bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biodiversity of Potential Vectors of Rickettsiae and Epidemiological Mosaic of Spotted Fever in the State of Paraná, Brazil
Authors: Durães Liliane Silva , Bitencourth Karla , Ramalho Frederico Rodrigues , Nogueira Mário Círio , Nunes Emília de Carvalho , Gazêta Gilberto Salles
Published: March 2021

Spotted Fever Rickettsioses (SFR) are diseases caused by bacteria of the genus Rickettsia, and are transmitted mainly by ticks. Its eco-epidemiological scenarios vary spatially, and may also vary over time due to environmental changes. It is the main disease transmitted by ticks to humans in Brazil, with the state of Paraná (PR) having the sixth highest number of notified incidences in the country. However, information is lacking regarding the SFR disease cycles at likely infection sites within PR. During case investigations or environmental surveillance in PR for SFR, 28,517 arthropods were collected, including species known or potentially involved in the SFR cycles, such as Amblyomma sculptum, Amblyomma aureolatum, Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma dubitatum, Amblyomma parkeri, Ctenocephalides felis felis, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. From these Rickettsia asembonensis, Rickettsia bellii, Rickettsia felis, Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic Rainforest and Candidatus Rickettsia paranaensis were detected. Ectoparasite abundance was found to be related with specific hosts and collection environments. Rickettsiae circulation was observed for 48 municipalities, encompassing 16 Health Regions (HR). As for socio-demographic and assistance indicators, circulation occurred largely in the most urbanized HR, with a higher per capita Gross Domestic Product, lower Family Health Strategy coverage, and with a higher ratio of beds in the Unified Health System per thousand inhabitants. For environmental variables, circulation occurred predominantly in HR with a climatic classified as “subtropical with hot summers” (Cfa), and with forest type phytogeographic formations. In terms of land use, circulation was commonest in areas with agriculture, pasture and fields and forest cover. Rickettsiae were circulating in almost all hydrographic basins of PR state. The results of this study provide the first descriptive recognition of SFR in PR, as well as outlining its eco-epidemiological dynamics. These proved to be quite heterogeneous, and analyzed scenarios showed characteristics strongly-associated with the outbreaks, with cases presenting clinical variation in space, so illustrating the complexity of scenarios in PR state. Due to the diversity of the circumstances surrounding SFR infections in PR, public health initiatives are necessary to foster a better understanding of the dynamics and factors effecting vulnerability to SFR in this Brazilian state.
Multifunctional Cantilevers as Working Elements in Solid-State Cooling Devices
Authors: Bradeško Andraž , Fulanović Lovro , Vrabelj Marko , Matavž Aleksander , Otoničar Mojca , Koruza Jurij , Malič Barbara , Rojac Tadej
Published: March 2021

Despite the challenges of practical implementation, electrocaloric (EC) cooling remains a promising technology because of its good scalability and high efficiency. Here, we investigate the feasibility of an EC cooling device that couples the EC and electromechanical (EM) responses of a highly functionally, efficient, lead magnesium niobate ceramic material. We fabricated multifunctional cantilevers from this material and characterized their electrical, EM and EC properties. Two active cantilevers were stacked in a cascade structure, forming a proof-of-concept device, which was then analyzed in detail. The cooling effect was lower than the EC effect of the material itself, mainly due to the poor solid-to-solid heat transfer. However, we show that the use of ethylene glycol in the thermal contact area can significantly reduce the contact resistance, thereby improving the heat transfer. Although this solution is most likely impractical from the design point of view, the results clearly show that in this and similar cooling devices, a non-destructive, surface-modification method, with the same effectiveness as that of ethylene glycol, will have to be developed to reduce the thermal contact resistance. We hope this study will motivate the further development of multifunctional cooling devices.
A Review of Current Research in Subscale Flight Testing and Analysis of Its Main Practical Challenges
Authors: Sobron Alejandro , Lundström David , Krus Petter
Published: March 2021

Testing of untethered subscale models, often referred to as subscale flight testing, has traditionally had a relatively minor, yet relevant use in aeronautical research and development. As recent advances in electronics, rapid prototyping and unmanned-vehicle technologies expand its capabilities and lower its cost, this experimental method is seeing growing interest across academia and the industry. However, subscale models cannot meet all similarity conditions required for simulating full-scale flight. This leads to a variety of approaches to scaling and to other alternative applications. Through a literature review and analysis of different scaling strategies, this study presents an overall picture of how subscale flight testing has been used in recent years and synthesises its main issues and practical limitations. Results show that, while the estimation of full-scale characteristics is still an interesting application within certain flight conditions, subscale models are progressively taking a broader role as low-cost technology-testing platforms with relaxed similarity constraints. Different approaches to tackle the identified practical challenges, implemented both by the authors and by other organisations, are discussed and evaluated through flight experiments.
Sheep Excrement Increases Mass of Greenhouse Gases Emissions from Soil Growing Two Forage Crop and Multi-Cutting Reduces Intensity
Authors: Zhao Xinzhou , Shi Lina , Lou Shanning , Ning Jiao , Guo Yarong , Jia Qianmin , Hou Fujiang
Published: March 2021

