bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simulation of the Optimum Planting Windows for Early and Intermediate-Maturing Maize Varieties in the Nigerian Savannas Using the APSIM Model
Authors: Beah Aloysius , Kamara Alpha Yaya , Jibrin Jibrin Mohamed , Akinseye Folorunso Mathew , Tofa Abdullahi Ibrahim , Ademulegun Temitope Damian
Published: March 2021

The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) model was calibrated and validated and used to identify the optimum planting windows for two contrasting maize varieties for three agro-ecologies in the Nigeria savannas. The model was run for 11 planting windows starting from June 1 and repeated every 7 days until 16 August using long-term historical weather data from the 7 selected sites representing three agro-ecological zones (AEZs). The evaluation with the experimental data showed that the model performance was reasonable and accurately predict crop phenology, total dry matter (TDM) and grain yield for both maize varieties. The seasonal planting date analysis showed that optimum planting windows for 2009EVDT and IWDC2SynF2 depend on the variety, agro-ecozones and sites. Planting from June 15 to 28 simulated the highest mean grain yield for both varieties in all the agro-ecologies. In the Southern Guinea savanna (SGS) where the length of growing season is 180–210 days, the best planting window was June 8–July 19 for 2009EVDT and June 8–July 26 for IWDC2SynF2 in Abuja. The planting window that gives attainable yield at Yelwa, is June 15–July 5 for 2009EVDT and June 8–28 for IWDC2SynF2. In the Northern Guinea savannah (NGS) where the length of growing season is 150–180 days, the optimum planting window is June 15–July 19 for both varieties at Zaria and June 8–July 19 for 2009EVDT and June 8–August 2 for IWDC2SynF2 at Sabon Gari. In the Sudan savannah (SS) where the growing season is 90–120 days, planting of 2009EVDT can be delayed up to the third week of July. For the medium-maturing variety, IWDC2SynF2, planting should be done by the first week of July. Though Yelwa is in the SGS, lower yields and narrower sowing windows were simulated for both varieties than for those of the other locations. This is probably due to the poor soil fertility in this location.
Controlling Tsetse Flies and Ticks Using Insecticide Treatment of Cattle in Tororo District Uganda: Cost Benefit Analysis
Authors: Okello Walter O. , MacLeod Ewan T. , Muhanguzi Dennis , Waiswa Charles , Welburn Susan C.
Published: March 2021

Background: The endemic vector-borne diseases transmitted by tsetse and ticks impose heavy burdens on the livestock keepers in Africa. Applying deltamethrin to the belly, legs, and ears of cattle offers a possibility of mitigating these losses at a cost affordable to livestock keepers. Although studies have quantified the impacts of individual diseases on livestock productivity, little is known about the dual economic benefits of controlling both tsetse and ticks, nor about the number of cattle that need to be treated to confer these benefits. Alongside an epidemiological study in south-east Uganda, a farm level assessment was done to investigate the benefits and costs of spraying different proportions of the village cattle population using this restricted application protocol.

Methods: A study comprising 1,902 semi-structured interviews was undertaken over a period of 18 months. Financial data on household income and expenditure on cattle was collected, and cost-benefit analysis was done pre- and post-intervention and for different spraying regimes. The total cost of the intervention was obtained from the implementation costs of the epidemiological study and from expenses incurred by participating farmers enabling examination of benefit-cost ratios and incremental benefit-cost ratios for each treatment regime.

Results: The benefit-cost analysis of spraying 25%, 50%, and 75% of the cattle population yielded average benefit-cost ratios of 3.85, 4.51, and 4.46. The incremental benefit-cost ratios from spraying each additional 25% of the cattle population were 11.38, 3.89, and 0.79, showing a very high return on investment for spraying 50% of the population, with returns reducing thereafter.

Conclusion: Comparing the gross margins per bovine, the study found that increasing the proportion of cattle sprayed yielded increasing benefits to the farmers, but that these benefits were subject to diminishing returns. From a practical viewpoint, this study recommends spraying only draft cattle to control trypanosomiasis and tick-borne diseases in this area as they make 38.62% of the cattle population, approaching the 50% threshold. In areas with a lower proportion of draft males, farmers could be advised to also include cows.
Multiagent Hierarchical Cognition Difference Policy for Multiagent Cooperation
Authors: Wang Huimu , Liu Zhen , Yi Jianqiang , Pu Zhiqiang
Published: March 2021

Multiagent cooperation is one of the most attractive research fields in multiagent systems. There are many attempts made by researchers in this field to promote cooperation behavior. However, several issues still exist, such as complex interactions among different groups of agents, redundant communication contents of irrelevant agents, which prevents the learning and convergence of agent cooperation behaviors. To address the limitations above, a novel method called multiagent hierarchical cognition difference policy (MA-HCDP) is proposed in this paper. It includes a hierarchical group network (HGN), a cognition difference network (CDN), and a soft communication network (SCN). HGN is designed to distinguish different underlying information of diverse groups’ observations (including friendly group, enemy group, and object group) and extract different high-dimensional state representations of different groups. CDN is designed based on a variational auto-encoder to allow each agent to choose its neighbors (communication targets) adaptively with its environment cognition difference. SCN is designed to handle the complex interactions among the agents with a soft attention mechanism. The results of simulations demonstrate the superior effectiveness of our method compared with existing methods.
The Impact of the Variation in Weather and Season on WRF Dynamical Downscaling in the Pearl River Delta Region
Authors: Zhang Chengwei , He Jianjun , Lai Xin , Liu Yilin , Che Huizheng , Gong Sunling
Published: March 2021

