bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Young Adults’ Lived Experiences with Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment: An Exploratory Qualitative Study
Authors: Sharma Sitara , Brunet Jennifer
Published: June 2023

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI; e.g., disrupted memory, executive functioning, and information processing) affects many young adults, causing significant distress, reducing quality of life (QoL), and thwarting their ability to engage in professional, recreational, and social experiences. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to investigate young adults’ lived experiences with CRCI, and any strategies (including physical activity) they use to self-manage this burdensome side effect. Sixteen young adults (Mage = 30.8 ± 6.0 years; 87.5% female; Myears since diagnosis = 3.2 ± 3) who reported clinically meaningful CRCI whilst completing an online survey were interviewed virtually. Four themes comprising 13 sub-themes were identified through an inductive thematic analysis: (1) descriptions and interpretations of the CRCI phenomenon, (2) effects of CRCI on day-to-day and QoL, (3) cognitive–behavioural self-management strategies, and (4) recommendations for improving care. Findings suggest CRCI is detrimental to young adults’ QoL and must be addressed more systematically in practice. Results also illuminate the promise of PA in coping with CRCI, but research is needed to confirm this association, test how and why this may occur, and determine optimal PA prescriptions for young adults to self-manage their CRCI.
Associations of Clinical and Dosimetric Parameters with Urinary Toxicities after Prostate Brachytherapy: A Long-Term Single-Institution Experience
Authors: Ito Masaya , Makita Chiyoko , Mori Takayuki , Takano Hirota , Kumano Tomoyasu , Matsuo Masayuki , Iinuma Koji , Kawase Makoto , Nakane Keita , Nakano Masahiro , Koie Takuya
Published: June 2023

To examine the association of clinical, treatment, and dose parameters with late urinary toxicity after low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT) for prostate cancer, we retrospectively studied patients with prostate cancer who underwent LDR-BT from January 2007 through December 2016. Urinary toxicity was assessed using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and Overactive Bladder (OAB) Symptom Score (OABSS). Severe and moderate lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) were defined as IPSS ≥ 20 and ≥ 8, respectively; OAB was defined as a nocturnal frequency of ≥ 2 and a total OABSS of ≥ 3. In total, 203 patients (median age: 66 years) were included, with a mean follow-up of 8.4 years after treatment. The IPSS and OABSS worsened after 3 months of treatment; these scores improved to pretreatment levels after 18–36 months in most patients. Patients with a higher baseline IPSS and OABSS had a higher frequency of moderate and severe LUTS and OAB at 24 and 60 months, respectively. LUTS and OAB at 24 and 60 months were not correlated with the dosimetric factors of LDR-BT. Although the rate of long-term urinary toxicities assessed using IPSS and OABSS was low, the baseline scores were related to long-term function. Refining patient selection may further reduce long-term urinary toxicity.
Primary Benign Neoplasms of the Spine
Authors: Ariyaratne Sisith , Jenko Nathan , Iyengar Karthikeyan P. , James Steven , Mehta Jwalant , Botchu Rajesh
Published: June 2023

Benign tumours comprise the majority of primary vertebral tumours, and these are often found incidentally on imaging. Nonetheless, accurate diagnosis of these benign lesions is crucial, in order to avoid misdiagnosis as more ominous malignant lesions or infection. Furthermore, some of these tumours, despite their benign nature, can have localised effects on the spine including neural compromise, or can be locally aggressive, thus necessitating active management. Haemangiomas and osteomas (enostosis) are the commonest benign tumours encountered. Others include osteoid osteoma, osteoblastoma, fibrous dysplasia, osteochondroma, chondroblastoma, haemangioma, simple bone cysts, aneurysmal bone cysts, giant cell tumours, eosinophilic granuloma and notochordal rests. The majority of lesions are asymptomatic; however, locally aggressive lesions (such as aneurysmal bone cysts or giant cell tumours) can present with nonspecific symptoms, such as back pain, neurological deficits and spinal instability, which may be indistinguishable from more commonly encountered mechanical back pain or malignant lesions including metastases. Hence, imaging, including radiography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), plays a critical role in diagnosis. Generally, most incidental or asymptomatic regions are conservatively managed or may not require any follow-up, while symptomatic or locally aggressive lesions warrant active interventions, which include surgical resection or percutaneous treatment techniques. Due to advances in interventional radiology techniques in recent years, percutaneous minimally invasive techniques such as radiofrequency ablation, sclerotherapy and cryoablation have played an increasing role in the management of these tumours with favourable outcomes. The different types of primary benign vertebral tumours will be discussed in this article with an emphasis on pertinent imaging features.
Head-to-Head Comparison between FDG and 11C-Methionine in Multiple Myeloma: A Systematic Review
Authors: Filippi Luca , Frantellizzi Viviana , Bartoletti Paola , Vincentis Giuseppe De , Schillaci Orazio , Evangelista Laura
Published: June 2023

