bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Grounded Theory Approach to the Influence Mechanism of Residential Behavior among Mongolian Yurt Dwellers in China
Authors: Che Jingwen , Su Wanqing , Bai Liyan , Guo Hong
Published: May 2023

The residential Mongolian yurt is representative of nomadic culture and its mobile residences. Behavior forms the closest connection the environment and people. There is almost no research about the residence and lifestyle of Mongolian yurt dwellers from the perspective of housing behavior. This study applied grounded theoretical methods to analyze the theoretical model of the influence mechanism of Mongolian yurt dwelling on behavior. Interviews were conducted according to the principle of purposive sampling, and were summarized in five categories: production lifestyle, natural environment, residential characteristics, cultural beliefs, and emotional experience. Production lifestyle is the core category and the critical factor in dwelling behavior, which interacts with the other main categories. Pastoral policy is the factor that has worked most quickly and directly to influence housing in yurts. Mongolians living in yurts on the prairie show higher satisfaction compared to those in urban housing, which is related to the Mongolian advocacy for nature and freedom.
Experimental Research of the Heat Transfer into the Ground at Relatively High and Low Water Table Levels
Authors: Zdankus Tadas , Vaiciunas Juozas , Bandarwadkar Sandeep
Published: May 2023

During the cold period, the heat transferred through the building’s external boundaries to the environment changes the naturally established heat balance between atmospheric air and soil layers. The process of the heat transfer into the ground was investigated experimentally in the cases of the relatively high and low levels of the water table. The first part of each experiment was the research of the heat transfer into the soil from the heating surface. The second part was monitoring the heat dissipation in the ground until the return to the initial natural thermodynamic equilibrium after the heating is intercepted. The heating device was installed into the clay at a one-meter depth, and its surface temperature was kept constant at 20 degrees Celsius. The ground was warmed up in contact with the heating surface. The heat spread to other soil layers and transformed the temperature distribution. A new thermodynamic equilibrium was reached six days after the heating started at an initial temperature of 4.4 degrees Celsius. The intensity of the heat flux density approached a stable value equal to 117.4 W/m2, which is required to maintain this thermodynamic equilibrium, as the heat was dissipating in the large volume of the surrounding soil. The heating was turned off, and the natural initial heat balance was reached after two weeks.
Magnetically Separable Mixed-Phase α/γ-Fe2O3 Catalyst for Photo-Fenton-like Oxidation of Rhodamine B
Authors: Magomedova Asiyat , Isaev Abdulgalim , Orudzhev Farid , Sobola Dinara , Murtazali Rabadanov , Rabadanova Alina , Shabanov Nabi S. , Zhu Mingshan , Emirov Ruslan , Gadzhimagomedov Sultanakhmed , Alikhanov Nariman , Kasinathan Kaviyarasu
Published: May 2023

Iron oxides are widely used as catalysts for photo-Fenton-like processes for dye oxidation. In this study, we report on the synthesis of an α/γ-Fe2O3 mixed-phase catalyst with magnetic properties for efficient separation. The catalyst was synthesized using glycine–nitrate precursors. The synthesized α/γ-Fe2O3 samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), Raman shift spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The diffraction peaks were indexed with two phases, α-Fe2O3 as the main phase (79.6 wt.%) and γ-Fe2O3 as the secondary phase (20.4 wt.%), determined using the Rietveld refinement method. The presence of Fe2+ was attributed to oxygen vacancies. The mixed-phase α/γ-Fe2O3 catalyst exhibited remarkable photo-Fenton-like degradation performance for Rhodamine B (RhB) in neutral pH. The effects of operating parameters, including H2O2 concentration, catalyst concentration, and RhB concentration, on the degradation efficiency were investigated. The removal rates of color were 99.2% after 12 min at optimal conditions of photo-Fenton-like oxidation of RhB. The sample exhibited a high saturation magnetization of 28.6 emu/g. Additionally, the α/γ-Fe2O3 mixed-phase catalyst showed long-term stability during recycle experiments, with only a 5% decrease in activity.
Secondary Prevention of Diabetes Type 1 with Oral Calcitriol and Analogs, the PRECAL Study
Authors: Papadimitriou Dimitrios T. , Dermitzaki Eleni , Christopoulos Panagiotis , Papagianni Maria , Kleanthous Kleanthis , Marakaki Chrysanthi , Papadimitriou Anastasios , Mastorakos George
Published: May 2023

