bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Luminescent Properties of Powders on the Fabrication of Scintillation Ceramics by Stereolithography 3D Printing
Authors: Ermakova Lydia V. , Dubov Valery V. , Saifutyarov Rasim R. , Kuznetsova Daria E. , Malozovskaya Maria S. , Karpyuk Petr V. , Dosovitskiy Georgy A. , Sokolov Petr S.
Published: January 2023

Luminescent and scintillation ceramic materials with complex shapes, which can be created by stereolithography 3D printing, are of interest for special phosphor and detector applications. Starting powders for such ceramics may possess UV absorption bands; therefore, it is important to study the possible influence of the powders’ luminescent properties on the printing process. This paper deals with complex garnet oxides, Y3Al5O12 and Gd3Al2Ga3O12—well-known hosts for luminescent materials. The photopolymerization rates of slurries based on the luminescent powders produced by various chemical routes are studied, as well as available printing regimes. The slurries containing Ce-doped powders with a broad absorption band in UV have significantly lower photopolymerization rates compared to the undoped ones; a high Ce doping virtually hinders printing with layers thicker than 25–50 μm. Furthermore, the choice of powder synthesis method is shown to influence the printing process. Slurries with Tb-doped powder, with absorption lines at shorter wavelengths, have good photopolymerization activity, close to that of the undoped powder, and can be printed with layer thicknesses of 25–100 μm.
Self-Powered Wearable Breath-Monitoring Sensor Enabled by Electromagnetic Harvesting Based on Nano-Structured Electrochemically Active Aluminum
Authors: Bošković Marko V. , Frantlović Miloš , Milinković Evgenija , Poljak Predrag D. , Radović Dana Vasiljević , Stevanović Jelena N. , Sarajlić Milija
Published: January 2023

Self-powered sensors are gaining a lot of attention in recent years due to their possible application in the Internet of Things, medical implants and wireless and wearable devices. Human breath detection has applications in diagnostics, medical therapy and metabolism monitoring. One possible approach for breath monitoring is detecting the humidity in exhaled air. Here, we present an extremely sensitive, self-powered sensor for breath humidity monitoring. As a power source, the sensor uses electromagnetic energy harvested from the environment. Even electromagnetic energy harvested from the human body is enough for the operation of this sensor. The signal obtained using the human body as a source was up to 100 mV with an estimated power of 1 nW. The relatively low amount of energy that could be harvested in this way was producing a signal that was modulated by an interdigitated capacitor made out of electrochemically activated aluminum. The signal obtained in this way was rectified by a set of Schottky diodes and measured by a voltmeter. The sensor was capable of following a variety of different respiration patterns during normal breathing, exercise and rest, at the same time powered only by electromagnetic energy harvested from the human body. Everything happened in the normal environment used for everyday work and life, without any additional sources, and at a safe level of electromagnetic radiation.
A Fast and Robust Third-Order Multivariate Calibration Approach Coupled with Excitation–Emission Matrix Phosphorescence for the Quantification and Oxidation Kinetic Study of Fluorene in Wastewater Samples
Authors: Qing Xiang-Dong , Zhang Xiao-Hua , An Rong , Zhang Jin , Xu Ling , Duponchel Ludovic
Published: January 2023

Human activity today produces a large number of pollutants that end up in the environment, such as soil, water, and airborne particles. The first objective of this work is to introduce a new third-order multivariate calibration approach called self-weighted alternating quadrilinear decomposition (SWAQLD) for the analysis of organic pollutant of fluorene (FLU) in different water systems. One simulated and two real four-way data sets are used to study the potential of the proposed approach in comparison with two classical algorithms, namely alternating quadrilinear decomposition (AQLD) and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The results of simulated data show that SWAQLD inherits the advantages of PARAFAC in terms of not only tolerance to experimental noise but also a fast convergence and a certain robustness to overestimation of the rank of the models from AQLD. The second objective of this work is to propose a new way of generating third-order data using excitation–emission matrix phosphorescence (EEMP) at room temperature for the study of the kinetic process of oxidation of FLU in complex chemical systems. The obtained rate constant and half-life of the FLU oxidation, on average, are 0.015 min−1 and 45.5 min for free-interference water and 0.017 min−1 and 40.0 min for wastewater, respectively. Research results show that SWAQLD coupled with EEMP allows the quantification and kinetic monitoring of FLU in analytical conditions of different complexities with excellent robustness to the choice of the number of model components.
Push and Pull Factors: Contextualising Biological Maturation and Relative Age in Talent Development Systems
Authors: Sweeney Liam , Taylor Jamie , MacNamara Áine
Published: January 2023

