bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research Progress of Biomimetic Memristor Flexible Synapse
Authors: Zhang Huiling , Liu Ruping , Zhao Huiqing , Sun Zhicheng , Liu Zilong , He Liang , Li Ye
Published: December 2021

With the development of the Internet of things, artificial intelligence, and wearable devices, massive amounts of data are generated and need to be processed. High standards are required to store and analyze this information. In the face of the explosive growth of information, the memory used in data storage and processing faces great challenges. Among many types of memories, memristors have received extensive attentions due to their low energy consumption, strong tolerance, simple structure, and strong miniaturization. However, they still face many problems, especially in the application of artificial bionic synapses, which call for higher requirements in the mechanical properties of the device. The progress of integrated circuit and micro-processing manufacturing technology has greatly promoted development of the flexible memristor. The use of a flexible memristor to simulate nerve synapses will provide new methods for neural network computing and bionic sensing systems. In this paper, the materials and structure of the flexible memristor are summarized and discussed, and the latest configuration and new materials are described. In addition, this paper will focus on its application in artificial bionic synapses and discuss the challenges and development direction of flexible memristors from this perspective.
Improvement of Retinal Microcirculation after Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation—An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study
Authors: Lange Philipp S. , Mihailovic Natasa , Esser Eliane , Frommeyer Gerrit , Fischer Alicia J. , Bode Niklas , Höwel Dennis , Rosenberger Friederike , Eter Nicole , Eckardt Lars , Lahme Larissa , Alnawaiseh Maged
Published: December 2021

Purpose: To evaluate retinal and optic nerve head (ONH) perfusion in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) before and after catheter ablation of AF with pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Methods: 34 eyes of 34 patients with AF and 35 eyes of 35 healthy subjects were included in this study. Flow density data were obtained using spectral-domain OCT-A (RTVue XR Avanti with AngioVue, Optovue, Inc, Fremont, California, USA). The data of the superficial and deep vascular layers of the macula and the ONH (radial peripapillary capillary network, RPC) before and after PVI were extracted and analysed. Results: The flow density in the superficial OCT-angiogram (whole en face) and the ONH (RPC) in patients with AF was significantly lower compared to healthy controls (OCT-A superficial: study group: 48.77 (45.19; 52.12)%; control group: 53.01 (50.00; 54.25)%; p < 0.001; ONH: study group: 51.82 (48.41; 54.03)%; control group: 56.00 (54.35; 57.70)%; p < 0.001;). The flow density in the ONH (RPC) improved significantly in the study group following PVI (before: 51.82 (48.41; 54.03)%; after: 52.49 (50.34; 55.62)%; p = 0.007). Conclusions: Patients with AF showed altered ocular perfusion as measured using OCTA when compared with healthy controls. Rhythm control using PVI significantly improved ocular perfusion as measured using OCT-A. Non-contact imaging using OCTA provides novel information about the central global microperfusion of patients with AF.
Distributed Consensus Tracking Control of Chaotic Multi-Agent Supply Chain Network: A New Fault-Tolerant, Finite-Time, and Chatter-Free Approach
Authors: Liu Ziyi , Jahanshahi Hadi , Volos Christos , Bekiros Stelios , He Shaobo , Alassafi Madini O. , Ahmad Adil M.
Published: December 2021

Over the last years, distributed consensus tracking control has received a lot of attention due to its benefits, such as low operational costs, high resilience, flexible scalability, and so on. However, control methods that do not consider faults in actuators and control agents are impractical in most systems. There is no research in the literature investigating the consensus tracking of supply chain networks subject to disturbances and faults in control input. Motivated by this, the current research studies the fault-tolerant, finite-time, and smooth consensus tracking problems for chaotic multi-agent supply chain networks subject to disturbances, uncertainties, and faults in actuators. The chaotic attractors of a supply chain network are shown, and its corresponding multi-agent system is presented. A new control technique is then proposed, which is suitable for distributed consensus tracking of nonlinear uncertain systems. In the proposed scheme, the effects of faults in control actuators and robustness against unknown time-varying disturbances are taken into account. The proposed technique also uses a finite-time super-twisting algorithm that avoids chattering in the system’s response and control input. Lastly, the multi-agent system is considered in the presence of disturbances and actuator faults, and the proposed scheme’s excellent performance is displayed through numerical simulations.
Artificial Neural Networks Performance in WIG20 Index Options Pricing
Authors: Wysocki Maciej , Ślepaczuk Robert
Published: December 2021

In this paper, the performance of artificial neural networks in option pricing was analyzed and compared with the results obtained from the Black–Scholes–Merton model, based on the historical volatility. The results were compared based on various error metrics calculated separately between three moneyness ratios. The market data-driven approach was taken to train and test the neural network on the real-world options data from 2009 to 2019, quoted on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The artificial neural network did not provide more accurate option prices, even though its hyperparameters were properly tuned. The Black–Scholes–Merton model turned out to be more precise and robust to various market conditions. In addition, the bias of the forecasts obtained from the neural network differed significantly between moneyness states. This study provides an initial insight into the application of deep learning methods to pricing options in emerging markets with low liquidity and high volatility.
On Rényi Permutation Entropy
Authors: Gutjahr Tim , Keller Karsten
Published: December 2021

