bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-Task Video Captioning with a Stepwise Multimodal Encoder
Authors: Liu Zihao , Wu Xiaoyu , Yu Ying
Published: August 2022

Video captioning aims to generate a grammatical and accurate sentence to describe a video. Recent methods have mainly tackled this problem by considering multiple modalities, yet they have neglected the difference in modalities and the importance of shrinking the gap between video and text. This paper proposes a multi-task video-captioning method with a Stepwise Multimodal Encoder. The encoder can flexibly digest multiple modalities by assigning a proper encoding depth for each modality. We also exploit both video-to-text (V2T) and text-to-video (T2V) flows by adding an auxiliary task of video–text semantic matching. We successfully achieve state-of-the-art performance on two widely known datasets: MSVD and MSR-VTT: (1) with the MSVD dataset, our method achieves an 18% improvement in CIDEr; (2) with the MSR-VTT dataset, our method achieves a 6% improvement in CIDEr.
Solar Irradiance Nowcasting System Trial and Evaluation for Islanded Microgrid Control Purposes
Authors: Samu Remember , Bhujun Satya Girdhar , Calais Martina , Shafiullah GM , Moghbel Moayed , Shoeb Md Asaduzzaman , Nouri Bijan
Published: August 2022

The rapid increase in solar photovoltaic (PV) integration into electricity networks introduces technical challenges due to varying PV outputs. Rapid ramp events due to cloud movements are of particular concern for the operation of remote islanded microgrids (IMGs) with high solar PV penetration. PV systems and optionally controllable distributed energy resources (DERs) in IMGs can be operated in an optimised way based on nowcasting (forecasting up to 60 min ahead). This study aims to evaluate the performance under Perth, Western Australian conditions, of an all-sky imager (ASI)-based nowcasting system, installed at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia (WA). Nowcast direct normal irradiance (DNI) and global horizontal irradiance (GHI) are inputted into a 5 kWp solar PV system with a direct current (DC) power rating/alternating current (AC) power rating ratio of 1.0. A newly developed classification method provided a simplified irradiance variability classification. The obtained nowcasting system evaluation results show that the nowcasting system’s accuracy decreases with an increase in lead time (LT). Additionally, the nowcasting system’s accuracy is higher when the weather is either mostly clear (with a recorded LT15 mean absolute deviation (MAD) of 0.38 kW) or overcast (with a recorded LT15 MAD of 0.19 kW) than when the weather is intermittently cloudy with varying cloud conditions (with a recorded LT15 MAD of 0.44 kW). With lower errors observed in lower LTs, overall, it might be possible to integrate the nowcasting system into the design of IMG controllers. The overall performance of the nowcasting system at Murdoch University was as expected as it is comparable to the previous evaluations in five other different sites, namely, PSA, La Africana, Evora, Oldenburg, and Julich.
Experimental Study and Numerical Simulation of an Electrical Preheating for SAGD Wells in Heavy Oil Reservoirs
Authors: Wang Chao , Wu Yongbin , Luo Chihui , Jiang Youwei , Zhang Yunjun , Zheng Haoran , Wang Qiang , Zhang Jipeng
Published: August 2022

It is necessary to establish effective communication between two horizontal wells during the preheating period of steam-assisted gravity-drainage (SAGD). However, the preheating time is usually very long, which results in high steam consumption and CO2 emissions. There is little research on the effects of different wellbore fluids during the preheating period. The heat transfer and heating characteristics of different wellbore fluids–water, heat-conduction oil, and air–were explored by using physical experiments and numerical simulations. In this study, the results indicated that the heat-transfer performance of heat-conduction oil is the best. The numerical simulation’s results indicated that compared with the wellbore saturated with water, the heat-conduction oil reduced the viscosity of crude oil, and energy consumption was not obvious during the preheating stage. The super-heavy oil flowed into the wellbore due to the solubility of the heat-conduction oil and its own gravity. As a result, the super-heavy oil content in the wellbore gradually accumulated, increasing the risk of coking. Those experiments showed that the use of electrical heating provides good potential to improve SAGD efficiency during the preheating period, and water is the best injection fluid for wellbores during the electrical heating process.
Influence of Guide Vane Slope on Axial-Flow Hydraulic Performance and Internal Flow Characteristics
Authors: Li Yue , Song Yiwei , Xia Shengsheng , Li Qiang
Published: August 2022