In this conceptual paper, we contextualise ongoing attempts to manage challenge dynamics in talent systems in sport. Firstly, we review the broad literature base related to biological maturation, relative age, and the proposed interventions to mitigate effects. We suggest that the relative age effect may be a population level effect, indicative of deeper phenomena, rather than having a direct effect on challenge levels. In contrast, we suggest that biological maturation has a direct effect on challenge at the individual level. Therefore, our main critique of many existing approaches to the management of challenge is a lack of individual nuance and flexibility. We suggest the necessity for talent systems to adopt a more holistic approach, conceptualising biological maturation and relative age within a broader field of “push and pull factors” that impact challenge dynamics in talent development in sport. Finally, we provide practical guidance for talent systems in their approach to relative age and biological maturation, recognising that there is no “gold standard”. Instead, there is a need to recognize the highly individual and contextual nature of these concepts, focusing on strategic coherence through talent systems for the management of selection and development processes.
Studying and Analyzing the Seismic Performance of Concrete Moment-Resisting Frame Buildings
Authors: Algamati Mohamed , Al-Sakkaf Abobakr , Mohammed Abdelkader Eslam , Bagchi Ashutosh
Published: January 2023

Nowadays, due to environmental changes, the condition of buildings can be in danger. In order to protect the performance of existing buildings, it is important to investigate the seismic behaviour of building structure subjected to earthquake excitation. In addition, it is important to study the advanced level of ductile design recommended by current codes. In the immediate future, lateral load resistance needs to be evaluated precisely. For the purpose of analyzing the seismic responses of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings in this project, 6- and 12-story frames of representative buildings are modeled in this research paper. The response spectrum analysis is deployed for a multi-degree-of-freedom system exposed to seismic waves (earthquake) in the City of Vancouver. Hence, the seismic nature of Vancouver City is emulated by the resulting response spectra using ground motion records (GMR). Ultimately, for concluding the average displacement as well as the base shear of the structures, a time-history analysis is investigated. In this regard, the SAP2000 and ETABS software are utilized for analyzing seismic performances. In addition, a comparison is presented between previous studies that used the IDARC2D software and the proposed results that used the ETABS software. It is found that the applied cases are not overlapping the limit of the NBCC 2015 Code. Consequently, after investigation, it is evident that the 3D software is much more accurate than the 2D software.
Functional and Environmental Performances of Novel Electrolytic Membranes for PEM Fuel Cells: A Lab-Scale Case Study
Authors: Di Virgilio Matteo , Basso Peressut Andrea , Arosio Valeria , Arrigoni Alessandro , Latorrata Saverio , Dotelli Giovanni
Published: January 2023

Despite being the most employed polymer electrolyte for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), Nafion® has several limitations: expensiveness, poor performance when exposed to temperatures higher than 80 °C, and its potential as a source of environmentally persistent and toxic compounds (i.e., per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFASs) when disposed of. This work explores the functional and environmental performances of three potential PFAS-free alternatives to Nafion® as electrolytic membranes in PEMFCs: sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO), graphene oxide-naphthalene sulfonate (GONS), and borate-reinforced sulfonated graphene oxide (BSGO). Investigated via ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, TGA, and cross-sectional SEM, the membranes show an effective functionalization of GO and good thermal stability. Functional properties are determined via Ion Exchange Capacity (IEC) evaluation, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, and tensile tests. In terms of IEC, the innovative materials outperform Nafion® 212. Proton conductivities at 80 °C of SGO (1.15 S cm−1) and GONS (1.71 S cm−1) are higher than that of the commercial electrolyte (0.56 S cm−1). At the same time, the membranes are investigated via Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to uncover potential environmental hotspots. Results show that energy consumption during manufacture is the main environmental concern for the three membranes. A sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the impact could be significantly reduced if the production procedures were scaled up. Among the three alternatives, SGO shows the best trade-off between proton conductivity and environmental impact, even though performance results from real-life applications are needed to determine the actual environmental consequences of replacing Nafion® in PEMFCs.
Electrochemical Characteristics with NaCl Concentrations on Stainless Steels of Metallic Bipolar Plates for PEMFCs
Authors: Shin Dong-Ho , Kim Seong-Jong
Published: January 2023

Stainless steel, which is used in metallic bipolar plates, is generally known to have excellent corrosion resistance, which is achieved by forming oxide films. However, localized corrosion occurs when the oxide films are destroyed by pH and chloride ions. Particularly, since the operating condition of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is strongly acidic, the reduced stability of the oxide films leads to the corrosion of the stainless steel. In this research, the electrochemical characteristics of 304L and 316L stainless steels were investigated in an accelerating solution that simulated the cathode condition of PEMFCs with chloride concentrations. Results under all experimental conditions showed that the corrosion current density of 304L stainless steel was at least four times higher than that of 316L stainless steel. Maximum damage depth was measured at 6.136 μm and 9.192 μm for 304L stainless steel and 3.403 μm and 5.631 μm for 316L stainless steel for chloride concentrations of 0 and 1000 ppm, respectively. Furthermore, 304L and 316L stainless steels were found to have uniform and localized corrosion, respectively. The differences in the electrochemical characteristics of 304L and 316L stainless steel are considered to be due to the molybdenum contained in the chemical composition of 316L stainless steel.
Composite Metamaterial: Ferrite Matrix with Ferroelectric Inclusions
Authors: Tumarkin Andrey , Tyurnina Natalya , Tyurnina Zoya , Sinelshchikova Olga , Drozdovsky Andrey , Gagarin Alexander , Sapego Evgeny , Karamov Artem , Bogdan Alexey
Published: January 2023