Among various modifications of the permutation entropy defined as the Shannon entropy of the ordinal pattern distribution underlying a system, a variant based on Rényi entropies was considered in a few papers. This paper discusses the relatively new concept of Rényi permutation entropies in dependence of non-negative real number q parameterizing the family of Rényi entropies and providing the Shannon entropy for q=1. Its relationship to Kolmogorov–Sinai entropy and, for q=2, to the recently introduced symbolic correlation integral are touched.
Recent Advancements in the Synthesis and Application of Carbon-Based Catalysts in the ORR
Authors: Macchi Samantha , Denmark Iris , Le Thuy , Forson Mavis , Bashiru Mujeebat , Jalihal Amanda , Siraj Noureen
Published: December 2021

Fuel cells are a promising alternative to non-renewable energy production industries such as petroleum and natural gas. The cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which makes fuel cell technology possible, is sluggish under normal conditions. Thus, catalysts must be used to allow fuel cells to operate efficiently. Traditionally, platinum (Pt) catalysts are often utilized as they exhibit a highly efficient ORR with low overpotential values. However, Pt is an expensive and precious metal, posing economic problems for commercialization. Herein, advances in carbon-based catalysts are reviewed for their application in ORRs due to their abundance and low-cost syntheses. Various synthetic methods from different renewable sources are presented, and their catalytic properties are compared. Likewise, the effects of heteroatom and non-precious metal doping, surface area, and porosity on their performance are investigated. Carbon-based support materials are discussed in relation to their physical properties and the subsequent effect on Pt ORR performance. Lastly, advances in fuel cell electrolytes for various fuel cell types are presented. This review aims to provide valuable insight into current challenges in fuel cell performance and how they can be overcome using carbon-based materials and next generation electrolytes.
A Two-Stage GAN for High-Resolution Retinal Image Generation and Segmentation
Authors: Andreini Paolo , Ciano Giorgio , Bonechi Simone , Graziani Caterina , Lachi Veronica , Mecocci Alessandro , Sodi Andrea , Scarselli Franco , Bianchini Monica
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we use Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to synthesize high-quality retinal images along with the corresponding semantic label-maps, instead of real images during training of a segmentation network. Different from other previous proposals, we employ a two-step approach: first, a progressively growing GAN is trained to generate the semantic label-maps, which describes the blood vessel structure (i.e., the vasculature); second, an image-to-image translation approach is used to obtain realistic retinal images from the generated vasculature. The adoption of a two-stage process simplifies the generation task, so that the network training requires fewer images with consequent lower memory usage. Moreover, learning is effective, and with only a handful of training samples, our approach generates realistic high-resolution images, which can be successfully used to enlarge small available datasets. Comparable results were obtained by employing only synthetic images in place of real data during training. The practical viability of the proposed approach was demonstrated on two well-established benchmark sets for retinal vessel segmentation—both containing a very small number of training samples—obtaining better performance with respect to state-of-the-art techniques.
A Novel Simulation Modeling Method and Hardware Implementation for Doppler Power Spectrum of LEO Satellite Based on Error Compensations by Parting Sinusoid with Random AOA and Correlation Piecewise Convergence
Authors: Lin Wenliang , Deng Yaohua , Wang Ke , Deng Zhongliang , Liu Hao , Zheng Shixuan , Liu Yang , Yu Xiaoyi , Li Minghui
Published: December 2021

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Internet Network (LEO-SIN) is a promising approach to global Gigabit per second (Gbps) broadband communications in the coming sixth-generation (6G) era. This paper mainly focuses on the innovation of accuracy improvement of simulation modeling of the Doppler Power Spectrum (DPS) of satellite channels in LEO-SIN. Existing DPS modeling methods are based on Rice’s Sum-of-Sinusoids (SOS) which have obvious modeling errors in scenarios with main signal propagation paths, asymmetrical power spectrum, and random multi-path signals with a random Angle of Arrival (AOA) in LEO-SIN. There are few state-of-art researches devoted to higher accuracy of DPS modeling for simulation. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel Random Method of Exact Doppler Spread method Set Partitioning (RMEDS-SP). Distinct from existed researches, we firstly model the DPS of LEO-SIN, which more accurately describes the characteristics of frequency dispersion with the main path and multi-path signals with random AOA. Furthermore, piecewise functions to the Autocorrelation Function (ACF) of RMEDS-SP is first exploited to converge the modeling error supposition with time by periodic changes, which further improve the accuracy of the DPS model. Experimental results show that the accuracy of DPS in our proposed model is improved by 32.19% and 18.52%, respectively when compared with existing models.
PEDTARA: Priority-Based Energy Efficient, Delay and Temperature Aware Routing Algorithm Using Multi-Objective Genetic Chaotic Spider Monkey Optimization for Critical Data Transmission in WBANs
Authors: Ahmed Omar , Hu Min , Ren Fuji
Published: December 2021

