bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phenotyping of Drosophila Melanogaster—A Nutritional Perspective
Authors: Eickelberg Virginia , Lüersen Kai , Staats Stefanie , Rimbach Gerald
Published: January 2022

The model organism Drosophila melanogaster was increasingly applied in nutrition research in recent years. A range of methods are available for the phenotyping of D. melanogaster, which are outlined in the first part of this review. The methods include determinations of body weight, body composition, food intake, lifespan, locomotor activity, reproductive capacity and stress tolerance. In the second part, the practical application of the phenotyping of flies is demonstrated via a discussion of obese phenotypes in response to high-sugar diet (HSD) and high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. HSD feeding and HFD feeding are dietary interventions that lead to an increase in fat storage and affect carbohydrate-insulin homeostasis, lifespan, locomotor activity, reproductive capacity and stress tolerance. Furthermore, studies regarding the impacts of HSD and HFD on the transcriptome and metabolome of D. melanogaster are important for relating phenotypic changes to underlying molecular mechanisms. Overall, D. melanogaster was demonstrated to be a valuable model organism with which to examine the pathogeneses and underlying molecular mechanisms of common chronic metabolic diseases in a nutritional context.
E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Regulators of Notch Receptor Endocytosis: From Flies to Humans
Authors: Revici Raluca , Hosseini-Alghaderi Samira , Haslam Fabienne , Whiteford Rory , Baron Martin
Published: January 2022

Notch is a developmental receptor, conserved in the evolution of the metazoa, which regulates cell fate proliferation and survival in numerous developmental contexts, and also regulates tissue renewal and repair in adult organisms. Notch is activated by proteolytic removal of its extracellular domain and the subsequent release of its intracellular domain, which then acts in the nucleus as part of a transcription factor complex. Numerous regulatory mechanisms exist to tune the amplitude, duration and spatial patterning of this core signalling mechanism. In Drosophila, Deltex (Dx) and Suppressor of dx (Su(dx)) are E3 ubiquitin ligases which interact with the Notch intracellular domain to regulate its endocytic trafficking, with impacts on both ligand-dependent and ligand-independent signal activation. Homologues of Dx and Su(dx) have been shown to also interact with one or more of the four mammalian Notch proteins and other target substrates. Studies have shown similarities, specialisations and diversifications of the roles of these Notch regulators. This review collates together current research on vertebrate Dx and Su(dx)-related proteins, provides an overview of their various roles, and discusses their contributions to cell fate regulation and disease.
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate Oxidase 2 Expression and Effects of Alpha Lipoic Acid on Recovery in a Rat Model of Facial Nerve Injury
Authors: Yoo Myung Chul , Ryu In Yong , Choi Jin Woo , Lee Jae Min , Byun Jae Yong , Yeo Seung Geun
Published: January 2022

Background: NOX2 (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 2), which is upregulated by a variety of neurodegenerative factors, is neuroprotective and capable of reducing detrimental aspects of pathology following ischemic and traumatic brain injury, as well as in chronic neurodegenerative disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate NOX2 expression and the degree of functional recovery following different types of facial nerve injury and assess the effects of antioxidant intervention on nerve regeneration. Methods: A total of 40 mature (6-week-old) male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used. After inducing facial injury (compression injury or cutting injury), we randomized rats into four groups: A, crushing injury only; B, crushing injury with alpha lipoic acid (ALA); C, axotomy only; and D, axotomy with ALA. Recovery from facial nerve injury was evaluated 4 and 14 days after injury by performing behavioral assessments (observational scale of vibrissae movement, modified scale of eye closing and blinking reflex) and measuring changes in NOX2 experimental/control ratio in the injured (left, experimental) facial nerve relative to that in the uninjured (right, control) facial nerve. Results: A comparison between groups according to the type of injury showed a higher NOX2 expression ratio in the axotomy group than in the crushing group (p < 0.001). Regardless of injury type, both groups that received an injection of ALA exhibited a trend toward a higher NOX2 expression ratio, although this difference reached statistical significance only in the axotomy group (p < 0.001). In behavioral assessments, overall behavioral test scores were significantly higher in the crushing injury group immediately after the injury compared with that in the axotomy group. Additionally, in behavioral tests conducted 4 days after the crushing injury, the group injected with ALA showed better results than the group without injection of ALA (p = 0.031). Conclusions: Our study showed that NOX2 expression trended higher with facial nerve injury, exhibiting a significant increase with cutting-type injury. Furthermore, intraperitoneally injection with ALA may be an efficient strategy for accelerating peripheral facial nerve recovery after a crushing injury.
Impact of Maternal Obesity on Liver Disease in the Offspring: A Comprehensive Transcriptomic Analysis and Confirmation of Results in a Murine Model
Authors: Moeckli Beat , Delaune Vaihere , Prados Julien , Tihy Matthieu , Peloso Andrea , Oldani Graziano , Delmi Thomas , Slits Florence , Gex Quentin , Rubbia-Brandt Laura , Goossens Nicolas , Lacotte Stéphanie , Toso Christian
Published: January 2022