A metamaterial based on periodic ferroelectric inhomogeneities in a magnetic ferrite matrix including a quantity of ferroelectric composite in a matrix, demonstrating relative low microwave losses and effective dielectric permittivity, was produced. Glass-ceramic composites, consisting of low-melting glass and barium-strontium titanate, were successfully synthesized and incorporated into the periodic holes of the ferrite matrix to build the meta-structure. Investigation of the structure showed dielectric permittivity, which increased with the volume of ferroelectric inclusions. The range of magnetically controlled interactions of the meta-structures with an electro-magnetic field was increased for the matrix with periodic holes filled by the ferroelectric composite in comparison with the basic ferrite matrix. The ferrite substrate completely determined the microwave losses of the sample and the ferroelectric inclusions increased the Q-factor of the meta-structure.
Text-to-Ontology Mapping via Natural Language Processing with Application to Search for Relevant Ontologies in Catalysis
Authors: Korel Lukáš , Yorsh Uladzislau , Behr Alexander S. , Kockmann Norbert , Holeňa Martin
Published: January 2023

The paper presents a machine-learning based approach to text-to-ontology mapping. We explore a possibility of matching texts to the relevant ontologies using a combination of artificial neural networks and classifiers. Ontologies are formal specifications of the shared conceptualizations of application domains. While describing the same domain, different ontologies might be created by different domain experts. To enhance the reasoning and data handling of concepts in scientific papers, finding the best fitting ontology regarding description of the concepts contained in a text corpus. The approach presented in this work attempts to solve this by selection of a representative text paragraph from a set of scientific papers, which are used as data set. Then, using a pre-trained and fine-tuned Transformer, the paragraph is embedded into a vector space. Finally, the embedded vector becomes classified with respect to its relevance regarding a selected target ontology. To construct representative embeddings, we experiment with different training pipelines for natural language processing models. Those embeddings in turn are later used in the task of matching text to ontology. Finally, the result is assessed by compressing and visualizing the latent space and exploring the mappings between text fragments from a database and the set of chosen ontologies. To confirm the differences in behavior of the proposed ontology mapper models, we test five statistical hypotheses about their relative performance on ontology classification. To categorize the output from the Transformer, different classifiers are considered. These classifiers are, in detail, the Support Vector Machine (SVM), k-Nearest Neighbor, Gaussian Process, Random Forest, and Multilayer Perceptron. Application of these classifiers in a domain of scientific texts concerning catalysis research and respective ontologies, the suitability of the classifiers is evaluated, where the best result was achieved by the SVM classifier.
Simulation of High Breakdown Voltage, Improved Current Collapse Suppression, and Enhanced Frequency Response AlGaN/GaN HEMT Using A Double Floating Field Plate
Authors: Wang Peiran , Deng Chenkai , Cheng Hongyu , Cheng Weichih , Du Fangzhou , Tang Chuying , Geng Chunqi , Tao Nick , Wang Qing , Yu Hongyu
Published: January 2023

In this paper, DC, transient, and RF performances among AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with a no field plate structure (basic), a conventional gate field plate structure (GFP), and a double floating field plate structure (2FFP) were studied by utilizing SILVACO ATLAS 2D device technology computer-aided design (TCAD). The peak electric fields under the gate in drain-side can be alleviated effectively in 2FFP devices, compared with basic and GFP devices, which promotes the breakdown voltage (BV) and suppresses the current collapse phenomenon. As a result, the ON-resistance increase caused by the current collapse phenomena is dramatically suppressed in 2FFP ~19.9% compared with GFP ~49.8% when a 1 ms duration pre-stress was applied with Vds = 300 V in the OFF-state. Because of the discontinuous FP structure, more electric field peaks appear at the edge of the FFP stacks, which leads to a higher BV of ~454.4 V compared to the GFP ~394.3 V and the basic devices ~57.6 V. Moreover, the 2FFP structure performs lower a parasitic capacitance of Cgs = 1.03 pF and Cgd = 0.13 pF than those of the GFP structure (i.e., Cgs = 1.89 pF and Cgd = 0.18 pF). Lower parasitic capacitances lead to a much higher cut-off frequency (ft) of 46 GHz and a maximum oscillation frequency (fmax) of 130 GHz than those of the GFP structure (i.e., ft = 27 GHz and fmax = 93 GHz). These results illustrate the superiority of the 2FFP structure for RF GaN HEMT and open up enormous opportunities for integrated RF GaN devices.
Impact of Patient Characteristics on the Outcomes of Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancers Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Authors: Ohm Hyejee , Abdel-Rahman Omar
Published: January 2023