Software-Defined Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN)s have gained significance in emergency healthcare applications for remote patients. Prioritization of healthcare data traffic has a high influence on the congestion and delay in the WBAN routing process. Currently, the energy constraints, packet loss, retransmission delay and increased sensor heat are pivotal research challenges in WBAN. These challenges also degrade the network lifetime and create serious issues for critical health data transmission. In this context, a Priority-based Energy-efficient, Delay and Temperature Aware Routing Algorithm (PEDTARA) is presented in this paper using a hybrid optimization algorithm of Multi-objective Genetic Chaotic Spider Monkey Optimization (MGCSMO). This proposed optimized routing algorithm is designed by incorporating the benefits of chaotic and genetic operators to the position updating function of enhanced Spider Monkey Optimization. For the prioritized routing process, initially, the patient data transmission in the WBAN is categorized into normal, on-demand and emergency data transmissions. Each category is ensured with efficient routing using the three different strategies of the suggested PEDTARA. PEDTARA performs optimal shortest path routing for normal data, energy-efficient emergency routing for high priority critical data and faster but priority verified routing for on-demand data. Thus, the proposed PEDTARA ensures energy-efficient, congestion-controlled and delay and temperature aware routing at any given period of health monitoring. Experiments were performed over a high-performance simulation scenario and the evaluation results showed that the proposed PEDTARA performs efficient routing better than the traditional approaches in terms of energy, temperature, delay, congestion and network lifetime.
Model Reference Adaptive Control and Fuzzy Neural Network Synchronous Motion Compensator for Gantry Robots
Authors: Chen Chin-Sheng , Hu Nien-Tsu
Published: December 2021

A model reference adaptive control and fuzzy neural network (FNN) synchronous motion compensator for a gantry robot is presented in this paper. This paper proposes the development and application of gantry robots with MRAC and FNN online compensators. First, we propose a model reference adaptive controller (MRAC) under the cascade control method to make the reference model close to the real model and reduce tracking errors for the single axis. Then, a fuzzy neural network compensator for the gantry robot is proposed to compensate for the synchronous errors between the dual servo motors to improve precise movement. In addition, an online parameter training method is proposed to adjust the parameters of the FNN. Finally, the experimental results show that the proposed method improves the synchronous errors of the gantry robot and demonstrates the methodology in this paper. This study also successfully integrates the hardware and successfully verifies the proposed methods.
Local Spatial Plans as Determinants of Household Investment in Renewable Energy: Case Studies from Selected Polish and European Communes
Authors: Solarek Krystyna , Kubasińska Marta
Published: December 2021

Although many factors affect the investment of individual households in renewable energy sources, we highlight one of them: the local spatial development plan. It is one of the planning tools for implementing development policies at the local level. Since it is on the basis of local spatial plans that investments are carried out on the ground, their role in the implementation of renewable energy sources is one of the most important. This article presents the results of a study of local spatial plans in terms of facilitating, on the one hand, and limiting, on the other hand, the implementation of various renewable energy investments. To a large extent, the focus was on examples of planning acts adopted in Polish communes, but they were compared with examples from other European countries. The authors focused on qualitative assessment, taking into account the regulations applicable to all investors, containing generally binding standards, which specify the development’s land use and detailed building principles. The conclusions include recommendations for the provision of local development plans.
Using Decomposition Analysis to Determine the Main Contributing Factors to Carbon Neutrality across Sectors
Authors: Chen Hsing-Hsuan , Hof Andries F. , Daioglou Vassilis , de Boer Harmen Sytze , Edelenbosch Oreane Y. , van den Berg Maarten , van der Wijst Kaj-Ivar , van Vuuren Detlef P.
Published: December 2021

This paper uses decomposition analysis to investigate the key contributions to changes in greenhouse gas emissions in different scenarios. We derive decomposition formulas for the three highest-emitting sectors: power generation, industry, and transportation (both passenger and freight). These formulas were applied to recently developed 1.5 °C emission scenarios by the Integrated Model to Assess the Global Environment (IMAGE), emphasising the role of renewables and lifestyle changes. The decomposition analysis shows that carbon capture and storage (CCS), both from fossil fuel and bioenergy burning, renewables and reducing carbon intensity provide the largest contributions to emission reduction in the scenarios. Efficiency improvement is also critical, but part of the potential is already achieved in the Baseline scenario. The relative importance of different emission reduction drivers is similar in the OECD (characterised by relatively high per capita income levels and emissions) and non-OECD (characterised by relatively high carbon intensities of the economy) region, but there are some noteworthy differences. In the non-OECD region, improving efficiency in industry and transport and increasing the share of renewables in power generation are more important in reducing emissions than in the OECD region, while CCS in power generation and electrification of passenger transport are more important drivers in the OECD region.
Enhancing PV Hosting Capacity Using Voltage Control and Employing Dynamic Line Rating
Authors: Karunarathne Eshan , Wijethunge Akila , Ekanayake Janaka
Published: December 2021

