bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection and incidence of active tuberculosis in school close contacts in Shanghai, China: Baseline and follow-up results of a prospective cohort study
Authors: Xiao Xiao , Chen Jing , Jiang Yue , Li Peng , Li Jin , Lu Liping , Zhao Yameng , Tang Lihong , Zhang Tianyuan , Wu Zheyuan , Rao Lixin , Yuan Zheng’an , Pan Qichao , Shen Xin
Published: September 2022

Background

The management of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is a key action for the realization of the “End tuberculosis (TB) Strategy” worldwide, and it is important to identify priority populations. In this prospective cohort study, we evaluated the prevalence of LTBI and incidence of active TB among close contacts and explored the suitable TB control strategy in schools.

Methods

We designed a cohort with 2 years of follow-up, recruiting freshman/sophomore TB patients’ close contacts from three administrative districts in Shanghai. These were chosen based on different levels of TB incidence reported in 2019. Questionnaires were included and all participants received both tuberculin skin test (TST) and QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT) at baseline, then tracked the outcomes of them during the follow-up period.

Results

The prevalence of LTBI was 4.8% by QFT. Univariate analysis showed that the risk of LTBI was higher in those contacting bacteriologically confirmed patients or did not have BCG scars, including smokers. The risk increased with poor lighting and ventilation conditions at contact sites. Multivariate analysis showed that those contacting with bacteriologically confirmed patients (OR=4.180; 95%CI, 1.164-15.011) or who did not have BCG scars (OR=5.054; 95%CI, 2.278-11.214) had a higher risk of being LTBI, as did the current smokers (OR=3.916; 95%CI, 1.508-10.168) and those who had stopped smoking (OR=7.491; 95%CI, 2.222-25.249). During the 2-year follow-up period, three clinically diagnosed cases of TB were recorded, the 2-year cumulative incidence was 0.4% (95%CI 0.1-1.2), the median duration for TB occurrence was 1 year, the incidence rate of active TB was 2.0 per 1000 person-years with a total of 1497.3 observation person-years. For those LTBI, no one initiated preventive treatment, in the QFT (+) cohort, 1 TB case was observed, 71 person-years with an incidence rate of 14.1 14.1 (95%CI 2.5-75.6) per 1000 person-years, in the TST (+++) cohort, 2 TB cases were observed 91.5 person-years with an incidence rate of 21.9 (95%CI 6.0-76.3) per 1000 person-years.

Conclusions

The results suggest that school close contacts are one of the key populations for LTBI management. Measures should be taken to further reduce the prevalence of LTBI and the incidence of active TB among them.
Quantifying the Excess Risk of Adverse COVID-19 Outcomes in Unvaccinated Individuals With Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, Ischaemic Heart Disease or Myocardial Injury: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ng Sher May , Pan Jiliu , Mouyis Kyriacos , Kondapally Seshasai Sreenivasa Rao , Kapil Vikas , Rice Kenneth M. , Gupta Ajay K.
Published: September 2022

Background

More than 80% of individuals in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are unvaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In contrast, the greatest burden of cardiovascular disease is seen in LMIC populations. Hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and myocardial injury have been variably associated with adverse COVID-19 outcomes. A systematic comparison of their impact on specific COVID-19 outcomes is lacking. We quantified the impact of DM, HTN, IHD and myocardial injury on six adverse COVID-19 outcomes: death, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), admission to intensive care (ITUadm), acute kidney injury (AKI) and severe COVID-19 disease (SCov), in an unvaccinated population.

Methodology

We included studies published between 1st December 2019 and 16th July 2020 with extractable data on patients ≥18 years of age with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Odds ratios (OR) for the association between DM, HTN, IHD and myocardial injury with each of six COVID-19 outcomes were measured.

Results

We included 110 studies comprising 48,809 COVID-19 patients. Myocardial injury had the strongest association for all six adverse COVID-19 outcomes [death: OR 8.85 95% CI (8.08–9.68), ARDS: 5.70 (4.48–7.24), IMV: 3.42 (2.92–4.01), ITUadm: 4.85 (3.94–6.05), AKI: 10.49 (6.55–16.78), SCov: 5.10 (4.26–6.05)]. HTN and DM were also significantly associated with death, ARDS, ITUadm, AKI and SCov. There was substantial heterogeneity in the results, partly explained by differences in age, gender, geographical region and recruitment period.

Conclusion

COVID-19 patients with myocardial injury are at substantially greater risk of death, severe disease and other adverse outcomes. Weaker, yet significant associations are present in patients with HTN, DM and IHD. Quantifying these associations is important for risk stratification, resource allocation and urgency in vaccinating these populations.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, registration no: CRD42020201435 and CRD42020201443.
Development and validation of prediction models for hypertension risks: A cross-sectional study based on 4,287,407 participants
Authors: Ji Weidong , Zhang Yushan , Cheng Yinlin , Wang Yushan , Zhou Yi
Published: September 2022

Objective

To develop an optimal screening model to identify the individuals with a high risk of hypertension in China by comparing tree-based machine learning models, such as classification and regression tree, random forest, adaboost with a decision tree, extreme gradient boosting decision tree, and other machine learning models like an artificial neural network, naive Bayes, and traditional logistic regression models.