The aim of this systematic review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing literature, comparing 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and 11C-methionine (MET) for the imaging of multiple myeloma (MM) with positron emission computed tomography (PET/CT). Relevant studies published from 2013 up to March 2023 were selected by searching Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. Selected imaging studies were analyzed using a modified version of the critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). Ten studies encompassing 335 patients were selected. On a patient-based analysis, MET sensitivity ranged between 75.6% and 100%, resulting higher than that measured for FDG (0–100%). MET outperformed FDG for the detection of focal lesions, diffuse bone marrow involvement and mixed patterns. PET-derived parameters resulted higher for MET than for FDG, with a strong correlation with clinical variables (e.g., monoclonal component and beta-2-microglobulin levels, bone marrow infiltration, etc.), although FDG maintained a prognostic impact on outcome prediction. When compared to other tracers or imaging modalities, MET showed stronger correlation and inter-observer agreement than FDG. Although biased by the small cohorts and requiring confirmation through multicenter studies, preliminary findings suggest that MET–PET should be preferred to FDG for PET imaging of MM, or alternatively used as a complementary imaging modality. Some issues, such as tracer availability and the role of MET with respect to other emerging tracers (i.e., 68Ga-pentixafor, 18F-FACBC and 18F-FET), should be the topic of further investigations.
What Imaging Modality Is More Effective in Predicting Early Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Hepatectomy Using Radiomics Analysis: CT or MRI or Both?
Authors: Wang Qing , Sheng Ye , Jiang Zhenxing , Liu Haifeng , Lu Haitao , Xing Wei
Published: June 2023

Background: It is of great importance to predict the early recurrence (ER) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatectomy using preoperative imaging modalities. Nevertheless, no comparative studies have been conducted to determine which modality, CT or MRI with radiomics analysis, is more effective. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 119 HCC patients who underwent preoperative CT and MRI. A total of 3776 CT features and 4720 MRI features were extracted from the whole tumor. The minimum redundancy and maximum relevance algorithm (MRMR) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were applied for feature selection, then support vector machines (SVMs) were applied for model construction. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to construct combined models that integrate clinical–radiological–pathological (CRP) traits and radscore. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to compare the efficacy of CT, MRI, and CT and MRI models in the test cohort. Results: The CT model and MRI model showed no significant difference in the prediction of ER in HCC patients (p = 0.911). RadiomicsCT&MRI demonstrated a superior predictive performance than either RadiomicsCT or RadiomicsMRI alone (p = 0.032, 0.039). The combined CT and MRI model can significantly stratify patients at high risk of ER (area under the curve (AUC) of 0.951 in the training set and 0.955 in the test set) than the CT model (AUC of 0.894 and 0.784) and the MRI model (AUC of 0.856 and 0.787). DCA demonstrated that the CT and MRI model provided a greater net benefit than the models without radiomics analysis. Conclusions: No significant difference was found in predicting the ER of HCC between CT models and MRI models. However, the multimodal radiomics model derived from CT and MRI can significantly improve the prediction of ER in HCC patients after resection.
Coexistence of Thread and Sheet Chaotic Attractors for Three-Dimensional Lozi Map
Authors: Lozi René
Published: June 2023

Since its original publication in 1978, Lozi’s chaotic map has been thoroughly explored and continues to be. Hundreds of publications have analyzed its particular structure or applied its properties in many fields (electronic devices such as memristors, A.I. with swarm intelligence, etc.). Several generalizations have been proposed, transforming the initial two-dimensional map into a multidimensional one. However, they do not respect the original constraint that allows this map to be one of the few strictly hyperbolic: a constant Jacobian. In this paper, we introduce a three-dimensional piece-wise linear extension respecting this constraint and we explore a special property never highlighted for chaotic mappings: the coexistence of thread chaotic attractors (i.e., attractors that are formed by a collection of lines) and sheet chaotic attractors (i.e., attractors that are formed by a collection of planes). This new three-dimensional mapping can generate a large variety of chaotic and hyperchaotic attractors. We give five examples of such behavior in this article. In the first three examples, there is the coexistence of thread and sheet chaotic attractors. However, their shapes are different and they are constituted by a different number of pieces. In the last two examples, the blow up of the attractors with respect to parameter a and b is highlighted.
Improved Thermal Infrared Image Super-Resolution Reconstruction Method Base on Multimodal Sensor Fusion
Authors: Jiang Yichun , Liu Yunqing , Zhan Weida , Zhu Depeng
Published: June 2023

