bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis and Management of Cancer Treatment-Related Cardiac Dysfunction and Heart Failure in Children
Authors: Hegazy Mohamed , Ghaleb Stephanie , Das Bibhuti
Published: January 2023

It is disheartening for parents to discover that their children have long-term cardiac dysfunction after being cured of life-threatening childhood cancers. As the number of childhood cancer survivors increases, early and late oncology-therapy-related cardiovascular complications continues to rise. It is essential to understand that cardiotoxicity in childhood cancer survivors is persistent and progressive. A child’s cancer experience extends throughout his lifetime, and ongoing care for long-term survivors is recognized as an essential part of the cancer care continuum. Initially, there was a lack of recognition of late cardiotoxicities related to cancer therapy. About 38 years ago, in 1984, pioneers like Dr. Lipshultz and others published anecdotal case reports of late cardiotoxicities in children and adolescents exposed to chemotherapy, including some who ended up with heart transplantation. At that time, cardiac tests for cancer survivors were denied by insurance companies because they did not meet appropriate use criteria. Since then, cardio-oncology has been an emerging field of cardiology that focuses on the early detection of cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction occurring during and after oncological treatment. The passionate pursuit of many healthcare professionals to make life better for childhood cancer survivors led to more than 10,000 peer-reviewed publications in the last 40 years. We synthesized the existing evidence-based practice and described our experiences in this review to share our current method of surveillance and management of cardiac dysfunction related to cancer therapy. This review aims to discuss the pathological basis of cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction and heart failure, how to stratify patients prone to cardiotoxicity by identifying modifiable risk factors, early detection of cardiac dysfunction, and prevention and management of heart failure during and after cancer therapy in children. We emphasize serial longitudinal follow-ups of childhood cancer survivors and targeted intervention for high-risk patients. We describe our experience with the new paradigm of cardio-oncology care, and collaboration between cardiologist and oncologist is needed to maximize cancer survival while minimizing late cardiotoxicity.
Regional Differences in Chinese Female Demand for Childcare Services of 0–3 Years: The Moderating and Mediating Effects of Family Childcare Context
Authors: Chen Chuanfang , Hu Huimin , Shi Renbing
Published: January 2023

There are multiple reasons to consider the use of formal childcare: parental employment, child development, fertility choices, elderly health, generational relations, etc. This study explores the relationship between regional differences (urban/rural; eastern/central/western) and demand for childcare services (quantity, price, quality) from birth to three years of age, moderated and mediated by the family childcare contexts among Chinese women. Altogether, 1770 mothers of children aged 0–3 were selected from a national survey and analyzed. There are three major findings: (1) Urban mothers show a willingness to spend on the higher monetary cost of center-based childcare compared to rural mothers, as a result of more severe work–child conflicts faced by urban women. Urban–rural gaps in individual and household income also contribute to the differences in affordability. (2) Mothers in eastern China have a more substantial need to place their infants or toddlers in nurseries before the age of three than their counterparts in central and western China, primarily due to a lack of grandparental and paternal childcare support and an expectation of higher quality programs. (3) There is no significant regional disparity in terms of care-related or education-related quality preferences. The paper proposes regional prioritized strategies and targeted services to address the “3A” problems of childcare provision.
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Climate in 2022
Authors:   Climate Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
Wearable LIG Flexible Stress Sensor Based on Spider Web Bionic Structure
Authors: Zheng Hehui , Wang Han , Yi Kunran , Lin Jian , Chen An , Chen Lingming , Zou Zebiao , Liu Maolin , Ji Yuchen , Dong Lingzhi , Lin Zhenpei
Published: January 2023

Bionic structures are widely used in scientific research. Through the observation and study of natural biological structure, it is found that spider web structure is composed of many radial silk lines protruding from the center and spiral silk lines surrounding the center. It has high stability and high sensitivity, and is especially suitable for the production of sensors. In this study, a flexible graphene sensor based on a spider web bionic structure is reported. Graphene, with its excellent mechanical properties and high electrical conductivity, is an ideal material for making sensors. In this paper, laser-induced graphene (LIG) is used as a sensing material to make a spider web structure, which is encapsulated onto a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate to make a spider web structured graphene flexible strain sensor. The study found that the stress generated by the sensor of the spider web structure in the process of stretching and torsion can be evenly distributed in the spider web structure, which has excellent resonance ability, and the overall structure shows good structural robustness. In the experimental test, it is shown that the flexible stress sensor with spider web structure achieves high sensitivity (GF is 36.8), wide working range (0–35%), low hysteresis (260 ms), high repeatability and stability, and has long-term durability. In addition, the manufacturing process of the whole sensor is simple and convenient, and the manufactured sensor is economical and durable. It shows excellent stability in finger flexion and extension, fist clenching, and arm flexion and extension applications. This shows that the sensor can be widely used in wearable sensing devices and the detection of human biological signals. Finally, it has certain development potential in the practical application of medical health, motion detection, human-computer interaction and other fields.
Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Tribological Properties of Laser Cladding CeO2/Ni60 Composite Coating on 35CrMoV Steel
Authors: Gao Zhiming , Zhang Shuqing , Gao Zhongtang , Ren Haibo , Zhang Chuanwei
Published: January 2023