Screening for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D, incidence 1:300) with T1D autoantibodies (T1Ab) at ages 2 and 6, while sensitive, lacks a preventive strategy. Cholecalciferol 2000 IU daily since birth reduced T1D by 80% at 1 year. T1D-associated T1Ab negativized within 0.6 years with oral calcitriol in 12 children. To further investigate secondary prevention of T1D with calcitriol and its less calcemic analog, paricalcitol, we initiated a prospective interventional non-randomized clinical trial, the PRECAL study (ISRCTN17354692). In total, 50 high-risk children were included: 44 were positive for T1Ab, and 6 had predisposing for T1D HLA genotypes. Nine T1Ab+ patients had variable impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), four had pre-T1D (3 T1Ab+, 1 HLA+), nine had T1Ab+ new-onset T1D not requiring insulin at diagnosis. T1Ab, thyroid/anti-transglutaminase Abs, glucose/calcium metabolism were determined prior and q3–6 months on calcitriol, 0.05 mcg/Kg/day, or paricalcitol 1–4 mcg × 1–3 times/day p.o. while on cholecalciferol repletion. Available data on 42 (7 dropouts, 1 follow-up < 3 months) patients included: all 26 without pre-T1D/T1D followed for 3.06 (0.5–10) years negativized T1Ab (15 +IAA, 3 IA2, 4 ICA, 2 +GAD, 1 +IAA/+GAD, 1 +ICA/+GAD) within 0.57 (0.32–1.3) years or did not develop to T1D (5 +HLA, follow-up 3 (1–4) years). From four pre-T1D cases, one negativized T1Ab (follow-up 1 year), one +HLA did not progress to T1D (follow-up 3.3 years) and two +T1Ab patients developed T1D in 6 months/3 years. Three out of nine T1D cases progressed immediately to overt disease, six underwent complete remission for 1 year (1 month–2 years). Five +T1Ab patients relapsed and negativized again after resuming therapy. Four (aged <3 years) negativized anti-TPO/TG, and two anti-transglutaminase-IgA. Eight presented mild hypercalciuria/hypercalcemia, resolving with dose titration/discontinuation. Secondary prevention of T1D with calcitriol and paricalcitol seems possible and reasonably safe, if started soon enough after seroconversion.
Personal and Social Responsibility Model: Differences According to Educational Stage in Motivation, Basic Psychological Needs, Satisfaction, and Responsibility
Authors: Manzano-Sánchez David , Gómez-López Manuel
Published: May 2023

The purpose of this study was to apply the Personal and Social Responsibility Model (TPSR) and verify its effects on responsibility and motivation according to educational stage. For this, teachers from Physical Education and other subjects were trained and a pre-test and a post-test were carried out. The intervention was carried out over five months. The total sample comprised 408 students after the inclusion criteria were applied to the initial sample of 430, including being 192 students from 5th and 6th grade of Elementary (M 10.16; SD = 0.77) and 222 from Secondary (M = 12.86; SD = 0.70), with a confidence level of 95% and 5% error margin. The total number of students in the experimental group was 216, with 192 in the control group. The results reflected improvements in the experimental group in terms of experience motivation, identified regulation, amotivation, autonomy, competence, social responsibility, SDI, and BPNs (p < 0.05 and d Cohen > 0.2). The control group did not present differences in any variable. Considering the differences according to stage, the Elementary school group obtained values of p < 0.05 and d > 0.02 in experience motivation, amotivation, autonomy, competence, personal and social responsibility, SDI, and BPNs, which was not found in the Secondary school group. It is concluded that the TPSR may be applicable in both Elementary and Secondary schools to improve the motivation and responsibility of students, with the most favorable results for Elementary education students.
Modeling Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Results of Cu and Cu-Thiosemicarbizide-Boron Nitride Nanosheets Electrodes in 3.5 wt% NaCl Solution, Based on an Electrochemical Reaction Mechanism
Authors: Barraza-Fierro Jesus Israel , López-Martínez Edgar , Vázquez–Gómez Octavio , Galicia-García Mónica , Cruz-Mejía Héctor , Villalobos Julio C.
Published: May 2023

The corrosion behavior of copper and copper-functionalized boron nitride nanocomposites (Cu-BNNS) was studied in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. Polarization curves and cyclic voltammetry experiments were used to differentiate the various stages of corrosion behavior. Additionally, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to understand the different steps in the degradation mechanism. The EIS results were analyzed using adsorption models at open circuit potential and at a bias potential of 250 mV, and different reaction kinetics parameters were quantified. During the first hour of immersion, the formation of CuCl increased on the Cu-BNNS, where the reaction constant for the formation of adsorbed CuCl was lower in the impedance model. However, on the Cu electrode, CuCl was not formed during the first hour, and the reaction constant was higher. The proposed model is consistent with the experimental observations from cyclic voltammetry, polarization, and scanning electron microscopy.
Predictors of Prostate Cancer at Fusion Biopsy: The Role of Positive Family History, Hypertension, Diabetes, and Body Mass Index
Authors: Oderda Marco , Dematteis Alessandro , Calleris Giorgio , Conti Adriana , D’Agate Daniele , Falcone Marco , Marquis Alessandro , Montefusco Gabriele , Marra Giancarlo , Gontero Paolo
Published: May 2023

