bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Service Optimization in Mobile Apps using Best Worst Method, Quality Function Deployment, and fuzzy goal programming
Authors: Hemmati-Asiabaraki Morteza , Nazari-Shirkouhi Salman , Bozorgi-Amiri Ali
Published: March 2023

Identifying customer requirements (CRs) plays a critical role in developing service-providing methods. Mobile Applications (MAs), as one of the most efficient service-providing channels, have made extreme competition in service oriented industries. Using the CRs, technical requirements (TRs), and a mathematical multi-objective programming model, this study tries to present a flexible framework for developing a MA in a real suty in tourism industry. The structure encompasses these steps: 1. Extracting CRs using a literature review and in-depth interviews, 2. Calculating importance weights for the extracted CRs using the Best-Worst Method (BWM), 3. Determining the appropriate tools for satisfying the CRs and TRs-related costs using expert opinions, 4. Calculating the real importance weights of each TR by considering their role in satisfying CRs using Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method, 5. Implementing a fuzzy goal programming to estimate how much budget a company needs to meet a certain percentage of user satisfaction. The proposed structure in this study can be applied by service providers to optimize their budget with desired customer satisfaction levels, provide unique TRs, and contribute a cost structure (both real and optimal) for creating, developing, and improving a MA.
Acquirer’s carbon risk, host country environmental regulations, cross-border M&A and carbon emissions: Evidence from China
Authors: Guo Jianquan , Cheng He
Published: March 2023

Using a sample of 870 completed M&A deals conducted by developed-country acquirers from 2002-2021, this paper examines the following questions at the country and city levels, respectively: First, whether China’s environmental regulation system i.e., government environmental regulations (GER) and civil environmental regulations (CER), has an impact on the M&A location choices of developed-country acquirers and the moderating role that the acquirers’ carbon risks will play in the process of the above impact. Second, whether the carbon risks of acquirers from developed countries entering China have an impact on carbon emissions in target regions, and the moderating role would be played by the environmental regulation system in the target regions in the process of the above impact. Our main conclusions are as follows: First, in terms of the deterrent effect on developed-country acquirers, country-level environmental regulation systems are more significant deterrents to M&A in target regions than city-level ones. Second, higher carbon risks of acquirers significantly increase carbon emissions at the country level, however, this effect is not significant at the city level; moreover, neither country nor city-level environmental regulations can weaken the effect of higher carbon risk of the acquirers on carbon emissions in the target area. Our results reflect the characteristics of China’s authoritarian environmental regulation system: First, environmental regulations at the country level often have a greater deterrent effect than those at the city level, Second, environmental regulations in China suffer from the problem of “loud thunder but little rain”, i.e., although environmental regulations have many measures and thus a high deterrent effect, the results are poor.
Aggregation of amyloid beta and lysozyme in the presence of fasciculin 2 and KLVFF
Authors: Javadi Atefeh , Emadi Saeed , Pakpour Maryam
Published: March 2023

Protein deposits in the forms of fibrillar and/or amorphous structures can be detected in diseases such as systemic amyloidosis or neurodegenerative diseases. The formation of these aggregates might either be triggered by processes such as aging and/or environmental factors (e.g. life style) that ultimately, through protein folding/misfolding lead to aggregation. To find a way to delay of completely inhibit the formation of these aggregates, considering their great impact in human population, is of immediate concern. In this work, we examined the effects of fasciculin II (Fas II), a short, highly toxic peptide in the venom of Mamba snakes, and KLVFF, a short synthetic peptide, derived from 16-20 residues of Aβ42, on the aggregation of Aβ42 and lysozyme. The aggregates were detected by techniques such as fluorescence spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, electrophoresis and rheology. Our results showed that Fas II lowered the aggregation potency of both lysozyme and Aβ. We also found that despite KLVFF showed no significant effects on lysozyme aggregation, it could reduce Aβ42 aggregation considerably. Each of the above-mentioned experiments were also performed after proteolytic cleavage of lysozyme and Aβ by trypsin that showed also showed decreases on lysozyme and Aβ42 aggregation. We also, examined rheological methodology to quantify the aggregates. We concluded that rheology could also be considered as a technique to be used in aggregation studies. This study provides another evidence for the using of short length peptides as candidate drugs in the treatment of amyloidogenic diseases.
Multi-objective optimization of a self-propelled capsule for small-bowel endoscopy considering the influence of intestinal environment
Authors: Zhu Jiapeng , Liao Maolin , Chavez Joseph Paez , Liu Yang , Li Tingrui
Published: March 2023