In this study, National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Final (FNL) operational global analysis data and meteorological observation data from 2013 to 2017 were used to evaluate the impact of seasonal changes and different circulation classifications on the dynamical downscaling simulation results of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. The results show that the dynamical downscaling method can accurately simulate the time variation characteristics of the near-surface meteorological field and the hit rates of a 2-m temperature, 2-m relative humidity, 10-m wind speed, and 10-m wind direction are 92.66%, 93.98%, 26.78%, and 76.78%, respectively. The WRF model slightly underestimates the temperature and relative humidity, and overestimates the wind speed and precipitation. For precipitation, the WRF model can better simulate the variation characteristics of light rain and heavy rain, with the probability of detection are 0.59 and 0.69, respectively. For seasonal factors, the WRF model can conduct a perfect simulation in autumn and winter, followed by spring, while summer is vulnerable to extreme weather, so the result of the simulation is relatively poor. The circulation type is an important parameter of downscaling assessment. When the PRD is controlled by high pressure, the simulated results of WRF are good, and when the PRD is affected by low pressure or extreme weather, the simulation results are relatively poor.
Prognostic and Functional Significant of Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs) in Breast Cancer Unveiled by Multi-Omics Approaches
Authors: Buttacavoli Miriam , Di Cara Gianluca , D’Amico Cesare , Geraci Fabiana , Pucci-Minafra Ida , Feo Salvatore , Cancemi Patrizia
Published: March 2021

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a well-characterized molecular chaperones protein family, classified into six major families, according to their molecular size. A wide range of tumors have been shown to express atypical levels of one or more HSPs, suggesting that they could be used as biomarkers. However, the collective role and the possible coordination of HSP members, as well as the prognostic significance and the functional implications of their deregulated expression in breast cancer (BC) are poorly investigated. Here, we used a systematic multi-omics approach to assess the HSPs expression, the prognostic value, and the underlying mechanisms of tumorigenesis in BC. By using data mining, we showed that several HSPs were deregulated in BC and significantly correlated with a poor or good prognosis. Functional network analysis of HSPs co-expressed genes and miRNAs highlighted their regulatory effects on several biological pathways involved in cancer progression. In particular, these pathways concerned cell cycle and DNA replication for the HSPs co-expressed genes, and miRNAs up-regulated in poor prognosis and Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (ETM), as well as receptors-mediated signaling for the HSPs co-expressed genes up-regulated in good prognosis. Furthermore, the proteomic expression of HSPs in a large sample-set of breast cancer tissues revealed much more complexity in their roles in BC and showed that their expression is quite variable among patients and confined into different cellular compartments. In conclusion, integrative analysis of multi-omics data revealed the distinct impact of several HSPs members in BC progression and indicate that collectively they could be useful as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for BC management.
Influence of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Genotype on Short-Latency Afferent Inhibition and Motor Cortex Metabolites
Authors: Sasaki Ryoki , Otsuru Naofumi , Miyaguchi Shota , Kojima Sho , Watanabe Hiraku , Ohno Ken , Sakurai Noriko , Kodama Naoki , Sato Daisuke , Onishi Hideaki
Published: March 2021

The Met allele of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene confers reduced cortical BDNF expression and associated neurobehavioral changes. BDNF signaling influences the survival, development, and synaptic function of cortical networks. Here, we compared gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic network activity in the human primary motor cortex (M1) between the Met (Val/Met and Met/Met) and non-Met (Val/Val) genotype groups. Short- and long-interval intracortical inhibition, short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI), and long-latency afferent inhibition were measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as indices of GABAergic activity. Furthermore, the considerable inter-individual variability in inhibitory network activity typically measured by TMS may be affected not only by GABA but also by other pathways, including glutamatergic and cholinergic activities; therefore, we used 3-T magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to measure the dynamics of glutamate plus glutamine (Glx) and choline concentrations in the left M1, left somatosensory cortex, and right cerebellum. All inhibitory TMS conditions produced significantly smaller motor-evoked potentials than single-pulses. SAI was significantly stronger in the Met group than in the Val/Val group. Only the M1 Glx concentration was significantly lower in the Met group, while the BDNF genotype did not affect choline concentration in any region. Further, a positive correlation was observed between SAI and Glx concentrations only in M1. Our findings provide evidence that the BDNF genotype regulates both the inhibitory and excitatory circuits in human M1. In addition, lower Glx concentration in the M1 of Met carriers may alter specific inhibitory network on M1, thereby influencing the cortical signal processing required for neurobehavioral functions.
IEA EBC Annex83 Positive Energy Districts
Authors: Hedman Åsa , Rehman Hassam Ur , Gabaldón Andrea , Bisello Adriano , Albert-Seifried Vicky , Zhang Xingxing , Guarino Francesco , Grynning Steinar , Eicker Ursula , Neumann Hans-Martin , Tuominen Pekka , Reda Francesco
Published: March 2021

