bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceptions toward Plant-Based Milk Alternatives among Young Adult Consumers and Non-Consumers in Denmark: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Martínez-Padilla Eliana , Faber Ilona , Petersen Iben Lykke , Vargas-Bello-Pérez Einar
Published: January 2023

The objective of this study was to determine associations among plant-based milk alternatives (PBMAs), sources of information on the PBMAs used, and the consumption of PBMAs among Danish young adult consumers and non-consumers of PBMAs. An online survey was conducted in May 2019. A total of 341 participants (consumers: n = 171; non-consumers: n = 170) aged 16–35 years old completed the survey. Most consumers drank less than one glass of PBMAs per week, and oat drink was the most frequently consumed PBMAs. Oat drinks were primarily consumed with coffee/tea or porridge, while soy drinks were preferred to be consumed alone. Participants who perceived PBMAs as natural, good for health, tasty, or nutritionally equal to cow’s milk were more likely to be consumers of PBMAs. Additionally, participants who perceived PBMAs as highly processed or artificial were less likely to be consumers of PBMAs. For consumers, the most used sources of information on PBMAs were package labeling, followed by social media. The study´s results can help to improve marketing campaigns concerning the Danish retail of PBMA, whereby nutritional and sensory characteristics of PBMAs are highlighted through social networks and marketing strategies with product package labeling.
Highland Barley Starch: Structures, Properties, and Applications
Authors: Xie Jingjing , Hong Yan , Gu Zhengbiao , Cheng Li , Li Zhaofeng , Li Caiming , Ban Xiaofeng
Published: January 2023

Highland barley (HB) is a nutritious crop with excellent health benefits, and shows promise as an economically important crop with diverse applications. Starch is the main component of HB and has great application potential owing to its unique structural and functional properties. This review details the latest status of research on the isolation, chemical composition, structure, properties, and applications of highland barley starch (HBS). Suggestions regarding how to better comprehend and utilize starches are proposed. The amylopectin content of HBS ranged from 74% to 78%, and can reach 100% in some varieties. Milling and air classification of barley, followed by wet extraction, can yield high-purity HBS. The surface of HBS granules is smooth, and most are oval and disc-shaped. Normal, waxy, and high-amylose HBS have an A-type crystalline. Due to its superb freeze-thaw stability, outstanding stability, and high solubility, HBS is widely used in the food and non-food industries. The digestibility of starch in different HB whole grain products varies widely. Therefore, the suitable HB variety can be selected to achieve the desired glycemic index. Further physicochemical modifications can be applied to expand the variability in starch structures and properties. The findings provide a thorough reference for future research on the utilization of HBS.
Modified FOPID Controller for Frequency Regulation of a Hybrid Interconnected System of Conventional and Renewable Energy Sources
Authors: Daraz Amil , Malik Suheel Abdullah , Basit Abdul , Aslam Sheraz , Zhang Guoqiang
Published: January 2023

In this article, a fractional-order proportional-integral-differential (FOPID) controller and its modified structure, called a MFOPID controller, are presented. To guarantee optimal system performance, the gains of the proposed FOPID and MFOPID controllers are well-tuned, employing the Jellyfish Search Optimizer (JSO), a novel and highly effective bioinspired metaheuristic approach. The proposed controllers are assessed in a hybrid system with two domains, where each domain contains a hybrid of conventional (gas, reheat, and hydro) and renewable generation sources (solar and wind). For a more realistic analysis, the presented system model includes practical limitations with nonlinear characteristics, such as governor dead zone/band (GDZ/GDB), boiler dynamics, generation rate limitation/constraint (GRL/GRC), system uncertainties, communication time delay (CTD), and load changes. The suggested methodology outperforms some newly developed heuristic techniques, including fitness-dependent optimizer (FDO), sine-cosine algorithm (SCA), and firefly algorithm (FA), for the interconnected power system (PS) of two regions with multiple generating units. Furthermore, the proposed MFOPID controller is compared with JSO-tuned PID/FOPID and PI controllers to ascertain its superiority. The results signify that the presented control method and its parametric optimization significantly outperforms the other control strategies with respect to minimum undershoot and peak overshoot, settling times, and ITSE in the system’s dynamic response. The sensitivity analysis outcomes imply that the proposed JSO-MFOPID control method is very reliable and can effectively stabilize the load frequency and interconnection line in a multi-area network with interconnected PS.
Agility Skills, Speed, Balance and CMJ Performance in Soccer: A Comparison of Players with and without a Hearing Impairment
Authors: Yapici Hakan , Soylu Yusuf , Gulu Mehmet , Kutlu Mehmet , Ayan Sinan , Muluk Nuray Bayar , Aldhahi Monira I. , AL-Mhanna Sameer Badri
Published: January 2023