Background: PSA density and an elevated PI-RADS score are among the strongest predictors of prostate cancer (PCa) in a fusion biopsy. Positive family history, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity have also been associated with the risk of developing PCa. We aim to identify predictors of the prostate cancer detection rate (CDR) in a series of patients undergoing a fusion biopsy. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 736 consecutive patients who underwent an elastic fusion biopsy from 2020 to 2022. Targeted biopsies (2–4 cores per MRI target) were followed by systematic mapping (10–12 cores). Clinically significant PCa (csPCa) was defined as ISUP score ≥ 2. Uni- and multi-variable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of CDR among age, body mass index (BMI), hypertension, diabetes, positive family history, PSA, a positive digital rectal examination (DRE), PSA density ≥ 0.15, previous negative biopsy status, PI-RADS score, and size of MRI lesion. Results: The median patients’ age was 71 years, and median PSA was 6.6 ng/mL. A total of 20% of patients had a positive digital rectal examination. Suspicious lesions in mpMRI were scored as 3, 4, and 5 in 14.9%, 55.0%, and 17.5% of cases, respectively. The CDR was 63.2% for all cancers and 58.7% for csPCa. Only age (OR 1.04, p < 0.001), a positive DRE (OR 1.75, p = 0.04), PSA density (OR 2.68, p < 0.001), and elevated PI-RADS score (OR 4.02, p = 0.003) were significant predictors of the CDR in the multivariable analysis for overall PCa. The same associations were found for csPCa. The size of an MRI lesion was associated with the CDR only in uni-variable analysis (OR 1.07, p < 0.001). BMI, hypertension, diabetes, and a positive family history were not predictors of PCa. Conclusions: In a series of patients selected for a fusion biopsy, positive family history, hypertension, diabetes, or BMI are not predictors of PCa detection. PSA-density and PI-RADS score are confirmed to be strong predictors of the CDR.
Evaluation of Platelet Alloimmunization by Filtration Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Authors: Chiueh Tzong-Shi , Wang Hsin-Yao , Wu Min-Hsien , Hsueh Yu-Shan , Chen Hui-Chu
Published: May 2023

The current methods for detecting antiplatelet antibodies are mostly manual and labor-intensive. A convenient and rapid detection method is required for effectively detecting alloimmunization during platelet transfusion. In our study, to detect antiplatelet antibodies, positive and negative sera of random-donor antiplatelet antibodies were collected after completing a routine solid-phase red cell adherence test (SPRCA). Platelet concentrates from our random volunteer donors were also prepared using the ZZAP method and then used in a faster, significantly less labor-intensive process, a filtration enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (fELISA), for detecting antibodies against platelet surface antigens. All fELISA chromogen intensities were processed using ImageJ software. By dividing the final chromogen intensity of each test serum with the background chromogen intensity of whole platelets, the reactivity ratios of fELISA can be used to differentiate positive SPRCA sera from negative sera. A sensitivity of 93.9% and a specificity of 93.3% were obtained for 50 μL of sera using fELISA. The area under the ROC curve reached 0.96 when comparing fELISA with the SPRCA test. We have successfully developed a rapid fELISA method for detecting antiplatelet antibodies.
New Real-Time High-Density Impulsive Noise Removal Method Applied to Medical Images
Authors: Alanazi Turki M. , Berriri Kamel , Albekairi Mohammed , Ben Atitallah Ahmed , Sahbani Anis , Kaaniche Khaled
Published: May 2023

This paper introduces a new method for real-time high-density impulsive noise elimination applied to medical images. A double process aimed at the enhancement of local data composed of Nested Filtering followed by a Morphological Operation (NFMO) is proposed. The major problem with heavily noisy images is the lack of color information around corrupted pixels. We show that the classic replacement techniques all come up against this problem, resulting in average restoration quality. We only focus on the corrupt pixel replacement phase. For the detection itself, we use the Modified Laplacian Vector Median Filter (MLVMF). To perform pixel replacement, two-window nested filtering is suggested. All noise pixels in the neighborhood scanned by the first window are investigated using the second window. This investigation phase increases the amount of useful information within the first window. The remaining useful information that the second window failed to produce in the case of a very strong connex noise concentration is then estimated using a morphological operation of dilatation. To validate the proposed method, NFMO is first evaluated on the standard image Lena with a range of 10% to 90% impulsive noise. Using the Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio metric (PSNR), the image denoising quality obtained is compared to the performance of a wide variety of existing approaches. Several noisy medical images are subjected to a second test. In this test, the computation time and image-restoring quality of NFMO are assessed using the PSNR and the Normalized Color Difference (NCD) criteria. Finally, an optimized design for a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is suggested to implement the proposed method for real-time processing. The proposed solution performs excellent quality restoration for images with high-density impulsive noise. When the proposed NFMO is used on the standard Lena image with 90% impulsive noise, the PSNR reaches 29.99 dB. Under the same noise conditions, NFMO completely restores medical images in an average time of 23 milliseconds with an average PSNR of 31.62 dB and an average NCD of 0.10.
Lung Ultrasound: A Leading Diagnostic Tool
Authors: Demi Marcello , Soldati Gino
Published: May 2023

Thoracic ultrasound is an important diagnostic tool employed by many clinicians in well-defined applications [...]
Applying Deep Transfer Learning to Assess the Impact of Imaging Modalities on Colon Cancer Detection
Authors: Alhazmi Wael , Turki Turki
Published: May 2023