This work studies the control optimization of a self-propelled capsule moving in the small intestine for endoscopic diagnosis. For this purpose, we combine an existing capsule model with the intestinal peristalsis and its internal environment in order to gain a better understanding of dynamics of the self-propelled capsule. For the optimization study, a number of different realistic targets are considered, including the capsule's average progression speed, the impact force acting on the small intestine and the capsule's energy consumption. In addition, the uncertainty of the small intestine environment is taking into account by varying its internal radius. In this setting, we develop a multi-objective optimization strategy based on NSGA-II, Monte Carlo, and Six-Sigma algorithms considering both the control and structural model parameters, such as excitation frequency and impact stiffness. The effectiveness of the proposed optimization strategy is demonstrated via extensive numerical simulations with the consideration of a wide range of realistic scenarios.
The interplay of processing-related influences on the formation of volume holographic gratings in a free- surface epoxy-based recording material
Authors: Sabel-Grau Tina
Published: March 2023

Understanding the formation processes of holographic gratings in polymers as a function of material composition and processing is important for the development of new materials for holography and associated applications. Among the processing-related factors that affect grating formation in volume holographic recording material, pre-exposure, pre-baking, and dark storage, as well as the associated variations in layer thickness and composition, are usually underestimated. This study highlights the influence and interaction of these factors and shows that they should not be neglected. This is of particular importance for samples with a free surface. Here, one such epoxy-based free-surface material is investigated. To determine the influence of pre-baking on the holographic grating formation as well as on the achieved refractive index contrast, angular resolved analysis of volume holographic phase gratings is applied through point-by-point scanning of the local material response. Grating characteristics are determined by comparison with simulations based the rigorous coupled wave theory. Thus, the optimal dose for pre-baking can be determined, as well as the optimal exposure time, depending on this dose. The influence of dark storage on the material response is investigated over a period of 12 weeks and shows a strong dependence on the deposited energy density.
Predictors of postoperative urinary retention after severe pelvic organ prolapse
Authors: Qu Yunru , Zhang Peiqi , Xia Zhijun
Published: March 2023

Objective: To investigate the rate of postoperative urinary retention (POUR) and to identify factors associated with POUR of severe pelvic organ prolapse (POP).
Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted for 194 patients who were diagnosed with severe POP. Among them, 152 patients underwent total pelvic floor reconstruction and 42 patients underwent traditional vaginal hysterectomy and vaginal wall repair. POUR was defined as a need for the post-void residual urine volume was＞150mL who should be catheterization subsequent to the removal of the indwelling urethral catheter.
Results: POUR was reported in 51 women (26.3%). The incidence of POUR was 28.3% of patients who underwent the total pelvic floor reconstruction. And was 19.0% after traditional vaginal hysterectomy and vaginal wall repair. Crude analysis revealed a significant association between the following variables and the risk of POUR: Aa, Ba, C by POP-Q exam, POP-Q staging, diabetes mellitus, Preoperative post-void residual volume (PVR) , bladder neck mobility, preoperative incontinence (P < 0.05) . POP-Q Staging (odds ratio, 4.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.025-22.383; P=0.046), PVR (odds ratio,1.054; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.079; P＜0.01), bladder neck mobility (odds ratio, 1.078; 95% confidence interval,1.021-1.138; P = 0.007) and complaint of incontinence (odds ratio, 2.686; 95% confidence interval,1.101-6.553; P = 0.03) were identified as the significant predictor of POUR In the logistic regression analysis.
Conclusion: POP-Q staging, Preoperative post-void residual volume (PVR), bladder neck mobility and complaint of incontinence were significant predictors for POUR after severe pelvic organ prolapse surgery.
Community-based non-pharmacological interventions for improving pain, disability, and quality of life in pregnant women with musculoskeletal conditions: a systematic review
Authors: Igwesi-Chidobe Chinonso N , Emmanuel Grace N , Ozumba Benjamin C
Published: March 2023

Background Majority of pregnant women experience pain and discomfort due to musculoskeletal conditions; with over a quarter experiencing some disability; all of which reduce quality of life during pregnancy. Community-based non-pharmacological interventions are more affordable, accessible, and acceptable, and have the capacity to reduce inequalities. Objectives To summarise community-based non-pharmacological interventions and determine their effectiveness for improving pain, disability, and quality of life amongst pregnant women with musculoskeletal conditions. Search Strategy Twelve bibliographic databases (and reference list of relevant systematic reviews) were searched from inception until March 2022. Selection Criteria All primary studies of community-based non-pharmacological interventions for pregnant women with musculoskeletal conditions reported in English which investigated pain, disability and quality of life were included. Data Collection and Analysis Data were extracted using modified Cochrane’s data extraction template. Studies were appraised using Cochrane Collaboration’s risk of bias tool. Narrative synthesis was used to summarise findings. This review registration number with PROSPERO is CRD42020189535. Main Results 33 studies involving 4,930 pregnant women with low back pain, pelvic pain, and lumbopelvic pain. Osteopathic manipulation plus standard obstetric care produced significantly superior reduction in pain intensity and disability than sham ultrasound therapy plus standard obstetric care amongst pregnant women with low back pain (moderate level of evidence). There was limited or conflicting evidence for other results. Acupuncture was more effective than placebo in reducing disability/sick leave but not pain intensity and quality of life. There was little or no added benefit of craniosacral therapy to standard obstetric care. Exercise and spinal manipulative therapy were equally effective, and better than no treatment. Home versus in-clinic exercise and aquatic versus land-based exercise were similar in effectiveness with conflicting evidence when compared with standard obstetric care. Wide flexible lumbopelvic belts or the addition of textured sacral pad was better than thin rigid lumbopelvic belts, belts without padding, or no belt. Kinesiotaping may not be better than placebo. Effectiveness of self-management programmes was inconsistent. Conclusions Community-based non-pharmacological interventions were better than no treatment and were better or as effective as standard obstetric care in improving pain intensity, disability, and quality of life.
WITHDRAWN: Nanofluid-based wooden imprinted membranes with precise-designed nanocages for ultrafast and super-sensitive recognition and separation
Authors: Ma Faguang , Zhen Jingjing , Wu Yilin
Published: March 2023