Methods

A total of 4,287,407 adults participating in the national physical examination were included in the study. Features were selected using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression. The Borderline synthetic minority over-sampling technique was used for data balance. Non-laboratory and semi-laboratory analyses were carried out in combination with the selected features. The tree-based machine learning models, other machine learning models, and traditional logistic regression models were constructed to identify individuals with hypertension, respectively. Top features selected using the best algorithm and the corresponding variable importance score were visualized.

Results

A total of 24 variables were finally included for analyses after the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model. The sample size of hypertensive patients in the training set was expanded from 689,025 to 2,312,160 using the borderline synthetic minority over-sampling technique algorithm. The extreme gradient boosting decision tree algorithm showed the best results (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of non-laboratory: 0.893 and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of semi-laboratory: 0.894). This study found that age, systolic blood pressure, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, albumin, drinking frequency, electrocardiogram, ethnicity (uyghur, hui, and other), body mass index, sex (female), exercise frequency, diabetes mellitus, and total bilirubin are important factors reflecting hypertension. Besides, some algorithms included in the semi-laboratory analyses showed less improvement in the predictive performance compared to the non-laboratory analyses.

Conclusion

Using multiple methods, a more significant prediction model can be built, which discovers risk factors and provides new insights into the prediction and prevention of hypertension.
Percutaneous mitral valve repair in patients developing severe mitral regurgitation early after an acute myocardial infarction: A review
Authors: Estévez-Loureiro Rodrigo , Tavares Da Silva Marta , Baz-Alonso José Antonio , Caneiro-Queija Berenice , Barreiro-Pérez Manuel , Calvo-Iglesias Francisco , González-Ferreiro Rocio , Puga Luis , Piñón Miguel , Íñiguez-Romo Andrés
Published: September 2022

Acute mitral regurgitation (MR) may develop in the setting of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) because of papillary muscle dysfunction or rupture. Severe acute MR in this scenario is a life-threatening complication associated with hemodynamic instability and pulmonary edema, and has been linked to a worse prognosis even after reperfusion. Patients treated solely with medical therapy have the highest mortality rates. Surgery has been the only treatment strategy until recently, but the results of the technique are hindered by high rates of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the development of less invasive interventions for correcting MR would be ideal. We aimed to review the current role of transcatheter interventions in this clinical setting.
Sex, Rhythm & Death: The effect of sexual activity on cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death
Authors: Dye Cicely Anne , Engelstein Erica , Swearingen Sean , Murphy Jeanine , Larsen Timothy , Volgman Annabelle Santos
Published: September 2022

Arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death with sexual activity are rare. However, the demographics are changing regarding the cardiovascular patients at risk for these events. Recent studies have highlighted that the individuals having cardiac events during sexual activity are becoming younger, with a higher proportion of female decedents than previously described. There needs to be an open dialog between the cardiovascular team and the cardiac patient to provide the education and reassurance necessary for cardiovascular patients to participate in sexual intercourse safely. This paper reviews how sexual activity can lead to an increase in cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest in patients that are not medically optimized or are unaware of their underlying cardiac condition. The most common cardiovascular diseases associated with sexually induced arrhythmias and arrest are discussed regarding their potential risk and the psychosocial impact of this risk on these patients. Finally, cardiovascular medications and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are addressed by reviewing the literature on the safety profile of these cardiac interventions in this patient population. Overall, sexual activity is safe for most cardiac patients, and providing proper education to the patient and their partner can improve the safety profile for patients with higher risk cardiovascular conditions. To give the appropriate education and reassurance necessary, cardiovascular team members need an understanding of the pathophysiology of how sexual activity can provoke arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest. Healthcare providers also need to build comfort in speaking to all patients and ensure that sexual partners, female patients, and those in the LGBTQIA + community receive the same access to counseling but tailored to their individual needs.
Multiple experimental studies of pore structure and mineral grain sizes of the Woodford shale in southern Oklahoma, USA
Authors: Zhao Chen , Hu Qinhong , Wang Qiming , Ilavsky Jan , Wang Min , Zhang Xiaobei , Yan Jianping
Published: September 2022