To comprehensively study the influence of the guide vane inlet slope on the axial-flow pump, eight groups of axial-flow pumps with different guide vane inlet slopes are designed and studied in this paper. Four groups of schemes increase the relative slope at the rim of the guide vane blade, and the other four groups increase the relative slope at the hub. Numerical simulations have been verified experimentally and show good simulation accuracy. The numerical simulation results show that reducing the hub height of the guide vane can improve the head and efficiency of the axial-flow pump. Compared with the original scheme, the scheme H2/S2 is more stable in velocity and turbulent kinetic energy and has fewer vortices and low-speed areas at the guide vane. The scheme H3/S3 also exhibits excellent hydraulic performance and internal flow characteristics. It is recommended that when designing an axial-flow pump, the distance between the impeller and the guide vane at the hub can be appropriately larger than the distance between the impeller and the guide vane at the rim. This helps to reduce the velocity circulation at the outlet of the guide vane and improve the head and efficiency of the axial-flow pump.
Different Approaches for a Goal: The Electrical Bus-EMT Madrid as a Successful Case Study
Authors: López Iván , Calvo Pedro Luis , Fernández-Sánchez Gonzalo , Sierra Carlos , Corchero Roberto , Chacón Cesar Omar , Juan Carlos de , Rosas Daniel , Burgos Francisco
Published: August 2022

A deep review of the state of the electromobility in urban public transport by bus was conducted from all different charging strategies, types of chargers, and e-buses with a general overview and SWOT analysis. A review of five case studies worldwide was also conducted and a real case study with real data was shown in depth: EMT Madrid, where all chargers and charging systems were developed in a single operation center. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) from the literature and from the case study for e-buses were shown as compared with different bus technologies.
The Direct-Contact Gravel, Ground, Air Heat Exchanger—Application in Single-Family Residential Passive Buildings
Authors: Radomski Bartosz , Kowalski Franciszek , Mróz Tomasz
Published: August 2022

This paper presents proposals for using the direct-contact gravel, ground, air heat exchanger in single-family residential buildings with a passive house standard, according to the Passive House Institute (PHI). The methodology of their application consists of using heat and cold from the ground at an insignificant depth (about 1.5–4.0 m below the ground level for the central European climate) through an aggregate that is buried in the ground. This solution of simple installations is used for preheating and cooling fresh air drawn into the building through a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery. In more complex applications it can be integrated with the source of heat and cold in passive buildings to create complete heating, cooling, and ventilation systems. In both cases, the air flowing through the exchanger is cooled and dried in summer, heated and humidified in winter, and filtered from pollen and bacteria all year. Direct contact of the deposit with the surrounding native soil facilitates rapid regeneration of the bed temperature. This article presents several proposals for integration with systems ensuring climatic comfort in a passive building, as exemplary applications. The paper presents preliminary estimates of energy (savings of up to 70% of electrical energy consumed), economic (SPBT = 3.65 years), and environmental (69.5% reduction in CO2 emissions) benefits related to implementing this solution in various configurations of technological systems for buildings in Poland. The calculations were carried out for the city of Poznań, taking into account the hourly intervals and using the author’s code written in MS Excel. The analysis of the operation of the direct-contact gravel, ground, air heat exchanger (GGAHE) system is based on a theoretical heat and mass exchange model. The integrated solutions of technical systems presented in this article provide an interesting alternative to traditional heating, cooling, and ventilation systems.
Fractionation of Lignocellulosic Fibrous Straw Digestate by Combined Hydrothermal and Enzymatic Treatment
Authors: Steinbrecher Timo , Bonk Fabian , Scherzinger Marvin , Lüdtke Oliver , Kaltschmitt Martin
Published: August 2022

In industrial-scale biogas production from cereal straw, large quantities of solid fiber-rich digestate are produced as residual material. These residues usually contain high amounts of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin and thus have potential for further utilization. However, they also contain impurities such as ammonia and minerals, which could negatively affect further utilization. Against this background, the present study investigates how this fibrous straw digestate can be fractionated by a combined hydrothermal and enzymatic treatment and what influence the impurities have in this process. Therefore, it is analyzed how the fractions cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin are modified by this two-stage treatment, using either raw digestate (including all impurities) or washed digestate (containing only purified fibers) as the substrate. For both substrates, around 50% of the hemicellulose is solubilized to xylans after 50 min of hydrothermal treatment using steam at 180 ∘C. Furthermore, by subsequent enzymatic treatment, around 90% and 92% of the cellulose and hemicellulose still contained in the solids are hydrolyzed to glucose and xylose, respectively. Lignin accumulates in the remaining solid but structurally degrades during the hydrothermal treatment, which is indicated by decreasing ether and ester bond contents with increasing treatment times. Impurities contained within the raw digestate do not hinder this fractionation; they even seem to positively affect hemicellulose and cellulose valorization, but apparently lead to a slightly higher lignin degradation.
Fine-Tuning the Aeration Control for Energy-Efficient Operation in a Small Sewage Treatment Plant by Applying Biokinetic Modeling
Authors: Karches Tamás
Published: August 2022

