bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of Sn(IV)porphyrin-Imbedded Silica Aerogel Composite
Authors: Jo Min-Gyeong , Kim Nam-Gil , Kim Hee-Joon
Published: September 2023

Optoelectronic functional composite materials with porous structures are of great importance in various fields. A hybrid composite (SnP@SiA) composed of (trans-dihydroxo)(5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrinato)tin(IV) (SnP) in silica aerogel (SiA) was successfully fabricated through the reaction of SnP with silanol groups of SiA in the presence of hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS). SnP@SiA was then characterized using various instrumental techniques. The zeta potential for SnP@SiA (−11.62 mV) was found to be less negative than that for SiA (−18.26 mV), indicating that the surface of SnP@SiA is covered by hydrophobic species such as SnP and trimethylsilyl groups. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, pore volume, and average pore size of SnP@SiA are 697.07 m2/g, 1.69 cm3/g, and 8.45 nm, respectively, making it a suitable composite for catalytic applications. SnP@SiA, a photocatalyst with high porosity and a large surface area, yields promising performance in the photodegradation of acid orange 7 (AO7) under visible light irradiation in aqueous solution. This hybrid composite exhibited the desirable properties of aerogels along with the photoelectronic features of porphyrins. Therefore, this porphyrin-imbedded mesoporous material has valuable potential in various applications such as photocatalysis, light energy conversion, biochemical sensors, and gas storage.
Structural Analysis Procedure and Applicability Review of Spudcan Considering Soil Types
Authors: Park Joo-Shin , Lee Dong-Hun , Yi Myung-Su
Published: September 2023

As interest in eco-friendly energy development continues to rise, the offshore wind turbine market is growing at a high rate of increase every year. In line with this, the demand for installation vessels with large capacity is also increasing rapidly. WTIVs (Wind Turbine Installation Vessels) employ spudcans in the seabed for the installation of wind turbines. Currently, the assessment of spudcans is an important issue in ensuring structural safety in the entire structure system. This study examines the current procedure suggested by classification societies and a new procedure that accounts for the new loading scenarios based on realistic operating conditions. This new procedure is further validated through an FEA (Finite Element Analysis). The current procedure yields maximum stress values below the allowable criteria because it does not consider the effect of the seabed slope, the leg bending moment, and the spudcan shape. However, the results of some load conditions as defined in the new procedure confirm the need for reinforcement under actual preload conditions. Therefore, the new procedure considers a broader range of real-world operating conditions, and the possible problems were verified through a detailed FEA.
Energy Management Strategy of Hybrid Ships Using Nonlinear Model Predictive Control via a Chaotic Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Chen Long , Gao Diju , Xue Qimeng
Published: September 2023

Reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions from ships is a major concern. The development of hybrid technologies offers a new direction for the rational distribution of energy. Therefore, this paper establishes a torque model for internal combustion engines and motors based on first principles and fitting the data collected from the test platform; in turn, it develops a model for fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Furthermore, the effect of irregular waves using an extended Kalman filter is estimated as well as feedback to the controller as a disturbance variable. Then, a parallel hybrid ship energy management strategy based on a new real-time nonlinear model of predictive control is designed to achieve energy conservation and emission decrease. A hybrid algorithm of chaotic optimization combined with grey wolf optimization is utilized to solve the nonlinear optimization problem in the nonlinear model predictive control strategy and a local refined search is performed using sequential quadratic programming. Through the comparison of fuel consumption, carbon emissions, real-time performance, and the engine load path, the superiority of the nonlinear model predictive control energy management strategy based on the chaotic grey wolf optimization algorithm is verified.
The Use of Thioflavin T for the Estimation and Measurement of the Plasma Membrane Electric Potential Difference in Different Yeast Strains
Authors: Peña Antonio , Sánchez Norma Silvia , Padilla-Garfias Francisco , Ramiro-Cortés Yazmín , Araiza-Villanueva Minerva , Calahorra Martha
Published: September 2023

The use of the cationic, dye thioflavin T (ThT), to estimate the electric plasma membrane potential difference (PMP) via the fluorescence changes and to obtain its actual values from the accumulation of the dye, considering important correction factors by its binding to the internal components of the cell, was described previously for baker’s yeast. However, it was considered important to explore whether the method developed could be applied to other yeast strains. Alternative ways to estimate the PMP by using flow cytometry and a multi-well plate reader are also presented here. The methods were tested with other strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (W303-1A and FY833), as well as with non-conventional yeasts: Debaryomyces hansenii, Candida albicans, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. Results of the estimation of the PMP via the fluorescence changes under different conditions were adequate with all strains. Consistent results were also obtained with several mutants of the main monovalent transporters, validating ThT as a monitor for PMP estimation.
Ergosterol and Its Metabolites Induce Ligninolytic Activity in the Lignin-Degrading Fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624
Authors: Wang Jianqiao , Yin Ru , Hashizume Yuki , Todoroki Yasushi , Mori Toshio , Kawagishi Hirokazu , Hirai Hirofumi
Published: September 2023