This study investigates the differences in agility, speed, jump and balance performance and shooting skills between elite hearing-impaired national team soccer players (HISP) and without-hearing-impairment elite soccer players (woHISP). Players were divided into two groups, the HISP group (n = 13; 23.5 ± 3.1 years) and the woHISP group (n = 16; 20.6 ± 1.4 years), and were tested in three sessions, seven apart, for metrics including anthropometrics, speed (10 m, 20 m and 30 m), countermovement jump (CMJ), agility (Illinois, 505, zigzag), T test (agility and shooting skills), and balance. The results showed that 30 m, 20 m and 10 m sprint scores, agility/ skills (sec), shooting skills (goals), zigzag, Illinois, and 505 agility skills, and countermovement jump scores were significantly lower among players with hearing impairments (p < 0.05). There were no significant T test differences between HISP and woHISP (p > 0.05). The HISP showed right posterolateral and posteromedial, and left posterolateral and posteromedial scores that were lower than the woHISP group (p < 0.05). Anterior scores were not significantly different between each leg (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the HISP group showed higher performance scores for speed (10 m, 20 m and 30 m), CMJ, agility (Illinois, 505, zigzag) and T test (sec and goals), but not balance. Hearing-impaired soccer players are determined by their skill, training, and strategy, not their hearing ability.
Management of Diabetes during School Hours: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study in Denmark
Authors: Nannsen Anne Østergaard , Kristensen Kurt , Johansen Lise Bro , Iken Mia Kastrup , Madsen Mette , Pilgaard Kasper Ascanius , Grabowski Dan , Hangaard Stine , Schou Anders Jørgen , Andersen Anette
Published: January 2023

Managing diabetes is complicated for many children. It often requires support from an adult during the school day. In Denmark, most children spend 30–35 h a week at school. Nevertheless, diabetes management in schools remains largely uninvestigated. This study aimed to examine the characteristics and organization of diabetes management in Danish primary schools from the personnel’s perspective. All primary schools in Denmark were invited to participate in the study (n = 2129), and 525 schools were included. A questionnaire was constructed and sent by email. Questionnaire data are presented in the descriptive statistics and compared with the ISPAD guidelines. According to 77.2% of respondents, school personnel had received training in diabetes management, and 78.5% of the schools had at least one person available for diabetes support every day. Respondents felt prepared to help the students with counting carbohydrates (38.9%), dosing insulin (39.1%), and helping the students during high (52.1%) or low (60.3%) blood sugar levels, insulin chock (35.2%), or during activities (36.3%). Yet, diabetes management was a challenging task. Only 61.7% had an action plan for diabetes management, 37.4% had face-to-face information meetings with the parents, and 55.1% of respondents reported having sufficient time to cooperate with the parents.
Effectiveness of Non-Contact Dietary Coaching in Adults with Diabetes or Prediabetes Using a Continuous Glucose Monitoring Device: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Ahn Yeh-Chan , Kim Yang Seok , Kim Bukyung , Ryu Jung Mi , Kim Myoung Soo , Kang Minkyeong , Park Jiwon
Published: January 2023