By top-down method, the nanofluidic layers were polymerized in situ in the basswood pore of the in-situ growth of MOFs, and the nanofluidic layers were combined with molecular imprinting to prepare borate affinity sol-gel-imprinting composite membrane-based MOF/wood and nanofluidic layers for the adsorption and separation of shikimic acid (SA). For the first time, nanofluidic layers were polymerized in situ within the basswood pores of in-situ-grown MOFs, nanofluidic layers were combined with molecular imprinting to prepare boronate affinity sol-gel imprinting composite membrane-based MOF/wood and nanofluidic layers for the adsorption and separation of SA. Since MOFs previously grown in situ on basswood provided many accessible imprinting sites, coupled with the high permeability of the nanofluidic layer, the resulting imprinted membrane exhibited good adsorption capacity (72.5 mg g-1), selectivity coefficient (greater than 4.0) and ultrahigh water flux (more than 120000 L/m2 h), which solves the "trade-off" effect between membrane flux and selectivity. In addition, the synthesis process of the prepared BSISMs is not complicated and pollution-free. Finally, the above experimental results and the green synthesis process indicate that our synthesis method of BSISMs has great potential for application in selective separation, chemical industry, environment, biomedicine and other fields.
Nomogram for Predicting Overall Survival of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Patients based on Inflammatory- Nutritional Biomarkers and HBV Infection
Authors: Long Xiawei , Li Qian , Liao Sina , Lin Youzhi , Liao Xiaoli
Published: March 2023

Purpose: To develop and validate a nomogram to predict overall survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC).
Patients and methods: This retrospective study included 218 patients with mPC patients who were treated at Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital from October 2013 to April 2022. Patients were grouped according to hepatitis B virus infection status. Cox proportional hazard regression identified prognostic factors independently associated with overall survival. Results were used to build a nomogram, which was assessed by internal validation using bootstrap resampling.
Results: Patients in the HBV-positive group showed significantly better overall survival than patients in the HBV-negative group (P=0.041). Overall survival was independently associated with the following factors: HBV infection status, sex, chemotherapy, metastatic sites, the combined index of hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet(HALP),neutrophil-albumin ratio(NAR), as well as levels of CA125. The nomogram showed good predictive power, with an area under curve(AUC) of time-dependent receiver operating characteristic of 0.812, and calibration curves, decision curve analysis indicated good calibration and clinical usefulness for the nomogram to predict overall survival of mPC patients.
Conclusion: A nomogram based on HBV infection status and inflammatory-nutritional markers may help predict overall survival of mPC patients and guide personalized clinical treatment.
Entropy Estimate Between Diffusion Processes and Application to McKean-Vlasov SDEs
Authors: Wang Feng-Yu , Ren Panpan
Published: March 2023

By developing a new technique called the bi-coupling argument, we estimate the relative entropy between different diffusion processes in terms of the distances of initial distributions and drift-diffusion coefficients. As an application, the log-Harnack inequality is established for McKean-Vlasov SDEs with multiplicative distribution dependent noise, which appears for the first time in the literature.
Contribution of Biogas Slurry-derived Colloids to Plant P Uptake and Phosphatase Activities: Spatio-temporal Response
Authors: Guo Yuxin , Eltohamy Kamel Mohamed , Guan Yajing , Fang Yunying , Liu Chunlong , Liu Boyi , Yang Jiao , Liang Xinqiang
Published: March 2023