White-rot fungi are the most important group of lignin biodegraders. Phanerochaete sordida YK-624 has higher ligninolytic activity than that of model white-rot fungi. However, the underlying mechanism responsible for lignin degradation by white-rot fungi remains unknown, and the induced compounds isolated from white-rot fungi for lignin degradation have never been studied. In the present study, we tried to screen ligninolytic-inducing compounds produced by P. sordida YK-624. After large-scale incubation of P. sordida YK-624, the culture and mycelium were separated by filtration. After the separation and purification, purified compounds were analyzed by high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. The sterilized unbleached hardwood kraft pulp was used for the initial evaluation of ligninolytic activity. Ergosterol was isolated and identified and it induced the lignin-degrading activity of this fungus. Moreover, we investigated ergosterol metabolites from P. sordida YK-624, and the ergosterol metabolites ergosta-4,7,22-triene-3,6-dione and ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one were identified and then chemically synthesized. These compounds significantly improved the lignin-degrading activity of the fungus. This is the first report on the ligninolytic-inducing compounds produced by white-rot fungi.
Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: Assessing the Significance of Lp(a) and ApoB Concentrations in a Romanian Cohort
Authors: Abu-Awwad Simona-Alina , Craina Marius , Boscu Lioara , Bernad Elena , Ciordas Paula Diana , Marian Catalin , Iurciuc Mircea , Abu-Awwad Ahmed , Iurciuc Stela , Bernad Brenda , Popov Diana Maria Anastasiu , Maghiari Anca Laura
Published: September 2023

Background: This research delves into the association between altered lipid profiles and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), shedding light on cardiovascular implications in maternal health. Methods: A cohort of 83 pregnant women was studied, with 48.19% diagnosed with HDP. This investigation primarily focused on Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) as indicators of cardiovascular health. A comparative examination was conducted to determine discrepancies in the ApoB and Lp(a) levels between standard pregnancies and those presenting with HDP. Results: Significant elevations in ApoB (p value = 0.0486) and Lp(a) (p value < 0.0001) levels were observed in pregnant women with HDP compared to their counterparts with typical pregnancies. The pronounced link between heightened ApoB and Lp(a) concentrations and HDP persisted, even considering pregnancy’s distinct physiological conditions. Conclusions: Our research accentuates the crucial role of early detection and specialized handling of cardiovascular risks in expectant mothers, especially those predisposed to HDP. The study indicates ApoB and Lp(a)’s potential as reliable markers for gauging cardiovascular threats during gestation. Furthermore, our findings suggest an integrative care approach and guidance for pregnant women, aspiring to enhance cardiovascular health in the postpartum phase.
Luticola tenera sp. nov. (Diadesmidaceae, Naviculales)—A New Diatom from the Soil of the State Nature Reserve “Bastak” (Jewish Autonomous Region, Russia)
Authors: Bagmet Veronika B. , Abdullin Shamil R. , Nikulin Arthur Yu. , Nikulin Vyacheslav Yu. , Gontcharov Andrey A.
Published: September 2023

Diatoms inhabit different aquatic and non-aquatic environments, including soils. The naviculoid genus Luticola is widespread in various habitats and accounts for 264 species that are only based on morphological and morphometric characteristics. These parameters can greatly vary during the life cycle, making the species very similar to each other and complicating their unambiguous identification. During a study on soil algal diversity in the Russian Far East (Jewish Autonomous Region), we isolated a strain of naviculoid diatom and examined it using an integrative approach (phylogenetic, morphological, ultrastructural data, and life cycle). Phylogenetic analyses, based on chloroplast rbcL gene data, showed affinity of the new strain with the genus Luticola. Our alga shares morphological features typical of the genus members but differs from them by having valves with a larger width and hook-shaped external proximal raphe ends deflected to the side opposite the stigma. It was revealed that the strain reproduces via two types of sexual reproduction—isogamy and cis-anisogamy. Based on these phenotypic traits, we described the new isolate as Luticola tenera sp. nov.
Antioxidant, Antiglaucoma, Anticholinergic, and Antidiabetic Effects of Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) Oil: Metabolite Profile Analysis Using LC-HR/MS, GC/MS and GC-FID
Authors: Ozden Eda Mehtap , Bingol Zeynebe , Mutlu Muzaffer , Karagecili Hasan , Köksal Ekrem , Goren Ahmet C. , Alwasel Saleh H. , Gulcin İlhami
Published: September 2023