Wastewater treatment is an energy-intensive process for treating liquid-phase pollutants in urban settlements. The aerobic processes of the biological treatment involve a significant air demand. An optimal control strategy could be used to minimize the amount of excess air entering the system due to safety factors applied in the design procedures. A plant-wide mechanistic modeling approach including an activated sludge model and one-dimensional settler model was proposed as an effective tool for predicting the actual air demand and for selecting the optimal aeration strategy. In this study, a sewage treatment plant receiving strong influent flow was investigated. At the sludge ages of 14–18 days, the plant was capable of achieving a 90% organic matter reduction and 85% nutrient reduction. By applying a constant dissolved oxygen concentration of 1.5 mg/L, the air demand decreased by 25%, which could be further increased by 10% if the cascade ammonium control approach was applied at peak periods. The dependence of the aeration energy demand on the temperature and dissolved oxygen was formulated, meaning the operators could select the optimal setpoint and minimize the energy consumption while the effluent quality requirements were met.
Pandemic, War, and Global Energy Transitions
Authors: Zakeri Behnam , Paulavets Katsia , Barreto-Gomez Leonardo , Echeverri Luis Gomez , Pachauri Shonali , Boza-Kiss Benigna , Zimm Caroline , Rogelj Joeri , Creutzig Felix , Ürge-Vorsatz Diana , Victor David G. , Bazilian Morgan D. , Fritz Steffen , Gielen Dolf , McCollum David L. , Srivastava Leena , Hunt Julian D. , Pouya Shaheen
Published: August 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war on Ukraine have impacted the global economy, including the energy sector. The pandemic caused drastic fluctuations in energy demand, oil price shocks, disruptions in energy supply chains, and hampered energy investments, while the war left the world with energy price hikes and energy security challenges. The long-term impacts of these crises on low-carbon energy transitions and mitigation of climate change are still uncertain but are slowly emerging. This paper analyzes the impacts throughout the energy system, including upstream fuel supply, renewable energy investments, demand for energy services, and implications for energy equity, by reviewing recent studies and consulting experts in the field. We find that both crises initially appeared as opportunities for low-carbon energy transitions: the pandemic by showing the extent of lifestyle and behavioral change in a short period and the role of science-based policy advice, and the war by highlighting the need for greater energy diversification and reliance on local, renewable energy sources. However, the early evidence suggests that policymaking worldwide is focused on short-term, seemingly quicker solutions, such as supporting the incumbent energy industry in the post-pandemic era to save the economy and looking for new fossil fuel supply routes for enhancing energy security following the war. As such, the fossil fuel industry may emerge even stronger after these energy crises creating new lock-ins. This implies that the public sentiment against dependency on fossil fuels may end as a lost opportunity to translate into actions toward climate-friendly energy transitions, without ambitious plans for phasing out such fuels altogether. We propose policy recommendations to overcome these challenges toward achieving resilient and sustainable energy systems, mostly driven by energy services.
Data-Driven Virtual Flow Rate Sensor Development for Leakage Monitoring at the Cradle Bearing in an Axial Piston Pump
Authors: Liu Minxing , Kim Garyeong , Bauckhage Kai , Geimer Marcus
Published: August 2022

The leakage of the tribological contact in axial piston pumps significantly impacts the pump efficiency. Leakage observations can be used to optimize the pump design and monitor the behavior of the tribological contact. However, due to assembly limitations, it is not always feasible to observe the leakage of each tribological contact individually with a flow rate sensor. This work developed a data-driven virtual flow rate sensor for monitoring the leakage of cradle bearings in axial piston pumps under different operating conditions and recess pressures. The performance of neural network, support vector regression, and Gaussian regression methods for developing the virtual flow rate sensor was systematically investigated. In addition, the effect of the number of datasets and label distribution on the performance of the virtual flow sensor were systematically studied. The findings are verified using a data-driven virtual flow rate sensor to observe the leakage. In addition, they show that the distribution of labels significantly impacts the model’s performance when using support vector regression and Gaussian regression. Neural network is relatively robust to the distribution of labeled data. Moreover, the datasets also influence model performance but are not as significant as the label distribution.
A Review on Magnet Loss Analysis, Validation, Design Considerations, and Reduction Strategies in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors
Authors: Sirimanna Samith , Balachandran Thanatheepan , Haran Kiruba
Published: August 2022

Eddy current losses in magnets are a major consideration in the rotor design of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs). Stator design choices and the use of modern inverters with high switching frequency introduce harmonics that can contribute to significant losses in the magnets, causing the rotor to heat up. In typical PMSMs, the lack of rotor cooling can cause the magnet’s performance to degrade at high temperatures and eventually demagnetize. This review examines a large number of studies analyzing magnet eddy current losses using analytical methods and finite-element analysis. In some of these studies, magnet segmentation is carried out to reduce the losses; however, their loss-reduction effects depend highly on the type of PMSM and the mix of stator harmonics. Magnet segmentation without considering these effects can, in fact, increase the magnet losses, in addition to the extra manufacturing efforts. Multiple design analysis show the influence of rotor–stator geometric features on magnet losses. Although measuring magnet eddy current losses for these motor designs is a tedious task, authors have proposed calorimetric and loss segregation-based techniques to provide validation. This paper addresses magnet loss modeling techniques, PM material considerations, magnet segmentation effectiveness, motor and stator design effects, and experimental validation to inform motor designers about the costs and benefits of rotor designs that minimize rotor losses.
Octovalve Thermal Management Control for Electric Vehicle
Authors: Wray Alex , Ebrahimi Kambiz
Published: August 2022