When traditional super-resolution reconstruction methods are applied to infrared thermal images, they often ignore the problem of poor image quality caused by the imaging mechanism, which makes it difficult to obtain high-quality reconstruction results even with the training of simulated degraded inverse processes. To address these issues, we proposed a thermal infrared image super-resolution reconstruction method based on multimodal sensor fusion, aiming to enhance the resolution of thermal infrared images and rely on multimodal sensor information to reconstruct high-frequency details in the images, thereby overcoming the limitations of imaging mechanisms. First, we designed a novel super-resolution reconstruction network, which consisted of primary feature encoding, super-resolution reconstruction, and high-frequency detail fusion subnetwork, to enhance the resolution of thermal infrared images and rely on multimodal sensor information to reconstruct high-frequency details in the images, thereby overcoming limitations of imaging mechanisms. We designed hierarchical dilated distillation modules and a cross-attention transformation module to extract and transmit image features, enhancing the network’s ability to express complex patterns. Then, we proposed a hybrid loss function to guide the network in extracting salient features from thermal infrared images and reference images while maintaining accurate thermal information. Finally, we proposed a learning strategy to ensure the high-quality super-resolution reconstruction performance of the network, even in the absence of reference images. Extensive experimental results show that the proposed method exhibits superior reconstruction image quality compared to other contrastive methods, demonstrating its effectiveness.
Depressive, Anxiety, and Stress Symptoms in Parents of Children Being Admitted for Febrile Seizures in a Tertiary Hospital in the East Coast of Malaysia
Authors: Othman Azizah , Razak Salmi Abdul , Nasir Ariffin , Ghazali Anis Kausar , Mohd Radzi Muhammad Amiro Rasheeq
Published: June 2023

Febrile seizures in children are an alarming experience for parents. This study aimed to assess the psychological functioning of parents of children when they were being admitted for treatment of febrile seizures in the hospital, the importance of which is clear, since parents are the primary custodian of their children. This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 110 participants whose child had been admitted for a febrile seizure to Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia from September 2020 until June 2021. The depression, anxiety, and stress levels were determined based on a validated Bahasa Melayu questionnaire of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). In addition, multiple logistic regression was used to determine the associated factors related to the participants’ psychological functioning. The mean age of children with febrile seizures were 21 months old, and most children showed features of simple febrile seizures (71.8%). The prevalence of anxiety, stress, and depression were 58.2%, 29%, and 23.6%, respectively. Using multiple logistic regression, child age, family history of febrile seizures, family history of epilepsy, and length of stay in the ward were found to be significantly associated with anxiety when adjusted for other variables. Otherwise, for depression and stress, no significant associated variables were found when adjusted for other variables. Anxiety was highly reported by participants when their children were admitted for febrile seizures. Several factors impacted their anxiety, including the lower the child’s age was, participants with no family history of febrile seizures before, and the longer duration of hospital stay. Therefore, further study and intervention on reducing the parent’s anxiety could be emphasized in the future.
Human Pose Estimation via an Ultra-Lightweight Pose Distillation Network
Authors: Zhang Shihao , Qiang Baohua , Yang Xianyi , Wei Xuekai , Chen Ruidong , Chen Lirui
Published: June 2023

Most current pose estimation methods have a high resource cost that makes them unusable in some resource-limited devices. To address this problem, we propose an ultra-lightweight end-to-end pose distillation network, which applies some helpful techniques to suitably balance the number of parameters and predictive accuracy. First, we designed a lightweight one-stage pose estimation network, which learns from an increasingly refined sequential expert network in an online knowledge distillation manner. Then, we constructed an ultra-lightweight re-parameterized pose estimation subnetwork that uses a multi-module design with weight sharing to improve the multi-scale image feature acquisition capability of the single-module design. When training was complete, we used the first re-parameterized module as the deployment network to retain the simple architecture. Finally, extensive experimental results demonstrated the detection precision and low parameters of our method.
Solution for Pursuit-Evasion Game of Agents by Adaptive Dynamic Programming
Authors: Gong Zifeng , He Bing , Liu Gang , Zhang Xiaobo
Published: June 2023

The paper studies a novel method for real-time solutions of the two-player pursuit-evasion game. The min-max principle is adopted to confirm the Nash equilibrium of the game. As agents in the game can form an Internet of Things (IoT) system, the real-time control law of each agent is obtained by taking a linear-quadratic cost function in adaptive dynamic programming. By introducing the Lyapunov function, we consider the scenario when capture occurs. Since most actual systems are continuous, the policy iteration algorithm is used to make the real-time policy converge to the analytical solution of the Nash equilibrium. Furthermore, we employ the value function approximation method to calculate the neural network parameters without directly solving the Hamilton–Jacobi–Isaacs equation. Simulation results depict the method’s feasibility in different scenarios of the pursuit-evasion game.
Data Fusion and Situation Awareness for Smart Grid and Power Communication Network Based on Tensor Computing and Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Yu Qiusheng , Wang Xiaoyong , Lv Depin , Qi Bin , Wei Yongjing , Liu Lei , Zhang Pu , Zhu Weihong , Zhang Wensheng
Published: June 2023

