bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ERK Inhibitor Ulixertinib Inhibits High-Risk Neuroblastoma Growth In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Yu Yang , Zhao Yanling , Choi Jongmin , Shi Zhongcheng , Guo Linjie , Elizarraras John , Gu Andy , Cheng Feng , Pei Yanxin , Lu Dai , Fabbri Muller , Agarwal Saurabh , Zhang Chunchao , Jung Sung Yun , Foster Jennifer H. , Yang Jianhua
Published: November 2022

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a pediatric tumor of the peripheral nervous system. Approximately 80% of relapsed NB show RAS-MAPK pathway mutations that activate ERK, resulting in the promotion of cell proliferation and drug resistance. Ulixertinib, a first-in-class ERK-specific inhibitor, has shown promising antitumor activity in phase 1 clinical trials for advanced solid tumors. Here, we show that ulixertinib significantly and dose-dependently inhibits cell proliferation and colony formation in different NB cell lines, including PDX cells. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that ulixertinib extensively inhibits different oncogenic and neuronal developmental pathways, including EGFR, VEGF, WNT, MAPK, NGF, and NTRK1. The proteomic analysis further revealed that ulixertinib inhibits the cell cycle and promotes apoptosis in NB cells. Additionally, ulixertinib treatment significantly sensitized NB cells to the conventional chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin. Furthermore, ulixertinib potently inhibited NB tumor growth and prolonged the overall survival of the treated mice in two different NB mice models. Our preclinical study demonstrates that ulixertinib, either as a single agent or in combination with current therapies, is a novel and practical therapeutic approach for NB.
UCHL5 Promotes Proliferation and Migration of Bladder Cancer Cells by Activating c-Myc via AKT/mTOR Signaling
Authors: Cao Yuanfei , Yan Xin , Bai Xiaojie , Tang Feng , Si Penghui , Bai Can , Tuoheti Kuerban , Guo Linfa , Yisha Zuhaer , Liu Tao , Liu Tongzu
Published: November 2022

Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L5 (UCHL5) is a deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) that removes ubiquitin from its substrates. Associations between UCHL5 and cancer have been reported in various tissues, but the effect of UCHL5 on bladder cancer has not been thoroughly investigated. This study investigates the expression and function of UCHL5 in bladder cancer. UCHL5 was shown to be abnormally expressed using IHC of tissue microarray and Western blotting. Several procedures were performed to assess the effect of UCHL5 overexpression or knockdown on bladder cancer, such as cell proliferation, colony formation, wound-healing, and Transwell assays. In addition, RNA-Seq and Western blotting experiments were used to verify the status of downstream signaling pathways. Finally, bladder cancers with knockdown or overexpression of UCHL5 were treated with either SC79 or LY294002 to examine the participation of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and the expression of downstream targets c-Myc, SLC25A19, and ICAM5. In contrast to adjacent tissue samples, we discovered that UCHL5 was substantially expressed in bladder cancer samples. We also found that UCHL5 downregulation significantly suppressed both tumor growth in vivo and cell proliferation and migration in vitro. According to RNA-Seq analyses and Western blotting experiments, the expression of c-Myc, SLC25A19, and ICAM5 was modified as a result of UCHL5 activating AKT/mTOR signaling in bladder cancer cells. All things considered, our findings show that increased UCHL5 expression stimulates AKT/mTOR signaling, subsequently triggering the expression of c-Myc, SLC25A19, and ICAM5, which in turn promotes carcinogenesis in bladder cancer. UCHL5 is therefore a potential target for therapy in bladder cancer patients.
Chromosome Tug of War: Dicentric Chromosomes and the Centromere Strength Hypothesis
Authors: Hill Hunter J. , Golic Kent G.
Published: November 2022

It has been 70 years since the concept of varied centromere strengths was introduced based on the behavior of dicentric chromosomes. One of the key conclusions from those early experiments was that some centromeres could pull with sufficient force to break a dicentric chromosome bridge, while others could not. In the ensuing decades there have been numerous studies to characterize strengths of the various components involved, such as the spindle, the kinetochore, and the chromosome itself. We review these various measurements to determine if the conclusions about centromere strength are supported by current evidence, with special attention to characterization of Drosophila melanogaster kinetochores upon which the original conclusions were based.
Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells Acquire Heterogeneity during Successive Co-Culture with Hematopoietic and Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells
Authors: Wang Ruoxiang , Wang Xudong , Yin Liyuan , Yin Lijuan , Chu Gina Chia-Yi , Hu Peizhen , Ou Yan , Zhang Yi , Lewis Michael S. , Pandol Stephen J.
Published: November 2022