Pore structure study is an important part of unconventional shale reservoir characterization, since the pore system provides the primary petroleum storage space and fluid flow pathways. Previous studies have suggested that the pore structure is related to the total organic carbon (TOC) content, mineral compositions, and the maturity of the organic matter (OM). However, few studies have focused on the mineral grains, the primary grains being deposited but before cementation, which are the building blocks of shale. Eight Woodford Shale outcrop samples from southern Oklahoma were chosen to study the effects of mineral grain size on the pore structure characterization, using multiple and complementary experimental approaches, including laser diffraction, mineralogy, TOC, pyrolysis, liquid immersion porosimetry, mercury intrusion porosimetry, gas physisorption, (ultra) small angle X-ray scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and spontaneous imbibition. The results from different experiments of eight samples show that the Woodford Shale has the mean mineral grain diameters at 3–6 μm, a wide range of porosity at 3–40% and pore diameters at 50–1,000 nm, and various pore connectivity. Grain size variation was probably caused by the sea-level fluctuation during its deposition, which affect the porosity, pore size distribution, and pore connectivity. With decreasing mineral grain sizes, the porosity tends to increase while the pore connectivity worsens. The results also indicate that OM and carbonates in this low-maturity Woodford Shale could block the pores and decrease the porosity. Coupling with the grain size analyses, the control of depositional environment on grain sizes and subsequent effects on pore structure is identified. The pore structure characteristics over a wide pore-diameter range provided by multiple experiments could improve the understanding of storage space and fluid flow in the Woodford Shale to further increase its petroleum production.
New Data on the Bivalved Arthropod Tuzoia From the Cambrian (Series 2, Stage 4) Guanshan Biota in Kunming, Yunnan, Southwest China
Authors: Wu Yichen , Liu Jianni
Published: September 2022

The Guanshan Biota (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4) is a typical Burgess Shale-type biota and is one of the most significant Cambrian Konservat-Lagerstätten from China. Tuzoia is a relatively common non-biomineralized bivalved arthropod from the Guanshan Biota and, stratigraphically, ranges from Cambrian Series 2 through the Miaolingian Series. Based on new specimens from the Longbaoshan Section of the Wulongqing Formation, this study distinguished and described in detail the Tuzoia in the Guanshan Biota. Supplemental details about the larval stage of Tuzoia tylodesa were obtained, and the ontogenetic pattern of T. tylodesa was revised. The confirmation of the presence of Tuzoia retifera and the first report of Tuzoia cf. canadensis in the Guanshan biota, as well as the confirmation of the presence of T. retifera and the first report of T. cf. canadensis out of Laurentia (in Gondwana), indicated that species communication between paleogeographic plates is possible.
Impact of radiative forcing of spatially varying CO2 concentrations on net primary production
Authors: Peng Jing , Dan Li , Tang Xiba , Yang Fuqiang
Published: September 2022

The radiative forcing of spatially varying carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations has modified the climate by altering surface energy, the water budget, and carbon cycling. Over the past several decades, due to anthropogenic emissions, atmospheric CO2 concentrations in the whole terrestrial ecosystem have become greater than the global mean. The relationship between climatic variables and net primary production (NPP) can be regulated by the radiative forcing of this spatial variation. The present results show that owing to the radiative forcing of spatially varying CO2 concentrations, NPP has reduced globally by −0.6 Pg C yr−1. Region 2, with increased CO2 and decreased NPP, shows the greatest reductions, by −0.7 Pg C yr−1. Variations of both NPP and CO2 concentrations are distributed asymmetrically. As human activities are mainly located in the Northern Hemisphere, increased CO2 has mainly manifested in these regions. Especially in region 2, with increased CO2 and decreased NPP, increasing downward longwave radiation has heated the ground surface by 2.2 W m−2 and raised surface temperatures by 0.23°C. At the same time, due to the radiative forcing of spatial variations in CO2 concentrations, local dependence of NPP on soil moisture has increased due to enhanced temperature and evapotranspiration coupling, which may improve negative NPP anomalies locally, especially in region 2. With continued increasing CO2 concentrations, its spatial variation due to radiative forcing is likely to amplify warming and have a negative impact on NPP in the terrestrial ecosystem.
Experiment with the dynamical–statistical–analog ensemble forecast model for landfalling typhoon gale over South China
Authors: Li Lifang , Chen Yuxu , Ren Fumin , Liu Chunxia , Ma Yunqi , Wan Qilin
Published: September 2022