With the large-scale deployment of sensors, both the smart grid and the power communication network should jointly deal with different kinds of big data. The fusion of both networks should bring unpredictable accidents, even leading a catastrophic destruction in our lives. However, data fusion (DF) and coordination treatment for two networks will greatly improve system performance, reduce system complexity, and improve the precision and control ability of both networks. Situation awareness (SA) is the key function for DF and accident avoidance for both networks with different network structures, data types, system mechanisms, and so on. This paper use tensor computing to provide a general data model for heterogeneous and multidimensional big data generated from smart grid and power communication network. A novel data fusion scheme is designed with multidimensional tensors. Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithms are utilized to construct an optimal SA strategy based on tensor big data. A multi-agent actor-critic (MAAC) algorithm is used to achieve an optimal SA policy and improve system performance. The proposed DF and SA schemes based on tensor computing and DRL provide useful guidance for smart grid and power communication networks from theory and practice.
Selection Interface for Promoting User Selection Diversity by Presenting Positive/Negative Review Text and Video to Evoke Product Impression and User Emotion
Authors: Shimizu Tomoyuki , Futami Kyosuke , Terada Tsutomu , Tsukamoto Masahiko
Published: June 2023

In recent years, unintentional bias in user selection has hindered the growth of information device interfaces and algorithms. To address this problem, it is essential to clarify the factors that influence a user’s selection bias and to design methods that diversify the user selection without bias. This study focused on the positivity and negativity of reviews and videos as factors that influence a user’s selection bias and investigated whether viewing them increases or decreases a user’s selection diversity. Based on the results, we aimed to show effective methods for improving a user’s selection diversity by evoking a user’s product impression through a review presentation and by evoking a user’s emotion through a video presentation. This study drew inspiration from the broaden-and-build theory, which suggests that exposure to positive or negative information can impact an individual’s selection diversity. In this study, we implemented a smartphone application for online product purchase for an experimental task in which individuals repeatedly selected one of five different drinks. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of reviews and videos on user selection. Experiment 1 showed that viewing positive reviews promoted diversity in a user selection and that both positive and negative reviews promoted brand switching (i.e., selecting different products in a consecutive selection). Experiment 2 indicated that watching a negative video potentially decreased a user’s selection diversity. Our study is helpful for understanding the effect of viewing reviews and videos on user selection and for designing interfaces that promote diverse user selection.
3D Pose Recognition of Small Special-Shaped Sheet Metal with Multi-Objective Overlapping
Authors: Deng Yaohua , Chen Guanhao , Liu Xiali , Sun Cheng , Huang Zhihai , Lin Shengyu
Published: June 2023

This paper addresses the challenging task of determining the position and posture of small-scale thin metal parts with multi-objective overlapping. To tackle this problem, we propose a method that utilizes instance segmentation and a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud for recognizing the posture of thin special-shaped metal parts. We investigate the process of obtaining a single target point cloud by aligning the target mask with the depth map. Additionally, we explore a pose estimation method that involves registering the target point cloud with the model point cloud, designing a registration algorithm that combines the sample consensus initial alignment algorithm (SAC-IA) for coarse registration and the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm for fine registration. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. The average accuracy of the instance segmentation models, utilizing ResNet50 + FPN and ResNet101 + FPN as backbone networks, exceeds 97%. The time consumption of the ResNet50 + FPN model is reduced by 50%. Furthermore, the registration algorithm, which combines the SAC-IA and ICP, achieves a lower average consumption time while satisfying the requirements for the manufacturing of new energy batteries.
Material Balance Method and Dynamic Pressure Monitoring for Water-Bearing Gas Reservoirs with CO2 Injection
Authors: Tan Xiaohua , Shi Jiajia , Hui Dong , Li Qiu , Wu Tingting
Published: June 2023

The storage of carbon dioxide by injecting carbon dioxide into gas reservoirs has become an important technique for achieving carbon capture, utilization, and storage. However, most studies have focused on tight gas reservoirs, and there are still few studies on the injection of carbon dioxide into water-bearing gas reservoirs. This paper analyzes the variation of reservoir pressure during CO2 injection and points out the optimal amount of CO2 injection in the reservoir, which can provide theoretical guidance in practical applications. The relationship is plotted between the formation pressure and the volume of injected carbon dioxide. The effects of reservoir inhomogeneity and the water content on the formation pressure are discussed. Dynamic monitoring of the formation pressure during carbon dioxide injection is achieved. The optimal volume of injected carbon dioxide for water-bearing gas reservoirs is determined. The results show that the formation pressure increases with an increase in the volume of injected carbon dioxide, and the curve exhibits a trend of steep increases at both ends and a gentle increase in the middle. Enhanced reservoir inhomogeneity and a low reservoir water content are favorable for carbon dioxide injection.
Optimized Power Flow Control to Minimize Congestion in a Modern Power System
Authors: Bodenstein Max , Liere-Netheler Ingo , Schuldt Frank , von Maydell Karsten , Hartmann Alexander K. , Agert Carsten
Published: June 2023