The global obesity epidemic particularly affects women of reproductive age. Offspring of obese mothers suffer from an increased risk of liver disease but the molecular mechanisms involved remain unknown. We performed an integrative genomic analysis of datasets that investigated the impact of maternal obesity on the hepatic gene expression profile of the offspring in mice. Furthermore, we developed a murine model of maternal obesity and studied the development of liver disease and the gene expression profile of the top dysregulated genes by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Our data are available for interactive exploration on our companion webpage. We identified five publicly available datasets relevant to our research question. Pathways involved in metabolism, the innate immune system, the clotting cascade, and the cell cycle were consistently dysregulated in the offspring of obese mothers. Concerning genes involved in the development of liver disease, Egfr, Vegfb, Wnt2,Pparg and six other genes were dysregulated in multiple independent datasets. In our own model, we observed a higher tendency towards the development of non-alcoholic liver disease (60 vs. 20%) and higher levels of alanine aminotransferase (41.0 vs. 12.5 IU/l, p = 0.008) in female offspring of obese mothers. Male offspring presented higher levels of liver fibrosis (2.4 vs. 0.6% relative surface area, p = 0.045). In a qPCR gene expression analysis of our own samples, we found Fgf21, Pparg, Ppard, and Casp6 to be dysregulated by maternal obesity. Maternal obesity represents a looming threat to the liver health of future generations. Our comprehensive transcriptomic analysis will help to better understand the mechanisms of the development of liver disease in the offspring of obese mothers and can give rise to further explorations.
An Early Th1 Response Is a Key Factor for a Favorable COVID-19 Evolution
Authors: Gil-Etayo Francisco Javier , Garcinuño Sara , Utrero-Rico Alberto , Cabrera-Marante Oscar , Arroyo-Sanchez Daniel , Mancebo Esther , Pleguezuelo Daniel Enrique , Rodríguez-Frías Edgard , Allende Luis M. , Morales-Pérez Pablo , Castro-Panete María José , Lalueza Antonio , Lumbreras Carlos , Paz-Artal Estela , Serrano Antonio
Published: January 2022

The Th1/Th2 balance plays a crucial role in the progression of different pathologies and is a determining factor in the evolution of infectious diseases. This work has aimed to evaluate the early, or on diagnosis, T-cell compartment response, T-helper subsets and anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody specificity in COVID-19 patients and to classify them according to evolution based on infection severity. A unicenter, randomized group of 146 COVID-19 patients was divided into four groups in accordance with the most critical events during the course of disease. The immunophenotype and T-helper subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry. Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals showed a potent and robust Th1 immunity, with a lower Th17 and less activated T-cells at the time of sample acquisition compared not only with symptomatic patients, but also with healthy controls. Conversely, severe COVID-19 patients presented with Th17-skewed immunity, fewer Th1 responses and more activated T-cells. The multivariate analysis of the immunological and inflammatory parameters, together with the comorbidities, showed that the Th1 response was an independent protective factor for the prevention of hospitalization (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.03–0.81), with an AUC of 0.844. Likewise, the Th1 response was found to be an independent protective factor for severe forms of the disease (OR 0.09, 95% CI: 0.01–0.63, p = 0.015, AUC: 0.873). In conclusion, a predominant Th1 immune response in the acute phase of the SARS-CoV-2 infection could be used as a tool to identify patients who might have a good disease evolution.
Cooperation between Angiogenesis, Vasculogenesis, Chemotaxis, and Coagulation in Breast Cancer Metastases Development: Pathophysiological Point of View
Authors: Zarychta Elżbieta , Ruszkowska-Ciastek Barbara
Published: January 2022

With almost 2.3 million new cases and 685 thousand fatal events in 2020 alone, breast cancer remains one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in women worldwide. Despite the increasing prevalence of the disease in recent years, the number of deaths has dropped—this is mostly the result of better diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities, allowing to recognize and treat breast cancer earlier and more efficiently. However, metastatic disease still remains a therapeutic challenge. As mechanisms of tumor spread are being explored, new drugs can be implemented in clinical practice, improving the outcomes in patients with advanced disease. Formation of metastases is a complex process, which involves activation of angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, chemotaxis, and coagulation. The actions, which occur during metastatic spread are interrelated and complementary. This review summarizes their importance and mutual connections in formation of secondary tumors in breast cancer.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Biophysica in 2021
Authors:   Biophysica Editorial Office
Published: January 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) Plus Sorafenib Compared to TACE Alone in Transplant Recipients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Institution Experience
Authors: Abdelrahim Maen , Victor David , Esmail Abdullah , Kodali Sudha , Graviss Edward A. , Nguyen Duc T. , Moore Linda W. , Saharia Ashish , McMillan Robert , Fong Joy N. , Uosef Ahmed , Elshawwaf Mahmoud , Heyne Kirk , Ghobrial Rafik M.
Published: January 2022