A Ni60 cladding layer with addition of 6.0% CeO2 was prepared on 35CrMoV steel by laser cladding technology. The prepared sample was placed at 500 °C, 600 °C and 700 °C for 60 min to explore the effects of heat treatment on the tribological properties of the composite coating. The microstructure, phase composition, microhardness and tribological properties of the composite coating were characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-Vickers hardness tester and MicroXAM-800 optical surface photometer, respectively. According to the above experimental results analysis, the main components of 6.0% CeO2/Ni60 cladding layer are γ-(Fe,Ni),Cr7C3,Cr23C6,CrB, CrFeB and Cr2Ni3. By calculating the FWHM value and the left shift of the XRD diffraction peak, it is found that the coating grains are remarkably refined and the microstructure uniformity is significantly improved under the condition of heat treatment at 500 °C. The experimental results show that the Ni60 composite coating with 6.0% CeO2 has the best friction and wear performance at 500 °C. The wearing quality of the composite coating at 500 °C was reduced by 43%.
Impact of Iron Pyrite Nanoparticles Sizes in Photovoltaic Performance
Authors: Sai Refka , Abumousa Rasha A.
Published: January 2023

With rising energy demand and depleted traditional fuels, solar cells offer a sustainable and clean option. In recent years, and due to its acceptable band gap, high absorption coefficient, and inexpensive cost, iron pyrite (FeS2) is a popular material for solar cells. Earth abundance and nontoxicity further boost its photovoltaic possibilities. The current study examined the influence of sulfurization at 350–400 °C on iron pyrite layers fabricated using spray pyrolysis. The morphology and size from TEM confirmed the XRD results of synthesizing a pyrite FeS2 with an average particle size of 10–23 nm at 350–400 °C, respectively. The direct band gap calculated by DFT as a function of temperature was found to be consistent with the experimental findings, 0.87 eV (0.87) and 0.90 eV (0.95) at 350 °C and 400 °C, respectively. We found high-performing photovoltaic cells on ITO/ZnO/FeS2/ MoO3/Au/Ag, obtained with an excellent quality of nanoparticles and nanostructures of FeS2 pyrite, which improved with the method of preparation and growth parameters.
Strengthening and Toughening Epoxy Composites by Constructing MOF/CF Multi-Scale Reinforcement
Authors: Zhao Min , Sun Zhuo , Guo Jinlong , Qu Qing , Jiang Tingting , Wang Gang , Wang Jing
Published: January 2023

The interfacial designing of carbon fiber (CF)/epoxy composites, as a well-accepted method used to obtain high-performance composites, has gained extensive attention. However, an improvement in interfacial adhesion is usually accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in toughness, which has become an obstacle to the performance enhancement of CF/epoxy composites. Herein, nanosized UiO-66-NH2 was proposed to yield on the CF surface through an in situ growth method for preparing high-performance CF/epoxy composites. The induced UiO-66-NH2 could significantly enhance the active groups, surface roughness and wettability on the fiber surface, which can be confirmed by XPS, FTIR, dynamic contact angle (DCA) and SEM. Moreover, the porous structure of UiO-66-NH2 enables the epoxy resin to pass through it, which could toughen the matrix by forming an interpenetrating network structure and reducing the density of resin crosslinking. Meanwhile, the size effect of UiO-66-NH2 could hinder the crack propagation and release the stress concentration. Benefiting from these interfacial strengthening and toughening effects, the interlaminar shear strength and impact strength increased by 44.2% and 27.6%, respectively, in comparison to those of untreated CF. This work proposes a simple and effective strategy for interfacial designing that could offer new ideas for solving the conflict between the strengthening and toughening and provide a practical basis for preparing high-performance resin matrix composites.
Caryophyllene-Rich Essential Oils of Two Species from Southern Côte d’Ivoire: Guibourtia ehie (A. Chev.) J Léonard (Caesalpiniaceae) and Oricia suaveolens (Engl.) Verd. (Rutaceae)
Authors: Kouao Toffé Alexis , Ouattara Zana Adama , Kambiré Didjour Albert , Kouamé Bosson Antoine , Mamyrbékova-Békro Janat Akhanovna , Tomi Pierre , Paoli Mathieu , Bighelli Ange , Békro Yves-Alain , Tomi Felix
Published: January 2023