Photovoltaic (PV) system installation has encouraged to be further expedited to minimize climate change and thus, rooftop solar PV systems have been sparkled in every corner of the world. However, due to technological constraints linked to voltage and currents, the PV hosting capacity has been substantially constrained. Therefore, this paper proposes a competent approach to maximize PV hosting capacity in a low voltage distribution network based on voltage control and dynamic line rating of the cables. Coordinated voltage control is applied with an on-load tap changing transformer, and reactive power compensation and active power curtailment of PV inverters. A case study with probabilistic and deterministic assessments is carried out on a real Sri Lankan network to show how the PV hosting capacity is constrained. The findings revealed the capability of integrated voltage control schemes and dynamic line rating in maximizing hosting capacity. The study is expanded by incorporating the PV rephasing approach in conjunction with the aforementioned control techniques, and the effectiveness of PV-rephasing is clearly demonstrated. When compared to voltage control and conductor static rating, the combined rephasing, voltage control, and DLR yielded a 60% increase in PV hosting capacity.
Defect Removal and Rearrangement of Wood Board Based on Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Yang Yutu , Zhuang Zilong , Yu Yabin
Published: December 2021

Defects on a solid wood board have a great influence on the aesthetics and mechanical properties of the board. After removing the defects, the board is no longer the standard size; manual drawing lines and cutting procedure is time-consuming and laborious; and an optimal solution is not necessarily obtained. Intelligent cutting of the board can be realized using a genetic algorithm. However, the global optimal solution of the whole machining process cannot be obtained by separately considering the sawing and splicing of raw materials. The integrated consideration of wood board cutting and board splicing can improve the utilization rate of the solid wood board. The effective utilization rate of the board with isolated consideration of raw material sawing with standardized dimensions of wood pieces and board splicing is 79.1%, while the shortcut splicing optimization with non-standardized dimensions for the final board has a utilization rate of 88.6% (which improves the utilization rate by 9.5%). In large-scale planning, the use of shortcut splicing optimization also increased the utilization rate by 12.14%. This has certain guiding significance for actual production.
Incorporation of Sukkari Date in Probiotic-Enriched Fermented Camel Milk Improves the Nutritional, Physicochemical, and Organoleptical Characteristics
Authors: Aljutaily Thamer , Barakat Hassan , Moustafa Mahmoud M. A. , Rehan Medhat
Published: December 2021

Camel milk and dates are well-known for their great nutritional and therapeutical benefits. Therefore, the study aimed to combine the benefits of fermented camel milk (FCM) and Sukkari date (SKD) in a naturally sweetened FCM. Six treatments of FCM using ABT-5 cultures with 0, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, and 15% SKD were carried out. Chemical, physicochemical, rheological properties were studied, while organoleptical attributes and probiotic strains viability were monitored during cold storage (4 °C) up to 15 days. Results showed that fortification with SKD increased total solids (TS), ash, dietary fiber, and carbohydrate content compared to plain FCM. Water holding capacity (WHC) values increased with low and medium SKD levels then decreased with high SKD levels. Minerals such as K, P, Mg, Zn, Fe, and Cu were significantly increased, while Na was significantly decreased. Increased SKD levels in FCM resulted in significant increases in total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids (TF), total flavonols (TFL), and antioxidant activity (AOA). Instrumental color analysis exhibited a significant change in L*, b*, BI, and ∆E due to adding SKD in a dose-dependent manner. The viability of Streptococcus thermophiles, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Bifidobacterium bifidum was increased by adding low and medium SKD levels, resulting in a higher number than the accepted threshold for a probiotic effect. Adding 10 and 12.5% SKD recorded the best-balanced flavor score at the beginning and after up to 15 days of storage, respectively. Conclusively, the current study revealed that fortification with SKD at 7.5–12.5% improved the nutritional quality without adverse effects on the technological, organoleptic characteristics, and probiotics viability and provided acceptable, nutritious, and healthy benefits to FCM.
Advancements in the Use of Fermented Fruit Juices by Lactic Acid Bacteria as Functional Foods: Prospects and Challenges of Lactiplantibacillus (Lpb.) plantarum subsp. plantarum Application
Authors: Plessas Stavros
Published: December 2021

Lactic acid fermentation of fresh fruit juices is a low-cost and sustainable process, that aims to preserve and even enhance the organoleptic and nutritional features of the raw matrices and extend their shelf life. Selected Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) were evaluated in the fermentation of various fruit juices, leading in some cases to fruit beverages, with enhanced nutritional and sensorial characteristics. Among LAB, Lactiplantibacillus (Lpb.) plantarum subsp. plantarum strains are quite interesting, regarding their application in the fermentation of a broad range of plant-derived substrates, such as vegetables and fruit juices, since they have genome plasticity and high versatility and flexibility. L. plantarum exhibits a remarkable portfolio of enzymes that make it very important and multi-functional in fruit juice fermentations. Therefore, L. plantarum has the potential for the production of various bioactive compounds, which enhance the nutritional value and the shelf life of the final product. In addition, L. plantarum can positively modify the flavor of fruit juices, leading to higher content of desirable volatile compounds. All these features are sought in the frame of this review, aiming at the potential and challenges of L. plantarum applications in the fermentation of fruit juices.
Header Shape Effect on the Inlet Velocity Distribution in Cross-Flow Double-Layered Microchannel Heat Sinks
Authors: Savino Stefano , Nonino Carlo
Published: December 2021