The growing integration of renewable energy sources (RES) into the power system causes congestion to occur more frequently. In order to reduce congestion in the short term and to make the utilization of the power system more efficient in the long term, power flow control (PFC) in the transmission system has been proposed. However, exemplary studies show that congestion will increase also in the distribution system if the transmission system is expanded. For this reason, the potential of PFC to reduce congestion in a model of a real 110 kV distribution system is investigated. Several Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) devices are optimized in terms of their number and placement in the power system, their size, control parameters, and costs, by using a Parallel Tempering approach as well as a greedy algorithm. Two optimization variants are considered, one reducing the number of degrees of freedom by integrating system knowledge while the other does not. It is found that near a critical grid state and disregarding costs, PFC can reduce congestion significantly (99.13%). When costs of the UPFCs are taken into account, PFC can reduce congestion by 73.2%. A basic economic analysis of the costs reveals that the usage of UPFCs is profitable. Furthermore, it is found that the reduction in the solution space of the optimization problem leads to better results faster and that, contrary to expectations, the optimization problem is simple to solve. The developed methods allow not only for the determination of the optimal use of UPFCs to minimize congestion, but also to estimate their profitability.
External Costs to Agriculture Associated with Further Open Pit Lignite Mining from the Bełchatów Deposit
Authors: Pepliński Benedykt
Published: June 2023

The energy crisis in Europe and Poland caused by the conflict in Ukraine has renewed the debate in some countries about the wisdom of abandoning the use of local fossil fuels. The rise in gas and oil prices with little change in the cost of extracting lignite from open pit mines has led to a renewed consideration of lignite as the cheapest source of energy. This is not entirely true, as the level of costs at power plants ignores many external costs that are not included in the costs of energy producers, but are borne by the general public or other parties. One such cost is the external costs incurred by agriculture as a result of open pit lignite mining and the associated depression funnels. The Bełchatów lignite open pit is the deepest open pit in Europe and is expected to be in operation by 2038. The aim of the study was to assess the external costs that farmers will incur as a result of further open pit mining of brown call from the Bełchatów deposit, i.e., between 2023 and 2038 as well as in the 16-year extended period of restoration of water relations around the open pit. The decrease in crop yields and animal numbers was estimated in a comparative analysis, which compared changes in the yields of selected plants and animals in the area affected by the open pit to those in neighboring areas that were not affected. The analysis showed that the external costs to be borne by agriculture as a result of the further exploitation of the Bełchatów deposit will amount to an average of EUR 2.90 billion, and, depending on the calculation variant, from EUR 2.51 billion to EUR 3.14 billion. Including this amount in the cost of electricity production would result in an increase of EUR 9.11·MWh−1, which is 18.8% of the average wholesale price of electricity in Poland in 2017–2021. On the one hand, the increased consumption of lignite in electricity production, which is currently observed and may last for several years, may shorten the life of the open pit by up to 2 years. Shortening the mining period by one year, assuming that all the coal in the deposit is mined, will reduce the external costs for agriculture by about EUR 185 million, i.e., EUR 0.58·MWh−1. On the other hand, the increase in European Emissions Trading System (ETS) prices, the decrease in gas prices and the increase in energy production from renewable energy source (RES) will make lignite power generation profitable only during the periods with the highest prices, so that by 2038 lignite will not be mined in its entirety. Every 10 Gg of coal that will not be mined by 2038 will result in an increase in external costs in agriculture per MWh of EUR 0.23·MWh−1.
Early Gas Kick Warning Based on Temporal Autoencoder
Authors: Zhu Zhaopeng , Zhou Detao , Yang Donghan , Song Xianzhi , Zhou Mengmeng , Zhang Chengkai , Duan Shiming , Zhu Lin
Published: June 2023

The timing of the data is not taken into account by the majority of risk warnings today. However, identifying temporal fluctuations in data, which is a vital method for detecting risk, is neglected by the majority of intelligent gas kick warning models now in use. To accurately and early detect the gas kick risk, a temporal series gas kick detection method based on sequence-to-sequence depth autoencoder is proposed in this paper. A depth autoencoder model based on bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM-AE) network is established to encode and compress input series, and decode and reconstruct the output series. Firstly, the BiLSTM-AE network is trained on normal drilling data based on unsupervised learning. Then, the model is tested by gas kick data, and the mean square error of reconstruction is calculated. The results show that the BiLSTM-AE model is more robust and generalized, and its accuracy is 95%. Experimental preliminary results show that this approach is capable of extracting bidirectional temporal information from risk sequence data, but long short-term memory (LSTM) and autoencoder models based on multilayer perceptron (MLP-AE) are unable to do so. By taking into account the temporal characteristics of the data, this study offers a strategy to integrate prior knowledge and significantly enhances the accuracy and stability of the model.
Investigating the Influence of Tourism, GDP, Renewable Energy, and Electricity Consumption on Carbon Emissions in Low-Income Countries
Authors: Martial Anobua Acha Arnaud , Dechun Huang , Voumik Liton Chandra , Islam Md. Jamsedul , Majumder Shapan Chandra
Published: June 2023