The essential oils of Oricia suaveolens and Guibourtia ehie from Southern Côte d’Ivoire were extracted by hydrodistillation then analyzed by gas chromatography in combination with retention indices [GC(RI)], gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance of carbone-13 (13C NMR) And described here for the first time. A total of 42 compounds were identified in the essential oils of the leaves of G. ehie while 55, 40 and 23 components were identified in the leaves, stem bark and root bark oils of O. suaveolens, respectively. Essential oils samples were dominated by sesquiterpenes and (E)-β-caryophyllene was the major compound common to all samples: G. ehie leaf oil contained (E)-β-caryophyllene (26.9–40.8%), α-humulene (syn. α-caryophyllene) (6.7–9.7%), β-elemene (5.5–9.5%) and germacrene D (5.6–8.1%); O. suaveolens, leaf oil contained (E)-β-caryophyllene (33.5–39.3%), (E)-β-farnesene (5.9–9,3%), caryophyllene oxide (2.1–7.7%) and α-humulene (4.0–4.6%); stem bark oil contained α-humulene (38.3–45.8%) and (E)-β-caryophyllene (34.7–41.6%); root bark oil contained α-humulene (36.1–47.9%) and (E)-β-caryophyllene (34.3–43.3%). This study highlighted the abundant presence of (E)-β-caryophyllene, a phytocannabinoïd sesquiterpene with countless biological properties, in two plant species: Guibourtia ehie and Oricia suaveolens.
Effect of Grain Sizes on Electrically Assisted Micro—Filling of SUS304 Stainless Steel: Experiment and Simulation
Authors: Men Mingliang , Zhao Rui , Liu Yizhe , Wan Min , Meng Bao
Published: January 2023

The filling quality of micro-feature structures has a significant impact on the forming quality of micro-channels. The electrical-assisted forming technology can effectively improve the formability of difficult-to-deform materials. In this research, the electrically driven micro-compression constitutive model of SUS304 stainless steels was established to assign grain boundary and grain interior with different material properties. An electrical–thermal–mechanical coupling model was constructed to simulate the filling process considering the effect of grain boundary and grain size. Compared to the experimental results, the simulation indicated a good agreement in microstructure characteristics and higher filling height for the fine-grained material. The increase in grain boundary density makes the resistivity of the fine grain material larger, causing the current destiny and temperature of the specimen to increase with the decrease in grain size. An ellipsoidal gradient temperature distribution is observed due to the uneven current density. Because of the high geometric dislocation density near the grain boundary, a significant dislocation pile-up causes stress to concentrate. It is observed that the deformation coordination is enhanced between the grain boundary and grain core with the decrease in grain size, thus improving the material formability and forming quality.
Diversity of the Piscicola Species (Hirudinea, Piscicolidae) in the Eastern Palaearctic with a Description of Three New Species and Notes on Their Biogeography
Authors: Kaygorodova Irina , Matveenko Ekaterina
Published: January 2023

Biodiversity is considered one of the most significant parameters for characterizing aquatic environments. The value of species diversity is taken into account when assessing the ecological state and quality of the ecosystem. However, erroneous taxonomic identification distorts biodiversity signification and, consequently, prevents a clear understanding of ecological signals and traits. In this study, we presented the first data on Piscicola leech species diversity in the vast area of the Eastern Palaearctic. To avoid misidentifications, an integrated approach was applied, combining modern DNA-based and classical morphological methods. Previously, only one species of the genus, Piscicola geometra, was recorded in the whole of Siberia. We discovered three new species: Piscicola sibirica sp. nov., Piscicola khubsugulensis sp. nov. (Eastern Siberia) and Piscicola nordica sp. nov. (European Northeast). The species Piscicola pojmanskae was reduced to synonymy with Piscicola geometra, whose description was updated. Taxonomic adjustments allowed us to ascertain the eastern edge of the Piscicola geometra distribution and to understand the biogeography of the group as a whole. The Piscicola geometra range is limited to Western Siberia, while the widespread Piscicola sibirica sp. nov. and the purely Khovsgolian Piscicola khubsugulensis sp. nov. inhabit Eastern Siberia.
Effect of Depth across a Latitudinal Gradient in the Structure of Rhodolith Seabeds and Associated Biota across the Eastern Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Pérez-Peris Inés , Navarro-Mayoral Sandra , de Esteban Marcial Cosme , Tuya Fernando , Peña Viviana , Barbara Ignacio , Neves Pedro , Ribeiro Claudia , Abreu Antonio , Grall Jacques , Espino Fernando , Bosch Nestor Echedey , Haroun Ricardo , Otero-Ferrer Francisco
Published: January 2023

Rhodolith seabeds are ‘ecosystem engineers’ composed of free-living calcareous red macroalgae, which create extensive marine habitats. This study addressed how depth influenced the structure (size and morphology) of rhodoliths and the abundance of associated floral and faunal epibionts across the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. Sampling was carried out at two sites within five regions (Brittany, Galicia, Madeira, Gran Canaria, and Principe Island), from temperate to tropical, covering a latitudinal gradient of 47°, in three depth strata (shallow, intermediate and deep), according to the rhodolith bathymetrical range in each region. Depth typically affected the rhodolith size at all regions; the largest nodules were found in the intermediate and deep strata, while rhodolith sphericity was larger at the shallow depth strata. Higher biomasses of attached macroalgae (epiphytes) were observed at depths where rhodoliths were larger. The abundance of epifauna was variable across regions and depth strata. In general, the occurrence, structure, and abundance of the associated biota across rhodolith habitats were affected by depth, with local variability (i.e., sites within regions) often displaying a more significant influence than the regional (large-scale) variation. Overall, this study showed that the rhodolith morphology and associated epibionts (flora and fauna) were mostly affected by depth, irrespective of latitude.
The Correlation between the Vascular Calcification Score of the Coronary Artery and the Abdominal Aorta in Patients with Psoriasis
Authors: Huynh Trang Nguyen-Mai , Yamazaki Fumikazu , Kishimoto Izumi , Tanaka Akihiro , Son Yonsu , Ozaki Yoshio , Takehana Kazuya , Tanizaki Hideaki
Published: January 2023