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common malignancy and the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Transarterial chemoembolization has shown survival benefits in patients with early to intermediate-stage HCC, becoming the standard of care and recommended treatment modality by most clinical practice guidelines. The most recent trials of the TACE plus sorafenib combined therapy in patients with unresectable HCC have yielded inconsistent outcomes. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of HCC patients treated with the TACE sorafenib combination as opposed to TACE monotherapy. Methods: This retrospective study included all patients with unresectable HCC who underwent liver transplantation and were treated by either TACE alone or TACE plus sorafenib between July 2008–December 2019. Demographic and clinical data as well as HCC recurrence post-liver transplant (LT) were reported as frequencies and proportions for categorical variables and as the median and interquartile range (IQR) or mean. Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests were performed for categorical variables and the Kruskal-Wallis test or unpaired test was performed for continuous variables. Kaplan-Meier curves present overall patient survival and HCC-free survival. Results: A total of 128 patients received LT, with a median (IQR) age of 61.4 (57.0, 66.3) years; most were males (77%). Within the TACE-only group, 79 (77%) patients met the Milan criteria and 24 (23%) were beyond the Milan criteria, while the TACE plus sorafenib group had a higher proportion of patients beyond the Milan criteria: 16 (64%) vs. 9 (36%); p = 0.01. The five-year disease-free survival (DFS) between the treatment groups approached significance, with 100% DFS in the TACE plus sorafenib group vs. 67.2% in the TACE-alone group, p = 0.07. Five-year patient survival was 77.8% in the TACE plus sorafenib group compared to 61.5% in the TACE-alone group (p = 0.51). However, in patients who met the beyond Milan criteria, those who received TACE alone had a lower average amount of (percent) tumor necrosis on explant pathology (43.8% ± 32%) compared to patients who received TACE plus sorafenib (69.6% ± 32.8%, p = 0.03). Conclusion: This study identified that using TACE plus sorafenib is generally well-tolerated and demonstrated improved overall survival compared to TACE only in transplant recipients with unresectable HCC. A multi-center and prospective randomized controlled trial is needed to substantiate these findings.
Neuronal-Derived EV Biomarkers Track Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Eren Erden , Leoutsakos Jeannie-Marie , Troncoso Juan , Lyketsos Constantine G. , Oh Esther S. , Kapogiannis Dimitrios
Published: January 2022

The hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology are senile plaques containing amyloid-beta (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles containing hyperphosphorylated tau. Additional pathologies often co-exist, whereas multiple pathogenic mechanisms are involved in AD, especially synaptic degeneration, which necessitate the need for synaptic integrity-related biomarkers alongside Aβ- and tau-related biomarkers. Plasma neuron-derived Extracellular Vesicles EVs (NDEVs) provide biomarkers related to Aβ and tau and synaptic degeneration. Here, to further establish the latter as a “liquid biopsy” for AD, we examined their relationship with ante-mortem cognition in pathologically-confirmed AD cases. We immunoprecipitated NDEVs by targeting neuronal marker L1CAM from ante-mortem plasma samples from 61 autopsy-confirmed cases of pure AD or AD with additional pathologies and measured Aβ42, p181-Tau, total Tau, synaptophysin, synaptopodin and three canonical EV markers, CD63, CD81 and CD9. Higher NDEV Aβ42 levels were consistently associated with better cognitive status, memory, fluency, working memory and executive function. Higher levels of NDEV synaptic integrity-related biomarkers were associated with better performance on executive function tasks. Our findings motivate the hypothesis that releasing Aβ42-laden NDEVs may be an adaptive mechanism in AD.
Nitrogen-Doped Graphene-Based Sensor for Electrochemical Detection of Piroxicam, a NSAID Drug for COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Varodi Codruţa , Coros Maria , Pogăcean Florina , Ciorîţă Alexandra , Turza Alexandru , Pruneanu Stela
Published: January 2022

Nitrogen-doped graphene (NGr) was synthesized by the hydrothermal method using urea as a reducing and doping agent for graphene oxide (GO). The crystalline structure of GO was revealed by the XRD intense peak recorded at 2θ = 11.4°, indicating that the interlayer distance within the structure was large (d = 0.77 nm), and the number of layers (n) was 9. Further, the transformation of GO in NGr also led to the decrease in the interlayer distance and number of layers (d = 0.387 nm; n = 3). As indicated by elemental analysis, the concentration of nitrogen in the NGr sample was 6 wt%. Next, the comparison between the performance of bare GC and the graphene-modified electrode (NGr/GC) towards piroxicam (PIR) detection was studied. Significant differences were observed between the two electrodes. Hence, in the case of bare GC, the oxidation signal of PIR was very broad and appeared at a high potential (+0.7 V). In contrast, the signal recorded with the NGr/GC electrode was significantly higher (four times) and shifted towards lower potentials (+0.54 V), proving the electro-catalytic effect of nitrogen-doped graphene. The NGr/GC electrode was also tested for its ability to detect piroxicam in pharmaceutical drugs (Flamexin), giving excellent recoveries.
Electrochemical Biosensor Employing Bi2S3 Nanocrystals-Modified Electrode for Bladder Cancer Biomarker Detection
Authors: Zhao Yunong , Tao Yanbing , Huang Qing , Huang Jing , Kuang Jiayu , Gu Ruiqin , Zeng Pei , Li Hua-Yao , Liang Huageng , Liu Huan
Published: January 2022

