-related lncRNA signatures and develop a novel model for predicting OV prognosis. (2) Methods: We downloaded data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression, and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Prognostic lncRNAs were screened by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-Cox regression analysis, and a prognostic model was constructed. The model’s predictive ability was evaluated by Kaplan–Meier (KM) survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The expression levels of these lncRNAs included in the model were examined in normal and OV cell lines using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. (3) Results: We constructed an 18 lncRNA prognostic prediction model for OV based on ferroptosis-related lncRNAs from TCGA patient samples. This model was validated using TCGA and GEO patient samples. KM analysis showed that the prognostic model was able to significantly distinguish between high- and low-risk groups, corresponding to worse and better prognoses. Based on the ROC curves, our model shows stronger prediction precision compared with other traditional clinical factors. Immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoint expression levels, and Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion analyses are also insightful for OV immunotherapy. (4) Conclusions: The prognostic model constructed in this study has potential for improving our understanding of ferroptosis-related lncRNAs and providing a new tool for prognosis and immune response prediction in patients with OV.
An Experimental Study of the Applicability of the Outdoor Air Enthalpy Difference Method for Air Source Heat Pumps in Operation through In Situ Measurements
Authors: Son Jinwoong , Hong Junho , Aum Taeyun
Published: February 2023

This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of the outdoor air enthalpy difference method for air source heat pumps (ASHP) in operation through quantitative analysis using field tests. In this context, field measurements were performed on a single ASHP, and the results were compared with other in situ measurement methods. The main results are as follows. The analysis of the distribution of the discharge temperature of the outdoor unit suggested that the temperature between the hub and tip on the outlet of the outdoor unit can represent the discharge temperature, enabling further simplification of measurement procedures. The mean error of the average cooling capacity using the outdoor air enthalpy difference method was 8% compared to that of the in situ refrigerant enthalpy difference method. In summary, the in situ outdoor unit air enthalpy difference method may require additional measurements to increase reliability, but considering the advantage of relatively easy measurement, it is considered suitable for short-term in situ diagnosis of ASHP performance.
H2O2-Based Selective Oxidations Catalyzed by Supported Polyoxometalates: Recent Advances
Authors: Maksimchuk Nataliya V. , Kholdeeva Oxana A.
Published: February 2023

Polyoxometalates (POMs) are transition metal oxygen anionic clusters that are oxidatively and thermally robust due to their inorganic, metal oxide-like nature. The versatility of their structures and compositions ensures tunable acid and redox properties, solubility, and functionality. The potential of POMs as homogeneous catalysts and building blocks for the construction of heterogeneous selective oxidations catalysts is being intensively investigated. POM catalysts immobilized on solid supports have the clear advantages of easy separation and reuse and, thus, better meet the requests of sustainable chemistry, provided that they are leaching-resistant under the reaction conditions. Here, we give a brief overview of recent advances in the field of liquid-phase selective oxidation of organic compounds using supported POMs and the green oxidant–hydrogen peroxide, with a focus on the critical issues of the catalyst stability and reusability. The scope and limitations of various approaches to POM immobilization are discussed.
Multifunctional Superhydrophobic Platform for Control of Water Microdroplets by Non-Uniform Electrostatic Field
Authors: Pavliuk Georgii , Zhizhchenko Alexey , Vitrik Oleg
Published: February 2023

At the moment, manipulation of liquid microdroplets is required in various microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip devices, as well as advanced sensors. The platforms used for these purposes should provide the possibility of controlled selective movement and coalescence of droplets, and the manipulation speed should be sufficiently high (more than 10 mm/s). In addition, to facilitate their practical application, such platforms should have a simple planar geometry and low manufacturing cost. We report here a new method for microdroplet manipulation based on the use of non-uniform electrostatic fields. Our platform uses an electrode array embedded in a dielectric planar superhydrophobic substrate (50 × 50 mm). When a voltage is applied to a certain sequence of electrodes, a non-uniform electrostatic field is produced, which acts to attract a droplet on the substrate to the electrodes. This achieves a stepwise movement of the droplet. We realized non-contact, selective and high speed (up to 80 mm/s) movement of the individual droplets along specified trajectories (like a chess game) and their selective coalescence. It allowed us to demonstrate several controllable chemical reactions including an analytical one. In our opinion, this approach has a huge potential for chemical technology applications, especially in advanced sensors.
Capacitive Humidity Sensor with a Rapid Response Time on a GO-Doped P(VDF-TrFE)/LiCl Composite for Noncontact Sensing Applications
Authors: Ganbold Enkhzaya , Sharma Parshant Kumar , Kim Eun-Seong , Lee Do-Nam , Kim Nam-Young
Published: February 2023