During disease progression and bone metastasis, breast tumor cells interact with various types of bystander cells residing in the tumor microenvironment. Such interactions prompt tumor cell heterogeneity. We used successive co-culture as an experimental model to examine cancer–bystander cell interaction. RMCF7-2, a clone of the human breast cancer MCF-7 cells tagged with a red fluorescent protein, was tracked for morphologic, behavioral, and gene expression changes. Co-cultured with various types of hematopoietic cells, RMCF7-2 adopted stable changes to a rounded shape in suspension growth of red fluorescent cells, from which derivative clones displayed marked expressional changes of marker proteins, including reduced E-cadherin and estrogen receptor α, and loss of progesterone receptor. In a successive co-culture with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells, the red fluorescent clones in suspension growth changed once more, adopting an attachment growth, but in diversified shapes. Red fluorescent clones recovered from the second-round co-culture were heterogeneous in morphology, but retained the altered marker protein expression while displaying increased proliferation, migration, and xenograft tumor formation. Interaction with bystander cells caused permanent morphologic, growth behavioral, and gene expressional changes under successive co-culture, which is a powerful model for studying cancer cell heterogeneity during breast cancer progression and metastasis.
CD36-Fatty Acid-Mediated Metastasis via the Bidirectional Interactions of Cancer Cells and Macrophages
Authors: Zaidi Noorzaileen Eileena , Shazali Nur Aima Hafiza , Leow Thean-Chor , Osman Mohd Azuraidi , Ibrahim Kamariah , Cheng Wan-Hee , Lai Kok-Song , Nik Abd Rahman Nik Mohd Afizan
Published: November 2022

Tumour heterogeneity refers to the complexity of cell subpopulations coexisting within the tumour microenvironment (TME), such as proliferating tumour cells, tumour stromal cells and infiltrating immune cells. The bidirectional interactions between cancer and the surrounding microenvironment mark the tumour survival and promotion functions, which allow the cancer cells to become invasive and initiate the metastatic cascade. Importantly, these interactions have been closely associated with metabolic reprogramming, which can modulate the differentiation and functions of immune cells and thus initiate the antitumour response. The purpose of this report is to review the CD36 receptor, a prominent cell receptor in metabolic activity specifically in fatty acid (FA) uptake, for the metabolic symbiosis of cancer–macrophage. In this review, we provide an update on metabolic communication between tumour cells and macrophages, as well as how the immunometabolism indirectly orchestrates the tumour metastasis.
Preparation and Properties of a Plasma-Sprayed Fe-Cr-B-C Coating
Authors: Lu Jing , He Jiayi , Chen Dong , Sun Chengchuan , Li Yimin , Luo Fenghua
Published: November 2022

Fe-Cr-B-C wear-resistant coating was prepared by atmosphere plasma spraying. The effects of the spraying current, main gas flow, secondary gas flow, and spraying distance on the microstructure, hardness, and bonding strength of the coating were studied. The results show that the cross-section of the coating is a typical lamellar structure. There are unmelted particles with high hardness in the Fe-Cr-B-C coating, and the hard phase particles are spherical and dispersed. As a result, the microhardness of the Fe-Cr-B-C coating is relatively uniform, within the range of 820~860 HV0.1. Spraying process parameters significantly affect the bonding strength of the coating, but have little effect on the microhardness. The matrix of the coating is an α-Fe phase and the hard phase is mainly a (Fe, Cr)2(B, C) phase and a (Fe, Cr)3(B, C) phase. Due to the spheroidized coating structure, the wear rate of the FeCrBC coating is only 0.62 × 10−5 mm3/Nm, which is 51% of the 304 stainless steel. The wear mechanism of the Fe-Cr-B-C coating is mainly abrasive wear and fatigue wear.
A Novel Simple Fabrication Method for Mechanically Robust Superhydrophobic 2024 Aluminum Alloy Surfaces
Authors: Shan Li-Mei , Liu Guo-Biao , Tang Hua , Li Zhi-Hong , Wu Ju-Ying
Published: November 2022

The mechanical durability of a superhydrophobic aluminum alloy surface is an important indicator of its practical use. Herein, we propose a strategy to prepare a superhydrophobic 2024 aluminum alloy surface with highly enhanced mechanical durability by using a two-step chemical etching method, using a NaOH solution as the etchant in step one and a Na2CO3 solution as the etchant in step two. Robust mechanical durability was studied by static contact angle tests before and after an abrasion test, potentiodynamic polarization measurements after an abrasion test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests after an abrasion test. Furthermore, the mechanism for enhanced mechanical durability was investigated through scanning of electron microscopy images, energy-dispersive X-ray spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectra. The testing results indicate that a hierarchical rough surface consisting of regular micro-scale dents and some nano-scale fibers in the micro-scale dents, obtained with the two-step chemical etching method, contributes to highly enhanced mechanical durability. Meanwhile, the as-prepared superhydrophobic 2024 aluminum alloy surface retained a silvery color instead of the black shown on the superhydrophobic 2024 aluminum alloy surface prepared by a conventional one-step chemical etching method using NaOH solution as the etchant.
Electrochemical Study of Polymorphic MnO2 in Rechargeable Aqueous Zinc Batteries
Authors: You Kun , Yuan Yifei , Liao Xiuxian , Song Wenjun , He Xuedong , Jin Huile , Wang Shun
Published: November 2022

