bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Key feature-cases as virtual patients in education of veterinary neurology
Authors: Reeh Solveig Brigitta , Kleinsorgen Christin , Schaper Elisabeth , Volk Holger Andreas , Tipold Andrea
Published: August 2022

To provide students of veterinary medicine with the necessary day 1 competences, e-learning offerings are increasingly used in addition to classical teaching formats such as lectures. For example, virtual patients offer the possibility of case-based, computer-assisted learning. A concept to teach and test clinical decision-making is the key feature (KF) approach. KF questions consist of three to five critical points that are crucial for the case resolution. In the current study usage, learning success, usability and acceptance of KF cases as neurological virtual patients should be determined in comparison to the long cases format. Elective courses were offered in winter term 2019/20 and summer term 2020 and a total of 38 virtual patients with neurological diseases were presented in the KF format. Eight cases were provided with a new clinical decision-making application (Clinical Reasoning Tool) and contrasted with eight other cases without the tool. In addition to the evaluation of the learning analytics (e.g., processing times, success rates), an evaluation took place after course completion. After 229 course participations (168 individual students and additional 61 with repeated participation), 199 evaluation sheets were completed. The average processing time of a long case was 53 min, while that of a KF case 17 min. 78% of the long cases and 73% of KF cases were successfully completed. The average processing time of cases with Clinical Reasoning Tool was 19 min. The success rate was 58.3 vs. 60.3% for cases without the tool. In the survey, the long cases received a ranking (1 = very good, 6 = poor) of 2.4, while KF cases received a grade of 1.6, 134 of the respondents confirmed that the casework made them feel better prepared to secure a diagnosis in a real patient. Flexibility in learning (n = 93) and practical relevance (n = 65) were the most frequently listed positive aspects. Since KF cases are short and highlight only the most important features of a patient, 30% (n = 70) of respondents expressed the desire for more specialist information. KF cases are suitable for presenting a wide range of diseases and for training students' clinical decision-making skills. The Clinical Reasoning Tool can be used for better structuring and visualizing the reasoning process.
Typologies of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Five Latin-American Countries: A Latent Class Analysis
Authors: Restrepo Alexandra , Montoya Nilton , Zuluaga Laura
Published: August 2022

Objectives: To estimate typologies of Intimate Partner Violence against women in some Latin-American countries.

Methods: Multistage sampling survey included women aged 15 to 49 (n = 63,321). Latent class analysis was estimated, including psychological, physical, and sexual violence and control.

Results: The three-class model had a better fit. 1) The high-level IPV class (23%) comprised those suffering high levels of violence. They had higher education and wealth index, lived in urban settings, and their husbands used alcohol more. 2) The middle-level IPV class (45%) suffered high levels of control but low levels of other violence. They justified IPV more than other classes and this group had a high proportion of women without education. 3) Women in the non-IPV class (32%) did not report IPV.

Conclusion: Three typologies of IPV were found: high-level, middle-level, and non-IPV. Policies should create screening, early prevention strategies, and programs based on these typologies. The high-level IPV group can benefit from intense legal and mental health interventions, including alcohol reduction and women’s empowerment. The middle-level IPV group could benefit from interventions to reduce violence justification and increase women’s education.
A Decision Support System to Estimate Green Sustainability from Environmental Protection and Debt Financing Indicators
Authors: Ren Zhengyu , Chen Hsing Hung , Lao Kunseng , Zhang Hongyi
Published: August 2022

In the social context of advocating a low-carbon economy, achieving sustainable growth in line with current social development requirements is an issue that agribusiness must face. In order to explore the mechanisms influencing the sustainable growth of Chinese agriculture and to optimize the quality of agribusiness decisions, this paper examines the relationship between environmental management, debt financing indicators, and financial sustainable growth of the company in Chinese agriculture. Specifically, a decision support system based on the least square dummy variable (LSDV) model, mediating effects model and threshold effects model was constructed by using annual financial reports and questionnaire data of the listed agricultural enterprises. After empirical analysis, the following results were obtained: first, both environmental management and debt financing management help Chinese agricultural firms achieve financially sustainable growth. Second, debt financing can transmit the effect of environmental management on financially sustainable growth. Third, there are significant differences in the effects of debt financing on financially sustainable growth under different environmental management conditions. Finally, in order to promote the development of Chinese agriculture, this paper suggests that agricultural enterprises should actively implement environmental management and that relevant Chinese authorities should lower the financing threshold of the agricultural industry, while ensuring risk regulation.
The Study on the Text Classification Based on Graph Convolutional Network and BiLSTM
Authors: Xue Bingxin , Zhu Cui , Wang Xuan , Zhu Wenjun
Published: August 2022