To explore the effects of multi-cutting and sheep excrement on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from grassland ecosystems which simulate grazing livestock to a certain extent, spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L., var. Yongliang 15) and common vetch (Vicia sativa L., var. Lanjian 3) were planted in pot experiments in an inland arid region in 2019. Four treatments were conducted with eight replicates: plants without sheep excrement and cutting (CK), plants with multi-cutting (MC), plants with sheep excrement (SE), and plants with multi-cutting and sheep excrement (CE). The results showed that the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission of common vetch with CE significantly was higher than that with MC at the earlier and later branching stages (p < 0.05). That of spring wheat with CE was significantly higher than that with MC at the later tillering stage (p < 0.05). Nitrogen oxide (N2O) emissions of the two forage crops with SE rose significantly more than those with MC at both stages (p < 0.05). Methane (CH4) of both forage crops with SE changed from absorption to emission (p < 0.05). Soil NO3−-N content of both forages significantly increased with SE compared with MC (p < 0.05), while soil NH4+-N content did not change significantly. Sheep excrement changed the CH4 sink into a CH4 source of the soil growing the two forage crops and increased the emissions of CO2 and N2O, whereas multi-cutting significantly reduced the GHG intensity of forage crops mostly by promoting the growth of the two forage crops. Future studies are suggested to identify the spatiotemporal effects of cutting and sheep excrement on GHG emissions to improve the prediction of future climate impacts from grazing activities.
Antioxidants, Food Processing and Health
Authors: Poljsak Borut , Kovač Vito , Milisav Irina
Published: March 2021

The loss and/or modification of natural antioxidants during various food processing techniques and storage methods, like heat/thermal, UV, pulsed electric field treatment, drying, blanching and irradiation is well described. Antioxidants in their reduced form are modified mainly by oxidation, and less by pyrolysis and hydrolysis. Thus, they are chemically converted from the reduced to an oxidized form. Here we describe the neglected role of the oxidized forms of antioxidants produced during food processing and their effect on health. While natural antioxidants in their reduced forms have many well studied health-promoting characteristics, much less is known about the effects of their oxidized forms and other metabolites, which may have some health benefits as well. The oxidized forms of natural antioxidants affect cell signaling, the regulation of transcription factor activities and other determinants of gene expression. Very low doses may trigger hormesis, resulting in specific health benefits by the activation of damage repair processes and antioxidative defense systems. Functional studies determining the antioxidants’ effects on the organisms are important, especially as reduced or oxidized antioxidants and their metabolites may have additional or synergistic effects.
Integrating the EBM Model and LTS(A,A,A) Model to Evaluate the Efficiency in the Supply Chain of Packaging Industry in Vietnam
Authors: Wang Chia-Nan , Hoang Quynh-Ngoc , Nguyen Thi-Kim-Lien
Published: March 2021

In recent decades, Vietnamese labeling and packaging has been widely recognized as being one of the fastest developing industries in Vietnam, supported by the tremendous demand of domestic production and the exportation of its packaged goods. The emerging packaging technology trends and the participation of foreign direct investment (FDI) companies have led to fierce competition between all packaging enterprises in Vietnam. This paper aims to calculate the productivity performance of 10 packaging companies in Vietnam from the past to the future by combining the additive Holt-Winters (LTS(A,A,A)) model to predict key variables in the financial statement for the next 4 years (2020–2023) and an epsilon-based measure of efficiency (EBM) model of data envelopment analysis (DEA) to define the developing trend, efficiency, and ranking of packaging operations. The empirical results will assist packaging enterprises to identify their positions, suggest feasible solutions to overcome shortcomings and catch up with the global trends, and propose superior partnerships for manufacturers, which have packaging service demands and support investment decisions for investors. Overall, all the enterprises in the packaging industry have high productivity. In particular, SIVICO JSC is identified as the most efficient packaging company in Vietnam, as it continuously maintains the first ranking over the observation time, followed by Agriculture Printing & Packing JSC and Bien Hoa Packaging Company. In the past, Tan Dai Hung Plastic JSC was identified as the most unproductive unit, while in the future term, the inefficient decision-making units (DMUs) are Tan Tien Plastic Packaging JSC, Sai Gon Packaging JSC, Dong A JSC, and PetroVietnam Packaging JSC. The suggestion for incompetent enterprises is changing the value of inputs proportionally to optimize for better performance.
Genetic Testing for Neonatal Respiratory Disease
Authors: Nogee Lawrence , Ryan Rita
Published: March 2021

Genetic mechanisms are now recognized as rare causes of neonatal lung disease. Genes potentially responsible for neonatal lung disease include those encoding proteins important in surfactant function and metabolism, transcription factors important in lung development, proteins involved in ciliary assembly and function, and various other structural and immune regulation genes. The phenotypes of infants with genetic causes of neonatal lung disease may have some features that are difficult to distinguish clinically from more common, reversible causes of lung disease, and from each other. Multigene panels are now available that can allow for a specific diagnosis, providing important information for treatment and prognosis. This review discusses genes in which abnormalities are known to cause neonatal lung disease and their associated phenotypes, and advantages and limitations of genetic testing.
ASCU-Net: Attention Gate, Spatial and Channel Attention U-Net for Skin Lesion Segmentation
Authors: Tong Xiaozhong , Wei Junyu , Sun Bei , Su Shaojing , Zuo Zhen , Wu Peng
Published: March 2021