Bladder cancer is a kind of malignant tumor with high incidence in the urinary system, complex pathogenic causes, and the high recurrence rate. Biosensors capable of rapid, on site, and accurate bladder cancer diagnosis method continue to be lacking. Here, the electrochemical biosensor for detecting cytokeratin 18 (CK18, bladder cancer biomarker) was constructed based on the chemically modified electrode (CME). The work electrode (WE) was modified by bismuth sulfide semiconductor nanocrystals (Bi2S3 NCs), and then immobilized with CK18 antibodies and blocking agents to complete the electrode preparation. The results indicated that the interface of a flexible carbon electrode with Bi2S3 NCs film was steady with reliable charge transfer capability. With the large specific area and quantum size effect, the proposed sensor could detect CK18 antigen protein with an ultralow detection limit of 1.87 fM (fmol L−1) and wide linear dynamic range of 1–1000 pg mL−1, respectively. Detecting results could be read in less than 30 s with the portable, planar flexible CME. The sensitive and specific electrochemical biosensor possessed the characteristics of rapidity, ease-of-use, and non-invasive detection, indicating the application prospect in the early screening of bladder cancer and other diseases.
Use of Fibre-Optic Sensors for Pipe Condition and Hydraulics Measurements: A Review
Authors: Prisutova Jevgenija , Krynkin Anton , Tait Simon , Horoshenkov Kirill
Published: January 2022

The combined length of the sewerage and clean water pipe infrastructure in the UK is estimated to be about 800,000 km. It is prone to failure due to its age and the inadequacies of the current pipe inspection methods. Fibre-optic cable sensing is an attractive way to continuously monitor this infrastructure to detect critical changes. This paper reviews the existing fibre-optic sensor (FOS) technologies to suggest that these technologies have better sensing potential than traditional inspection and performance monitoring methods. This review also discusses the requirements for retrofitting an existing pipeline with an FOS. It also demonstrates that there is a need for further research into methods applicable to non-pressurised pipelines, as there is very little existing literature that focuses on partially filled pipes and pipes with gravity fed flows.
Friction and Wear Properties of Cr-Nx Coatings for Nuclear Fuel Cladding
Authors: Qu Zheng , Shang Guixiao , Ma Siyuan , Meng Chuiyi , Xie Peng , Wang Hui , An Xuguang , He Xiujie
Published: January 2022

Friction and wear resistance are important factors that affect the selection of accident-tolerant fuel coating materials. In this study, the wear behavior of a series of Cr-Nx coatings with different N contents was investigated using a reciprocating sliding tester. The coating morphology, change in the coefficient of friction during the friction and wear tests, and wear volume after the friction and wear tests, were characterized and discussed in detail. The results show that the Cr2N coating has better anti-friction and wear resistance behaviors than the Cr and CrN coatings under anhydrous and aqueous conditions. In addition, the water environment promoted the wear of the Zr-4 alloy and Cr coatings and inhibited the wear of the CrN and Cr2N coatings. The mechanisms of friction and wear were also discussed.
Post-Quantum Two-Party Adaptor Signature Based on Coding Theory
Authors: Klamti Jean Belo , Hasan M. Anwar
Published: January 2022

An adaptor signature can be viewed as a signature concealed with a secret value and, by design, any two of the trio yield the other. In a multiparty setting, an initial adaptor signature allows each party to create additional adaptor signatures without the original secret. Adaptor signatures help address scalability and interoperability issues in blockchain. They can also bring some important advantages to cryptocurrencies, such as low on-chain cost, improved transaction fungibility, and fewer limitations of a blockchain’s scripting language. In this paper, we propose a new two-party adaptor signature scheme that relies on quantum-safe hard problems in coding theory. The proposed scheme uses a hash-and-sign code-based signature scheme introduced by Debris-Alazard et al. and a code-based hard relation defined from the well-known syndrome decoding problem. To achieve all the basic properties of adaptor signatures formalized by Aumayr et al., we introduce further modifications to the aforementioned signature scheme. We also give a security analysis of our scheme and its application to the atomic swap. After providing a set of parameters for our scheme, we show that it has the smallest pre-signature size compared to existing post-quantum adaptor signatures.
Lip Reconstruction by Double Layer and Double Flap New Combination Technique: A Case Series
Authors: Cortese Antonio , Catalano Salvatore , Giunta Antonio Alberto Maria , Borri Antonio , Panetta Daniele , Claudio Pier Paolo
Published: January 2022

