bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inhibitory Activity of Chitin, (2-Acetamido-2-Deoxy-Hexopyranose) against Penicillin-Binding Proteins of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Vijayaraj Radha , Altaff Kareem , Lakshmanan Govindan , Jayaprakashvel Mani , Mickymaray Suresh , Gunapriya Raghunath , Palanisamy Manikandan , Alothaim Abdulaziz
Published: November 2022

Antibacterial compounds from aquatic sources have the potential to contribute significantly to the treatment of the ever-increasing drug-resistant infectious diseases. The chitin 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-hexopyranose from the freshwater prawn Caridina gracilirostris showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Two different types of chitin films, (1) chitin and starch, and (2) chitin, starch, and ascorbic acid were tested against S. aureus using in silico molecular docking. The inhibitory action of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-hexopyranose was recorded against the penicillin-binding protein (PBP2a) of S. aureus. The chitin films exhibited their potential as an effective antibacterial agent through binding energy and ligand efficiency. Further, the inhibitory constant also indicated the potent antibacterial nature of the chitin films. The hydrogen bond interaction of chitin with PBP2a was with serine 49 and threonine 413, at 2.2 Å and 3.4 Å, respectively. The druggability of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-hexopyranose showed good oral bioavailability, and pharmacokinetics properties were within a normal range. The chitin did not undergo any metabolism and appeared to be of a nontoxic nature. The 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-hexopyranose could be suggested as a novel drug against S. aureus.
Study on the Corrosion Resistance of Laser Clad Al0.7FeCoCrNiCux High-Entropy Alloy Coating in Marine Environment
Authors: Wu Xuehong , Lu Yanjun
Published: November 2022

In the marine atmosphere, the corrosion rate of ship components is 4–5 times higher than that of the inland atmosphere. To solve the serious corrosion problem arising from long-term service in the marine environment of naval aircraft and ships, etc., this paper takes Al0.7FeCoCrNiCux system high-entropy alloy coating prepared by laser melting technology with 5083 aluminum alloys as the base material and analyzes the aging and failure mode of equipment coating under a marine atmospheric environment. XRD and SEM were utilized to study the microscopic morphological structure of the coatings. The laws of influence of Cu elements on the electrochemical corrosion behavior of the Al0.7FeCoCrNiCux system high-entropy alloy in 3.5 wt.% NaCl neutral solution was investigated by using dynamic potential polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and neutral salt spray acceleration tests and outdoor atmospheric exposure tests were carried out. The results show that the Al0.7FeCoCrNiCux (x = 0) high-entropy alloy coating has a single BCC phase structure and the Al0.7FeCoCrNiCux (x = 0.30, 0.60, 0.80, 1.00) high-entropy alloy coating consists of both BCC and FCC phases with a typical dendrite morphology. With the increase in Cu content, the self-corrosion potential of Al0.7FeCoCrNiCux gradually increases and the current density gradually decreases, which with the results of the electrochemical impedance spectrum analysis, indicating that the corrosion resistance of Al0.7FeCoCrNiCu1.00 is optimal. The results of the neutral salt spray acceleration test and the outdoor atmospheric exposure test were integrated to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the corrosion resistance of the coating. The corrosion resistance of Al0.7FeCoCrNiCux coating increases with the increase in Cu content, and the impressive strength and plastic deformation are best when x = 0.80. Neutral salt spray accelerated the test with no corrosion at 5040 h, and even if the coating is broken, it can last up to 4320 h. In the outdoor atmospheric exposure test, which was conducted 12 months after the coating surface test, no corrosion occurred.
Hydrophobic Prediction Model and Experimental Study of PMMA Surface Microstructure Prepared by Femtosecond Laser Direct Writing
Authors: Wang Bangfu , Song Juan
Published: November 2022

In this paper, a femtosecond laser removal model of PMMA was built, and the surface primary and secondary microstructures of PMMA were fabricated. The surface morphology and wettability of the microstructures were measured and analyzed by an ultra-depth three-dimensional microscope and a contact angle measuring instrument. The results showed that femtosecond laser direct writing processing of PMMA surface microstructure changed the PMMA wettability from a hydrophilic state to a hydrophobic state. Meanwhile, the size parameters of multistage microstructures on the PMMA surface were optimized, according to numerical simulation. The contact angle of the optimized microstructures could exceed 150°, achieving superhydrophobicity of the PMMA surface.
Effect of Coating Process on Properties of Two-Component Waterborne Polyurethane Coatings for Wood
Authors: Liu Cheng , Xu Wei
Published: November 2022