Psoriasis is known as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease due to its chronic inflammation. Studies have been conducted to evaluate the progress of atherosclerotic plaques in psoriasis. However, inadequate efforts have been made to clarify the relationship between atherosclerosis progress in coronary arteries and other important blood vessels. For that reason, we investigated the correlation and development of the coronary artery calcification score (CACS) and the abdominal aortic calcification score (AACS) during a follow-up examination. Eighty-three patients with psoriasis underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) for total CACS and abdominal computed tomography (AbCT) for total AACS. PASI score, other clinical features, and blood samples were collected at the same time. The patients’ medical histories were also retrieved for further analysis. Linear regression was used to analyze the CACS and AACS associations. There was a moderate correlation between CACS and AACS, while both calcification scores relatively reflected the coronary plaque number, coronary stenosis number, and stenosis severity observed with CCTA. Both calcification scores were independent of the PASI score. However, a significantly higher CACS was found in psoriatic arthritis, whereas no similar phenomenon was recorded for AACS. To conclude, both CACS and AACS might be potential alternative tests to predict the presence of coronary lesions as confirmed by CCTA.
Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery with Endoscope-Assisted Retrolabyrinthine Approach under Modified Reinforced Continuous Intraoperative Monitoring for Hearing Preservation: Experience of 33 Cases in a Single Center
Authors: Hosoya Makoto , Nishiyama Takanori , Wakabayashi Takeshi , Shimanuki Marie N , Miyazaki Hidemi , Ozawa Hiroyuki , Oishi Naoki
Published: January 2023

Surgery for vestibular schwannoma includes various techniques such as the middle cranial fossa, suboccipital, translabyrinthine, and retrolabyrinthine approaches. The retrolabyrinthine approach does not impair the labyrinth and allows postoperative hearing preservation. Previously, we reported an endoscope-assisted retrolabyrinthine approach under reinforced continuous intraoperative monitoring for preservation of hearing and facial nerve function. However, the hearing preservation rate was relatively low in patients with long-wave V latency in the auditory brainstem response or poor otoacoustic emission response under this approach. Thus, the hearing preservation rate in such patients remains to be improved. To overcome this limitation, we modified the previous approach. In 26 of the 33 consecutive cases (79%) over the last three years, preservation of hearing equivalent to that before surgery or improved hearing was achieved. Postoperative deafness was observed in only two of the 33 cases (6%). According to previous reports, the rate of hearing preservation using the retrolabyrinthine approach is approximately 30–50%. Therefore, we have achieved a higher hearing preservation rate than that previously reported using the endoscopy-assisted retrolabyrinthine approach under reinforced continuous intraoperative monitoring. These improvements in our department are considered to be helpful for hearing preservation.
Head-to-Head Comparison of Nasopharyngeal, Oropharyngeal and Nasal Swabs for SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Testing
Authors: Larsen Kasper Daugaard , Jensen Mads Mose , Homøe Anne-Sophie , Arndal Elisabeth , Samuelsen Grethe Badsberg , Koch Anders , Nielsen Xiaohui Chen , Homøe Preben , Todsen Tobias
Published: January 2023

Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) are considered the gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 testing but are technically challenging to perform and associated with discomfort. Alternative specimens for viral testing, such as oropharyngeal swabs (OPS) and nasal swabs, may be preferable, but strong evidence regarding their diagnostic sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 testing is still missing. We conducted a head-to-head prospective study to compare the sensitivity of NPS, OPS and nasal swabs specimens for SARS-CoV-2 molecular testing. Adults with an initial positive SARS-CoV-2 test were invited to participate. All participants had OPS, NPS and nasal swab performed by an otorhinolaryngologist. We included 51 confirmed SARS-CoV-2-positive participants in the study. The sensitivity was highest for OPS at 94.1% (95% CI, 87 to 100%) compared to NPS at 92.5% (95% CI, 85 to 99%) (p = 1.00) and lowest for nasal swabs at 82.4% (95% CI, 72 to 93%) (p = 0.07). Combined OPS/NPS was detected in 100% of cases, while the combined OPS/nasal swab increased the sensitivity significantly to 96.1% (95% CI, 90 to 100%) compared to that of the nasal swab alone (p = 0.03). The mean Ct value for NPS was 24.98 compared to 26.63 for OPS (p = 0.084) and 30.60 for nasal swab (p = 0.002). OPS achieved a sensitivity comparable to NPS and should be considered an equivalent alternative for SARS-CoV-2 testing.
Health Research and Education during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Australian Clinician and Researcher Perspective
Authors: Cordato Dennis J. , Fatima Shad Kaneez , Soubra Wissam , Beran Roy G.
Published: January 2023

