bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impaired p53-Mediated DNA Damage Response Contributes to Microcephaly in Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome Patient-Derived Cerebral Organoids
Authors: Martins Soraia , Erichsen Lars , Datsi Angeliki , Wruck Wasco , Goering Wolfgang , Chatzantonaki Eleftheria , de Amorim Vanessa Cristina Meira , Rossi Andrea , Chrzanowska Krystyna H. , Adjaye James
Published: February 2022

Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome (NBS) is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder caused by mutations within nibrin (NBN), a DNA damage repair protein. Hallmarks of NBS include chromosomal instability and clinical manifestations such as growth retardation, immunodeficiency, and progressive microcephaly. We employed induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cerebral organoids from two NBS patients to study the etiology of microcephaly. We show that NBS organoids carrying the homozygous 657del5 NBN mutation are significantly smaller with disrupted cyto-architecture. The organoids exhibit premature differentiation, and Neuronatin (NNAT) over-expression. Furthermore, pathways related to DNA damage response and cell cycle are differentially regulated compared to controls. After exposure to bleomycin, NBS organoids undergo delayed p53-mediated DNA damage response and aberrant trans-synaptic signaling, which ultimately leads to neuronal apoptosis. Our data provide insights into how mutations within NBN alters neurogenesis in NBS patients, thus providing a proof of concept that cerebral organoids are a valuable tool for studying DNA damage-related disorders.
CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Models of Retinitis Pigmentosa Reveal Differential Proliferative Response of Müller Cells between Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis
Authors: Parain Karine , Lourdel Sophie , Donval Alicia , Chesneau Albert , Borday Caroline , Bronchain Odile , Locker Morgane , Perron Muriel
Published: February 2022

Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited retinal dystrophy that ultimately leads to blindness due to the progressive degeneration of rod photoreceptors and the subsequent non-cell autonomous death of cones. Rhodopsin is the most frequently mutated gene in this disease. We here developed rhodopsin gene editing-based models of retinitis pigmentosa in two Xenopus species, Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis, by using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. In both of them, loss of rhodopsin function results in massive rod cell degeneration characterized by progressive shortening of outer segments and occasional cell death. This is followed by cone morphology deterioration. Despite these apparently similar degenerative environments, we found that Müller glial cells behave differently in Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis. While a significant proportion of Müller cells re-enter into the cell cycle in Xenopus laevis, their proliferation remains extremely limited in Xenopus tropicalis. This work thus reveals divergent responses to retinal injury in closely related species. These models should help in the future to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms that have shaped regeneration during evolution, with tremendous differences across vertebrates.
The Roles of Family and School Members in Influencing Children’s Eating Behaviours in China: A Narrative Review
Authors: Xu Jianlin
Published: February 2022

This review explores the influences of family and school members on children in China, in order to promote healthy eating behaviours among children and prevent childhood malnutrition in the Global South. Family members and school members are defined as parents, guardians (such as grandparents and other relatives), siblings, peers, and teachers. A search of four databases returned 94 articles, 18 of which met the eligibility criteria. Most of the included studies were from mainland China; a few were from Hong Kong and Taiwan. More quantitative than qualitative studies were found, among which, cross-sectional studies were dominant. The 18 papers included in the study explored the influences of family members and school members on the eating behaviours of children, based on seven themes: (1) social–demographic characteristics, (2) food intake of parents, (3) nutritional knowledge and health awareness of family or school members, (4) parents’ perceptions of their children’s body weight, (5) feeding strategies of family members, (6) family relationships, and (7) intergenerational differences of caregivers. In the current analysis, parental education levels, mother’s occupation, health awareness of parents and teachers, and positive feeding styles, such as encouraging healthy eating and controlling overeating, were positively correlated with the healthy eating behaviours of children. Meanwhile, healthy eating behaviours of children were negatively associated with caregivers’ lack of nutritional knowledge, misperception of weight, instrumental and/or emotional feeding, and working on nonstandard shifts. More related research using cross-disciplinary approaches is needed and there should be more discussions about how teachers, siblings, and peers affect the dietary behaviours of children.
Verification of the Influence of Particle Shape on the Chemical Resistance of Epoxy Coating and Use of Waste Glass as the Filler
Authors: Hodná Jana , Hodul Jakub , Drochytka Rostislav , Seidlová Michaela
Published: February 2022

The use of suitable secondary raw materials as fillers in progressive, protective agents primarily intended for horizontal concrete construction is very effective not only from the ecological but also from the economic point of view. The impact of using various types of waste glass as fillers on the mechanical parameters of epoxy coatings was experimentally verified. Assessing the dependency of the coating’s chemical resistance on the shape of the used filler’s particles was the main aim of the performed research. A solvent-free epoxy suitable for a chemically aggressive environment was selected for the experiment. These were epoxy coatings filled with a micro filler based on raw materials such as glass flakes and silica flour. Three tested formulations containing fillers with different particle shapes and characteristics were exposed to H2SO4, HCl, CH2O2 and NaOH at concentrations of 5% and 30% and evaluated after 60, 90 and 120 days. The chemical resistance assessment was carried out not only visually but also using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Thanks to the use of the waste glass as a coating filler, tensile properties and hardness improved, and its use did not negatively affect the chemical resistance and adhesion of the epoxy coatings. It was found that the shape of the filler particles influences the resistance of the coating against a chemically aggressive environment. The epoxy coating containing pre-treated waste windshield glass (shards) showed even better properties than the reference coating.
The Tribotechnical Properties of Electrosparks with a Secondary Bronze Coating
Authors: Dorokhov Alexey Semyonovich , Denisov Vyacheslav Alexandrovich , Zadorozhny Roman Nikolayevich , Romanov Ilya Vladimirovich , Zuevskiy Vitaliy Aleksandrovitch
Published: February 2022