Humidity-sensing devices are widely utilized in various fields, including the environment, industries, food processing, agriculture, and medical processes. In the past few years, the development of noncontact sensors based on moisture detection has increased rapidly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moisture-detection, noncontact and breath-monitoring sensors have promising applications in various fields. In this study, we proposed a rapid-response graphene oxide (GO)-doped P(VDF-TrFE)/LiCl nanocomposite-based moisture sensor fabricated on an interdigitated electrode. The synthesis of GO/P(VDF-TrFE)/LiCl resulted in a porous structure with nano-sized holes due to the effect of LiCl. Moreover, doped GO improved the conductivity of the sensing film. The created nanoporous structure improved the recovery time better than the response time, with the times being 4.8 s and 7.8 s, respectively. Not only did our sensor exhibit rapid response and recovery times, it also exhibited a high sensitivity of 1708.8 pF/%RH at 25% to 93%RH. We also presented a real-time breath-monitoring system for noncontact sensing applications based on GO-doped P(VDF-TrFE)/LiCl composites. The results revealed that GO-doped P(VDF-TrFE)/LiCl is a good candidate for fabricating real-time moisture-detection noncontact sensing devices.
Examining the Contributions of Parents’ Daily Hassles and Parenting Approaches to Children’s Behavior Problems during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Acar Ibrahim H. , Sezer Sevval Nur , Uculas İlayda , Unsal Fatma Ozge
Published: February 2023

The present study was designed to examine the direct and indirect contributions of parenting daily hassles and approaches to children’s externalizing and internalizing behavior problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample for this study was 338 preschool children (53.6% girls, Mage = 56.33 months, SD = 15.14) and their parents in Turkey. Parents reported their daily hassles, parenting approaches, and children’s behavior problems. Findings from the structural equation model showed that higher levels of parenting daily hassles predicted higher levels of externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. In addition, we found an indirect effect of daily hassles on children’s internalizing behaviors via positive parenting. Further, there was an indirect path from parenting daily hassles to children’s externalizing behaviors through the negative parenting approach. Results are discussed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Energy-Efficient Cluster Head Selection in Wireless Sensor Networks Using an Improved Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Rami Reddy Mandli , Ravi Chandra M. L. , Venkatramana P. , Dilli Ravilla
Published: February 2023

The internet of things (IoT) and industrial IoT (IIoT) play a major role in today’s world of intelligent networks, and they essentially use a wireless sensor network (WSN) as a perception layer to collect the intended data. This data is processed as information and send to cloud servers through a base station, the challenge here is the consumption of minimum energy for processing and communication. The dynamic formation of cluster heads and energy aware clustering schemes help in improving the lifetime of WSNs. In recent years, grey wolf optimization (GWO) became the most popular feature selection optimizing, swarm intelligent, and robust metaheuristics algorithm that gives competitive results with impressive characteristics. In spite of several studies in the literature to enhance the performance of the GWO algorithm, there is a need for further improvements in terms of feature selection, accuracy, and execution time. In this paper, we have proposed an energy-efficient cluster head selection using an improved version of the GWO (EECHIGWO) algorithm to alleviate the imbalance between exploitation and exploration, lack of population diversity, and premature convergence of the basic GWO algorithm. The primary goal of this paper is to enhance the energy efficiency, average throughput, network stability, and the network lifetime in WSNs with an optimal selection of cluster heads using the EECHIGWO algorithm. It considers sink distance, residual energy, cluster head balancing factor, and average intra-cluster distance as the parameters in selecting the cluster head. The proposed EECHIGWO-based clustering protocol has been tested in terms of the number of dead nodes, energy consumption, number of operating rounds, and the average throughput. The simulation results have confirmed the optimal selection of cluster heads with minimum energy consumption, resolved premature convergence, and enhanced the network lifetime by using minimum energy levels in WSNs. Using the proposed algorithm, there is an improvement in network stability of 169.29%, 19.03%, 253.73%, 307.89%, and 333.51% compared to the SSMOECHS, FGWSTERP, LEACH-PRO, HMGWO, and FIGWO protocols, respectively.
Low-Cost Production of Fe3O4/C Nanocomposite Anodes Derived from Banana Stem Waste Recycling for Sustainable Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Yodying Waewwow , Sarakonsri Thapanee , Ratsameetammajak Natthakan , Khunpakdee Kittiched , Haruta Mitsutaka , Autthawong Thanapat
Published: February 2023