Determining the antioxidant abilities and enzyme inhibition profiles of medicinally important plants and their oils is of great importance for a healthy life and the treatment of some common global diseases. Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) oil was examined and researched using several bioanalytical methods comprehensively for the first time in this research to determine its antioxidant, antiglaucoma, antidiabetic and anti-Alzheimer’s capabilities. Additionally, the kiwifruit oil inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE), carbonic anhydrase II (CA II), and α-amylase, which are linked to a number of metabolic illnesses, were established. Furthermore, LC-HRMS analysis was used to assess the phenolic content of kiwifruit oil. It came to light that kiwifruit oil contained 26 different phenolic compounds. According to the LC-HRMS findings, kiwifruit oil is abundant in apigenin (74.24 mg/L oil), epigallocatechin (12.89 mg/L oil), caryophyllene oxide (12.89 mg/L oil), and luteolin (5.49 mg/L oil). In addition, GC-MS and GC-FID studies were used to ascertain the quantity and chemical composition of the essential oils contained in kiwifruit oil. Squalene (53.04%), linoleoyl chloride (20.28%), linoleic acid (2.67%), and palmitic acid (1.54%) were the most abundant compounds in kiwifruit oil. For radical scavenging activities of kiwifruit oil, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH•) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS•+) radicals scavenging techniques were examined. These methods effectively demonstrated the potent radical scavenging properties of kiwifruit oil (IC50: 48.55 μg/mL for DPPH•, and IC50: 77.00 μg/mL for ABTS•+ scavenging). Also, for reducing capabilities, iron (Fe3+), copper (Cu2+), and Fe3+-2,4,6-tri(2-pyridyl)-S-triazine (TPTZ) reducing abilities were studied. Moreover, kiwifruit oil showed a considerable inhibition effect towards hCA II (IC50: 505.83 μg/mL), AChE (IC50: 12.80 μg/mL), and α-amylase (IC50: 421.02 μg/mL). The results revealed that the use of kiwifruit oil in a pharmaceutical procedure has very important effects due to its antioxidant, anti-Alzheimer, antidiabetic, and antiglaucoma effects.
Comparison of the Ocular Surface Disease Index and the Symptom Assessment in Dry Eye Questionnaires for Dry Eye Symptom Assessment
Authors: Martin Raul ,   EMO Research Group
Published: September 2023

Background: Patient-reported dry eye symptoms (DESs), assessed using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and the Symptom Assessment iN Dry Eye (SANDE) questionnaires, were compared in a large sample of patients. Methods: The correlation (Spearman coefficient) and agreement (Bland-Altman analysis) between the OSDI and SANDE questionnaire scores (with and without score normalization) were assessed in 1033 patients and classified according to the OSDI score as non-DES and DES in a cross-sectional analysis. Results: The normalized and non-normalized SANDE results were higher than the OSDI results in all samples (2.83 ± 12.40 (p = 0.063) and 2.85 ± 15.95 (p = 0.016), respectively) and in non-DES (p > 0.063) and DES (p < 0.001) with both OSDI cutoff values. Weak correlations were found (Spearman coefficient <0.53; p < 0.001) in all cases except DES (0.12, p = 0.126). Weak agreement was found with a Bland-Altman analysis of the normalized and non-normalized scores of both questionnaires (mean difference from −7.67 ± 29.17 (DES patients) to −1.33 ± 8.99 (non-DES patients) without score normalization, and from −9.21 ± 26.37 (DES patients) to −0.85 ± 4.01 (non-DES) with data normalization), with a statistically significant linear relationship (R2 > 0.32, p < 0.001). The SANDE questionnaire did not yield the same patient classification as OSDI. The same operative curves (ROC) of the SANDE normalized and non-normalized scores were used to differentiate among patients with DES using OSDI < 12 (0.836 ± 0.015) or OSDI < 22 (0.880 ± 0.015) cutoff values. Conclusions: Normalized and non-normalized data collected from the SANDE questionnaire showed relevant differences from those of the OSDI, which suggests that the results of the SANDE visual analog scale-based questionnaire provide different patient classifications than the OSDI score.
The Effect of Congruent Tibial Inserts in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Tsai Yen-Lin , Tsai Sung Huang Laurent , Lin Chia-Han , Lin Chun-Ru , Hu Chih-Chien
Published: September 2023

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether modern congruent tibial inserts are associated with superior outcomes in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Background: Ultracongruent fixed-bearing (UCFB) and medial congruent fixed-bearing (MCFB) inserts have been known to be effective in total knee arthroplasty with patient satisfaction. Nonetheless, no supporting evidence to date exists to rank the clinical outcomes of these various congruent inserts in TKA compared with other important considerations in TKA including cruciate-retaining fixed-bearing (CRFB) and posterior-stabilized fixed-bearing (PSFB) inserts. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and Scopus up to 15 May 2022. We selected studies involving an active comparison of UCFB or MCFB in TKAs. We performed a network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and compared different congruent inserts. We ranked the clinical outcomes by SUCRA score with the estimate of the best treatment probability. Our primary outcomes were revision rates and radiolucent lines. Secondary outcomes were functional scores, including the range of motion (ROM), the Knee Society Score (KSS), the Oxford Knee Score (OKS), and WOMAC. Results: Eighteen RCTs with 1793 participants were analyzed. Our NMA ranked MCFB, CRFB, and UCFB with the lowest revision rates. CRFB and UCFB had the fewest radiolucent lines. UCFB had overall the best ROM. UCFB and MCFB had the best OKS score overall. Conclusions: The ranking probability for better clinical outcomes in congruent inserts demonstrated the superiority of congruent tibial inserts, including UCFB and MCFB. UCFB may be associated with better ROM and postoperative functional outcomes. However, integrating future RCTs for high-level evidence is necessary to confirm these findings.
A Complex Case of Clino-Syndactyly with Fourth Metacarpal Aplasia
Authors: Nudelman Hermann , Lőrincz Aba , Lamberti Anna Gabriella , Kassai Tamás , Józsa Gergő
Published: September 2023