Manganese dioxide is regarded as a promising energy functional material due to its open tunnel structure with enormous applications in energy storage and catalysis. In this paper, α-MnO2 with a 2 × 2 tunnel structure and β-MnO2 with a 1 × 1 tunnel structure were hydrothermally synthesized, which possess characteristic tunnel structures formed by the interconnected unit structure of [MnO6] octahedrons. With regards to their different tunnel dimensions, the specific mechanism of ion intercalation in these two phases and the effect on their performance as aqueous Zn-MnO2 battery cathodes are explored and compared. Comprehensive analyses illustrate that both α-MnO2 and β-MnO2 provide decent capacity in the aqueous battery system, but their intrinsic stability is poor due to the structural instability upon cycling. At the same time, experiments show that α-MnO2 has a better rate performance than β-MnO2 under larger currents, thus implying that the former has a broader application in this aqueous battery system.
Effect of WO3 Nanoparticles on the Radiative Attenuation Properties of SrTiO3 Perovskite Ceramic
Authors: Sayyed M. , Hashim S. , Hannachi E. , Slimani Y. , Elsafi M.
Published: November 2022

In the present work, an experimental study is performed to study the radiation shielding characteristics of SrTiO3 (STO) perovskite ceramic added with different amounts (x = 0, 2, 5, and 10%) of tungsten trioxide nanoparticles (WO3 NPs). The four ceramic samples were prepared using the solid-state reaction method. The structural properties were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The analysis showed the successful formation of WO3- doped STO samples. The crystallite size, estimated using the Scherrer equation, was found in the range of 50.86–41.17 nm. The effect of WO3 NPs on the radiation shielding performance of these ceramics was studied. Different parameters, such as linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) and other related factors, were experimentally determined. The linear attenuation coefficient results demonstrated that the additional amount of WO3 in the ceramics correlates with an improvement in their shielding abilities. The half-value layer (HVL) values for the ceramics with 2% WO3 nanoparticles are equal to 0.071, 1.760, 2.407, and 2.564 cm at 0.060, 0.662, 1.173, and 1.333 MeV, respectively. As the energy increases, more radiation can pass through the material; therefore, a larger thickness is required to absorb half of the total photons, leading to a greater HVL. The tenth value results reaffirmed that increasing the WO3 content in the STO ceramics improves their shielding efficiency. The radiation protection efficiency (RPE) of the four prepared STO ceramics was reported. From the RPE, we found that more photons can be attenuated at lower energies.
Herpetofaunal Diversity in a Dahomey Gap Savannah of Togo (West Africa): Effects of Seasons on the Populations of Amphibians and Reptiles
Authors: Segniagbeto Gabriel Hoinsoudé , Dekawole Jeanne Kafui , Ketoh Guillaume Koffivi , Dendi Daniele , Luiselli Luca
Published: November 2022

The Dahomey Gap is a human-derived savannah zone, interspersed by patches of moist tropical forest, that separates the forest zone into two blocks, the Upper Guinean and the Lower Guinean forests. Community ecology aspects of amphibians and reptiles are still relatively unexplored in this ecological zone of West Africa. Here, the overall species richness and the variation of the diversity metrics (dominance, evenness) of a whole herpetofaunal community in Togo was studied, with emphasis on the effects of the seasons (wet and dry) on the population structure. Overall, we observed 998 amphibian individuals from 27 species: 148 individuals belonging to 11 species during the dry season and 849 individuals belonging to 25 species during the wet season. For reptiles, we observed 517 individuals belonging to 44 species: 323 individuals belonging to 41 species during the dry season and 194 individuals belonging to 28 species during the wet season. The analyses on the diversity metrics showed opposite patterns between amphibians and reptiles in each season. Indeed, the dry season rank–abundance curve was systematically higher in reptiles than in amphibians for each rank of abundance, while the opposite pattern occurred in the wet season rank–abundance curve. Singletons and doubletons were much more numerous in the reptiles. Concerning the diversity indices, the Dominance index was significantly higher in amphibians during the dry season than in all other pairwise comparisons, whereas the Shannon’s index was significantly lower in dry season amphibians and significantly higher in wet season reptiles. Evenness index was significantly lower in reptiles than in amphibians and the mean number of individuals was significantly higher in amphibians by wet season compared to dry season amphibians or reptiles during both seasons. The ecological implications of these data are discussed. Most species were of minor conservation concern.
Two New Species of the Family Canuellidae Lang, 1944 (Copepoda: Polyarthra), from Korea, with a Key to Species of the Genus Scottolana Huys, 2009
Authors: Bang Hyun Woo , Moon Heejin , Back Jinwook
Published: November 2022