Counter-flow double-layered microchannel heat sinks are very effective for thermal control of electronic components; however, they require rather complicated headers and flow maldistribution can also play a negative role. The cross-flow configuration allows a much simpler header design and the thermal performance becomes similar to that provided by the counter-flow arrangement if the velocity distribution in the microchannels is not uniform. The aim of this work is to show the possibility of achieving a favorable flow distribution in the microchannels of a cross-flow double-layered heat sink with an adequate header design and the aid of additional elements such as full or partial height baffles made of solid or porous materials. Turbulent RANS numerical simulations of the flow field in headers are carried out with the commercial code ANSYS Fluent. The flow in the microchannel layers is modeled as that in a porous material, whose properties are derived from pressure drop data obtained using an in-house FEM code. It is demonstrated that, with an appropriate baffle selection, inlet headers of cross-flow microchannel heat sinks yield velocity distributions very close to those that would allow optimal hotspot management in electronic devices.
Development and Validation of a Simple Method to Quantify Contents of Phospholipids in Krill Oil by Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Park Se-Eun , Yu Hyo-Yeon , Ahn Sangdoo
Published: December 2021

This study focuses on developing a quantification method for phosphatidylcholine (PC) and total phospholipid (PL) in krill oil using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Signals derived from the choline and phosphate groups were selected as indicator variables for determining PC and total PL content; calibration curves with a correlation coefficient of >0.988 were constructed with calibration samples prepared by mixing krill oil raw material and fish oil in different ratios. The limit of detection (LOD, 0.35–3.29%) of the method was suitable for the designed assay with good accuracy (97.90–100.33%). The relative standard deviations for repeatability (0.90–2.31%) were acceptable. Therefore, both the methods using absorbance and that using second-derivative were confirmed to be suitable for quantitative analysis. When applying this method to test samples, including supplements, the PC content and total PL content were in good agreement with an average difference of 2–3% compared to the 31P NMR method. These results confirmed that the FT-IR method can be used as a convenient and rapid alternative to the 31P NMR method for quantifying PLs in krill oil.
A Quantum Wavelet Uncertainty Principle
Authors: Arfaoui Sabrine , Alshehri Maryam G. , Ben Mabrouk Anouar
Published: December 2021

In the present paper, an uncertainty principle is derived in the quantum wavelet framework. Precisely, a new uncertainty principle for the generalized q-Bessel wavelet transform, based on some q-quantum wavelet, is established. A two-parameters extension of the classical Bessel operator is applied to generate a wavelet function which is used for exploring a wavelet uncertainty principle in the q-calculus framework.
Enzyme Responsive Vaginal Microbicide Gels Containing Maraviroc and Tenofovir Microspheres Designed for Acid Phosphatase-Triggered Release for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis of HIV-1: A Comparative Analysis of a Bigel and Thermosensitive Gel
Authors: Ekama Sabdat Ozichu , Ilomuanya Margaret O. , Azubuike Chukwuemeka Paul , Ayorinde James Babatunde , Ezechi Oliver Chukwujekwu , Igwilo Cecilia Ihuoma , Salako Babatunde Lawal
Published: December 2021

The challenges encountered with conventional microbicide gels has necessitated the quest for alternative options. This study aimed to formulate and evaluate a bigel and thermosensitive gel, designed to combat the challenges of leakage and short-residence time in the vagina. Ionic-gelation technique was used to formulate maraviroc and tenofovir microspheres. The microspheres were incorporated into a thermosensitive gel and bigel, then evaluated. Enzyme degradation assay was used to assess the effect of the acid phosphatase enzyme on the release profile of maraviroc and tenofovir microspheres. HIV efficacy and cytotoxicity of the microspheres were assessed using HIV-1-BaL virus strain and HeLa cell lines, respectively. Maraviroc and tenofovir release kinetics followed zero-order and Higuchi model kinetics. However, under the influence of the enzyme, maraviroc release was governed by first-order model, while tenofovir followed a super case II transport-mechanism. The altered mode of release and drug transport mechanism suggests a triggered release. The assay of the microspheres suspension on the HeLa cells did not show signs of cytotoxicity. The thermosensitive gel and bigel elicited a progressive decline in HIV infectivity, until at concentrations of 1 μg/mL and 0.1 μg/mL, respectively. The candidate vaginal gels have the potential for a triggered release by the acid phosphatase enzyme present in the seminal fluid, thus, serving as a strategic point to prevent HIV transmission.
Fabrication and Characterization of Gel Beads of Whey Isolate Protein–Pectin Complex for Loading Quercetin and Their Digestion Release
Authors: Wang Xu , Xie Huaping , Shi Chenshan , Dziugan Piotr , Zhao Hongfei , Zhang Bolin
Published: December 2021

