bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surgical Antibiotic Prophylaxis: A Proposal for a Global Evidence-Based Bundle
Authors: Sartelli Massimo , Coccolini Federico , Labricciosa Francesco M. , Al Omari AbdelKarim. H. , Bains Lovenish , Baraket Oussama , Catarci Marco , Cui Yunfeng , Ferreres Alberto R. , Gkiokas George , Gomes Carlos Augusto , Hodonou Adrien M. , Isik Arda , Litvin Andrey , Lohsiriwat Varut , Kotecha Vihar , Khokha Vladimir , Kryvoruchko Igor A. , Machain Gustavo M. , O’Connor Donal B. , Olaoye Iyiade , Al-Omari Jamal A. K. , Pasculli Alessandro , Petrone Patrizio , Rickard Jennifer , Sall Ibrahima , Sawyer Robert G. , Téllez-Almenares Orlando , Catena Fausto , Siquini Walter
Published: January 2024

In the multimodal strategy context, to implement healthcare-associated infection prevention, bundles are one of the most commonly used methods to adapt guidelines in the local context and transfer best practices into routine clinical care. One of the most important measures to prevent surgical site infections is surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP). This narrative review aims to present a bundle for the correct SAP administration and evaluate the evidence supporting it. Surgical site infection (SSI) prevention guidelines published by the WHO, CDC, NICE, and SHEA/IDSA/APIC/AHA, and the clinical practice guidelines for SAP by ASHP/IDSA/SIS/SHEA, were reviewed. Subsequently, comprehensive searches were also conducted using the PubMed®/MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases, in order to identify further supporting evidence-based documentation. The bundle includes five different measures that may affect proper SAP administration. The measures included may be easily implemented in all hospitals worldwide and are based on minimal drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics knowledge, which all surgeons should know. Antibiotics for SAP should be prescribed for surgical procedures at high risk for SSIs, such as clean–contaminated and contaminated surgical procedures or for clean surgical procedures where SSIs, even if unlikely, may have devastating consequences, such as in procedures with prosthetic implants. SAP should generally be administered within 60 min before the surgical incision for most antibiotics (including cefazolin). SAP redosing is indicated for surgical procedures exceeding two antibiotic half-lives or for procedures significantly associated with blood loss. In principle, SAP should be discontinued after the surgical procedure. Hospital-based antimicrobial stewardship programmes can optimise the treatment of infections and reduce adverse events associated with antibiotics. In the context of a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, it is essential to encourage an institutional safety culture in which surgeons are persuaded, rather than compelled, to respect antibiotic prescribing practices. In that context, the proposed bundle contains a set of evidence-based interventions for SAP administration. It is easy to apply, promotes collaboration, and includes measures that can be adequately followed and evaluated in all hospitals worldwide.
Prolonged Supplementation of Ozonated Sunflower Oil Bestows an Antiaging Effect, Improves Blood Lipid Profile and Spinal Deformities, and Protects Vital Organs of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) against Age-Related Degeneration: Two-Years Consumption Study
Authors: Cho Kyung-Hyun , Bahuguna Ashutosh , Kang Dae-Jin , Kim Ji-Eun
Published: January 2024

Ozonated sunflower oil (OSO) is renowned for its diverse therapeutic benefits. Nonetheless, the consequences of extended dietary intake of OSO have yet to be thoroughly investigated. Herein, the effect of 2-year dietary supplementation of OSO was examined on the survivability, obesity, skeletal deformities, swimming behavior, and liver, kidney, ovary, and testis function of zebrafish. Results showed that the zebrafish feed supplemented with 20% (wt/wt) OSO for 2 years emerged with higher survivability and body weight management compared to sunflower oil (SO) and normal diet (ND)-supplemented zebrafish. Radio imaging (X-ray)-based analysis revealed 2.6° and 15.2° lower spinal curvature in the OSO-supplemented groups than in the SO and ND-supplemented groups; consistently, OSO-supplemented zebrafish showed better swimming behavior. The histology analysis of the liver revealed the least fatty liver change and interleukin (IL)-6 generation in the OSO-supplemented group. Additionally, a significantly lower level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), apoptotic, and senescent cells were observed in the liver of the OSO-supplemented zebrafish. Also, no adverse effect on the kidney, testis, and ovary morphology was detected during 2 years of OSO consumption. Moreover, lower senescence with diminished ROS and apoptosis was noticed in the kidney and ovary in response to OSO consumption. The OSO supplementation was found to be effective in countering age-associated dyslipidemia by alleviating total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoproteins (LDL-C) and elevating high-density lipoproteins (HDL-C)/TC levels. Conclusively, prolonged OSO consumption showed no adverse effect on the morphology and functionality of vital organs; in fact, OSO supplementation displayed a protective effect against age-associated detrimental effects on spinal deformities, vital organ functionality, cell senescence, and the survivability of zebrafish.
Query Optimization in Distributed Database Based on Improved Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm
Authors: Du Yan , Cai Zhi , Ding Zhiming
Published: January 2024