Aims Phosphorus (P)-binding colloids (1–450 nm) have been identified as highly mobile and bioavailable P in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the bioavailability of varied colloidal P (Pcoll) sizes remains unclear, especially in situ soils. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differential contribution of various-sized colloids to plant available P in the rhizosphere and the phosphatase response patterns.
Methods In the 45-day rice rhizotron experiment, we applied different size fractioned biogas slurry (BS) colloids with the same total P concentration, including nano-sized colloids (1–20 nm), fine-sized colloids (20–220 nm), and medium-sized colloids (220–450 nm). Colloidal P organic and inorganic fractions, colloidal minerals were investigated in corresponding treatments. Soil zymography was performed during the cultivation period, to examine the processes of enzymic hydrolysis in temporal and spatial dynamics. The biomass and P content of roots and shoots were also recorded.
Results The relative bioavailability of colloidal P (RBAcoll) was the highest (64%) for nano-sized BS colloids addition. The phosphatase activities and hotspot areas were found to be significantly 1) correlated with RBAcoll, 2) increased by the colloid-free (truly dissolved P) and nano-sized BS fractions, and 3) affected by the plant growth stage.
Conclusion We found that the addition of nano-sized BS colloids increased P uptake by plants and improved the Pcoll bioavailability in the rhizosphere, in which the phosphatase-catalyzed hydrolysis of organic Pcoll played an important role. Nano-sized BS-derived colloids may be an effective substitute for the use of liquid phosphorus fertilizer.
Using Micro-Facial Expressions for Emotion Recognition through region based Patch Generation
Authors: Nagrani Hriday R. , Patel Dhaval K. , Thaker Minesh , Shah Kashish D. , Patel Harsh A.
Published: March 2023

The task of classifying human emotions based on facial expressions has been a challenging area of research for the past two decades. Early approaches relied on hand-crafted features such as SIFT, HOG, and LBP and classifiers trained on facial expression datasets. However, these methods failed to provide accurate results on newer, more complex datasets. Recently, the trend has shifted towards using deep learning models for facial expression classification, providing improved results. Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement in the accuracy of these models. In this research, we propose a novel model to improve the accuracy of facial expression classification on several benchmark datasets. Our model is based on generating nine different patches for different relevant facial regions and uses nine different streams, each for one of those micro-facial regions. We evaluate our model on the CK+, Oulu-Casia, and RAF-DB datasets and achieve state-of-the-art results, including 10-fold cross-validation accuracies of 99.8% and 91.25% for CK+ and Oulu-Casia datasets, respectively. Our proposed model demonstrates a significant improvement in the accuracy of facial expression classification and provides a promising approach for future research in this field.
Environmental exposures in early-life and general health in childhood
Authors: Amine Ines , Guillien Alicia , Philippat Claire , Anguita-Ruiz Augusto , Casas Maribel , de Castro Montserrat , Dedele Audrius , Garcia-Aymerich Judith , Granum Berit , Grazuleviciene Regina , Heude Barbara , Haug Line Småstuen , Julvez Jordi , López-Vicente Mónica , Maitre Léa , McEachan Rosemary , Nieuwenhuijsen Mark , Stratakis Nikos , Vafeiadi Marina , Wright John , Yang Tiffany , Yuan Wen Lun , Basagaña Xavier , Slama Rémy , Vrijheid Martine , Siroux Valérie
Published: March 2023

Background Early-life environmental exposures are suspected to be involved in the development of chronic diseases later in life. Most studies conducted so far considered single or few exposures and single-health parameter. Our study aimed to identify a childhood general health score and assess its association with a wide range of pre- and post-natal environmental exposures. Methods The analysis is based on 870 children (6–12 years) from six European birth cohorts participating in the Human Early-Life Exposome project. A total of 53 prenatal and 105 childhood environmental factors were considered, including lifestyle, social, urban and chemical exposures. We built a general health score by averaging three sub-scores (cardiometabolic, respiratory/allergy and mental) built from 15 health parameters. By construct, a child with a low score has a low general health status. Penalized multivariable regression through Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) was fitted in order to identify exposures associated with the general health score. Findings: The results of LASSO show that a lower general health score was associated with maternal passive and active smoking during pregnancy and postnatal exposure to methylparaben, copper, indoor air pollutants, high intake of caffeinated drinks and few contacts with friends and family. Higher child’s general health score was associated with prenatal exposure to a bluespace near residency and postnatal exposures to pets, cobalt, high intakes of vegetables and more physical activity. Against our hypotheses, postnatal exposure to organochlorine compounds, perfluorooctanoate and childhood medium intake of sodas and bakery products were associated with a higher child’s general health score. Conclusion By using a general health score summarizing the child cardiometabolic, respiratory/allergy and mental health, this study reinforced previously suspected environmental factors associated with various child health parameters (e.g. tobacco, air pollutants) and identified new factors (e.g. pets, bluespace) warranting further investigations.
An efficiency education strategy for schoolchildren: ''Call-for-Assistance''- an observational study
Authors: Feng Shang-Yu , Tsai Tung-Yao , Ou Ju-Chi , Ma Hon-Ping , Ong Jiann Ruey , Hsu Chia-Hung
Published: March 2023