Syndactyly is the most common congenital malformation of the hand, leading to the fusion of the digits and frequently affecting the ring and middle fingers. The incidence is 1 out of 2500 children, predominantly occurring in boys and Caucasians. Clinically, the malformation may present as a soft tissue or bony fusion, resulting in the union of the fingers characterised as complete or incomplete. This fusion may involve the phalanges but may also extend to the carpal/tarsal bones, even to the metacarpal or metatarsal level, rarely to the distal end of the forearm and lower leg. The malformation is mostly isolated but may occur together with other disorders or malformations such as synostosis, acro-syndactyly, cleft hand, clinodactyly, or polydactyly. Syndromic syndactyly can be observed in cases of Apert syndrome, Poland’s syndrome, Pfeiffer syndrome, and many others. A girl born in June of 2019 was diagnosed with congenital malformation of the right hand at birth—affecting the right middle, ring, and little fingers, respectively. After X-ray imaging, the fusion of the third and fourth proximal phalanges to a common metacarpal was identified, forming a unique diagnosis of clino-syndactyly with metacarpal aplasia. Surgical intervention was advocated for, including a wedge osteotomy to correct the synchondrosis at the phalangeal base and a dorsal flap to close the interdigital space created during the correction of the III and IV. fingers. A trapezoid flap for the release of the syndactyly of the IV and V. fingers was applied. The paper aims to present this surgical correction and its results regarding an atypical case of syndactyly with clinodactyly and metacarpal aplasia.
Synthesis and Characterization of Doped Magnesium Hydroxide for Medium Heat Storage Application
Authors: Albeladi Nawaf , Kur Anti , Mokaya Robert , Darkwa Jo , Roger-Lund Sarah , Worall Mark , Calautit John , Boukhanouf Rabah
Published: September 2023

The amount of waste heat generated annually in the UK exceeds the total annual electricity demand. Hence, it is crucial to effectively harness all available sources of waste heat based on their varying temperatures. Through suitable technologies, a substantial portion of this waste heat has the potential to be recovered for reutilization. Thermochemical energy storage (TCES) provides the best opportunities to recover waste heat at various temperatures for long-term storage and application. The potential of TCES with magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)2, has been established, but it has a relatively high dehydration temperature, thus limiting its potential for medium-temperature heat storage applications, which account for a vast proportion of industrial waste heat. To this end, samples of doped Mg(OH)2 with varying proportions (5, 10, 15, and 20 wt%) of potassium nitrate (KNO3) have been developed and characterized for evaluation. The results showed that the Mg(OH)2 sample with 5 wt% KNO3 achieved the best outcome and was able to lower the dehydration temperature of the pure Mg(OH)2 from about 317 °C to 293 °C with an increase in the energy storage capacity from 1246 J/g to 1317 J/g. It also showed a monodisperse surface topology and thermal stability in the non-isothermal test conducted on the sample and therefore appears to have the potential for medium heat storage applications ranging from 293 °C to 400 °C.
Damage Detection in a Polymer Matrix Composite from 4D Displacement Field Measurements
Authors: Mandić Ana , Kosin Viktor , Jailin Clément , Tomičević Zvonimir , Smaniotto Benjamin , Hild François
Published: September 2023

Standard Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) approaches enable quantitative analyses of specimen deformation to be performed by measuring displacement fields between discrete states. Such frameworks are thus limited by the number of scans (due to acquisition duration). Considering only one projection per loading step, Projection-based Digital Volume Correlation (P-DVC) allows 4D (i.e., space and time) full-field measurements to be carried out over entire loading histories. The sought displacement field is decomposed over a basis of separated variables, namely, temporal and spatial modes. In the present work, the spatial modes are constructed via scan-wise DVC, and only the temporal amplitudes are sought via P-DVC. The proposed method is applied to a glass fiber mat reinforced polymer specimen containing a machined notch, subjected to in situ cyclic tension and imaged via X-ray Computed Tomography. The P-DVC enhanced DVC method employed herein enables for the quantification of damage growth over the entire loading history up to failure.
Experimental and Numerical Study of Concrete Fracture Behavior with Multiple Cracks Based on the Meso-Model
Authors: Wang Zhanliang , Zhang Wei , Huang Yiqun
Published: September 2023

In this paper, a series of experimental and numerical studies were carried out to investigate the effect of multiple cracks on concrete fracture behavior. Seven groups of double-crack concrete three-point bending (TPB) experiments with different crack lengths and different crack distances were carried out. The experimental results showed that the bearing capacity of double-crack specimens was slightly larger than the standard specimen with one central crack. Additionally, with an increase in the second crack length or with a crack distance reduction, the concrete’s bearing capacity increased correspondingly. Based on the experiments, a numerical meso-model was developed based on applying cohesive elements. The aggregate, mortar, interface transition zone (ITZ), and potential fracture surfaces were explicitly considered in the model. In particular, cohesive elements were used to characterize the mechanical behavior of the ITZ and potential fracture surfaces. A modified constitutive concrete model was developed by considering the potential fracture surfaces’ damage relation and friction effect. The accuracy of the developed meso-model was validated through a comparison between simulation and experiments. Based on meso-models, the influence of multiple cracks on the concrete bearing capacity was investigated by analyzing the energy evolution. The analysis results showed that the bearing capacity has a linear relation with the proportion of mode II energy consumption during the fracture process, which explains why specimens with multiple cracks have a slightly larger bearing capacity than the standard specimens. In summary, this study has found that in three-point bending fracture tests primarily characterized by mode I fractures, the presence of multiple cracks near the main crack slightly enhances the load-bearing capacity of the specimens. This is attributed to a slight increase in internal energy dissipation associated with the presence of these multiple cracks.
Trajectory Generator System for a UR5 Collaborative Robot in 2D and 3D Surfaces
Authors: Toledano-García Alberto Adrián , Pérez-Cabrera Hugo René , Ortega-Cabrera Danya , Navarro-Durán David , Pérez-Hernández Erick Mauricio
Published: September 2023