The use of medical images for colon cancer detection is considered an important problem. As the performance of data-driven methods relies heavily on the images generated by a medical method, there is a need to inform research organizations about the effective imaging modalities, when coupled with deep learning (DL), for detecting colon cancer. Unlike previous studies, this study aims to comprehensively report the performance behavior for detecting colon cancer using various imaging modalities coupled with different DL models in the transfer learning (TL) setting to report the best overall imaging modality and DL model for detecting colon cancer. Therefore, we utilized three imaging modalities, namely computed tomography, colonoscopy, and histology, using five DL architectures, including VGG16, VGG19, ResNet152V2, MobileNetV2, and DenseNet201. Next, we assessed the DL models on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU (16GB GDDR6 VRAM) using 5400 processed images divided equally between normal colons and colons with cancer for each of the imaging modalities used. Comparing the imaging modalities when applied to the five DL models presented in this study and twenty-six ensemble DL models, the experimental results show that the colonoscopy imaging modality, when coupled with the DenseNet201 model under the TL setting, outperforms all the other models by generating the highest average performance result of 99.1% (99.1%, 99.8%, and 99.1%) based on the accuracy results (AUC, precision, and F1, respectively).
New Insights into the Diagnosis and Age Determination of Retinal Hemorrhages from Abusive Head Trauma: A Systematic Review
Authors: Di Fazio Nicola , Delogu Giuseppe , Morena Donato , Cipolloni Luigi , Scopetti Matteo , Mazzilli Sara , Frati Paola , Fineschi Vittorio
Published: May 2023

(1) Background: Head trauma represents the first cause of death in abused children, but diagnostic knowledge is still limited. The characteristic findings of abusive head trauma (AHT) are retinal hemorrhages (RH) and additional ocular findings, including optic nerve hemorrhages (ONH). However, etiological diagnosis must be cautious. (2) Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review (PRISMA) standards were employed, and the research focus was the current gold standard in the diagnosis and timing of abusive RH. (3) Results: Sixteen articles were included for qualitative synthesis. The importance of an early instrumental ophthalmological assessment emerged in subjects with a high suspicion of AHT, with attention to the localization, laterality, and morphology of the findings. Sometimes it is possible to observe the fundus even in deceased subjects, but the current techniques of choice consist of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography, also useful for the timing of the lesion, the autopsy, and the histological investigation, especially if performed with the use of immunohistochemical reactants against erythrocytes, leukocytes, and ischemic nerve cells. (4) Conclusions: The present review has made it possible to build an operational framework for the diagnosis and timing of cases of abusive retinal damage, but further research in the field is needed.
People with Diabetes Have Poorer Self-Rated Health (SRH) and Diabetes Moderates the Association between Age and SRH
Authors: Kang Weixi , Malvaso Antonio
Published: May 2023

Diabetes is a severe chronic condition that is related to decreased physical functioning. Recently, there has been growing interest in understanding how a brief report on health such as self-rated health (SRH) could be used to track changes in health status and service needs in people with diabetes. The current research aims to investigate how SRH is affected by diabetes and how diabetes could moderate the association between age and SRH. By analyzing data from 47,507 participants, with 2869 of them clinically diagnosed with diabetes, the current study found that people with diabetes had significantly poorer SRH than people without diabetes after controlling for demographic covariates (t(2868) = −45.73, p < 0.001, 95% C.I. (−0.92, −0.85), Cohen’s d = −0.85). In addition, diabetes was a significant moderator of the relationship between age and SRH (b = 0.01, p < 0.001, 95% C.I. (0.01, 0.01)). Specifically, age was more strongly related to SRH in people without diabetes (b = −0.015, p < 0.001, 95% C.I. (−0.016, −0.015)) than in people with diabetes (b = −0.007, p < 0.001, 95% C.I. (−0.010, −0.004)). Health professionals should aim to improve SRH in people with diabetes given that SRH is related to various outcomes.
On Constructing Informationally Complete Covariant Positive Operator-Valued Measures
Authors: Amosov Grigori
Published: May 2023

We study a projective unitary representation of the product G=G˜×G, where G is a locally compact Abelian group and G^ is its dual consisting of characters on G. It is proven that the representation is irreducible, which allows us to define a covariant positive operator-valued measure (covariant POVM) generated by orbits of projective unitary representations of G. The quantum tomography associated with the representation is discussed. It is shown that the integration over such a covariant POVM defines a family of contractions which are multiples of unitary operators from the representation. Using this fact, it is proven that the measure is informationally complete. The obtained results are illustrated by optical tomography on groups and by a measure with a density that has a value in the set of coherent states.
Organizational Labor Flow Networks and Career Forecasting
Authors: Webb Frank , Stimpson Daniel , Purcell Miesha , López Eduardo
Published: May 2023