Two new species of the genus Scottolana Huys, 2009, were collected from Korean waters. S. daecheonensis sp. nov. is morphologically similar to S. jasani Song, Kangtia, Khim, and Chullasorn, 2018, from the Yellow Sea, Korea, and S. gomezi Nazari, Mirshamsi, Sari, Aliabadian, and Martinez Arbizu, 2018, from Bandar Abbas, Iran. However, it can clearly be distinguished from its congeners by rostrum with two tiny lateral sensilla, 4-segemented antennule in female, and 5-segmented antennule in male, 3-segmented mandibular exopod, P3 basis with an inner spinous process on the posterior surface, P3 endopod-3 without a modified tube-pore along the inner margin in male, P4 endopod-2 crumpled inner margin with strong spinules in male, P5 second outermost seta naked, caudal rami with an unguiform extension on the inner margins, and caudal seta V with a normal base in female. S. wonchoeli sp. nov. is similar to S. geei Mu and Huys, 2004 from the Bohai Sea, and S. longipes (Thompson I.C. and Scott A., 1903) sensu Wells and Rao (1987) from the Andaman Islands, but it can clearly be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following features: rostrum with a broadly rounded apex, 3-segemented antennule in female and 5-segmented in male, antennary exopod 8-segmented, female genital field relatively small, extending about one-third of genital double-somite, genital somite with paired lateral spinous processes in male, P6 with a long proximal element in male, and maxillular endopod with 11 setae in total. In a molecular analysis using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) genes, the interspecific distance was 20.031% for COI and 3.214% for 18S rRNA between the two new species. A key for the identification of the species of Scottolana is included.
The Domino Effect: Nucleosome Dynamics and the Regulation of Base Excision Repair Enzymes
Authors: Cook Julia C. , Delaney Sarah
Published: November 2022

DNA damage is induced by exogenous and endogenous sources, creating a variety of lesions. However, the cellular repair machinery that addresses and corrects this damage must contend with the fact that genomic DNA is sequestered in the nucleoprotein complex of chromatin. As the minimal unit of DNA compaction, the nucleosome core particle (NCP) is a major determinant of repair and poses unique barriers to DNA accessibility. This review outlines how the base excision repair (BER) pathway is modulated by the NCP and describes the structural and dynamic factors that influence the ability of BER enzymes to find and repair damage. Structural characteristics of the NCP such as nucleobase positioning and occupancy will be explored along with factors that impact the dynamic nature of NCPs to increase mobilization of nucleosomal DNA. We will discuss how altering the dynamics of NCPs initiates a domino effect that results in the regulation of BER enzymes.
Spatial Prediction of Current and Future Flood Susceptibility: Examining the Implications of Changing Climates on Flood Susceptibility Using Machine Learning Models
Authors: Mahdizadeh Gharakhanlou Navid , Perez Liliana
Published: November 2022

The main aim of this study was to predict current and future flood susceptibility under three climate change scenarios of RCP2.6 (i.e., optimistic), RCP4.5 (i.e., business as usual), and RCP8.5 (i.e., pessimistic) employing four machine learning models, including Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), Random Forest (RF), Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network (MLP-NN), and Naïve Bayes (NB). The study was conducted for two watersheds in Canada, namely Lower Nicola River, BC and Loup, QC. Three statistical metrics were used to validate the models: Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve, Figure of Merit, and F1-score. Findings indicated that the RF model had the highest accuracy in providing the flood susceptibility maps (FSMs). Moreover, the provided FSMs indicated that flooding is more likely to occur in the Lower Nicola River watershed than the Loup watershed. Following the RCP4.5 scenario, the area percentages of the flood susceptibility classes in the Loup watershed in 2050 and 2080 have changed by the following percentages from the year 2020 and 2050, respectively: Very Low = −1.68%, Low = −5.82%, Moderate = +6.19%, High = +0.71%, and Very High = +0.6% and Very Low = −1.61%, Low = +2.98%, Moderate = −3.49%, High = +1.29%, and Very High = +0.83%. Likewise, in the Lower Nicola River watershed, the changes between the years 2020 and 2050 and between the years 2050 and 2080 were: Very Low = −0.38%, Low = −0.81%, Moderate = −0.95%, High = +1.72%, and Very High = +0.42% and Very Low = −1.31%, Low = −1.35%, Moderate = −1.81%, High = +2.37%, and Very High = +2.1%, respectively. The impact of climate changes on future flood-prone places revealed that the regions designated as highly and very highly susceptible to flooding, grow in the forecasts for both watersheds. The main contribution of this study lies in the novel insights it provides concerning the flood susceptibility of watersheds in British Columbia and Quebec over time and under various climate change scenarios.
Optimization Design and Performance Evaluation of R1234yf Ejectors for Ejector-Based Refrigeration Systems
Authors: Yu Meihong , Wang Chen , Wang Lei , Zhao Hongxia
Published: November 2022

With the increasingly serious energy and environmental problems, the R1234yf ejector refrigeration system (ERS) shows great development potential in the refrigeration industry due to its simplicity, low maintenance costs and environmentally friendly nature. However, poor ejector performance has always been the main bottleneck for system applications. In order to overcome this problem, this paper proposes a design method for R1234yf ejectors based on the gas dynamic method and optimizes the geometrical parameters including the area ratio (AR) and nozzle exit position (NXP) to improve its performance through the control variable optimization algorithms. Based on the validated simulation model, the results show that the entrainment ratio increases initially and then decreases with the increase in AR and NXP, respectively; the AR has a significant effect on the shock wave position in the mixing chamber and the NXP can directly influence the expansion state of motive fluid; the ejector performance increases by about 17% over the initial entrainment ratio by the control variable optimization algorithms. This work can guide the R1234yf ejector design and promote the development of the ERS with environmentally friendly working fluids.
Sparse Regularized Optimal Transport with Deformed q-Entropy
Authors: Bao Han , Sakaue Shinsaku
Published: November 2022