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are a group of malignancies that globally account for a significant portion of cancer incidence and cancer-related death. Survival outcomes for esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, and hepatobiliary cancers remain poor, but new treatment paradigms are emerging with the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. This review characterizes patient-related prognostic factors that influence the response to ICI therapy. We performed an analysis of the landmark randomized clinical trials in esophageal, gastric, colorectal, hepatocellular, pancreatic, and biliary tract cancers in terms of patient demographic factors. A literature review of smaller retrospective studies investigating patient-related factors was completed. The immunological bases for these associations were further explored. The key predictive factors identified include age, sex, performance status, geography, body mass index, sarcopenia, gut microbiome, various biochemical factors, and disease distribution.
Intraoperative Flow Cytometry for the Evaluation of Meningioma Grade
Authors: Alexiou George A. , Markopoulos Georgios S. , Vartholomatos Evrysthenis , Goussia Anna C. , Dova Lefkothea , Dimitriadis Savvas , Mantziou Stefania , Zoi Vasiliki , Nasios Anastasios , Sioka Chrissa , Kyritsis Athanasios P. , Voulgaris Spyridon , Vartholomatos George
Published: January 2023

Meningiomas are the most frequent central nervous system tumors in adults. The majority of these tumors are benign. Nevertheless, the intraoperative identification of meningioma grade is important for modifying surgical strategy in order to reduce postoperative complications. Here, we set out to investigate the role of intraoperative flow cytometry for the differentiation of low-grade (grade 1) from high-grade (grade 2–3) meningiomas. The study included 59 patients. Intraoperative flow cytometry analysis was performed using the ‘Ioannina Protocol’ which evaluates the G0/G1 phase, S-phase, mitosis and tumor index (S + mitosis phase fraction) of a tumor sample. The results are available within 5 min of sample receipt. There were 41 grade 1, 15 grade 2 and 3 grade 3 meningiomas. High-grade meningiomas had significantly higher S-phase fraction, mitosis fraction and tumor index compared to low-grade meningiomas. High-grade meningiomas had significantly lower G0/G1 phase fraction compared to low-grade meningiomas. Thirty-eight tumors were diploids and twenty-one were aneuploids. No significant difference was found between ploidy status and meningioma grade. ROC analysis indicated 11.4% of tumor index as the optimal cutoff value thresholding the discrimination between low- and high-grade meningiomas with 90.2% sensitivity and 72.2% specificity. In conclusion, intraoperative flow cytometry permits the detection of high-grade meningiomas within 5 min. Thus, surgeons may modify tumor removal strategy.
Extended Lymphadenectomy for Gastric Cancer in the Neoadjuvant Era: Current Status, Clinical Implications and Contentious Issues
Authors: Marano Luigi , Carbone Ludovico , Poto Gianmario Edoardo , Restaino Valeria , Piccioni Stefania Angela , Verre Luigi , Roviello Franco , Marrelli Daniele
Published: January 2023

Despite its decreasing incidence, gastric cancer remains an important global healthcare problem due to its overall high prevalence and high mortality rate. Since the MAGIC and FNLCC/FFCD trials, the neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been recommended throughout Europe in gastric cancer. Potential benefits of preoperative treatments include a higher rate of R0 resection achieved by downstaging the primary tumor, a likely effect on micrometastases and isolated tumor cells in the lymph nodes, and, as a result, improved cancer-related survival. Nevertheless, distortion of anatomical planes of dissection, interstitial fibrosis, and sclerotic tissue changes may increase surgical difficulty. The collection of at least twenty-five lymph nodes after neoadjuvant therapy would seem to ensure removal of undetectable node metastasis and reduce the likelihood of locoregional recurrence. It is not what you take but what you leave behind that defines survival. Therefore, para-aortic lymph node dissection is safe and effective after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, in both therapeutic and prophylactic settings. In this review, the efficacy of adequate lymph node dissection, also in a neoadjuvant setting, has been investigated in the key studies conducted to date on the topic.
A New Iason Species from Crete (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Anillini) with Notes about Anillini of Greece and Anatolia
Authors: Giachino Pier Mauro , Vailati Dante
Published: January 2023

Iason assingi n. sp. from the island of Crete (Greece) is described. A synopsis of the Anillini fauna of the Balkan Peninsula and Anatolia is provided. Faunistic, phylogenetic, and zoogeographic implications are discussed. Prioniomus (21 species), Winklerites (21 species), Dicropterus (1), Parvocaecus (5), Caecoparvus (23) and Iason (10 species) make up the East Mediterranean Anillini fauna. The palaeogeographic situation of this area is discussed with attention to the current distribution of the different species and genera of Anillini. In particular, the presence and possible impact that the presence of a “Transaegean Furrow” may have had on the current distribution of these tiny ground beetles are discussed.
The Effects of Tropical Elevations and Associated Habitat Changes on Firefly (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) Diversity in Malaysia
Authors: Nada B. , Beckerman Andrew P. , Evans Karl L. , Ballantyne Lesley A.
Published: January 2023