The development of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has become an important aspect of advanced technologies. Although LIBS have already outperformed other secondary batteries, they still require improvement in various aspects. Most crucially, graphite, the commercial anode, has a lower capacity than emerging materials. The goal of this research is to develop carbon-based materials from sustainable sources. Banana stem waste was employed as a precursor because of its xylem structure and large surface area. In addition, catalytic graphitization of biomass yields both graphitic carbon and metal oxides, which can be converted into higher-capacity Fe3O4/C nanocomposites. The nanocomposites consist of nanoparticles distributed on the surface of the carbon sheet. It was found that Fe3O4/C nanocomposites not only achieved a superior specific capacity (405.6 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g), but also had good stability in long-term cycling (1000 cycles). Interestingly, they had a significantly greater capacity than graphite at a high current density (2 A/g), 172.8 mAh/g compared to 63.9 mAh/g. For these reasons, the simple preparation approach, with its environmental friendliness and low cost, can be employed to produce Fe3O4/C nanocomposites with good electrochemical properties. Thus, this approach may be applicable to varied biomasses. These newly developed Fe3O4/C nanocomposites derived from banana waste recycling were found to be suitable to be used as anodes for sustainable LIBs.
Behavioral Propagation Based on Passionate Psychology on Single Networks with Limited Contact
Authors: Liu Siyuan , Tian Yang , Zhu Xuzhen
Published: February 2023

Passionate psychology behavior is a common behavior in everyday society but has been rarely studied on complex networks; so, it needs to be explored in more scenarios. In fact, the limited contact feature network will be closer to the real scene. In this paper, we study the influence of sensitive behavior and the heterogeneity of individual contact ability in a single-layer limited-contact network, and propose a single-layer model with limited contact that includes passionate psychology behaviors. Then, a generalized edge partition theory is used to study the information propagation mechanism of the model. Experimental results show that a cross-phase transition occurs. In this model, when individuals display positive passionate psychology behaviors, the final spreading scope will show a second-order continuous increase. When the individual exhibits negative sensitive behavior, the final spreading scope will show a first-order discontinuous increase In addition, heterogeneity in individuals’ limited contact capabilities alters the speed of information propagation and the pattern of global adoption. Eventually, the outcomes of the theoretic analysis match those of the simulations.
Enhancing NOMA’s Spectrum Efficiency in a 5G Network through Cooperative Spectrum Sharing
Authors: Hassan Mohamed , Singh Manwinder , Hamid Khalid , Saeed Rashid , Abdelhaq Maha , Alsaqour Raed , Odeh Nidhal
Published: February 2023