In Industry 4.0., robots are regarded as one of the key components. In recent years, collaborative robots (cobots) have risen in relevance and have been included in the industry to perform tasks alongside humans. Robots have been used in many applications in manufacturing processes; for the scope of this paper, the emphasis on these applications is centered on welding and gluing. These applications need to be performed with specific speed, efficiency, and accuracy to attain optimal welding or bonding to the pieces. An operator cannot maintain such conditions consistently, with minimum variations, for an extended period; hence, robots are a more suitable option to perform those tasks. The robots used for these applications need to be instructed to follow a trajectory to either weld or apply the glue. This path must be programmed on the robot by an operator, and depending on the complexity of the trajectory, it can take up to extended periods of time to set all the required waypoints. There are specialized software environments that contribute to the automation of these tasks; however, the overall cost of the licenses is not affordable if the scale of the project only requires developing and programming trajectories a few times. This paper contains a proposal for an open-source Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software to automatically generate the trajectories needed for the aforementioned welding and gluing applications. The procedure to develop the software starts by selecting the surface that will be welded or to which glue will be applied. The surface determines the model of the trajectory to be followed. Next, a processing system is fed with the individual points that make up the trajectory provided by their selection over the Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) model. This system then creates a program based on URScript® that can be directly uploaded to and executed on the robot. A set of tests is presented to validate the applications and to demonstrate the versatility of the developed trajectory generation system.
Surface Modifications of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles with Polyvinyl Alcohol and Activated Charcoal as Methylene Blue Adsorbents
Authors: Doan Linh
Published: September 2023

As novel methylene blue adsorbents, polyvinyl alcohol and activated charcoal were used to modify the surface of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. The adsorption capacity after 69 h was 26.50 ± 0.99–40.21 ± 1.30 mg/g, depending on the temperature (333.15, 310.15, and 298.15 K) and the initial concentration of methylene blue, which was between 0.017 and 0.020 mg/mL. Based on thermodynamics parameters, the adsorption process can be considered to be spontaneous endothermic physisorption. Kinetics studies show that the pseudo-second-order model was the best-fitted model. Adsorption isotherm studies show that the best-fitted models were the Langmuir, Langmuir, and Temkin and Pyzhev isotherm models when adsorbing MB at 333.15, 310.15, and 298.15 K, respectively.
Multi-Task Representation Learning for Renewable-Power Forecasting: A Comparative Analysis of Unified Autoencoder Variants and Task-Embedding Dimensions
Authors: Nivarthi Chandana Priya , Vogt Stephan , Sick Bernhard
Published: September 2023

Typically, renewable-power-generation forecasting using machine learning involves creating separate models for each photovoltaic or wind park, known as single-task learning models. However, transfer learning has gained popularity in recent years, as it allows for the transfer of knowledge from source parks to target parks. Nevertheless, determining the most similar source park(s) for transfer learning can be challenging, particularly when the target park has limited or no historical data samples. To address this issue, we propose a multi-task learning architecture that employs a Unified Autoencoder (UAE) to initially learn a common representation of input weather features among tasks and then utilizes a Task-Embedding layer in a Neural Network (TENN) to learn task-specific information. This proposed UAE-TENN architecture can be easily extended to new parks with or without historical data. We evaluate the performance of our proposed architecture and compare it to single-task learning models on six photovoltaic and wind farm datasets consisting of a total of 529 parks. Our results show that the UAE-TENN architecture significantly improves power-forecasting performance by 10 to 19% for photovoltaic parks and 5 to 15% for wind parks compared to baseline models. We also demonstrate that UAE-TENN improves forecast accuracy for a new park by 19% for photovoltaic parks, even in a zero-shot learning scenario where there is no historical data. Additionally, we propose variants of the Unified Autoencoder with convolutional and LSTM layers, compare their performance, and provide a comparison among architectures with different numbers of task-embedding dimensions. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of trained task embeddings for interpretation and visualization purposes.
An Improved Graph Isomorphism Network for Accurate Prediction of Drug–Drug Interactions
Authors: Wang Sile , Su Xiaorui , Zhao Bowei , Hu Pengwei , Bai Tao , Hu Lun
Published: September 2023