Studies of the effects of elevation and associated habitat changes on biodiversity have a rich history in conservation biology and have seen a resurgence of interest in recent decades. Mountainous regions are particularly important because they harbour endemic species and are relatively spared from anthropogenic effects. The rather drastic temperature decrease as elevation increases in tropical regions has generated more research on the effects of elevation, especially since global warming could negatively impact the biodiversity of tropical forest mountainous species. Fireflies, especially the solitary species, represent a challenge to work with because though they are biologically diverse, they typically occur at low densities and have rarely been studied across elevations. Many are habitat specialists and have limited dispersal abilities. Firefly diversity changes on five mountains located on the main mountain range of Peninsular Malaysia, which is highly representative of five major elevational forest types, were assessed. Fireflies were restricted to a certain elevational range of mountains, and the turnover of species was significant among forest types across elevations. The forest type and canopy closure were the main characteristics affecting species diversity, although other habitat characteristics may be significant. The ability to reveal any possible associations was limited, as strong statistical associations were not possible due to their low abundance and difficulty in detecting their presence. The firefly species occurrence across elevations is restricted, and habitat loss could pose a risk to lower-elevation species, while global warming could be a threat to high-elevation species.
Peptidomic Fingerprints of Stored UHT Milk Inoculated with Protease Extracts from Different Pseudomonas Strains Relative to aprX Expression and Visible Spoilage
Authors: Aguilera-Toro Miguel , Nielsen Søren Drud-Heydary , Kragh Martin Laage , Xiao Yinghua , Hansen Lisbeth Truelstrup , Rauh Valentin , Wiking Lars , Poulsen Nina Aagaard , Larsen Lotte Bach
Published: January 2023

Lately, concern about the protease AprX produced by Pseudomonas has increased in the dairy industry due to its ability to survive UHT treatment and spoil UHT milk. Efficient prediction methods for UHT milk spoilage are currently lacking, mainly due to high diversity in proteolytic potential between Pseudomonas strains. The present study aimed to gain more insight into the variability between Pseudomonas strains regarding proteolytic potential by comparing their proteolytic capability with their aprX expression levels and differences in peptide formation. The variability in aprX expression levels in four Pseudomonas strains were related to physical stability, milk proteolysis and peptidomic cleavage patterns of milk proteins in a storage experiment of UHT milk inoculated with protease extracellular extracts and stored for 45 days at 20 °C. A positive relationship was observed between the relative expression of aprX and milk proteolysis during storage, with the strain Pseudomonas panacis DSM 18529 showing the highest level in both parameters. This strain was the only strain to show visual gelation, which occurred after 21 days. The peptide formation analysis showed a similar protein hydrolysis pattern between strains and high hydrolysis of αs1-caseins during long-term spoilage putatively due to the activity of AprX was observed.
The Correlation between Interleukin 33 and Psoriasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kc Keshav , Hu Hua , Mahatara Tilak , Koirala Sunil , Shrestha Samjhana , Sharma Shiv K. , Song Xiangfeng , Tian Zhongwei
Published: January 2023

Psoriasis is a common genetic autoimmune disorder with a global prevalence of 2–3%. The clear pathogenesis of psoriasis is not fully understood, but hyperproliferation and inflammation of the epidermis with marked infiltration of immune cells have been indicated in psoriasis with such cells producing different types of cytokines- interleukin. As such a new member of the IL-1 cytokine family, in some research, IL-33 has been linked with psoriasis showing high serum concentration of IL-33 in human psoriatic plaques compared to normal healthy skin. Despite this, the association between IL-33 and psoriasis is not clear. Herein, in this review, we aim to investigate the correlation between serum IL-33 levels and psoriasis. We conducted meta-analysis using fixed or random-effects models to calculate pooled standard mean differences. We found that the mean IL-33 serum levels were reported between 0.35 pg/mL to 586 pg/mL in the psoriatic group and 0 pg/mL to 87.7 pg/mL in the healthy control group. Out of five, four individual studies included in the analysis reported statistically significant differences in IL-33 levels, the pooled estimate (SMD = 0.340 95% CI: −0.308 to 0.988), however, did not indicate a significant relation between IL-33 and psoriasis. This analysis revealed no significant difference between serum IL-33 levels in the psoriatic population in comparison to healthy controls. This may be because we did not include any animal studies, lab-based studies, any other markers mixed together, or any other cases of diseases mixed together. However, further research is warranted to confirm the reported association as this analysis is limited by the low-quality and observational nature of the included studies.
Trihedral Lattice Towers Optimization with a Limitation on the Resonant Vortex Excitation Occurrence
Authors: Chepurnenko Anton , Akhtyamova Leisan , Ivashchenko Irina , Akopyan Vladimir
Published: January 2023