Due to a rapidly growing population and economy, an increase in emissions from urban growth, industrial growth, and energy use hurt the environment’s health. This research examines how tourism, population, income, renewable energy, and electricity consumption affect carbon emissions in twenty-six low-income countries. There is no cross-sectional dependence (CSD) problem, so quantile regressions (QR) and generalized method of moments (GMM) are used. Results show that the environment is obtaining benefits because of tourism. CO2 emissions are rising because the per capita income, electricity consumption, and population are growing. CO2 emissions can be lowered by using more renewable energy and growing the economy faster. Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) is also valid in low-income countries. Thus, increasing income will not be harmful to the environment. Similarly, increasing tourism, renewable energy, and rising GDP per capita benefit low-income countries. The government can focus on sustainable tourism. Policymakers may convince more people to use renewable energy resources and grow the sustainable tourism industry. This study recommends that the government reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote tourism that is good for the environment, take initiatives to limit population growth, and use renewable energy.
The Linkage between Renewable Energy and Project Management: What Do We Already Know, and What Are the Future Directions of Research?
Authors: Piwowar-Sulej Katarzyna , Sołtysik Mariusz , Jarosz Szymon , Pukała Ryszard
Published: June 2023

Although the development and the implementation of Renewable Energy (RE) solutions are crucial for the transformation of countries towards sustainability, Project Management (PM) may help companies to introduce these solutions, although no study analyzes and synthetizes previous research on the interplay between PM and RE. The article aims to fill this gap by presenting an analysis of publications that address the analyzed issue and are indexed in the Scopus database. The article utilizes bibliometric analysis, network analyses, and in-depth qualitative studies published before 2023. The first method examines research productivity in the context of authors, institutions, and designations. The second method examines the authors’ and keywords’ networks. The third is more comprehensive and focuses on contributions to both project management and the technological domain provided by articles, which constitute H (Hirsch)-Core in this research field. Based on the bibliometric analysis, it can be concluded that the scientific structure of the “project management–renewable energy” (PM-RE) field consists of 335 documents, which were published, in total, by 672 authors and in 135 journals. There are four keyword clusters, with blurred boundaries between them. In the PM area, organizational issues, focusing on project effectiveness, cooperation with stakeholders, and project evaluation methods were discussed. In the RE area, the main focus was on wind energy, technological issues, and the implementation of technologies in the end-to-end communication architecture for smart grids, photovoltaic systems, biomass projects, or the exploitation of geothermal resources. The article directly indicates the areas that should be addressed in future research. This study is the first literature review that explores the PM–RE research field. It provides knowledge that can be the subject of improving technologies and project management issues in the energy industry.
Fault Recovery Strategy for Power–Communication Coupled Distribution Network Considering Uncertainty
Authors: Hou Sizu , Hou Yisu , Li Baikui , Wang Ziqi
Published: June 2023

In the face of multiple failures caused by extreme disasters, the power and communication sides of the distribution network are interdependent in the fault recovery process. To improve the post-disaster recovery efficiency of the distribution network, this paper proposes a coordinated optimization strategy for distribution network reconfiguration and repair, which integrates the power and communication aspects. First, the recovery process is divided into islanding–reconfiguration and dynamic emergency repair. The coupling relationship between power and communication is considered; that is, power failure may cause communication nodes to lose power, and communication failure may affect the effective operation of remote control devices. Based on this, the fault recovery process is optimized with the objective of maximizing load transfer and direct recovery while introducing a stochastic model predictive control method to handle the uncertainty of distributed power generation by rolling optimization of typical scenarios. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed strategy is verified using an improved IEEE33-node distribution network system. The simulation results show that the proposed method can recover power to the maximum extent and reduce loss while ensuring the safe and stable operation of the distribution system.
Graft-Derived Cell-Free DNA Quantification following Liver Transplantation Using Tissue-Specific DNA Methylation and Donor-Specific Genotyping Techniques: An Orthogonal Comparison Study
Authors: Cox Daniel R. A. , McClure Tess , Zhang Fan , Wong Boris Ka Leong , Testro Adam , Goh Su Kah , Muralidharan Vijayaragavan , Dobrovic Alexander
Published: June 2023

Background: Graft-derived cell-free DNA (gdcfDNA) analysis has shown promise as a non-invasive tool for monitoring organ health following solid organ transplantation. A number of gdcfDNA analysis techniques have been described; however, the majority rely on sequencing or prior genotyping to detect donor-recipient mis-matched genetic polymorphisms. Differentially methylated regions of DNA can be used to identify the tissue-of-origin of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragments. In this study, we aimed to directly compare the performance of gdcfDNA monitoring using graft-specific DNA methylation analysis and donor-recipient genotyping techniques in a pilot cohort of clinical samples from patients post-liver transplantation. Results: 7 patients were recruited prior to LT, 3 developed early, biopsy-proven TCMR in the first 6 weeks post-LT. gdcfDNA was successfully quantified in all samples using both approaches. There was a high level of technical correlation between results using the two techniques (Spearman testing, rs = 0.87, p < 0.0001). gdcfDNA levels quantified using the genotyping approach were significantly greater across all timepoints in comparison to the tissue-specific DNA methylation-based approach: e.g., day 1 post-LT median 31,350 copies/mL (IQR 6731–64,058) vs. 4133 copies/mL (IQR 1100–8422), respectively. Qualitative trends in gdcfDNA levels for each patient were concordant between the two assays. Acute TCMR was preceded by significant elevations in gdcfDNA as quantified by both techniques. Elevations in gdcfDNA, using both techniques, were suggestive of TCMR in this pilot study with a 6- and 3-day lead-time prior to histological diagnosis in patients 1 and 2. Conclusions: Both the graft-specific methylation and genotyping techniques successfully quantified gdcfDNA in patients post-LT with statistically significant concordance. A direct comparison of these two techniques is not only important from a technical perspective for orthogonal validation, but significantly adds weight to the evidence that gdcfDNA monitoring reflects the underlying biology. Both techniques identified LT recipients who developed acute TCMR, with several days lead-time in comparison to conventional diagnostic workflows. Whilst the two assays performed comparably, gdcfDNA monitoring based on graft-specific DNA methylation patterns in cfDNA offers major practical advantages over the donor-recipient genotyping, and hence enhances the potential to translate this emerging technology into clinical practice.
Thermal and Pyrolysis Kinetics Analysis of Glass Wool and XPS Insulation Materials Used in High-Rise Buildings
Authors: Hossain Md Delwar , Hassan Md Kamrul , Saha Swapan , Yuen Anthony Chun Yin , Wang Cheng , George Laurel , Wuhrer Richard
Published: June 2023