At a global level, the need for energy efficiency and an increased share of renewable energy sources is evident, as is the crucial role of cities due to the rapid urbanization rate. As a consequence of this, the research work related to Positive Energy Districts (PED) has accelerated in recent years. A common shared definition, as well as technological approaches or methodological issues related to PEDs are still unclear in this development and a global scientific discussion is needed. The International Energy Agency’s Energy in Buildings and Communities Programme (IEA EBC) Annex 83 is the main platform for this international scientific debate and research. This paper describes the challenges of PEDs and the issues that are open for discussions and how the Annex 83 is planned and organized to facilitate this and to actively steer the development of PEDs major leaps forward. The main topics of discussion in the PED context are the role and importance of definitions of PEDs, virtual and geographical boundaries in PEDs, the role of different stakeholders, evaluation approaches, and the learnings of realized PED projects.
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Urothelial Carcinoma: Recommendations for Practical Approaches to PD-L1 and Other Potential Predictive Biomarker Testing
Authors: Lopez-Beltran Antonio , López-Rios Fernando , Montironi Rodolfo , Wildsmith Sophie , Eckstein Markus
Published: March 2021

Immuno-oncology (IO) agents (anti–programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and anti–programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)) are approved as first- and second-line treatments for metastatic UC. PD-L1 expression levels in UC tumors help clinicians determine which patients are more likely to respond to IO therapies. Assays for approved IO agents use different antibodies, immunohistochemical protocols, cutoffs (defining “high” vs. “low” PD-L1 expression), and scoring algorithms. The robust control of pre-analytical and analytical standards is needed to obtain high-quality PD-L1 results. To better understand the status and perspectives of biomarker-guided patient selection for anti–PD-1 and anti–PD-L1 agents in UC, three workshops were held from December 2018 to December 2019 in Italy, Malaysia, and Spain. The primary goal was to develop recommendations for best practice approaches to PD-L1 testing in UC. Recommendations pertaining to the interpretation and reporting of the results of PD-L1 assays from experienced pathologists and oncologists from around the globe are included. A test request form for pathology laboratories was developed as a critical first step for oncologists/urologists to encourage communication between clinicians and pathologists, ensuring fast and high-quality test results. In this era of personalized medicine, we briefly discuss novel biomarkers being evaluated for IO agents in UC.
The Impact of 3-(trihydroxysilyl)-1-propanesulfonic Acid Treatment on the State of Vanadium Incorporated on SBA-15 Matrix
Authors: Nurwita Ardian , Decyk Piotr , Ziolek Maria , Trejda Maciej
Published: March 2021

Bifunctional catalysts—e.g., those with acidic and redox sites—are of particular importance, especially in the cascade processes, including the one-pot transformation of glycerol to acrylic acid. In this study, we explore one aspect of the preparation of a vanadium-containing catalyst, which can be further modified with 3-(trihydroxysilyl)-1-propanesulfonic acid (TPS). The state of vanadium species loaded on mesoporous ordered silica of SBA-15 type was investigated before and after treatment with TPS, which can also be applied for the generation of acidic centers. Two vanadium sources, i.e., ammonium metavanadate and vanadium(IV) oxide sulfate, were applied to generate redox sites on SBA-15. The structure of materials obtained was analyzed using N2 adsorption/desorption and XRD measurements. For the estimation of the amount of vanadium and characterization of its state, the following techniques were applied: ICP, UV-Vis, XPS, ESR and FTIR combined with pyridine adsorption. The treatment of vanadium containing SBA-15 with TPS was found to lead to the oxidation of V4+ to V5+ and the partial removal of vanadium species, leading to a decrease in the number of penta-coordinated vanadium species. These features should be taken into account in the design of bifunctional catalysts with vanadium-active centers and SO3H acidic sites coming from TPS.
Characterization of Apis mellifera Gastrointestinal Microbiota and Lactic Acid Bacteria for Honeybee Protection—A Review
Authors: Nowak Adriana , Szczuka Daria , Górczyńska Anna , Motyl Ilona , Kręgiel Dorota
Published: March 2021