Segmentation of skin lesions is a challenging task because of the wide range of skin lesion shapes, sizes, colors, and texture types. In the past few years, deep learning networks such as U-Net have been successfully applied to medical image segmentation and exhibited faster and more accurate performance. In this paper, we propose an extended version of U-Net for the segmentation of skin lesions using the concept of the triple attention mechanism. We first selected regions using attention coefficients computed by the attention gate and contextual information. Second, a dual attention decoding module consisting of spatial attention and channel attention was used to capture the spatial correlation between features and improve segmentation performance. The combination of the three attentional mechanisms helped the network to focus on a more relevant field of view of the target. The proposed model was evaluated using three datasets, ISIC-2016, ISIC-2017, and PH2. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of our method with strong robustness to the presence of irregular borders, lesion and skin smooth transitions, noise, and artifacts.
Quantum Speed Limit and Divisibility of the Dynamical Map
Authors: Teittinen Jose , Maniscalco Sabrina
Published: March 2021

The quantum speed limit (QSL) is the theoretical lower limit of the time for a quantum system to evolve from a given state to another one. Interestingly, it has been shown that non-Markovianity can be used to speed-up the dynamics and to lower the QSL time, although this behaviour is not universal. In this paper, we further carry on the investigation on the connection between QSL and non-Markovianity by looking at the effects of P- and CP-divisibility of the dynamical map to the quantum speed limit. We show that the speed-up can also be observed under P- and CP-divisible dynamics, and that the speed-up is not necessarily tied to the transition from P-divisible to non-P-divisible dynamics.
Crowded Trades, Market Clustering, and Price Instability
Authors: van Kralingen Marc , Garlaschelli Diego , Scholtus Karolina , van Lelyveld Iman
Published: March 2021

Crowded trades by similarly trading peers influence the dynamics of asset prices, possibly creating systemic risk. We propose a market clustering measure using granular trading data. For each stock, the clustering measure captures the degree of trading overlap among any two investors in that stock, based on a comparison with the expected crowding in a null model where trades are maximally random while still respecting the empirical heterogeneity of both stocks and investors. We investigate the effect of crowded trades on stock price stability and present evidence that market clustering has a causal effect on the properties of the tails of the stock return distribution, particularly the positive tail, even after controlling for commonly considered risk drivers. Reduced investor pool diversity could thus negatively affect stock price stability.
An Historical Review from Exclusion to Inclusion in Western Australia across the Past Five Decades: What Have We Learnt?
Authors: Chambers Dianne , Forlin Chris
Published: March 2021

Current practices regarding inclusive education vary enormously depending on a wide range of issues, specifically the context and culture of an education system. To maximise the validity of data, and to avoid contextual confusion, this review focuses on one state in Australia, that of Western Australia. By applying a review of five-decade archival data, changes to education for learners with disability in this state are critiqued. Analysis involved applying five a priori themes to review educational reform practices. These were related to legislation and policy, support, curriculum, teacher education and parental choice. Discussion teased out the impact of these changes on the competing paradigms of special and inclusive education, and models and challenges of implementing effective inclusive practice for all learners in one Australian state. Critical reflection provides valuable insight into futures planning for all educational systems to reform practice to become more inclusive.
Wireless Power Transfer Technologies Applied to Electric Vehicles: A Review
Authors: Triviño Alicia , González-González José M. , Aguado José A.
Published: March 2021

The expansion on the use of Electric Vehicles demands new mechanisms to ease the charging process, making it autonomous and with a reduced user intervention. This paper reviews the technologies applied to the wireless charge of Electric Vehicles. In particular, it focuses on the technologies based on the induction principle, the capacitive-based techniques, those that use radiofrequency waves and the laser powering. As described, the convenience of each technique depends on the requirements imposed on the wireless power transfer. Specifically, we can state that the power level, the distance between the power source and the electric vehicle or whether the transfer is executed with the vehicle on the move or not or the cost are critical parameters that need to be taken into account to decide which technology to use. In addition, each technique requires some complementary electronics. This paper reviews the main components that are incorporated into these systems and it provides a review of their most relevant configurations.
An Innovative Methodology to Take into Account Traffic Information on WLTP Cycle for Hybrid Vehicles
Authors: Galvagno Antonio , Previti Umberto , Famoso Fabio , Brusca Sebastian
Published: March 2021

