bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synergistically Using Bauxite Residue (Red Mud) and Other Solid Wastes to Manufacture Eco-Friendly Cementitious Materials
Authors: Feng Lichao , Yao Wenliang , Zheng Kai , Cui Na , Xie Ning
Published: January 2022

Bauxite residue (red mud) is a solid waste resulting from the aluminum production industry. Disposal or landfill of the red mud (RM) poses irreversible environmental problems; therefore, it is compelling to find practical solutions that can mitigate the negative environmental problems of RM stacking storage. In the past decades, although the recycling of RM has achieved significant progress, challenges remain from both academic and practical perspectives. Previous studies have demonstrated that all the aluminosilicate-based solid wastes have pozzolanic activity, and thus can be considered as resources to manufacture eco-friendly cementitious materials to relieve the carbon emission burden. Therefore, combining RM and other solid wastes to manufacture green cementitious materials has become a promising route to alleviate the burden of environmental pollutions. However, challenges from the fluctuation of the chemical compositions, inert activity, heavy metals stabilization, efflorescence, the side effects of the second pollutions from solid wastes, the hydration process, and mutual interaction mechanisms between the various types of solid wastes are still unclear, especially for multi-components RM-based cementitious materials. This review article summarizes the state of the art of mechanical properties, microstructure characterization methodologies, and hydration process and mechanisms of RM along with other solid wastes. The main challenges and future research trends are discussed. This article attempts to summarize the details of the RM recycling technologies that are beneficial to readers in understanding the background knowledge and research methodologies of eco-friendly cementitious materials.
From Waste Plastics to Carbon Nanotube Audio Cables
Authors: Gangoli Varun Shenoy , Yick Tim , Bian Fang , Orbaek White Alvin
Published: January 2022

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have long been at the forefront of materials research, with applications ranging from composites for increased tensile strength in construction and sports equipment to transistor switches and solar cell electrodes in energy applications. There remains untapped potential still when it comes to energy and data transmission, with our group having previously demonstrated a working ethernet cable composed of CNT fibers. Material composition, electrical resistance, and electrical capacitance all play a strong role in the making of high-quality microphone and headphone cables, and the work herein describes the formation of a proof-of-concept CNT audio cable. Testing was done compared to commercial cables, with frequency response measurements performed for further objective testing. The results show performance is on par with commercial cables, and the CNTs being grown from waste plastics as a carbon source further adds to the value proposition, while also being environmentally friendly.
Green Epoxidation of Olefins with ZnxAl/MgxAl-LDH Compounds: Influence of the Chemical Composition
Authors: Zăvoianu Rodica , Cruceanu Anca , Pavel Octavian Dumitru , Bradu Corina , Florea Mihaela , Bîrjega Ruxandra
Published: January 2022

This contribution concerns the effect of the chemical composition of the brucite-type layer of bi-cationic LDH materials ZnxAl and MgxAl (x = 2–5) and tri-cationic LDH MgyZnzAl (y + z = 4, y = 1, 2, 3) on their catalytic activity for olefin epoxidation with H2O2 in the presence of acetonitrile. LDH materials were prepared by the standard method of co-precipitation at constant pH 10, using an aqueous solution of the corresponding metal nitrates and a basic solution containing NaOH and Na2CO3. The fresh LDHs were calcined to yield the corresponding mixed oxides and then the recovery of the LDH structure by hydration of the mixed oxides was performed. The resulting samples were characterized by AAS, XRD, DRIFT, DR-UV–Vis, BET and determination of basic sites. The results of the catalytic tests for olefin epoxidation were well correlated with the basicity of the samples, which was in turn related to the M2+/Al3+ ratio and the electronegativity of different bivalent metals in the brucite-type layer.
Natural Clay Modified with ZnO/TiO2 to Enhance Pollutant Removal from Water
Authors: Mahy Julien G. , Tsaffo Mbognou Marlène Huguette , Léonard Clara , Fagel Nathalie , Woumfo Emmanuel Djoufac , Lambert Stéphanie D.
Published: January 2022

Raw clays, extracted from Bana, west Cameroon, were modified with semiconductors (TiO2 and ZnO) in order to improve their depollution properties with the addition of photocatalytic properties. Cu2+ ions were also added to the clay by ionic exchange to increase the specific surface area. This insertion of Cu was confirmed by ICP-AES. The presence of TiO2 and ZnO was confirmed by the detection of anatase and wurzite, respectively, using X-ray diffraction. The composite clays showed increased specific surface areas. The adsorption property of the raw clays was evaluated on two pollutants, i.e., fluorescein (FL) and p-nitrophenol (PNP). The experiments showed that the raw clays can adsorb FL but are not efficient for PNP. To demonstrate the photocatalytic property given by the added semiconductors, photocatalytic experiments were performed under UVA light on PNP. These experiments showed degradation up to 90% after 8 h of exposure with the best ZnO-modified clay. The proposed treatment of raw clays seems promising to treat pollutants, especially in developing countries.
Rapid Generation of Ventral Spinal Cord-like Astrocytes from Human iPSCs for Modeling Non-Cell Autonomous Mechanisms of Lower Motor Neuron Disease
Authors: Soubannier Vincent , Chaineau Mathilde , Gursu Lale , Haghi Ghazal , Franco Flores Anna Kristyna , Rouleau Guy , Durcan Thomas M. , Stifani Stefano
Published: January 2022