Acrylic acid has good environmental weather resistance, water resistance, alcohol resistance, dirt resistance, and other properties. An acrylic acid dispersion with a core–shell structure was prepared and reacted with a polyisocyanate-type curing agent to prepare a waterborne polyurethane topcoat suitable for wood. The prepared two-component polyurethane topcoat was used in combination with a waterborne primer and a waterborne sealing primer and applied to Pine (Pinus strobus) boards to carry out gloss, wear resistance, and adhesion experiments. The effects of different coating amounts and spraying times on the comprehensive properties of the wood coatings were studied. The experimental results showed that when the self-made two-component polyurethane topcoat for wood was matched with the primer and the sealing primer, the coating amount of the sealing primer had little effect on improving the adhesion and wear resistance but had a significant effect on the gloss. The spraying times of the primer and the topcoat greatly impacted the adhesion, but they had no decisive impact on the improvement of the gloss. When the coating amount was 60 g/m2 for the waterborne sealing primer, 100 g/m2 for waterborne primer, and 120 g/m2 for the self-made topcoat and the coating was sprayed twice, the comprehensive performance of the obtained film on the wood was the best. This research on the preparation and coating process optimization of the two-component waterborne polyurethane coatings for wood can provide a technical basis for the application of two-component waterborne polyurethane topcoats for wood.
Streptomyces-Derived Bioactive Pigments: Ecofriendly Source of Bioactive Compounds
Authors: Sarmiento-Tovar Aixa A. , Silva Laura , Sánchez-Suárez Jeysson , Diaz Luis
Published: November 2022

Pigments have been used since historical times and are currently used in food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and other industries. One of the main sources of natural pigments are plants and insects; however, microorganisms are of great interest due to their bioactivities and advantages in their production. Actinobacteria, especially the genus Streptomyces, are biotechnologically valuable, producing specialized metabolites with a broad spectrum of bioactivities, such as antioxidant, anticancer, antibiofilm, antifouling, and antibiotic activities, as well as pigments, among others. In this review, we identify, summarize, and evaluate the evidence regarding the potential of Streptomyces strains to be biological sources of bioactive pigments. To conclude, future research will include purifying pigmented extracts that have already been reported, studying the purified compounds in a specific application, isolating new microorganisms from new isolation sources, improving the production of pigments already identified, modifying culture media or using new technologies, and developing new extraction techniques and a wide range of solvents that are ecofriendly and efficient.
Subaxillary Replacement Flap Compared with the Round Block Displacement Technique in Oncoplastic Breast Conserving Surgery: Functional Outcomes of a Feasible One Stage Reconstruction
Authors: Orsaria Paolo , Grasso Antonella , Soponaru Georgeta , Carnevale Francesca , Scorsone Virginia , Ippolito Edy , Pantano Francesco , Sammarra Matteo , Piccolo Claudia , Altomare Michele , Perrone Giuseppe , Altomare Vittorio
Published: November 2022

Background: For selected women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC), partial reconstructive techniques involve displacement or replacement procedures to improve cosmesis without compromising oncological safety. This study aims to evaluate the surgical outcomes of the round block (RB) compared with the subaxillary flap (SF) technique for patients with upper outer tumor. Patients and Methods: Thirty-three patients treated with oncoplastic conserving surgery (15 RB and 18 SF) were enrolled in this retrospective study. After carrying out a comparison of baseline characteristics, all cases were recruited for postoperative evaluation of oncological and cosmetic parameters. Moreover, we investigated several scoring combinations to check whether they could discriminate surgeon and patient satisfaction according to different functional results. Results: Median age (p < 0.05), average tumor size (p > 0.05), estimated resection volume (p > 0.05), and nodal involvement (p > 0.05) were slightly higher in the SF group. A greater frequency of DCIS (p < 0.05) in the RB series correlated with reintervention for positive margins (p > 0.001). At a mean follow-up of 19 months, no locoregional recurrences were recorded and early and late complications were comparable (p > 0.05). The overall satisfaction with cosmesis was characterized by similar proportions of good results (p > 0.05), with some details more related to each procedure. Conclusion: The proposed techniques represent effective solutions for reshaping that follows upper outer wide excision, achieving comparable complication rates, low reinterventions, and good aesthetic results in relation to technical and social functioning evaluations. However, it is crucial to establish a careful patient selection in order to manage correct surgical planning while predicting any potential sequelae or complication.
Strong Genetic Differentiation between Generalist Populations of Venturia inaequalis and Populations from Partially Resistant Apple Cultivars Carrying Rvi3 or Rvi5
Authors: Papp David , Gangadharappa Harigondra Shambhulinga , Paredes Cristina , Karacs-Végh Anita , Penksza Károly , T.-Járdi Ildikó , Papp Viktor
Published: November 2022

The ascomycete fungus Venturia inaequalis causes scab disease, a major problem in apple production. The utilization of resistant cultivars is hindered by emerging new pathogen races, which erode their resistance. Increasing our knowledge on the population genetic processes of the fungus can contribute to the development of resistance gene deployment strategies and more durable resistance. We investigated the effect of four scab race indicator cultivars, ‘Gala’ (no R-gene), ‘Golden Delicious’ (Rvi1), ‘Geneva’ (Rvi3, complex), and OR45t132 (Rvi5), on the V. inaequalis population genetic structure and diversity. Sixty-six monosporic fungal isolates from the four cultivars were genotyped with seven simple sequence repeat primers. Furthermore, the partial resistance of the indicators and the pathogenicity profile of the conidia from each host were assessed. The genetic diversity and structure of the investigated V. inaequalis subpopulations correspond to the partial resistance of the original hosts as well as the subpopulations’ pathogenicity profiles. Indicators carrying Rvi3 and Rvi5 had strongly diverged and specialized V. inaequalis populations on them and fewer symptoms on the field. In line with the complete breakdown of the Rvi1 gene, the population from ‘Golden Delicious’ did not segregate from the susceptible ‘Gala’, and virulence towards Rvi1 was present in all subpopulations.
Duplex and Angiographic-Assisted Evaluation of Outcomes of Endovascular Embolization after Surgical Deep Vein Arterialization for the Treatment No-Option Critical Limb Ischemia Patients
Authors: Montelione Nunzio , Catanese Vincenzo , Gabellini Teresa , Codispoti Francesco , Nenna Antonio , Spinelli Francesco , Stilo Francesco
Published: November 2022