We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of dietary coaching and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in patients with diabetes or prediabetes to improve their behavioral skills and health outcomes. A randomized controlled study with pre- and post-testing was conducted. Data were collected between November 2020 and April 2021. Forty-five patients with diabetes or prediabetes who used a CGM device were enrolled and analyzed. Dietary education, individual coaching and group coaching were provided to participants in the experimental group for 4 weeks. After the intervention, the thigh circumference in men significantly differed between the two groups (z = −2.02, p = 0.044). For women, participants in the experimental group showed greater improvement in eating self-efficacy compared with those in the control group (z = −2.66, p = 0.008). Insomnia was negatively related to the change in eating self-efficacy (r = −0.35, p = 0.018) and increase in thigh circumference (r = −0.35, p = 0.017). Even if used within a short intervention period, non-contact dietary coaching programs can help enhance behavioral skills, such as eating self-efficacy and health outcomes, such as thigh circumference. Moreover, the changed variables can indirectly improve other health outcomes in patients with diabetes or prediabetes.
Effectiveness of Spironolactone in Terms of Galectin-3 Levels in Patients with Heart Failure with a Reduced Ejection Fraction in the Vietnamese Population
Authors: Tran Son Kim , Ngo Toan Hoang , Lai Tin Trung , Truong Giang Khanh , Tran Khoa Dang Dang , Vo Phuong Minh , Nguyen Phi The , Nguyen Phi Hoang , Nguyen Thuan Tuan , Nguyen Oanh Thi Kim , Nguyen Thang , Nguyen Kien Trung , Tran Hung Do
Published: January 2023

Background: Galectin-3 is a biomarker that has been demonstrated to play a significant role in myocardial fibrosis and remodeling in the pathogenesis of heart failure. Furthermore, spironolactone has the ability to control galectin-3 levels in heart failure patients. Objectives: The aim of our study was to determine the factors associated with the increase in galectin-3 and the alteration of galectin-3 concentration in patients with heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction after 12 weeks of treatment with spironolactone. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 122 patients with heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction. Those patients were nonusers of spironolactone and presented for examination or had been hospitalized at the Can Tho Cardiovascular Hospital in Vietnam. The demographic and cardiovascular risk factor details were obtained at baseline, and galectin-3 levels were measured at baseline and also 12 weeks after taking spironolactone 25 mg once daily vs. 50 mg once daily. Results: The median baseline galectin-3 was 54.82 ± 26.06. Galectin-3 levels were positively correlated with age, NT-proBNP, and negatively correlated between EF and galectin-3 levels (p < 0.05). After 12 weeks of treatment with spironolactone, the galectin-3 concentration decreased from 54.82 ± 26.06 to 44.20 ± 24.36 (p < 0.05). According to the subgroup analysis, the average concentration of galectin-3 decreased the most in the group of patients with grade 3 hypertension and NYHA class III heart failure. The 50 mg once-daily dose of spironolactone significantly improved galectin-3 concentrations compared with the 25 mg once-daily group, at 17.11 ± 20.81 (p < 0.05) (reduced 29.05%) and 3.46 ± 6.81 ng/mL (p < 0.05) (reduced 6.87%), respectively. Conclusion: Treatment with spironolactone played an essential role in reducing galectin-3 concentrations, especially spironolactone 50 mg once daily, which showed a significant effect on reducing galectin-3 compared with a 25 mg once-daily dose.
Seasonal Development of Paeonia obovata and Paeonia oreogeton and Their Contents of Biologically Active and Reserve Substances in the Forest-Steppe Zone of Western Siberia
Authors: Kalendar Olga V. , Kostikova Vera A. , Kukushkina Tatiana A. , Erst Andrey S. , Kuznetsov Alexander A. , Kulikovskiy Maxim S. , Vasilyeva Olga Y.
Published: January 2023