The most efficient energy management strategies for hybrid vehicles are the “Optimization-Based Strategies”. These strategies require a preliminary knowledge of the driving cycle, which is not easy to predict. This paper aims to combine Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty Vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC) low section short trips with real traffic levels for vehicle energy and fuel consumption prediction. Future research can focus on implementing a new strategy for Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) energy optimization, taking into account WLTC and Google Maps traffic levels. First of all, eight characteristic parameters are extracted from real speed profiles, driven in urban road sections in the city of Messina at different traffic conditions, and WLTC short trips as well. The minimum distance algorithm is used to compare the parameters and assign the three traffic levels (heavy, average, and low traffic level) to the WLTC short trips. In this way, for each route assigned from Google maps, vehicle’s energy and fuel consumption are estimated using WLTC short trips remodulated with distances and traffic levels. Moreover, a vehicle numerical model was implemented and used to test the accuracy of fuel consumption and energy prediction for the proposed methodology. The results are promising since the average of the percentage errors’ absolute value between the experimental driving cycles and forecast ones is 3.89% for fuel consumption, increasing to 6.80% for energy.
Managing Uncertainty in Geological CO2 Storage Using Bayesian Evidential Learning
Authors: Tadjer Amine , Bratvold Reidar B.
Published: March 2021

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been increasingly looking like a promising strategy to reduce CO2 emissions and meet the Paris agreement’s climate target. To ensure that CCS is safe and successful, an efficient monitoring program that will prevent storage reservoir leakage and drinking water contamination in groundwater aquifers must be implemented. However, geologic CO2 sequestration (GCS) sites are not completely certain about the geological properties, which makes it difficult to predict the behavior of the injected gases, CO2 brine leakage rates through wellbores, and CO2 plume migration. Significant effort is required to observe how CO2 behaves in reservoirs. A key question is: Will the CO2 injection and storage behave as expected, and can we anticipate leakages? History matching of reservoir models can mitigate uncertainty towards a predictive strategy. It could prove challenging to develop a set of history matching models that preserve geological realism. A new Bayesian evidential learning (BEL) protocol for uncertainty quantification was released through literature, as an alternative to the model-space inversion in the history-matching approach. Consequently, an ensemble of previous geological models was developed using a prior distribution’s Monte Carlo simulation, followed by direct forecasting (DF) for joint uncertainty quantification. The goal of this work is to use prior models to identify a statistical relationship between data prediction, ensemble models, and data variables, without any explicit model inversion. The paper also introduces a new DF implementation using an ensemble smoother and shows that the new implementation can make the computation more robust than the standard method. The Utsira saline aquifer west of Norway is used to exemplify BEL’s ability to predict the CO2 mass and leakages and improve decision support regarding CO2 storage projects.
Time-Multiplexed Self-Powered Wireless Current Sensor for Power Transmission Lines
Authors: Chen Hao , Qian Zhongnan , Liu Chengyin , Wu Jiande , Li Wuhua , He Xiangning
Published: March 2021

Current measurement is a key part of the monitoring system for power transmission lines. Compared with the conventional current sensor, the distributed, self-powered and contactless current sensor has great advantages of safety and reliability. By integrating the current sensing function and the energy harvesting function of current transformer (CT), a time-multiplexed self-powered wireless sensor that can measure the power transmission line current is presented in this paper. Two operating modes of CT, including current sensing mode and energy harvesting mode, are analyzed in detail. Through the design of mode-switching circuit, harvesting circuit and measurement circuit are isolated using only one CT secondary coil, which eliminates the interference between energy harvesting and current measurement. Thus, the accurate measurement in the current sensing mode and the maximum energy collection in the energy harvesting mode are both realized, all of which simplify the online power transmission line monitoring. The designed time-multiplexed working mode allows the sensor to work at a lower transmission line current, at the expense of a lower working frequency. Finally, the proposed sensor is verified by experiments.
Varying VAWT Cluster Configuration and the Effect on Individual Rotor and Overall Cluster Performance
Authors: Silva Jeffrey E. , Danao Louis Angelo M.
Published: March 2021

The effect of separation distance between turbines on overall cluster performance were simulated using computational fluid dynamics software and we found that at a distance equivalent to two rotors, there was an improvement of +8.06% in the average performance of the cluster compared to a single, isolated turbine. A very small improvement in performance was noted at the equivalent distance of 12 rotor diameters. The performances of three individual turbines in pyramid- and inverted pyramid-shaped vertical axis wind turbine clustered farm configurations with varying oblique angles at a fixed spacing of two equivalent rotor diameters were also investigated. The design experiment involves the simulation of test cases with oblique angles from 15° to 165° at an interval of 15° and the turbines were allowed to rotate through 18 full rotations. The results show that the left and right turbines increase in performance as the angle with respect to the streamline axis increases, with the exception of the 165° angle. The center turbine, meanwhile, attained its maximum performance at a 45° oblique angle. The maximum cluster performance was found to be in the configuration where the turbines were oriented in a line (i.e., side by side) and perpendicular to the free-stream wind velocity, exhibiting an overall performance improvement of 9.78% compared to the isolated turbine. Other array configurations show improvements ranging from 6.58% to 9.57% compared to the isolated turbine, except in the extreme cases of 15° and 165°, where a decrease in the cluster performance was noted due to blockage induced by the left and right turbines, and the center turbines, respectively.
Smart Organizations as a Source of Competitiveness and Sustainable Development in the Age of Industry 4.0: Integration of Micro and Macro Perspective
Authors: Adamik Anna , Sikora-Fernandez Dorota
Published: March 2021