The high cost of metal powder materials and the energy consumption of the methods involved in their production have led to an increase in the cost of technologies for the restoration and hardening of parts. One method of solving this problem is the recycling of powders. A promising method for processing the waste from machine-building industries, including those utilizing non-ferrous metals and alloys, is electroerosive dispersion. Metallic powders from secondary raw materials obtained in this manner have good physical and mechanical properties, and their cost is two to three times less than the cost of industrial ones. However, the tribotechnical properties of the secondary powders of non-ferrous metals and their use in technologies for the restoration and hardening of parts are still poorly understood. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the tribotechnical properties of coatings obtained via an electric spark treatment with electrodes composed of bronze CuAl9Fe3 (CuAl8Fe3) (in the state of delivery), and coatings of sintered secondary bronze obtained via the method of electroerosive dispersion followed by spark plasma sintering. The results of the comparative tribotechnical tests under the conditions of dry friction showed that the complex indicator of wear resistance—the wear factor (F)—under dry friction conditions, for mates after an electrospark coating method with sintered secondary bronze, was 1.94 less than for mates with a CuAl9Fe3 (CuAl8Fe3) coating. This confirmed the high tribotechnical properties and the effectiveness of using cheap secondary bronze in repair production in technologies for restoring and strengthening worn parts of machines operating under dry friction conditions.
Forecast of Omicron Wave Time Evolution
Authors: Schlickeiser Reinhard , Kröger Martin
Published: February 2022

The temporal evolution of the omicron wave in different countries is predicted, upon adopting an early doubling time of three days for the rate of new infections with this mutant. The forecast is based on the susceptible–infectious–recovered/removed (SIR) epidemic compartment model with a constant stationary ratio k=μ(t)/a(t) between the infection (a(t)) and recovery (μ(t)) rates. The assumed fixed early doubling time then uniquely relates the initial infection rate a0 to the ratio k; this way the full temporal evolution of the omicron wave is determined here. Three scenarios (optimistic, pessimistic, intermediate) and the resulting pandemic parameters are considered for 12 different countries. Parameters include the total number of infected persons, the maximum rate of new infections, the peak time and the maximum 7-day incidence per 100,000 persons. The monitored data from Great Britain underwent a clear maximum SDI of 1865 on 7 January 2022. This maximum is a factor 5.0 smaller than our predicted value in the optimistic case and may indicate a dark number of omicron infections of 5.0 in Great Britain. For Germany we predict peak times of the omicron wave ranging from 32 to 38 and 45 days after the start of the omicron wave in the optimistic, intermediate and pessimistic scenario, respectively, with corresponding maximum SDI values of 7090, 13,263 and 28,911. Adopting 1 January 2022 as the starting date our predictions imply the maximum of the omicron wave to be reached between 1 February and 15 February 2022. Rather similar values are predicted for Switzerland. Due to an order of magnitude smaller omicron hospitalization rate, in concert with a high percentage of vaccinated and boosted population, the German health system can cope with a maximum omicron SDI value of 2800 which is about a factor 2.5 smaller than the corresponding value 7090 for the optimistic case. By either reducing the duration of intensive care during peak time, and/or by making use of the nonuniform spread of the omicron wave across Germany, it seems that the German health system can barely cope with the omicron wave and thus avoid triage decisions. The reduced omicron hospitalization rate also causes significantly smaller mortality rates compared to the earlier mutants in Germany. Within the optimistic scenario, we predict 7445 fatalities and a maximum number of 418 deaths/day due to omicron. These numbers range in order of magnitude below the ones known from the beta mutant.
Influence of Reduction Temperature on the Structure and Naphthalene Hydrogenation Saturation Performance of Ni2P/Al2O3 Catalysts
Authors: Li Ze , Jing Jie-Ying , Qie Zhi-Qiang , Li Wen-Ying
Published: February 2022