Numerous honeybee (Apis mellifera) products, such as honey, propolis, and bee venom, are used in traditional medicine to prevent illness and promote healing. Therefore, this insect has a huge impact on humans’ way of life and the environment. While the population of A. mellifera is large, there is concern that widespread commercialization of beekeeping, combined with environmental pollution and the action of bee pathogens, has caused significant problems for the health of honeybee populations. One of the strategies to preserve the welfare of honeybees is to better understand and protect their natural microbiota. This paper provides a unique overview of the latest research on the features and functioning of A. mellifera. Honeybee microbiome analysis focuses on both the function and numerous factors affecting it. In addition, we present the characteristics of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as an important part of the gut community and their special beneficial activities for honeybee health. The idea of probiotics for honeybees as a promising tool to improve their health is widely discussed. Knowledge of the natural gut microbiota provides an opportunity to create a broad strategy for honeybee vitality, including the development of modern probiotic preparations to use instead of conventional antibiotics, environmentally friendly biocides, and biological control agents.
Energy Metabolism in IDH1 Wild-Type and IDH1-Mutated Glioblastoma Stem Cells: A Novel Target for Therapy?
Authors: van Noorden Cornelis J.F. , Hira Vashendriya V.V. , van Dijck Amber J. , Novak Metka , Breznik Barbara , Molenaar Remco J.
Published: March 2021

Cancer is a redox disease. Low levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are beneficial for cells and have anti-cancer effects. ROS are produced in the mitochondria during ATP production by oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). In the present review, we describe ATP production in primary brain tumors, glioblastoma, in relation to ROS production. Differentiated glioblastoma cells mainly use glycolysis for ATP production (aerobic glycolysis) without ROS production, whereas glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) in hypoxic periarteriolar niches use OXPHOS for ATP and ROS production, which is modest because of the hypoxia and quiescence of GSCs. In a significant proportion of glioblastoma, isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) is mutated, causing metabolic rewiring, and all cancer cells use OXPHOS for ATP and ROS production. Systemic therapeutic inhibition of glycolysis is not an option as clinical trials have shown ineffectiveness or unwanted side effects. We argue that systemic therapeutic inhibition of OXPHOS is not an option either because the anti-cancer effects of ROS production in healthy cells is inhibited as well. Therefore, we advocate to remove GSCs out of their hypoxic niches by the inhibition of their binding to niches to enable their differentiation and thus increase their sensitivity to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.
Tribute to Josef Michl
Authors: Alabugin Igor , Klán Petr
Published: March 2021

It is our great pleasure to introduce the Festschrift of Chemistry to honor professor Josef Michl (Figure 1) on the occasion of his 80th birthday and to recognize his exceptional contributions to the fields of organic photochemistry, quantum chemistry, biradicals and biradicaloids, electronic and vibrational spectroscopy, magnetic circular dichroism, silicon and boron chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, singlet fission, and molecular machines [...]
Risk Factors for Postoperative Bleeding after Adenoidectomy
Authors: Urík Milan , Bartoš Michal , Šikolová Soňa , Jančíková Jana , Perceová Klára , Jarkovský Jiří , Klabusayová Eva , Štourač Petr , Jabandžiev Petr
Published: March 2021

IMPORTANCE: Postoperative bleeding is a common and potentially life-threatening complication. Precise identification of risk factors in addition to the basic ones, such as coagulation parameters, is certainly very desirable. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify other possible risk factors for bleeding after adenoidectomy in children. DESIGN: This observational prospective study enrolled children undergoing adenoidectomy from October 2019 to February 2020, then evaluated the influence of possible risk factors for bleeding. SETTING: Tertiary pediatric otorhinolaryngology center. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 288 children aged 0–18 years undergoing adenoidectomy for recurrent upper respiratory tract infections, recurrent acute otitis media, secretory otitis media, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Increased blood pressure and time of surgery were identified as risk factors for bleeding after adenoidectomy. RESULTS: Elevated systolic (p = 0.046), diastolic (p = 0.012), and mean arterial blood pressure (p = 0.007) (Mann–Whitney U test) as adjusted for age-specific distributions and with corrections for height and weight, as well as time length of surgery (p < 0.001) (Fisher’s exact test) were revealed as statistically significant risk factors for postoperative bleeding. Atmospheric pressure, surgeon’s level of experiences, chronic inflammatory content in adenoid vegetation (AV), size of AV, recidivism of AV, recurrent infections of the upper respiratory tract, type of anesthesia, long-term using of drugs, and positive coagulation questionnaire or pathology in standard coagulation tests were not found to be risk factors for bleeding after adenoidectomy. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this prospective study within a well-defined population of children, we evaluated increased blood pressure and time of surgery as risk factors for bleeding after adenoidectomy. These data bring new information that complements current knowledge in this field.
Application of Fundamental Techniques for Physicochemical Characterizations to Understand Post-Formulation Performance of Pharmaceutical Nanocrystalline Materials
Authors: Witika Bwalya , Aucamp Marique , Mweetwa Larry , Makoni Pedzisai
Published: March 2021

Nanocrystalline materials (NCM, i.e., crystalline nanoparticles) have become an important class of materials with great potential for applications ranging from drug delivery and electronics to optics. Drug nanocrystals (NC) and nano co-crystals (NCC) are examples of NCM with fascinating physicochemical properties and have attracted significant attention in drug delivery. NCM are categorized by advantageous properties, such as high drug-loading efficiency, good long-term physical stability, steady and predictable drug release, and long systemic circulation time. These properties make them excellent formulations for the efficient delivery of a variety of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). In this review, we summarize the recent advances in drug NCM-based therapy options. Currently, there are three main methods to synthesize drug NCM, including top-down, bottom-up, and combination methods. The fundamental characterization methods of drug NCM are elaborated. Furthermore, the applications of these characterizations and their implications on the post-formulation performance of NCM are introduced.
Real-Time Identification of Oxygen Vacancy Centers in LiNbO3 and SrTiO3 during Irradiation with High Energy Particles
Authors: Crespillo Miguel L. , Graham Joseph T. , Agulló-López Fernando , Zhang Yanwen , Weber William J.
Published: March 2021