The Industry 4.0 Revolution that is taking place nowadays means that organizations face not only new opportunities, but also challenges related to the identification of their role in creating a modern smart world. The economies of many countries are under the significant and growing influence of various types of organizations, not only strong international business corporations, but also, more and more often, smaller but intelligent ones called smart organizations IR 4.0. Due to their unique characteristics, intelligent organizations are better able than others to cope with technological breakthroughs, social, and cultural problems as well as to compete effectively and develop in an environmentally sustainable way. With their growing potential, they are strengthening the economies of their countries of origin and daily operation. Their growing role is also visible in the processes of shaping competitiveness and achieving the sustainable development objectives of the European Union (EU). The countries that are able to organize an environment on their territory that is conducive to the smart organization’s development are clear examples not only of a high market competitiveness, but also of a dynamically growing commitment to the effective implementation of the challenges associated with the 17 objectives of sustainable development of the contemporary EU, according to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This allows for a conclusion that the identification of the key factors for a smart organization’s development makes it possible to monitor and provide targeted support for the development not only of these organizations, but also for the competitiveness and sustainability of individual countries, both from the EU and other regions of the world. In light of the above, the aim of this article is therefore to propose an effective tool to monitor the use of power of smart organizations in the processes of building the competitiveness and sustainable development of countries, with particular reference to the EU. To achieve this objective, we constructed a synthetic power of smart organizations index (PSOI) based on previously collected data from EUROSTAT. This tool allows for the integration of micro (organization level) and macro (country level) economic aspects into a single construct. Based on the analysis of its results, countries wishing to actively engage in the development of their own and the EU’s smartness and sustainability can be offered several more or less intense navigation paths to market success, based on the development of smart organizations.
Snow-Induced PV Loss Modeling Using Production-Data Inferred PV System Models
Authors: van Noord Michiel , Landelius Tomas , Andersson Sandra
Published: March 2021

Snow-induced photovoltaic (PV)-energy losses (snow losses) in snowy and cold locations vary up to 100% monthly and 34% annually, according to literature. Levels that illustrate the need for snow loss estimation using validated models. However, to our knowledge, all these models build on limited numbers of sites and winter seasons, and with limited climate diversity. To overcome this limitation in underlying statistics, we investigate the estimation of snow losses using a PV system’s yield data together with freely available gridded weather datasets. To develop and illustrate this approach, 263 sites in northern Sweden are studied over multiple winters. Firstly, snow-free production is approximated by identifying snow-free days and using corresponding data to infer tilt and azimuth angles and a snow-free performance model incorporating shading effects, etc. This performance model approximates snow-free monthly yields with an average hourly standard deviation of 6.9%, indicating decent agreement. Secondly, snow losses are calculated as the difference between measured and modeled yield, showing annual snow losses up to 20% and means of 1.5–6.2% for winters with data for at least 89 sites. Thirdly, two existing snow loss estimation models are compared to our calculated snow losses, with the best match showing a correlation of 0.73 and less than 1% bias for annual snow losses. Based on these results, we argue that our approach enables studying snow losses for high numbers of PV systems and winter seasons using existing datasets.
Metaheuristic Based Solution for the Non‐Linear Controller of the Multiterminal High‐Voltage Direct Current Networks
Authors: Khan Muhammad Ahmad , Li Xiaocong , Yousaf Muhammad Zain , Mustafa Ali , Wei Mingshuo
Published: March 2021

The purpose of this study is to improve the P-I controllers of the voltage-source converters (VSC)-based multiterminal high voltage direct-current (MT-HVDC) networks. Since the VSCs are the non-linear elements of the MT-HVDC stations, the classical optimization methods, which approximately implement the linear model to optimize the P-I controllers of the VSCs, do not generate optimal results. Therefore, this paper presents a novel technique to optimize the VSC-based MT-HVDC grids’ P-I controllers by embedding the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm. The voltage-droop control method is employed at on-shore grids to ensure the active and reactive power balance within MT-HVDC networks. During an evaluation, achieved via a detailed four-terminal MT-HVDC model designed in PSCAD/EMTDC, the improved results obtained under different dynamic situations such as unbalance wind power generation, change in load demand at the on-shore side grids, and eventual VSC disconnection, respectively.
Research on the Performance of Solar Aided Power Generation System Based on Annular Fresnel Solar Concentrator
Authors: Zhang Heng , Wang Na , Liang Kai , Liu Yang , Chen Haiping
Published: March 2021

A solar-aided power generation (SAPG) system effectively promotes the high efficiency and low cost utilization of solar energy. In this paper, the SAPG system is represented by conventional coal-fired units and an annular Fresnel solar concentrator (AFSC) system. The annular Fresnel solar concentrator system is adopted to generate solar steam to replace the extraction steam of the turbine. According to the steam–water matrix equation and improved Flugel formula, the variable conditions simulation and analysis of the thermo-economic index were proposed by Matlab. Furthermore, in order to obtain the range of small disturbance, the method of partial replacement is used, that is, the extraction steam of the turbine is replaced from 0 to 100% with a step size of 20%. In this work, a SAPG system is proposed and its thermo-economic index and small disturbance scope are analyzed. The results show that the SAPG system is energy-saving, and the application scope of small disturbance is related to the quantity of the extraction steam and evaluation index.
Production of Renewable Lipids by the Diatom Amphora copulata
Authors: Govindan Natanamurugaraj , Maniam Gaanty , Ab. Rahim Mohd , Sulaiman Ahmad , Ajit Azilah , Chatsungnoen Tawan , Chisti Yusuf
Published: March 2021