Jet fuel rich in hydroaromatics and cycloalkanes could be derived from direct coal liquefaction oil via the hydrogenation saturation process. Developing an efficient catalyst to transform naphthalene hydrocarbons to hydroaromatics and cycloalkanes with high selectivity plays a significant role in realizing the above hydrogenation saturation process. In this work, Ni2P/Al2O3 catalysts were prepared at different reduction temperatures via the thermal decomposition of hypophosphite. We investigated the influence of reduction temperature and the results showed that reduction temperature had an important impact on the properties of Ni2P/Al2O3 catalysts. When the reduction temperature was 400 °C, the Ni2P particle size of the Ni2P/Al2O3 catalyst was 3.8 nm and its specific surface area was 170 m2/g. Furthermore, the Ni2P/Al2O3 catalyst reduced at 400 °C obtained 98% naphthalene conversion and 98% decalin selectivity. The superior catalytic activity was attributed to the smaller Ni2P particle size, higher specific surface area and suitable acidity, which enhanced the adsorption of naphthalene on Ni2P/Al2O3 catalyst.
Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Diagnosis: Results from a Tertiary Care Center in North-West Italy
Authors: Ribaldone Davide Giuseppe , Caviglia Gian Paolo , Gaia Silvia , Rolle Emanuela , Risso Alessandra , Campion Daniela , Brunocilla Paola Rita , Saracco Giorgio Maria , Carucci Patrizia
Published: February 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to direct most of the available resources towards its management. This has led to the neglect of all other pathologies, including cancer. The aim of this study was to verify whether the difficulty in accessing the health system has led to a reduction in new diagnoses of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and whether this has already been reflected in a more advanced stage of the cancer. A single-center, retrospective study including adult patients with a new diagnosis of HCC was performed. Patients were divided into three groups: the prelockdown phase (May 2019–February 2020), the lockdown phase (March 2020–December 2020), and the postlockdown phase (January 2021–October 2021); 247 patients were included. The number of patients diagnosed with HCC distinctly diminished in the periods March 2020–December 2020 (n = 69; −35%) and January 2021–October 2021 (n = 72; −32%) as compared to the period May 2019–February 2020 (n = 106). Noteworthy was the reduced surveillance in the period January 2021–October 2021 as compared to May 2019–February 2020 (22.9% vs. 36.6%, p = 0.056). No significant changes have yet been observed in tumor characteristics (BCLC staging distribution remained unvaried, p = 0.665). In conclusion, the number of new HCC diagnoses decreased sharply in the first 2 years of the pandemic, with no worsening of the stage. A more advanced stage of the disease could be expected in the next few years in patients who have escaped diagnosis.
Complication Avoidance in Surgical Management of Vertebral Column Tumors
Authors: Feler Joshua , Sun Felicia , Bajaj Ankush , Hagan Matthew , Kanekar Samika , Sullivan Patricia Leigh Zadnik , Fridley Jared S. , Gokaslan Ziya L.
Published: February 2022

The surgical management of spinal tumors has grown increasingly complex as treatment algorithms for both primary bone tumors of the spine and metastatic spinal disease have evolved in response to novel surgical techniques, rising complication rates, and additional data concerning adjunct therapies. In this review, we discuss actionable interventions for improved patient safety in the operative care for spinal tumors. Strategies for complication avoidance in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative settings are discussed for approach-related morbidities, intraoperative hemorrhage, wound healing complications, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, thromboembolism, and failure of instrumentation and fusion. These strategies center on themes such as pre-operative imaging review and medical optimization, surgical dissection informed by meticulous attention to anatomic boundaries, and fastidious wound closure followed by thorough post-operative care.
Survey of Volvariella (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) including Two New Species, V. neovolvacea and V. thailandensis, from Northern Thailand
Authors: Kumla Jaturong , Suwannarach Nakarin , Wannathes Nopparat , Lumyong Saisamorn
Published: February 2022

During the period from 2018 to 2020, a survey of macrofungi in northern Thailand was conducted and seven specimens of Volvariella were collected. The morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and large subunit (nrLSU) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequence data indicated that three specimens belonged to V. bombycina and V. volvacea. Four other specimens were distinct from all other known species within the genus Volvariella. We described these specimens as two new species, namely V. neovolvacea and V. thailandensis. Comprehensive descriptions, illustrations, line drawings, and a phylogenetic tree are provided to show the position of the two new species. The comparisons between morphologically similar and phylogenetically related species are also discussed.
Spin Lattice (T1) and Magnetization Transfer Saturation (MTsat) Imaging to Monitor Age-Related Differences in Skeletal Muscle Tissue
Authors: White John , Sinha Shantanu , Sinha Usha
Published: February 2022

Background: The aim was to compare spin-lattice relaxation (T1) mapping from sequences with no fat suppression and three fat suppression methods and Magnetization Transfer Saturation (MTsat) mapping, to identify regional and age-related differences in calf muscle. These differences may be of clinical significance in age-related loss of muscle force. Methods: Ten young and seven senior subjects were imaged on a 3T MRI scanner using a 3D Fast Low Angle Shot sequence without and with different fat suppression and with MT saturation pulse. Bland–Altman plots were used to assess T1 maps using the fat unsuppressed sequence as the reference image. Age and regional differences in T1 and in MTsat were assessed using two-way factorial analyses of variance (ANOVAs) with Bonferroni-adjusted independent sample t-tests for post hoc analyses. Results: A significant age-related increase in T1 and decrease in MTsat was seen in the calf muscles. The largest size effect was observed in the T1 sequence with fat saturation. Conclusions: T1 increase with age may reflect increase in inflammatory processes while the decrease in MTsat may indicate that magnetization transfer may also be associated with muscle fiber macromolecules. T1 and MTsat maps of calf muscle have the potential to detect regional and age-related compositional differences in calf muscle.
Multichamber Involvement of Metastatic Cardiac Melanoma
Authors: Bonou Maria S. , Diamantopoulos Panagiotis , Mavrogeni Sofia , Kapelios Chris J. , Barbetseas John , Gogas Helen
Published: February 2022