The movement of employees within an organization is a research area of great relevance in a variety of fields such as economics, management science, and operations research, among others. In econophysics, however, only a few initial incursions have been made into this problem. In this paper, based on an approach inspired by the concept of labor flow networks which capture the movement of workers among firms of entire national economies, we construct empirically calibrated high-resolution networks of internal labor markets with nodes and links defined on the basis of different descriptions of job positions, such as operating units or occupational codes. The model is constructed and tested for a dataset from a large U.S. government organization. Using two versions of Markov processes, one without and another with limited memory, we show that our network descriptions of internal labor markets have strong predictive power. Among the most relevant findings, we observe that the organizational labor flow networks created by our method based on operational units possess a power law feature consistent with the distribution of firm sizes in an economy. This signals the surprising and important result that this regularity is pervasive across the landscape of economic entities. We expect our work to provide a novel approach to study careers and help connect the different disciplines that currently study them.
Dynamics of System States in the Probability Representation of Quantum Mechanics
Authors: Chernega Vladimir N. , Man’ko Olga V.
Published: May 2023

A short description of the notion of states of quantum systems in terms of conventional probability distribution function is presented. The notion and the structure of entangled probability distributions are clarified. The evolution of even and odd Schrödinger cat states of the inverted oscillator is obtained in the center-of-mass tomographic probability description of the two-mode oscillator. Evolution equations describing the time dependence of probability distributions identified with quantum system states are discussed. The connection with the Schrödinger equation and the von Neumann equation is clarified.
Entropy Dissipation for Degenerate Stochastic Differential Equations via Sub-Riemannian Density Manifold
Authors: Feng Qi , Li Wuchen
Published: May 2023

We studied the dynamical behaviors of degenerate stochastic differential equations (SDEs). We selected an auxiliary Fisher information functional as the Lyapunov functional. Using generalized Fisher information, we conducted the Lyapunov exponential convergence analysis of degenerate SDEs. We derived the convergence rate condition by generalized Gamma calculus. Examples of the generalized Bochner’s formula are provided in the Heisenberg group, displacement group, and Martinet sub-Riemannian structure. We show that the generalized Bochner’s formula follows a generalized second-order calculus of Kullback–Leibler divergence in density space embedded with a sub-Riemannian-type optimal transport metric.
A Differential-Geometric Approach to Quantum Ignorance Consistent with Entropic Properties of Statistical Mechanics
Authors: Ray Shannon , Alsing Paul M. , Cafaro Carlo , Jacinto H S.
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we construct the metric tensor and volume for the manifold of purifications associated with an arbitrary reduced density operator ρS. We also define a quantum coarse-graining (CG) to study the volume where macrostates are the manifolds of purifications, which we call surfaces of ignorance (SOI), and microstates are the purifications of ρS. In this context, the volume functions as a multiplicity of the macrostates that quantifies the amount of information missing from ρS. Using examples where the SOI are generated using representations of SU(2), SO(3), and SO(N), we show two features of the CG: (1) A system beginning in an atypical macrostate of smaller volume evolves to macrostates of greater volume until it reaches the equilibrium macrostate in a process in which the system and environment become strictly more entangled, and (2) the equilibrium macrostate takes up the vast majority of the coarse-grained space especially as the dimension of the total system becomes large. Here, the equilibrium macrostate corresponds to a maximum entanglement between the system and the environment. To demonstrate feature (1) for the examples considered, we show that the volume behaves like the von Neumann entropy in that it is zero for pure states, maximal for maximally mixed states, and is a concave function with respect to the purity of ρS. These two features are essential to typicality arguments regarding thermalization and Boltzmann’s original CG.
Optimal Pulse Design for Dissipative-Stimulated Raman Exact Passage
Authors: Liu Kaipeng , Sugny Dominique , Chen Xi , Guérin Stéphane
Published: May 2023

Quantum control of lossy systems is known to be achieved by adiabatic passage via an approximate dark state relatively immune to loss, such as the emblematic example of stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) featuring a lossy excited state. By systematic optimal control study, via the Pontryagin maximum principle, we design alternative more efficient routes that, for a given admissible loss, feature an optimal transfer with respect to the cost defined as (i) the pulse energy (energy minimization) or (ii) the pulse duration (time minimization). The optimal controls feature remarkably simple sequences in the respective cases: (i) operating far from a dark state, of π-pulse type in the limit of low admissible loss, or (ii) close to the dark state with a counterintuitive pulse configuration sandwiched by sharp intuitive sequences, referred to as the intuitive/counterintuitive/intuitive (ICI) sequence. In the case of time optimization, the resulting stimulated Raman exact passage (STIREP) outperforms STIRAP in term of speed, accuracy, and robustness for low admissible loss.
Drivers of Financial Inclusion: Insights from Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Bashiru Shani , Bunyaminu Alhassan , Yakubu Ibrahim Nandom , Al-Faryan Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh
Published: May 2023