The asymmetric biraphid pennate diatom Amphora copulata, isolated from tropical coastal waters (South China Sea, Malaysia), was cultured for renewable production of lipids (oils) in a medium comprised of inorganic nutrients dissolved in dilute palm oil mill effluent (POME). Optimal levels of nitrate, phosphate, and silicate were identified for maximizing the biomass concentration in batch cultures conducted at 25 ± 2 °C under an irradiance of 130 µmol m−2 s−1 with a 16 h/8 h light-dark cycle. The maximum lipid content in the biomass harvested after 15-days was 39.5 ± 4.5% by dry weight in a POME-based medium with optimal levels of nitrate, phosphate, and silicate. Under the optimized conditions the maximum dry mass concentration of the diatom was 660 mg L−1 on day 12, declining to ~650 mg L−1 on day 15. For the 15-day batch operation, the final average productivities of the biomass and the lipids were 43.3 ± 4.5 mg L−1 d−1 and 17.1 ± 0.3 mg L−1 d−1, respectively. The fatty acids in the diatom lipids were found to be (%, w/w of total lipids): palmitoleic acid (39.8%), palmitic acid (31.9%), myristic acid (6.8%), oleic acid (4.7%), stearic acid (4.5%), arachidonic acid (3.9%), eicosapentaenoic acid (3.6%), linoleic acid (2.5%), tetracosanoic acid (1.7%), and linolenic acid (0.6%).
Bound Coherent Structures Propagating on the Free Surface of Deep Water
Authors: Kachulin Dmitry , Dremov Sergey , Dyachenko Alexander
Published: March 2021

This article presents a study of bound periodically oscillating coherent structures arising on the free surface of deep water. Such structures resemble the well known bi-soliton solution of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The research was carried out in the super-compact Dyachenko-Zakharov equation model for unidirectional deep water waves and the full system of nonlinear equations for potential flows of an ideal incompressible fluid written in conformal variables. The special numerical algorithm that includes a damping procedure of radiation and velocity adjusting was used for obtaining such bound structures. The results showed that in both nonlinear models for deep water waves after the damping is turned off, a periodically oscillating bound structure remains on the fluid surface and propagates stably over hundreds of thousands of characteristic wave periods without losing energy.
HVDC Converter Cooling System with a Phase Change Dispersion
Authors: Fischer Ludger , Mura Ernesto , Qiao Geng , O’Neill Poppy , von Arx Silvan , Li Qi , Ding Yulong
Published: March 2021

High voltage direct current converters require efficient cooling of thyristors via heat sinks. Currently, infrastructures use deionised water as a means of cooling the high voltage direct current converters; however, recent research has shown that other fluids have potential to offer more efficient cooling. Phase change dispersions are a new class of heat transfer fluids that employ the latent heat of phase change, thus offering isothermal cooling during melting. For cooling applications, the temperature increase during operation is thus lowered when using phase change dispersions (compared to water) and consequently, the heat sink and thyristors surface temperatures are reduced. In this investigation, a phase change dispersion with non-conductive components, high stability, high capacity and low viscosity has been developed and tested. An experimental setup of a real size heat sink has been installed and the heat transfer behaviour of both the formulated phase change dispersion and water have been investigated and a comparison has been presented. Using water as the heat transfer fluid, the temperature increase from inlet to outlet of the heat sink was 4 K and with the formulated phase change dispersion (at the same mass flow rate and heat input) the temperature increase was 2 K. The phase change dispersion caused a 50% reduction in the heat sink surface temperature. Furthermore, the global heat transfer coefficients obtained for the phase change dispersion were found to be independent of the heating input applied, unlike the trend found for water, additionally, the global heat transfer coefficients were found to be similar to those obtained for water at the same mass flow rates and reached a maximum value of 6100 W m2 K−1. Despite this, the pressure drops and viscosities obtained for the phase change dispersion were higher than for water. Overall, the current investigation demonstrates the ability of using a phase change dispersion as a cooling fluid for the cooling of electronic components, which thus far is limited to using air and water cooling and cannot reach the cooling capacity achieved by phase change dispersions.
Measuring Circularity in Food Supply Chain Using Life Cycle Assessment; Refining Oil from Olive Kernel
Authors: Nikkhah Amin , Firouzi Saeed , Dadaei Keyvan , Van Haute Sam
Published: March 2021