In the pursuit of more efficient vehicles on the world’s roads, the vehicle thermal management system has become a limiting factor when it comes to EV range and battery life. In extreme climates, if the thermal system cannot pull down or warm up the EV powertrain in a timely manner, the battery is at serious risk of capacity loss or accelerated degradation. As waste heat is inherently limited with EVs, the way in which we provide the heat for warm-up must be as efficient as possible to reduce the load on the battery. In this paper, a revolutionary waste heat recovery (WHR) thermal management system designed by Tesla, nicknamed the ‘Octovalve’, is described, modelled, and simulated. This paper contributes to collective knowledge by presenting an in-depth breakdown of the key operating modes and outlining the potential benefits. Modelled in the multidomain Simulink Simscape software, the octovalve’s performance is directly compared to a typical EV WHR thermal management system. The system under analysis is shown to significantly reduce EV energy consumption and battery load during warm-up but at the cost of overall warm-up time. Unlike any other WHR system found in literature, this system has a heat pump with can perform air conditioning and heat pump tasks simultaneously, which is shown to have a remarkable impact on energy efficiency and battery life.
Study of Centrifugal Stiffening on the Free Vibrations and Dynamic Response of Offshore Wind Turbine Blades
Authors: Algolfat Amna , Wang Weizhuo , Albarbar Alhussein
Published: August 2022

Due to their large and increasing size and the corrosive nature of salt water and high wind speeds, offshore wind turbines are required to be more robust, more rugged and more reliable than their onshore counterparts. The dynamic characteristics of the blade and its response to applied forces may be influenced dramatically by rotor rotational speed, which may even threaten the stability of the wind turbine. An accurate and computationally efficient structural dynamics model is essential for offshore wind turbines. A comprehensive model that takes the centrifugal stiffening effect into consideration could make rapid and accurate decisions with live data sensed from the structure. Moreover, this can enhance both the performance and reliability of wind turbines. When a rotating blade deflects in its plane of rotation or perpendicular to it, the centrifugal force exerts an inertia force that increases the natural frequencies and changes the mode shapes, leading to changes in the dynamic response of the blade. However, in the previous literature, studies of centrifugal stiffening are rarely found. This study investigates the influence of centrifugal stiffening on the free vibrations and dynamic response of offshore wind turbine blades. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 5 MW blade benchmark was considered to study the effect of angular speed in the flap-wise and edge-wise directions. The results demonstrate that the angular speed directly affects the modal features, which directly impacts the dynamic response. The results also show that the angular velocity effect in the flap-wise direction is more significant than its effect in the edge-wise direction.
Large Eddy Simulation of Yawed Wind Turbine Wake Deformation
Authors: Kim Hyebin , Lee Sang
Published: August 2022

Wind turbine wake redirection drawn by a yaw control has been proposed as a strategy to improve the performance of wind farms. However, the characteristics and the development of the curled wake structure deformed by the yaw action of the rotor are not well understood. In the present study, the structure of the wake behind a wind turbine imparted with various yaw angles subjected to uniform inflow was investigated using large-eddy simulation. The NREL 5MW reference wind turbine was modeled with an actuator disk with rotation to study the deformation process of the curled wake. The source of the vertical asymmetry in the wake deformation was found to be based on the interaction of global wake rotation and a counter-rotating vortex pair induced by the yaw angle. The yaw angle had a profound influence on the distortion of the wake and its trajectory, whose effect was naturally mitigated with downstream distance.
Power Systems Imitate Nature for Improved Performance Use of Nature-Inspired Optimization Techniques
Authors: Ustun Taha Selim
Published: August 2022

Renewable energy transition creates unprecedented issues in power system control, operation and protection [...]
Effects of Surface Roughness on Shock-Wave/Turbulent Boundary-Layer Interaction at Mach 4 over a Hollow Cylinder Flare Model
Authors: Garcia Matt , Hoffman Eugene N. A. , LaLonde Elijah J. , Combs Christopher S. , Pohlman Mason , Smith Cary , Gragston Mark T. , Schmisseur John D.
Published: August 2022

Although it is understood that surface roughness can impact boundary layer physics in high-speed flows, there has been little research aimed at understanding the potential impact of surface roughness on high-speed shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions. Here, a hollow cylinder flare model was used to study the potential impact of distributed surface roughness on shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction unsteadiness. Two surface conditions were tested—a smooth steel finish with an average roughness of 0.85 μm and a rough surface (3K carbon fiber) with an average roughness value of 9.22 μm. The separation shock foot from the shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction on the hollow cylinder flare was tracked by analyzing schlieren images with a shock tracking algorithm. The rough surface increased boundary layer thickness by approximately a factor of 10 compared to the smooth case, significantly altering the interaction scaling. Despite normalizing results, based on this boundary layer scaling, the rough surface case still exhibited mean shock foot positions further upstream more than the smooth surface case. Power spectra of the unsteady shock foot location data demonstrated that the rough surface case exhibited unsteady motion with attenuated energy relative to the smooth-wall case.
Consumption of Antioxidant-Rich “Cerrado” Cashew Pseudofruit Affects Hepatic Gene Expression in Obese C57BL/6J High Fat-Fed Mice
Authors: Egea Mariana Buranelo , Pierce Gavin , Park Si-Hong , Lee Sang-In , Heger Fabienne , Shay Neil
Published: August 2022