Financial inclusion has garnered global attention due to the detrimental effect that financial exclusion has on tackling socioeconomic challenges such as poverty. Using a dynamic panel approach, our study examines the drivers of financial inclusion in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the period 2000 to 2017. We discover that financial globalization and literacy rates positively and significantly drive financial inclusion. We also find that rural population growth has a profound adverse impact on financial inclusion. The study further reveals that bank profitability, bank stability, and economic growth have a negative albeit insignificant effect on financial inclusion. The positive effect of financial globalization on financial inclusion has important policy implications for Sub-Saharan African countries. In this respect, the integration of the local financial system with global financial markets will facilitate efforts to achieve financial inclusion in the region.
FASS: Face Anti-Spoofing System Using Image Quality Features and Deep Learning
Authors: Solomon Enoch , Cios Krzysztof J.
Published: May 2023

Face recognition technology has been widely used due to the convenience it provides. However, face recognition is vulnerable to spoofing attacks which limits its usage in sensitive application areas. This work introduces a novel face anti-spoofing system, FASS, that fuses results of two classifiers. One, random forest, uses the identified by us seven no-reference image quality features derived from face images and its results are fused with a deep learning classifier results that uses entire face images as input. Extensive experiments were performed to compare FASS with state-of-the-art anti-spoofing systems on five benchmark datasets: Replay-Attack, CASIA-MFSD, MSU-MFSD, OULU-NPU and SiW. The results show that FASS outperforms all face anti-spoofing systems based on image quality features and is also more accurate than many of the state-of-the-art systems based on deep learning.
SURE: A Smart Failover Blockchain-Based Solution for the Recycling Reuse Process
Authors: Sosnowski Krzysztof , Sepczuk Mariusz
Published: May 2023

Currently, human activity has a substantial impact on the environment, and we are responsible for determining what it will look like in a few or a dozen decades. Numerous IT solutions are being developed to reduce the negative influence on the environment. In particular, the main problem is the amount of plastic found in circulation and its recycling. Unfortunately, only few solutions exist that, on the one hand, support the reuse of the raw material and, on the other hand, give tangible benefits to users. In this work, we present a blockchain-based system for monitoring the recycling process of plastic bottles. The solution was described by technical, social, and performance characteristics. It should be emphasized that the adopted features of the new blockchain, such as a simplified code or complete decentralization, distinguish the solution from those currently created. Moreover, performance and fraud detection tests were performed. The results present that the solution for a PoW difficulty level of 3 still achieves decent times when generating a block with transactions (from the point of view of the recycling process). In addition, fraud detection tests have proven the ability to detect forged transactions. The outcomes from performed experiments show that the proposed concept can be used as an efficient and fraud-resilient solution in the case of the plastic recycling process.
An Off-Nominal Class E Amplifier—Design Oriented Analysis
Authors: Mikolajewski Miroslaw
Published: May 2023

This paper analyses an off-nominal Class E ZVS amplifier, with an R.F. supply choke and the switch on-duty ratio D = 0.5, to identify conditions for its high-frequency and high-efficiency operation. Simple user-friendly analytical expressions for the essential parameters of the amplifier have been derived and subsequently validated by simulation and experimental results. It has been proven that the off-nominal amplifier can be optimized to outperform the nominal Class E amplifier with respect to crucial parameters such as, e.g., power efficiency or the operating frequency in some applications.
Feature Extraction of Motor Imagery EEG via Discrete Wavelet Transform and Generalized Maximum Fuzzy Membership Difference Entropy: A Comparative Study
Authors: Wang Yinan , Song Chengxin , Zhang Tao , Yao Zongwei , Chang Zhiyong , Wang Deping
Published: May 2023

Identifying motor imagery (MI) electroencephalogram (EEG) is an important way to achieve brain–computer interface (BCI), but its applicability is heavily dependent on the performance of feature extraction procedure. In this paper, a feature extraction method based on generalized maximum fuzzy membership difference entropy (GMFMDE) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) was proposed for the feature extraction of EEG signals. The influence of different distance calculation methods, embedding dimensions and tolerances were studied to find the best configuration of GMFMDE for the feature extraction of MI–EEG. The gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT) classifier was used to classify the features extracted from GMFMDE and DWT. The average classification accuracy of 93.71% and the maximum classification accuracy of 96.96% were obtained, which proved the effectiveness of the proposed feature extraction method for EEG signal feature extraction.
Modeling and Centralized-ZVS Control for Wireless Charging Electric Vehicles Supplied by Parallel Modular Multi-Inverters
Authors: Chen Jing , Zhu Ao , Zhang Zhengqing , Yu Shuai , Li Rui , Zhang Weilong , Cai Jiuqing
Published: May 2023

In this paper, a parallel modular multi-inverter (PMMI) topology is proposed to supply high power for wireless charging electric vehicles (EVs). A major challenge in the implementation of PMMI topology is zero-voltage switching (ZVS) for all inverters to avoid high-frequency switching losses. Therefore, a centralized-ZVS control and master–slave frequency following (MSFF) strategy are presented to realize ZVS for all PMMIs by a single controller structure without extra controllers needed on the slave inverters. Meanwhile, a modeling method directly related to the ZVS angle and operating frequency for an arbitrary number of PMMIs is proposed and linearized to analyze the system dynamic characteristics at the operating point. Additionally, to obtain the desired dynamic performance, an optimal controller coefficient (OCC) configuration method is proposed for the design of controller parameters. Finally, a laboratory wireless power transfer (WPT) prototype supplied by three PMMIs is designed, built, and tested to verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis. Experimental results show that the ZVS angle of all PMMIs can maintain at the preset value with the desired settling time under designed the PI controller parameters. The measured whole system power transmission efficiency is 94.1% at a 10 Ω load.
Recent Progress in the Fabrication of Photonic Crystals Based on Porous Anodic Materials
Authors: Abd-Elnaiem Alaa M. , Mohamed Zain Elabdeen A. , Elshahat Sayed , Almokhtar Mohamed , Norek Małgorzata
Published: May 2023