Graph Convolutional Neural Network (GCN) is widely used in text classification tasks. Furthermore, it has been effectively used to accomplish tasks that are thought to have a rich relational structure. However, due to the sparse adjacency matrix constructed by GCN, GCN cannot make full use of context-dependent information in text classification, and it is not good at capturing local information. The Bidirectional Encoder Representation from Transformers (BERT) has the ability to capture contextual information in sentences or documents, but it is limited in capturing global (the corpus) information about vocabulary in a language, which is the advantage of GCN. Therefore, this paper proposes an improved model to solve the above problems. The original GCN uses word co-occurrence relationships to build text graphs. Word connections are not abundant enough and cannot capture context dependencies well, so we introduce a semantic dictionary and dependencies. While the model enhances the ability to capture contextual dependencies, it lacks the ability to capture sequences. Therefore, we introduced BERT and Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) Network to perform deeper learning on the features of text, thereby improving the classification effect of the model. The experimental results show that our model is more effective than previous research reports on four text classification datasets.
Unsure Theory: Ambivalence as Methodology
Authors: Merrett King Caitlin
Published: August 2022

Ambivalence is often regarded as a ‘negative’ emotion—an ‘ugly feeling’ as Sianne Ngai outlines—where not knowing and being unsure are seen as suspicious or mentally unhealthy. In this article, I outline the initial exploratory stage of the development of a new affective theory that I have termed ‘Unsure Theory’, in which ambivalence is observed as a mobile and aporetic state that, from an individual perspective, embraces the holding of multiple contradictory personal opinions. Unsure Theory also outlines ambivalence as an appropriate contemporary, meta-modernist response to late stage capitalism, our current socio-political moment, and its often negative impact on mental health. The aesthetics of ambivalence is explored through embracing a hesitant vernacular, an oscillating humorous, dry and ironic to sincere tone, and an internal, anecdotal first person voice that often addresses the reader. This exploration of Unsure Theory operates in an adjacent, feminist lineage of, and in homage to, Sad Girl Theory, as coined by writer, critic and artist Audrey Wollen, and Sick Woman Theory, by artist, writer and musician Johanna Hedva, as well as Lauren Fournier’s critical responses to both. Written within the genre of art writing and in reference to my own interdisciplinary creative practice, this article exemplifies autotheoretical writing as an extension of contemporary visual art practice. This article is partially situated within my own personal experience of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy from 2020–2022 and reading the autotheoretical novel Chelsea Girls by Eileen Myles at the beginning of 2021. Through unpacking these personal experiences, I begin to outline an argument for embracing ambivalence, particularly within autotheoretical practice, where Unsure Theory seeks to repoliticise uncertainty towards a new generative, critical and personal perspective on not knowing.
Scalable Silicone Composites for Thermal Management in Flexible Stretchable Electronics
Authors: Stiubianu George-Theodor , Bele Adrian , Grigoras Marian , Tugui Codrin , Ciubotaru Bianca-Iulia , Zaltariov Mirela-Fernanda , Borza Firuța , Bujoreanu Leandru-Gheorghe , Cazacu Maria
Published: August 2022

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has been incorporated, as an active filler, in a customized silicone matrix to obtain high thermal conductivity composites, maintaining high flexibility and low dielectric permittivity, which are of interest for heat dissipation in energy storage systems (e.g., batteries or supercapacitors) and electronics. By the proper processing of the filler (i.e., hydrophobization with octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and ultrasonic exfoliation) and its optimal loading (i.e., 10 wt%), composites with thermal conductivity up to 3.543 W·m−1·K−1 were obtained. Conductive heat flow (−280.04 W), measured in real heating–cooling conditions, proved to be superior to that of a commercial heatsink paste (−161.92 W), which has a much higher density (2.5 g/cm3 compared to 1.05 g/cm3 of these composites). The mechanical and electrical properties are also affected in a favorable way (increased modulus and elongation, low dielectric losses, and electrical conductivity) for applications as thermal management materials.
Insights into the Electrochemical Performance of 1.8 Ah Pouch and 18650 Cylindrical NMC:LFP|Si:C Blend Li-ion Cells
Authors: Landa-Medrano Imanol , Eguia-Barrio Aitor , Sananes-Israel Susan , Porcher Willy , Trad Khiem , Moretti Arianna , Carvalho Diogo Vieira , Passerini Stefano , de Meatza Iratxe
Published: August 2022

Silicon has become an integral negative electrode component for lithium-ion batteries in numerous applications including electric vehicles and renewable energy sources. However, its high capacity and low cycling stability represent a significant trade-off that limits its widespread implementation in high fractions in the negative electrode. Herein, we assembled high-capacity (1.8 Ah) cells using a nanoparticulate silicon–graphite (1:7.1) blend as the negative electrode material and a LiFePO4–LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 (1:1) blend as the positive electrode. Two types of cells were constructed: cylindrical 18650 and pouch cells. These cells were subjected both to calendar and cycling aging, the latter exploring different working voltage windows (2.5–3.6 V, 3.6–4.5 V, and 2.5–4.5 V). In addition, one cell was opened and characterised at its end of life by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and further electrochemical tests of the aged electrodes. Si degradation was identified as the primary cause of capacity fade of the cells. This work highlights the need to develop novel strategies to mitigate the issues associated with the excessive volumetric changes of Si.
Sex Impact on Knee and Ankle Muscle Extensor Forces during Loaded Running
Authors: Wagers Kade D. , Lobb Nicholas J. , Fain AuraLea C. , Seymore Kayla D. , Brown Tyler N.
Published: August 2022