Objective: To report early and mid-term outcomes of the arterialization of the deep venous system in no-option critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) using duplex ultrasound and angiographic evaluation to improve limb perfusion. Methods: A single-center prospective study of patients with no-option CLTI treated with hybrid surgical arterialization of the deep venous circulation and staged endovascular embolization of the venous collateral. Embolization was performed using a controlled-release spiral, within two weeks after bypass surgery. Patients were assessed for clinical status, wound healing, median transcutaneous partial pressure of O2 (TcPO2), and post-operative duplex ultrasound evaluating peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistance index (RI) to assess foot perfusion and bypass features. Primary endpoint analysis was primary technical success, limb salvage, patency rates, and clinical improvement. Secondary endpoints were 30-day and long-term mortality, major cardiovascular events (MACE), including myocardial infarction or stroke, and serious adverse events (SAE). Results: Five patients with no-option CLTI were treated at our center using the hybrid deep vein arterialization technique. Clinical stage was grade 3 in one patient and grade 4 in the remaining four. Mean age was 65.8 years (range 49–76 years), and two patients were affected by Buerger’s disease. Primary technical success was achieved in all patients, and all the bypasses were patent at the angiographic examination. At 30-day and at average follow-up of 9.8 months (range 2–24 months), mortality, major cardiovascular events (MACE), and serious adverse events (SAE) were not reported, with a primary patency and limb salvage rates of 100%. Three patients required minor amputation. Clinical improvement was demonstrated in all patients with granulation, resolution of rest pain, or both. Median TcPO2 values rose from 10 mm Hg (range 4–25) before the procedure to 35 (range 31–57) after surgery, and to 59 mm Hg (range 50–76) after the staged endovascular procedure. Conclusions: In our initial experience, the arterialization of the deep venous circulation, with subsequent selective embolization of the venous escape routes from the foot, seems a feasible and effective solution for limb salvage in patients with no-option CLTI and those in the advanced wound, ischemia, and foot infection (WIfI) clinical stage.
Contrast-Enhanced Harmonic Endoscopic Ultrasound for Diagnosis of the Aggressiveness of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasm
Authors: Tamura Takashi , Sugihara Yuto , Yamazaki Hirofumi , Koutani Hiromu , Tamura Takaaki , Tsuda Ikuhisa , Emori Tomoya , Kawaji Yuki , Hatamaru Keiichi , Yamashita Yasunobu , Itonaga Masahiro , Ashida Reiko , Kitano Masayuki
Published: November 2022

The purpose of this study is to clarify the associations between the enhancement patterns on contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasound (CH-EUS) and the aggressiveness and prognosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PanNENs). Patients who underwent CH-EUS and were pathologically diagnosed with PanNEN were included in this study. Patients were divided into three groups according to contrast-enhancement patterns on early-phase and late-phase imaging: “Group A”, vascular rich in both phases; “Group B”, vascular rich and vascular poor in early and late phases, respectively; “Group C”, vascular poor in both phases. Of 39 patients, 25 were assigned to Group A, 7 to Group B, and 7 to Group C. The median overall survival was not reached in Groups A and B and was 335 days in Group C (p < 0.001). The 1-year survival rates were 100% in Group A, 60% in Group B, and 43% in Group C. Patients in Group C showed the shortest overall survival among the three groups. The vascular-poor pattern on late-phase CH-EUS had the highest sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for aggressive PanNENs among the patterns analyzed on CH-EUS and CECT (84.6%, 91.7%, and 89.2%, respectively). CH-EUS is useful for the diagnosis of and predicting the prognosis of PanNENs.
Predicting IDH Mutation Status in Low-Grade Gliomas Based on Optimal Radiomic Features Combined with Multi-Sequence Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: He Ailing , Wang Peng , Zhu Aihua , Liu Yankui , Chen Jianhuan , Liu Li
Published: November 2022