Optimal transport is a mathematical tool that has been a widely used to measure the distance between two probability distributions. To mitigate the cubic computational complexity of the vanilla formulation of the optimal transport problem, regularized optimal transport has received attention in recent years, which is a convex program to minimize the linear transport cost with an added convex regularizer. Sinkhorn optimal transport is the most prominent one regularized with negative Shannon entropy, leading to densely supported solutions, which are often undesirable in light of the interpretability of transport plans. In this paper, we report that a deformed entropy designed by q-algebra, a popular generalization of the standard algebra studied in Tsallis statistical mechanics, makes optimal transport solutions supported sparsely. This entropy with a deformation parameter q interpolates the negative Shannon entropy (q=1) and the squared 2-norm (q=0), and the solution becomes more sparse as q tends to zero. Our theoretical analysis reveals that a larger q leads to a faster convergence when optimized with the Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS) algorithm. In summary, the deformation induces a trade-off between the sparsity and convergence speed.
Back to School: COVID-19 Post-Lockdown Classroom Anxiety
Authors: Rashid Shaista , Shaikh Sumayyah , Mardini Laila , Saad Farah Samir
Published: November 2022

Student psychopathology has been a topic of increasing concern globally in recent years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, students’ lives were heavily disrupted due to the change to remote learning. Now that learning is returning to normal, the turbulent changes students have experienced over the past few years may have impacted their mental health. The purpose of this study was to investigate COVID-19-related anxiety and stress levels in students shortly after the resumption of on-campus classes at a private university in Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey design was used. Three hundred twenty-six participants were a part of the study. Results indicated that a significant number of students reported being occupied with worry and stress related to COVID-19 and that it negatively affected their comfort while on-campus, in their classroom participation, in their social interactions and in their overall university experience. The findings from this study may be valuable to higher education institutions, academic administrators, lecturers and students themselves in helping to minimize friction during the process of students’ return to campus.
Research on the Primary Frequency Regulation Control Strategy of a Wind Storage Hydrogen-Generating Power Station
Authors: Sun Dongyang , Zheng Wenyuan , Yu Jixuan , Li Ji
Published: November 2022

Wind curtailment and weak inertia characteristics are two factors that shackle the permeability of wind power. An electric hydrogen production device consumes electricity to produce hydrogen under normal working conditions to solve the problem of abandoning wind. When participating in frequency regulation, it serves as a load reduction method to assist the system to rebuild a power balance and improve the wind power permeability. However, due to its own working characteristics, an electric hydrogen production device cannot undertake the high-frequency component of the frequency regulation power command; therefore, an energy storage device was selected to undertake a high-frequency power command to assist the electric hydrogen production device to complete the system frequency regulation. This paper first proposes and analyzes the architecture of a wind storage hydrogen-generating station for centralized hydrogen production with a distributed energy storage, and proposes the virtual inertia and droop characteristic mechanism of the wind storage hydrogen-generating station to simulate a synchronous unit. Secondly, an alkaline electrolysis cell suitable for large-scale engineering applications is selected as the research object and its mathematical model is established, the matching between different energy storage devices and their cooperation in power grid frequency regulation is analyzed, and a super capacitor is selected. A control strategy for the wind storage hydrogen-generating power station to participate in power grid frequency regulation with a wide time scale is then proposed. Using the first-order low-pass filter, the low-frequency component of the frequency regulation power command is realized by an electric hydrogen production device load reduction, and a high-frequency component is realized by the energy storage device. Finally, the effectiveness and rationality of the proposed control strategy are verified by establishing the simulation model of the wind storage hydrogen-generating power station with different initial wind speed states, comparing the system frequency dip values under the proposed multi-energy cooperative control strategy and a single energy device control strategy.
An Improved Nonlinear Tuna Swarm Optimization Algorithm Based on Circle Chaos Map and Levy Flight Operator
Authors: Wang Wentao , Tian Jun
Published: November 2022

The tuna swarm optimization algorithm (TSO) is a new heuristic algorithm proposed by observing the foraging behavior of tuna populations. The advantages of TSO are a simple structure and fewer parameters. Although TSO converges faster than some classical meta-heuristics algorithms, it can still be further accelerated. When TSO solves complex and challenging problems, it often easily falls into local optima. To overcome the above issue, this article proposed an improved nonlinear tuna swarm optimization algorithm based on Circle chaos map and levy flight operator (CLTSO). In order to compare it with some advanced heuristic algorithms, the performance of CLTSO is tested with unimodal functions, multimodal functions, and some CEC2014 benchmark functions. The test results of these benchmark functions are statistically analyzed using Wilcoxon, Friedman test, and MAE analysis. The experimental results and statistical analysis results indicate that CLTSO is more competitive than other advanced algorithms. Finally, this paper uses CLTSO to optimize a BP neural network in the field of artificial intelligence. A CLTSO-BP neural network model is proposed. Three popular datasets from the UCI Machine Learning and Intelligent System Center are selected to test the classification performance of the new model. The comparison result indicates that the new model has higher classification accuracy than the original BP model.
Total Cost of Ownership of Light Commercial Electrical Vehicles in City Logistics
Authors: Sendek-Matysiak Ewelina , Pyza Dariusz , Łosiewicz Zbigniew , Lewicki Wojciech
Published: November 2022