In this study, an experiment based on the Dynamical-Statistical-Analog Ensemble Forecast model for Landfalling Typhoon Gale (DSAEF_LTG model) was conducted to predict tropical cyclone (TC)-induced potential maximum gales in South China for the first time. A total of 21 TCs with maximum gales greater than or equal to 17.2 m/s (at least one station) during 2011–2018 were selected for this experiment. Among them, 16 TCs in 2011–2015 were selected as the training samples aimed at identifying the best forecast scheme, while 5 TCs in 2016–2018 were selected as the independent samples to verify the best forecast scheme. Finally, the forecast results were compared with four numerical weather prediction (NWP) models (i.e., CMA, ECMWF, JMA and NCEP) based on four forecasting skill scores (Threat Score, False Alarm Ratio, Missing Ratio and Bias Score) at thresholds above Beaufort Scale 7 and 10, and two more indicators (Mean Absolute Error and pearson correlation coefficient). The results revealed encouraging forecasting ability in South China for the DSAEF_LTG model. In general, the DSAEF_LTG model showed higher forecasting skill than the NWP models above the critical thresholds. While the DSAEF_LTG model was prone to false alarms, the NWP models were prone to missing alarms, especially for an intense scale (≥Beaufort Scale 10). In addition, the DSAEF_LTG model also performed best with the smallest forecasting error. Furthermore, the DSAEF_LTG model had distinct advantages in predicting target TCs with typical tracks and widespread gales, both in terms of the wind field pattern and the magnitude of central wind speeds. However, for sideswiping TCs with small-scale gales, the DSAEF_LTG model tended to over-predict and held no advantage over the NWP models, which could perhaps be improved by introducing more reasonable ensemble forecast schemes in further research.
Deep preconditioners and their application to seismic wavefield processing
Authors: Ravasi Matteo
Published: September 2022

Seismic data processing heavily relies on the solution of physics-driven inverse problems. In the presence of unfavourable data acquisition conditions (e.g., regular or irregular coarse sampling of sources and/or receivers), the underlying inverse problem becomes very ill-posed and prior information is required to obtain a satisfactory solution. Sparsity-promoting inversion, coupled with fixed-basis sparsifying transforms, represent the go-to approach for many processing tasks due to its simplicity of implementation and proven successful application in a variety of acquisition scenarios. Nevertheless, such transforms rely on the assumption that seismic data can be represented as a linear combination of a finite number of basis functions. Such an assumption may not always be fulfilled, thus producing sub-optimal solutions. Leveraging the ability of deep neural networks to find compact representations of complex, multi-dimensional vector spaces, we propose to train an AutoEncoder network to learn a nonlinear mapping between the input seismic data and a representative latent manifold. The trained decoder is subsequently used as a nonlinear preconditioner for the solution of the physics-driven inverse problem at hand. Through synthetic and field data examples, the proposed nonlinear, learned transformations are shown to outperform fixed-basis transforms and converge faster to the sought solution for a variety of seismic processing tasks, ranging from deghosting to wavefield separation with both regularly and irregularly subsampled data.
Attitudes towards school violence based on aporophobia. A qualitative study
Authors: Pina David , Marín-Talón María Catalina , López-López Reyes , Martínez-Andreu Lucía , Puente-López Esteban , Ruiz-Hernández José Antonio
Published: September 2022

School violence is a worldwide problem. Among the variables that influence its frequency, perceived socioeconomic status seems to be associated with a higher risk of exposure to violence and attitudes toward violence. The aim of this study is to examine attitudes toward violence based on socioeconomic discrimination (aporophobia) and its relationship with violent behaviors in the school context. For this purpose, 96 Spanish students of Primary Education (PE) and Compulsory Secondary Education (CSE) participated in this qualitative study through focus groups and thematic analysis. The results identified three types of attitudes toward violence directed toward those who are perceived as members of a lower status. The attitudes observed are related to self-esteem or feeling better, legitimization and socialization.
Adjustment problem and associated factors among first-year undergraduates at Wollo University, Ethiopia
Authors: Anbesaw Tamrat , Beyene Abeba , Kefale Jerusalem
Published: September 2022

Background

Adjustment problems are characterized by a maladaptive emotional response to a stressful event among fresh first-year students. In Ethiopia, there is limited evidence about the adjustment problem and its determinant factors among undergraduates. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the prevalence of adjustment problems and associated factors among first-year undergraduates at Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia.

Methods

An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from February 1–20, 2020. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select the study participants. The resultant adjustment problem was assessed using the student adjustment to college questionnaire (SACQ). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Logistic regression analysis was performed, and variables with a p-value of <0.05 were taken as statistically significant with adjustment problems.

Results

The prevalence of adjustment problems among first-year undergraduates were found to be 41.4% (95% CI (35.8, 46.9). Students whose hometowns were far (>901 km) from the university, monthly pocket money ≤1,000 ETB, being away from family/home for the first time, and facing great difficulty living in a dormitory were significantly associated with adjustment problems among university students.