The IDH somatic mutation status is an important basis for the diagnosis and classification of gliomas. We proposed a “6-Step” general radiomics model to noninvasively predict the IDH mutation status by simultaneously tuning combined multi-sequence MRI and optimizing the full radiomics processing pipeline. Radiomic features (n = 3776) were extracted from multi-sequence MRI (T1, T2, FLAIR, and T1Gd) in low-grade gliomas (LGGs), and a total of 45,360 radiomics pipeline were investigated according to different settings. The predictive ability of the general radiomics model was evaluated with regards to accuracy, stability, and efficiency. Based on numerous experiments, we finally reached an optimal pipeline for classifying IDH mutation status, namely the T2+FLAIR combined multi-sequence with the wavelet image filter, mean data normalization, PCC dimension reduction, RFE feature selection, and SVM classifier. The mean and standard deviation of AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.873 ± 0.05, 0.876 ± 0.09, 0.875 ± 0.11, and 0.877 ± 0.15, respectively. Furthermore, 14 radiomic features that best distinguished the IDH mutation status of the T2+FLAIR multi-sequence were analyzed, and the gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) features were shown to be of high importance. Apart from the promising prediction of the molecular subtypes, this study also provided a general tool for radiomics investigation.
N6-methyladenosine Modification of Noncoding RNAs: Mechanisms and Clinical Applications in Cancer
Authors: Ma Mingyang , Ye Tong , Wang Jiewei , Zhao Haiying , Zhang Shutian , Li Peng , Zhao Guiping
Published: November 2022

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification remains the most pivotal epigenetic modification on RNA. As we know, m6A not only affects physiological processes but is also involved in carcinoma. Noncoding RNAs play an indispensable role in the occurrence and development of carcinoma. However, a large amount of research is focused on mRNA currently. Insufficient research has been done on the relationship between noncoding RNA (ncRNA) methylation and cancer. Therefore, this review aims to introduce the theoretical knowledge of m6A modification in noncoding RNA, discuss its function in tumorigenesis and progression, and ultimately summarize its potential clinical applications.
Asynclitism and Its Ultrasonographic Rediscovery in Labor Room to Date: A Systematic Review
Authors: Malvasi Antonio , Vinciguerra Marina , Lamanna Bruno , Cascardi Eliano , Damiani Gianluca Raffaello , Muzzupapa Giuseppe , Kosmas Ioannis , Beck Renata , Falagario Maddalena , Vimercati Antonella , Cicinelli Ettore , Trojano Giuseppe , Tinelli Andrea , Cazzato Gerardo , Dellino Miriam
Published: November 2022

Asynclitism, the most feared malposition of the fetal head during labor, still represents to date an unresolved field of interest, remaining one of the most common causes of prolonged or obstructed labor, dystocia, assisted delivery, and cesarean section. Traditionally asynclitism is diagnosed by vaginal examination, which is, however, burdened by a high grade of bias. On the contrary, the recent scientific evidence highly suggests the use of intrapartum ultrasonography, which would be more accurate and reliable when compared to the vaginal examination for malposition assessment. The early detection and characterization of asynclitism by intrapartum ultrasound would become a valid tool for intrapartum evaluation. In this way, it will be possible for physicians to opt for the safest way of delivery according to an accurate definition of the fetal head position and station, avoiding unnecessary operative procedures and medication while improving fetal and maternal outcomes. This review re-evaluated the literature of the last 30 years on asynclitism, focusing on the progressive imposition of ultrasound as an intrapartum diagnostic tool. All the evidence emerging from the literature is presented and evaluated from our point of view, describing the most employed technique and considering the future implication of the progressive worldwide consolidation of asynclitism and ultrasound.
Distinguish between Stochastic and Chaotic Signals by a Local Structure-Based Entropy
Authors: Zhang Zelin , Wu Jun , Chen Yufeng , Wang Ji , Xu Jinyu
Published: November 2022

As a measure of complexity, information entropy is frequently used to categorize time series, such as machinery failure diagnostics, biological signal identification, etc., and is thought of as a characteristic of dynamic systems. Many entropies, however, are ineffective for multivariate scenarios due to correlations. In this paper, we propose a local structure entropy (LSE) based on the idea of a recurrence network. Given certain tolerance and scales, LSE values can distinguish multivariate chaotic sequences between stochastic signals. Three financial market indices are used to evaluate the proposed LSE. The results show that the LSEFSTE100 and LSES&P500 are higher than LSESZI, which indicates that the European and American stock markets are more sophisticated than the Chinese stock market. Additionally, using decision trees as the classifiers, LSE is employed to detect bearing faults. LSE performs higher on recognition accuracy when compared to permutation entropy.
A New X-ray Medical-Image-Enhancement Method Based on Multiscale Shannon–Cosine Wavelet
Authors: Liu Meng , Mei Shuli , Liu Pengfei , Gasimov Yusif , Cattani Carlo
Published: November 2022

Because of noise interference, improper exposure, and the over thickness of human tissues, the detailed information of DR (digital radiography) images can be masked, including unclear edges and reduced contrast. An image-enhancement algorithm based on wavelet multiscale decomposition is proposed to address the shortcomings of existing single-scale image-enhancement algorithms. The proposed algorithm is based on Shannon–Cosine wavelets by taking advantage of the interpolation, smoothness, tight support, and normalization properties. Next a multiscale interpolation wavelet operator is constructed to divide the image into several sub-images from high frequency to low frequency, and to perform different multi-scale wavelet transforms on the detailed image of each channel. So that the most subtle and diagnostically useful information in the image can be effectively enhanced. Moreover, the image will not be over-enhanced and combined with the high contrast sensitivity of the human eye’s visual system in smooth regions, different attenuation coefficients are used for different regions to achieve the purpose of suppressing noise while enhancing details. The results obtained by some simulations show that this method can effectively eliminate the noise in the DR image, and the enhanced DR image detail information is clearer than before while having high effectiveness and robustness.
A Context Awareness Hierarchical Attention Network for Next POI Recommendation in IoT Environment
Authors: Liu Xuebo , Guo Jingjing , Qiao Peng
Published: November 2022