A 30-year-old man with a history of an in-situ melanoma of the forehead was referred for cardiac evaluation because of tachycardia and elevated levels of serum troponin. The transthoracic echocardiogram revealed multiple masses attached to the walls of both ventricles and the right atrium (RA). A large mass was occupying almost one third of the right ventricle (RV), resulting in reduction of the end-diastolic RV volume and tachycardia. A cardiac magnetic resonance imaging confirmed multifocal myocardial infiltration and intracavitary masses and excluded the presence of thrombus in any of the cardiac chambers. Diffuse metastatic involvement in the liver, the spleen, and the brain by computed tomography precluded surgical management. Being BRAF-unmutated, the patient was initially treated with a combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab. One month later, the cardiac metastases in RA and left ventricle were unchanged on echocardiogram, while the tumor in RV was enlarged occupying the majority of the chamber, resulting in further reduction of the cardiac output and tachycardia. The treatment was changed to a combination of dacarbazine and carboplatin, but the patient eventually died two months later. Heart is not a common metastatic site of melanoma and cardiac involvement is usually clinically silent making ante mortem diagnosis difficult. Multimodalidy imaging plays a pivotal role in the diagnostic work up. Cardiac melanoma metastases indicate an advance stage disease with poor prognosis.
Open-Source, Adaptable, All-in-One Smartphone-Based System for Quantitative Analysis of Point-of-Care Diagnostics
Authors: Schary Weronika , Paskali Filip , Rentschler Simone , Ruppert Christoph , Wagner Gabriel E. , Steinmetz Ivo , Deigner Hans-Peter , Kohl Matthias
Published: February 2022

Point-of-care (POC) diagnostics, in particular lateral flow assays (LFA), represent a great opportunity for rapid, precise, low-cost and accessible diagnosis of disease. Especially with the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, rapid point-of-care tests are becoming everyday tools for identification and prevention. Using smartphones as biosensors can enhance POC devices as portable, low-cost platforms for healthcare and medicine, food and environmental monitoring, improving diagnosis and documentation in remote, low-resource locations. We present an open-source, all-in-one smartphone-based system for quantitative analysis of LFAs. It consists of a 3D-printed photo box, a smartphone for image acquisition, and an R Shiny software package with modular, customizable analysis workflow for image editing, analysis, data extraction, calibration and quantification of the assays. This system is less expensive than commonly used hardware and software, so it could prove very beneficial for diagnostic testing in the context of pandemics, as well as in low-resource countries.
Relevance of ARID1A Mutations in Endometrial Carcinomas
Authors: De Leo Antonio , Ravegnini Gloria , Musiani Francesco , Maloberti Thais , Visani Michela , Sanza Viviana , Angelini Sabrina , Perrone Anna Myriam , De Iaco Pierandrea , Corradini Angelo Gianluca , Rosini Francesca , Grillini Marco , Santini Donatella , Ceccarelli Claudio , Zamagni Claudio , Tallini Giovanni , de Biase Dario
Published: February 2022

Since the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project identified four distinct groups based on molecular alterations, mutation analyses have been integrated into the characterization of endometrial carcinomas (ECs). ARID1A seems to be the subunit more involved in the loss of function of the SWI/SNF complex in ECs. The aim of this study is to define the relevance of ARID1A alterations in a cohort of EC, studying the possible associations between DNA mutation (genomic level), RNA expression (transcriptomic level), and protein expression (proteomic level). A total of 50 endometrial carcinomas were characterized for ARID1A mutations (using targeted DNA next-generation sequencing—NGS), ARID1A gene expression (using RNAseq and qRT-PCR), and ARID1A protein expression (using immunohistochemistry—IHC). Moreover, we have investigated if ARID1A mutations may alter the protein structure, using the Protein Data Bank sequence. We found a good correlation between ARID1A mutations and protein immunostaining, even if we did not find statistically significant differences in the ARID1A expression levels. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that the molecular characterization of ARID1A should be associated with IHC analysis, mainly in those cases harboring “novel” ARID1A mutations or in those alterations with “uncertain” pathogenic significance.
Bibliometric Mapping of Literature on High-Entropy/Multicomponent Alloys and Systematic Review of Emerging Applications
Authors: Akinwekomi Akeem Damilola , Akhtar Farid
Published: February 2022