Trihedral lattice towers are widely used as transmission line supports, wind turbine supports, cell towers, and floodlight towers. The aim of this work is to develop a technique for optimizing trihedral lattice supports to reduce their weight, taking into account the limitation on resonant vortex excitation. At the same time, restrictions are also introduced on the maximum stress, as well as the ultimate slenderness of the elements. Thus, with a minimum weight, the tower must meet all the requirements of the design codes. A lattice tower used as a floodlight mast is considered. The tower consists of two sections, the upper of which is of constant width, and the width of the lower section varies according to a linear law. The elements of the tower are made from pipes with an annular cross section. The sections’ widths and heights, the dimensions of elements’ cross-sections, and the number of panels are the variable parameters. The solution of the nonlinear optimization problem is implemented in MATLAB software. Internal forces in the tower and natural frequencies are calculated by the finite element method. The tower is subjected to the action of ice and wind loads, dead weight and the weight of the equipment. The wind load is considered as the sum of the average and pulsation components. To solve the problem of nonlinear optimization, the surrogate optimization method and the genetic algorithm are used. One of the serially used designs was chosen as the initial approximation. The design obtained as a result of optimization compared to the initial approximation has a mass more than two times less and at the same time satisfies all design requirements.
Muscle Cross-Sectional Area Segmentation in Transverse Ultrasound Images Using Vision Transformers
Authors: Katakis Sofoklis , Barotsis Nikolaos , Kakotaritis Alexandros , Tsiganos Panagiotis , Economou George , Panagiotopoulos Elias , Panayiotakis George
Published: January 2023

Automatically measuring a muscle’s cross-sectional area is an important application in clinical practice that has been studied extensively in recent years for its ability to assess muscle architecture. Additionally, an adequately segmented cross-sectional area can be used to estimate the echogenicity of the muscle, another valuable parameter correlated with muscle quality. This study assesses state-of-the-art convolutional neural networks and vision transformers for automating this task in a new, large, and diverse database. This database consists of 2005 transverse ultrasound images from four informative muscles for neuromuscular disorders, recorded from 210 subjects of different ages, pathological conditions, and sexes. Regarding the reported results, all of the evaluated deep learning models have achieved near-to-human-level performance. In particular, the manual vs. the automatic measurements of the cross-sectional area exhibit an average discrepancy of less than 38.15 mm2, a significant result demonstrating the feasibility of automating this task. Moreover, the difference in muscle echogenicity estimated from these two readings is only 0.88, another indicator of the proposed method’s success. Furthermore, Bland–Altman analysis of the measurements exhibits no systematic errors since most differences fall between the 95% limits of agreements and the two readings have a 0.97 Pearson’s correlation coefficient (p < 0.001, validation set) with ICC (2, 1) surpassing 0.97, showing the reliability of this approach. Finally, as a supplementary analysis, the texture of the muscle’s visible cross-sectional area was examined using deep learning to investigate whether a classification between healthy subjects and patients with pathological conditions solely from the muscle texture is possible. Our preliminary results indicate that such a task is feasible, but further and more extensive studies are required for more conclusive results.
Echogenic Content in the Fetal Gallbladder: Systematic Review of Ultrasound Features and Clinical Outcome
Authors: Boitor-Borza Dan , Rotar Ioana Cristina , Staicu Adelina , Constantin Roxana , Muresan Daniel
Published: January 2023

It is rare to detect echogenic content in the fetal gallbladder. The etiology, natural course, and prognosis of this condition remain unclear. In addition to providing a systematic review of this topic, we suggest a plan for patient follow-up. From a total of 100 database entries identified in PubMed, EMBASE, and ICTRP reviews, we selected 34 studies in which we investigated the ultrasound features and outcome of this condition. There were 226 fetuses with gallbladder echogenic content identified. Seventy-two fetuses were found to have biliary sludge; thirty cases had a single hyperechogenic focus, and one hundred fetuses had multiple foci in the gallbladder. There were 16 cases of distal shadowing, 37 fetuses with comet tail and twinkling, and 26 cases with no acoustic artifacts. Nine cases of spontaneous resolution before birth have been documented; nine fetuses exhibited no echogenic content at birth, and 138 cases of resolution of echogenic content within the first year of life have been described. Typically, the condition resolves spontaneously during the postnatal period. After adequately reassuring the parents, the patients should be monitored for spontaneous resolution; medical or surgical intervention is not indicated. Asymptomatic patients can be managed with a wait-and-see strategy.
Cytomorphometric Analysis of Oral Buccal Mucosa of Dental Colleges’ Students in Sulaimani City
Authors: Mahmood Darya Khalid , Ibraheem Ban Falih , Mohammad Dena Nadhim , Garib Balkees Taha , Hamied Marwa Abdul-Salam
Published: January 2023

This study evaluates the cytomorphometric measures of cells obtained from the buccal mucosa of dental students to assess the fluctuation of the cellular characteristics among relatively normal subjects, with any potential correlations with demographic information, different habits, and hormonal disturbance. This prospective study included 100 dental students with no detectable oral alterations submitted to brush cytology. The smears were fixed with 95% ethyl alcohol and stained with hematoxylin and eosin stain. The stained section was observed under an image analyzer for cytomorphometric analysis. Cytopathological observations were recorded, including inflammation, microbial colonies, micronuclei, keratinization, overlapping, and hemorrhage. Chi-square tests were applied for non-parametric variables. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the cytometric parameters to habits and hormonal disturbances. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results showed close proximity among subjects in the matter of cytomorphometric measures; no significant influence of sex, smoking, alcohol drinking habits, and menstruation was found on cytomorphometric diameters or cytopathological observation, and vice versa, while polycystic ovary syndrome impacted nuclear and nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio (p = 0.003, p = 0.02), respectively. Oral exfoliative cytology combined with cytomorphometric analysis for the studied normal individuals can be helpful in various investigations of oral and systemic diseases.
Use of Urine N-Terminal Prohormone of Brain-Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) as a Non-Invasive Indicator for Renal Function Recovery after Surgical Relief of Hydronephrosis
Authors: Liu Chia Min , Liu Chan Jung , Lu Ze Hong , Huang Ho Shiang
Published: January 2023