The rapid increase in the number of sensors in the Internet of things (IoT) environment has resulted in the continuous generation of massive and rich data in Location-Based Social Networks (LBSN). In LBSN, the next point-of-interest (POI) recommendation has become an important task, which provides the best POI recommendation according to the user’s recent check-in sequences. However, all existing methods for the next POI recommendation only focus on modeling the correlation between POIs based on users’ check-in sequences but ignore the significant fact that the next POI recommendation is a time-subtle recommendation task. In view of the fact that the attention mechanism does not comprehensively consider the influence of the user’s trajectory sequences, time information, social relations and geographic information of Point-of-Interest (POI) in the next POI recommendation field, a Context Geographical-Temporal-Social Awareness Hierarchical Attention Network (CGTS-HAN) model is proposed. The model extracts context information from the user’s trajectory sequences and designs a Geographical-Temporal-Social attention network and a common attention network for learning dynamic user preferences. In particular, a bidirectional LSTM model is used to capture the temporal influence between POIs in a user’s check-in trajectory. Moreover, In the context interaction layer, a feedforward neural network is introduced to capture the interaction between users and context information, which can connect multiple context factors with users. Then an embedded layer is added after the interaction layer, and three types of vectors are established for each POI to represent its sign-in trend so as to solve the heterogeneity problem between context factors. Finally reconstructs the objective function and learns model parameters through a negative sampling algorithm. The experimental results on Foursquare and Yelp real datasets show that the AUC, precision and recall of CGTS-HAN are better than the comparison models, which proves the effectiveness and superiority of CGTS-HAN.
Potential of Producing Green Hydrogen in Jordan
Authors: Jaradat Mustafa , Alsotary Omar , Juaidi Adel , Albatayneh Aiman , Alzoubi Asem , Gorjian Shiva
Published: November 2022

Green hydrogen is becoming an increasingly important energy supply source worldwide. The great potential for the use of hydrogen as a sustainable energy source makes it an attractive energy carrier. In this paper, we discuss the potential of producing green hydrogen in Jordan. Aqaba, located in the south of Jordan, was selected to study the potential for producing green hydrogen, due to its proximity to a water source (i.e., the Red Sea). Two models were created for two electrolyzer types using MATLAB. The investigated electrolyzers were alkaline water (ALK) and polymeric electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzers. The first model was used to compare the required capacity of the PV solar system using ALK and PEM from 2022 to 2025, depending on the learning curves for the development of these technologies. In addition, this model was used to predict the total investment costs for the investigated electrolyzers. Then, a techno-economic model was constructed to predict the feasibility of using this technology, by comparing the use of a PV system and grid electricity as sources for the production of hydrogen. The net present value (NPV) and levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) were used as indicators for both models. The environmental effect, according to the reduction of CO2 emissions, was also taken into account. The annual production of hydrogen was 70.956 million kg. The rate of hydrogen production was 19.3 kg/s and 1783 kg/s for ALK and PEM electrolyzers, respectively. The LCOH was 4.42 USD/kg and 3.13 USD/kg when applying electricity from the grid and generated by the PV system, respectively. The payback period to cover the capital cost of the PV system was 11 years of the project life, with a NPV of USD 441.95 million. Moreover, CO2 emissions can be reduced by 3042 tons/year by using the PV as a generation source, instead of fossil fuels to generate electricity. The annual savings, with respect to the reduction of CO2 emissions, was USD 120,135.
Optimal Design of Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems Considering Weather Forecasting Using Recurrent Neural Networks
Authors: Medina-Santana Alfonso Angel , Cárdenas-Barrón Leopoldo Eduardo
Published: November 2022

Lack of electricity in rural communities implies inequality of access to information and opportunities among the world’s population. Hybrid renewable energy systems (HRESs) represent a promising solution to address this situation given their portability and their potential contribution to avoiding carbon emissions. However, the sizing methodologies for these systems deal with some issues, such as the uncertainty of renewable resources. In this work, we propose a sizing methodology that includes long short-term memory (LSTM) cells to predict weather conditions in the long term, multivariate clustering to generate different weather scenarios, and a nonlinear mathematical formulation to find the optimal sizing of an HRES. Numerical experiments are performed using open-source data from a rural community in the Pacific Coast of Mexico as well as open-source programming frameworks to allow their reproducibility. We achieved an improvement of 0.1% in loss of load probability in comparison to the seasonal naive method, which is widely used in the literature for this purpose. Furthermore, the RNN training stage takes 118.42, 2103.35, and 726.71 s for GHI, wind, and temperature, respectively, which are acceptable given the planning nature of the problem. These results indicate that the proposed methodology is useful as a decision-making tool for this planning problem.
Application of LSTM Approach for Predicting the Fission Swelling Behavior within a CERCER Composite Fuel
Authors: Zhao Jian , Chen Zhenyue , Tu Jingqi , Zhao Yunmei , Dong Yiqun
Published: November 2022