Background: To improve the survival rate of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, the World Health Organization has promoted the Kids Save Lives programme to train school children in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, not every child can perform high-quality CPR. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of two parts, (1)''Call-for-Assistance'' (Checking consciousness, calling for help) and ''Chest Compression'(CPR).
Methods: The study included a ''Chest Compression'' group (n = 256) and a ''Call-for-Assistance'' group (n = 82). The related courses were taught and evaluated by professional instructors. The mean differences between groups were compared using the nonparametric Mann–Whitney U test for continuous data and the Fisher's exact test for categorical data.
Results: Most of the children could not achieve the standard compression depth (5–6 cm). Only 17.37% of the Grades 5 and 6 children achieve mean compression depth between 5-6 cm. However, over half (57.3%) of the children could complete ''Call-for-Assistance'' actions, including ''Check consciousness'' and ''Shout for help''.
Conclusion: The children's CPR performance was suboptimal, but the overall CPR performance could be improved with school children's age, height, and weight. Moreover, the children could comprehend how to call for assistance in an emergency. To establish teaching methods tailored to the ability of children of different ages, exploring the factors influencing CPR skill acquisition is necessary. Overall, we recommend that first aid training for school children should focus on ''Call-for-Assistance'', and we believe that this training course can improve their attitude towards first aid.
WITHDRAWN: Cytotoxic potential of Simarouba glauca leaf extracts on PA1 Human Ovarian Cancer cell lines
Authors: Shettar Priyadarshini , Hiremath Murigendra , Kumbar Vijay
Published: March 2023

Simarouba species are well known medicinal plants used in traditional medicine as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer remedies. It is also known for having anti-neoplastic, anti-viral, anti-diabetic, herbistatic and analgesic properties. However, information on traditional use in tumour treatment are limited. Simarouba glauca is one of the most popular species, which is a native tree of Central and South America, also found in countries like South Florida, Caribbean islands, Cuba, Mexico, Costa Rica, Bahamas, Jamaica, etc. It was introduced in India in 1960. Even though studies on the biological activities of this species are abundant, still there is lack of data on the cytotoxic activity of Simarouba glauca extracts on Ovarian cancer in the literature. In this study, we analysed the phytochemical composition and anti-oxidant activity of these extracts. Cytotoxic potential of these extracts was estimated on PA 1 Human Ovarian Cancer cell lines. The methanol fraction exhibited better potency as compared to acetone fraction. Both acetone and methanol extracts showed higher anti-oxidant capacities in contrast to other solvent extracts.
Increased segmented neutrophils and red cell distribution width level in peripheral blood is highly correlated with prevalent tooth loss
Authors: Chen Yu , Zhu Qintian , Jiang Yixuan
Published: March 2023

Background Tooth loss is a common oral health problem that can significantly impact an individual's quality of life. Despite a general decrease in severe tooth loss, it remains prevalent globally and can be caused by multiple factors, including chronic inflammation and systemic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. To investigate the relationship between peripheral blood indices and tooth loss by analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and uncover any potential clinical biomarkers in peripheral blood for tooth loss. Methods This study analyzed data from the NHANES collected from 2017 to March 2020. Age, gender, race, C-reactive protein, and complete blood count were employed as variables. Multivariate logistic regression models to examine the association between the important variables and tooth loss. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) was used to evaluate the significance of association. Results A total of 9094 participants were finally included in the trial. In peripheral blood, tooth loss was highly linked with higher levels of segmented neutrophils (OR = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.05–1.20; p = 0.0017) and red cell distribution width (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.07–1.16; p < 0.001). The degree of the connection between these factors and tooth loss varied by age, gender, and ethnicity, as shown by subgroup analysis. Conclusions The results suggest that higher segmented neutrophils and red cell distribution width levels in peripheral blood may be associated with a higher risk of tooth loss and could serve as risk markers for tooth loss.
WITHDRAWN: Assessment of Dimension Stone Qualty Through Fuzzy Logic Inference System
Authors: Köken Ekin , Strzałkowski Paweł
Published: March 2023

In this study, Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) was adopted to evaluate the dimension stone quality. For this purpose, 19 different rock types from different parts of Turkey were considered. Several membership functions were established using various rock properties such as dry density (ρd), water absorption by weight (wa), uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), flexural strength (FS) and Böhme abrasion value (BAV). Based on 33 if–then rules, the implementation and verification of the proposed FIS model were made in this study. The results obtained from the FIS analyses were declared as a dimension stone field performance coefficient (DSFPC), where higher DSFPC values indicate dimension stones with higher quality. The results obtained from the FIS analyses are almost in good agreement with those obtained from the field performances of the investigated rocks. However, the number of cases should be increased to improve the proposed FIS model. In this context, the number of if–then rules and membership functions can be rearranged according to the need. This study, in this manner, can be declared a case study indicating how to quantity dimension stone quality based on FIS analyses.
Stability Analysis of the Tehri Dam
Authors: Samal Rasmiranjan , Giri Debabrata
Published: March 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Challenges and Opportunities of FACTS Devices Interacting with Electric Vehicles in Distribution Networks: A Technological Review
Authors: Mousaei Arash , Gheisarnejad Meysam , Khooban Mohammad Hasan
Published: March 2023