The pseudofruit of A. othonianum Rizzini, “Cerrado” cashew pulp, has been described as rich in flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and vitamin C. The objective of this work was to evaluate the beneficial health effects seen with the addition of “Cerrado” cashew pulp (CP) to an obesogenic high fat diet provided to C57BL/6J male mice. In week 9, the HF-fed group had a significantly higher baseline glucose concentration than the LF- or HF+CP-fed groups. In RNAseq analysis, 4669 of 5520 genes were found to be differentially expressed. Among the genes most upregulated with the ingestion of the CP compared to HF were Ph1da1, SLc6a9, Clec4f, and Ica1 which are related to glucose homeostasis; Mt2 that may be involved steroid biosynthetic process; and Ciart which has a role in the regulation of circadian rhythm. Although “Cerrado” CP intake did not cause changes in the food intake or body weight of fed mice with HF diet, carbohydrate metabolism appeared to be improved based on the observed changes in gene expression.
Polysaccharides in Selenium-Enriched Tea: Extraction Performance under Innovative Technologies and Antioxidant Activities
Authors: Gao Weilan , Zhang Na , Li Shuyi , Li Shuyao , Zhu Shiyu , Cong Xin , Cheng Shuiyuan , Barba Francisco J. , Zhu Zhenzhou
Published: August 2022

Pulsed electric fields (PEF) and ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UE) were applied to improve the extraction performance of selenium-enriched tea polysaccharides (Se−TPSs) in mild conditions. Two combined extraction processes were investigated: (1) PEF strength at 10 kV/cm followed by conventional extraction (CE) at 50 °C for 60 min and (2) PEF+UE (PEF strength at 10 kV/cm followed by UE at 400 W for 60 min). The optimal extraction yields, and energy consumption rates were obtained at 36.86% and 41.53% and 78.78 kJ/mg and 133.91 kJ/mg, respectively. The Se−TPSs were analyzed and characterized by GPC, UV, and FT-IR, which evidenced the structural stability of the Se−TPSs during the extraction processes. It was found that PEF and UE could reduce the particle size diameter of the Se−TPS extract, as well as the proportion of uronic acid. Moreover, PEF could increase the selenium content in the Se−TPS extract by 160.14% due to a lower extraction temperature compared to conventional extraction. The antioxidant activities of the Se−TPSs in vitro were investigated using OH, O2−, and ABTS+ scavenging experiments, as well as a total antioxidant ability evaluation. It was found that the antioxidant activity of the Se−TPSs obtained using PEF2+CE2 was relatively high due to the potential synergistic effect between the selenium and polysaccharides. Based on these results, we speculate that PEF2+CE2 was the best extraction process for the Se−TPSs. Furthermore, this research indicates the application of selenium-enriched tea for functional food production.
Poverty, Household Structure and Consumption of Foods Away from Home in Peru in 2019: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Lozada-Urbano Michelle , Huamán Franklin , Xirinachs Yanira , Rivera-Lozada Oriana , Alvarez-Risco Aldo , Yáñez Jaime A.
Published: August 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate the probability of buying food away from home according to the type of household using the logit model, as well as the sociodemographic characteristics of the heads of household, and how much income expenditure represents. A cross-sectional study was carried out using the National Household Survey (ENAHO) 2019 database. After joining the database, the household type variables were created. To calculate the probability with the “logit” model of purchase, the variables—family size, income, types of household, and total expenditure—were selected as a measure of the purchasing power of the family. A statistically significant association (p < 0.05) was found between the probability of consumption and the variables: age of household members, predominance, nuclear without children–married, nuclear with children–cohabitant, nuclear with children–widowed, nuclear with children–separated, extended, compounded, poor not extreme, and not poor. The bulk of families was represented by nuclear families (61.97%). The highest expenditure in the CFAH was for families defined as composite with a yearly average of USD 1652.89 (equivalent to PEN 5520.67). Observing the expenditure on food consumed outside the home through the composition of households can allow a better approach to offer educational measures. This information can be helpful to developers of educational issues.
The Mechanisms of the Potential Probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum against Cardiovascular Disease and the Recent Developments in its Fermented Foods
Authors: Wang Zhe , Wu Juanjuan , Tian Zichen , Si Yue , Chen Hao , Gan Jing
Published: August 2022