Irradiation-induced swelling plays a key role in determining fuel performance. Due to their high cost and time demands, experimental research methods are ineffective. Knowledge-based multiscale simulations are also constrained by the loss of trustworthy theoretical underpinnings. This work presents a new trial of integrating knowledge-based finite element analysis (FEA) with a data-driven deep learning framework, to predict the hydrostatic-pressure–temperature dependent fission swelling behavior within a CERCER composite fuel. We employed the long short-term memory (LSTM) deep learning network to mimic the history-dependent behaviors. Training of the LSTM is achieved by processing the sequential order of the inputs to do the forecasting; the input features are fission rate, fission density, temperature, and hydrostatic pressure. We performed the model training based on a leveraged dataset of 8000 combinations of a wide range of input states and state evaluations that were generated by high-fidelity simulations. When replicating the swelling plots, the trained LSTM deep learning model exhibits outstanding prediction effectiveness. For various input variables, the model successfully pinpoints when recrystallization first occurs. The preliminary study for model interpretation suggests providing quantified insights into how those features affect solid and gaseous portions of swelling. The study demonstrates the efficacy of combining data-driven and knowledge-based modeling techniques to assess irradiation-induced fuel performance and enhance future design.
Comparative Thermodynamic Environmental and Economic Analyses of Combined Cycles Using Air and Supercritical CO2 in the Bottoming Cycles for Power Generation by Gas Turbine Waste Heat Recovery
Authors: Brahimi Faiza , Madani Baya , Ghemmadi Messaouda
Published: November 2022

This study aims to improve existing fossil gas turbine power plants by waste heat recovery. These power plants function with an air simple cycle (ASC) and are implemented where water resources are limited. Modeling and simulation of ASC and two advanced energy conversion systems are performed. They are the gas turbine–air bottoming cycle (GT-ABC) and gas turbine–supercritical carbon dioxide bottoming cycle (GT-sc-CO2BC). The main intent is to assess the benefits of employing sc-CO2 as a working fluid in a closed Brayton bottoming cycle compared to air, based on the energetic and exergetic performance and economic and environmental impact. Analyses of ASC, GT-ABC, and GT-sc-CO2BC are performed for various topping gas turbine powers: large (plant 1); medium (plant 2); and low (plant 3). The results of the energetic and exergetic analyses indicate that there is a significant improvement in the output power (ranging from 22% to 25%); and energy and exergy efficiencies of GT-ABC and GT-sc-CO2BC (up to 8% and 11%, respectively) compared to that of ASC. To provide better insight into the behavior of these technologies and achieve their better integration, we investigate the influence of varying the bottoming compressor pressure ratio, the ambient temperature, and the gas flow rate in the bottoming cycle. The results of the environmental and economic analyses show that the amount of CO2 emissions in GT-sc-CO2BC is reduced by 10% more than in GT ABC. The results also show that GT-ABC improves the NPV between 17.69% and 30% but GT-sc-CO2BC improves it even more, between 25.79% and 33.30%.
Experimental and Prenemilary Numerical Evaluation of Pressure Drops under the Conditions of the Stratified Gas-Liquid Flow in a Horizontal Pipe Filled with Metal Foam
Authors: Hapanowicz Jerzy , Szydłowska Adriana , Wydrych Jacek
Published: November 2022

The paper reports the results of experimental tests and numerical simulations related to the pressure drop during two-phase air-water mixture flow through a pipe containing metal foam packing. Aluminium foam with 40 PPI open cells was used in the tests. A horizontal pipe with an internal diameter of 10 mm was used, and the foam only occupied a section of the pipe length equal to 240 mm. In the section of the pipe upwards of the foam, stratified flow pattern was generated, i.e., the most characteristic type for the gas-liquid flow. The results of the experimental research were compared with the values derived on the basis of the empirical method, which was developed for several different metal foams and two-phase systems. The values derived from measurements and calculations were subsequently applied to validate one numerical simulation method that is known to be particularly applicable for two-phase gas-liquid flow through metal foams. As a final result, the phenomena resulting from the presence of foam in the stratified flow through a gas-liquid system, the deficiencies of the methods applied in calculating pressure drops and modeling their values in accordance with the adopted numerical procedure were indicated. All research and modelling were carried out with the purpose of testing the potential of metal foam use in pipes dedicated to heat exchanger design, particularly ones intended to improve energy efficiency.
Recycling and Reusing Copper and Aluminum Current-Collectors from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Khatibi Hamid , Hassan Eman , Frisone Dominic , Amiriyan Mahdi , Farahati Rashid , Farhad Siamak
Published: November 2022