Query optimization is one of the key factors affecting the performance of database systems that aim to enact the query execution plan with minimum cost. Particularly in distributed database systems, due to the multiple copies of the data that are stored in different data nodes, resulting in the dramatic increase in the feasible query execution plans for a query statement. Because of the increasing volume of stored data, the cluster size of distributed databases also increases, resulting in poor performance of current query optimization algorithms. In this case, a dynamic perturbation-based artificial bee colony algorithm is proposed to solve the query optimization problem in distributed database systems. The improved artificial bee colony algorithm improves the global search capability by combining the selection, crossover, and mutation operators of the genetic algorithm to overcome the problem of falling into the local optimal solution easily. At the same time, the dynamic perturbation factor is introduced so that the algorithm parameters can be dynamically varied along with the process of iteration as well as the convergence degree of the whole population to improve the convergence efficiency of the algorithm. Finally, comparative experiments conducted to assess the average execution cost of Top-k query plans generated by the algorithms and the convergence speed of algorithms under the conditions of query statements in six different dimension sets. The results demonstrate that the Top-k query plans generated by the proposed method have a lower execution cost and a faster convergence speed, which can effectively improve the query efficiency. However, this method requires more execution time.
Comparison of Unsteady Low- and Mid-Fidelity Propeller Aerodynamic Methods for Whirl Flutter Applications
Authors: Koch Christopher , Böhnisch Nils , Verdonck Hendrik , Hach Oliver , Braun Carsten
Published: January 2024

Aircraft configurations with propellers have been drawing more attention in recent times, partly due to new propulsion concepts based on hydrogen fuel cells and electric motors. These configurations are prone to whirl flutter, which is an aeroelastic instability affecting airframes with elastically supported propellers. It commonly needs to be mitigated already during the design phase of such configurations, requiring, among other things, unsteady aerodynamic transfer functions for the propeller. However, no comprehensive assessment of unsteady propeller aerodynamics for aeroelastic analysis is available in the literature. This paper provides a detailed comparison of nine different low- to mid-fidelity aerodynamic methods, demonstrating their impact on linear, unsteady aerodynamics, as well as whirl flutter stability prediction. Quasi-steady and unsteady methods for blade lift with or without coupling to blade element momentum theory are evaluated and compared to mid-fidelity potential flow solvers (UPM and DUST) and classical, derivative-based methods. Time-domain identification of frequency-domain transfer functions for the unsteady propeller hub loads is used to compare the different methods. Predictions of the minimum required pylon stiffness for stability show good agreement among the mid-fidelity methods. The differences in the stability predictions for the low-fidelity methods are higher. Most methods studied yield a more unstable system than classical, derivative-based whirl flutter analysis, indicating that the use of more sophisticated aerodynamic modeling techniques might be required for accurate whirl flutter prediction.
Cement Pastes with Hygroscopic Polymeric Additions for Potential Building Applications
Authors: Di Maggio Rosa , Maracchini Gianluca , Cotini Oscar , Albatici Rossano
Published: January 2024

The development of highly predictive analysis for designing cementitious composite with improved thermal and hygroscopic performance for building and construction poses a significant challenge. To investigate new potential applications, cement pastes have been prepared using a cement, sand, and crystallization admixture, with highly hygroscopic polymer additions (SA-PA) of sodium polyacrylate and/or recycled polyamide fibers. The porosity evolution was investigated at different curing stages and after heat treatment at 200 °C, the temperature at which the paste dehydrates quickly without structural changes. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic shear tests, thermal conductivity, and diffusivity measurements were carried out on the cement pastes to assess their microstructure. The behavior of the cement pastes varied with polymer additions and thermal treatments; ka−0.5 must be maximized in heat storage applications, where a and k are thermal diffusivity and conductivity, respectively. In contrast, the product a0.5k−1 must be maximized in energy-efficient insulation. Cement pastes with SA-PA exhibited the highest values of both 9.191 102 m−2 K−1 s0.5 W and 1.088 10−3 m2 K s−0.5 W−1, respectively. After the thermal treatment at 200 °C, SA-PA samples maintained the highest heat-storing performance of 6.258 102 m−2 K−1 s0.5 W, while the samples with SA-PA and polyamide fibers performed better in energy-efficient insulation, demonstrating performance of 2.552 10−3 m2 K s−0.5 W−1. These results, discussed in terms of pore size distribution, suggest potential applications in the building field and are valuable for designing plaster and concrete for applications such as thermal and hygroscopic control.
Temperature Prediction of a Temperature-Controlled Container with Cold Energy Storage System Based on Long Short-Term Memory Neural Network
Authors: Guo Jiaming , Liu Dongfeng , Lin Shitao , Lin Jicheng , Zhen Wenbin
Published: January 2024