Electric vehicles have many opportunities to participate in auxiliary operations as research interest in renewables and green energy sources grows. This paper discusses novel energy storage technologies for assessing the impact of electric vehicles and distributed flexible alternating current transmission systems in smart grids for improving various power system performance results using various optimization techniques with real and reactive power minimization as objective functions. The authors should strive to make this review article extremely beneficial to scholars, academics, and practitioners. As a result, this review article will also be beneficial to the social community.
SOCIAL STABILITY AND FOOD SECURITY OF THE GERMAN
POPULATION DURING WORLD WAR II 1939–1945
Authors: Goncharenko Anatoliy , Lebid Andriy , Murashko Kateryna
Published: March 2023

The article investigates the problem of social stability and food
securement of the German population during the Second World War 1939–1945.
It is found that the centralized system of food security introduced in Germany
during the Second World War played an important role in providing the
population with a minimum set of provisions. The policy of the Nazi regime
towards its citizens in order to save food is highlighted. It was established that the
successful solution of the problem of food security of the population was one of
the primary tasks for the Third Reich, on which the victory over the enemy, the
normal functioning of the state and the leading branches of the national economy
depended. It is characterized how, under the existing restrictions of totalitarianauthoritarian Germany, decisions were made in favour of some and at the
expense of others
PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS (PCA) PARA A AVALIAÇÃO DE DADOS QUÍMICOS E GERAÇÃO DE HEAT MAPS: UM TUTORIAL
Authors: Ferreira Dennis , Rodrigues Leticia , Pereira Fabiola , Pereira‑Filho Edenir
Published: March 2023

PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS (PCA) FOR CHEMICAL DATA EVALUATION AND HEAT MAPS PREPARATION: A TUTORIAL. This tutorial shows a step-by-step guide on handling big datasets using principal component analysis (PCA). A dataset of chemical elements, concentration, emission spectrum, and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) of e-waste were used as examples. Five routines were proposed to apply data processing and PCA calculation focusing data from laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), EDXRF, and heat maps preparation. These routines can be used in various softwares such as MatLab, Octave, R, and Python. PCA was applied in three examples; the first was for concentrations, and the other two were for spectra. An example of heat maps assembling a hyperspectral image of a printed circuit was also described. In addition, a playlist was created on YouTube using the available examples. Therefore, with this tutorial, it may be possible to learn how to deal with a large volume of data by applying PCA. The authors hope to contribute to those researching in the area.
A comparison of CMIP5 and CMIP6 climate model projections for hydrological impacts in China
Authors: Lei Yawen , Chen Jie , Xiong Lihua
Published: March 2023

Global climate model (GCM) outputs from Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) were widely used to investigate climate change impacts last 10 years. It is important to know whether Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) is more reliable than CMIP5. Number of studies compared GCMs from two CMIPs in simulating climate variables, but they are not in the field of hydrology for large quantities of watersheds. The objective of this study is to compare CMIP5 and CMIP6 climate model projections in projecting hydrological changes between future (2071–2100) and historical (1976–2005) periods and inter-model variability of hydrological impacts for the future period over 343 catchments in China's mainland. The results show that the GCMs in CMIP6 show more increase in daily mean temperature and mean annual precipitation. However, GCMs in CMIP6 and CMIP5 show similar increases in mean and peak streamflow. Moreover, GCMs in CMIP6 show less inter-model variability for streamflow in southern and northeastern China, but more in central China, which is consistent to that for precipitation after bias correction. Overall, this comparison provides the consistency of future change and uncertainty in predicted streamflow with climate simulations, which bring confidence for hydrological impact studies using CMIP6.
On the role of land-surface hydrology schemes in simulating the daily maximum and minimum air temperatures of Australia using a regional climate model (RegCM4)
Authors: A. Anwar Samy , Srivastava Ankur , Zerouali Bilel
Published: March 2023