Photonic crystals (PCs) based on porous anodic materials have been proven to be a potent and versatile instrument for the emergence of new technologies with a wide range of applications. Their lower production costs are one of the key advantages, making PC-based systems more widely available and appropriate for industrial manufacturing. The ability to produce well-defined pores on metal oxide and semiconductor surfaces has experienced a major renaissance due to the striking differences in characteristics between porous surfaces and dense oxide layers. In this review, we give a general overview of the progress of PC fabrication based on porous surfaces of anodized aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), and titanium (Ti) using various anodization techniques, and their optical characteristics and applications are discussed. The anodizing conditions have a large influence on the pore geometry of the produced porous surfaces. The review fully focuses on the advancements made in manufacturing anodic aluminum oxide (AAO), porous silicon (pSi), and titanium-dioxide nanotube (TNT) PCs manufactured using self-ordered anodization under varied conditions. Additionally, a critical assessment of the upcoming developments in PC manufacturing and their optical characteristics suitable for various photonic devices is provided.
Towards the Development of Miniature Scale Liquid Fuel Combustors for Power Generation Application—A Review
Authors: Sankar Vinay , Sudarsanan Sreejith , Mukhopadhyay Sudipto , Selvaraj Prabhu , Balakrishnan Aravind , Velamati Ratna Kishore
Published: May 2023

As the demand for powerful, light energy sources continues to grow, traditional electrochemical batteries are no longer sufficient and combustion-based power generation devices have become an attractive alternative due to their high energy density, compact size, fast recharging time and long service life. While most research on miniature-scale combustors has focused on gaseous fuels, the use of commonly available liquid fuels has the potential to be highly portable and economical. However, the complexity of droplet atomization, evaporation, mixing and burning in a limited volume and short residence time has presented significant challenges for researchers. This review focuses on various methodologies proposed by researchers (like flow burring injector, fuel film injection, injecting into porous media, electrospray and some self-aspirating designs) to overcome these challenges, the combustion behaviour and different instabilities associated with liquid fuels at small scales. The current review intends to present a clear direction to channel the efforts made by researchers to overcome the difficulties associated with liquid fuel combustion at small scales for power generation applications. Additionally, this review aims to give an overview of power systems at the micro and meso scales that operate using liquid fuels. The methodologies introduced like electrospray requires external power, which again makes the system complex. Towards the development of standalone type power generators, the self-aspirating design which makes use of hydrostatic pressure, fuel film injection or taking advantage of exhaust gas enthalpy to preheat and evaporate the liquid fuel are the promising methodologies.
Rational Use of Energy in Sports Centres to Achieve Net Zero: The SAVE Project (Part A)
Authors: Katsaprakakis Dimitris A. , Papadakis Nikos , Giannopoulou Efi , Yiannakoudakis Yiannis , Zidianakis George , Kalogerakis Michalis , Katzagiannakis George , Dakanali Eirini , Stavrakakis George M. , Kartalidis Avraam
Published: May 2023

Sports centres constitute major energy consumers. This article presents the proposed energy performance upgrade process and the achieved results for the municipal sports centre in Arkalochori, Greece. The facility consists of a swimming pool centre, an outdoor 8 × 8 football court, and two tennis and basketball courts. It operates with considerably high energy consumption due to the lack of any measure towards its energy efficiency improvement since its initial construction in 2002. Due to the significantly high heating cost, the swimming pool centre remains operative only during the summer period. The energy performance upgrade of the facility was holistically approached through all possibly applicable passive and active measures: insulation of opaque surfaces and replacement of openings, construction of a new, bioclimatic enclosure for the swimming pool’s centre and conversion of the current outdoor facility to an indoor one, installation of heat pumps for indoor space conditioning and swimming pool heating, installation of a solar–combi system for domestic hot water production, upgrade of all indoor and outdoor lighting equipment and installation of a photovoltaic plant on the new enclosure’s roof for the compensation of the remaining electricity consumption. With the proposed measures, the municipal sports centre is upgraded to a zero energy facility. The payback period of the investment was calculated at 14 years on the basis of the avoided energy procurement cost. The swimming pool’s centre operation is prolonged during the entire annual period. This work has been funded by the Horizon 2020 project with the acronym “NESOI” and was awarded the public award of the “Islands Gamechanger” competition of the NESOI project and the Clean Energy for EU Islands initiative.
Site Selection of Solar Power Plants Using Hybrid MCDM Models: A Case Study in Indonesia
Authors: Wang Chia-Nan , Chung Yu-Chi , Wibowo Fajar Dwi , Dang Thanh-Tuan , Nguyen Ngoc-Ai-Thy
Published: May 2023