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had an unprecedented global effect on teaching and education. This review discusses research, education and diagnostics from the perspectives of four academic clinicians and researchers across different facilities in Australia. Materials and methods: The study adopted a literature review and an Australian researcher’s perspective on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health education, research and diagnostics. Results: At the start of the pandemic, medical facilities had to adhere urgently to major work restrictions, including social distancing, mask-wearing rules and/or the closure of facilities to protect staff, students and patients from the risk of COVID-19 infection. Telemedicine and telehealth services were rapidly implemented and adapted to meet the needs of medical education, the teaching of students, trainee doctors, nursing and allied health staff and became a widely accepted norm. The impact on clinical research and education saw the closure of clinical trials and the implementation of new methods in the conducting of trials, including electronic consents, remote patient assessments and the ability to commence fully virtual clinical trials. Academic teaching adapted augmented reality and competency-based teaching to become important new modes of education delivery. Diagnostic services also required new policies and procedures to ensure the safety of personnel. Conclusions: As a by-product of the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional, face-to-face learning and clinical research were converted into online formats. An hybrid environment of traditional methods and novel technological tools has emerged in readiness for future pandemics that allows for virtual learning with concurrent recognition of the need to provide for interpersonal interactions.
Reply to Hungerford, S.; Bart, N. Blood-Pressure-Monitoring Smartphone Applications: Ushering in a New Era of Wearable Cardiac Devices? Comment on “Vischer et al. Comparability of a Blood-Pressure-Monitoring Smartphone Application with Conventional Measurements—A Pilot Study. Diagnostics 2022, 12, 749”
Authors: Vischer Annina S. , Rosania Jana , Socrates Thenral , Burkard Thilo
Published: January 2023

We would like to thank Drs. Hungerford and Bart for their kind comment [...]
Different Treatment Modalities of Oral Lichen Planus—A Narrative Review
Authors: Andabak-Rogulj Ana , Vindiš Ema , Aleksijević Lorena , Škrinjar Ivana , Juras Danica , Aščić Anastazija , Brzak Božana
Published: January 2023

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology which affects the oral mucosa. OLP varies in its clinical features from a reticular form that is, in most cases, asymptomatic, to atrophic–erosive, and is accompanied by symptoms of burning sensation and pain followed by difficulty in eating. Given the fact that OLP is a disease of unknown etiology, the treatment is symptomatic and involves suppressing the signs and symptoms of the disease using various topical and systemic drugs. The first line of therapy for treating symptomatic OLP is topical corticosteroids, whereas systemic corticosteroids are used for treating persistent lesions that do not respond to local treatment. However, the lack of convincing evidence on the efficacy of previous therapies, including topical corticosteroids, and numerous side effects that have appeared over recent years has resulted in the emergence and development of new therapeutic options. Some of the therapies mentioned are tacrolimus, efalizumab, dapson, interferon, retinoic acid, photochemotherapy with psoralen and ultraviolet A rays (PUVA), aloe vera, antimalarials, antibiotics and others. These therapies only partially meet the properties of efficacy and safety of use, thus justifying the continuous search and testing of new treatment methods.
An Analysis of the Type of Questions Posed by Teachers in English-Medium Instruction at University Level
Authors: Doiz Aintzane , Lasagabaster David
Published: January 2023

Teacher-led questions not only guide meaning-making interactions but they also scaffold students’ learning, and this is especially important in English-medium instruction (EMI). Due to the scant literature on this topic in higher education, this article analyses what type of questions EMI history lecturers pose and whether they are subject to individual differences. The study is based on 12 two-hour lectures whose transcriptions were analysed by three researchers. The results showed that instructional or content question types were much more commonplace than regulative questions (related to classroom procedures). Confirmation check, display and referential questions, which belong in the instructional category, were not posed to fulfil their intended pedagogic goals, a limitation accentuated by students’ trend to provide short responses. These results reveal the need to design teacher training courses aimed at developing teachers’ interactional abilities. Since questioning practices varied considerably between lecturers, customized training sessions should also be considered.
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Electricity in 2022
Authors:   Electricity Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
Radio-Frequency-Identification-Based 3D Human Pose Estimation Using Knowledge-Level Technique
Authors: Altaf Saud , Haroon Muhammad , Ahmad Shafiq , Nasr Emad Abouel , Zaindin Mazen , Huda Shamsul , Rehman Zia ur
Published: January 2023