In this study, emulsion gel beads for loading quercetin were prepared through an emulsification/gelation process using whey protein isolate (WPI) and pectin. Emulsion gel beads’ properties were investigated by different pectin content. Additionally, the physicochemical properties, morphology and quercetin release properties from beads were explored. Firstly, electrical characteristics and the rheology of bead-forming solutions were measured, revealing that all systems had strong negative charge and exhibited shear-thinning behavior. The textural results demonstrated that the properties of emulsion gel beads were improved with increasing the content of pectin. It was also confirmed that crosslinking was formed between WPI emulsion and pectin by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In addition, the shape of the beads was spherical or ellipses with smooth surfaces and they had a tight gel network of internal structures, which was visualized by using electron microscopy (SEM). Finally, the amount of quercetin released in vitro was gradually decreased with increasing pectin content; it was as low as 0.59%. These results revealed that WPI emulsion–pectin gel beads might be an effective delivery system for quercetin as a colon target and are worth exploring further.
The Impact of Delayed Symptomatic Treatment Implementation in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Meng Lesley , Laudanski Krzysztof , Restrepo Mariana , Huffenberger Ann , Terwiesch Christian
Published: December 2021

We estimated the harm related to medication delivery delays across 12,474 medication administration instances in an intensive care unit using retrospective data in a large urban academic medical center between 2012 and 2015. We leveraged an instrumental variables (IV) approach that addresses unobserved confounds in this setting. We focused on nurse shift changes as disruptors of timely medication (vasodilators, antipyretics, and bronchodilators) delivery to estimate the impact of delay. The average delay around a nurse shift change was 60.8 min (p < 0.001) for antipyretics, 39.5 min (p < 0.001) for bronchodilators, and 57.1 min (p < 0.001) for vasodilators. This delay can increase the odds of developing a fever by 32.94%, tachypnea by 79.5%, and hypertension by 134%, respectively. Compared to estimates generated by a naïve regression approach, our IV estimates tend to be higher, suggesting the existence of a bias from providers prioritizing more critical patients.
Neglected Potential of Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum L.)—Specialized Metabolites Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Wild Populations in Relation to Location and Plant Phenophase
Authors: Voća Sandra , Šic Žlabur Jana , Fabek Uher Sanja , Peša Marija , Opačić Nevena , Radman Sanja
Published: December 2021

Wild garlic (Allium ursinum L.) is one of the species widely distributed in Europe and Asia and is often nutritionally neglected, characterized by a high content of various phytochemicals with high therapeutic potential and a range of biological activities. The aim of this study was to determine the content of bioactive compounds in the leaves of wild garlic populations collected from different micro-locations, and to determine the differences in the content of phytochemicals in the vegetative and generative phases. A significant content of different specialized metabolites was detected in all analyzed leaves of wild garlic populations regardless of the different factors (location and phenophase): vitamin C content with the highest determined value of 63.31 mg/100 g fw; total phenolic content with the highest determined value of 186.18 mg GAE/100 g fw (according to gallic acid in fresh sample); and antioxidant capacity with the highest determined value of 2230.66 µmol TE/L (according to Trolox). Significant differences in all the phytochemicals analyzed were observed depending on both the location and phenophase of the plants, with the most pronounced differences depending on the phenophase. Thus, lower levels of polyphenolic compounds and vitamin C were generally observed before the flowering phase, while the trend toward higher levels of pigment compounds was observed during the flowering phase of the plants. The results suggest that the leaves of wild garlic can be considered a valuable source of a variety of specialized metabolites with high antioxidant capacity, and thus have high production potential for various functional products and food supplements of natural origin, which are important for the promotion of human health.
Gender Difference in the Associations among Heavy Metals with Red Blood Cell Hemogram
Authors: Huang Chao-Hsin , Wang Chih-Wen , Chen Huang-Chi , Tu Hung-Pin , Chen Szu-Chia , Hung Chih-Hsing , Kuo Chao-Hung
Published: December 2021

This study aimed to investigate gender differences in the association between heavy metals and hemograms including hemoglobin (Hgb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). A health survey of 2447 participants was conducted in southern Taiwan between June 2016 and September 2018. Seven heavy metals were measured: blood lead (Pb), urine nickel (Ni), urine chromium (Cr), urine manganese, urine arsenic (As), urine copper and urine cadmium (Cd). The results show that in females, Pb and Ni were significantly negatively associated with Hgb. In addition, As and Cd were significantly positively, and Pb and Ni were significantly negatively, associated with MCV, in males and females, respectively. The interactions between gender and Ni and gender and Cd in MCV were statistically significant. Further, Pb, in males, and Pb, Ni and Cr, in females, were significantly negatively associated with MCHC. In conclusion, in females, associations of red blood cell (RBC) hemograms with heavy metals such as Pb and Ni were found. In males, heavy metals such as Pb, As and Cd were found to associate with RBC hemograms. Further research is warranted to discuss the mechanism behind these associations.
Exercise Referral Instructors’ Perspectives on Supporting and Motivating Participants to Uptake, Attend and Adhere to Exercise Prescription: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Shore Colin B. , Galloway Stuart D. R. , Gorely Trish , Hunter Angus M. , Hubbard Gill
Published: December 2021