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is one of the most effective techniques for meeting the spectrum efficiency (SE) requirements of 5G and beyond networks. This paper presents two novel methods for improving the SE of the downlink (DL) NOMA power domain (PD) integrated with a cooperative cognitive radio network (CCRN) in a 5G network using single-input and single-output (SISO), multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), and massive MIMO (M-MIMO) in the same network and in a single cell. In the first method, NOMA users compete for free channels in a competing channel (C-CH) on the CCRN. The second method provides NOMA users with a dedicated channel (D-CH) with high priority. The proposed methods are evaluated using the Matlab software program using the three scenarios with different distances, power location coefficients, and transmitting power. Four users are assumed to operate on 80 MHz bandwidths (BWs) and use the quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation technique in all three scenarios. Successive interference cancellation (SIC) and unstable channel conditions are also considered when evaluating the performance of the proposed system under the assumption of frequency selective Rayleigh fading. The best four-user SE performance obtained by user U4 was 3.9 bps/Hz/cell for SISO DL NOMA, 5.1 bps/Hz/cell for SISO DL NOMA with CCRN with C-CH, and 7.2 bps/Hz/cell for SISO DL NOMA with CCRN with D-CH at 40 dBm transmit power. While 64 × 64 MIMO DL NOMA improved SE performance of the best-use U4 by 51%, 64 × 64 MIMO DL NOMA with C-CH CCRN enhanced SE performance by 64%, and 64 × 64 MIMO DL NOMA with D-CH CCRN boosted performance by 65% SE compared to SISO DL NOMA at 40 dB transmit power. While 128 × 128 M-MIMO DL NOMA improved SE performance for the best U4 user by 79%, 128 × 128 M-MIMO DL NOMA with C-CH CCRN boosted SE performance by 85%, and 128 × 128 M-MIMO DL NOMA with D-CH CCRN enhanced SE performance by 86% when compared to SISO DL NOMA SE performance at 40 dB transmit power. We discovered that the second proposed method, when using D-CH with CCR-NOMA, produced the best SE performance for users. On the other hand, the spectral efficiency is significantly increased when applying MIMO and M-MIMO techniques.
ADSAttack: An Adversarial Attack Algorithm via Searching Adversarial Distribution in Latent Space
Authors: Wang Haobo , Zhu Chenxi , Cao Yangjie , Zhuang Yan , Li Jie , Chen Xianfu
Published: February 2023

Deep neural networks are susceptible to interference from deliberately crafted noise, which can lead to incorrect classification results. Existing approaches make less use of latent space information and conduct pixel-domain modification in the input space instead, which increases the computational cost and decreases the transferability. In this work, we propose an effective adversarial distribution searching-driven attack (ADSAttack) algorithm to generate adversarial examples against deep neural networks. ADSAttack introduces an affiliated network to search for potential distributions in image latent space for synthesizing adversarial examples. ADSAttack uses an edge-detection algorithm to locate low-level feature mapping in input space to sketch the minimum effective disturbed area. Experimental results demonstrate that ADSAttack achieves higher transferability, better imperceptible visualization, and faster generation speed compared to traditional algorithms. To generate 1000 adversarial examples, ADSAttack takes 11.08s and, on average, achieves a success rate of 98.01%.
ZSE-VITS: A Zero-Shot Expressive Voice Cloning Method Based on VITS
Authors: Li Jiaxin , Zhang Lianhai
Published: February 2023

Voice cloning aims to synthesize the voice with a new speaker’s timbre from a small amount of the new speaker’s speech. Current voice cloning methods, which focus on modeling speaker timbre, can synthesize speech with similar speaker timbres. However, the prosody of these methods is flat, lacking expressiveness and the ability to control the expressiveness of cloned speech. To solve this problem, we propose a novel method ZSE-VITS (zero-shot expressive VITS) based on the end-to-end speech synthesis model VITS. Specifically, we use VITS as the backbone network and add the speaker recognition model TitaNet as the speaker encoder to realize zero-shot voice cloning. We use explicit prosody information to avoid effects from the speaker information and adjust speech prosody using the prosody information prediction and prosody fusion methods directly. We widen the pitch distribution of the train datasets using pitch augmentation to improve the generalization ability of the prosody model, and we fine-tune the prosody predictor alone in the emotion corpus to learn prosody prediction of various styles. The objective and subjective evaluations of the open datasets show that our method can generate more expressive speech and adjust prosody information artificially without affecting the similarity of speaker timbre.
Price Dynamics and Interactions between the Chinese and European Carbon Emission Trading Markets
Authors: Cheng Qiyun , Qiao Huiting , Gu Yimiao , Chen Zhenxi
Published: February 2023

The European carbon emission trading market is the largest and most mature market, while China’s carbon market has a short history. Institutionally, cross-market transaction is infeasible between the two markets. This paper investigates the long-run trend between the two markets as well as the price dynamics. Results show that a long-run trend exists between the Chinese and European carbon markets. Both markets possess self-correction capability in reducing price deviations, signaling a certain level of market efficiency. However, both markets also exhibit pricing inefficiency as historical price movements are able to impact prices. The European market informationally leads the Chinese market. Policy implications are that China should further upgrade its information disclosure system, such as unifying information disclosure standards across industries, and further develop its carbon derivatives markets to improve market transparency and market competition.
Sustainable Energy Planning in a New Situation
Authors: Tsangas Michail , Papamichael Iliana , Zorpas Antonis A.
Published: February 2023