Astrocytes play important roles in the function and survival of neuronal cells. Dysfunctions of astrocytes are associated with numerous disorders and diseases of the nervous system, including motor neuron diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based approaches are becoming increasingly important for the study of the mechanisms underlying the involvement of astrocytes in non-cell autonomous processes of motor neuron degeneration in ALS. These studies must account for the molecular and functional diversity among astrocytes in different regions of the brain and spinal cord. It is essential that the most pathologically relevant astrocyte preparations are used when investigating non-cell autonomous mechanisms of either upper or lower motor neuron degeneration in ALS. Here, we describe the efficient and streamlined generation of human iPSC-derived astrocytes with molecular and biological properties similar to physiological astrocytes in the ventral spinal cord. These induced astrocytes exhibit spontaneous and ATP-induced calcium transients, and lack signs of overt activation. Human iPSC-derived astrocytes with ventral spinal cord features offer advantages over more generic astrocyte preparations for the study of both ventral spinal cord astrocyte biology and the involvement of astrocytes in mechanisms of lower motor neuron degeneration in ALS.
The Role of LIM Kinases during Development: A Lens to Get a Glimpse of Their Implication in Pathologies
Authors: Ribba Anne-Sophie , Fraboulet Sandrine , Sadoul Karin , Lafanechère Laurence
Published: January 2022

The organization of cell populations within animal tissues is essential for the morphogenesis of organs during development. Cells recognize three-dimensional positions with respect to the whole organism and regulate their cell shape, motility, migration, polarization, growth, differentiation, gene expression and cell death according to extracellular signals. Remodeling of the actin filaments is essential to achieve these cell morphological changes. Cofilin is an important binding protein for these filaments; it increases their elasticity in terms of flexion and torsion and also severs them. The activity of cofilin is spatiotemporally inhibited via phosphorylation by the LIM domain kinases 1 and 2 (LIMK1 and LIMK2). Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the phospho-regulation of cofilin has evolved as a mechanism controlling the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton during complex multicellular processes, such as those that occur during embryogenesis. In this context, the main objective of this review is to provide an update of the respective role of each of the LIM kinases during embryonic development.
Partial Disassembly of the Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins during Semi-Closed Mitosis in Dictyostelium discoideum
Authors: Mitic Kristina , Grafe Marianne , Batsios Petros , Meyer Irene
Published: January 2022

Dictyostelium cells undergo a semi-closed mitosis, during which the nuclear envelope (NE) persists; however, free diffusion between the cytoplasm and the nucleus takes place. To permit the formation of the mitotic spindle, the nuclear envelope must be permeabilized in order to allow diffusion of tubulin dimers and spindle assembly factors into the nucleus. In Aspergillus, free diffusion of proteins between the cytoplasm and the nucleus is achieved by a partial disassembly of the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) prior to spindle assembly. In order to determine whether this is also the case in Dictyostelium, we analysed components of the NPC by immunofluorescence microscopy and live cell imaging and studied their behaviour during interphase and mitosis. We observed that the NPCs are absent from the contact area of the nucleoli and that some nucleoporins also localize to the centrosome and the spindle poles. In addition, we could show that, during mitosis, the central FG protein NUP62, two inner ring components and Gle1 depart from the NPCs, while all other tested NUPs remained at the NE. This leads to the conclusion that indeed a partial disassembly of the NPCs takes place, which contributes to permeabilisation of the NE during semi-closed mitosis.
Reprogramming of Lipid Metabolism in Lung Cancer: An Overview with Focus on EGFR-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Eltayeb Kamal , La Monica Silvia , Tiseo Marcello , Alfieri Roberta , Fumarola Claudia
Published: January 2022

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Most of lung cancer cases are classified as non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). EGFR has become an important therapeutic target for the treatment of NSCLC patients, and inhibitors targeting the kinase domain of EGFR are currently used in clinical settings. Recently, an increasing interest has emerged toward understanding the mechanisms and biological consequences associated with lipid reprogramming in cancer. Increased uptake, synthesis, oxidation, or storage of lipids has been demonstrated to contribute to the growth of many types of cancer, including lung cancer. In this review, we provide an overview of metabolism in cancer and then explore in more detail the role of lipid metabolic reprogramming in lung cancer development and progression and in resistance to therapies, emphasizing its connection with EGFR signaling. In addition, we summarize the potential therapeutic approaches targeting lipid metabolism for lung cancer treatment.
Autophagy Contributes to Metabolic Reprogramming and Therapeutic Resistance in Pancreatic Tumors
Authors: Reyes-Castellanos Gabriela , Abdel Hadi Nadine , Carrier Alice
Published: January 2022