Valorization of food waste is a potential strategy toward a circular food supply chain. In this regard, measuring the circularity of food waste valorization systems is highly important to better understand multiple environmental impacts. Therefore, this study investigated the circularity of a food waste valorization system (refining oil from olive kernel) using a life cycle assessment methodology. An inventory of an industrial-based olive kernel oil production system is also provided in this study. The system boundary was the cradle to the factory gate of the production system. The results indicated that natural gas consumption was the highest contributor to most of the investigated impact categories. The global warming potential of one kg of oil produced from olive kernel was calculated to be 1.37 kg CO2eq. Moreover, the calculated damages of 1 kg oil production from olive kernel to human health, ecosystem quality, and resource depletion were 5.29 × 10−7 DALY, 0.12 PDF∙m2∙yr., and 24.40 MJ, respectively.
The Thorns of Trauma: Torture, Aftermath, and Healing in Contemporary Fairy-Tale Literature
Authors: Jorgensen Jeana
Published: March 2021

While classical fairy tales do not portray much depth of suffering, many contemporary fairy-tale retellings explore trauma and its aftermath in great detail. This article analyzes depictions of trauma in fairy tales, utilizing as a primary case study the “Beauty and the Beast” retelling A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, arguing that this text provides a scientifically accurate representation of trauma and its aftermath, thereby articulating the real in fairy tales. Further, this article classifies that work as not simply a “dark” fairy tale (a contentious term that invites rethinking) but rather as fairy-tale torture porn, in a nod to the horror genre that foregrounds torture, surveillance, and the disruption of bodily boundaries and safety. However, the text’s optimistic account of healing is uniquely relevant in a time of widespread trauma due to a global pandemic, thereby demonstrating that fairy tales remain germane in contemporary contexts.
Association between the Range of Motion and Passive Property of the Gastrocnemius Muscle–Tendon Unit in Older Population
Authors: Nakamura Masatoshi , Sato Shigeru , Kiyono Ryosuke , Yahata Kaoru , Yoshida Riku , Fukaya Taizan , Nishishita Satoru , Konrad Andreas
Published: March 2021

Range of motion has been widely known to decrease with age; however, factors associated with its decrease in the elderly population and especially its gender difference have been unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the factors associated with ankle dorsiflexion range of motion in the older population. Both male (n = 17, mean ± SD; 70.5 ± 4.2 years; 165.4 ± 5.3 cm; 63.8 ± 7.7 kg) and female (n = 25, 74.0 ± 4.0 years; 151.2 ± 4.9 cm; 50.1 ± 5.6 kg) community-dwelling older adults participated in this study. The ankle dorsiflexion and passive torque of both legs were measured using a dynamometer, and shear elastic modulus of the medial gastrocnemius muscle at 0° ankle angle was measured using ultrasonic shear wave elastography. In this study, we defined the passive torque at dorsiflexion range of motion (DF ROM) as the index of stretch tolerance, and shear elastic modulus as the index of passive muscle stiffness. The partial correlation coefficient adjusted by age, height, weight, and side (dominant or nondominant side) was used to analyze the relationship between DF ROM and passive torque at DF ROM or shear elastic modulus of MG in each male and female participant, respectively. Our results revealed that dorsiflexion range of motion was significantly associated with passive torque at dorsiflexion range of motion in both male (r = 0.455, p = 0.012) and female (r = 0.486, p < 0.01), but not with shear elastic modulus in both male (r = −0.123, p = 0.519) and female (r = 0.019, p = 0.898). Our results suggested that the ankle dorsiflexion range of motion could be related to the stretch tolerance, but not to passive muscle stiffness in community-dwelling elderly population regardless of gender.
Automatic Evaluation of Heart Condition According to the Sounds Emitted and Implementing Six Classification Methods
Authors: Soto-Murillo Manuel A. , Galván-Tejada Jorge I. , Galván-Tejada Carlos E. , Celaya-Padilla Jose M. , Luna-García Huizilopoztli , Magallanes-Quintanar Rafael , Gutiérrez-García Tania A. , Gamboa-Rosales Hamurabi
Published: March 2021

The main cause of death in Mexico and the world is heart disease, and it will continue to lead the death rate in the next decade according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI). Therefore, the objective of this work is to implement, compare and evaluate machine learning algorithms that are capable of classifying normal and abnormal heart sounds. Three different sounds were analyzed in this study; normal heart sounds, heart murmur sounds and extra systolic sounds, which were labeled as healthy sounds (normal sounds) and unhealthy sounds (murmur and extra systolic sounds). From these sounds, fifty-two features were calculated to create a numerical dataset; thirty-six statistical features, eight Linear Predictive Coding (LPC) coefficients and eight Cepstral Frequency-Mel Coefficients (MFCC). From this dataset two more were created; one normalized and one standardized. These datasets were analyzed with six classifiers: k-Nearest Neighbors, Naive Bayes, Decision Trees, Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine and Artificial Neural Networks, all of them were evaluated with six metrics: accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, ROC curve, precision and F1-score, respectively. The performances of all the models were statistically significant, but the models that performed best for this problem were logistic regression for the standardized data set, with a specificity of 0.7500 and a ROC curve of 0.8405, logistic regression for the normalized data set, with a specificity of 0.7083 and a ROC curve of 0.8407, and Support Vector Machine with a lineal kernel for the non-normalized data; with a specificity of 0.6842 and a ROC curve of 0.7703. Both of these metrics are of utmost importance in evaluating the performance of computer-assisted diagnostic systems.
Prolyl Hydroxylase 3 Knockdown Accelerates VHL-Mutant Kidney Cancer Growth In Vivo
Authors: Zacharias Niki M. , Wang Lei , Maity Tapati , Li Li , Millward Steven W. , Karam Jose A. , Wood Christopher G. , Navai Neema
Published: March 2021