High-entropy/multicomponent alloy (HEA/MCA) has received significant research attention in the last decade. There is a dearth of data-driven works dedicated to assessing and visualizing the HEA/MCA literature from a global perspective. To this end, we present the first bibliometric literature analysis of more than 3500 HEA/MCA articles, published between 2004 and 2021, in the Scopus database. We identify the most prolific authors, their collaborators, institutions, and most prominent research outlet. Co-occurrence networks of keywords are mapped and analyzed. A steep rise in research outputs is observed from 2013, when the number of annual publications doubled the previous years. The top five preferred research outlets include Journal of Alloys and Compounds, Materials Science and Engineering A, Scripta Materialia, Intermetallics, and Acta Materialia. Most of these publications emanate from researchers and institutions within China, USA, and Germany, although international scientific collaboration among them is lacking. Research gaps and future research directions are proposed, based on co-occurrence frequencies of author keywords. Finally, a brief systematic review of emerging applications, covering hydrogen storage, additive manufacturing, catalysis, and superconductivity, is undertaken. This work provides an important comprehensive reference guide for researchers to deepen their knowledge of the field and pursue new research directions.
Design and Evaluation of a Board Game in Food and Nutrition Education
Authors: Chiang Feng-Kuang , Wang Shan , Tang Zhonghua
Published: February 2022

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused increasing concern over health care, part of which involves the role of nutrition. In this study, a nutrition educational board game, featuring quantitative computation, was designed to help students acquire nutrition knowledge and improve dietary behaviors. A group of 22 students in grade 7 of a middle school in Beijing were selected as the participants. A single-group pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design was adopted. Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) questionnaires and interviews were used to investigate students’ changes in dietary knowledge, attitude, and behavior. The influence of gender and body mass index (BMI) on the teaching effectiveness was also explored. The results showed that some dimensions of knowledge, attitude, and behavior significantly increased in the students. Their changes in behavior were mainly related to some aspects that were easier to adjust. In addition, the study also found that females and students with abnormal BMI were more likely to be influenced by the educational game to make positive changes in attitude and behavior.
Vis and NIR Diffuse Reflectance Study in Disordered Bismuth Manganate—Lead Titanate Ceramics
Authors: Molak Andrzej , Szeremeta Anna Z. , Koperski Janusz
Published: February 2022

This work shows a correlation between light reflectance, absorption, and morphologies of series of bismuth manganate–lead titanate, (1 − x) BM–x PT, (x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08, 0.12, 0.16, 0.24, 1.00) ceramics composite. Low reflectance in the Vis-NIR range corresponds to ‘black mirror’ features. The modified Kubelka-Munk function applied to measured visible-near infrared (Vis-NIR) diffuse reflectance enabled the estimation of the energy gaps magnitude of the order of 1.0–1.2 eV for BM-PT. Histograms of grains, obtained using a scanning electron microscope, enabled finding the correlation between grains size, reflectance magnitude, and PT content. The magnitude of energy gaps was attributed to electronic structure bands modified by crystal lattice disorder and oxygen vacancies.
Robot Grasping Based on Stacked Object Classification Network and Grasping Order Planning
Authors: Liu Chenlu , Jiang Di , Lin Weiyang , Gomes Luis
Published: February 2022

In this paper, the robot grasping for stacked objects is studied based on object detection and grasping order planning. Firstly, a novel stacked object classification network (SOCN) is proposed to realize stacked object recognition. The network takes into account the visible volume of the objects to further adjust its inverse density parameters, which makes the training process faster and smoother. At the same time, SOCN adopts the transformer architecture and has a self-attention mechanism for feature learning. Subsequently, a grasping order planning method is investigated, which depends on the security score and extracts the geometric relations and dependencies between stacked objects, it calculates the security score based on object relation, classification, and size. The proposed method is evaluated by using a depth camera and a UR-10 robot to complete grasping tasks. The results show that our method has high accuracy for stacked object classification, and the grasping order effectively and successfully executes safely.
Topic Modeling and Sentiment Analysis of Online Education in the COVID-19 Era Using Social Networks Based Datasets
Authors: Waheeb Samer Abdulateef , Khan Naseer Ahmed , Shang Xuequn
Published: February 2022

Sentiment Analysis (SA) is a technique to study people’s attitudes related to textual data generated from sources like Twitter. This study suggested a powerful and effective technique that can tackle the large contents and can specifically examine the attitudes, sentiments, and fake news of “E-learning”, which is considered a big challenge, as online textual data related to the education sector is considered of great importance. On the other hand, fake news and misinformation related to COVID-19 have confused parents, students, and teachers. An efficient detection approach should be used to gather more precise information in order to identify COVID-19 disinformation. Tweet records (people’s opinions) have gained significant attention worldwide for understanding the behaviors of people’s attitudes. SA of the COVID-19 education sector still does not provide a clear picture of the information available in these tweets, especially if this misinformation and fake news affect the field of E-learning. This study has proposed denoising AutoEncoder to eliminate noise in information, the attentional mechanism for a fusion of features as parts where a fusion of multi-level features and ELM-AE with LSTM is applied for the task of SA classification. Experiments show that our suggested approach obtains a higher F1-score value of 0.945, compared with different state-of-the-art approaches, with various sizes of testing and training datasets. Based on our knowledge, the proposed model can learn from unified features set to obtain good performance, better results than one that can be learned from the subset of features.
Sediment Transport Management Using the Planned Construction of the Lower Vistula Cascade as an Example
Authors: Biegowski Jarosław , Robakiewicz Małgorzata , Woś Krzysztof , Wrzosek Krzysztof
Published: February 2022