Oxygen vacancies are known to play a central role in the optoelectronic properties of oxide perovskites. A detailed description of the exact mechanisms by which oxygen vacancies govern such properties, however, is still quite incomplete. The unambiguous identification of oxygen vacancies has been a subject of intense discussion. Interest in oxygen vacancies is not purely academic. Precise control of oxygen vacancies has potential technological benefits in optoelectronic devices. In this review paper, we focus our attention on the generation of oxygen vacancies by irradiation with high energy particles. Irradiation constitutes an efficient and reliable strategy to introduce, monitor, and characterize oxygen vacancies. Unfortunately, this technique has been underexploited despite its demonstrated advantages. This review revisits the main experimental results that have been obtained for oxygen vacancy centers (a) under high energy electron irradiation (100 keV–1 MeV) in LiNbO3, and (b) during irradiation with high-energy heavy (1–20 MeV) ions in SrTiO3. In both cases, the experiments have used real-time and in situ optical detection. Moreover, the present paper discusses the obtained results in relation to present knowledge from both the experimental and theoretical perspectives. Our view is that a consistent picture is now emerging on the structure and relevant optical features (absorption and emission spectra) of these centers. One key aspect of the topic pertains to the generation of self-trapped electrons as small polarons by irradiation of the crystal lattice and their stabilization by oxygen vacancies. What has been learned by observing the interplay between polarons and vacancies has inspired new models for color centers in dielectric crystals, models which represent an advancement from the early models of color centers in alkali halides and simple oxides. The topic discussed in this review is particularly useful to better understand the complex effects of different types of radiation on the defect structure of those materials, therefore providing relevant clues for nuclear engineering applications.
Exploring Genetic Variability among and within Hail Tomato Landraces Based on Sequence-Related Amplified Polymorphism Markers
Authors: Alzahib Reem H. , Migdadi Hussein M. , Ghamdi Abdullah A. Al , Alwahibi Mona S. , Afzal Muhammad , Elharty Ehab H. , Alghamdi Salem S.
Published: March 2021

Landraces are valuable sources of genetic characteristics, which are of plant breeders’ interest to include in breeding programs for crop improvement. We assess the inter- and intra-genetic variability among 96 accessions representing three Hail tomato landrace using DNA-based marker sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP). Seven SRAP primer combinations generated 55 alleles with a polymorphism of 100%, and an average of 7.86 polymorphic alleles per pair of primers. All primers showed an average of 0.68 polymorphic information content (PIC) value and discrimination power (DP) of 14.29. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) confirmed the clustering produced via the UPGMA similarity dendrogram allowed for the grouping of the 96 accessions according to its gene bank accession numbers and showed relatively good separation between landraces. A similarity value ranged from 0.04 to 1.0 among accessions of Hail 747, 0.05 to 1.0 in Hail 1072, and from 0.16 to 0.92 in Hail 548. These results showed the landraces harbor a wide range of genetic diversity at both inter and intra-variation levels. AMOVA showed that most of the genetic variation was because of differences within populations (87%). Tomato Hail landraces have well-differentiated genetic populations and admixtures, where Hail 747 formed their separate group, and both Hail 548 and Hail 1072 were admixed, and some accessions showed more diversity pattern. We have to take the SRAP technique’s effectiveness in the study of genetic variability among and within landraces into consideration in the tomato-breeding programs through marker-assessed selection.
RETRACTED: Amathes, P.; Christodoulides, P. Interpreting Locked Photographic Data: The Case of Apollo 17 Photo GPN-2000-00113. Designs 2021, 5, 8
Authors:   Designs Editorial Office
Published: March 2021

The journal Designs retracts the 8th February, 2021 article “Interpreting Locked Photographic Data: The Case of Apollo 17 Photo GPN-2000-00113” [...]
Smart Management of the Production–Demand Binomial and the Active Participation of End-User through the Smart Metering Support
Authors: Pinnarelli Anna , Menniti Daniele , Sorrentino Nicola , Mendicino Luca , Mendicino Stefano
Published: March 2021