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become the leading cause of death worldwide. Many recent studies have pointed out that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (Lb. plantarum) has great potential in reducing the risk of CVD. Lb. plantarum is a kind of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) widely distributed in fermented food and the human intestinal tract, some strains of which have important effects on human health and the potential to be developed into probiotics. In this review, we summarize the mechanism of potential probiotic strains of Lb. plantarum against CVD. It could regulate the body’s metabolism at the molecular, cellular, and population levels, thereby lowering blood glucose and blood lipids, regulating blood pressure, and ultimately reducing the incidence of CVD. Furthermore, since Lb. plantarum is widely utilized in food industry, we highlight some of the most important new developments in fermented food for combating CVD; providing an insight into these fermented foods can assist scientists in improving the quality of these foods as well as alleviating patients’ CVD symptoms. We hope that in the future functional foods fermented by Lb. plantarum can be developed and incorporated into the daily diet to assist medication in alleviating CVD to some extent, and maintaining good health.
In Vitro Release of Anthocyanins from Microencapsulated Natal Plum (Carissa macrocarpa) Phenolic Extract in Alginate/Psyllium Mucilage Beads
Authors: Seke Faith , Manhivi Vimbainashe E. , Slabbert Retha M. , Sultanbawa Yasmina , Sivakumar Dharini
Published: August 2022

Natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa) contains anthocyanins, cyanidin 3-O-β-sambubioside (Cy-3-Sa), and cyanidin 3-O-glucoside (Cy-3-G) that possess great bioactive properties. During in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, Cy-3-Sa and Cy-3-G are highly sensitive to pH changes and have low bioaccessibility rates of 7.9% and 22%, respectively. This study aimed to therefore use microencapsulation techniques to improve the bioaccessibility of Cy-3-Sa and Cy-3-G. The crude anthocyanin-rich extract was extracted from freeze-dried Natal plum fruit using ultrasonic-assisted ethanol extraction. The anthocyanin-rich extract was encapsulated using the ionic gelation method. Four distinct carrier agents, namely sodium alginate, pectin, xanthan gum and psyllium mucilage were used to form the wall materials. Encapsulation efficiency was highest for alginate/psyllium mucilage beads (93.67%), while alginate showed the least efficiency (86.80%). Scanning Electron Microscopy revealed a cracked and porous structure for the Natal plum extract and a continuous smooth structure for all the beads. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed peaks at 3300 and 1610 cm−1, confirming the presence of polyphenols and polysaccharides in all beads. Thermal stability was higher for the alginate/psyllium mucilage beads and the observed thermal transitions were due to the bonds formed between the polymers and the polyphenols. Alginate beads combined with xanthan gum, pectin, and psyllium mucilage showed a prolonged release of anthocyanins compared to alginate in vitro alone. The highest anthocyanin bioaccessibility was obtained from alginate/psyllium mucilage beads (85.42 ± 1.03%). The results showed the effectiveness of alginate/psyllium mucilage beads in improving stability and in vitro anthocyanin release.
Imatinib Mesylate-Loaded Rosin/Cinnamon Oil-Based In Situ Forming Gel against Colorectal Cancer Cells
Authors: Khaing Ei Mon , Intaraphairot Torsak , Mahadlek Jongjan , Okonogi Siriporn , Pichayakorn Wiwat , Phaechamud Thawatchai
Published: August 2022

Localized delivery systems have been typically designed to enhance drug concentration at a target site and minimize systemic drug toxicity. A rosin/cinnamon oil (CO) in situ forming gel (ISG) was developed for the sustainable delivery of imatinib mesylate (IM) against colorectal cancer cells. CO has been claimed to express a potent anticancer effect against various cancer cells, as well as a synergistic effect with IM on colorectal cancer cells; however, poor aqueous solubility limits its application. The effect of rosin with the adding CO was assessed on physicochemical properties and in vitro drug release from developed IM-loaded rosin/CO-based ISG. Moreover, in vitro cytotoxicity tests were conducted against two colorectal cancer cells. All formulations exhibited Newtonian flow behavior with viscosity less than 266.9 cP with easier injectability. The adding of CO decreased the hardness and increased the adhesive force of the obtained rosin gel. The gel formation increased over time under microscopic observation. CO-added ISG had a particle-like gel appearance, and it promoted a higher release of IM over a period of 28 days. All tested ISG formulations revealed cytotoxicity against HCT-116 and HT-29 cell lines at different incubation times. Thus, CO-loaded rosin-based ISG can act as a potentially sustainable IM delivery system for chemotherapy against colorectal cancer cells.
Experimental Evaluation of the Rheological Properties and Influencing Factors of Gel Fracturing Fluid Mixed with CO2 for Shale Gas Reservoir Stimulation
Authors: Wang Mingwei , Wu Wen , Chen Shuyang , Li Song , Li Tao , Ni Gensheng , Fu Yu , Zhou Wen
Published: August 2022