Construction of the Włocławek Barrage on the Vistula River in 1970 became an important source of energy; however, it discontinued sediment transport in the Vistula River. This phenomenon resulted in accumulation before and erosion below the barrage; a similar problem can be expected due to the planned construction of the Lower Vistula Cascade. This study is dedicated to finding an effective and feasible solution to sediment transport management, acceptable to a wide group of users (e.g., navigation, energy producers, and ecologists). A numerical 1D model was applied to carry out analysis of hydrodynamics and sediment transport in the river section from Włocławek Barrage to the Vistula River mouth in the Baltic Sea. For calibration, historical data describing the accumulation and erosion created by the Włocławek Barrage were used. The proposed model allowed incorporation of new barrages chronologically, in accordance with the proposed time schedules. Analysis was carried out in a 50-year horizon, using a set of historical flow data. For sediment flushing, it was proposed to use natural flooding events exceeding Q10% discharge and to control sediment management of the adjacent barrages. To use this method in practice requires verification.
CFD-Based Erosion and Corrosion Modeling of a Pipeline with CO2-Containing Gas–Water Two-Phase Flow
Authors: Wang Weiqiang , Sun Yihe , Wang Bo , Dong Mei , Chen Yiming
Published: February 2022

A natural gas transportation pipeline with a gas–water two-phase flow containing CO2 is prone to severe flow-assisted corrosion (FAC). The accumulation location of the water phase in the pipeline and the wall shear stress distribution are important factors affecting the severity of this phenomenon. In this work, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed using the realizable k-ε model and volume of fluid (VOF) model to determine the gas–water volume fraction distribution and wall shear stress in a gas–water two-phase pipeline and established a pipeline corrosion prediction model. By determining where the water phase accumulates in the pipeline, the potential corrosion area could be predicted. By alleviating the phenomena of excessive local wall shear stress and bubble cavitation, the FAC due to the formation of stress and acid gas can be controlled. The simulation results lay a certain foundation for the corrosion research of gas–liquid two-phase flow pipelines.
Analysis and Assessment of Railway CCTV System Operating Reliability
Authors: Siergiejczyk Mirosław , Kasprzyk Zbigniew , Rychlicki Mariusz , Szmigiel Piotr
Published: February 2022

The article reviews the history and the direction of development for railway CCTV (Closed-Circuit TeleVision) systems. The authors described the CCTV system at PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. and the associated network and server infrastructure. The authors proposed an operational model for a centralized CCTV system that assumes states of partial fitness, in accordance with the regulations of the national railway infrastructure administrator. The aim of the paper is to review, analyse, and evaluate the operational reliability of railroad video monitoring systems in relation to the assumptions of the national railroad infrastructure manager using an operational model. A unified system structure is presented in the article. The model was used as a base to calculate the probabilities for the system while staying in the assumed states. Calculations showed that a centralized CCTV system is characterized by high reliability and satisfies the expectations of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. in this respect. The obtained result of 99.88% probability of leaving the analysed video surveillance system in a fully operational condition within a year indicates a high level of security of the applied solutions in such a large system. The analysed system is one of the largest such solutions designed in the European Union and the largest in Poland, which is an important contribution to the development and implementation of such extensive video surveillance systems in the future. The research question is whether the extensive centralized railway CCTV systems will meet the requirements of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A.
Economics of Battery Swapping for Electric Vehicles—Simulation-Based Analysis
Authors: Wu Yongzhong , Zhuge Siyi , Han Guoxin , Xie Wei
Published: February 2022

As electric vehicles have become increasingly popular in recent years, battery swapping technology has been promoted as an alternative to the time-consuming battery charging process. Nevertheless, battery swapping is held back by the trade-off between the additional battery investment and the short service time for users. In this paper, we developed simulation models to analyze the economics of battery swapping systems. In particular, we collected real data from eight battery swapping stations Guangzhou, China for the analysis. The results show that the service levels of the stations are reduced significantly as the number of users increases. On the other hand, economies of scale exists when implementing the battery swapping system. As the number of users increases, to maintain the same level of service level, the cost of the batteries shared by each user decreases. The analysis also suggests that, given the scale of potential users for an area, the marginal utility of increasing the number of stations will diminish. Finally, to maximize the utility and economic return of the service, we identified that there is a trade-off between the number of stations and the amount of batteries equipped in each station.
Potential Use of Pruning Residues from Avocado Trees as Energy Input in Rural Communities
Authors: Tauro Raúl , Velázquez-Martí Borja , Manrique Silvina , Ricker Martin , Martínez-Bravo René , Ruiz-García Víctor M. , Ramos-Vargas Saraí , Masera Omar , Soria-González José A. , Armendáriz-Arnez Cynthia
Published: February 2022