Background: This study determined whether the knee and ankle muscle extensor forces increase when running with a body-borne load and whether these forces differ between the sexes. Methods: Thirty-six (twenty male and sixteen female) adults had the knee and ankle extensor force quantified when running 4.0 m/s with four body-borne loads (20, 25, 30, and 35 kg). Peak normalized (BW) and unnormalized (N) extensor muscle force, relative effort, and joint angle and angular velocity at peak muscle force for both the ankle and the knee were submitted to a mixed model ANOVA. Results: Significant load by sex interactions for knee unnormalized extensor force (p = 0.025) and relative effort (p = 0.040) were observed, as males exhibited greater knee muscle force and effort than females and increased their muscle force and effort with additional load. Males also exhibited greater ankle normalized and unnormalized extensor force (p = 0.004, p < 0.001) and knee unnormalized force than females (p = 0.005). The load increased the normalized ankle and knee muscle force (p < 0.001, p = 0.030) and relative effort (p < 0.001, p = 0.044) and the unnormalized knee muscle force (p = 0.009). Conclusion: Running with a load requires greater knee and ankle extensor force, but males exhibited greater increases in muscle force, particularly at the knee, than females.
Increased mRNA Levels of ADAM17, IFITM3, and IFNE in Peripheral Blood Cells Are Present in Patients with Obesity and May Predict Severe COVID-19 Evolution
Authors: Pomar Catalina A. , Bonet M. Luisa , Ferre-Beltrán Adrián , Fraile-Ribot Pablo A. , García-Gasalla Mercedes , Riera Melchor , Picó Catalina , Palou Andreu
Published: August 2022

Gene expression patterns in blood cells from SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals with different clinical phenotypes and body mass index (BMI) could help to identify possible early prognosis factors for COVID-19. We recruited patients with COVID-19 admitted in Hospital Universitari Son Espases (HUSE) between March 2020 and November 2021, and control subjects. Peripheral blood cells (PBCs) and plasma samples were obtained on hospital admission. Gene expression of candidate transcriptomic biomarkers in PBCs were compared based on the patients’ clinical status (mild, severe and critical) and BMI range (normal weight, overweight, and obesity). mRNA levels of ADAM17, IFITM3, IL6, CXCL10, CXCL11, IFNG and TYK2 were increased in PBCs of COVID-19 patients (n = 73) compared with controls (n = 47), independently of sex. Increased expression of IFNE was observed in the male patients only. PBC mRNA levels of ADAM17, IFITM3, CXCL11, and CCR2 were higher in those patients that experienced a more serious evolution during hospitalization. ADAM17, IFITM3, IL6 and IFNE were more highly expressed in PBCs of patients with obesity. Interestingly, the expression pattern of ADAM17, IFITM3 and IFNE in PBCs was related to both the severity of COVID-19 evolution and obesity status, especially in the male patients. In conclusion, gene expression in PBCs can be useful for the prognosis of COVID-19 evolution.
Investigation of the Characteristic Properties of Lignin-Modified Bitumen
Authors: Kalampokis Stavros , Papamoschou Marianna , Kalama Danai Maria , Pappa Christina P. , Manthos Evangelos , Triantafyllidis Konstantinos S.
Published: August 2022

The main objective of this study was to investigate the characteristic properties of lignin-modified bitumen with different lignin contents. The first step was the characterization of the physicochemical and thermal properties of the kraft lignin powder along with the determination of its microstructure. This was achieved by carrying out an elemental analysis, Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA)/Derivative Thermogravimetry (DTG), Fourier Transformation Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Confocal Microscopy. After the latter tests, three (3) blends with different lignin contents (5%, 10% and 15% by weight of bitumen) were produced. Characteristic properties such as penetration, softening point, elastic recovery, force ductility, dynamic viscosity and storage stability were determined for the reference bitumen and the three lignin blends. The main conclusion was that kraft lignin powder hardens the conventional bitumen. Specifically, the addition of 15% lignin to the bitumen hardened the blend to such a degree that the bitumen changed category from 50/70 to 35/50 with respect to EN 12591.
Effect of Plasticizer on Hydration and Rheological Behavior of Cement Pastes
Authors: El Bitouri Youssef , Azéma Nathalie , Le Saoût Gwenn , Lauten Rolf Andreas , De Weerdt Klaartje
Published: August 2022

Lignosulfonate-based admixtures (LS) obtained from sulfite pulping processes were the first dispersants added as a water-reducer to concrete. Less effective than the latest superplasticizers, the low cost and low environmental footprint of LS continue to allow these materials to compete in the building and construction market. In addition to the dispersion effect, LS is known to retard cement hydration. The aim of this paper is to characterize the effect of LS on the hydration and rheology of cement paste. The effect of the time at which the LS is added, either by immediate addition or after ten minutes of hydration, has been investigated. It appears that the immediate addition of LS is less effective than the delayed addition when it comes to dispersion of cement, likely due to the initial ettringite formation.
Prognostic Factors of Survival for High-Grade Neuroendocrine Neoplasia of the Bladder: A SEER Database Analysis
Authors: Mollica Veronica , Massari Francesco , Andrini Elisa , Rosellini Matteo , Marchetti Andrea , Nuvola Giacomo , Tassinari Elisa , Lamberti Giuseppe , Campana Davide
Published: August 2022