Among developing countries in Asia, Indonesia has realized the importance of transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources such as solar power. Careful consideration must be given to the strategic placement of solar power installations to fully leverage the benefits of solar energy. This study proposes a methodology to optimize the site selection of solar power plants in Indonesia by integrating Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (F-AHP), and Fuzzy Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking according to Compromise Solution (F-MARCOS) models. The proposed methodology considers quantitative and qualitative criteria to evaluate potential locations for solar power plants. In the first stage, DEA is used to identify the most efficient locations based on quantitative measures such as solar radiation, land availability, and grid connectivity. In the second stage, qualitative factors such as technological, economic, environmental, and socio-political aspects are evaluated using F-AHP to prioritize the most important criteria for site selection. Finally, F-MARCOS ranks potential locations based on the selected criteria. The methodology was tested using data from Indonesia as a case study. The results show that the proposed hybrid model optimizes Indonesia’s solar power plant site selection. The optimal locations can contribute to a cost-effective long-term renewable energy supply nationwide. The findings from this study are relevant to policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers interested in renewable energy development and site selection. However, to promote sustainable solar energy development, governments and local authorities must also enact supportive policies and mechanisms that encourage the adoption and growth of renewable energy technologies in Indonesia.
Analysis of Smart Energy Systems and High Participation of V2G Impact for the Ecuadorian 100% Renewable Energy System by 2050
Authors: Icaza Daniel , Borge-Diez David , Galindo Santiago Pulla , Flores-Vázquez Carlos
Published: May 2023

This research presents a 100% renewable energy (RE) scenario by 2050 with a high share of electric vehicles on the grid (V2G) developed in Ecuador with the support of the EnergyPLAN analysis tool. Hour-by-hour data iterations were performed to determine solutions among various features, including energy storage, V2G connections that spanned the distribution system, and long-term evaluation. The high participation in V2G connections keeps the electrical system available; meanwhile, the high proportions of variable renewable energy are the pillar of the joint electrical system. The layout of the sustainable mobility scenario and the high V2G participation maintain the balance of the electrical system during most of the day, simplifying the storage equipment requirements. Consequently, the influence of V2G systems on storage is a significant result that must be considered in the energy transition that Ecuador is developing in the long term. The stored electricity will not only serve as storage for future grid use. Additionally, the V2G batteries serve as a buffer between generation from diversified renewable sources and the end-use stage.
Modelling Self-Heating and Self-Ignition Processes during Biomass Storage
Authors: Wei Jiayu , Yao Can , Sheng Changdong
Published: May 2023

A mathematical model was developed to predict the self-heating and self-ignition processes of relatively dry biomass during storage, considering in detail the effects of moisture exchange behaviour, low-temperature oxidation reaction and associated heat and mass transfer. Basket heating tests on fir pellets and powder at temperatures of 180–200 °C were conducted to observe the heating process and determine the kinetics of low-temperature chemical oxidation for model validation. As a result, it was demonstrated that the developed model could reasonably represent the self-heating and spontaneous combustion processes of biomass storage. Furthermore, the numerical study and model sensitivity analysis revealed that reasonably describing the low-temperature oxidation and associated heat and mass transfer process with reliable estimations of kinetic and thermophysical parameters of the biomass material is necessary for predicting the self-ignition, considering the effect of water exchange behaviour is essential to predict the self-heating process even for relatively dry biomass, such as pellets, with the moisture content up to 15–20%.
Thermo-Electro-Fluidic Simulation Study of Impact of Blower Motor Heat on Performance of Peltier Cooler for Protective Clothing
Authors: Son Kwon Joong
Published: May 2023

The necessity for portable cooling devices to prevent thermal-related diseases in workers wearing protective clothing in hot outdoor weather conditions, such as COVID-19 quarantine sites, is increasing. Coolers for such purposes require a compact design and low-power consumption characteristics to maximize wearability and operating time. Therefore, a thermoelectric device based on the Peltier effect has been widely used rather than a relatively bulky system based on a refrigeration cycle accompanying the phase change of a refrigerant. Despite a number of previous experimental and numerical studies on the Peltier cooling device, there remains much research to be conducted on the effect and removal of motor-related internal heat sources deteriorating the cooling performance. Specifically, this paper presents thermo-electro-fluidic simulations on the impact of heat from an air blower on the coefficient of performance of a Peltier cooler. In addition, a numerical study on the outcome of heat source removal is also evaluated and discussed to draw an improved design of the cooler in terms of cooling capacity and coefficient of performance. The simulation results predicted that the coefficient of performance could be raised by 10.6% due to the suppression of heat generation from a blower motor. Accordingly, the cooling capacity of the specific Peltier cooler investigated in this study was expected to be considerably improved by 80.6% from 4.68 W to 8.45 W through the design change.