Temperature prediction is important for controlling the environment in the preservation of fresh products. The phase change materials for cold storage make the heat transfer process complex, and the use of physical models for characterization and temperature prediction can be challenging. In order to predict the variation of the thermal environment in a temperature-controlled container with a cold energy storage system, we propose an LSTM model based on historical temperature data in which the trends of temperature variations of the fresh-keeping area, the phase change material (PCM), and the fresh products can be predicted immediately without considering the complex heat transfer process. An experimental platform of a temperature-controlled container with a cold energy storage system is built to obtain the experimental data for the prediction model’s construction and validation. The prediction results based on the LSTM model are compared to the results of a physical model. In order to optimize the input data for better prediction performance, the proportion of input samples from the dataset is set to 80%, 50%, 20%, and 10%. The prediction results from different input groups are compared and analyzed. The results show that the LSTM model is able to accurately predict temperature variations of the fresh-keeping area and products, and the predicted values are in agreement with the actual values. The LSTM-based prediction model has a higher accuracy compared to the physical-based prediction model; the RMSE, MAE, and MAPE are 0.105, 0.103, and 0.010, respectively, and the relative error for the prediction of effective control hours of environmental temperature is 0.92%. It is suggested to use the initial 20% of the historical temperature data as the input to predict the future temperature variation for better prediction performance. The results of this paper offer valuable insights for accurate temperature prediction in the fresh-keeping environment with a cold energy storage system.
Accurate Prediction of Dissolved Oxygen in Perch Aquaculture Water by DE-GWO-SVR Hybrid Optimization Model
Authors: Bao Xingsheng , Jiang Yilun , Zhang Lintong , Liu Bo , Chen Linjie , Zhang Wenqing , Xie Lihang , Liu Xinze , Qu Fangfang , Wu Renye
Published: January 2024

In order to realize the accurate and reliable prediction of the change trend of dissolved oxygen (DO) content in California perch aquaculture water, this paper proposes a second-order hybrid optimization support vector machine (SVR) model based on Differential Evolution (DE) and Gray Wolf Optimizer (GWO), shortened to DE-GWO-SVR, to predict the DO content with the characteristics of nonlinear and non-smooth water quality data. Experimentally, data for the water quality, including pH, water temperature, conductivity, salinity, total dissolved solids, and DO, were collected. Pearson’s correlation coefficient (PPMCC) was applied to explore the correlation between each water quality parameter and DO content. The optimal DE-GWO-SVR model was established and compared with models based on SVR, back-propagation neural network (BPNN), and their optimization models. The results show that the DE-GWO-SVR model proposed in this paper can effectively realize the nonlinear prediction and global optimization performance. Its R2, MSE, MAE and RMSE can be up to 0.94, 0.108, 0.2629, and 0.3293, respectively, which is better than those of other models. This research provides guidance for the efficient prediction of DO in perch aquaculture water bodies for increasing the aquaculture effectiveness and reducing the aquaculture risk, providing a new exploratory path for water quality monitoring.
Experimental Study on the Identification and Diagnosis of Dynamic Crack Propagation in the Piston Rods of Process Gas Compressors in Underground Gas Storage
Authors: Li Xueying , Chen Ziying , Wu Shuang , Guo Yi , Jia Xiaohan , Peng Xueyuan
Published: January 2024

Ensuring the reliability of process gas compressors is critical for underground gas storage, as piston rod fractures can lead to serious accidents, such as natural gas leaks or explosions. On-time monitoring and early detection play a vital role in preventing catastrophic consequences, minimising costs, and reducing production losses due to unplanned downtime. This study presents a novel accelerated life-testing method designed to replicate the fracture events of reciprocating compressor piston rods. By accelerating the induced crack initiation and propagation to the final fracture, comprehensive analyses of the fracture results are performed to reveal the piston rod fracture mechanism and the resulting secondary damage to the unit. The research further presents an innovative approach for identifying piston rod crack propagation by means of acoustic emission. Through kinetic analysis and time–frequency domain analysis, the study elucidates two mechanisms responsible for triggering crack signals during the compressor operation: the contact impact between the crosshead pin and the bearing due to the piston rod load reversal, and crack propagation occurring before the maximum tensile load is reached. In addition, the study identifies the piston rod crack expansion signal frequency band and achieves a high-sensitivity identification of crack dynamic growth by extracting signal sub-band features associated with crack propagation. Then, a prediction model of the fatigue crack growth rate was established based on the AE energy release rate, which provides a quantitative assessment of dynamic crack propagation during compression. This method aims to provide a maintenance strategy for piston rod fractures, thereby increasing the operational safety of critical dynamic equipment in underground gas storage.
Analysis of Lateral Forces for Assessment of Safety against Derailment of the Specialized Train Composition for the Transportation of Long Rails
Authors: Stoilov Valeri , Sinapov Petko , Slavchev Svetoslav , Maznichki Vladislav , Purgic Sanel
Published: January 2024