Human pose recognition is a new field of study that promises to have widespread practical applications. While there have been efforts to improve human position estimation with radio frequency identification (RFID), no major research has addressed the problem of predicting full-body poses. Therefore, a system that can determine the human pose by analyzing the entire human body, from the head to the toes, is required. This paper presents a 3D human pose recognition framework based on ANN for learning error estimation. A workable laboratory-based multisensory testbed has been developed to verify the concept and validation of results. A case study was discussed to determine the conditions under which an acceptable estimation rate can be achieved in pose analysis. Using the Butterworth filtering technique, environmental factors are de-noised to reduce the system’s computational cost. The acquired signal is then segmented using an adaptive moving average technique to determine the beginning and ending points of an activity, and significant features are extracted to estimate the activity of each human pose. Experiments demonstrate that RFID transceiver-based solutions can be used effectively to estimate a person’s pose in real time using the proposed method.
Semi-Supervised Active Learning for Object Detection
Authors: Chen Sijin , Yang Yingyun , Hua Yan
Published: January 2023

Behind the rapid development of deep learning methods, massive data annotations are indispensable yet quite expensive. Many active learning (AL) and semi-supervised learning (SSL) methods have been proposed to address this problem in image classification tasks. However, these methods face a new challenge in object detection tasks, since object detection requires classification as well as localization information in the labeling process. Therefore, in this paper, an object detection framework combining active learning and semi-supervised learning is presented. Tailored for object detection tasks, the uncertainty of an unlabeled image is measured from two perspectives, namely classification stability and localization stability. The unlabeled images with low uncertainty are manually annotated as the AL part, and those with high uncertainty are pseudo-labeled with the detector’s prediction results as the SSL part. Furthermore, to better filter out the noisy pseudo-boxes brought by SSL, a novel pseudo-label mining strategy is proposed that includes a stability aggregation score (SAS) and dynamic adaptive threshold (DAT). The SAS aggregates the classification and localization stability scores to measure the quality of predicted boxes, while the DAT adaptively adjusts the thresholds for each category to alleviate the class imbalance problem. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method significantly outperforms state-of-the-art AL and SSL methods.
Application of Metal Oxide Memristor Models in Logic Gates
Authors: Mladenov Valeri
Published: January 2023

Memristors, as new electronic elements, have been under rigorous study in recent years, owing to their good memory and switching properties, low power consumption, nano-dimensions and a good compatibility to present integrated circuits, related to their promising applications in electronic circuits and chips. The main purpose of this paper is the application and analysis of the operations of metal–oxide memristors in logic gates and complex schemes, using several standard and modified memristor models and a comparison between their behavior in LTSPICE at a hard-switching, paying attention to their fast operation and switching properties. Several basic logic gates—OR, AND, NOR, NAND, XOR, based on memristors and CMOS transistors are considered. The logic schemes based on memristors are applicable in electronic circuits with artificial intelligence. They are analyzed in LTSPICE for pulse signals and a hard-switching functioning of the memristors. The analyses confirm the proper, fast operation and good switching properties of the considered modified memristor models in logical circuits, compared to several standard models. The modified models are compared to several classical models, according to some significant criteria such as operating frequency, simulation time, accuracy, complexity and switching properties. Based on the basic memristor logic gates, a more complex logic scheme is analyzed.
Circularly Polarized MIMO Antenna Based on Microstrip Patch and Metasurface Structures
Authors: Tran Huy-Hung , Nguyen Tung The-Lam , Pham Tuyen Danh
Published: January 2023

This paper shows a two-element multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) circularly polarized antenna. The proposed design achieves polarization diversity by using two conventional truncated corner square patches. Since the operating bandwidth of the conventional design is extremely narrow, a metasurface is utilized for bandwidth enhancement. In the open literature, several MS-based MIMO antennas have been reported. However, these designs can achieve high isolation with wide spacing between the MIMO elements. For the proposed design, the configuration of the MS is modified so that high isolation can be obtained with smaller element spacing. The design concept is verified by measurements on a fabricated prototype. The measured operating bandwidth (BW), which is an overlap between −10 dB impedance and 3-dB axial ration BWs, is from 5.0 to 5.6 GHz (11.3%). Across this band, the isolation is always higher than 20 dB and the realized gain is higher than 4.4 dBi.
Nonisothermal Evaporation of Sessile Drops of Aqueous Solutions with Surfactant
Authors: Misyura Sergey , Semenov Andrey , Peschenyuk Yulia , Vozhakov Ivan , Morozov Vladimir
Published: January 2023

In recent decades, electronic devices have tended towards miniaturization, which necessitates the development of new cooling systems. Droplet cooling on a heated wall is effectively used in power devices with high heat flux densities. The use of a surfactant leads to an increase in the diameter of the wetted spot and the rate of droplet evaporation. Despite the wide interest and numerous works in this area, there are still unexplored questions regarding the influence of surfactant and wall temperature on convection, of nonisothermality, and of the decrease in the partial pressure of vapor with increasing surfactant concentration. This work experimentally studies the effect on the rate of droplet evaporation of wall temperature in the range 20–90 °C and of the concentration of surfactant in an aqueous solution of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) from 0 to 10,000 ppm. It is shown for the first time that an inversion of the evaporation rate related to the droplet diameter occurs with increasing wall temperature. The influence of key factors on the evaporation of a water droplet with SLS changes with temperature. Thus, at a slightly heated wall, the growth of the droplet diameter becomes predominant. At high heat flux, the role of nonisothermality is predominant. To determine the individual influence of the surfactant on the partial pressure of water vapor, experiments on the evaporation of a liquid layer were carried out. The obtained results and simplified estimates may be used to develop existing calculation models, as well as to optimize technologies for cooling highly heated surfaces.
Critical Review on Interrelationship of Electro-Devices in PV Solar Systems with Their Evolution and Future Prospects for MPPT Applications
Authors: Tan Weng-Hooi , Mohamad-Saleh Junita
Published: January 2023