The process of urbanisation is one of the most characteristic features of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. All economic and demographic forecasts indicate that the process of urbanisation will continue to develop dynamically. Continuous urbanisation generates a number of problems that are connected with issues such as urban freight transport, i.e., the problem of traffic congestion, noise and air pollution. Therefore, recent years have seen a dynamic growth in programmes intended to alleviate the negative impact of transport on the urban environment. A number of international projects have been implemented or initiated and resulted in the development of interesting solutions that enabled the rationalisation of transport and contributed to the development of sustainable urban logistics, e.g., BESTUFS, CITY PORTS, CityLog, CityMove, C-LIEGE, FREIGHTWISE, GRASS, NOVELOG, SMARTFREIGHT and SUGAR. Especially worthy of note amongst those initiatives are those which are concentrated on the implementation of BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles). The authors of this paper have compared selected vehicles of the same brand and the same manufacturer, with the only difference being their N1 category power source (commercial vehicles with GVW of up to 3.5 tonnes), that are commonly used for the distribution of goods in urban conditions. The main purpose of the analysis was to answer the following question: can an electrical commercial vehicle compete in everyday use with a combustion-powered vehicle in the current market conditions? To this end, the authors developed a formula to calculate the total cost of ownership, in which all key criteria for vehicle use were taken into account, utilizing a scenario method. The utilitarian value of this research arises from the fact that Poland and its problems related to the issues analysed can serve as a source of preliminary analysis for other countries.
Optimizing the Spatial Nonuniformity of Irradiance in a Large-Area LED Solar Simulator
Authors: Al-Ahmad Alaa , Holdsworth John , Vaughan Benjamin , Belcher Warwick , Zhou Xiaojing , Dastoor Paul
Published: November 2022

The solar simulator has allowed all photovoltaic devices to be developed and tested under laboratory conditions. Filtered xenon arc lamps were the gold-standard source for solar simulation of small-area silicon photovoltaic devices; however, scaling these devices to illuminate large areas is neither efficient nor practical. Large-area solar simulation to meet appropriate spectral content and spatial nonuniformity of irradiance (SNI) standards has traditionally been difficult and expensive to achieve, partly due to the light sources employed. LED-based solar simulation allows a better electrical efficiency and uniformity of irradiance while meeting spectral intensity requirements with better form factors. This work details the design based on optical modeling of a scalable, large-area, LED-based, solar simulator meeting Class AAA performance standards formed for inline testing of printed solar cells. The modular design approach employed enables the illuminated area to be expanded in quanta of ~260 cm2 to any preferred illumination area. A 640 cm2 area illuminated by two adjacent PCB units has a measured total emission of 100 mW/cm2, with a SNI of 1.7% and an excellent approximation to the AM1.5G spectrum over the wavelength range of 350–1100 nm. The measured long-term temporal instability of irradiance (TIE) is <0.5% for a 550-min continuous run. This work identifies the design steps and details the development and measurement of a scalable large-area LED-based solar simulator of interest to the PV testing community, and others using solar simulators.
Ultrasonic-Assisted Rock-Breaking Technology and Oil and Gas Drilling Applications: A Review
Authors: Feng Jinyu , Yan Tie , Cao Yang , Sun Shihui
Published: November 2022

High-efficiency rock-breaking is a problem that has long been studied in the oil- and gas-drilling industry. The successful use of ultrasonic technology in related fields has prompted us to study how to introduce ultrasonic technology into rock-breaking in oil and gas drilling. This paper introduces and discusses the successful cases of ultrasonic breaking technology in related fields, summarizes the three basic forms of ultrasonic action on rocks, namely, resonance, impact and cavitation, expounds the factors and laws that affect ultrasonic-assisted rock-breaking, and summarizes the research results reported in recent years. It is believed that, at present, the application of ultrasonic-assisted rock-breaking technology in the oil- and gas-drilling industry still faces some problems and challenges: first, the downhole high-temperature and high-pressure conditions will affect the effect of ultrasonic-assisted rock-breaking, and the related mechanisms and research are not clear; second, the impact of circulating media on ultrasonic-assisted rock-breaking is not clear; third, the problem of ultrasonic propagation and utilization in the downhole has not been well-solved; fourth, the stability of drilling tools and circulating media caused by high-frequency characteristics has not been well-solved. Therefore, it is suggested to increase research on the mechanism of ultrasonic-assisted rock-breaking with oil- and gas-drilling characteristics and the transmission and utilization of downhole ultrasonic energy in the future, and increase the development of supporting products to support the application of this technology in the oil and gas industry.
Design Analysis of Heat Sink Using the Field Synergy Principle and Multitarget Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Lin Ming-Che , Lin Ruei-Fong
Published: November 2022