Metabolic reprogramming is a feature of cancers for which recent research has been particularly active, providing numerous insights into the mechanisms involved. It occurs across the entire cancer process, from development to resistance to therapies. Established tumors exhibit dependencies for metabolic pathways, constituting vulnerabilities that can be targeted in the clinic. This knowledge is of particular importance for cancers that are refractory to any therapeutic approach, such as Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC). One of the metabolic pathways dysregulated in PDAC is autophagy, a survival process that feeds the tumor with recycled intracellular components, through both cell-autonomous (in tumor cells) and nonautonomous (from the local and distant environment) mechanisms. Autophagy is elevated in established PDAC tumors, contributing to aberrant proliferation and growth even in a nutrient-poor context. Critical elements link autophagy to PDAC including genetic alterations, mitochondrial metabolism, the tumor microenvironment (TME), and the immune system. Moreover, high autophagic activity in PDAC is markedly related to resistance to current therapies. In this context, combining autophagy inhibition with standard chemotherapy, and/or drugs targeting other vulnerabilities such as metabolic pathways or the immune response, is an ongoing clinical strategy for which there is still much to do through translational and multidisciplinary research.
Electrochemical Sensor for the Direct Determination of Warfarin in Blood
Authors: Saeedi Iman , Ahmadi Soha , Thompson Michael , Hashemi Payman , Ramezani Zahra
Published: January 2022

Detecting warfarin levels in the blood is of critical importance in anticoagulant therapy because it is imperative that the concentration of the drug is maintained within a specific range. In this paper, we present a proof-of-concept of a novel sensing device based on ion-selective electrode (ISE) technology for the direct detection of warfarin in blood samples without any sample pretreatment. We used tetradodecylammonium chloride (TDDA) as an ion-exchanger to fabricate an ion-selective membrane. The ISE we developed showed high sensitivity, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.25 × 10−7 M and 1.4 × 10−5 M for detecting warfarin in buffer and blood, respectively. The sensor also exhibited promising selectivity in identifying the presence of various ions including chloride and salicylate, the most abundant ions in blood with a calibration slope of 58.8 mV/dec. We envision combining the ISE with a microfluidic system and a simple potentiometer to produce a sensitive, selective, and portable point-of-care testing device for monitoring the level of warfarin in patients’ blood during treatment.
What Is New on Paediatric Echocardiography for the Diagnosis, Management and Follow-Up of the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Associated with COVID-19?
Authors: Di Nardo Matteo , Franceschini Alessio , Tissieres Pierre , Chinali Marcello
Published: January 2022

Conventional echocardiography is an essential tool for the diagnosis, bedside management and follow-up evaluations of children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19. However, a more comprehensive echocardiographic exam, including myocardial deformation parameters, may allow early identification of subtle changes in ventricular function, provide risk stratification and, identify sub-clinical cardiac dysfunction at follow-up. Thus, myocardial deformation analysis should be routinely integrated to conventional echocardiography assessment in these patients.
Effects of Formula Milk Feeding in Premature Infants: A Systematic Review
Authors: Moreira-Monteagudo Marta , Leirós-Rodríguez Raquel , Marqués-Sánchez Pilar
Published: January 2022

The preterm baby is born at a critical period for the growth and development of the gastrointestinal and neuromotor systems. Breast milk is the food of choice for infants during the first months of life, as it provides multiple short- and long-term benefits to preterm and sick newborns. Despite this, breastfeeding is often nutritionally insufficient, requiring the addition of fortifiers. In other cases, it is important to ensure the necessary nutrients and calories, which can be provided by formula milk or pasteurized and fortified donated human milk. However, the specific guidelines for the use of formula milk have not yet been determined. Therefore, a systematic search was considered necessary in order to identify the effects of feeding with formula milk in preterm infants. A systematic search in Scopus, Medline, Pubmed, Cinahl, ClinicalTrials and Web of Science with the terms Infant Formula and Infant Premature was conducted. A total of 18 articles were selected, of which, eight were experimental and ten were observational studies. Among the objectives of the analyzed investigations, we distinguished nine that compared the effects of feeding with formula milk, breast milk and donated human milk, five that evaluated the effects of different compositions of formula milk and/or fortifiers and four investigations that compared the effects of formula milk and donated human milk. In conclusion, when breast milk is insufficient or unavailable, formula milk is a good nutritional option, due to its higher caloric density and protein content. Nevertheless, the preterm infant’s diet should incorporate breast milk to reduce the incidence of morbidities such as necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis (related to hospital handling of fortifiers and formula milk).
Finite Element Analysis Could Predict and Prevent a Pathological Femoral Shaft Fracture after En Bloc Resection of a Large Osteoid Osteoma
Authors: Iwai Tadashi , Oebisu Naoto , Hoshi Manabu , Takada Naoki , Nakamura Hiroaki
Published: January 2022