A photovoltaic (PV) system is composed of a PV panel, controller and boost converter. This review article presents a critical review, contributing to a better understanding of the interrelationship of all these internal devices in the PV system, their respective layouts, fundamental working principles, and architectural effects. The PV panel is a power-generating device. A controller is an electronic device that controls the circulating circuits in a PV system to collect as much PV output as possible from the solar panel. The boost converter is an intermediate device that regulates the PV output based on the duty cycle provided by the controller. This review article also updates readers on the latest information regarding the technological evolution of these interconnected devices, along with their predicted future scope and challenges. Regarding the research on PV panels, this paper explains in depth the mathematical modeling of PV cells, the evolution of solar cell technology over generations, and their future prospects predicted based on the collected evidence. Then, connection patterns of PV modules are studied to better understand the effect of PV array configuration on photovoltaic performance. For the controller, state-of-the-art maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques are reviewed under the classification to reveal near-term trends in MPPT applications. On the other hand, various converter topologies proposed from 2020 to 2022 are reviewed in terms of tested frequency, voltage gain, and peak efficiency to comprehend recent evolution trends and future challenges. All presented information is intended to facilitate and motivate researchers to deepen relevant applications in the future.
Experimental Study of an Inverter Control for Reactive Power Compensation in a Grid-Connected Solar Photovoltaic System Using Sliding Mode Control
Authors: Flota-Bañuelos Manuel , Espinosa-Trujillo María , Cruz-Chan José , Kamal Tariq
Published: January 2023

In photovoltaic (PV) systems, inverters have an essential role in providing an energy supply to meet the demand with power quality. Inverters inject energy into the grid considering that a renewable source is available; however, during intermittent periods or in the absence of power generation, the inverter remains inactive, which decreases the performance of the PV system. One way to increase the operation of inverters is to operate them as Volt-Amps Reactive (VAR) compensators to generate reactive power in the absence of renewable sources. The paper presents the development of a control scheme that allows the PV system’s inverter to improve the power factor in the electrical system with or without PV power generation. The proposed control is based on using a sliding mode controller (SMC) current control loop and PI-based voltage control loop. The control scheme is developed in MATLAB/SIMULINK, and for real evaluation, a PV prototype is implemented. The control strategy efficiency is confirmed by the obtained results. The control scheme increases the practical utility of PV systems. Additionally, it improves the power factor in all cases during the injection of active power to the grid operating under intermittent conditions and/or in the absence of power generation.
A Day-Ahead Short-Term Load Forecasting Using M5P Machine Learning Algorithm along with Elitist Genetic Algorithm (EGA) and Random Forest-Based Hybrid Feature Selection
Authors: Srivastava Ankit Kumar , Pandey Ajay Shekhar , Houran Mohamad Abou , Kumar Varun , Kumar Dinesh , Tripathi Saurabh Mani , Gangatharan Sivasankar , Elavarasan Rajvikram Madurai
Published: January 2023

A hybrid feature selection (HFS) algorithm to obtain the optimal feature set to attain optimal forecast accuracy for short-term load forecasting (STLF) problems is proposed in this paper. The HFS employs an elitist genetic algorithm (EGA) and random forest method, which is embedded in the load forecasting algorithm for online feature selection (FS). Using selected features, the performance of the forecaster was tested to signify the utility of the proposed methodology. For this, a day-ahead STLF using the M5P forecaster (a comprehensive forecasting approach using the regression tree concept) was implemented with FS and without FS (WoFS). The performance of the proposed forecaster (with FS and WoFS) was compared with the forecasters based on J48 and Bagging. The simulation was carried out in MATLAB and WEKA software. Through analyzing short-term load forecasts for the Australian electricity markets, evaluation of the proposed approach indicates that the input feature selected by the HFS approach consistently outperforms forecasters with larger feature sets.
Power Generation by Halophilic Bacteria and Assessment of the Effect of Salinity on Performance of a Denitrifying Microbial Fuel Cell
Authors: Vijay Ankisha , Ghosh Prakash C. , Mukherji Suparna
Published: January 2023