Foam gel fracturing fluid has the characteristics of low formation damage, strong flowback ability, low fluid loss, high fluid efficiency, proper viscosity, and strong sand-carrying capacity, and it occupies a very important position in fracturing fluid systems. The rheological properties of gel fracturing fluid with different foam qualities of CO2, under different experimental temperatures and pressures, have not been thoroughly investigated, and their influence on it was studied. To simulate the performance of CO2 foam gel fracturing fluid under field operation conditions, the formula of the gel fracturing fluid was obtained through experimental optimization in this paper, and the experimental results show that the viscosity of gel fracturing fluid is 2.5 mPa·s (after gel breaking at a shear rate of 500 s−1), the residue content is 1.3 mg/L, the surface tension is 25.1 mN/m, and the interfacial tension is 1.6 mN/m. The sand-carrying fluid has no settlement in 3 h with a 40% sand ratio of 40–70-mesh quartz sand. The core damage rate of foam gel fracturing fluid is less than 19%, the shear time is 90 min at 170 s−1 and 90 °C, the viscosity of fracturing fluid is >50 mPa·s, and the temperature resistance and shear resistance are excellent. The gel fracturing fluid that was optimized was selected as the base fluid, which was mixed with liquid CO2 to form the CO2 foam fracturing fluid. This paper studied the rheological properties of CO2 foam gel fracturing fluid with different CO2 foam qualities under high temperature (65 °C) and high pressure (30 MPa) and two states of supercooled liquid (unfoamed) and supercritical state (foamed) through indoor pipe flow experiments. The effects of temperature, pressure, shear rate, foam quality, and other factors on the rheological properties of CO2 foam gel fracturing fluid were considered, and it was confirmed that among all the factors, foam quality and temperature are the main influencing factors, which is of great significance for us to better understand and evaluate the flow characteristics of CO2 foam gel fracturing fluid and the design of shale gas reservoir fracturing operations.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Prevalence of HAIs and the Use of Antibiotics in an Italian University Hospital
Authors: Deiana Giovanna , Arghittu Antonella , Gentili Davide , Dettori Marco , Palmieri Alessandra , Masia Maria Dolores , Azara Antonio , Castiglia Paolo
Published: August 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has massively affected healthcare systems globally, causing a possible reduction in attention to traditional infection prevention programs. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and the use of antimicrobials in an Italian University Hospital and to investigate whether the intensification of hospital infection control measures during the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the prevalence of bacterial HAIs. A point prevalence survey was conducted according to the simplified ECDC protocol. The survey identified a local HAI prevalence of 9.0%, revealing an increase compared to pre-pandemic values (7.3%). The survey also identified an antimicrobial exposure of 40.8%, revealing a decrease in their use compared to the study carried out in the pre-pandemic era (44.6%). Among the organizational challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the greater attention paid to infection prevention measures aimed at reducing SARS-CoV-2, many healthcare facilities had to contend with the controlled availability of personnel, physical space limitations and a large number of patients. Active surveillance in hospital wards and the consequent reporting by personnel specialized in infection control is fundamental for hospitals to recognize gaps in prevention and report any observed increases in HAIs.
Effectiveness of Social Support for Community-Dwelling Elderly with Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lee Seon Heui , Lee Hanju , Yu Soyoung
Published: August 2022

Depression in the elderly is an important health factor that requires intervention in the form of social support resources. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review, while synthesizing available evidence on what kind of social support, such as social participation and social connection/network, is effective for depression in the elderly. We performed a quality assessment of the included studies using the revised Risk of Bias for Non-randomized Studies tool and a meta-analysis of studies published up to 14 May 2021. Of the 3449 studies, 52 were relevant to this study. The various types of social resource applications reported in these were classified into three types: social support, social participation, and social connection/network. The social support group had significantly lower depression compared to the control group (0.72 [0.65, 0.81], p < 0.00001, I2 = 92%). There was a significant decrease in depression in the social participation group compared to the control group (0.67 [0.56, 0.80], p < 0.00001, I2 = 93%) (2.77 [1.30, 5.91], p = 0.008, I2 = 97%) (0.67 [0.56, 0.80], p < 0.00001, I2 = 93%). Finally, the social connection/network group showed decreased depression compared to the control group (2.40 [1.89, 3.05], p < 0.00001, I2 = 24%) (0.83 [0.76, 0.90], p < 0.00001, I2 = 94%). The results of this systematic review confirmed the effects of various social support interventions in reducing depression among the elderly living in the community.
The Socio-Economic Cost of Diabetes Mellitus in Korea Using National Health Insurance Claim Data, 2017
Authors: Kim Heesun , Kim Eun-Jung
Published: August 2022