Osteoid osteoma is a benign tumor. Approximately 20% of these tumors are located in the femur. The tumor primarily occurs in children and is treated by surgical excision or radiofrequency ablation. Recently, bone-tumor resection using three-dimensional (3D) intraoperative imaging with an O-arm in combination with a navigation system has been reported to be effective. However, there is a risk of postoperative fracture because of the weakening of the bone after drilling for tumor resection. A 12-year-old Japanese girl presented with an osteoid osteoma in the left femoral shaft, which resulted in a fracture after en bloc resection and artificial bone grafting using a 3D image-guided (O-arm) assisted navigation system. Orthopedic oncologists should be aware of the risk of fracture. Moreover, they should consider the mechanical risk prediction of bone fracture using finite element analysis prior to treatment.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of CIMB in 2021
Authors:   CIMB Editorial Office
Published: January 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Oxidation Protection of High-Temperature Coatings on the Surface of Mo-Based Alloys—A Review
Authors: Fu Tao , Shen Fuqiang , Zhang Yingyi , Yu Laihao , Cui Kunkun , Wang Jie , Zhang Xu
Published: January 2022

Molybdenum and its alloys, with high melting points, excellent corrosion resistance and high temperature creep resistance, are a vital high-temperature structural material. However, the poor oxidation resistance at high temperatures is a major barrier to their application. This work provides a summary of surface modification techniques for Mo and its alloys under high-temperature aerobic conditions of nearly half a century, including slurry sintering technology, plasma spraying technology, chemical vapor deposition technology, and liquid phase deposition technology. The microstructure and oxidation behavior of various coatings were analyzed. The advantages and disadvantages of various processes were compared, and the key measures to improve oxidation resistance of coatings were also outlined. The future research direction in this field is set out.
Thin Protective Coatings on Metals Formed by Organic Corrosion Inhibitors in Neutral Media
Authors: Kuznetsov Yurii I. , Redkina Galina V.
Published: January 2022

Protection of metals in neutral media with pH 5.0–9.0 (in humid atmospheres and various aqueous solutions) can be achieved by formation of thin coatings (up to several tens of nm) on their surfaces due to adsorption and more complex chemical interactions of organic corrosion inhibitors (OCIs) with the metal to be protected. The review contains three sections. The first section deals with coatings formed in aqueous solutions, while the second one, with those formed in organic and water-organic solvents. Here we consider metal protection by coatings mainly formed by the best-known classes of OCI (carboxylates, organophosphates and phosphonates) and estimation of its efficiency. The third section discusses the peculiarities of protection of metals in the vapor-gas phase, i.e., by volatile OCIs, and a relatively new type of metal protection against atmospheric corrosion by the so-called chamber inhibitors. OCIs with relatively low volatility under normal conditions can be used as chamber OCIs. To obtain a protective coating on the surfaces of metal items, they are placed in a chamber inside which an increased concentration of vapors of a chamber OCI is maintained by increasing the temperature. This review mainly focuses on the protection of iron, steels, copper and zinc.
An Efficient Method for Comparing Numbers and Determining the Sign of a Number in RNS for Even Ranges
Authors: Tchernykh Andrei , Babenko Mikhail , Shiriaev Egor , Pulido-Gaytan Bernardo , Cortés-Mendoza Jorge M. , Avetisyan Arutyun , Drozdov Alexander Yu , Kuchukov Viktor
Published: January 2022

Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) permits processing information in the form of ciphertexts without decryption. It can ensure the security of information in common technologies used today, such as cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and machine learning, among others. A primary disadvantage for its practical application is the low efficiency of sign and comparison operations. Several FHE schemes use the Residue Number System (RNS) to decrease the time complexity of these operations. Converting from the RNS to the positional number system and calculating the positional characteristic of a number are standard approaches for both operations in the RNS domain. In this paper, we propose a new method for comparing numbers and determining the sign of a number in RNS. We focus on the even ranges that are computationally simple due to their peculiarities. We compare the performance of several state-of-art algorithms based on an implementation in C++ and relatively simple moduli with a bit depth from 24 to 64 bits. The experimental analysis shows a better performance of our approach for all the test cases; it improves the sign detection between 1.93 and 15.3 times and the number comparison within 1.55–11.35 times with respect to all the methods and configurations.
Impact of Charge-Resonance Excitations on CT-Mediated J-Type Aggregation in Singlet and Triplet Exciton States of Perylene Di-Imide Aggregates: A TDDFT Investigation
Authors: Dai Yasi , Zubiria-Ulacia Maria , Casanova David , Negri Fabrizia
Published: January 2022

The modulation of intermolecular interactions upon aggregation induces changes in excited state properties of organic molecules that can be detrimental for some optoelectronic applications but can be exploited for others. The time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) is a cost-effective approach to determining the exciton states of molecular aggregates, and it has been shown to provide reliable results when coupled with the appropriate choice of the functional. Here we apply a general procedure to analyze the aggregates’ exciton states derived from TDDFT calculations in terms of diabatic states chosen to coincide with local (LE) and charge-transfer (CT) excitations within a restricted orbital space. We apply the approach to study energy profiles, interstate couplings, and the charge-transfer character of singlet and triplet exciton states of perylene di-imide aggregates (PDI). We focus on the intermolecular displacement along the longitudinal translation coordinate, which mimics different amounts of slip-stacking observed in PDI crystals. The analysis, in terms of symmetry-adapted Frenkel excitations (FE) and charge-resonance (CR) states and their interactions, discloses how the interchange of the H/J character for small longitudinal shifts, previously reported for singlet exciton states, also occurs for triplet excitons.
Comparison of Ferromagnetic Materials: Past Work, Recent Trends, and Applications
Authors: Rasaili Prithivi , Sharma Nitin Kumar , Bhattarai Ajaya
Published: January 2022