Background: High-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) is a rare and aggressive variant of bladder cancer. Considering its rarity, its therapeutic management is challenging and not standardized. Methods: We analyzed data extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry to evaluate prognostic factors for high-grade NEC of the bladder. Results: We extracted data on 1134 patients: 77.6% were small cell NEC, 14.6% were NEC, 5.5% were mixed neuro-endocrine non-neuroendocrine neoplasia, and 2.3% were large cell NEC. The stage at diagnosis was localized for 45% of patients, lymph nodal disease (N+M0) for 9.2% of patients, and metastatic disease for 26.1% of patients. The median overall survival (OS) was 12 months. Multivariate analysis detected that factors associated with worse OS were age being >72 years old (HR 1.94), lymph nodal involvement (HR 2.01), metastatic disease (HR 2.04), and the size of the primary tumor being >44.5 mm (HR 1.80). In the N0M0 populations, the size of the primary tumor being <44.5 mm, age being <72 years old, and major surgery were independently associated with a lower risk of death. In the N+M0 group, the size of the primary lesion was the only factor to retain an association with OS. Conclusions: Our SEER database analysis evidenced prognostic factors for high-grade NEC of the bladder that are of pivotal relevance to guide treatment and the decision-making process.
Earthworm Abundance Increased by Mob-Grazing Zero-Tilled Arable Land in South-East England
Authors: Trickett Toni , Warner Douglas James
Published: August 2022

Regenerative agriculture is a potential alternative to conventional agricultural systems. It integrates the components of zero-tillage, permanent soil cover, diverse crop rotations and rotational or mob-grazing by ruminant livestock. Earthworms are beneficial soil macrofauna and function as indicators of soil health. A need exists to identify how earthworm populations are affected when all four regenerative agriculture components are implemented simultaneously. This study investigates earthworm abundance in three split-plot treatments located on adjacent land within the same farm: (1) ungrazed permanent grassland, (2) a three-year grass-clover ley within an arable zero tillage system without grazing and (3) identical to treatment 2 but with mob-grazing. Earthworms were sampled using soil pits and classified into four functional groups: epigeic (surface dwellers), endogeic (sub-surface), anecic (deep soil) and juveniles. The total earthworm count, epigeic and juvenile functional groups were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in treatment (3), the arable zero tillage system with mob-grazing. Mob-grazing increases the diversity of carbon sources available to earthworms and has a positive impact on earthworm abundance and functional group diversity within the arable rotation under evaluation.
Optimization of Combined Heat and Power Systems by Meta-Heuristic Algorithms: An Overview
Authors: Alsagri Ali Sulaiman , Alrobaian Abdulrahman A.
Published: August 2022

Combined heat and power (CHP) plants are known as efficient technologies to reduce environmental emissions, balance energy costs, and increase total energy efficiency. To obtain a more efficient system, various optimization methods have been employed, based on numerical, experimental, parametric, and algorithmic optimization routes. Due to the significance of algorithmic optimization, as a systematic method for optimizing energy systems, this novel review paper is focused on the meta-heuristic optimization algorithms, implemented in CHP energy systems. By considering the applied objective functions, the main sections are divided into single-objective and multi-objective algorithms. In each case, the units’ combination is briefly detailed, the objective functions are introduced, and analyses are conducted. The main aim of this paper is to gather a database for the optimization of CHPs, demonstrate the effect of the applied optimization methods on the objective functions, and finally, introduce the most efficient methods. The most significant feature of this paper is that it covers all types of CHP optimization issues including scheduling, sizing, and designing problems, finding the extent of each optimization issue in the relevant papers in the last decade. Based on the findings, in the single-objective problems the combined heat and power economic dispatch (CHPED) issue as a subcategory of the scheduling problems is introduced as the most paid topic; the designing issue is known as the lowest paid topic. In the multi-objective problems, working on various types of CHP optimization problems has been conducted with an almost similar share. The combined heat and power economic emission dispatch (CHPEED) problem with the most share, and the sizing issue with the lowest share. The CHP designing and sizing optimization issues could be introduced as topics to work on more in the future. Additionally, the numerical results of CHPED and CHPEED problems solved by various algorithms are presented and compared. In this regard, specified test systems are considered.
Role of Oleaginous Microorganisms in the Field of Renewable Energy
Authors: Patel Alok , Rova Ulrika , Christakopoulos Paul , Matsakas Leonidas
Published: August 2022

The world increasingly requires biodegradable and renewable products in all production fields, with the vast volume of emissions generated by the fuel sector presenting a difficult issue that needs to be addressed [...]
Cooling Techniques in Direct-Drive Generators for Wind Power Application
Authors: Taras Petrica , Nilifard Reza , Zhu Zi-Qiang , Azar Ziad
Published: August 2022