In the past, lip reconstruction after ablative surgery has been performed by primary closure and more recently by free flap transfer technique. Cheek’s skin flap has been used to reconstruct the lower lip cutaneous portion. This study presents a reconstructive method for the vermillion and the lip’s cutaneous portion using the Goldstein–Robotti techniques (for the vermillion) and the buccinator flap to reconstruct the cutaneous lip portion and the perioral muscles. This procedure allows a complete reconstruction with a double layer technique for defects of more than one-third of both lips, together or alone, including modiolus, showing satisfactory functionality and aesthetics. The procedure was carried out by splitting the buccinator muscle and elongating the upper and lower buccinator bundles, together or alone. Soft tissue blunt dissection prevented most facial nerves and vessels injuries, ensuring blood supply and an amount of lip sensitivity. Even in the case of facial vessel ligatures after neck dissection, the technique was possible basing the flap pedicle on the internal maxillary artery branches (buccinator) and contralateral facial vessels (orbicularis). We present a case series of six reconstructions of various defects of the upper and lower lips, including the commissure after ablative surgery for squamous cell carcinoma and polymorphous adenocarcinoma. The results showed satisfactory functional and aesthetic outcomes, with similar tissue texture, static and dynamic symmetry achieved for all the patients.
Generalizing the Balance Heuristic Estimator in Multiple Importance Sampling
Authors: Sbert Mateu , Elvira Víctor
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we propose a novel and generic family of multiple importance sampling estimators. We first revisit the celebrated balance heuristic estimator, a widely used Monte Carlo technique for the approximation of intractable integrals. Then, we establish a generalized framework for the combination of samples simulated from multiple proposals. Our approach is based on considering as free parameters both the sampling rates and the combination coefficients, which are the same in the balance heuristics estimator. Thus our novel framework contains the balance heuristic as a particular case. We study the optimal choice of the free parameters in such a way that the variance of the resulting estimator is minimized. A theoretical variance study shows the optimal solution is always better than the balance heuristic estimator (except in degenerate cases where both are the same). We also give sufficient conditions on the parameter values for the new generalized estimator to be better than the balance heuristic estimator, and one necessary and sufficient condition related to χ2 divergence. Using five numerical examples, we first show the gap in the efficiency of both new and classical balance heuristic estimators, for equal sampling and for several state of the art sampling rates. Then, for these five examples, we find the variances for some notable selection of parameters showing that, for the important case of equal count of samples, our new estimator with an optimal selection of parameters outperforms the classical balance heuristic. Finally, new heuristics are introduced that exploit the theoretical findings.
Stability and Evolution of Synonyms and Homonyms in Signaling Game
Authors: Lipowska Dorota , Lipowski Adam
Published: January 2022

Synonyms and homonyms appear in all natural languages. We analyze their evolution within the framework of the signaling game. Agents in our model use reinforcement learning, where probabilities of selection of a communicated word or of its interpretation depend on weights equal to the number of accumulated successful communications. When the probabilities increase linearly with weights, synonyms appear to be very stable and homonyms decline relatively fast. Such behavior seems to be at odds with linguistic observations. A better agreement is obtained when probabilities increase faster than linearly with weights. Our results may suggest that a certain positive feedback, the so-called Metcalfe’s Law, possibly drives some linguistic processes. Evolution of synonyms and homonyms in our model can be approximately described using a certain nonlinear urn model.
Regularized RKHS-Based Subspace Learning for Motor Imagery Classification
Authors: Jiang Linzhi , Liu Shuyu , Ma Zhengming , Lei Wenjie , Chen Cheng
Published: January 2022

Brain–computer interface (BCI) technology allows people with disabilities to communicate with the physical environment. One of the most promising signals is the non-invasive electroencephalogram (EEG) signal. However, due to the non-stationary nature of EEGs, a subject’s signal may change over time, which poses a challenge for models that work across time. Recently, domain adaptive learning (DAL) has shown its superior performance in various classification tasks. In this paper, we propose a regularized reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) subspace learning algorithm with K-nearest neighbors (KNNs) as a classifier for the task of motion imagery signal classification. First, we reformulate the framework of RKHS subspace learning with a rigorous mathematical inference. Secondly, since the commonly used maximum mean difference (MMD) criterion measures the distribution variance based on the mean value only and ignores the local information of the distribution, a regularization term of source domain linear discriminant analysis (SLDA) is proposed for the first time, which reduces the variance of similar data and increases the variance of dissimilar data to optimize the distribution of source domain data. Finally, the RKHS subspace framework was constructed sparsely considering the sensitivity of the BCI data. We test the proposed algorithm in this paper, first on four standard datasets, and the experimental results show that the other baseline algorithms improve the average accuracy by 2–9% after adding SLDA. In the motion imagery classification experiments, the average accuracy of our algorithm is 3% higher than the other algorithms, demonstrating the adaptability and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Feature Enhancement Method of Rolling Bearing Based on K-Adaptive VMD and RBF-Fuzzy Entropy
Authors: Jiao Jing , Yue Jianhai , Pei Di
Published: January 2022