This study proposes a theoretical method for evaluating the “safety against derailment” indicator of a specialized train composition for the transportation of very long rails. A composition of nine wagons, suitable for the transportation of rails with a length of 120 m in three layers, is considered. For the remaining recommended rail lengths, the number of wagons is reduced or increased, with the calculation model being modified depending on the required configuration. When the composition is in a curve with the minimum radius (R = 150 m), the rails bend, and some of them come into contact with the vertical stanchions of the wagon and cause additional lateral forces. These forces are then transferred through the wagon body, central pivot, bogie frame, and wheels and act on the wheel–rail contact points. They could potentially lead to derailment of the train composition. The goal of this study is to determine the additional lateral forces that arise because of the bent rails. For the purposes of this study, the finite element method was used. Based on the displacements of the support points of the rails (caused by the geometry of the curve), the bending line of the elastic load is determined and the forces in the supports are calculated. The resulting forces are considered when determining the derailment safety criterion. The analysis of the results shows that the wagon with fixing blocks is the most at risk of derailment. The front and intermediate wagons have criterion values very close to that of the empty wagon. This shows that the emerging horizontal elastic forces do not significantly influence the derailment process. The obtained results show that the transportation of long rails with specialized train composition can be realized on four layers. This will significantly increase the efficiency of delivering new long rails.
An Analysis of Visibility Requirements and Reaction Times of Near-Field Projections
Authors: Schlürscheid Tabea , Stuckert Alexander , Erkan Anil , Khanh Tran Quoc
Published: January 2024

Successful communication between highly automated vehicles and vulnerable road users will be crucial in the future. In addition to the technical requirements of the communication system, the projected content is also essential to ensure successful communication. For this purpose, previous studies have investigated the necessary technical requirements for near-field projections. However, the impact of the presentation content, whether symbol- or text-based, on the technological domain, has yet to be investigated. Therefore, a psychophysical subject study investigated the necessary detection probability for symbol- and text-based projection in the near-field of a vehicle. The visibility of symbol- and text-based projections were analyzed by the subject’s detection rate of the tested projection in an ambient lighting scenario of 20 lx at two different distances. Additionally, the corresponding reaction time of the subjects was measured. The results of the subject study showed that, contrarily, an arbitrary increase does not reduce the reaction time and thus saturates at a level of 650 ms before the 90% detection threshold for both projection contents. The observed detection contrast indicates that symbol-based projections need approximately 25% less contrast level than text-based projections to reach a 90% detection rate.
Hygroscopicity and Morphology of Bio-Based Boards—The Influence of the Formulation
Authors: Cintura Eleonora , Nunes Lina , Molari Luisa , Bettuzzi Matteo , Morigi Maria Pia , Brancaccio Rosa , Faria Paulina
Published: January 2024

The internal structures and the hygroscopicity of bio-based boards consisting of giant reed (Arundo donax L.) and hazelnut shells as bio-aggregates, and a sodium silicate solution as the adhesive, were investigated. The aim was to evaluate the influence of each material (the bio-aggregates and adhesive) and their distributions in the boards on the final performance. By carrying out X-ray computed tomography, the internal structures and the porosities of the boards were determined, allowing important considerations of their hygroscopicity. The voids’ percentages were between 26% and 36% of the total volume of the composites. Both the materials and the composites demonstrated high hygroscopicity. In particular, the mixtures of the bio-aggregates and the sodium silicate allowed reaching a moisture buffering value of 7.44 g/(m2%RH) for the A. donax-based composite, 3.86 g/(m2%RH) for the hazelnut-shell-based composite, and 4.65 g/(m2%RH) for the mixture-based composite. Besides the identification of the contributions of the materials, a detailed discussion of the assessed properties was carried out to use these bio-based boards in vernacular historic construction. The results show how the aggregate type and the adhesive content affected the final behavior, demonstrating the importance of a conscious material choice. Furthermore, helpful information for the future development of these types of bio-based boards and their possible optimization was provided.
Operation of DR–HVdc-Connected Grid-Forming Wind Turbine Converters Using Robust Loop-Shaping Controllers
Authors: Martínez-Turégano Jaime , Sala Antonio , Blasco-Gimenez Ramon , Blanes Carlos
Published: January 2024

Off-shore wind power plants can be connected to the on-shore grid using diode rectifier HVdc links. As diode rectifiers are passive converters, off-shore WPPs require grid-forming capability. This paper shows how to improve the WTG dynamic response and the voltage and current harmonic rejection by using H∞-based controllers. The paper explains how to synthesise three different H∞ voltage controllers: the first is a single-loop H∞ controller, the second is a cascaded H∞ controller and the third is a proportional–resonant controller that is optimised using H∞ synthesis. The three H∞-based controllers improve the performance and the robustness obtained with a benchmark case PR controller tuned using the root locus technique. All the controllers are designed in continuous time and implemented in discrete time, applying bilinear discretisation with a sampling rate of 0.25 ms. Detailed PSCAD simulations validate the improvement of the performance and robustness, as well as an improvement in the harmonic rejection. The single H∞ controller shows the best combined characteristics of all tried controllers, at the expense of losing the separation between voltage and current control loops.
Research on the Arrangement of Additional Source for Large Space Protection of an Active Noise Barrier
Authors: Wang Yanpeng , Chang Zhibo , Chen Guoqiang , Liu Jiahao
Published: January 2024