Conclusion

The prevalence of adjustment problems among Wollo University students was high and positively associated with students' hometowns being far (>901 km) from the university, having monthly pocket money, being away from family/home for the first time, and facing great difficulty in living in a dormitory. Therefore, establishing adjustment problem screening services on the campus and designing proper mental health intervention programs are recommended to tackle the problem.
Colombian university journalism as a virtual stage for transitions toward acts of memory and peace
Authors: Rendon Cardona Paula Andrea , Rivera Henao Mauricio , Betancurth Becerra Carlos Mario , Aristizábal Cesar Alberto , Páez Valdéz Julián Enrique
Published: September 2022

This article is concerned with narrating the research-creation experience that emerged from the CAPAZ project (Analytical Center for University Productions in the Framework of Conflict). It aims to account for the emergence of the transmedia web platform “RUTAS: University Peace Stories in Colombia,” based on the analysis of the media representations produced by the national opinion sector of university journalism that are concerned with peace narratives from 2000 to 2021. A mixed methodological approach and an experimental scheme with Big Data techniques derived from an automated lexicometric analysis led to the implementation of a strategy for creating pedagogical narratives that categorized the results obtained. Thus, RUTAS was born as an exercise involving the deployment of knowledge and creative skills around the notions of design as a possibility and hypermediality as a scenario of digital and interactive stories, housed in virtual, cultural, and open platforms that would give rise to multiple representations and media appropriations in the field of communication and education.
Not useful to inform teaching practice? Student teachers hold skeptical beliefs about evidence from education science
Authors: Voss Thamar
Published: September 2022

A goal of teacher education is to promote evidence-based teaching. Teacher beliefs are assumed to act as facilitators or barriers to evidence-based thinking and practices. In three sub-studies with a total of N = 346 German student teachers, the extent of student teachers’ beliefs about education science and their consequences and sources were investigated. First, the results of questionnaire data indicated that student teachers held skeptical beliefs about education science: On average, they perceived education science as less complex than their subject disciplines and as less important for successful teaching than their subject didactics. Additionally, they endorsed myths about learning and teaching. Second, the more skeptical the student teachers’ beliefs, the lower their engagement in education science courses within teacher education. Third, hypotheses about potential sources of these skeptical beliefs were experimentally tested as starting points for changing beliefs. The results showed that the “soft” research methods typical of education science and a general tendency to perceive research findings as trivial (hindsight bias) might contribute to this devaluation. Furthermore, students studying the natural sciences and students with little experience with education science held more skeptical beliefs.
Comparative evaluation of the pump mode and turbine mode performance of a large vaned-voluted centrifugal pump
Authors: Yang Shijie , Li Puxi , Lu Zhaoheng , Xiao Ruofu , Zhu Di , Lin Kun , Tao Ran
Published: September 2022

Large vaned-voluted centrifugal pump is a general machine used for large-scale water diversion. As a vane-type hydraulic machinery, it also has the ability of reversible operation. With the introduction of policies to reduce carbon emissions, the proportion of unstable new energy use has increased. The existing large centrifugal pump unit can realize the function of reverse power transfer. For peak shaving and valley filling of power grid, it has high feasibility and economy. In this paper, a large vaned-voluted centrifugal pump is simulated numerically, it is external characteristics and flow state under positive and negative rotation are obtained, its performance is predicted by best efficiency point method, and it is found that pump reversal can run at the optimum efficiency point with higher flow rate and head. Error analysis is carried out for different formulas. The flow energy dissipation (FED) of different flow rates under positive and negative rotation is analyzed. It is found that the main energy loss locates on suction side of blade, inlet and outlet part of blade and tail part of guide blade head. By comparing the flow energy dissipation distribution under the same flow conditions with positive and reverse rotation, it is found that the high energy loss area of blade mainly exists in inlet and outlet part of blade in pump mode. The high energy loss area of the blades in turbine mode mainly exists in the inlet part of the blades. This study is of great significance to the operation of low-carbon power grid assisted by existing reservoirs and hydraulic machinery.
Bi-layer optimal secondary frequency control approach for energy storage clusters considering wind power uncertainty
Authors: Wang Zizhao , Wu Feng , Li Yang , Huang Weidong , Shi Linjun
Published: September 2022

Increasing penetration of wind power with intermittency and variability threatens the stability of the power system frequency. The fast response capability of the energy storage system (ESS) makes it an effective measure to improve frequency regulation performance. However, designing an optimal control for numerous energy storage units (ESUs) with different power and energy characteristics is challenging. To solve the dilemma that the distributed control methods cannot achieve optimality over time horizons while the centralized optimization methods would cause high computational burdens, a bi-layer optimal control approach is proposed in this study. In the upper layer, a multi-area secondary frequency control (SFC) problem is established to determine control policies for ESS clusters under continuous wind power fluctuations and is solved by the Itô theory-based stochastic optimization (ITB-SO) method with high computational efficiency in a rolling-horizon manner. In the lower layer, the power output of ESUs is dispatched and coordinated using the distributed algorithm (DA) method via communication networks, considering different characteristics and the current state-of-charge (SoC) levels. Simulation studies carried out in a dual-region test system evidence the improvement of system frequency stability by compensating for rapid wind power fluctuations immediately via ESSs. The results show that the proposed ITB-SO method without scenario generation is suitable for real-time SFC for the ESS. The effectiveness of the DA method and its robustness in encountering loss of communication links are also verified.
Deep reinforcement learning based power system optimal carbon emission flow
Authors: Qin Panhao , Ye Jingwen , Hu Qinran , Song Pengfei , Kang Pengpeng
Published: September 2022