Despite our traditional concept-based understanding of ferromagnetism, an investigation of this phenomenon has revealed several other facts. Ferromagnetism was previously supposed to be exhibited by only a few elements. Subsequently, it was realized that specific elements with d- or f- orbitals demonstrated this phenomenon. When elements without these orbitals exhibited ferromagnetism, intrinsic origin-based and structural defect-based theories were introduced. At present, nonmagnetic oxides, hexaborides of alkaline-earth metals, carbon structures, and nonmetallic non-oxide compounds are gaining significant attention owing to their potential applications in spintronics, electronics, biomedicine, etc. Therefore, herein, previous work, recent trends, and the applications of these materials and studies based on relevant topics, ranging from the traditional understanding of ferromagnetism to the most recent two-element-based systems, are reviewed.
Effect of Three-Week Vibrotherapy on Selected Skin Parameters of Thighs and Buttocks in Women with Cellulite
Authors: Piotrowska Anna , Czerwińska-Ledwig Olga
Published: January 2022

Background: Cellulite (gynoid lipodystrophy, panniculopathy) affects approximately 85% of women and is related to genetic and hormonal factors, diet, and low physical activity. Vibrotherapy is a promising method of physical therapy to help fight cellulite that has not been studied exhaustively yet. Materials and Methods: Sixty healthy women (age: 19–43 years) with cellulite of at least grade I on the Nurnberg–Muller scale were recruited. The participants were randomly assigned to four groups, receiving a series of 15 vibration treatments in a sitting or lying position for 30 or 60 min. Before and after the first and last treatment, selected skin parameters were measured with the use of Courage and Khazaka equipment. Results: Skin hydration and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) of thighs and buttocks differed significantly at all time points. Post hoc tests showed that each treatment caused a decrease in TEWL but no long-term effect was observed. For skin pH, a significant difference was observed between the measurements I and IV. The lying position caused a greater reduction in the value of the acid–base balance. Conclusions: A series of vibration treatments improved the hydration and pH of the skin. The treatments limited TEWL; however, no long-term effect was observed.
The Structure of the Near-Surface Layer of the AAAC Overhead Power Line Wires after Operation and Its Effect on Their Elastic, Microplastic, and Electroresistance Properties
Authors: Narykova Maria V. , Levin Aleksandr A. , Prasolov Nikita D. , Lihachev Alexey I. , Kardashev Boris K. , Kadomtsev Andrej G. , Panfilov Andrei G. , Sokolov Roman V. , Brunkov Pavel N. , Sultanov Makhsud M. , Kuryanov Vasily N. , Tyshkevich Vladimir N.
Published: January 2022

Overhead power-transmission lines are one of the most important components of modern infrastructure. Their service life is determined by the state of the near-surface defect layers (NSDLs) of wires constituting these lines. Both the structure and microstructure of the NSDLs of wires of the AAAC type (All Aluminum Alloy Conductor), which were in operation during 0 (new) to 62 years, were investigated by methods of the X-ray (XRD) and electron back-scattering diffraction, optical microscopy, and resistivity measurements, as well as by means of densitometric and acoustic measurements with layer-by-layer removal of the near-surface material by etching. Two characteristic thicknesses of the NSDLs were obtained, different methods providing close results, namely, ~30–50 μm and ~56–140 μm. According to the mass-density distribution (XRD), these characteristic thicknesses correspond to the depths from the surface where they occur, respectively, ~70% and ~99% of the density drop in comparison with the bulk density value. The rate of increase in NSDL thickness is ~4 μm/year in the interval from 0 to 18 years. Results of investigation of elastic and microplastic properties of wires after removal of ~35 μm of the upper layer are also presented.
Theoretical Investigation on Non-Covalent Interactions
Authors: Novikov Alexander S.
Published: January 2022

This editorial is dedicated to announcing the Special Issue “Theoretical investigation on non-covalent interactions” of Crystals. The Special Issue covers the most recent progress in the rapidly growing fields of data science, artificial intelligence, and quantum and computational chemistry in topics relevant to the problem of theoretical investigation on non-covalent interactions (including, but not limited to, hydrogen, halogen, chalcogen, pnictogen, tetrel, and semi-coordination bonds; agosic and anagosic interactions; stacking, anion-/cation–π interactions; metallophilic interactions, etc.). The main successes of my colleagues and I in the field of fundamental theoretical studies of non-covalent interactions in various chemical compounds over the past year are briefly highlighted.
Application of the Alexander–Haasen Model for Thermally Stimulated Dislocation Generation in FZ Silicon Crystals
Authors: Sabanskis Andrejs , Dadzis Kaspars , Menzel Robert , Virbulis Jānis
Published: January 2022