When active noise control technology is applied to traffic noise control, additional sources are often added to the facade of the barrier, and error sensors are placed in the protected area. The noise reduction effect in the area without error sensors is often ignored. In this paper, the effect of the additional source configuration on the sound field in the space without error sensors is researched. By analyzing the directivity and distribution of the sound field at the top of the barrier under various conditions, it is believed that the optimal location of the additional source is related to the height of the primary source and the barrier. An approximate model is established to evaluate the optimal location of the additional source for achieving a good noise reduction effect in a large space. Experiments are also carried out to verify the model. The conclusions are beneficial for improving the noise reduction effect in the area higher than the barrier and without error microphones.
Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) Aid in the Management of Apical Root Resorption of Impacted Maxillary Canines and Physiologically Erupted Maxillary Canines after Orthodontic Treatment
Authors: Bianco Edoardo , Mirabelli Luca , Basilicata Michele , Bruno Giovanni , De Stefani Alberto , Du Linda , Maddalone Marcello
Published: January 2024

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of orthodontic traction, by means of light and controlled forces, on root length in impacted maxillary canines and physiologically erupted maxillary canines. Disinclusion of impacted maxillary canines is a frequent procedure in orthodontics due to their higher incidence of impaction. The effects of orthodontic traction, by means of light and controlled forces, can lead to a resorption of the root length in impacted and physiologically erupted teeth. Therefore, apical root resorption is a common phenomenon that must be taken into consideration. Apical root resorption measurements were taken using pre-treatment CBCTs and pre-treatment and post-treatment digital panoramic radiographs of 52 patients who underwent fixed-appliance treatment by using light and controlled orthodontic forces. The experimental group consisted of 26 patients with one impacted maxillary canine. The control group consisted of 26 patients without any impaction. Apical root resorption was calculated from root lengths before and after orthodontic treatment. In the experimental group, impacted canines with incomplete apical formation underwent root elongation, while impacted canines with completed root formation went through apical root resorption. The latter showed a slightly greater apical root resorption (0.2 mm) compared to the control group (95% confidence interval; p = 0.04). The extent of root resorption of impacted canines was significantly higher than that of physiologically erupted ones. However, this differential resorption did not compromise the structural and functional integrity of the involved teeth. The orthodontic treatment performed with light and controlled forces is, therefore, a procedure to be considered acceptable and safe.
Development of a Standardised International Protocol for Evaluation of the Disinfection Efficacy of Healthcare Laundry Wash Processes
Authors: Owen Lucy , Cayrou Caroline , Page Georgina , Grootveld Martin , Laird Katie
Published: January 2024

This research aims to develop a standardised protocol for monitoring the disinfection efficacy of healthcare laundry processes in view of numerous differential methodologies currently being employed within the healthcare laundry sector, including agitation and surface sampling for post-laundering decontamination assessment and swatch and bioindicator testing for in-wash-process efficacy. Enterococcus faecium as an indicator species within industrial wash systems is preferable due to its high thermal and disinfectant tolerance. Methods for measuring laundry disinfection were compared; commercially available E. faecium bioindicators and contaminated cotton swatches (loose, in cloth bags or within nylon membranes) were laundered industrially at ambient temperature and microbial recovery determined. E. faecium was lost from cotton during laundering but retained by the bioindicator membrane, which allows disinfection efficacy to be measured without loss of microorganisms from the test swatch. Commercially available bioindicators were only permeable to disinfectants and detergents at ≥60 °C. Subsequently, polyethersulphone membranes for enclosing contaminated swatches were developed for low-temperature laundering, with permeability to industrial laundry chemistries at below ≤60 °C. This study demonstrates that bioindicators are the recommended methodology for laundry disinfection validation. The use of a universal healthcare laundry disinfection methodology will lead to standardised microbiological testing across the industry and improvements in infection control.
A Hybrid Deep Learning Algorithm for Tropospheric Zenith Wet Delay Modeling with the Spatiotemporal Variation Considered
Authors: Wu Yin , Huang Lu , Feng Wei , Tian Su
Published: January 2024