Exercise referral schemes are designed to support people with non-communicable diseases to increase their levels of exercise to improve health. However, uptake and attendance are low. This exploratory qualitative study aims to understand uptake and attendance from the perspectives of exercise referral instructors using semi-structured interviews. Six exercise referral instructors from one exercise referral scheme across four exercise referral sites were interviewed. Four themes emerged: (i) the role that instructors perceive they have and approaches instructors take to motivate participants to take-up, attend exercise referral and adhere to their exercise prescription; (ii) instructors’ use of different techniques, which could help elicit behaviour change; (iii) instructors’ perceptions of participants’ views of exercise referral schemes; and (iv) barriers towards providing an exercise referral scheme. Exercise referral instructors play an important, multifaceted role in the uptake, attendance and adherence to exercise referral. On-going education and peer support for instructors may be useful. Instructors’ perspectives help us to further understand how health and leisure services can design successful exercise referral schemes.
The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Learning Outcomes of Medical Students in Taiwan: A Two-Year Prospective Cohort Study of OSCE Performance
Authors: Tzeng Tzyy-Yurn , Hsu Chia-An , Yang Ying-Ying , Yuan Eunice J. , Chang Ya-Ting , Li Tzu-Hao , Li Chung-Pin , Liang Jen-Feng , Lirng Jiing-Feng , Chen Tzeng-Ji , Huang Chia-Chang , Hou Ming-Chih , Chen Chen-Huan , Sheu Wayne Huey-Herng
Published: December 2021

Background/Aims: To avoid the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical clerkship, supplemental teachings such as digital materials in the scenario-based distal simulations were implemented. This study utilized the OSCE (objective-structured clinical examination) to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the learning outcome of medical students from the regular group (class of 2020) and pandemic-impacted group (class of 2021). Methods: All medical students serially took, firstly, the mock-OSCE, secondly, the mock-OSCE, and the national OSCE. Then, the serial OSCE scores were compared between groups. Results: Although with similar scores in the first mock OSCE, the regular group (n = 78) had a higher average score in the national OSCE than the pandemic-impacted group (n = 80) (872.18 vs. 834.96, p = 0.003). In terms of improvement, the performances of the regular group were also better than the pandemic-impacted group between the second mock OSCE and the national OSCE (79.10 vs. 38.14, p = 0.014), and between the second mock OSCE and the national OSCE (125.11 vs. 77.52, p = 0.003). While separating distinct genres, the regular group had more of a score increment in standardized patient-based stations between the second mock OSCE and the national OSCE (regular vs. pandemic-impacted: 57.03 vs. 18.95, p = 0.003), as well as between the first mock OSCE and the national OSCE (75.97 vs. 26.36, p < 0.001), but there was no significant difference among the skill-based stations. In particular, the scores of the emergency medicine associated station in the national OSCE of the pandemic-impacted group was lower. Conclusions: Our study implies that the pandemic significantly hampered the learning outcomes of final year medical students in their clinical participation. Especially facing the COVID-19 pandemic, more supplemental teachings are needed to compensate the decreasing emergency medicine exposure.
Spatial–Temporal Features of Coordination Relationship between Regional Urbanization and Rail Transit—A Case Study of Beijing
Authors: Xia Xuanxuan , Li Hongchang , Kuang Xujuan , Strauss Jack
Published: December 2021

Urban rail transit is an important transportation infrastructure that mitigates the congestion of the central city and realizes compact city space development. However, the literature on the spatiotemporal coupling of urbanization and rail transit from the urban scale and its influencing factors is still uncommon. Taking Beijing as an example, based on the theory of coupling coordination, we have constructed a comprehensive indicator system for regional urbanization (hereafter RU) (including population, economy, and spatial urbanization) and rail transit (hereafter RT). On this basis, we use the entropy method, coupling coordination degree model, and spatial autocorrelation analysis method to explore the spatiotemporal characteristics of the overall and pairwise coupling coordination between population, economy, spatial urbanization, and rail transit. Finally, we analyze the spatial correlation and standard deviational ellipse analysis of the coupling coordination degree between RU and RT. The results indicate the following: (1) In addition to population urbanization, the other urbanization indicators and the RT level all show a downward–rising–falling trend from 2006 to 2017, among which the level of economic urbanization is the highest. The degree of coupling coordination between RU and RT is unbalanced development and shows a trend of first rising and then falling. (2) The degree of coupling coordination between RU and RT presents an imbalanced distribution in various regions, and the coupling coordination degree in the central urban areas is significantly higher than that in the outer suburbs. (3) From 2006 to 2017, the spatial correlation of the coupling coordination degree between the various systems has a similar changing trend. Moreover, the distribution of the spatial agglomeration points of the coupling coordination degree between RU and the RT is similar, showing a decreasing trend from the central urban area to the surrounding urban area. Therefore, relevant departments can rationally plan the construction of urban rail transit according to the coordination relationship between RU and RT and the spatial aggregation degree to realize the benign and sustainable development between urban especially suburbanization and rail transit.
A Quantile Regression Analysis of Factors Associated with First-Time Maternal Fatigue in Korea
Authors: Park Jeongok , Park Chang Gi , Lee Kyoungjin
Published: December 2021