Cardiorenal syndrome is rarely discussed in patients with obstructive uropathy. On the other hand, there is currently no accurate and convenient clinical biomarker to predict the recovery of renal function after the resolution of ureteral obstruction. The purpose of this study is to explore the association between hydronephrosis and cardiorenal syndrome by measuring the change of the N-terminal prohormone of brain-natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), which is a biomarker typically used for cardiac failure, in patients receiving surgery to relieve obstructive uropathy. A total of 212 patients admitted for ureteroscopic (URS) procedures to relieve hydronephrosis were enrolled in this study. The severity of hydronephrosis as well as plasma and urine NT-proBNP levels were obtained before and after surgery. The results showed a significant correlation between urine NT-proBNP levels and renal function recovery following the resolution of hydronephrosis (OR 3.24, 95% CI 1.09–9.70, p = 0.035). Urine NT-proBNP could even predict the recovery of renal function with an area under the ROC = 0.775 (0.65–0.88, p < 0.001). In conclusion, urine NT-proBNP could be a useful early marker of renal function recovery after URS surgery, identifying patients whose renal and heart functions were compromised by the obstruction.
Attitude Determination for Unmanned Cooperative Navigation Swarm Based on Multivectors in Covisibility Graph
Authors: Liu Yilin , Liu Ruochen , Yu Ruihang , Xiong Zhiming , Guo Yan , Cai Shaokun , Jiang Pengfei
Published: January 2023

To reduce costs, an unmanned swarm usually consists of nodes with high-accuracy navigation sensors (HAN) and nodes with low-accuracy navigation sensors (LAN). Transmitting and fusing the navigation information obtained by HANs enables LANs to improve their positioning accuracy, which in general is called cooperative navigation (CN). In this method, the accuracy of relative observation between platforms in the swarm have dramatic effects on the positioning results. In the popular research, constructing constraints in three-dimensional (3D) frame could only optimize the position and velocity of LANs but neglected the attitude estimation so LANs cannot maintain a high attitude accuracy when utilizing navigation information obtained by sensors installed during maneuvers over long periods. Considering the performance of the inertial measurement unit (IMU) and other common sensors, this paper advances a new method to estimate the attitude of LANs in a swarm. Because the small unmanned nodes are strictly limited by relevant practical engineering problems such as size, weight and power, the method proposed could compensate for the attitude error caused by strapdown gyroscopic drift, which only use visual vectors built by the targets detected by cameras with the function of range finding. In our method, the coordinates of targets are mainly given by the You Only Look Once (YOLO) algorithm, then the visual vectors are built by connecting the targets in the covisibility graph of the nodes in the swarm. The attitude transformation matrices between each camera frame are calculated using the multivector attitude determination algorithm. Finally, we design an information filter (IF) to determine the attitude of LANs based on the observation of HANs. Considering the problem of positioning reference, the field test was conducted in the open air and we chose to use two-wheeled robots and one UAV to carry out the experiment. The results show that the relative attitude error between nodes is less than 4 degrees using the visual vector. After filtering, the attitude divergence of LANs’ installed low precision IMU can be effectively constrained, and the high-precision attitude estimation in an unmanned CN swarm can be realized.
NOMA and UAV Scheduling for Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications
Authors: Liu Xiaowu , Xu Xihan , Yu Kan
Published: January 2023

Ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (uRLLC) has received great attention in the study of wireless communication for it can provide high network performance in terms of reliability and latency. However, the reliability requirements of uRLLC require further investigation due to the inherent openness of the wireless channel. Different from the previous reliable contributions that focused on the retransmission mechanism, in this paper, we consider scenarios with the interference of multiple UAVs. We establish an analytical framework of the packet error rate (PER) for an air-to-ground (A2G) channel. In this framework, the cellular users are allocated to different UAVs according to their minimum path loss with the aim of minimizing the PER. Furthermore, a wireless link scheduling algorithm is proposed to enhance the reliability between the UAV and cellular user. Simulated results show that, under the same power and channel block length level, our proposed non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) scheduling scheme has the best performance.
The Cost of Alternative Water Supply and Efficiency Options under Uncertainty: An Application of Modern Portfolio Theory and Chebyshev’s Inequality
Authors: Tran Dat , Borisova Tatiana , Beggs Kate
Published: January 2023