At global level nowadays, there is a general movement towards the goal of a ‘zero-emission’ energy systems. It will require a necessary energy transition characterized by a continuous increase of generation facilities from renewable energy sources (RES), from a massive increase in energy efficiency and, contemporary, an increased use of electricity to meet the energy needs traditionally required through the direct use of fossil fuels. In order to provide end-users with a greater knowledge and awareness of their energy consumption and the benefits of distributed use of renewable energy sources, it is fundamental to employ a smart metering progress which can enable an evolved and ‘smart’ management of the production–demand binomial and an active participation in the energy system. The importance of functionalities implemented in a smart meter—for end-user engagement, empowerment, and awareness—is presented in the paper. For instance, we present a simple optimization functionality for photovoltaic (PV) and storage system sizing based on load and production duration curves and historical data collected by the smart meter with fine resolution. The ease of this functionality uses a data history with extremely high resolutions, which are able to measure the power ramps that occur when an appliance or any other load is connected. An example of application of the smart meter functionality and test cases’ analysis are reported to demonstrate the effectiveness of the tool.
Association of Preterm Birth with Depression and Particulate Matter: Machine Learning Analysis Using National Health Insurance Data
Authors: Lee Kwang-Sig , Kim Hae-In , Kim Ho Yeon , Cho Geum Joon , Hong Soon Cheol , Oh Min Jeong , Kim Hai Joong , Ahn Ki Hoon
Published: March 2021

This study uses machine learning and population data to analyze major determinants of preterm birth including depression and particulate matter. Retrospective cohort data came from Korea National Health Insurance Service claims data for 405,586 women who were aged 25–40 years and gave births for the first time after a singleton pregnancy during 2015–2017. The dependent variable was preterm birth during 2015–2017 and 90 independent variables were included (demographic/socioeconomic information, particulate matter, disease information, medication history, obstetric information). Random forest variable importance was used to identify major determinants of preterm birth including depression and particulate matter. Based on random forest variable importance, the top 40 determinants of preterm birth during 2015–2017 included socioeconomic status, age, proton pump inhibitor, benzodiazepine, tricyclic antidepressant, sleeping pills, progesterone, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for the years 2002–2014, particulate matter for the months January–December 2014, region, myoma uteri, diabetes for the years 2013–2014 and depression for the years 2011–2014. In conclusion, preterm birth has strong associations with depression and particulate matter. What is really needed for effective prenatal care is strong intervention for particulate matters together with active counseling and medication for common depressive symptoms (neglected by pregnant women).
A Review of Biophysiological and Biochemical Indicators of Stress for Connected and Preventive Healthcare
Authors: Iqbal Talha , Elahi Adnan , Redon Pau , Vazquez Patricia , Wijns William , Shahzad Atif
Published: March 2021

Stress is a known contributor to several life-threatening medical conditions and a risk factor for triggering acute cardiovascular events, as well as a root cause of several social problems. The burden of stress is increasing globally and, with that, is the interest in developing effective stress-monitoring solutions for preventive and connected health, particularly with the help of wearable sensing technologies. The recent development of miniaturized and flexible biosensors has enabled the development of connected wearable solutions to monitor stress and intervene in time to prevent the progression of stress-induced medical conditions. This paper presents a review of the literature on different physiological and chemical indicators of stress, which are commonly used for quantitative assessment of stress, and the associated sensing technologies.
Long-Term Follow-Up of Thyroid Incidentalomas Visualized with 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography—Impact of Thyroid Scintigraphy in the Diagnostic Work-Up
Authors: Korsholm Kirsten , Reichkendler Michala , Alslev Louise , Rasmussen Åse Krogh , Oturai Peter
Published: March 2021

Our objective was to evaluate the frequency of malignancy in incidental thyroidal uptake on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) in a cohort of Danish patients, and furthermore to evaluate the impact of thyroid scinti-graphy in the diagnostic work-up. All whole-body PET/CT reports from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2013 were retrospectively reviewed and further analyzed if visually increased thyroidal FDG uptake was reported. Patient electronic files were searched for further thyroid evaluation. Of 13,195 18F-FDG-PET/CT scans in 9114 patients, 312 PET/CT reports mentioned incidental thyroid FDG-uptake, and 279 patients were included in the study (3.1%). The thyroid was further investigated in 137 patients (49%), and 75 patients underwent thyroid scintigraphy. A total of 57 patients had a thyroid biopsy and 21 proceeded to surgery. Surgical specimens displayed malignancy in 10 cases, and one thyroid malignancy was found by autopsy. Hence, 11 patients were diagnosed with thyroid malignancies among 279 patients with incidental thyroid 18F-FDG uptake (3.9%). In 34 patients, a biopsy was avoided due to the results of the thyroid scintigraphy. We conclude that patients with thyroid incidentalomas can benefit from further diagnostic work-up including a thyroid scintigraphy.
Clinical and FDG-PET/CT Suspicion of Malignant Disease: Is Biopsy Confirmation Still Necessary?
Authors: Bent Talitha , Yakar Derya , Kwee Thomas C.
Published: March 2021