The global need to transition to renewable and decentralized systems entails agricultural systems as producers of residual biomass. Avocado trees (Persea americana Mill.) are one of the main woody crops cultivated in Mexico, with over 150,000 hectares grown in the country. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the use of avocado pruning residues as an energy input, focusing on the revalorization of biomass and the generation of economic benefits for small producers in the region. For that purpose, we developed allometric equations to calculate biomass availability from pruning residues, evaluated their thermochemical properties, and proposed technological alternatives for their energy use. Two allometric equations for pruning residues as a function of tree height and crown diameter were obtained: one for light and minor maintenance pruning (R2 = 0.63) and one for rejuvenation pruning (R2 = 0.86). From these equations, we estimate the mean amount of biomass generated from light and rejuvenation pruning to be 42.7 and 25.1 kg per tree and year, respectively, which amounts to 1324 and 780 kg ha−1 DM (dry matter), with an energy potential of 26.2 and 15.4 GJ ha−1. The thermochemical analysis shows that a higher proportion of leaves generates a higher ash content, which reduces the quality of the residues as a fuel. Avocado pruning residues have high potential for energy use and could be implemented in the industrial and residential sectors, generating a complementary source of income for producers.
Computational Analysis of Shear Banding in Simple Shear Flow of Viscoelastic Fluid-Based Nanofluids Subject to Exothermic Reactions
Authors: Khan Idrees , Chinyoka Tiri , Gill Andrew
Published: February 2022

We investigated the shear banding phenomena in the non-isothermal simple-shear flow of a viscoelastic-fluid-based nanofluid (VFBN) subject to exothermic reactions. The polymeric (viscoelastic) behavior of the VFBN was modeled via the Giesekus constitutive equation, with appropriate adjustments to incorporate both the non-isothermal and nanoparticle effects. Nahme-type laws were employed to describe the temperature dependence of the VFBN viscosities and relaxation times. The Arrhenius theory was used for the modeling and incorporation of exothermic reactions. The VFBN was modeled as a single-phase homogeneous-mixture and, hence, the effects of the nanoparticles were based on the volume fraction parameter. Efficient numerical schemes based on semi-implicit finite-difference-methods were employed in MATLAB for the computational solution of the governing systems of partial differential equations. The fundamental fluid-dynamical and thermodynamical phenomena, such as shear banding, thermal runaway, and heat transfer rate (HTR) enhancement, were explored under relevant conditions. Important novel results of industrial significance were observed and demonstrated. Firstly, under shear banding conditions of the Giesekus-type VFBN model, we observed remarkable HTR and Therm-C enhancement in the VFBN as compared to, say, NFBN. Specifically, the results demonstrate that the VFBN are less susceptible to thermal runaway than are NFBN. Additionally, the results illustrate that the reduced susceptibility of the Giesekus-type VFBN to the thermal runaway phenomena is further enhanced under shear banding conditions, in particular when the nanofluid becomes increasingly polymeric. Increased polymer viscosity is used as the most direct proxy for measuring the increase in the polymeric nature of the fluid.
Design and Analysis of a High Torque Density Hybrid Permanent Magnet Excited Vernier Machine
Authors: Kang Mei , Xu Liang , Ji Jinghua , Zhu Xuhui
Published: February 2022

Permanent magnet (PM) excited vernier machines capable of high torque density have good potential for electric vehicles while requiring high rare earth PM consumption. To achieve a high torque density at a reasonable material cost, hybrid PM excited vernier machines incorporating both expensive rare earth and low-cost ferrite magnets are investigated in this paper. Various combinations of PM arrangements for the hybrid permanent magnet excited vernier machine are investigated to acquire low cost and superior torque density. The best solution obtained is that the PM on the stator adopts rare earth material while the rotor uses ferrite. Furthermore, the PMs on the stator are arranged in an iron-cored Halbach array, which can reduce leakage flux and enhance flux density effectively and the ferrite PMs are used in the rotor, therefore, high-temperature demagnetization is avoided. Then, the reluctance torque and the cogging torque can offset each other effectively, which is beneficial to reducing the torque ripple and smoothing the electromagnetic torque. Finally, a prototype is manufactured and tested to verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis.
Uni-Messe: Unified Rule-Based Message Delivery Service for Efficient Context-Aware Service Integration
Authors: Nakata Takuya , Chen Sinan , Nakamura Masahide
Published: February 2022

Rule-based systems, which are the typical technology used to realize context-aware services, have been independently implemented in various smart services. The challenges of these systems are the versatility of action, looseness, and the coding that is needed to describe the conditional branches. The purpose of this study was to support the realization of service coordination and smart services using context-aware technology by converting rule-based systems into services. In the proposed method, we designed and implemented the architecture of a new service: Unified Rule-Based Message Delivery Service (Uni-messe), which is an application-neutral rule management and evaluation service for rule-based systems. The core part of the Uni-messe proposal is the combination of a Pub/Sub and a rule-based system, and the proposal of a new event–condition–route (ECR) rule-based system. We applied Uni-messe to an audio information presentation system (ALPS) and indoor location sensing technology to construct concrete smart services, and then compared and evaluated the implementation to “if this then that” (IFTTT), which is a typical service coordination technology. Moreover, we analyzed the characteristics of other rule-based systems that have been serviced in previous studies and compared them to Uni-messe. This study shows that Uni-messe can provide services that simultaneously combine versatility, ease of conditional description, looseness, context independence, and user interface (UI), which cannot be achieved using conventional rule-based system services. By using Uni-messe, advanced heterogeneous distributed service coordination using rule-based systems and the construction of context-aware services can be performed easily.
Plastic Waste Precursor-Derived Fluorescent Carbon and Construction of Ternary FCs@CuO@TiO2 Hybrid Photocatalyst for Hydrogen Production and Sensing Application
Authors: Mehta Akansha , Rather Rayees Ahmad , Belec Blaz , Gardonio Sandra , Fang Ming , Valant Matjaz
Published: February 2022