The complex and harsh working environment of rolling bearings cause the fault characteristics in vibration signal contaminated by the noise, which make fault diagnosis difficult. In this paper, a feature enhancement method of rolling bearing signal based on variational mode decomposition with K determined adaptively (K-adaptive VMD), and radial based function fuzzy entropy (RBF-FuzzyEn), is proposed. Firstly, a phenomenon called abnormal decline of center frequency (ADCF) is defined in order to determine the parameter K of VMD adaptively. Then, the raw signal is separated into K intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). A coefficient En for selecting optimal IMFs is calculated based on the center frequency bands (CFBs) of all IMFs and frequency spectrum for original signal autocorrelation operation. After that, the optimal IMFs of which En are bigger than the threshold are selected to reconstruct signal. Secondly, RBF is introduced as an innovative fuzzy function to enhance the feature discrimination of fuzzy entropy between bearings in different states. A specific way for determination of parameter r in fuzzy function is also presented. Finally, RBF-FuzzyEn is used to extract features of reconstructed signal. Simulation and experiment results show that K-adaptive VMD can effectively reduce the noise and enhance the fault characteristics; RBF-FuzzyEn has strong feature differentiation, superior noise robustness, and low dependence on data length.
Comparing the Situation of FinTech Start-Ups in Russia and Germany through Equity Investments
Authors: Kostin Konstantin B. , Fendel Ralf , Wild Friedrich
Published: January 2022

Examining and comparing the FinTech investment environments of major economies has untapped potential when it comes to comparing their innovativeness in the financial sector. Therefore, this paper examines the development of FinTech companies from Germany and Russia by investigating funding circumstances and by analyzing equity investments. The goal of the article is to analyze the growth and development of equity funding in FinTech companies in both countries. The underlying hypothesis for this investigation is the applicability of an exponential growth model for the examined funding rounds. The analysis shows that the German market has more FinTech start-ups pursuing equity funding rounds. From Pre-Seed to Series D funding, the considered investment market is about 18 times larger in Germany than it is in Russia. The German market shows strong evidence of exponentially increasing investment tickets based on the behavior of the total data set. This is further supported by testing exponential and linear models on the averages for the investment stages. In this analysis, the exponential model shows a significantly better fit than its linear counterpart. The analysis of the Russian market is not supportive of the hypothesis, as substantial evidence of the superiority of a linear model over an exponential model could be found. This, combined with comparatively compact average funding sizes, signals a more immature equity investment market in Russia.
Physiological Foundations for Religious Experiences in Devotional Worship Practices with Music Using Heart Rate and Respiration Rate Analyses
Authors: Walter Yoshija , Altorfer Andreas
Published: January 2022

The present study investigates the psychophysiological activation patterns of religious experiences in worship practices using Heart Rate (HR) and Respiratory Rate (RR) analyses. For this, 60 evangelical individuals participated in an experiment where they worshipped to six selected conditions and continuously indicated how strongly they sensed what they believed to be the presence of God. These ratings were correlated with the biometric data to indicate whether the experience has an activating effect on the believer’s vegetative system (activation hypothesis) or a soothing effect thereupon (pacification hypothesis). Statistical analyses showed that the psychological disposition during the religious worship experience speeds up the physiological responses, which was indicated by increases in HR and RR. Hence, the activation hypothesis was accepted, and the pacification hypothesis was rejected.
Storage Type and Hot Partition Aware Page Reclamation for NVM Swap in Smartphones
Authors: Yoon Hyejung , Cho Kyungwoon , Bahn Hyokyung
Published: January 2022

With the rapid advances in mobile app technologies, new activities using smartphones emerge every day including social network and location-based services. However, smartphones experience problems in handling high priority tasks, and often close apps without the user’s agreement when there is no available memory space. To cope with this situation, supporting swap with fast NVM storage has been suggested. Although swap in smartphones incurs serious slowing-down problems in I/O operations during saving and restoring the context of apps, NVM has been shown to resolve this problem due to its fast I/O features. Unlike previous studies that only focused on the management of NVM swap itself, this article discusses how the memory management system of smartphones can be further improved with NVM swap. Specifically, we design a new page reclamation algorithm for smartphone memory systems, which considers the following: (1) storage types of each partition (i.e., file system for flash storage and swap for NVM), and (2) access hotness of each partition including operation types and workload characteristics. By considering asymmetric I/O cost and access density for each partition, our algorithm improves the I/O performance of smartphones significantly. Specifically, it improves the I/O time by 15.0% on average and by up to 35.1% compared to the well-known CLOCK algorithm.
A Review on the Rehabilitation Exoskeletons for the Lower Limbs of the Elderly and the Disabled
Authors: Wang Tao , Zhang Bin , Liu Chenhao , Liu Tao , Han Yi , Wang Shuoyu , Ferreira João P. , Dong Wei , Zhang Xiufeng
Published: January 2022