Direct-drive generators are an attractive candidate for wind power application since they do not need a gearbox, thus increasing operational reliability and reducing power losses. However, this is achieved at the cost of an increased generator size, larger inverter and decreased thermal performance. The associated cooling system is therefore crucial to keep the generator and inverter sizes down and to operate within the safe thermal limits. Various cooling techniques suitable for generators are therefore reviewed and analyzed in this paper. The performance and maintenance requirements are unavoidable compromises that need to be investigated together, especially for large generators. The location of the wind turbine is also important and dictates critical issues such as accessibility and maximum size. The key novelty in this paper is the assessment of the cooling methods based on generator size, reliability and maintenance requirements.
A New Method for Intelligent Prediction of Drilling Overflow and Leakage Based on Multi-Parameter Fusion
Authors: Li Mu , Zhang Hengrui , Zhao Qing , Liu Wei , Song Xianzhi , Ji Yangyang , Wang Jiangshuai
Published: August 2022

The technical focus of drilling operations is changing to oil and gas reservoirs with higher difficulty factors such as low permeability and fracture. During the drilling process, drilling operations in deep complex formations are prone to overflow and leakage complications. Leakage and overflow problems will change the performance of the drilling fluid in the wellbore, impacting the wellbore pressure, and causing complex accidents such as stuck drilling and collapse. In order to improve the level of control over the risk of wellbore overflow and leakage, it is necessary to predict the mud overflow and leakage situation and to arrange and control the risk of leakage and overflow that may occur in advance to ensure the safety of drilling. By using a genetic algorithm to optimize the multi-layer feedforward neural network, this paper establishes a GA-BP Neural Network Drilling overflow and leakage prediction model based on multi-parameter fusion. Through the optimization training of 14 parameters that may affect the occurrence of complex downhole accidents, the mud overflow and leakage are predicted. The prediction results of the model are compared with the prediction results of a conventional BP neural network, and verified by the real drilling data. The results show that the MAE, MSE, and RMSE of the GA-BP neural network model are improved by 2.91%, 4.48%, and 10.93%, respectively, compared with the BP neural network model, and the prediction quality is higher. Moreover, the amount of mud overflow and leakage predicted by using the GA-BP neural network matches well with the pattern of mud overflow and leakage data in real drilling, which proves the effectiveness and accuracy of the GA-BP neural network in overflow and leakage prediction.
Improvement of the Mechanical Characteristics, Hydrogen Crack Resistance and Durability of Turbine Rotor Steels Welded Joints
Authors: Balitskii Alexander I. , Dmytryk Vitaly V. , Ivaskevich Lyubomir M. , Balitskii Olexiy A. , Glushko Alyona V. , Medovar Lev B. , Abramek Karol F. , Stovpchenko Ganna P. , Eliasz Jacek J. , Krolikowski Marcin A.
Published: August 2022

This article is devoted to the following issues: calculating the values of temperatures obtained by simulating welding heating and the subsequent implementation of the welding process at the given mode parameters made it possible to obtain a welded joint of the rotor with an improved initial structure and increased mechanical properties, hydrogen resistance and durability by up to 10–15%; simulating welding heating in the areas of fusion, the overheating and normalization of the HAZ and the formation of austenite grains; specified welding heating creates the conditions for the formation of new products of austenite decomposition in the form of sorbitol in the area of the incomplete recrystallization of the HAZ. In air and gaseous hydrogen, the destruction of the combined joints took place on the weld metal, as well as on the fusion areas, the overheating and the incomplete recrystallization of the HAZ of 20H3NMFA steel as the base metal. Structural materials have a relatively low strength and high fracture toughness in air. This is manifested in a significant reduction in the elongation (δ), the area (ψ) and critical stress intensity factor (KIc) of welded joints and the endurance limit of cylindrical smooth rotor steel specimens, which were cut from transverse templates. Welded joints in the whole range of load amplitudes are sensitive to the action of hydrogen.
Evaluating State-of-the-Art, Forecasting Ensembles and Meta-Learning Strategies for Model Fusion
Authors: Cawood Pieter , Van Zyl Terence
Published: August 2022

The techniques of hybridisation and ensemble learning are popular model fusion techniques for improving the predictive power of forecasting methods. With limited research that instigates combining these two promising approaches, this paper focuses on the utility of the Exponential Smoothing-Recurrent Neural Network (ES-RNN) in the pool of base learners for different ensembles. We compare against some state-of-the-art ensembling techniques and arithmetic model averaging as a benchmark. We experiment with the M4 forecasting dataset of 100,000 time-series, and the results show that the Feature-Based FORecast Model Averaging (FFORMA), on average, is the best technique for late data fusion with the ES-RNN. However, considering the M4’s Daily subset of data, stacking was the only successful ensemble at dealing with the case where all base learner performances were similar. Our experimental results indicate that we attain state-of-the-art forecasting results compared to Neural Basis Expansion Analysis (N-BEATS) as a benchmark. We conclude that model averaging is a more robust ensembling technique than model selection and stacking strategies. Further, the results show that gradient boosting is superior for implementing ensemble learning strategies.
Decomposition of Saccharides and Alcohols in Solution Plasma for Hydrogen Production
Authors: Minami Eiji , Miyamoto Takaki , Kawamoto Haruo
Published: August 2022