This study describes a novel heat sink design approach employs the field synergy concept and multitarget response surface methodology (RSM). The multiobjective response surface methodology can be used to determine the simulation equations that will maximize the heat transfer of fins at various fin heights, fin angles, and fin circumferences, when considering the impact of jet flow heat exchange. The goal of the response value was to maintain the minimum possible average field coangle and fin temperature. The results show that the ideal heat sink size would be the following: fins with a height of 50 mm, an angle of 60 degrees, and the number of fins equal to five. We examined the impact of wall speed on the heat transfer caused by the field synergy angle. Our findings suggest that with the synchromesh of the display field, heat-dissipation efficiency rises.
Analysis of Energy Dissipation on the Sealing Surface of Premium Connection Based on a Microslip Shear Layer Model
Authors: Yu Yang , Qu Zhan , Dou Yihua , Cao Yinping
Published: November 2022

In high production gas wells, premium connections are subject to alternating loads and vibration excitation due to the change of fluid pressure exerted on the tubing string. The energy dissipation on the sealing surface of premium connections affects the sealing performance of premium connections. The present study proposes a new energy dissipation analysis method for the sealing performance of premium connections using a microslip shear layer mode, a novel technique to overcome and improve the limitations of existing analysis method of premium connections. In this paper, based on a microslip shear layer model, a vibration equilibrium equation of premium connection was established with the constraints of the taper of the sealing surface, the thread, and the torque shoulder. Then, the control equilibrium equations of the stick and microslip were derived, and the critical microslip tangential force and force–displacement hysteresis curves under different interface parameters were obtained by solving the equilibrium equations. The influence of different interface parameters on the energy dissipation of premium connection was discussed by using a standardized regression coefficient method. It was found that the friction coefficient influenced both the minimum and maximum microslip tangential forces, while the shear layer stiffness influenced only the minimum microslip tangential force. The greater the stiffness of the shear layer, the smaller the minimum microslip tangential force and the relative displacement of the contact surface, which made it easier to generate energy dissipation. The influence of the friction coefficient on energy dissipation was much greater than the stiffness of the shear layer. There was positive correlation between the friction coefficient and energy dissipation. While, there was a negative correlation between the stiffness of shear layer and energy dissipation. The results can provide a theoretical guide for micro sealing failure mechanism of premium connections under dynamic loads and expand the analysis method of metal seals.
Fuzzy Logic–Based Decentralized Voltage–Frequency Control and Inertia Control of a VSG-Based Isolated Microgrid System
Authors: Alghamdi Baheej
Published: November 2022

This work proposes the use of fuzzy-logic-based voltage frequency control (VFC) and adaptive inertia to improve the frequency response of a virtual synchronous generator (VSG)-based isolated microgrid system. The joint VFC and inertial control scheme is proposed to limit frequency deviations in these isolated microgrid systems, mainly caused by the increasing penetration of intermittent distributed energy resources, which lack rotational inertia. The proposed controller uses artificial neural networks (ANN) to estimate the exponent of voltage-dependent loads and modulate the system frequency by adjusting the output voltage of the VSGs, which increases the system’s active power reserves while providing inertial control by adjusting the inertia of VSGs to minimize frequency and VSG DC-link voltage excursions. A genetic algorithm (GA)-based optimization strategy is developed to optimally adjust the parameters of the fuzzy logic controller to diminish the impact of disturbances on the system. In addition, the proposed technique is illustrated through simulations within the framework of a test system based on the CIGRE medium-voltage benchmark under various circumstances. The results of these simulations demonstrate that the proposed control strategy outperforms existing methods.
Applications of Computational Fluid Dynamics for Mine Ventilation in Mineral Development
Authors: Yi Huiuk , Kim Minsik , Lee Dongkil , Park Jongmyung
Published: November 2022

In this paper, the application status of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling in mine ventilation is presented by reviewing papers published since the year 2000. The aspects covered in these papers are the numerical analyses of working faces, mine tunnels, ventilation systems, and open-pit mines. CFD modeling procedures for mine ventilation are summarized. Further, building geometries, grid generation, solutions of equations, model validation, grid-independence studies, and solution convergence are discussed. Several examples of CFD modeling for mine ventilation are provided. Finally, conclusions including recommendations for future studies that may allow for more advantageous applications of such numerical simulations are provided.
International Impact of COVID-19 on Energy Economics and Environmental Pollution: A Scoping Review
Authors: Wołowiec Tomasz , Myroshnychenko Iuliia , Vakulenko Ihor , Bogacki Sylwester , Wiśniewska Anna Maria , Kolosok Svitlana , Yunger Vitaliy
Published: November 2022