Numerical simulations of the transient temperature field and dislocation density distribution for a recently published silicon crystal heating experiment were carried out. Low- and high-frequency modelling approaches for heat induction were introduced and shown to yield similar results. The calculated temperature field was in very good agreement with the experiment. To better explain the experimentally observed dislocation distribution, the Alexander–Haasen model was extended with a critical stress threshold below which no dislocation multiplication occurs. The results are compared with the experiment, and some remaining shortcomings in the model are discussed.
Excellent Double-Aging Strengthening Effect with the High Density γ’ Phase of 945A Nickel-Based Alloy
Authors: Liu Haiding , Wang Dongzhe , Zhou Lingping , She Jia , Peng Peng , He Qubo , Wu Wei
Published: January 2022

The double-aging strengthening effect of the γ’ phase in 945A nickel-based alloy was investigated. The double-aging treatment significantly improved the compressive yield stress. The sample after 8 h aging at 725 °C and 96 h at 800 °C exhibited the highest compressive yield stress of 1007 MPa, which greatly exceeded the original state of 229 MPa. The strengthening mechanism is mainly attributed to the Orowan strengthening mechanism. After double-aging treatment, high density γ’ phase precipitate was formed, which effectively improves the strength. The precipitate behavior and the strengthening mechanism of γ’ phase precipitates were clarified in detail.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Dermatopathology in 2021
Authors:   Dermatopathology Editorial Office
Published: January 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Designs in 2021
Authors:   Designs Editorial Office
Published: January 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Blood Levels of Indicators of Lower Respiratory Tract Damage in Chronic Bronchitis in Patients with Abdominal Obesity
Authors: Kashtanova Elena V. , Polonskaya Yana V. , Striukova Evgeniia V. , Shcherbakova Liliia V. , Kurtukov Evgenii A. , Shramko Viktoriya S. , Stakhneva Ekaterina M. , Ragino Yulia I.
Published: January 2022

Objective: to study biomolecules associated with pathology in the respiratory system, in particular, with the development of chronic bronchitis in patients with abdominal obesity. Materials and methods: This is a pilot study. The main group consisted of 158 people with chronic bronchitis, divided into two subgroups: one with abdominal obesity, and the other without it. The control group consisted of 68 people without chronic bronchitis. We determined the blood levels of SP-A, SP-D, α1-antitrypsin, CC16, PARC, and RELM-β. Results: In the first subgroup, patients significantly more often complained of coughing, experienced shortness of breath 1.5 times more often with light physical exertion and 2.7 times more often with moderate physical exertion. In these patients, a Tiffeneau–Pinelli index (FEV1/FVC) below 70% was 1.8 times more common, more patients had FEV1 and FVC of less than 80%, and presented a statistically significant decrease in SP-A, α1-antitrypsin, CC16 levels and an increase in PARC levels than in the second subgroup. Conclusion: In patients with chronic bronchitis and abdominal obesity, there is a decrease in the levels of SP-A, α1-antitrypsin, CC16 and an increase in the level of PARC compared with patients without abdominal obesity, which is probably due to the presence of an additional source of chronic inflammation associated with adipose tissue.
Deep Learning Prediction of Response to Anti-VEGF among Diabetic Macular Edema Patients: Treatment Response Analyzer System (TRAS)
Authors: Alryalat Saif , Al-Antary Mohammad , Arafa Yasmine , Azad Babak , Boldyreff Cornelia , Ghnaimat Tasneem , Al-Antary Nada , Alfegi Safa , Elfalah Mutasem , Abu-Ameerh Mohammed
Published: January 2022

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the most common cause of visual impairment among patients with diabetes mellitus. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (Anti-VEGFs) are considered the first line in its management. The aim of this research has been to develop a deep learning (DL) model for predicting response to intravitreal anti-VEGF injections among DME patients. The research included treatment naive DME patients who were treated with anti-VEGF. Patient’s pre-treatment and post-treatment clinical and macular optical coherence tomography (OCT) were assessed by retina specialists, who annotated pre-treatment images for five prognostic features. Patients were also classified based on their response to treatment in their post-treatment OCT into either good responder, defined as a reduction of thickness by >25% or 50 µm by 3 months, or poor responder. A novel modified U-net DL model for image segmentation, and another DL EfficientNet-B3 model for response classification were developed and implemented for predicting response to anti-VEGF injections among patients with DME. Finally, the classification DL model was compared with different levels of ophthalmology residents and specialists regarding response classification accuracy. The segmentation deep learning model resulted in segmentation accuracy of 95.9%, with a specificity of 98.9%, and a sensitivity of 87.9%. The classification accuracy of classifying patients’ images into good and poor responders reached 75%. Upon comparing the model’s performance with practicing ophthalmology residents, ophthalmologists and retina specialists, the model’s accuracy is comparable to ophthalmologist’s accuracy. The developed DL models can segment and predict response to anti-VEGF treatment among DME patients with comparable accuracy to general ophthalmologists. Further training on a larger dataset is nonetheless needed to yield more accurate response predictions.
Determinants of Tax Compliance Intention among Jordanian SMEs: A Focus on the Theory of Planned Behavior
Authors: Bani-Khalid Tareq , Alshira’h Ahmad Farhan , Alshirah Malek Hamed
Published: January 2022