Solution plasma or in-liquid plasma, which is generated by gas-phase discharge within bubbles in a solution, is an exciting reaction field for biomass conversion. However, it is not fully elucidated how the solution plasma works to degrade biomass or how biomass is degraded in it. In this study, various saccharides and alcohols, mainly sucrose, were treated in solution plasma using a high-voltage pulse power supply to study the degradation mechanisms. Hydrolysis and gasification were observed in the solution-plasma treatment of sucrose. The former was mainly influenced by the water temperature, and the latter was mainly influenced by the discharge power. Therefore, it was inferred that hydrolysis occurred in the hot-compressed water region around the plasma, and gasification occurred at the interface between the plasma and water. Gasification of saccharides and alcohols produced H2-rich gases, but gasification was faster for high-volatility alcohols and slower for non-volatile saccharides. The formation of H2-rich gas can be attributed to H2 formation by the water–gas shift reaction of CO and direct H2 formation from water, in addition to H2 from the sample.
Dentin Particulate for Bone Regeneration: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Brunello Giulia , Zanotti Federica , Scortecci Gerard , Sapoznikov Lari , Sivolella Stefano , Zavan Barbara
Published: August 2022

The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate the commitment and behavior of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) seeded onto two different grafting materials, human dentin particulate (DP) and deproteinized bovine bone matrix (BG), with those cultured in the absence of supplements. Gene expression analyses along with epigenetic and morphological tests were carried out to examine odontogenic and osteogenic differentiation and cell proliferation. Compressive testing of the grafting materials seeded with DPSCs was performed as well. DPSC differentiation into odontoblast-like cells was identified from the upregulation of odontogenic markers (DSPP and MSX) and osteogenic markers (RUNX2, alkaline phosphatase, osteonectin, osteocalcin, collagen type I, bmp2, smad5/8). Epigenetic tests confirmed the presence of miRNAs involved in odontogenic or osteogenic commitment of DPSCs cultured for up to 21 days on DP. Compressive strength values obtained from extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesized by DPSCs showed a trend of being higher when seeded onto DP than onto BG. High expression of VEGF factor, which is related to angiogenesis, and of dentin sialoprotein was observed only in the presence of DP. Morphological analyses confirmed the typical phenotype of adult odontoblasts. In conclusion, the odontogenic and osteogenic commitment of DPSCs and their respective functions can be achieved on DP, which enables exceptional dentin and bone regeneration.
Preparation and Characterization of High Mechanical Strength Chitosan/Oxidized Tannic Acid Composite Film with Schiff Base and Hydrogen Bond Crosslinking
Authors: Qin Zhiyong , Huang Youjia , Xiao Siyu , Zhang Haoyu , Lu Yunlong , Xu Kaijie
Published: August 2022

Chitosan-based composite films with good biodegradability, biocompatibility, and sustainability are extensively employed in the field of food packaging. In this study, novel chitosan/tannic acid (CTA) and chitosan/oxidized tannic acid (COTA) composite films with excellent mechanical and antibacterial properties were prepared using a tape casting method. The results showed that, when 20% tannic acid (TA) was added, the tensile strength of the CTA composite film was 80.7 MPa, which was 89.4% higher than that of the pure chitosan (CS) film. TA was oxidized to oxidized tannic acid (OTA) with laccase, and the phenolic hydroxyl groups were oxidized to an o-quinone structure. With the addition of OTA, a Schiff base reaction between the OTA and CS occurred, and a dual network structure consisting of a chemical bond and hydrogen bond was constructed, which further improved the mechanical properties. The tensile strength of 3% COTA composite film was increased by 97.2% compared to that of pure CS film. Furthermore, these CTA films with significant antibacterial effects against Escherichia coli (E. coli) are likely to find uses in food packaging applications.
Genetic Variation in the MBL2 Gene Is Associated with Chlamydia trachomatis Infection and Host Humoral Response to Chlamydia trachomatis Infection
Authors: Verweij Stephan P. , Peters Remco P. H. , Catsburg Arnold , de Vries Henry J. C. , Ouburg Sander , Morré Servaas A.
Published: August 2022