The tropospheric Zenith Wet Delay (ZWD) is one of the primary sources of error in Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Precise ZWD modeling is essential for GNSS positioning and Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV) retrieval. However, the ZWD modeling is challenged due to the high spatiotemporal variability of water vapor, especially in low latitudes and specific climatic regions. Traditional ZWD models make it difficult to accurately fit the nonlinear variations in ZWD in these areas. A hybrid deep learning algorithm is developed for high-precision ZWD modeling, which considers the spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of ZWD. The Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) are combined in the proposed algorithm to make a novel architecture, namely, the hybrid CNN-LSTM (CL) algorithm, combining CNN for local spatial feature extracting and LSTM for complex sequence dependency training. Data from 46 radiosonde sites in South America spanning from 2015 to 2021 are used to develop models of ZWD under three strategies, i.e., model CL-A without surface parameters, model CL-B with surface temperature, and model CL-C introducing surface temperature and water vapor pressure. The modeling accuracy of the proposed models is validated using the data from 46 radiosonde sites in 2022. The results indicate that CL-A demonstrates slightly better accuracy compared to the Global Pressure and Temperature 3 (GPT3) model; CL-B shows a precision increase of 14% compared to the Saastamoinen model, and CL-C exhibits accuracy improvements of 30% and 12% compared to the Saastamoinen and Askne and Nordius (AN) model, respectively. Evaluating the models’ generalization capabilities at non-modeled sites in South America, data from six sites in 2022 were used. CL-A shows overall better performance compared to the GPT3 model; CL-B’s accuracy is 19% better than the Saastamoinen model, and CL-C’s accuracy is enhanced by 33% and 10% compared to the Saastamoinen and AN model, respectively. Additionally, the proposed hybrid algorithm demonstrates a certain degree of improvement in both modeling accuracy and generalization accuracy for the South American region compared to individual CNN and LSTM algorithm.
Modeling the Normalized Urban Heat Island for the City of Karlsruhe by Linking Urban Morphology and Green Infrastructure
Authors: Gangwisch Marcel , Ludwig Svenja , Matzarakis Andreas
Published: January 2024

Citizens in urban areas are affected by the urban heat island (UHI) effect, resulting in increased thermal heat compared to rural areas. This threat is exacerbated by global climate change. Therefore, it is necessary to assess human thermal comfort and risk for decision making. This is important for planners (climate resilience), the health sector (information for vulnerable people), tourism, urban designers (aesthetics), and building architects. Urban structures modify local meteorological parameters and thus human thermal comfort at the microscale. Knowledge of the pattern of a city’s UHI is typically limited. Based on previous research, generalized additive models (GAMs) were built to predict the spatial pattern of the UHI in the city of Karlsruhe. The models were trained with administrative, remotely sensed, and land use and land cover geodata, and validated with measurements in Freiburg. This identified the hot and cold spots and the need for further urban planning in the city. The model had some limitations regarding water bodies and anthropogenic heat production, but it was well suited for applications in mid-latitude cities which are not topographically characterized. The model can potentially be used for other cities (e.g., in heat health action plans) as the training data are freely available.
Hyper-Heuristic Approach for Tuning Parameter Adaptation in Differential Evolution
Authors: Stanovov Vladimir , Kazakovtsev Lev , Semenkin Eugene
Published: January 2024

Differential evolution (DE) is one of the most promising black-box numerical optimization methods. However, DE algorithms suffer from the problem of control parameter settings. Various adaptation methods have been proposed, with success history-based adaptation being the most popular. However, hand-crafted designs are known to suffer from human perception bias. In this study, our aim is to design automatically a parameter adaptation method for DE with the use of the hyper-heuristic approach. In particular, we consider the adaptation of scaling factor F, which is the most sensitive parameter of DE algorithms. In order to propose a flexible approach, a Taylor series expansion is used to represent the dependence between the success rate of the algorithm during its run and the scaling factor value. Moreover, two Taylor series are used for the mean of the random distribution for sampling F and its standard deviation. Unlike most studies, the Student’s t distribution is applied, and the number of degrees of freedom is also tuned. As a tuning method, another DE algorithm is used. The experiments performed on a recently proposed L-NTADE algorithm and two benchmark sets, CEC 2017 and CEC 2022, show that there is a relatively simple adaptation technique with the scaling factor changing between 0.4 and 0.6, which enables us to achieve high performance in most scenarios. It is shown that the automatically designed heuristic can be efficiently approximated by two simple equations, without a loss of efficiency.
CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Generation of Mutant Lines in Medicago truncatula Indicates a Symbiotic Role of MtLYK10 during Nodule Formation
Authors: Zhang Chun-Xiao , Li Ru-Jie , Baude Laura , Reinhardt Didier , Xie Zhi-Ping , Staehelin Christian
Published: January 2024

CRISPR/Cas9 systems are commonly used for plant genome editing; however, the generation of homozygous mutant lines in Medicago truncatula remains challenging. Here, we present a CRISPR/Cas9-based protocol that allows the efficient generation of M. truncatula mutants. Gene editing was performed for the LysM receptor kinase gene MtLYK10 and two major facilitator superfamily transporter genes. The functionality of CRISPR/Cas9 vectors was tested in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves by editing a co-transformed GUSPlus gene. Transformed M. truncatula leaf explants were regenerated to whole plants at high efficiency (80%). An editing efficiency (frequency of mutations at a given target site) of up to 70% was reached in the regenerated plants. Plants with MtLYK10 knockout mutations were propagated, and three independent homozygous mutant lines were further characterized. No off-target mutations were identified in these lyk10 mutants. Finally, the lyk10 mutants and wild-type plants were compared with respect to the formation of root nodules induced by nitrogen-fixing Sinorhizobium meliloti bacteria. Nodule formation was considerably delayed in the three lyk10 mutant lines. Surprisingly, the size of the rare nodules in mutant plants was higher than in wild-type plants. In conclusion, the symbiotic characterization of lyk10 mutants generated with the developed CRISPR/Cas9 protocol indicated a role of MtLYK10 in nodule formation.
Microalgae Inoculation Significantly Shapes the Structure, Alters the Assembly Process, and Enhances the Stability of Bacterial Communities in Shrimp-Rearing Water
Authors: Lian Chen , Xiang Jie , Cai Huifeng , Ke Jiangdong , Ni Heng , Zhu Jinyong , Zheng Zhongming , Lu Kaihong , Yang Wen
Published: January 2024