Research on the lower limb exoskeleton for rehabilitation have developed rapidly to meet the need of the aging population. The rehabilitation exoskeleton system is a wearable man–machine integrated mechanical device. In recent years, the vigorous development of exoskeletal technology has brought new ideas to the rehabilitation and medical treatment of patients with motion dysfunction, which is expected to help such people complete their daily physiological activities or even reshape their motion function. The rehabilitation exoskeletons conduct assistance based on detecting intention, control algorithm, and high-performance actuators. In this paper, we review rehabilitation exoskeletons from the aspects of the overall design, driving unit, intention perception, compliant control, and efficiency validation. We discussed the complexity and coupling of the man–machine integration system, and we hope to provide a guideline when designing a rehabilitation exoskeleton system for the lower limbs of elderly and disabled patients.
Parameters Affecting Dust Collector Efficiency for Pneumatic Conveying: A Review
Authors: Beaulac Philippe , Issa Mohamad , Ilinca Adrian , Brousseau Jean
Published: January 2022

In a context of energy abundance for industrial applications, industrial systems are exploited with minimal attention to their actual energy consumption requirements to meet the loads imposed on them. As a result, most of them are used at maximal capacity, regardless of the varying operational conditions. First, the paper studies pneumatic conveying systems and thoroughly reviews previously published work. Then, we overview simulations and operating data of the experimental parameters and their effects on the flow characteristics and transport efficiency. Finally, we summarize with a conclusion and some suggestions for further work. The primary goal of this study is to identify the parameters that influence the energy consumption of industrial dust collector systems. It is differentiated from previously published overviews by being concentrated on wood particles collection systems. The results will permit a better selection of an appropriate methodology or solution for reducing an industrial system’s power requirements and energy consumption through more precise control. The anticipated benefits are not only on power requirement and energy consumption but also in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This aspect shows more impacts in regions that rely on electricity supplied by thermal power stations, especially those that use petrol or coal.
Assessment of the Current Potential of Hydropower for Water Damming in Poland in the Context of Energy Transformation
Authors: Igliński Bartłomiej , Krukowski Krzysztof , Mioduszewski Jarosław , Pietrzak Michał Bernard , Skrzatek Mateusz , Piechota Grzegorz , Wilczewski Sebastian
Published: January 2022

The present paper indicates that hydropower, including small hydropower plants (SHPs), may play a very important role in Poland’s energy transformation in the near future. The development of SHPs may also increase water resources in the steppe Poland. Additionally, the aim of the present research is to conduct the PEST analysis of SHPs in Poland, taking into account the SHP potential. For the first time, maps showing the power and location of potential SHPs on the existing dams in Poland are presented. SHPs should be an important element of energy transition in Poland, especially on a local scale—it is stable energy production. Our analysis shows that there are 16,185 such dams in Poland, while the total capacity of potential hydropower plants in Poland would be 523.6 MW, and the total number of new jobs is estimated at 524. It was calculated that the annual avoided carbon dioxide emissions will amount to 4.4 million tons, which will reduce Poland’s emissions by 1.4%. The construction of SHPs can bring significant environmental and economic benefits. As far as the PEST analysis is concerned, the political environment of SHPs in Poland can be described as unfavorable (2.86 points). The economical nature of PEST analysis (3.86 points) should be considered as friendly for the development of SHPs. The social nature of PEST analysis can be considered as neutral (3.36 points). The technological nature of the PEST analysis can be considered as neutral (3.21 points).
APCVD Graphene-Based Composite Electrodes for Li-Ion Batteries
Authors: Floraki Christina , Sapountzis Antonis , Vernardou Dimitra
Published: January 2022

Lithium-ion batteries have numerous advantages, including excellent energy density with high stability. One of the limitations regards the preparation of anode materials at low cost and high safety with good performance. Over the past decade, research has been focused on their improvement as composites, taking advantage of the synergistic effects between the materials. The object of this mini review is to summarize the synthetic strategies of composite electrodes based on graphene that are utilized for lithium-ion chemistries. Emphasis will be given on chemical vapor deposition and how this route can overcome the electrode issues for large-scale deployment.
A Time Series Forecasting of Global Horizontal Irradiance on Geographical Data of Najran Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alghamdi Hisham A.
Published: January 2022

Environment-friendly and renewable energy resources are the need of each developed and undeveloped country. Solar energy is one of them, thus accurate forecasting of it can be useful for electricity supply companies. This research focuses on analyzing the daily global solar radiation (GSR) data of Najran province located in Saudi Arabia and proposed a model for the prediction of global horizontal irradiance (GHI). The weather data is collected from Najran University. After inspecting the data, I we found the dependent and independent variables for calculating the GHI. A dataset model has been trained by creating tensor of variables belonging to air, wind, peak wind, relative humidity, and barometric pressure. Furthermore, six machine learning algorithms convolutional neural networks (CNN), K-nearest neighbors (KNN), support vector machines (SVM), logistic regression (LR), random forest classifier (RFC), and support vector classifier (SVC) techniques are used on dataset model to predict the GHI. The evaluation metrics determination coefficients (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), relative root mean square error (rRMSE), mean bias error (MBE), mean absolute bias error (MABE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and T-statistic (t-stat) are used for the result verification of proposed models. Finally, the current work reports that all methods examined in this work may be utilized to accurately predict GHI; however, the SVC technique is the most suitable method amongst all techniques by claiming the precise results using the evaluation metrics.
Forest Bio-Hubs to Enhance Forest Health While Supporting the Emerging Bioeconomy—A Comparison between Three U.S. Regions
Authors: Nicholls David , Vaughan Damon , Mitchell Dana , Han Han-Sup , Smidt Mathew , Sessions John
Published: January 2022