This study investigates the kinetics data of glass wool (GW) and extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation materials used in cladding systems using a systematic framework. The determination of appropriate kinetic properties, such as pre-exponential factors, activation energy and reaction orders, is crucial for accurately modelling the full-scale fire performance of insulation materials. The primary objective of this research is to extract thermal and kinetics data of XPS and GW insulation materials employed in high-rise buildings. To obtain these properties, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is conducted at four different heating rates: 5, 10, 15 and 20 K/min. The TGA results serve as the basis for determining the kinetic properties using a combination of model-free and model-based methods. The outcomes of this study are expected to be highly beneficial in defining the pyrolysis reaction steps and extracting kinetics data for fire modelling of such insulation materials. This information will enhance the understanding of the fire behaviour and performance of these materials during fire incidents, aiding in developing more accurate fire models and improving fire safety strategies for cladding systems in high-rise buildings.
Immunoregulation and Resistance to Aquatic Pathogens with Dietary Nucleotides in Pacific White Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei
Authors: Segarra Sergi , Chau Thanh , Hoang Phuc , Tran Loc
Published: June 2023

Using vegetable protein sources as a replacement for fish meal (FM) in the diet of Pacific white shrimp (PWS) has a negative impact on their health. Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus, affects PWS and causes financial losses. Nucleotides modulate the immune response and could contribute to counteracting these issues. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of nucleotide supplementation on performance, immune response, and survival when challenged with V. parahaemolyticus, in PWS receiving a diet with FM partially replaced with vegetable protein sources. A feeding trial (1000 PWS; 56 days) and a challenge trial (600 PWS; 10 days) were performed using diets with different FM inclusion levels (26%, 23.4%, 22.1%, and 20.8%), with or without 0.1% nucleotides. A non-challenged, non-supplemented group was also used in the challenge trial. Adding nucleotides to diets with reduced FM allowed significantly better results in growth performance parameters and total hemocyte count (THC). In the challenge trial, compared to control, nucleotide supplementation led to significantly higher THC and survival rate 15 h post-challenge. In conclusion, adding nucleotides to PWS diets improves their immune response and resistance to aquatic pathogens, allowing FM to be replaced by vegetable protein sources without negatively affecting performance.
Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Differences in Gene Expression in the Muscle of the Brown-Marbled Grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) with Different Growth Rates
Authors: Wang Tong , Yang Yang , Gong Shirui , Wu Xi , Zeng Leilei , Tao Yuhao , Zhong Chaoyue , Song Leling , Liu Xiaochun
Published: June 2023

Brown-marbled grouper is one of the most important mariculture species in China and is widely used as a crossbreeding parent in the grouper industry. Enhancing growth rates is a key target in fish breeding, and gaining insight into the underlying mechanisms responsible for growth differences between individuals can aid in the improvement of grouper growth rates. However, the mechanism behind growth differences in this fish remains unclear. We analyzed the transcriptome profiles of muscle tissues between fast- and slow-growing brown-marbled grouper using RNA-seq and identified 77 significantly up-regulated genes and 92 significantly down-regulated genes in the extreme growth groups. Our findings suggest that up-regulated genes such as ghr and tnni2, as well as down-regulated genes such as stc2 and pdp1, are associated with growth advantages in brown-marbled grouper. We used differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. The results of the GO enrichments showed that the significantly up-regulated genes in the fast-growing group were involved in protein folding, the actin cytoskeleton, the myosin complex, and other processes. The results of the KEGG enrichments showed that the significantly up-regulated genes in the fast-growing group were involved in various pathways such as glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, adipocytokine signaling, MAPK signaling, carbon metabolism, and PI3K-Akt signaling. Additionally, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway was up-regulated in the fast-growing group, which may be responsible for the higher nutrient absorption efficiency and muscle growth in these fish. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms and regulatory pathways underlying fast growth in brown-marbled grouper. However, further studies are necessary to fully elucidate the mechanisms behind growth differences between individuals.
The Landscape of IgA Nephropathy Treatment Strategy: A Pharmacological Overview
Authors: Di Leo Vincenzo , Annese Francesca , Papadia Federica , Cara Iris , Giliberti Marica , Sallustio Fabio , Gesualdo Loreto
Published: June 2023

IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common form of primary glomerulonephritis and is one of the most common causes of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) worldwide. The immunopathogenic mechanism underlying IgAN is poorly identified. Currently, the mainstay treatment of IgAN is centered on the optimization of blood pressure and a reduction in proteinuria, using an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). According to KDIGO, patients who persistently remain at a high risk of progressive ESKD, despite maximal supportive care, are candidates for glucocorticoid therapy. Recent discoveries regarding the pathogenesis of this disease have led to the testing of new therapeutic drugs targeting, in particular, the excessive mucosal immune reaction and the resulting systemic response as well as the complement activation and the following kidney damage and fibrosis. In this review, we examine the various therapeutic approaches to this intriguing disease.
Haunted in Desolation: The Murder of Captain John Gunnison, Reconsidered
Authors: Shallat Todd
Published: June 2023

Deserts confuse, fogging memory and electrifying the imagination. In 1853, on Utah’s Sevier River, a ritualized killing spawned a folklore of deserts that lives on to this day. Captain John W. Gunnison, an engineer, had detoured into an ambush. Dismembered, decapitated, his heart torn from his chest, he had died, it was said, by order of the Mormon prophet and Utah’s Latter-day Saints. Fabulized over the decades, the tale was contorted with an evil king in a desert kingdom, with ghoulish assassins and restless corpses undead. Folklore saw what historians have been slow to perceive about hauntings in desolation. Memories of trauma run deep in disquieting strangeness. Places presumed to be empty set dark expectations for horror.
Proteomic Profiling of Chemotherapy Responses in FOLFOX-Resistant Colorectal Cancer Cells
Authors: Tam Shing-Yau , Islam Khan Md Zahirul , Chen Ju-Yu , Yip Jerica Hiu-Yui , Yan Hong-Yiu , Tam Tsz-Yan , Law Helen Ka-Wai
Published: June 2023

Chemoresistance mechanisms of colorectal cancer remain largely elusive. We aim to compare the difference of chemotherapy responses between FOLFOX-resistant and wild-type colorectal cancer cells by proteomic profiling to suggest novel treatment targets. FOLFOX-resistant colorectal cancer cells DLD1-R and HCT116-R were developed by chronic exposure to progressive FOLFOX doses. Proteomic profiling of FOLFOX-resistant and wild-type cells under FOLFOX exposure were conducted by mass-spectrometry-based protein-analysis technology. Verification of selected KEGG pathways was conducted by Western blot. DLD1-R had significantly higher FOLFOX-chemoresistance (10.81 times) than its wild-type counterpart. A total of 309 and 90 differentially expressed proteins were identified in DLD1-R and HCT116-R, respectively. In terms of gene ontology molecular function, RNA binding and cadherin binding ranked first for DLD1 and HCT116 groups, respectively. For gene set enrichment analysis, ribosome pathway and DNA replication were significantly up-regulated and down-regulated in DLD1-R, respectively. The most significantly up-regulated pathway in HCT116-R was regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Up-regulations in the ribosome pathway (DLD1-R) and actin cytoskeleton (HCT116-R) were verified by Western blot. There were several significantly altered signaling pathways in FOLFOX-resistant colorectal cancer cells under FOLFOX with notable up-regulations in the ribosomal process and actin cytoskeleton.
Innovative Functional Biomaterials as Therapeutic Wound Dressings for Chronic Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Authors: Da Silva Jessica , Leal Ermelindo C. , Carvalho Eugénia , Silva Eduardo A.
Published: June 2023

The imbalance of local and systemic factors in individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) delays, or even interrupts, the highly complex and dynamic process of wound healing, leading to diabetic foot ulceration (DFU) in 15 to 25% of cases. DFU is the leading cause of non-traumatic amputations worldwide, posing a huge threat to the well-being of individuals with DM and the healthcare system. Moreover, despite all the latest efforts, the efficient management of DFUs still remains a clinical challenge, with limited success rates in treating severe infections. Biomaterial-based wound dressings have emerged as a therapeutic strategy with rising potential to handle the tricky macro and micro wound environments of individuals with DM. Indeed, biomaterials have long been related to unique versatility, biocompatibility, biodegradability, hydrophilicity, and wound healing properties, features that make them ideal candidates for therapeutic applications. Furthermore, biomaterials may be used as a local depot of biomolecules with anti-inflammatory, pro-angiogenic, and antimicrobial properties, further promoting adequate wound healing. Accordingly, this review aims to unravel the multiple functional properties of biomaterials as promising wound dressings for chronic wound healing, and to examine how these are currently being evaluated in research and clinical settings as cutting-edge wound dressings for DFU management.