Intensive shrimp farming may lead to adverse environmental consequences due to discharged water effluent. Inoculation of microalgae can moderate the adverse effect of shrimp-farming water. However, how bacterial communities with different lifestyles (free-living (FL) and particle-attached (PA)) respond to microalgal inoculation is unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effects of two microalgae (Nannochloropsis oculata and Thalassiosira weissflogii) alone or in combination in regulating microbial communities in shrimp-farmed water and their potential applications. PERMANOVA revealed significant differences among treatments in terms of time and lifestyle. Community diversity analysis showed that PA bacteria responded more sensitively to different microalgal treatments than FL bacteria. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that the bacterial community was majorly influenced by environmental factors, compared to microalgal direct influence. Moreover, the neutral model analysis and the average variation degree (AVD) index indicated that the addition of microalgae affected the bacterial community structure and stability during the stochastic process, and the PA bacterial community was the most stable with the addition of T. weissflogii. Therefore, the present study revealed the effects of microalgae and nutrient salts on bacterial communities in shrimp aquaculture water by adding microalgae to control the process of community change. This study is important for understanding the microbial community assembly and interpreting complex interactions among zoo-, phyto-, and bacterioplankton in shrimp aquaculture ecosystems. Additionally, these findings may contribute to the sustainable development of shrimp aquaculture and ecosystem conservation.
Mitochondria Play Essential Roles in Intracellular Protection against Oxidative Stress—Which Molecules among the ROS Generated in the Mitochondria Can Escape the Mitochondria and Contribute to Signal Activation in Cytosol?
Authors: Masuda Daisuke , Nakanishi Ikuo , Ohkubo Kei , Ito Hiromu , Matsumoto Ken-ichiro , Ichikawa Hiroshi , Chatatikun Moragot , Klangbud Wiyada Kwanhian , Kotepui Manas , Imai Motoki , Kawakami Fumitaka , Kubo Makoto , Matsui Hirofumi , Tangpong Jitbanjong , Ichikawa Takafumi , Ozawa Toshihiko , Yen Hsiu-Chuan , St Clair Daret K. , Indo Hiroko P. , Majima Hideyuki J.
Published: January 2024

Questions about which reactive oxygen species (ROS) or reactive nitrogen species (RNS) can escape from the mitochondria and activate signals must be addressed. In this study, two parameters, the calculated dipole moment (debye, D) and permeability coefficient (Pm) (cm s−1), are listed for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hydroxyl radical (•OH), superoxide (O2•−), hydroperoxyl radical (HO2•), nitric oxide (•NO), nitrogen dioxide (•NO2), peroxynitrite (ONOO−), and peroxynitrous acid (ONOOH) in comparison to those for water (H2O). O2•− is generated from the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), and several other ROS and RNS can be generated subsequently. The candidates which pass through the mitochondrial membrane include ROS with a small number of dipoles, i.e., H2O2, HO2•, ONOOH, •OH, and •NO. The results show that the dipole moment of •NO2 is 0.35 D, indicating permeability; however, •NO2 can be eliminated quickly. The dipole moments of •OH (1.67 D) and ONOOH (1.77 D) indicate that they might be permeable. This study also suggests that the mitochondria play a central role in protecting against further oxidative stress in cells. The amounts, the long half-life, the diffusion distance, the Pm, the one-electron reduction potential, the pKa, and the rate constants for the reaction with ascorbate and glutathione are listed for various ROS/RNS, •OH, singlet oxygen (1O2), H2O2, O2•−, HO2•, •NO, •NO2, ONOO−, and ONOOH, and compared with those for H2O and oxygen (O2). Molecules with negative electrical charges cannot directly diffuse through the phospholipid bilayer of the mitochondrial membranes. Short-lived molecules, such as •OH, would be difficult to contribute to intracellular signaling. Finally, HO2• and ONOOH were selected as candidates for the ROS/RNS that pass through the mitochondrial membrane.
Deep Machine Learning for Medical Diagnosis, Application to Lung Cancer Detection: A Review
Authors: Gayap Hadrien T. , Akhloufi Moulay A.
Published: January 2024