The emerging bioeconomy requires new supply chain paradigms for biomass materials to reach processing centers. Forest bio-hubs can be thought of as networks of collection points to facilitate biomass supply chains that feed from forest to central processing facilities. The design and functionality of forest bio-hubs depends on the form (e.g., vertically and horizontally integrated), and the quality and volume of feedstocks. In this paper we conceptually develop the potential role of forest bio-hubs. We then compare current bio-hub development in three U.S. regions—the Pacific Northwest, the southwest region, and the southeastern U.S. We use a “SWOT” framework to compare strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for each region. We consider transportation distances, topography, proximity to markets, harvesting methods, and wood products development. Innovation and adaptability would play key roles in forest bio-hub development, especially with dynamic conditions related to markets, wildfire risks, biomass utilization policy, and community socioeconomic factors.
A Case Study of a Nursing Home in Nagano, Japan: Field Survey on Thermal Comfort and Building Energy Simulation for Future Climate Change
Authors: Kainaga Tatsuki , Sagisaka Kengo , Yamada Rintaro , Nakaya Takashi
Published: January 2022

With an increase in the aging population in many countries worldwide, much attention is being paid to the study of thermal comfort for the elderly. Because the elderly spend most of their time indoors, the demand for air conditioning is expected to increase, and it is important to study the thermal comfort of the elderly and appropriate operation plans for air conditioning. In this study, we conducted a field survey of thermal comfort and building energy simulation for an air-conditioned nursing home in Nagano, Japan. The field survey was conducted between June 2020 and June 2021. Over 80% of the subjects were satisfied with the indoor thermal environment. The thermal neutral temperature of the elderly was 25.9 °C in summer and 23.8 °C in winter. Future weather data was used to predict the future heating and cooling loads of the nursing home. The results showed that the total heat load may not change significantly, as the decrease in heating load compensates for the increase in cooling load. This study will serve as a useful reference for a wide range of stakeholders, including managers and designers of nursing homes.
Energy Analysis of Control Measures for Reducing Aerosol Transmission of COVID-19 in the Tourism Sector of the “Costa Daurada” Spain
Authors: Ayou Dereje S. , Prieto Juan , Ramadhan Fahreza , González Genaro , Duro Juan Antonio , Coronas Alberto
Published: January 2022

In this paper, the use of HVAC systems and non-HVAC control measures to reduce virus-laden bioaerosol exposure in a highly occupied indoor space is investigated. A simulation tool was used to model the fate and transport of bioaerosols in an indoor space in the hotel industry (bar or pub) with three types of HVAC system (central air handling system (CAHS), dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS), and wall unit system (WUS)). Non-HVAC control measures such as portable air cleaners (PAC) and local exhaust fans were considered. Occupant exposure was evaluated for 1 μm bioaerosols, which transport SARS-CoV-2, for 3 h/day of continuous source and exposure. The combined effects of ventilation (400 l/s of outdoor air), recirculated air filtration (90% efficacy), and a PAC with a capacity up to 900 m3/h mitigated the (normalized) integrated exposure of the occupant by 0.66 to 0.51 (CAHS) and 0.43 to 0.36 (DOAS). In the case of WUS, the normalized integrated exposure was reduced by up to 0.2 when the PAC with a capacity of up to 900 m3/h was used. The corresponding electricity consumed increased by 297.4 kWh/year (CAHS) and 482.7 kWh/year (DOAS), while for the WUS it increased by 197.1 kWh/year.
System Simulation and Analysis of an LNG-Fueled SOFC System Using Additively Manufactured High Temperature Heat Exchangers
Authors: Hollmann Jan , Fuchs Marco , Spieker Carsten , Gardemann Ulrich , Steffen Michael , Luo Xing , Kabelac Stephan
Published: January 2022

A laboratory-scale solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a fuel is designed to be used as an energy converter on seagoing vessels (MultiSchIBZ project). The presented system design phase is supported by thermodynamic system simulation. As heat integration plays a crucial role with regard to fuel recirculation and endothermic pre-reforming, the heat exchanger and pre-reforming component models need to exhibit a high degree of accuracy throughout the entire operating range. Compact additively manufactured tube-bundle and plate-fin heat exchangers are designed to achieve high heat exchange efficiencies at low pressure losses. Their heat transfer correlations are derived from experimental component tests under operating conditions. A simulation study utilizing these heat exchanger characteristics is carried out for four configuration variants of pre-reforming and heat integration. Their system behaviour is analyzed with regard to the degree of pre-reforming and the outlet temperature of the fuel processing module. The combination of allothermal pre-reforming with additively manufactured plate-fin heat exchangers exhibits the best heat integration performance at nominal full load and yields a partial load capability to up to 60% electrical load at net electrical efficiencies of 58 to 60% (LHV).