Von Hippel Lindau (VHL) inactivation, which is common in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), leads directly to the disruption of oxygen homoeostasis. VHL works through hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). Within this VHL-HIF system, prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) are the intermediary proteins that initiate the degradation of HIFs. PHD isoform 3′s (PHD3) role in ccRCC growth in vivo is poorly understood. Using viral transduction, we knocked down the expression of PHD3 in the human ccRCC cell line UMRC3. Compared with control cells transduced with scrambled vector (UMRC3-SC cells), PHD3-knockdown cells (UMRC3-PHD3KD cells) showed increased cell invasion, tumor growth, and response to sunitinib. PHD3 knockdown reduced HIF2α expression and increased phosphorylated epidermal growth factor (EGFR) expression in untreated tumor models. However, following sunitinib treatment, expression of HIF2α and phosphorylated EGFR were equivalent in both PHD3 knockdown and control tumors. PHD3 knockdown changed the overall redox state of the cell as seen by the increased concentration of glutathione in PHD3 knockdown tumors relative to control tumors. UMRC3-PHD3KD cells had increased proliferation in cell culture when grown in the presence of hydrogen peroxide compared to UMRC3-SC control cells. Our findings illustrate (1) the variable effect of PHD3 on HIF2α expression, (2) an inverse relationship between PHD3 expression and tumor growth in ccRCC animal models, and (3) the role of PHD3 in maintaining the redox state of UMRC3 cells and their proliferative rate under oxidative stress.
Subunits of the PBAP Chromatin Remodeler Are Capable of Mediating Enhancer-Driven Transcription in Drosophila
Authors: Shidlovskii Yulii V. , Bylino Oleg V. , Shaposhnikov Alexander V. , Kachaev Zaur M. , Lebedeva Lyubov A. , Kolesnik Valeria V. , Amendola Diego , De Simone Giovanna , Formicola Nadia , Schedl Paul , Digilio Filomena Anna , Giordano Ennio
Published: March 2021

The chromatin remodeler SWI/SNF is an important participant in gene activation, functioning predominantly by opening the chromatin structure on promoters and enhancers. Here, we describe its novel mode of action in which SWI/SNF factors mediate the targeted action of an enhancer. We studied the functions of two signature subunits of PBAP subfamily, BAP170 and SAYP, in Drosophila. These subunits were stably tethered to a transgene reporter carrying the hsp70 core promoter. The tethered subunits mediate transcription of the reporter in a pattern that is generated by enhancers close to the insertion site in multiple loci throughout the genome. Both tethered SAYP and BAP170 recruit the whole PBAP complex to the reporter promoter. However, we found that BAP170-dependent transcription is more resistant to the depletion of other PBAP subunits, suggesting that BAP170 may play a more critical role in establishing enhancer-dependent transcription.
In Silico Investigation of Potential Applications of Gamma Carbonic Anhydrases as Catalysts of CO2 Biomineralization Processes: A Visit to the Thermophilic Bacteria Persephonella hydrogeniphila, Persephonella marina, Thermosulfidibacter takaii, and Thermus thermophilus
Authors: Manyumwa Colleen Varaidzo , Bishop Özlem Tastan
Published: March 2021

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) have been identified as ideal catalysts for CO2 sequestration. Here, we report the sequence and structural analyses as well as the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of four γ-CAs from thermophilic bacteria. Three of these, Persephonella marina, Persephonella hydrogeniphila, and Thermosulfidibacter takaii originate from hydrothermal vents and one, Thermus thermophilus HB8, from hot springs. Protein sequences were retrieved and aligned with previously characterized γ-CAs, revealing differences in the catalytic pocket residues. Further analysis of the structures following homology modeling revealed a hydrophobic patch in the catalytic pocket, presumed important for CO2 binding. Monitoring of proton shuttling residue His69 (P. marina γ-CA numbering) during MD simulations of P. hydrogeniphila and P. marina’s γ-CAs (γ-PhCA and γ-PmCA), showed a different behavior to that observed in the γ-CA of Escherichia coli, which periodically coordinates Zn2+. This work also involved the search for hotspot residues that contribute to interface stability. Some of these residues were further identified as key in protein communication via betweenness centrality metric of dynamic residue network analysis. T. takaii’s γ-CA showed marginally lower thermostability compared to the other three γ-CA proteins with an increase in conformations visited at high temperatures being observed. Hydrogen bond analysis revealed important interactions, some unique and others common in all γ-CAs, which contribute to interface formation and thermostability. The seemingly thermostable γ-CA from T. thermophilus strangely showed increased unsynchronized residue motions at 423 K. γ-PhCA and γ-PmCA were, however, preliminarily considered suitable as prospective thermostable CO2 sequestration agents.