Background: Biopsy of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-avid lesions suspected for malignancy remains an invasive procedure associated with a variety of risks. It is still unclear if the positive predictive value (PPV) of positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) is sufficiently high to avoid tissue sampling. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the PPV of 18F-FDG-PET/CT for malignancy in patients with a clinical suspicion of active malignant disease. Methods: This single-center retrospective study included 83 patients who had undergone FDG-PET/CT within 60 days before CT- or ultrasonography-guided tissue sampling and whose request form for CT- or US-guided tissue sampling requested mutation analyses. The latter implies a high clinical suspicion of active malignant disease. The nature of each biopsied lesion was determined based on the results of the pathological analysis and/or clinical and imaging follow-up of at least 12 months. Results: In total, eighty-eight FDG-avid lesions were biopsied. The PPV of FDG-PET/CT for malignancy was 98.9% (95% CI: 93.8–99.8%). For patients with an oncological history, the PPV was 98.7% (95% CI: 92.9–99.8%), and for patients with no oncological history, the PPV was 100% (95% CI: 74.1–100.0%). There was no significant difference between the PPV of the group with and without an oncological history (p = 0.71). In two cases, an unsuspected malignancy was diagnosed. Conclusion: Although the PPV of FDG-PET/CT for malignancy in patients with a clinical suspicion of active malignant disease is high, biopsy remains recommended to avoid inappropriate patient management due the non-negligible chance of dealing with FDG-avid benign disease or unexpected malignancies.
Prognostic Factors Associated with 5-Year Overall Survival in Cervical Cancer Patients Treated with Radical Hysterectomy Followed by Adjuvant Concurrent Chemoradiation Therapy at a Tertiary Care Center in Eastern Europe
Authors: Stanca Mihai , Căpîlna Mihai Emil
Published: March 2021

Background: This retrospective observational study aims to assess the 5-year overall survival and the prognostic significance of risk factors of patients who underwent radical hysterectomy followed by adjuvant concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) for FIGO stage IB1-IIB cervical cancer in a tertiary care center in Eastern Europe. Methods: From January 2010 to February 2019, 222 patients with stage IB1-IIB cervical cancer were treated with radical hysterectomy followed by adjuvant CCRT in our institution. The baseline information consisting of demographic and clinicopathologic data, treatment choices, recurrences, and outcome information was collected and examined. The survival rates were illustrated using Kaplan–Meier curves and prognosis analyses were accomplished using Cox multivariate analyses. Results: The 222 participants had a mean age of 51.2 years (28–76). The median follow-up time was 65.5 months (3–128). Tumor characteristics revealed FIGO stage (IB1 2.3%, IB2 35.1%, IB3 16.7%, IIA1 9%, IIA2 8.6%, IIB 28.4%) and the most encountered histologic cell type was squamous cell carcinoma (80.06%) followed by adenocarcinoma (11.3%). At the time of examination, 157 patients (70.07%) were alive, of which 135 (61%) were alive free of disease and 22 (9%) were alive with disease. The multivariate Cox regression analysis acknowledged stage IIB, parametrial involvement, and the presence of lymph node metastases as independent prognostic risk factors, significantly worsening the oncologic outcomes influencing the survival with a P-value of 0.076, 0.0001, and 0.008, respectively. The 5-year overall survival was 69.9%. Conclusions: Altogether, the study enhances the significance of prognostic risk factors on the 5-year overall survival of patients who underwent radical hysterectomy followed by adjuvant CCRT for FIGO stages IB1-IIB cervical cancer, allowing comparisons with other regions.
Monitoring the Zero-Inflated Time Series Model of Counts with Random Coefficient
Authors: Li Cong , Cui Shuai , Wang Dehui
Published: March 2021

In this research, we consider monitoring mean and correlation changes from zero-inflated autocorrelated count data based on the integer-valued time series model with random survival rate. A cumulative sum control chart is constructed due to its efficiency, the corresponding calculation methods of average run length and the standard deviation of the run length are given. Practical guidelines concerning the chart design are investigated. Extensive computations based on designs of experiments are conducted to illustrate the validity of the proposed method. Comparisons with the conventional control charting procedure are also provided. The analysis of the monthly number of drug crimes in the city of Pittsburgh is displayed to illustrate our current method of process monitoring.
A Review of Machine Learning Applications in Land Surface Modeling
Authors: Pal Sujan , Sharma Prateek
Published: March 2021

Machine learning (ML), as an artificial intelligence tool, has acquired significant progress in data-driven research in Earth sciences. Land Surface Models (LSMs) are important components of the climate models, which help to capture the water, energy, and momentum exchange between the land surface and the atmosphere, providing lower boundary conditions to the atmospheric models. The objectives of this review paper are to highlight the areas of improvement in land modeling using ML and discuss the crucial ML techniques in detail. Literature searches were conducted using the relevant key words to obtain an extensive list of articles. The bibliographic lists of these articles were also considered. To date, ML-based techniques have been able to upgrade the performance of LSMs and reduce uncertainties by improving evapotranspiration and heat fluxes estimation, parameter optimization, better crop yield prediction, and model benchmarking. Widely used ML techniques used for these purposes include Artificial Neural Networks and Random Forests. We conclude that further improvements in land modeling are possible in terms of high-resolution data preparation, parameter calibration, uncertainty reduction, efficient model performance, and data assimilation using ML. In addition to the traditional techniques, convolutional neural networks, long short-term memory, and other deep learning methods can be implemented.
Effects of Water Content and Mesh Size on Tea Bag Decomposition
Authors: Mori Taiki , Aoyagi Ryota , Taga Hiroki , Sakai Yoshimi
Published: March 2021