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy and society has gained the interest of academics and policymakers in recent years. Our paper aims to investigate and systemize the evidence from 1901 publications belonging to the top 1% of worldwide topics by prominence. This paper helps estimate a pandemic’s short-run and longer-run effects on energy economics and environmental pollution. By systematizing the literature, we analyze key parameters influencing the deviation of previous worldwide economic and environmental development trajectories due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper examines research on the consequences of COVID-19 in five dimensions, particularly the impact of COVID-19 on (1) the environment and climate change, (2) sustainable development, (3) renewable energy and energy policy, and (4) methodology for forecasting and evaluating the energy sector and economic sectors. Our results indicate that the pandemic crisis’s impact on achieving sustainable development goals in the context of energy change and pollution is controversial and complex. On the one hand, scientists are unequivocal about the positive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on improving air quality and reducing CO2 emissions. Nevertheless, the long-term effects are threatened by gaps between countries in economic prosperity and different vaccination rates. Most studies have found that only a joint social effort and international collaboration can move to a clean energy system. In addition, using the Scopus database and modern tools of machine analysis, we determine leading authors in the subject area of “renewable energy, sustainability, and the environment”, as well as the top networks and scientific communities that appear within energy. The analysis of this manuscript can be helpful to policymakers and stakeholders in developing comprehensive energy efficiency programs and energy-saving strategies to achieve SDG targets.
Chinese-Style Fiscal Decentralization, Ecological Attention of Government, and Regional Energy Intensity
Authors: Bi Mingxiong , Wang Chencheng , Fu Dian , Tan Xun , Yu Shurong , Pan Junbai , Lv Kun
Published: November 2022

The impact of Chinese-style fiscal decentralization on regional energy intensity has long been disputed by the supporters of “federal environmentalism” and those who hold “race to the bottom” views. At the same time, with the transformation of China’s development mode, the Chinese government is paying increasing attention to the protection of ecological civilization and the realization of sustainable development, and the government’s attention to the ecological environment is becoming an important factor affecting regional energy intensity. Therefore, this paper takes the fiscal decentralization and ecological attention of local governments in China as the research object and analyzes their impact mechanism on regional energy intensity. Firstly, the entropy weight method was used to measure the comprehensive score of fiscal decentralization of Chinese local governments, and the text analysis method was used to obtain the ecological attention index of Chinese provincial local governments, which was sorted into panel data of 30 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) in mainland China from 2007 to 2019. The spatial econometric model and panel threshold model are structured as the means for analyzing the impact that fiscal decentralization and the ecological attention of local governments have, respectively, on regional energy intensity targets. We obtained the following conclusions: Chinese fiscal decentralization can significantly improve the regional energy intensity, and the fiscal decentralization of a region can significantly reduce the energy intensity in nearby regions; the enhancement of ecological attention of local governments will significantly inhibit regional energy intensity, and also has a significant inhibitory effect on the energy intensity of neighboring regions. As the threshold variable—which is the ecological attention of local governments—increases and reaches a certain level, fiscal decentralization will significantly and reversely inhibit regional energy intensity, indicating that the ecological attention of local governments can moderate the distortion of fiscal decentralization with regards to regional energy efficiency.
Anaerobic Digestion of Lignocellulose Components: Challenges and Novel Approaches
Authors: Agregán Rubén , Lorenzo José M. , Kumar Manoj , Shariati Mohammad Ali , Khan Muhammad Usman , Sarwar Abid , Sultan Muhammad , Rebezov Maksim , Usman Muhammad
Published: November 2022

The reuse of lignocellulosic biomaterials as a source of clean energy has been explored in recent years due to the large amount of waste that involves human activities, such as those related to agriculture and food. The anaerobic digestion (AD) of plant-based biomass for bioenergy production poses a series of challenges that new technologies are attempting to solve. An improved decomposition of recalcitrant lignocellulose together with an increase in biogas production yield are the main objectives of these new approaches, which also seek the added value of being environmentally friendly. Recent research has reported significant progress in this regard, offering promising outcomes on the degradation of lignocellulose and its subsequent transformation into biomethane by specialized anaerobic microorganisms, overcoming the drawbacks inherent to the process and improving the yield of methane production. The future of the agri–food industry seems to be heading towards the implementation of a circular economy through the introduction of strategies based on the optimized use of lignocellulosic residues as a source of clean and sustainable energy.
Recycling c-Si PV Modules: A Review, a Proposed Energy Model and a Manufacturing Comparison
Authors: Mulazzani Andrea , Eleftheriadis Panagiotis , Leva Sonia
Published: November 2022

As human activities are increasingly exploiting our planet’s scarce resources, managing them has become of primary importance. Specifically, this study examines the management of photovoltaic (PV) waste that is produced when PV modules reach end-of-life (EoL). PV modules contain precious and valuable materials, as well as toxic materials that may be harmful to human health and the environment if not disposed of properly. First, this study aims to review and analyze the current literature in order to gain a deeper understanding of the recycling of PV modules, particularly c-Si modules, which represent the largest market share. In the second part, an analysis is conducted of the energy consumption of these recycling processes using a proposed model based on the full recovery end-of-life photovoltaic (FRELP) process. PV modules manufactured from raw materials and PV modules manufactured from recycled materials are also compared in this section. In addition, improvements are suggested with respect to the design of PV modules (eco-design). According to this study, c-Si PV modules can be recycled with an energy consumption as low as 130 ÷ 300 kWh/ton of treated PV waste, estimating an overall recycling yield of about 84%.