The global transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy systems continues to gain support from governments and investors. As a result, the demand for electric energy storage systems such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has substantially increased. This is a significant motivator for reassessing end-of-life strategies for these batteries. Most importantly, a strong focus on transitioning from landfilling to an efficient recycling system is necessary to ensure the reduction of total global emissions, especially those from LIBs. Furthermore, LIBs contain many resources which can be reused after recycling; however, the compositional and component complexity of LIBs poses many challenges. This study focuses on the recycling and reusing of copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al) foils, which are the anode and cathode current-collectors (CCs) of LIBs. For this purpose, methods for the purification of recycled Cu and Al CCs for reusing in LIBs are explored in this paper. To show the effectiveness of the purification, the recycled CCs are used to make new LIBs, followed by an investigation of the performance of the made LIBs. Overall, it seems that the LIBs’ CCs can be reused to make new LIBs. However, an improvement in the purification method is still recommended for future work to increase the new LIB cycling.
Investigation of Supercritical Power Plant Boiler Combustion Process Optimization through CFD and Genetic Algorithm Methods
Authors: Kumar Gavirineni Naveen , Gundabattini Edison
Published: November 2022

One of the main energy sources utilized to produce power is coal. Due to the lack of combustion enhancement, the main issue with coal-based power plants is that they produce significant amount of pollutants. The major problem of slagging formation within the boiler; it sticks to the water tube walls, superheater, and reheater. Slagging might decrease the heat transferred from the combustion area to the water or steam inside the tubes, increasing the amount of coal and extra air. The abrupt fall of slag on the tube surface into the water-filled seal-trough at the bottom of the furnace might occasionally cause boiler explosions. In order to maximize heat transmission to the water and steam tubes by reducing or eliminating slag formation on the tube surface, the work presented here proposes an appropriate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique with a genetic algorithm (GA) integrated with conventional supercritical power plant operation. Coal usage and surplus air demand are both decreased concurrently. By controlling the velocity and temperatures of primary air and secondary air, the devised technique could optimize the flue gas temperature within the furnace to prevent ash from melting and clinging to the water and steam tube surfaces. Heat transmission in the furnace increased from 5945.876 W/m2 to 87,513.9 W/m2 as a result of the regulated slag accumulation. In addition to reducing CO2 emissions by 8.55 tonnes per hour and saving close to nine tonnes of coal per hour, the boiler’s efficiency increased from 82.397% to 85.104%.
Performance Investigation of Single–Piston Free Piston Expander–Linear Generator with Multi–Parameter Based on Simulation Model
Authors: Liu Zhuxian , Wu Zhong , Xu Yonghong , Zhang Hongguang , Zhang Jian , Yang Fubin
Published: November 2022

The structural design and operating strategy of a free piston expander–linear generator (FPE–LG) has a major impact on performance. In this paper, the simulation model of single–piston FPE–LG was built and verified by combining the structural parameters of the existing test rig with a set of kinetic and thermodynamic equations. On this basis, the influence of the design and operating parameters of the device on the performance was studied, while keeping other parameters fixed. Then, a sensitivity analysis of power output and operating frequency was carried out. The results show that within a certain range of external load and intake beginning position, increasing the diameter of the intake and exhaust pipes, or reducing the piston rod diameter can improve the power output. Within a certain range of frictional coefficient and intake time, increasing the cylinder diameter and intake pressure, or reducing the piston assembly mass and back electromotive force (EMF) constant can increase the operating frequency. Both the power output and the operating frequency are most sensitive to the cylinder diameter among the design parameters. Among the operating parameters, power output is the most sensitive to intake pressure, and operating frequency is the most sensitive to intake beginning position. The optimization of structural design and operation strategy in expander provides important guiding significance for ORC waste heat recovery system.
Thermal Modeling and Prediction of The Lithium-ion Battery Based on Driving Behavior
Authors: Wang Tingting , Liu Xin , Qin Dongchen , Duan Yuechen
Published: November 2022

Real-time monitoring of the battery thermal status is important to ensure the effectiveness of battery thermal management system (BTMS), which can effectively avoid thermal runaway. In the study of BTMS, driver behavior is one of the factors affecting the performance of the battery thermal status, and it is often neglected in battery temperature studies. Therefore, it is necessary to predict the dynamic heat generation of the battery in actual driving cycles. In this work, a thermal equivalent circuit model (TECM) and an artificial neural network (ANN) thermal model based on the driving data, which can predict the thermal behavior of the battery in real-world driving cycles, are proposed and established by MATLAB/Simulink tool. Driving behaviors analysis of different drivers are simulated by PI control as input, and battery temperature is used as output response. The results show that aggressive driving behavior leads to an increase in battery temperature of nearly 1.2 K per second, and the average prediction error of TECM model and ANN model is 0.13 K and 0.11 K, respectively. This indicates that both models can accurately estimate the real-time battery temperature. However, the computational speed of the ANN thermal model is only 0.2 s, which is more efficient for battery thermal management.
Effects of Forest Gap on Soil Microbial Communities in an Evergreen Broad-Leaved Secondary Forest
Authors: Chen Shiyou , Jiang Chunqian , Bai Yanfeng , Wang Hui , Jiang Chunwu , Huang Ke , Guo Lina , Zeng Suping , Wang Shuren
Published: November 2022