Drug–drug interaction (DDI) prediction is one of the essential tasks in drug development to ensure public health and patient safety. Drug combinations with potentially severe DDIs have been verified to threaten the safety of patients critically, and it is therefore of great significance to develop effective computational algorithms for identifying potential DDIs in clinical trials. By modeling DDIs with a graph structure, recent attempts have been made to solve the prediction problem of DDIs by using advanced graph representation learning techniques. Still, their representational capacity is limited by isomorphic structures that are frequently observed in DDI networks. To address this problem, we propose a novel algorithm called DDIGIN to predict DDIs by incorporating a graph isomorphism network (GIN) such that more discriminative representations of drugs can thus be learned for improved performance. Given a DDI network, DDIGIN first initializes the representations of drugs with Node2Vec according to the topological structure and then optimizes these representations by propagating and aggregating the first-order neighboring information in an injective way. By doing so, more powerful representations can thus be learned for drugs with isomorphic structures. Last, DDIGIN estimates the interaction probability for pairwise drugs by multiplying their representations in an end-to-end manner. Experimental results demonstrate that DDIGIN outperforms several state-of-the-art algorithms on the ogbl-ddi (Acc = 0.8518, AUC = 0.8594, and AUPR = 0.9402) and DDInter datasets (Acc = 0.9763, AUC = 0.9772, and AUPR = 0.9868). In addition, our case study indicates that incorporating GIN enhances the expressive power of drug representations for improved performance of DDI prediction.
One Approach to Numerical Modeling of the Heat and Mass Transfers of Two-Phase Fluids in Fractured-Porous Reservoirs
Authors: Bobreneva Yuliya O. , Poveshchenko Yury , Podryga Viktoriia O. , Polyakov Sergey V. , Uzyanbaev Ravil M. , Rahimly Parvin I. , Mazitov Ainur A. , Gubaydullin Irek M.
Published: September 2023

The work is devoted to numerical modeling of the processes of heat and mass transfer of a two-phase fluid in the environment of a production well, which is necessary for monitoring the development of fractured-porous reservoirs. This work proposes an efficient approach to constructing a solution to the problem. To solve the problem, a model of the “double medium” type is used, where the pore part of the reservoir is considered as the first medium, and the system of natural fractures is considered as the second medium. For the resulting mathematical model, the difference schemes with time weights are constructed based on the algorithm of splitting by physical processes, which ensure the correctness and consistency of fluxes in the fracture system and the pore reservoir. In the numerical solution, the approximations of differential operators obtained in the framework of the finite difference method are used. For the parallel implementation of the developed numerical approach, the domain decomposition method and the matrix sweep algorithm are chosen. The program implementation is made using the MPI standard. Computational experiments are carried out, the results of which confirm the effectiveness of the developed numerical algorithm and its parallel implementation. In numerical experiments, the distributions of pressure and temperature near an operating production well are obtained, on the basis of which it is possible to adjust the operation of wells in order to increase production.
Polynomial-Time Verification of Decentralized Fault Pattern Diagnosability for Discrete-Event Systems
Authors: Liang Ye , Liu Gaiyun , El-Sherbeeny Ahmed M.
Published: September 2023

This paper considers the verification of decentralized fault pattern diagnosability for discrete event systems, where the pattern is modeled as a finite automaton whose accepted language is the objective to be diagnosed. We introduce a notion of codiagnosability to formalize the decentralized fault pattern diagnosability, which requires the pattern to be detected by one of the external local observers within a bounded delay. To this end, a structure, namely a verifier, is proposed to verify the codiagnosability of the system and the fault pattern. By studying an indeterminate cycle of the verifier, sufficient and necessary conditions are provided to test the codiagnosability. It is shown that the proposed method requires polynomial time at most. In addition, we present an approach to extend the proposed verifier structure so that it can be applied to centralized cases.
Spillovers across the Asian OPEC+ Financial Market
Authors: Vuković Darko B. , Dekpo-Adza Senanu , Khmelnitskiy Vladislav , Özer Mustafa
Published: September 2023

This research utilizes the Diebold and Yilmaz spillover model to examine the correlation between geopolitical events, natural disasters, and oil stock returns in Asian OPEC+ member countries. The study extends prior research by investigating the dynamics of the Asian OPEC+ oil market in light of recent exogenous events. The analysis commences by creating a self-generated Asian OPEC+ index, which demonstrates significant volatility, as indicated by GARCH (1, 1) model estimation. The results obtained from the Diebold and Yilmaz spillover test indicate that, on average, there is a moderate degree of connectedness among the variables. However, in the event of global-level shocks or shocks specifically affecting Asian OPEC+ countries, a heightened level of connectedness is found. Prominent instances of spillover events observed in the volatility analysis conducted during the previous decade include the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the Turkey earthquake of 2023. Based on the facts, it is recommended that investors take into account the potential risks linked to regions that are susceptible to natural calamities and geopolitical occurrences while devising their portfolios for oil stocks. The results further highlight the significance of integrating these aspects into investors’ decision-making procedures and stress the need for risk management tactics that consider geopolitical risks and natural disasters in the oil equity market.
Gilbreath Equation, Gilbreath Polynomials, and Upper and Lower Bounds for Gilbreath Conjecture
Authors: Gatti Riccardo
Published: September 2023

Let S=s1,…,sn be a finite sequence of integers. Then, S is a Gilbreath sequence of length n, S∈Gn, iff s1 is even or odd and s2,…,sn are, respectively, odd or even and minKs1,…,sm≤sm+1≤maxKs1,…,sm,∀m∈1,n. This, applied to the order sequence of prime number P, defines Gilbreath polynomials and two integer sequences, A347924 and A347925, which are used to prove that Gilbreath conjecture GC is implied by pn−2n−1⩽Pn−11, where Pn−11 is the n−1-th Gilbreath polynomial at 1.
Therapeutic Effects of Treating COVID-19 Vaccine-Induced Anti-TIF1-γ-Positive Dermatomyositis
Authors: Wu Chih-Feng , Chen Wan-Ting , Chen Yen-Lin , Liu Feng-Cheng
Published: September 2023