Energy is one of the most important aspects of urban development and technological advancements. As its production and consumption are connected to several environmental, social, and economic issues covering all three sustainability pillars, strategic and targeted energy planning is vital to the smooth transition towards a more efficient and greener society. In accordance with the specific priorities of every state, sustainable energy planning should also satisfy the international trends, requirements, and targets, including the global commitments for sustainable development. As of this time, energy transition with further deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency improvement are the priorities for a sustainable future. However, due to recent global events, a new situation has been established. The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine have caused new circumstances challenging the recognized approaches for an effective sustainable energy strategy. While the global pandemic led to a temporary reduction of energy use and created habits for further savings, the war caused energy security issues, especially for Europe, and an increase in energy prices. Moreover, both questioned the implementation of green energy strategies and policies and initiated energy poverty. In this framework, the perspectives of the criteria, on which the energy planning and the relevant research could lean, are investigated and discussed.
A Voltage Doubler Boost Converter Circuit for Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Systems
Authors: Haseeb Abdul , Edla Mahesh , Ucgul Mustafa , Santoso Fendy , Deguchi Mikio
Published: February 2023

This paper describes the detailed modelling of a vibration-based miniature piezoelectric device (PD) and the analysis modes of operation and control of a voltage doubler boost converter (VDBC) circuit to find the PD’s optimal operating conditions. The proposed VDBC circuit integrates a conventional voltage doubler (VD) circuit with a step-up DC-DC converter circuit in modes 1–4, while a non-linear synchronisation procedure of a conventional boost converter circuit is employed in modes 5–6. This integration acted as the voltage boost circuit without utilising duty cycles and complex auxiliary switching components. In addition, the circuit does not require external trigger signals to turn on the bidirectional switches. This facilitates the operation of VDBC circuit at very low AC voltage (Vac ≥ 0.5 V). Besides this, the electrical characteristics of VDBC circuit’s input (i.e., PD) perfectly concurs with the studied testing scenarios using impedance power sources (mechanical shaker). Firstly, the proposed circuit which can rectify the PD’s output was tested at both constant input voltage with varying excitation frequency and constant excitation frequency with varying input voltage. Next, a small-scale solar battery was charged to validate the feasibility of the performance of the proposed VDBC circuit. The proposed circuit achieved a maximum output voltage of 11.7 Vdc with an output power of 1.37 mW. In addition, the rectified voltage waveform is stable due to the sminimisation of the ripples. In addition, the performance of VDBC circuit was verified by comparing the achieved results with previously published circuits in the literature. The results show that the proposed VDBC circuit outperformed existing units as described in the literature regarding output voltage and power. The developed rectifier circuit is suitable for various real-life applications such as energy harvesting and battery charging.
Advanced Applications of Torrefied Biomass: A Perspective View
Authors: Doddapaneni Tharaka Rama Krishna C. , Kikas Timo
Published: February 2023

Because of the social, economic, and environmental issues linked with fossil resources, there is a global interest in finding alternative renewable and sustainable resources for energy and materials production. Biomass could be one such renewable material that is available in large quantities. However, biomass physicochemical properties are a challenge for its industrial application. Recently, the torrefaction process was developed to improve the fuel characteristics of biomass. However, in recent days, energy production has slowly been shifting towards solar and wind, and restrictions on thermal power plants are increasing. Thus, there will be a need to find alternative market opportunities for the torrefaction industry. In that regard, there is a quest to find alternative applications of torrefaction products other than energy production. This paper presents a couple of alternative applications of torrefied biomass. Torrefaction process can be used as a biomass pretreatment option for biochemical conversion processes. The other alternative applications of torrefied biomass are using it as a reducing agent in metallurgy, as a low-cost adsorbent, in carbon-black production, and as a filler material in plastics. The use of torrefied biomass in fermentation and steel production is validated through a few laboratory experiments, and the results are looking attractive. The lower sugar yield is the main challenge in the case of the microbial application of torrefied biomass. The lower mechanical strength is the challenge in the case of using it as a reducing agent in a blast furnace. To date, very few studies are available in the literature for all the highlighted applications of torrefied biomass. There is a need for extensive experimental validation to identify the operational feasibility of these applications.