The present study aimed to adopt the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) to determine the intentions of owner-managers in SMEs towards engaging in sales tax compliance. The study distributed a total of 660 questionnaire copies through systematic random sampling to the mangers/owners of Jordanian manufacturing SMEs, from which 385 questionnaire copies were retrieved and considered useable and appropriate for further analysis. The study made use of Partial-Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) for the validation of the measurement model and structural model, and to establish the predictive relevance of the proposed model. Based on the obtained findings, the attitude towards behavior, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and patriotism were significant determinants of the intentions towards engaging in sales tax compliance among the examined enterprises.
Children’s Perception and Utilization of ECEC Physical Environments
Authors: Sando Ole Johan , Sandseter Ellen Beate Hansen
Published: January 2022

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions play an important role in many young children’s lives. Child-oriented research about the role of the physical ECEC environment in children’s play is scarce. The present study aims to develop knowledge about what children consider crucial elements in the physical ECEC environment. Seventy-one children (3–6 years old) were interviewed to gain insight into their perspectives on the physical ECEC environment. This study indicates that children desire a physical ECEC environment with various affordances supporting different play possibilities and that the social context influences how children may interact with the physical environment. The design of the physical ECEC environment is crucial to children’s everyday play experiences while in care.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Electronic Materials in 2021
Authors:   Electronic Materials Editorial Office
Published: January 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Multiple Cues-Based Robust Visual Object Tracking Method
Authors: Khan Baber , Jalil Abdul , Ali Ahmad , Alkhaledi Khaled , Mehmood Khizer , Cheema Khalid Mehmood , Murad Maria , Tariq Hanan , El-Sherbeeny Ahmed M.
Published: January 2022

Visual object tracking is still considered a challenging task in computer vision research society. The object of interest undergoes significant appearance changes because of illumination variation, deformation, motion blur, background clutter, and occlusion. Kernelized correlation filter- (KCF) based tracking schemes have shown good performance in recent years. The accuracy and robustness of these trackers can be further enhanced by incorporating multiple cues from the response map. Response map computation is the complementary step in KCF-based tracking schemes, and it contains a bundle of information. The majority of the tracking methods based on KCF estimate the target location by fetching a single cue-like peak correlation value from the response map. This paper proposes to mine the response map in-depth to fetch multiple cues about the target model. Furthermore, a new criterion based on the hybridization of multiple cues i.e., average peak correlation energy (APCE) and confidence of squared response map (CSRM), is presented to enhance the tracking efficiency. We update the following tracking modules based on hybridized criterion: (i) occlusion detection, (ii) adaptive learning rate adjustment, (iii) drift handling using adaptive learning rate, (iv) handling, and (v) scale estimation. We integrate all these modules to propose a new tracking scheme. The proposed tracker is evaluated on challenging videos selected from three standard datasets, i.e., OTB-50, OTB-100, and TC-128. A comparison of the proposed tracking scheme with other state-of-the-art methods is also presented in this paper. Our method improved considerably by achieving a center location error of 16.06, distance precision of 0.889, and overlap success rate of 0.824.
Cognition of Color Shift in Leather Products and the Influence of Display Lighting of Luxury Goods
Authors: Yan Zhixiang , Wu Chih-Fu , Xu Cong , Dou Xiao , Lai Ying-Shan
Published: January 2022

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of different LED colors on leather color shift to prevent misleading purchases. Six light sources consisting of three color temperatures (2700 K, 4000 K, and 6000 K) and two illuminances (750 lux and 1500 lux) were used. Red and brown leathers, common in the luxury goods market, with or without grain, were studied. The colors and patterns resulted in four leather surfaces for a color shift cognition experiment. The results indicated that: (1) Color temperature, illuminance, and leather color significantly affected color shift perception. (2) Two-factor combinations of color temperature and grain as well as color temperature and leather color generated interaction toward color shift. (3) The three-factor combination of color temperature, grain, and leather color also generated interaction toward color shift. The criticalness of factors affecting leather color shift was such that leather color > color temperature > illuminance > grain. The results can serve as references for the luxury goods and fashion industry in the management of retail display illumination and for color control of leather products under different illumination environments, thereby promoting the sustainability of leather product consumption.
SAPF Parameter Optimization with the Application of Taguchi SNR Method
Authors: Sao Jitendra Kumar , Naayagi Ramasamy Thaiyal , Panda Gayadhar , Patidar Ram Dayal , Swain Sushree Diptimayee
Published: January 2022