An increase in skin-related autoimmune disorders has been reported as an adverse effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. We present the case of a 90-year-old Taiwanese female who was newly diagnosed with anti-transcription intermediary factor 1-gamma (anti-TIF1-γ)-positive dermatomyositis (DM) after receiving a second dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Under treatment with prednisolone and monoclonal antibody therapy of abatacept, her skin lesions improved, and her muscle power increased. The serum creatinine phosphokinase level decreased from 4858 to 220 U/L, and the anti-TIF1-γ antibody titer decreased from 202 to 99. Flow cytometry data showed an increase in T cells, while NK cells, B cells (CD19), and plasma blasts all decreased. These findings suggest that standard DM treatment might be beneficial to patients with COVID-19 vaccine-induced DM.
Lateral Peri-Implantitis: Successful Management via Guided Bone Regeneration at Mandibular First Molar Implant
Authors: Park Won-Bae , Villa Michael , Han Ji-Young , Lim Hyun-Chang , Kang Philip
Published: September 2023

Infections occurring around implants are divided into marginal peri-implantitis and retrograde peri-implantitis (RPI). Marginal peri-implantitis starts in the crestal bone and progresses to the apical portion, and RPI starts in the apical bone and progresses to the coronal portion. However, lateral peri-implantitis (LPI) occurring on the side of the implant body has not yet been reported, and the cause is unclear. This 63-year-old male patient is a case of unusual bone resorption that occurred in the lateral portion of the implant body 26 months after lateral bone augmentation. The origin of LPI was an infection at the site of laterally augmented bone. Rather than implant removal, this report demonstrates an alternative treatment option of guided bone regeneration after the enucleation and detoxification of the implant surface with successful clinical and radiographic results for 2 years.
Prediction of High-Temperature Creep Life of Austenitic Heat-Resistant Steels Based on Data Fusion
Authors: Wei Limin , Wang Shuo , Hao Weixun , Huang Jingtao , Qu Nan , Liu Yong , Zhu Jingchuan
Published: September 2023

The creep life prediction of austenitic heat-resistant steel is necessary to guarantee the safe operation of the high-temperature components in thermal power plants. This work presents a machine learning model that can be applied to predict the creep life of austenitic steels, offering a novel method and approach for such predictions. In this paper, creep life data from six typical austenitic heat-resistant steels are used to predict their creep life using various machine learning models. Moreover, the dissimilarities between the machine learning model and the conventional lifetime prediction method are compared. Finally, the influence of different input characteristics on creep life is discussed. The results demonstrate that the prediction accuracy of machine learning depends on both the model and the dataset used. The Gaussian model based on the second dataset achieves the highest level of prediction accuracy. Additionally, the accuracy and the generalization ability of the machine learning model prediction are significantly better than those of the traditional model. Lastly, the effect of the input characteristics on creep life is generally consistent with experimental observations and theoretical analyses.
Dual-Temperature Microbiological Control of Cellular Products: A Potential Impact for Bacterial Screening of Platelet Concentrates?
Authors: Vollmer Tanja , Knabbe Cornelius , Dreier Jens
Published: September 2023

An experimental study by the Paul-Ehrlich Institute (PEI) demonstrated that temperatures between 35 and 37 °C are too high for the growth of some bacterial strains (e.g., Pseudomonas fluorescens), leading to false negative results. Thus, the question of whether it is necessary to adapt incubation temperatures for the microbiological control of blood products, especially platelet concentrates (PCs), to enhance safety and regulatory compliance has arisen. In order to further elucidate this issue, the growth capability of different bacterial strains of interest in PCs and the detection efficacy of cultivation of these at different incubation temperatures must be taken into account. Therefore, we inoculated PCs with 46 different strains (3–6 PCs from different donors per strain) from different origins (PC isolates, reference strains) and stored PCs at 20–22 °C under constant agitation. On day three of storage, the inoculated PCs were sampled; aerobic and anaerobic culture bottles (BacT/Alert AST/NST) were each inoculated with 5 mL of sample, and culture bottles were incubated at 25 and 35 °C using the automated BacT/Alert Dual-temperature system. Bacterial proliferation was enumerated using a colony-forming assay. All strains of Enterobacteriacae (n = 5), Staphy-lococcus spp. (n = 11), Streptococcus spp. (n = 5), and Bacillus spp. (n = 4) and most Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains (4 of 5) tested showed the capability to grow in most inoculated PCs, revealing a faster time to detection (TTD) at an incubation temperature of 35 °C. The tested Pseudomonas putida (n = 3) strains showed a noticeably reduced capability to grow in PCs. Nonetheless, those with a notable growth capability revealed a faster TTD at an incubation temperature of 35 °C. Only one of the four Pseudomonas fluorescens strains tested (strain ATCC 13525) was able to grow in PCs, showing a faster TTD at an incubation temperature of 25 °C but also detection at 35 °C. The commonly detected bacteria involved in the bacterial contamination of PCs showed a superior TTD at 35 °C incubation. Only one P. fluorescens strain showed superior growth at 25 °C; however, the microbiological control at 35 °C did not fail to identify this contamination. In conclusion, the use of PC screening using a dual-temperature setting for microbiological control is presently not justified according to the observed kinetics.
A Comparative Analysis of the Stomach, Gut, and Lung Microbiomes in Rattus norvegicus
Authors: Shah Taif , Wang Yuhan , Wang Yixuan , Li Qian , Zhou Jiuxuan , Hou Yutong , Wang Binghui , Xia Xueshan
Published: September 2023