The present study addresses the possible effects of soil moisture changes on the simulated daily maximum and minimum air temperatures of Australia for a duration of 13 years. Therefore, the community land model version 4.5 (CLM4.5; coupled to the RegCM4) was used to represent the soil moisture and processes associated with it. The CLM4.5 has two land-surface hydrology schemes: TOPMODEL (TOP) and Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) and two simulations were conducted, namely: TOP and VIC. The results showed that VIC has lower soil moisture than TOP, leading to a decrease in vegetation transpiration, evaporation, and an increase in soil evaporation relative to TOP. However, there is no considerable difference between the two simulations compared with reanalysis products. In comparison to in-situ measurements, the RegCM4 can reasonably model the climatological annual cycle of mean air temperature (TMP) and its performance varies with the study site (e.g., RegCM4 overestimates TMP by 2.76 and 5.46 °C at Yanco and Tumbarumba, respectively). In summary, the simulated maximum and minimum air temperatures are sensitive to the physical parameterization of RegCM4 rather than variations in soil moisture. Likewise, improvements to the land-surface hydrology schemes TOP/VIC are required to better model Australia's daily maximum and minimum air temperatures.
Floating immobilized TiO2 catalyst for the solar photocatalytic treatment of micro-pollutants within the secondary effluent of wastewater treatment plants
Authors: Mehling Simon , Schnabel Tobias , Dutschke Manuel , Londong Jörg
Published: March 2023

Floating immobilized spherical titanium dioxide catalysts were used to degrade micro-pollutants by solar photocatalysis. The degradation of the micro-pollutants was performed in the secondary effluent of a wastewater treatment plant. During the experimental period, the continuous measurement of the solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation intensity was performed. The micro-pollutants were degraded to an average of 55% after 9 h of irradiation. A substance-specific degradation affinity was found, whereby degradation rates varied by a factor of up to 3.5. The substance-specific adsorption behavior was identified as a major limitation of the reaction performance. With an increasing influence of adsorption limitation, the degradation kinetics changed from the pseudo-first order to pseudo-zero order. A correlation between degradation rate and solar irradiance could only be found for substances with high degradation/adsorption affinity. For diclofenac, a 95% degradation rate could be achieved at a radiation dose of approximately 190 mWh/m². The investigated technology represents a promising possibility for a minimally invasive extension of wastewater treatment plants. Possibilities of implication were estimated and discussed within this work, whereby possibilities arise for large-scale as well as decentral treatment plants.
Mediação e sua interação multidisciplinar para a produção da informação
Authors: Borges Silva de Oliveira Cayo Madson , De Melo Torres Filipe , Diniz Botelho Santana Olga Myllena , Leite Mota Francisca Rosaline
Published: March 2023

Para o campo da Ciência da Informação (CI), é de grande relevância a discussão sobre o fluxo informacional, que é um objeto focal das pesquisas desenvolvidas nessa área. Por esse motivo, não são estudados apenas os meios e os conceitos, mas as relações que eles têm entre si e as suas mediações, sempre levando em consideração os processos que envolvem sua comunicação, usabilidade e acessibilidade pelo tecido social. Também, observam-se as distintas visões que envolvem a mediação tida na Ciência da Informação e os diversos ramos do conhecimento, tais como a Comunicação, a Psicologia e a Ciência do Direito. Diante disso, este trabalho trata-se de uma revisão bibliográfica que visa conceituar a mediação da informação em áreas distintas e analisar a importância dessa atividade em cada segmento. Quanto aos aspectos metodológicos, esta pesquisa é de natureza aplicada, enquadrando-se nos objetivos exploratório e descritivo.
Effects of Community-potential Factors on the Quality of Life of Urban Elderly of Bangkok Metropolitan
Authors: Thongsri Praleena , Jai-aree Apichart , Srisuantang Sunti
Published: March 2023

Background:

The population structure in Thailand has changed to an elderly society. The promotion of quality of life for the urban elderly is essential in order to prepare them to become sustainable community members.

Objective:

This study aimed at evaluating the effects related to the community-potential factors on the quality of life of urban elderly and developing the guidelines for the capacity of the community to enhance the quality of life of urban elderly.

Methods:

A mixed-method approach was utilized in two steps. In the first step, quantitative data were collected from 56 elderly people and their caregivers living in an urban area. This data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression. In the second step, the qualitative data were also gathered with a semi-structured interview and community surveys from 36 key informants consisting of community leaders, elderly people, partner agencies, community representative groups, public-sector agencies, educational institutions, and people from the civil-society sector to form a focused group in order to analyze their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). Content analysis was carried out to analyze this data.

Results:

The levels of quality of life among the elderly living in the Chan-Kasem community were high. The community potential factors influencing the quality of life of the urban elderly were also high. Results of regression analysis showed that one variable factor affected the quality of life in the elderly (12.6%).