The tea bag method provides a replicable and standardized method to study the effect of environmental variables on the decomposition of standard litter, which enables comparison of organic matter decomposition rates on a large scale. However, it remains uncertain whether tea bag decomposition in response to wetness is representative of that of local litters. We performed incubation experiments to examine whether the effect of soil water on tea bag decomposition becomes inhibitory at higher water contents, as is the case in local leaf litters. In addition, we performed field studies in a mixed forest and cedar plantation in Japan to compare two litter bag mesh sizes: 0.25-mm mesh, the size previously used by a major manufacturer of tea bags (Lipton), and nonwoven bags with mesh sizes finer than 0.25 mm, which are currently produced by Lipton. Both green tea and rooibos tea exhibited higher decomposition rates at higher water contents, but decomposition was inhibited at the highest water content; this was in contrast to our hypothesis based on a field observation but consistent with conceptual models of local litters. The nonwoven tea bags did not show lower decomposition rates, despite the finer mesh size. Rather, the nonwoven rooibos tea bags exhibited slightly higher decomposition rates than the 0.25-mm mesh bags in the cedar plantation, possibly due to a greater abundance of microorganisms that decompose litters in the nonwoven bags, due to the decrease in predation by mesofauna. Our findings provide essential information for future studies of tea bag decomposition.
A Prosumer Model Based on Smart Home Energy Management and Forecasting Techniques
Authors: Koltsaklis Nikolaos , Panapakidis Ioannis P. , Pozo David , Christoforidis Georgios C.
Published: March 2021

This work presents an optimization framework based on mixed-integer programming techniques for a smart home’s optimal energy management. In particular, through a cost-minimization objective function, the developed approach determines the optimal day-ahead energy scheduling of all load types that can be either inelastic or can take part in demand response programs and the charging/discharging programs of an electric vehicle and energy storage. The underlying energy system can also interact with the power grid, exchanging electricity through sales and purchases. The smart home’s energy system also incorporates renewable energy sources in the form of wind and solar power, which generate electrical energy that can be either directly consumed for the home’s requirements, directed to the batteries for charging needs (storage, electric vehicles), or sold back to the power grid for acquiring revenues. Three short-term forecasting processes are implemented for real-time prices, photovoltaics, and wind generation. The forecasting model is built on the hybrid combination of the K-medoids algorithm and Elman neural network. K-medoids performs clustering of the training set and is used for input selection. The forecasting is held via the neural network. The results indicate that different renewables’ availability highly influences the optimal demand allocation, renewables-based energy allocation, and the charging–discharging cycle of the energy storage and electric vehicle.
Generation of Alternative Battery Allocation Proposals in Distribution Systems by the Optimization of Different Economic Metrics within a Mathematical Model
Authors: Martinez Norberto , Tabares Alejandra , Franco John F.
Published: March 2021

Battery systems bring technical and economic advantages to electrical distribution systems (EDSs), as they conveniently store the surplus of cheap renewable generation for use at a more convenient time and contribute to peak shaving. Due to the high cost of batteries, technical and economic studies are needed to evaluate their correct allocation within the EDS. To contribute to this analysis, this paper proposes a stochastic mathematical model for the optimal battery allocation (OBA), which can be guided by the optimization of two different economic metrics: net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR). The effects of the OBA in the EDS are evaluated considering the stochastic variation of photovoltaic generation and load. Tests with the 33-node IEEE test system indicate that OBA results in voltage profile improvement (~1% at peak time), peak reduction (31.17%), increased photovoltaic hosting capacity (18.8%), and cost reduction (3.06%). Furthermore, it was found that the IRR metric leads to a different solution compared to the traditional NPV optimization due to its inherent consideration of the relation between cash flow and investment. Thus, both NPV and IRR-based allocation alternatives can be used by the decision maker to improve economic and technical operation of the EDS.
Multiple-Vector Model Predictive Control with Fuzzy Logic for PMSM Electric Drive Systems
Authors: Bouguenna Ibrahim Farouk , Tahour Ahmed , Kennel Ralph , Abdelrahem Mohamed
Published: March 2021

This article presents a multiple-vector finite-control-set model predictive control (MV-FCS-MPC) scheme with fuzzy logic for permanent-magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) used in electric drive systems. The proposed technique is based on discrete space vector modulation (DSVM). The converter’s real voltage vectors are utilized along with new virtual voltage vectors to form switching sequences for each sampling period in order to improve the steady-state performance. Furthermore, to obtain the reference voltage vector (VV) directly from the reference current and to reduce the calculation load of the proposed MV-FCS-MPC technique, a deadbeat function (DB) is added. Subsequently, the best real or virtual voltage vector to be applied in the next sampling instant is selected based on a certain cost function. Moreover, a fuzzy logic controller is employed in the outer loop for controlling the speed of the rotor. Accordingly, the dynamic response of the speed is improved and the difficulty of the proportional-integral (PI) controller tuning is avoided. The response of the suggested technique is verified by simulation results and compared with that of the conventional FCS-MPC.