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify the factors associated with different percentiles of first-time maternal fatigue. A total of 123 first-time healthy mothers aged 18 years or older participated through an online survey. The fatigue was measured by the Korean version of the fatigue severity scale. Main variables were constructed based on the integrated fatigue model, which included mothers’ sleep quality, parenting stress, the amount of free time mothers have, the number of the child’s night wakings, general characteristics including socioeconomic status, and working status. Quantile regression was used to analyze the associated factors according to the fatigue level of first-time mothers with a young child. The mean age of the mothers and children were 32.11 years and 20.81 months, respectively. Mean fatigue score was 6.16 among the 75% quantile with high fatigue score. Lack of adequate free time in mothers, advanced maternal age, being a housewife, having a moderate income, and frequent night wakings of their child significantly increased fatigue among mothers in the third quantile of fatigue. To reduce fatigue, healthcare providers should focus on exploring ways to reduce maternal sleep disturbance and improve maternal sleep quality.
Clinical Decision Support System Based on Hybrid Knowledge Modeling: A Case Study of Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral and Bone Disorder Treatment
Authors: Ali Syed Imran , Jung Su Woong , Bilal Hafiz Syed Muhammad , Lee Sang-Ho , Hussain Jamil , Afzal Muhammad , Hussain Maqbool , Ali Taqdir , Chung Taechoong , Lee Sungyoung
Published: December 2021

Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) represent the latest technological transformation in healthcare for assisting clinicians in complex decision-making. Several CDSSs are proposed to deal with a range of clinical tasks such as disease diagnosis, prescription management, and medication ordering. Although a small number of CDSSs have focused on treatment selection, areas such as medication selection and dosing selection remained under-researched. In this regard, this study represents one of the first studies in which a CDSS is proposed for clinicians who manage patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing maintenance hemodialysis, almost all of whom have some manifestation of chronic kidney disease–mineral and bone disorder (CKD–MBD). The primary objective of the system is to aid clinicians in dosage prescription by levering medical domain knowledge as well existing practices. The proposed CDSS is evaluated with a real-world hemodialysis patient dataset acquired from Kyung Hee University Hospital, South Korea. Our evaluation demonstrates overall high compliance based on the concordance metric between the proposed CKD–MBD CDSS recommendations and the routine clinical practice. The concordance rate of overall medication dosing selection is 78.27%. Furthermore, the usability aspects of the system are also evaluated through the User Experience Questionnaire method to highlight the appealing aspects of the system for clinicians. The overall user experience dimension scores for pragmatic, hedonic, and attractiveness are 1.53, 1.48, and 1.41, respectively. A service reliability for the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient greater than 0.7 is achieved using the proposed system, whereas a dependability coefficient of the value 0.84 reveals a significant effect.
Spatiotemporal Evolution and Spatial Network Analysis of the Urban Ecological Carrying Capacity in the Yellow River Basin
Authors: Liu Ke , Yang Shiwen , Zhou Qian , Qiao Yurong
Published: December 2021

Based on the panel data of 82 cities in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) during 2008–2017, this paper calculated the urban ecological carrying capacity (UECC) index by means of the entropy method, drew a spatiotemporal evolution map using ArcGIS10.3 software, used a spatial cold–hot spot model to explore the spatial characteristics of the UECC index, and used the revised gravity model to construct the spatial network of the UECC. In addition, through social network analysis, we obtained the spatial network correlation characteristics of the UECC of 82 cities in the YRB. The study found the following: (1) The UECC index of the cities in the YRB increased steadily, and showed strong non-stationarity in space. The cold and hot spot patterns both changed greatly. Overall, the changes of the hot and cold spots were very significant. (2) The spatial correlation and linkage effects of the UECC in the YRB were not significant. The central cities with higher point centrality and closeness centrality showed the same spatial distribution, and most of them are located in the midstream and downstream of the YRB. The central cities in the midstream and downstream of the YRB had high betweenness centrality, and stood in the center of the association network. (3) The four plates in the spatial correlation network of the UECC in the YRB all showed their advantages and functions. The first plate was the net spillover plate, which was principally allocated in the upstream and midstream of the YRB. The second plate was the broker plate, which was principally located in the midstream and downstream of the YRB, and a few cities in the upper reaches. The third plate was the net inflow plate, which was distributed sporadically in the upstream and downstream of the YRB. The fourth plate was the broker plate, which was scattered in upstream, midstream, and downstream of the YRB. Therefore, it is necessary to shorten the gap of and promote the improvement of the UECC in the YRB.