This study aims to assess the potential association of MBL2 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to Chlamydia trachomatis infection. We analysed a selected sample of 492 DNA and serum specimens from Dutch Caucasian women. Women were categorized into four groups of infection status based on the results of DNA and antibody tests for C. trachomatis: Ct-DNA+/IgG+, Ct-DNA+/IgG−, Ct-DNA−/IgG+, and Ct-DNA−/IgG−. We compared six MBL2 SNPs (−619G > C (H/L), −290G > C (Y/X), −66C > T (P/Q), +154C > T (A/D), +161A > G (A/B), and +170A > G (A/C)) and their respective haplotypes in relation to these different subgroups. The −619C (L) allele was less present within the Ct-DNA−/IgG+ group compared with the Ct-DNA−/IgG− group (OR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.28–0.83), while the +170G (C) allele was observed more in the Ct-DNA+/IgG+ group as compared with the Ct-DNA−/IgG− group (OR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.1–5.4). The HYA/HYA haplotype was more often present in the Ct-DNA−/IgG− group compared with the Ct-DNA+/IgG+ group (OR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.16–0.87). The +170G (C) allele was associated with increased IgG production (p = 0.048) in C. trachomatis PCR-positive women. This study shows associations for MBL in immune reactions to C. trachomatis. We showed clear associations between MBL2 genotypes, haplotypes, and individuals’ stages of C. trachomatis DNA and IgG positivity.
Recent Developments in the Understanding of Immunity, Pathogenesis and Management of COVID-19
Authors: Yegiazaryan Aram , Abnousian Arbi , Alexander Logan J. , Badaoui Ali , Flaig Brandon , Sheren Nisar , Aghazarian Armin , Alsaigh Dijla , Amin Arman , Mundra Akaash , Nazaryan Anthony , Guilford Frederick T. , Venketaraman Vishwanath
Published: August 2022

Coronaviruses represent a diverse family of enveloped positive-sense single stranded RNA viruses. COVID-19, caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2, is a highly contagious respiratory disease transmissible mainly via close contact and respiratory droplets which can result in severe, life-threatening respiratory pathologies. It is understood that glutathione, a naturally occurring antioxidant known for its role in immune response and cellular detoxification, is the target of various proinflammatory cytokines and transcription factors resulting in the infection, replication, and production of reactive oxygen species. This leads to more severe symptoms of COVID-19 and increased susceptibility to other illnesses such as tuberculosis. The emergence of vaccines against COVID-19, usage of monoclonal antibodies as treatments for infection, and implementation of pharmaceutical drugs have been effective methods for preventing and treating symptoms. However, with the mutating nature of the virus, other treatment modalities have been in research. With its role in antiviral defense and immune response, glutathione has been heavily explored in regard to COVID-19. Glutathione has demonstrated protective effects on inflammation and downregulation of reactive oxygen species, thereby resulting in less severe symptoms of COVID-19 infection and warranting the discussion of glutathione as a treatment mechanism.
Quantitative Prediction of Steatosis in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver by Means of Hepatic MicroRNAs Present in Serum and Correlating with Hepatic Fat
Authors: Quintás Guillermo , Caiment Florian , Rienda Iván , Pérez-Rojas Judith , Pareja Eugenia , Castell José V. , Jover Ramiro
Published: August 2022

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent form of chronic liver disease worldwide, but a reliable non-invasive method to quantify liver steatosis in primary healthcare is not available. Circulating microRNAs have been proposed as biomarkers of severe/advanced NAFLD (steatohepatitis and fibrosis). However, the use of circulating miRNAs to quantitatively assess the % of liver fat in suspected NAFLD patients has not been investigated. We performed global miRNA sequencing in two sets of samples: human livers from organ donors (n = 20), and human sera from biopsy-proven NAFLD patients (n = 23), both with a wide range of steatosis quantified in their liver biopsies. Partial least squares (PLS) regression combined with recursive feature elimination (RFE) was used to select miRNAs associated with steatosis. Moreover, regression models with only 2 or 3 miRNAs, with high biological relevance, were built. Comprehensive microRNA sequencing of liver and serum samples resulted in two sets of abundantly expressed miRNAs (418 in liver and 351 in serum). Pearson correlation analyses indicated that 18% of miRNAs in liver and 14.5% in serum were significantly associated with the amount of liver fat. PLS-RFE models demonstrated that 50 was the number of miRNAs providing the lowest error in both liver and serum models predicting steatosis. Comparison of the two miRNA subsets showed 19 coincident miRNAs that were ranked according to biological significance (guide/passenger strand, relative abundance in liver and serum, number of predicted lipid metabolism target genes, correlation significance, etc.). Among them, miR-10a-5p, miR-98-5p, miR-19a-3p, miR-30e-5p, miR-32-5p and miR-145-5p showed the highest biological relevance. PLS regression models with serum levels of 2–3 of these miRNAs predicted the % of liver fat with errors <5%.
Symptomatic and Disease-Modifying Therapy Pipeline for Alzheimer’s Disease: Towards a Personalized Polypharmacology Patient-Centered Approach
Authors: Morató Xavier , Pytel Vanesa , Jofresa Sara , Ruiz Agustín , Boada Mercè
Published: August 2022