Saline wastewater pollution is a critical issue that needs to be addressed. The present study focused on the development of a dual-chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) treating saline wastewater at the anode. Halophilic exo-electrogenic bacteria enriched from seawater (Arabian Sea, Mumbai, India) were used in the anodic chamber of the MFC. Denitrification using denitrifying bacteria was employed in the cathodic chamber. The maximum power density was significantly increased from 96.77 mW/m2 to 162.09 mW/m2 with a rise in NaCl concentration from 20 to 40 g/L. Nitrate removal in the cathode chamber increased from 80 ± 3% to 89 ± 3.2% with increase in salt concentration from 20 g/L to 40 g/L and concomitantly COD removal in the anode chamber increased from 76 ± 3.8% to 83 ± 4%. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) analysis revealed higher electrochemical activity at 40 g/L salt concentration. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis exhibited that charge transfer and solution resistances were lower when the salinity was increased. Microbial community analysis revealed the presence of Clostridium, Shewanella, and Bacillus as the most abundant genera in the anodic chamber. This study demonstrated the dual applicability of the system targeted for removal of organics from saline wastewater and nitrate removal from contaminated wastewater accompanied by power generation from the MFC.
Analytical Model for the Pressure Performance Analysis of Multi-Fractured Horizontal Wells in Volcanic Reservoirs
Authors: Wang Junqiang , Qiang Xiaolong , Ren Zhengcheng , Wang Hongbo , Wang Yongbo , Wang Shuoliang
Published: January 2023

Multi-fractured horizontal well (MFHW) technology is a key technology for developing unconventional reservoirs, which can generate a complex fracture network called a stimulated reservoir volume (SRV). Currently, there are many relative analytical models to describe the fluid seepage law, which are not suitable for volcanic reservoirs as of yet. The reasons are as follows: (1) due to the development of natural fractures, multi-scaled flow (matrix, natural fractures, SRV) should be considered to characterize MFHW flow in volcanic reservoirs; (2) non-Darcy flow and stress sensitivity should be considered simultaneously for seepage in volcanic reservoirs. Thus, this paper presents a novel MFHW analysis model of volcanic reservoirs that uses a multi-scale dual-porosity medium model and complex flow mechanisms. Laplace transformation, the Duhamel principle, the perturbation method and Stehfest numerical inversion are employed to solve the model to obtain dynamic pressure response curves. The results show that the pressure response curve can be divided into eight stages. Sensitivity analysis shows that the parameters of hydraulic fractures mainly affect the early flow stage. The parameters of the SRV region mainly affect the middle flow stage. The parameters of unreconstructed regions, non-Darcy flow and stress sensitivity mainly affect the late flow stage.
Harmonious Degree of Sound Sources Influencing Visiting Experience in Kulangsu Scenic Area, China
Authors: Guo Xuan , Liu Jiang , Chen Zhu , Hong Xin-Chen
Published: January 2023

Soundscapes are important resources and contribute to high-quality visiting experiences in scenic areas. Based on a public investigation of 195 interviewees in the Kulangsu scenic area, this study aimed to explore the relationships between the harmonious degree of sound sources (SHD) and visiting experience indicators, in terms of soundscape perception, as well as the satisfaction degree of visual landscape and comprehensive impression. The results suggested that the dominating positions of human sounds did not totally suppress the perception of natural sounds such as birdsong and sea waves in the scenic area. Natural sound sources also showed a higher harmonious degree than other artificial sounds. Significant relationships existed between the SHD of most sound sources and the visiting experience indicators. Natural sounds were closely related to pleasant and comfortable soundscape perception, while mechanical sound sources were mainly related to eventful and varied soundscapes. The close relationships between certain sound sources and the satisfaction degree of the visual landscape and comprehensive impression evaluation indicated the effectiveness of audio-visual and even multi-sensory approaches to enhance visiting experience. The structural equation model further revealed that (1) natural sound was the most influential sound source of soundscape and visual landscape perception; (2) human sounds and mechanical sounds all showed significant positive effects on soundscape perception; and (3) indirect relationships could exist in the SHD of sound sources with comprehensive impression evaluation. The results can facilitate targeted soundscape and landscape management and landsense creation with the aim of improving visiting experience.
Refined Assessment of Economic Loss from Pine Wilt Disease at the Subcompartment Scale
Authors: Liu Feng , Su Hongjun , Ding Tiantian , Huang Jixia , Liu Tong , Ding Ning , Fang Guofei
Published: January 2023

Pine wilt disease is a major plant epidemic that has significantly impaired the ecological safety of pine wood, the national economy, and peoples’ livelihood. It is challenging to accurately assess the loss from pine wilt disease through academic research or field work. Based on the 342,000 subcompartments of epidemic data of pine wilt disease in China in 2020, this study builds a refined assessment indicator system and measurement model for economic loss from disasters at the subcompartment scale and assesses direct economic loss and ecological service value loss. The results show that through direct economic loss and ecological service value loss, China lost USD 7.40 billion in 2020, including a direct economic loss of USD 1.11 billion and ecological service value loss of USD 6.29 billion. Of the direct economic loss, the forest material resource loss and protection expense reached USD 0.17 billion and USD 0.94 billion, respectively; of the ecological system service losses, regulation service, supporting service, and cultural service losses reached USD 4.58 billion, USD 1.35 billion, and USD 0.36 billion. Spatial distribution analysis showed that the loss declined from southeast to northwest, with Shandong, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi suffering the greatest losses. Based on the subcompartment scale, this study employs a more refined assessment indicator system and measurement model to provide accurate real-world assessment results.