Under the strain of global warming and the constant depletion of fossil energy supplies, the power system must pursue a mode of operation and development with minimal carbon emissions. There are methods to reduce carbon emissions on both the production and consumption sides, such as using renewable energy alternatives and aggregating distributed resources. However, the issue of how to reduce carbon emissions during the transmission of electricity is ignored. Consequently, the multi-objective optimal carbon emission flow (OCEF) is proposed, which takes into account not only the economic indices in the conventional optimal power flow (OPF) but also the reduction of unnecessary carbon emissions in the electricity transmission process, i.e., carbon emission flow losses (CEFL). This paper presents a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) based multi-objective OCEF solving method that handles the generator dispatching scheme by utilizing the current power system state parameters as known quantities. The case study on the IEEE-30 system demonstrates that the DRL-based OCEF solver is more effective, efficient, and stable than traditional methods.
Optimization of multiple battery swapping stations with mobile support for ancillary services
Authors: Kocer Mustafa Cagatay , Onen Ahmet , Ustun Taha Selim , Albayrak Sahin
Published: September 2022

The recent developments in electric vehicles (EVs) causes several issues that have not been satisfactorily addressed. One of the foremost problems is the charging–discharging processes of EV batteries with diverse characteristics. Although a charging station is the first choice in this regard, a battery swap station (BSS) is also a suitable alternative solution as it eliminates long waiting periods and battery degradation due to fast charging. BSS has the capability to ensure prompt and efficient service for electric vehicles. Since BSS has a large number of battery systems, optimum planning of the charging–discharging operations of the batteries is critical for both BSS and the grid. This study presents an optimal charging–discharging schedule for multiple BSSs based on the swap demand of privately owned EVs and electric bus (EB) public transportation system. In addition, BSSs reinforce the power grid by providing ancillary services such as peak shaving and valley filling with demand response programs. In order to increase the flexibility of the operation, the mobile swapping station (MSS) concept, an innovative and dynamic service, is introduced to the literature and added to the model. The results indicate that BSS is an essential agent in the ancillary services market and the MSS concept is a yielding solution for both BSSs and power networks. Last, the data utilized in the study for swap demand calculation and power grid analysis are real-world data from Berlin, Germany.
Thermal-hydraulic characteristics in inner and outer wire-wrapped for a fast reactor annular fuel assembly
Authors: Guo Yuefeng , Zhang Binhang , Yuan Xianbao , Du Xiaochao , Zhang Yonghong , Tan Chao
Published: September 2022

The annular fuel has dual-cooled surfaces internally and externally. Compared with traditional cylindrical fuel, the inner flow field is introduced on the annular fuel assembly, and wire-wrapped can influence the inner flow field. In order to research and compare the effect of wire-wrapped on the sub-channels and inner flow field of the fast reactor annular fuel assembly, thermal-hydraulic properties of the fast reactor annular fuel assembly with the inner and outer wire-wrapped are investigated in this research. The flow, heat transfer, and mechanical properties are analyzed, including temperature, transverse velocity, pressure drop, and thermal stress. The temperature of three sub-channels is the key that influences the temperature characteristics. The wire-wrapped reduces the coolant temperature gradient, flattens the coolant outlet temperature, and makes the coolant outlet temperature more uniform. The transverse velocity of coolant in the sub-channels is about three times that of in the inner flow field. From the perspective of the inner flow field, the increase in the number of wire-wrapped leads to an increase in transverse velocity. The number of wire-wrapped is not as good as possible from the perspective of sub-channels. The pressure drop of the sub-channels is larger than the pressure drop of the inner flow field. No matter the sub-channels or the inner flow field, the increase in the number of wire-wrapped will cause an increase in the pressure drop. The thermal-hydraulic properties of one inner and outer wire-wrapped are better than other models. The stress in the cladding is about 1.75 times the stress in the annular fuel rod, and the stress in the inner cladding is higher than that in the outer cladding. The research provides a reference for the optimization design of the fuel assembly.
Statistical analysis of precipitation variations and its forecasting in Southeast Asia using remote sensing images
Authors: Syed Alishbah , Zhang Jiquan , Rousta Iman , Olafsson Haraldur , Ullah Safi , Moniruzzaman Md , Zhang Hao
Published: September 2022