Sea-level rise, population growth, and changing land-use patterns will further constrain Florida’s already scarce groundwater and surface water supplies in the coming decades. Significant investments in water supply and water demand management are needed to ensure sufficient water availability for human and natural systems. Section 403.928 (1) (b) of the Florida Statutes requires estimating the expenditures needed to meet the future water demand and avoid the adverse effects of competition for water supplies to 2040. This study considers the 2020–2040 planning period and projects (1) future water demand and supplies; and (2) the total expenditures (capital costs) necessary to meet the future water demand in Florida, USA. The uniqueness of this study compared with the previous studies is the introduction of a probabilistic-based approach to quantify the uncertainty of the investment costs to meet future water demand. We compile data from the U.S. Geological Survey, Florida’s Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Florida’s Water Management Districts, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to project the future water demand and supplies, and the expenditures needed to meet the demand considering uncertainty in the costs of alternative water supply options. The results show that the total annual water demand is projected to increase by 1405 million cubic meters (+15.9%) by 2040, driven primarily by urbanization. Using the median capital costs of alternative water supply projects, cumulative expenditures for the additional water supplies are estimated between USD 1.11–1.87 billion. However, when uncertainty in the project costs is accounted for, the projected expenditure range shifts to USD 1.65 and USD 3.21 billion. In addition, we illustrate how using Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) can increase the efficacy of investment planning to develop alternative water supply options. The results indicate that using MPT in selecting the share of each project type in developing water supply options can reduce the standard deviation of capital costs per one unit of capacity by 74% compared to the equal share allocation. This study highlights the need for developing more flexible funding strategies on local, regional, and state levels to finance additional water supply infrastructure, and more cost-effective combinations of demand management strategies and alternative water supply options to meet the water needed for the state in the future.
The Dynamic Impacts of Monetary Policy Uncertainty Shocks
Authors: Kamara Ahmed , Koirala Niraj P.
Published: January 2023

This paper assesses whether the impact of monetary policy uncertainty on the U.S. economy has changed over time. Estimating a Time-Varying Parameter Vector Autoregressive model on U.S. data from 1985Q1 to 2022Q3, we find that uncertainty shocks have larger negative effects on output during the COVID-19 recession than during other periods. However, financial market variables, such as stock prices and dividends, responded more significantly to uncertainty shocks during the Asian crisis of the late 1990s, the IT bubble of the 2000s, and the Great Recession. We then develop a Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium model with monetary policy uncertainty. Based on the calibrated model, we conduct several counterfactual exercises to demonstrate that the effects of uncertainty shocks depend on the state of the economy, which is consistent with the empirical evidence. These findings provide new insights into the time-varying nature of the impact of economic uncertainty.
Knowledge Mining of Interactions between Drugs from the Extensive Literature with a Novel Graph-Convolutional-Network-Based Method
Authors: Xu Xingjian , Meng Fanjun , Sun Lijun
Published: January 2023

Interactions between drugs can occur when two or more drugs are used for the same patient. This may result in changes in the drug’s pharmacological activity, some of which are beneficial and some of which are harmful. Thus, identifying possible drug–drug interactions (DDIs) has always been a crucial research topic in the field of clinical pharmacology. As clinical trials are time-consuming and expensive, current approaches for predicting DDIs are mainly based on knowledge mining from the literature using computational methods. However, since the literature contain a large amount of unrelated information, the task of identifying drug interactions with high confidence has become challenging. Thus, here, we present a novel graph-convolutional-network-based method called DDINN to detect potential DDIs. Combining cBiLSTM, graph convolutional networks and weight-rebalanced dependency matrix, DDINN is able to extract both contexture and syntactic information efficiently from the extensive biomedical literature. At last, we compare our DDINN with some other state-of-the-art models, and it is proved that our work is more effective. In addition, the ablation experiments demonstrate the advantages of DDINN’s optimization techniques as well.
Eight-Port Modified E-Slot MIMO Antenna Array with Enhanced Isolation for 5G Mobile Phone
Authors: Abubakar Hassan Sani , Zhao Zhiqin , Wang Boning , Kiani Saad Hassan , Parchin Naser Ojaroudi , Hakim Bandar
Published: January 2023

An eight-element antenna system operating at sub 6 GHz is presented in this work for a future multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system based on a modified E-slot on the ground. The modified E-slot significantly lowers the coupling among the antenna components by suppressing the ground current effect. The design concept is validated by accurately measuring and carefully fabricating an eight-element MIMO antenna. The experimentation yields higher element isolation greater than −21 dB in the 3.5 GHz band and the desired band is achieved at −6 dB impedance bandwidth. The E-shape slot occupies an area of 17.8 mm × 5.6 mm designed on an FR-4 substrate with dimensions of 150 mm × 75 mm × 0.8 mm. We fed the I-antenna element with an L-shape micro-strip feedline, the size of the I-antenna is 20.4 × 5.2 mm2, which operates in the (3.4–3.65 GHz) band. Moreover, our method obtained an envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) of <0.01 and an ergodic channel capacity of 43.50 bps/Hz. The ECC and ergodic channel capacity are important metrics for evaluating MIMO system performance. Results indicate that the proposed antenna system is a good option to be used in 5G mobile phone applications.