Since 1906, when Dr. Alois Alzheimer first described in a patient “a peculiar severe disease process of the cerebral cortex”, people suffering from this pathology have been waiting for a breakthrough therapy. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder and the most common form of dementia in the elderly with a long presymptomatic phase. Worldwide, approximately 50 million people are living with dementia, with AD comprising 60–70% of cases. Pathologically, AD is characterized by the deposition of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) in the neuropil (neuritic plaques) and blood vessels (amyloid angiopathy), and by the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau in neurons (neurofibrillary tangles) in the brain, with associated loss of synapses and neurons, together with glial activation, and neuroinflammation, resulting in cognitive deficits and eventually dementia. The current competitive landscape in AD consists of symptomatic treatments, of which there are currently six approved medications: three AChEIs (donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine), one NMDA-R antagonist (memantine), one combination therapy (memantine/donepezil), and GV-971 (sodium oligomannate, a mixture of oligosaccharides derived from algae) only approved in China. Improvements to the approved therapies, such as easier routes of administration and reduced dosing frequencies, along with the developments of new strategies and combined treatments are expected to occur within the next decade and will positively impact the way the disease is managed. Recently, Aducanumab, the first disease-modifying therapy (DMT) has been approved for AD, and several DMTs are in advanced stages of clinical development or regulatory review. Small molecules, mAbs, or multimodal strategies showing promise in animal studies have not confirmed that promise in the clinic (where small to moderate changes in clinical efficacy have been observed), and therefore, there is a significant unmet need for a better understanding of the AD pathogenesis and the exploration of alternative etiologies and therapeutic effective disease-modifying therapies strategies for AD. Therefore, a critical review of the disease-modifying therapy pipeline for Alzheimer’s disease is needed.
Role of HMGB1 in Cutaneous Melanoma: State of the Art
Authors: Li Pomi Federica , Borgia Francesco , Custurone Paolo , Vaccaro Mario , Pioggia Giovanni , Gangemi Sebastiano
Published: August 2022

High-mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear protein that plays a key role in acute and chronic inflammation. It has already been studied in several diseases, among them melanoma. Indeed, HMGB1 is closely associated with cell survival and proliferation and may be directly involved in tumor cell metastasis development thanks to its ability to promote cell migration. This research aims to assess the role of this molecule in the pathogenesis of human melanoma and its potential therapeutic role. The research has been conducted on the PubMed database, and the resulting articles are sorted by year of publication, showing an increasing interest in the last five years. The results showed that HMGB1 plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of skin cancer, prognosis, and therapeutical response to therapy. Traditional therapies target this molecule indirectly, but future perspectives could include the development of new target therapy against HMGB1, thus adding a new approach to the therapy, which has often shown primary and secondary resistance. This could add a new therapy arm which has to be prolonged and specific for each patient.
The Optimal Operation and Dispatch of Commerce Air-Conditioning System by Considering Demand Response Strategies
Authors: Tien Ching-Jui , Yang Chung-Yuen , Tsai Ming-Tang , Chung Chin-Yang
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this paper is to discuss an optimal operation and schedule of commerce air-conditioning system by considering the demand response in order to obtain the maximal benefit; this paper first collects the operating data of the chiller units in commercial users, calculates the cooling load of each unit, and derives the relationship between the cooling loads and power consumption of each unit. The weather information, such as temperature and humidity of inside/outside, are collected in the EXECL database, and the cooling load of the mall’s space is simulated by using the Least Square Support Vector Machine (LSSVM). Under the selected plan of power reduction, the requirement of space cooling loads, and the various operation constraints, the dispatch model of the commerce air-conditioning system with demand response strategies is formulated to minimize the total cost. A Modify Particle Swarm Optimization with Time-Varying Acceleration Coefficients (MPSO-TVAC) is proposed to solve the daily economic dispatch of the air-conditioning system. In the MPSO-TVAC procedure, the dynamic control parameters are embedded in the particle swarm of the PSO-TVAC in order to improve the behavior patterns of each particle swarm and increase its search efficiency in high dimensions. Different modifications in moving patterns of MPSO-TVAC are proposed to search the feasible space more effectively. By using MPSO-TVAC, it provides an optimal mechanism for variables regulated to increase the efficiency of the performing search and look for the probability of an optimal solution. Simulation results also provide an efficient method for commercial users to reduce their electricity bills and raise the ability of the market’s competition.
2D Axisymmetric Modeling of Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding and Experimental Validation
Authors: Berger Evan , Miles Michael , Curtis Andrew , Blackhurst Paul , Hovanski Yuri
Published: August 2022

The development of the simulation of refill friction stir spot welding (RFSSW) is critical to be able to predict the behavior of aluminum in the process under specific parameters. A two-dimensional axisymmetric thermo-mechanical model of the RFSSW process for 7075-T6 aluminum alloy sheet was developed and validated with experimental data. Welding temperatures and material flow, including defect formation, were accurately predicted by the model. While these results are encouraging, further development of bonding criteria is needed for simulation models, in order to enable the prediction of properties such as joint strength. The simulation was validated by a comparison of temperatures measured in the weld, which were demonstrated to be accurate at all positions in and around the weld nugget, within 10% of measured values. Additional validation of material flow was performed with post-weld optical microscopy where the simulation is shown to be able to predict the presence or absence of internal volumetric defects based on the variation in process parameters. Finally, the prediction of the tool process forces during the welding cycle were evaluated; however, both probe and shoulder forces were overestimated using the standard flow stress data for AA 7075-T6.