The Climate Hazard Group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) dataset was examined for its variability and performance in explaining precipitation variations, forecasting, and drought monitoring in Southeast Asia (SEA) for the period of 1981–2020. By using time-series analysis, the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), and the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model this study established a data-driven approach for estimating the future trends of precipitation. The ARIMA model is based on the Box Jenkins approach, which removes seasonality and keeps the data stationary while forecasting future patterns. Depending on the series, ARIMA model annual estimates can be read as a blend of recent observations and long-term historical trend. Methods for determining 95 percent confidence intervals for several SEA countries and simulating future annual and seasonal precipitation were developed. The results illustrates that Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were chosen as the countries with the greatest inaccuracies. On an annual basis, Afghanistan has the lowest Mean Absolute Error (MAE) values at 33.285 mm, while Pakistan has the highest at 35.149 mm. It was predicted that these two countries would receive more precipitation in the future as compared to previous years.
Effects of soil trace metals, organic carbon load and physicochemical stressors on active oxygen species metabolism in Scylla serrata sampled along the Bay of Bengal in Odisha state, India
Authors: Pati Samar Gourav , Panda Falguni , Jena Srikant , Sahoo Dipak Kumar , Paital Biswaranjan
Published: September 2022

Studies on the synergetic effects of soil and water parameters on Oxidative Stress (OS) physiology systems of the edible mud crab Scylla serrata sampled from different parts of East India are unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of soil Ca, Mg, and organic carbon load and water physicochemical stressors induced spatio-temporal variation of tissue-specific OS and antioxidant parameters in S. serrata along the Bay of Bengal in Odisha. Spectrophotometric or Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy methods were employed to measure the OS physiology and physicochemical parameters. Pedological and physicochemical factors of water were varied significantly in summer (38–42°C), rainy (25–35°C), and winter (12–20°C) seasons. Activities of antioxidant enzymes (AE) such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and the level of lipid peroxidation (LPx) were found to be higher in hepatopancreas as compared to other tissues irrespective of seasonal variation. Considering the impact of dry seasons, an average of 13.23% enhanced activities of AE were noticed in different tissues of S. serrata in response to temperature, salinity, organic carbon, Mg, and Ca load of sampling sites. However, about 11.26% decrease in the activities of AEs, including GR and GST in most of the tissues were recorded, along with a 21% alleviated level of LPx observed in the rainy season compared to other seasons. Among three coastal zones of the Bay of Bengal, the AEs in crabs sampled from Chandipur were elevated by 5.43% in winter, whereas a 7.05% enhanced level of LPx was found in summer compared to crabs sampled from Chilika and Jagatsinghpur. Overall, the levels of LPx, total antioxidant, and activities of AEs (CAT, GST, GPx, and GR) have shown a positive correlation, whereas ascorbic acid and GSH negatively correlate with habitat water pH, temperature, and salinity of soil and water. The results can be used for ecotoxic and environmental biomonitoring purposes using crabs as model organisms across tropical coastal regions.
Use of TanDEM-X PolInSAR for canopy height retrieval over tropical forests in the Western Ghats, India
Authors: Raveendrakumar Suchithra , Khati Unmesh , Musthafa Mohamed , Singh Gulab , Tebaldini Stefano
Published: September 2022

Canopy height is a critical parameter in quantifying the vertical structure of forests. Polarimetric SAR Interferometry (PolInSAR) is a radar remote sensing technique that makes use of polarimetric separation of scattering phase centers obtained from interferometry to estimate height. This article discusses the potential of the X-band PolInSAR pair for forest height retrieval over tropical forests in the Western ghats. A total of 19 fully polarimetric datasets with various spatial baselines acquired from November 2015 to February 2016 in bistatic mode are utilized in this study. After compensating for all possible non-volumetric decorrelations in the data-sets, the remaining volume decorrelation is modeled using a Random Volume Over Ground (RVoG) model to invert height from PolInSAR data. A modified three-stage algorithm developed by Cloude and Papathanassiou (2003) is adopted for height inversion. PolInSAR derived heights were cross-validated against reference height data measured during a field survey conducted in March 2019. RMSE values of all TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X PolInSAR heights with respect to field measured heights range from 3.3 to 13.8 m and the correlation coefficient r2 varies between 0.16 and 0.79. The results suggest that the use of a dataset with optimal wavenumber can improve the tree height estimation process. The best performance was achieved for the dataset acquired on 11 December 2015 with RMSE = 3.4 m and r2 = 0.79. Furthermore, the effects of parameters such as angle of incidence, precipitation, and forest biomass on height inversion accuracy are assessed. A large-scale Shimoga Forest height map was generated using multiple TanDEM-X acquisitions with the best correlation results. To improve the accuracy of the height estimation, a merged height approach is explored. The best height estimates among all PolInSAR estimates for a given field plot are chosen in this regard. The merged height approach gave rise to an improved inversion accuracy with RMSE = 1.9 m and r2 = 0.92. The primary objective of this study was to demonstrate the ability of spaceborne X-band data to estimate height with maximum accuracy over natural forests in India, in which height retrieval research has seldom been done.
Enhancer-associated regulatory network and gene signature based on transcriptome and methylation data to predict the survival of patients with lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Huang Shihao , Chen Shiyu , Zhang Di , Gao Jiamei , Liu Linhua
Published: September 2022