Urban rats serve as reservoirs for several zoonotic pathogens that seriously endanger public health, destroy stored food, and damage infrastructure due to their close interaction with humans and domestic animals. Here, we characterize the core microbiomes of R. norvegicus’s stomach, gut, and lung using 16S rRNA next-generation Illumina HiSeq sequencing. The USEARCH software (v11) assigned the dataset to operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The alpha diversity index was calculated using QIIME1, while the beta diversity index was determined using the Bray–Curtis and Euclidean distances between groups. Principal component analyses visualized variation across samples based on the OTU information using the R package. Linear discriminant analysis, effect sizes (LEfSe), and phylogenetic investigation were used to identify differentially abundant taxa among groups. We reported an abundance of microbiota in the stomach, and they shared some of them with the gut and lung microbiota. A close look at the microbial family level reveals abundant Lactobacillaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae in the stomach, whereas Lactobacillaceae and Erysipelotrichaceae were more abundant in the gut; in contrast, Alcaligenaceae were abundant in the lungs. At the species level, some beneficial bacteria, particularly Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus johnsonii, and some potential pathogens, such as Bordetella hinzii, Streptococcus parauberis, Porphyromonas pogonae, Clostridium perfringens, etc., were identified in stomach, gut, and lung samples. Moreover, the alpha and beta diversity indexes revealed significant differences between the groups. Further analysis revealed abundant differential taxonomic biomarkers, i.e., increased Prevotellaceae and Clostridia in the lungs, whereas Campylobacteria and Lachnospirales were richest in the stomachs. In conclusion, we identified many beneficial, opportunistic, and highly pathogenic bacteria, confirming the importance of urban rats for public health. This study recommends a routine survey program to monitor rodent distribution and the pathogens they carry and transmit to humans and other domestic mammals.
Plasma Bacterial DNA Load as a Potential Biomarker for the Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer: A Case–Control Study
Authors: Giacconi Robertina , Donghia Rossella , Arborea Graziana , Savino Maria Teresa , Provinciali Mauro , Lattanzio Fabrizia , Caponio Giusy Rita , Coletta Sergio , Bianco Antonia , Notarnicola Maria , Bonfiglio Caterina , Passarino Giuseppe , D’Aquila Patrizia , Bellizzi Dina , Pesole Pasqua Letizia
Published: September 2023

The gut microbiota has gained increasing attention in recent years due to its significant impact on colorectal cancer (CRC) development and progression. The recent detection of bacterial DNA load in plasma holds promise as a potential non-invasive approach for early cancer detection. The aim of this study was to examine the quantity of bacterial DNA present in the plasma of 50 patients who have CRC in comparison to 40 neoplastic disease-free patients, as well as to determine if there is a correlation between the amount of plasma bacterial DNA and various clinical parameters. Plasma bacterial DNA levels were found to be elevated in the CRC group compared to the control group. As it emerged from the logistic analysis (adjusted for age and gender), these levels were strongly associated with the risk of CRC (OR = 1.02, p < 0.001, 95% C.I.: 1.01–1.03). Moreover, an association was identified between a reduction in tumor mass and the highest tertile of plasma bacterial DNA. Our findings indicate that individuals with CRC displayed a higher plasma bacterial DNA load compared to healthy controls. This observation lends support to the theory of heightened bacterial migration from the gastrointestinal tract to the bloodstream in CRC. Furthermore, our results establish a link between this phenomenon and the size of the tumor mass.
Transcriptome and Metabolome Analyses of Thitarodes xiaojinensis in Response to Ophiocordyceps sinensis Infection
Authors: Li Miaomiao , Zhang Jihong , Qin Qilian , Zhang Huan , Li Xuan , Wang Hongtuo , Meng Qian
Published: September 2023

Ophiocordyceps sinensis exhibits more than 5 months of vegetative growth in Thitarodes xiaojinensis hemocoel. The peculiar development process of O. sinensis has been elucidated through morphological observation and omics technology; however, little information has been reported regarding the changes that occur in the host T. xiaojinensis. The RNA sequencing data showed that when O. sinensis blastospores were in the proliferative stage, the greatest change in the infected larval fat body was the selectively upregulated immune recognition and antimicrobial peptide genes. When O. sinensis blastospores were in the stationary stage, the immune pathways of T. xiaojinensis reverted to normal levels, which coincides with the successful settlement of O. sinensis. Pathway enrichment analysis showed a higher expression of genes involved in energy metabolism pathway in this stage. Metabolomic analyses revealed a reduction of amino acids and lipids in hemolymph, but an upregulation of lipids in the fat body of the host larvae after O. sinensis infection. We present the first transcriptome integrated with the metabolome study of T. xiaojinensis infected by O. sinensis. It will improve our understanding of the interaction mechanisms between the host and entomopathogenic fungi, and facilitate future functional studies of genes and pathways involved in these interactions.