(1) Purpose: As the economy develops and lifestyles become more westernized, diabetes is on the rise in Korea. This study tried to measure the socio-economic cost of diabetes by estimating the direct medical expenses and indirect costs used in Korea during the year due to diabetes mellitus. (2) Methods: This study extracted the insurance claim records from the Korea National Health Insurance claim database to determine the healthcare services provided to patients with diabetes mellitus in 2017. The total diabetes mellitus-related cost was the sum of the direct medical care costs: the costs paid by insurers and patients, the non-covered care costs and the prescribed pharmaceuticals costs, and also the direct non-medical care costs: the transportation costs for visits in outpatients and inpatients and the guardian’s cost for hospitalized patients, as well as the indirect cost: lost productivity. (3) Findings: The total socio-economic cost of diabetic patients in 2017 measured in this study was KRW 3.2 trillion, of which 48.3% was used for medical expenses, 10% was non-medical expenses, and 41.7% was estimated as indirect expenses. (4) Implications: Korea is considered to be aging significantly, and it is considered that more attention should be paid to reducing medical expenses through diabetes management.
Self-Medication Patterns during a Pandemic: A Qualitative Study on Romanian Mothers’ Beliefs toward Self-Treatment of Their Children
Authors: Tarciuc Petruța , Pleșca Doina Anca , Duduciuc Alina , Gimiga Nicoleta , Tătăranu Elena , Herdea Valeria , Ion Laura Mihaela , Diaconescu Smaranda
Published: August 2022

Self-medication represents a significant healthcare and health policy issue worldwide, both in developed and underdeveloped countries. Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic is considered a relevant context that could subtly trigger self-medication behavior because of limited access to health care services and the threat of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. While the previous research conducted with quantitative methodologies reported a dramatically increased rate of self-medication around the world, qualitative inquiries on the subjective experience with self-medicine remain scarce in medical and related fields of study. For this purpose, a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was undertaken to better understand how Romanian mothers (n = 18) applied self-treatment with their children by avoiding medical advice during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic did not affect the prevalence of self-medicine among the pediatric population as parents achieved a degree of awareness of self-treatment of their children due to the general context of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Association between Active Mobility and Subjective Wellbeing during COVID-19 in MENA Countries
Authors: Ranjbarnia Behzad , Kamelifar Mohammad Javad , Masoumi Houshmand
Published: August 2022

Objective: To augment the international scientific approach to raising public mental health through active lifestyle among adults, we added the evidence of the association between physical activity and subjective wellbeing in the Middle East and North Africa region by emphasizing the mediator—COVID-19. This study aimed to identify the correlations between active mobility and subjective wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample from Tabriz, Iran, which has not yet been tackled in previous study. Methods: We finalized an online survey (N = 603) from adults between 5 June and 15 July 2021. This group reported their individual and socio-economic characteristics and their perception features and location (e.g., home, work) during COVID-19. The paper developed three ordinal logistic regression (OLR) models to examine the association between active mobility types such as commute, non-commute, frequency of active travel to parks and services per week, and different subjective wellbeing including: 1- life satisfaction, 2- feeling energetic, and 3- peaceful mind while controlling for socio-economic variables (e.g., age, gender, education, job, and income) and objective commute distance. We also incorporated the most relevant objective (street length, land-use mix, number of intersections, and building and population density) and subjective (perceived distance to different services, perceived walking places, and perceived facilities attractiveness) factors. Results: Positive response relationships between four types of physical activity levels and subjective wellbeing scores were demonstrated in all of the three developed models (with significant levels of 0.05, and 0.1) with appropriate model fits, which confirmed the existing literature. However, these relationships showed different patterns (varied significant levels) for each type of subjective wellbeing. In addition, the factors including street length (p value: 0.004), perceived walkable places (p value: 0.021, 0.068, 0.017, and 0.025) (positively), population density, and perceived distance to shopping malls (p value: 0.076, <0.0001, and 0.059 (negatively) were associated with different indicators of subjective wellbeing. Conclusion: As for the implication of our study, special actions by urban authorities such as increasing mixed-use and creating attractive places will be required to enhance the walkability of the neighborhoods. Moreover, notifying the adults regarding the benefits of physical activity is much more needed.
Assessing Barriers Encountered by Women in Cervical Cancer Screening and Follow-Up Care in Urban Bolivia, Cochabamba
Authors: Bensemmane Sherihane , Loayza Villarroel Katherine , Montaño Kevin , Louati Elyas , Ascarrunz Carla , Rodriguez Patricia , Fontaine Véronique , Laokri Samia
Published: August 2022

Background: Timely detection of cervical cells infected with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) improves cervical cancer prevention. In Bolivia, actual screening coverage only reaches 33.3% of the target population aged between 25 and 64 years despite free cytology screening. Furthermore, 50% to 80% screened women are lost during follow-up. This study aimed at identifying factors explaining this lack of follow-up care. Method: During the first phase, face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with HPV-positive women. Secondly, we explored the reasons for the non-adherence to the follow-up care: knowledge, perceptions and beliefs about HPV, as well as barriers to healthcare access, using a structured survey on Cochabamba women and healthcare professionals. Results: Barriers to effective follow-up of the targeted populations were associated with health system shortcomings, including poor service delivery at the front- and second-line, health providers shortage, inadequate training, waiting time, high direct and indirect costs of care seeking and care, complex procedures to obtain HPV screening results and poor patient–provider communication. The follow-up was perceived as extremely stressful by the participants. Conclusion: Improved communication on HPV and HPV-related cancers in terms of representation in the general population and among the health professional’s population is vital to improve access for HPV infection follow-up care.