Deep learning has emerged as a powerful tool for medical image analysis and diagnosis, demonstrating high performance on tasks such as cancer detection. This literature review synthesizes current research on deep learning techniques applied to lung cancer screening and diagnosis. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art in deep learning for lung cancer detection, highlighting key advances, limitations, and future directions. We prioritized studies utilizing major public datasets, such as LIDC, LUNA16, and JSRT, to provide a comprehensive overview of the field. We focus on deep learning architectures, including 2D and 3D convolutional neural networks (CNNs), dual-path networks, Natural Language Processing (NLP) and vision transformers (ViT). Across studies, deep learning models consistently outperformed traditional machine learning techniques in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for lung cancer detection in CT scans. This is attributed to the ability of deep learning models to automatically learn discriminative features from medical images and model complex spatial relationships. However, several challenges remain to be addressed before deep learning models can be widely deployed in clinical practice. These include model dependence on training data, generalization across datasets, integration of clinical metadata, and model interpretability. Overall, deep learning demonstrates great potential for lung cancer detection and precision medicine. However, more research is required to rigorously validate models and address risks. This review provides key insights for both computer scientists and clinicians, summarizing progress and future directions for deep learning in medical image analysis.
Reagentless Vis-NIR Spectroscopy Point-of-Care for Feline Total White Blood Cell Counts
Authors: Barroso Teresa Guerra , Queirós Carla , Monteiro-Silva Filipe , Santos Filipe , Gregório António Hugo , Martins Rui Costa
Published: January 2024

Spectral point-of-care technology is reagentless with minimal sampling (<10 μL) and can be performed in real-time. White blood cells are non-dominant in blood and in spectral information, suffering significant interferences from dominant constituents such as red blood cells, hemoglobin and billirubin. White blood cells of a bigger size can account for 0.5% to 22.5% of blood spectra information. Knowledge expansion was performed using data augmentation through the hybridization of 94 real-world blood samples into 300 synthetic data samples. Synthetic data samples are representative of real-world data, expanding the detailed spectral information through sample hybridization, allowing us to unscramble the spectral white blood cell information from spectra, with correlations of 0.7975 to 0.8397 and a mean absolute error of 32.25% to 34.13%; furthermore, we achieved a diagnostic efficiency between 83% and 100% inside the reference interval (5.5 to 19.5 × 109 cell/L), and 85.11% for cases with extreme high white blood cell counts. At the covariance mode level, white blood cells are quantified using orthogonal information on red blood cells, maximizing sensitivity and specificity towards white blood cells, and avoiding the use of non-specific natural correlations present in the dataset; thus, the specifity of white blood cells spectral information is increased. The presented research is a step towards high-specificity, reagentless, miniaturized spectral point-of-care hematology technology for Veterinary Medicine.
The Relative Contribution of Facial and Body Information to the Perception of Cuteness
Authors: Hwang Jihyun , Lee Yejin , Kim Sung-Ho
Published: January 2024

Faces and bodies both provide cues to age and cuteness, but little work has explored their interaction in cuteness perception. This study examines the interplay of facial and bodily cues in the perception of cuteness, particularly when these cues convey conflicting age information. Participants rated the cuteness of face–body composites that combined either a child or adult face with an age-congruent or incongruent body alongside manipulations of the head-to-body height ratio (HBR). The findings from two experiments indicated that child-like facial features enhanced the perceived cuteness of adult bodies, while child-like bodily features generally had negative impacts. Furthermore, the results showed that an increased head size significantly boosted the perceived cuteness for child faces more than for adult faces. Lastly, the influence of the HBR was more pronounced when the outline of a body’s silhouette was the only available information compared to when detailed facial and bodily features were presented. This study suggests that body proportion information, derived from the body’s outline, and facial and bodily features, derived from the interior surface, are integrated to form a unitary representation of a whole person in cuteness perception. Our findings highlight the dominance of facial features over bodily information in cuteness perception, with facial attributes serving as key references for evaluating face–body relationships and body proportions. This research offers significant insights into social cognition and character design, particularly in how people perceive entities with mixed features of different social categories, underlining the importance of congruency in perceptual elements.
Pupillary Responses to Dot Patterns on a Human Face Background
Authors: Song Nanxin , Koyama Shinichi
Published: January 2024

Dots on natural backgrounds can elicit significant pupillary constrictions within the entire image phase associated with parasympathetic activation, suggesting disgust rather than fear. Although studies have reported that dots on faces elicit stronger disgust than dots on non-face backgrounds, it remains unclear whether dots on a face elicit stronger pupil constrictions than non-face backgrounds. Pupillometry was used while viewing dots on faces and compared with luminance- and spatial frequency-controlled images (dots on phase-scrambled faces) and luminance-controlled images (face only, phase-scrambled faces). Relative pupillary constrictions were elicited when dots were placed on faces and phase-scrambled faces; however, the response to dots on faces did not differ significantly from that to the control stimuli. Approximately 3–5 s after stimulus onset, pupillary responses to dots on faces recovered to baseline faster than those to dots on phase-scrambled faces with a larger pupil size. The initial pupillary constrictions observed are consistent with those in response to dots on natural backgrounds, suggesting that regardless of the background, dots may stimulate parasympathetic activation and elicit disgust rather than fear. The faster recovery from the pupil constriction and larger pupil size in the later phase may be caused by a dynamic balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic neuronal activities.