A sustainable nexus between renewable energy production and plastic abatement is imperative for overall sustainable development. In this regard, this study aims to develop a cheaper and environmentally friendly nexus between plastic waste management, wastewater treatment, and renewable hydrogen production. Fluorescent carbon (FCs) were synthesized from commonly used LDPE (low-density polyethylene) by a facile hydrothermal approach. Optical absorption study revealed an absorption edge around 300 nm and two emission bands at 430 and 470 nm. The morphological analysis showed two different patterns of FCs, a thin sheet with 2D morphology and elongated particles. The sheet-shaped particles are 0.5 μm in size, while as for elongated structures, the size varies from 0.5 to 1 μm. The as-synthesized FCs were used for the detection of metal ions (reference as Cu2+ ions) in water. The fluorescence intensity of FCs versus Cu2+ ions depicts its upright analytical ability with a limit of detection (LOD) reaching 86.5 nM, which is considerably lesser than earlier reported fluorescence probes derived from waste. After the sensing of Cu2+, the as-obtained FCs@Cu2+ was mixed with TiO2 to form a ternary FCs@CuO@TiO2 composite. This ternary composite was utilized for photocatalytic hydrogen production from water under 1.5 AM solar light irradiation. The H2 evolution rate was found to be ~1800 μmolg−1, which is many folds compared to the bare FCs. Moreover, the optimized FCs@CuO@TiO2 ternary composite showed a photocurrent density of ~2.40 mA/cm2 at 1 V vs. Ag/AgCl, in 1 M Na2SO4 solution under the illumination of simulated solar light. The achieved photocurrent density corresponds to the solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency of ~0.95%. The efficiency is due to the fluorescence nature of FCs and the synergistic effect of CuO embedded in TiO2, which enhances the optical absorption of the composite by reaching the bandgap of 2.44 eV, apparently reducing the recombination rate, which was confirmed by optoelectronic, structural, and spectroscopic characterizations.
Magnetic Equivalent Circuit and Optimization Method of a Synchronous Reluctance Motor with Concentrated Windings
Authors: Zhang Gan , Tao Jinxin , Li Yifan , Hua Wei , Xu Xiaohan , Chen Zhihong
Published: February 2022

In this paper, the 12-slot/4-pole (12/4) synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) with concentrated windings is proposed for low-cost hybrid vehicles. The non-linear magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) model of the 12/4 SynRM is built to obtain the main electromagnetic characteristics such as coil flux, inductances, torque, etc. The magnetic saturation is also counted in by the MEC. Results calculated by MEC are validated by 2D finite element analysis (FEA). Then, aiming at larger average torque, lower torque ripple and lower total harmonic distortion (THD) in phase voltage, the parameter optimization method of the SynRM is proposed based on the Taguchi method and the MEC model. The proposed Taguchi-MEC method enables a fast optimization with satisfactory accuracy. Finally, the motor prototype is manufactured, and experimental validations are carried out.
New Opportunities for Oil and Gas Exploration in Poland—A Review
Authors: Wójcik Krystian , Zacharski Jarosław , Łojek Marcin , Wróblewska Sara , Kiersnowski Hubert , Waśkiewicz Krzysztof , Wójcicki Adam , Laskowicz Rafał , Sobień Katarzyna , Peryt Tadeusz , Chylińska-Macios Agnieszka , Sienkiewicz Jagoda
Published: February 2022

Reserves totaling ~142 BCM (5 TCF) of natural gas trapped in 306 fields and ~22 MTOE (~157 MMBOE) of crude oil in 87 fields have been discovered. The prospection, exploration, and production of hydrocarbons are licensed: an entity interested in these kinds of activities needs to have concession, which is granted by the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment for 10 to 30 years according to one of two independent ways—international tender or open door procedure. In this review, the most prospective areas for oil and gas exploration in Poland, selected by the Polish Geological Survey, and announced as dedicated for the next 6th tender round, planned in the second half of 2022, are described. These are: Block 413–414, Block 208, Cybinka–Torzym, Zielona Góra West, and Koło areas. The main exploration target of these tender areas is related to conventional and unconventional accumulations of gas and oil in the Carpathian basement, Carpathian Foredeep, and Outer Carpathians (Block 413–414), as well as in the Carboniferous, Permian Rotliegend, Zechstein Main Dolomite (Block 208, Cybinka–Torzym, Zielona Góra West), and in the Mesozoic of the Polish Lowlands (Koło). The second way of granting concession in Poland is the so-called open door procedure, in which an entity may apply for a concession for any other area selected on its own.