Forest gaps play a crucial role in community succession and assembly in forest ecosystems; therefore, they have recently been recognized and implemented as effective forest management practice all over the world. Forest gaps are commonly created as small disturbances in secondary forests to improve forest regeneration, nutrient cycling, ecosystem functioning, and biodiversity. The objective of this study was to investigate the responses of the physico-chemical and biological properties and microbial communities in soil to different sizes of forest gaps—including small gaps (60–80 m2), medium gaps (130–160 m2), and large gaps (270–300 m2)—and to examine the driving factors that influence soil microbial community structure and composition. The results show that Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and actinomycetes were mainly aggregated in the gaps, and the structural diversity of soil microbial communities was related to the gap size (p < 0.05). The soil microbial community diversity increased and then decreased with an increase in gap size. Moreover, the effects of the available phosphorus, soil pH, soil water content, available potassium, nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen on changes in microbial biomass were significant (p < 0.05). The gap area and gap position and their combined interactions also had significant effects on soil nutrients, which impacts the soil microbial community. Medium gaps (130–160 m2) always significantly improved the availability of soil nutrients, and good management practices in secondary forests can provide effective microenvironments for soil microbes.
Exploratory Pressure Impregnation Process Using Supercritical CO2, Co-Solvents, and Multi-Cycle Implementation
Authors: Elustondo Diego , Raymond Laura , Risani Regis , Donaldson Lloyd , Le Guen Marie Joo
Published: November 2022

Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) is extensively used for extracting chemicals from materials, but the impregnation of materials with chemicals using scCO2 has received little attention in comparison. To the best of our knowledge, most technologies described in the literature operate by the principle of diffusion, where impregnation yield is limited by solubility. The objective of this exploratory study is to prove the feasibility of an scCO2 impregnation process that can extract solutes from one material and release them into another material through a single extraction/impregnation stage that can be applied in cycles to increase the yield. The feasibility of the concept was proven in the laboratory using radiata pine bark wax as the solute and radiata pine wood as the impregnated material. Extraction/impregnation tests were performed at temperatures between 40 and 60 °C, pressures between 12 and 16 MPa, and with the addition of ethanol and acetone as co-solvents. The study demonstrated the feasibility of multi-cycle scCO2 impregnation of wax into wood, where the novelty of the concept is the implementation as traditional pressure impregnation methods.
Sensitivity of Stand-Level Biomass to Climate for Three Conifer Plantations in Northeast China
Authors: Xin Shidong , Wang Junjie , Mahardika Surya Bagus , Jiang Lichun
Published: November 2022

The accurate assessment of forest biomass is vital to climate change mitigation. Based on forest survey data, stand biomass models can effectively assess forest biomass carbon at large scales. However, traditional stand biomass models have ignored the potential effects of the climate on stand biomass estimation. There is still a lack of research on whether or not and in what ways the effects of the climate reduce uncertainty in biomass estimation and carbon accounting. Therefore, two types of stand biomass models, including basic stand biomass models (BBMs) and climate-sensitive stand biomass models (CBMs), were developed and tested using 311 plantation plots of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Siebold & Zucc.), Korean larch (Larix olgensisi A. Henry), and Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica Litv.) in Northeast China. The two types of models were developed by applying simultaneous equations based on nonlinear, seemingly unrelated, regression (NSUR) to ensure additivity of the stand total and components biomass (root, stem, branch, and needle). The results of fitting and leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) indicated that the CBMs performed better than the corresponding BBMs. The RMSEs of the stand total biomass decreased by 3.5% to 10.6% for the three conifer species. The influence of temperature-related climate variables on the biomass of stand components was greater than that of precipitation-related climate variables. The sensitivity of the three conifer species to climate variables was ranked as Korean pine > Mongolian pine > Korean larch. This study emphasizes the importance of combining climate variables in stand biomass models to reduce the uncertainty and climate effects in forest biomass estimation, which will play a role in carbon accounting for forest ecosystems.
The Influence of Iron Application on the Growth and Cadmium Stress Tolerance of Poplar
Authors: Li Mingwan , Liu Changrui , Zhang Dangquan , Wang Bingwen , Ding Shen
Published: November 2022

There is a complex cadmium (Cd) and iron (Fe) interaction in soil. To explore the influences of Fe application on the growth, Cd accumulation, and antioxidant capacity of poplar under Cd exposure, Populus tremula × P. alba ‘717’ was treated with different concentrations of Cd (0 and 100 μM) and Fe (50 and 150 μM). In addition, the root architecture, leaf chlorophyll content, Cd accumulation, and antioxidant enzyme activity were analyzed. The results showed that the high-dose Fe (150 μM) did not change poplar biomass in zero-Cd treatment but increased the chlorophyll content, total root surface area, net photosynthetic rate, and biomass accumulation of Cd-stressed poplar. In addition, under Cd stress, high-dose Fe increased the translocation factor (TF) of Cd, decreased root and leaf malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and enhanced root and leaf SOD activity. That is, high-dose Fe could alleviate the suppression of Cd on the growth of poplar and enhance the transport of Cd to aboveground tissues and the SOD activity in roots and leaves, thus alleviating the Cd-induced oxidative stress. This study will provide reference for the remediation of Cd-contaminated soils using poplar.