Accumulating evidence has proved that aberrant methylation of enhancers plays regulatory roles in gene expression for various cancers including lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). In this study, the transcriptome and methylation data of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-LUAD cohort were comprehensively analyzed with a five-step Enhancer Linking by Methylation/Expression Relationships (ELMER) process. Step 1: 131,371 distal (2 kb upstream from the transcription start site) probes were obtained. Step 2: 10,665 distal hypomethylated probes were identified in an unsupervised mode with the get.diff.meth function. Step 3: 699 probe-gene pairs with negative correlations were screened using the get.pair function in an unsupervised mode. Step 4: After mapping with probes, 768 motifs were obtained and 24 of them were enriched. Step 5: 127 transcription factors (TFs) with differential expressions and negative correlations with methylation levels were screened, which were corresponding to 21 motifs. After the ELMER process, a prognostic “TFs-motifs-genes” regulatory network was constructed. The Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Stepwise regression analyses were further applied to identify variables in the TCGA-LUAD cohort and an eight-gene signature was constructed for calculating the risk score. The risk score was verified in two independent validation cohorts. The area under curve values of receiver operating characteristic curves predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-years survival ranged from 0.633 to 0.764. With the increase of the risk scores, both the survival statuses and clinical traits showed a worse tendency. There were significant differences in the degrees of immune cell infiltration, TMB values, and TIDE scores between the high-risk and low-risk groups. Finally, a better-performing prognostic nomogram was integrated with the risk score and other clinical traits. In short, this multi-omics analysis demonstrated the application of ELMER in analyzing enhancer-associated regulatory network in LUAD, which provided promising strategies for epigenetic therapy and prognostic biomarkers.
A nine–consensus–prognostic –gene–based prognostic signature, recognizing the dichotomized subgroups of gastric cancer patients with different clinical outcomes and therapeutic strategies
Authors: Ji Dan , Yang Yang , Zhou Fei , Li Chao
Published: September 2022

Background: The increasing prevalence and mortality of gastric cancer (GC) has promoted the urgent need for prognostic signatures to predict the long-term risk and search for therapeutic biomarkers.

Methods and materials: A total of 921 GC patients from three GEO cohorts were enrolled in the current study. The GSE15459 and GSE62254 cohorts were used to select the top prognostic gene via the evaluation of the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) values. The GSE84437 cohort was used as the external validation cohort. Least absolute shrinkage and selector operation (LASSO) regression analysis was applied to reduce the feature dimension and construct the prognostic signature. Furthermore, a nomogram was constructed by integrating the independent prognostic analysis and validated by calibration plot, decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve. The molecular features and response to chemo-/immunotherapy among risk subgroups were evaluated by the “MOVICS” and “ESTAMATE” R packages and the SubMap algorithm. Lauren classification and ACRG molecular subtype were obtained to compare with the risk model.

Results: Forty-four prognosis-associated genes were identified with a preset cutoff AUC value of 0.65 in both the GSE62254 and GSE15459 cohorts. With the 10-fold cross validation analysis of LASSO, nine genes were selected to construct the nine-consensus-prognostic-gene signature. The signature showed good prognostic value in the GSE62254 (p < 0.001, HR: 3.81, 95% CI: 2.44–5.956) and GSE15459 (p < 0.001, HR: 2.65, 95% CI: 1.892–3.709) cohorts and the external validation GSE84437 cohort (p < 0.001, HR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.554–2.735). The nomogram constructed based on two independent predictive factors, tumor stage and the signature, predicted events tightly consistent with the actual (Hosmer–Lemeshow p value: 1-year, 0.624; 3-years, 0.795; 5-years, 0.824). For the molecular features, we observed the activation of apical junction, epithelial mesenchymal transition, and immune pathways in the high-risk group, while in the low-risk group, cell cycle associated G2M, E2F and MYC target pathways were activated. Based on the results we obtained, we indicated that gastric patients in the low-risk group are more suitable for 5-fluorouracil therapy, while high-risk group patients are more suitable for anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy, these results need more support in the further studies. After compare with proposed molecular subtypes, we realized that the nine-consensus prognostic gene signature is a powerful addition to identify the gastric patients with poor prognosis.

Conclusion: In summary, we constructed a robust nine-consensus-prognostic-gene signature for the prediction of GC prognosis, which can also predict the personalized treatment of GC patients.