Conclusion:

Three guideline themes for determining the capacity of the community to enhance the quality of life of the urban elderly were found: 1) building a community network and a community learning process to generate a volunteer group in order to incorporate and solve the elderly’s problems, 2) increasing the capacity and promoting the livelihoods of the elderly, and 3) constructing elderly awareness as a valuable human resource of the community.
An Update on Clinicopathological, Imaging, and Genetic Features of Angioleiomyoma
Authors: KOGA MIKIRO , NISHIO JUN , KOGA TAKAMASA , KOGA KAORI , NAKAYAMA SHIZUHIDE , YAMAMOTO TAKUAKI
Published: March 2023

Angioleiomyoma is a benign, pericytic (perivascular) neoplasm that primarily occurs in the subcutis or dermis of the extremities. The lesion typically presents as a small, firm, slow-growing, painful nodule. Magnetic resonance imaging reveals the lesion to be a well-defined, round to oval mass with signal intensity similar to or slightly hyperintense to that of skeletal muscle on T1-weightwed sequences. A dark reticular sign on T2-weighted sequences appears to be a characteristic feature of angioleiomyoma. Prominent enhancement is usually seen after intravenous contrast. Histologically, the lesion consists of well-differentiated smooth muscle cells with many vascular channels. Based on vascular morphologies, angioleiomyoma is classified into three subtypes: solid, venous, and cavernous. By immunohistochemistry, angioleiomyoma is diffusely positive for smooth muscle actin and calponin and variably for h-caldesmon and desmin. Conventional cytogenetic studies have demonstrated relatively simple karyotypes characterized by one or few structural rearrangements or numerical aberrations. In addition, metaphase comparative genomic hybridization analyses have revealed recurrent loss of 22q and gain of Xq. Angioleiomyoma can be successfully treated with simple excision, with a very low recurrence rate. Knowledge of this peculiar neoplasm is important because it can mimic a variety of benign and malignant soft-tissue tumors. This review provides an updated overview of the clinical, radiological, histopathological, cytogenetic, and molecular genetic features of angioleiomyoma.
Discontinuation of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor due to irAEs in NSCLC Patients With EGFR Mutation
Authors: OKAUCHI SHINICHIRO , MIYAZAKI KUNIHIKO , SHIOZAWA TOSHIHIRO , YAMADA HIDEYASU , SATOH HIROAKI , HIZAWA NOBUYUKI
Published: March 2023

Background/Aim: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. Even patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated NSCLC may choose an ICI after failure of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment. ICI-mediated immune-related adverse events (irAEs) may prompt NSCLC patients to discontinue their treatment. This study evaluated the effect of ICI treatment discontinuation on the prognosis of patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC. Patients and Methods: We performed a retrospective study that reviewed the clinical courses of patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC treated with ICI therapy from February 2016 to February 2022. ‘Discontinuation’ was defined as failure to receive at least two treatment courses of ICI due to grade 2 irAEs (grade 1 in the lung) or higher in patients responding to ICI. Results: During the study period, 13 of 31 patients discontinued ICI therapy due to irAEs. Survival from the initiation of ICI therapy was significantly longer in patients who discontinued ICI therapy compared with those who did not discontinue. In uni- and multivariate analyses, ‘discontinuation’ was a favourable factor. There was no significant difference in survival from ICI initiation between patients with grade 3 or higher irAEs and those with grade 2 or lower irAEs. Conclusion: In this patient cohort, discontinuation of ICI therapy due to irAEs did not adversely affect prognosis in patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Our results suggest that when treating patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC with ICIs, chest physicians should consider discontinuing ICI with close monitoring.
AGROINGENIUS Juego Serio Para La Formación En Prevención Y Control De Riesgos Laborales En Las Unidades De Producción Agropecuaria Del Departamento De Córdoba
Authors: Ramos María Fernanda , Plaza María Trinidad , Hernández Riaño Helman
Published: March 2023

In this study, the "AGROINGENIUS" game was created to determine how to influence the training of workers in the Agricultural Production (PA) in the Córdoba Department to prevent and control occupational risks in their work environments. The purpose of the quantitative study is descriptive and correlational the information obtained about the workers based on the relationship between the use of a game and the academic performance of the PA workers. For this, a quasi-experimental design pretest and posttest apply to 60 workers classified into two groups, control and experimental. The "Agroingenius," game complements the master occupational health and safety (OSH) training class. As a result, there were no statistically significant differences between "Agroingenius" and the master class, both groups were in similar initial conditions. They presented an increase in their academic performance. In general terms, "Agroingenius" had a great reception by the workers, reflected in the skills and knowledge in OSH that they potentiated from the experiences learned in the game.
Biotechnology and biodiversity for the sustainable development of our society
Authors: Bonilla Jaime Julio Andres
Published: March 2023

Biotechnology has the potential to play a significant role in the sustainable development of our society. This technology involves using living organisms or their products to develop or modify products or processes for specific use. It is a broad term that encompasses a range of technologies, including genetic engineering, tissue culture, and fermentation. While it has many potential benefits, it must be compatible with biodiversity. Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth, including the different plants, animals, and microorganisms that make up our ecosystems. It is essential for the health and functioning of these ecosystems and the sustainable development of our society1, 2.