Non-linear devices draw non-sinusoidal currents from the source; hence, they cause harmonic distortions in power systems. The shunt active power filter (SAPF) is a well-known method for alleviating current harmonics, compensating the reactive power and improving the power factor; however, the effective design of an SAPF is quite challenging and a thrust area of research. The current controlling technique, switching pulse generation technique and parameter selection are cumbersome tasks in SAPF design. SAPF performance depends on the proper selection of many parameters, such as filter interfacing impedance, DC-link capacitor and PI-controller gains. The effect of these parameters on the performance of SAPF has been studied and optimum values have been obtained by using the Taguchi method. This paper also indicates the benefits of using the Taguchi method compared with existing genetic algorithm (GA) for optimizing the parameters of the SAPF. An instantaneous reactive power theory (IRPT)-based SAPF has been modeled and simulated in MATLAB/Simulink. The SAPF’s parameters have been optimized by using the both proposed Taguchi SNR and the existing GA method. With optimized values of parameters results have been obtained, analyzed and the superiority of the proposed Taguchi method over the existing GA method is discussed. The simulation results were also validated with experimental results.
Correction: van Haastrecht et al. A Shared Cyber Threat Intelligence Solution for SMEs. Electronics 2021, 10, 2913
Authors: van Haastrecht Max , Golpur Guy , Tzismadia Gilad , Kab Rolan , Priboi Cristian , David Dumitru , Răcătăian Adrian , Baumgartner Louis , Fricker Samuel , Ruiz Jose Francisco , Armas Esteban , Brinkhuis Matthieu , Spruit Marco
Published: January 2022

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
Uncertainty-Driven Ontology for Decision Support System in Air Transport
Authors: Insaurralde Carlos C. , Blasch Erik P. , Costa Paulo C. G. , Sampigethaya Krishna
Published: January 2022

Recent electronics advances for air transport have increased aircraft density, volume, and frequency in the airspace. These advances come with control requirements for precise navigation, coordinated Air Traffic Management (ATM) or Unmanned aircraft system Traffic Management (UTM), and proactive security. The tight tolerances of aircraft control necessitate management of spatial uncertainty, timeliness precision, and confidence assessment, which have, respectively, variance, reliability, and veracity situation awareness and assessment metrics. Meeting such airspace requirements involves the ability to evaluate how those metrics impact ATM/UTM operations, making the complex interrelationships between them a key aspect for coping with the fast worldwide growth of air transport. To support such growth, ontologies have been proposed as a promising technology for making such interrelationships explicit, while facilitating communication between avionics devices. This paper investigates the use of ontologies in support of electronic ATM/UTM operations, highlighting the use of Uncertainty Representation and the Reasoning Evaluation Framework (URREF) in realizing the ability for Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) to semantically communicate with aircraft operators concerning physical airspace coordination. Using Avionics Analytics Ontology (AAO) endowed with the URREF, application examples based on two airspace situations are presented. Example results for northeast coast of Brazil atmospheric volcanic ash as well as for the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption show a 65–80% success in providing warnings to ATCs for airspace control. The paper demonstrates that an ontology-based UTM enhances the capability and accuracy of an ATM to suggest rerouting in the presence of remarkably deteriorated weather conditions.
Analytical Expression for Line Voltage THD of Three-Phase Staircase Modulated Multilevel Inverters
Authors: Barbie Eli , Baimel Dmitry , Kuperman Alon
Published: January 2022

In this article, a simple closed-form analytical expression for the line-voltage total harmonic distortion (LTHD) of three-phase staircase-modulated (SCM) multilevel inverters (MLI) is proposed. The revealed expression is valid for any conventional MLI topology with arbitrary number and parity of voltage levels. The proposed formulation is presented as an analytic function of the number of voltage levels (N) and the phase switching angles (PSA); thus, it is suited to MLIs of equal voltage source supply and of any topology. This function may be employed for accurate LTHD calculation and optimization. The results are verified against LTHD calculations and optimizations, obtained numerically from previous works. Both processor in loop (PIL)- and controller + hardware in loop (C-HIL)-based real-time experimental validations are included as well. A downloadable file containing the Maple and MATLAB functions of the proposed expression are also provided.
An Approach to Combine the Power of Deep Reinforcement Learning with a Graph Neural Network for Routing Optimization
Authors: Chen Bo , Zhu Di , Wang Yuwei , Zhang Peng
Published: January 2022

Routing optimization has long been a problem in the networking field. With the rapid development of user applications, network traffic is continuously increasing in dynamicity, making optimization of the routing problem NP-hard. Traditional routing algorithms cannot ensure both accuracy and efficiency. Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has recently shown great potential in solving networking problems. However, existing DRL-based routing solutions cannot process the graph-like information in the network topology and do not generalize well when the topology changes. In this paper, we propose AutoGNN, which combines a GNN and DRL for the automatic generation of routing policies. In AutoGNN, the traffic distribution in the network topology is processed by a GNN, while a DRL framework is used to train the parameters of neural networks without human expertise. Our experimental results show that AutoGNN can improve the average end-to-end delay of the network by up to 19.7% as well as present more robustness against topology changes.
Aggregation of Rankings Using Metaheuristics in Recommendation Systems
Authors: Bałchanowski Michał , Boryczka Urszula
Published: January 2022

Recommendation systems are a powerful tool that is an integral part of a great many websites. Most often, recommendations are presented in the form of a list that is generated by using various recommendation methods. Typically, however, these methods do not generate identical recommendations, and their effectiveness varies between users. In order to solve this problem, the application of aggregation techniques was suggested, the aim of which is to combine several lists into one, which, in theory, should improve the overall quality of the generated recommendations. For this reason, we suggest using the Differential Evolution algorithm, the aim of which will be to aggregate individual lists generated by the recommendation algorithms and to create a single list that will be fine-tuned to the user’s preferences. Additionally, based on our previous research, we present suggestions to speed up this process.