Paeonia obovata and Paeonia oreogeton belong to the monotypic family Paeoniaceae. Both are popular as ornamental plants. P. obovata and P. oreogeton have been introduced into Novosibirsk Oblast (Western Siberia) from Primorye (Far East). The aim of the study was to assess their adaptability as well as the effect of seasonal developmental stages on the accumulation of secondary metabolites and reserve substances in the leaves and rhizomes under the conditions of Akademgorodok (Novosibirsk, Russia). According to long-term data (15 years), P. obovata and P. oreogeton complete the entire growth cycle here, including flowering and fruiting. Both species exhibited abundant flowering, but in the first 3 years, P. oreogeton did not bloom; yet under the microclimatic conditions specifically selected for this species (a more shaded area), it started to bloom and fruit yearly. A biochemical analysis (by spectrometric method) of P. obovata and P. oreogeton grown in Akademgorodok showed that the leaves accumulate higher concentrations of flavonols (P. obovata: 1.77%), tannins (P. oreogeton: 16.42%), ascorbic acid (P. oreogeton: 155.2 mg/100 g), and sugars (P. obovata: 20.85%) as compared to the roots. Peony rhizomes contain higher concentrations of protopectins (P. oreogeton: 13.03%), saponins (P. obovata: 21.06%), and starch (P. obovata: 30.20%) than the leaves do. These data can help to increase the levels of these natural compounds in these species. Further investigation into the dynamics of accumulation of biologically active substances in the organs of peonies will help to identify introduced plant species having high biochemical potential for the pharmaceutical industry.
Assessment of the Aim Characteristics of Strawberry (Fragaria × Ananassa) Cultivars in Estonia by Using the K-Means Clustering Method
Authors: Klakotskaya Natallia , Laurson Peeter , Libek Asta-Virve , Kikas Ave
Published: January 2023

Choosing an excellent method to compare the aim characteristics of a large number of cultivars simultaneously in a sufficiently comprehensive way is often an essential challenge for breeders. This article presents the results of a comprehensive assessment of the Estonian conditions of 58 strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) cultivars of various geographical origins according to the main economically useful markers. Based on two years of data, cultivars were clustered separately for each marker using the K-means clustering method. Considering the data on the aim characteristics, including high yield, high fruit weight, high total soluble solids TSS (°Brix) content, optimal titratable acidity TA (%) content, and a high °Brix/acidity ratio, the groups of similar cultivars formed clearly. The validation of cultivars into similar groups is important for further breeding decisions. A K-means clustering method is ideal for clustering strawberry cultivars according to their characteristics.
An Approach for Managing Landscapes for a Variety of Ecosystem Services in Prespa Lakes Watershed
Authors: Grazhdani Dorina
Published: January 2023

The main goal of this research was to evaluate how well existing and emerging land management practices may be used to manage landscapes for various ecosystem services. By employing a mixed methods approach and conducting a case study in the Prespa Lakes watershed in southeast Europe, this goal was achieved. The necessary information was initially gathered using a semi-stratified survey. Following that, the primary ecosystem services and land management practices present in Prespa Lakes watershed were determined via a workshop and a Delphi survey. The identified ecosystem services were ranked using the multi-criteria analytical hierarchy process method. The most important ecosystem service topics included tourism and recreation, maintenance of healthy water bodies, wildlife habitats, healthy food production, natural and heritage values, and biodiversity. Finally, a set of primary priority land management practices for meeting production and ecosystem service goals in the current conditions of the Prespa Lakes watershed was produced utilizing a ranking framework. The very high priority land management practices include livestock breeding to meet both production and conservation objectives, organic farming, diversified crop rotation, crop and tree diversity, restored wetlands, and planning at landscape level. This study provides an important tool for assessing changes in ecosystem service provision under alternative land management practices.
Modeling the Impact of Investment and National Planning Policies on Future Land Use Development: A Case Study for Myanmar
Authors: Jin Yuan , Li Ainong , Bian Jinhu , Nan Xi , Lei Guangbin
Published: January 2023

Land use change (LUC) can be affected by investment growth and planning policies under the context of regional economic cooperation and development. Previous studies on land use simulation mostly emphasized the effects of local socioeconomic factors and planning constraint areas that prevent land conversions. However, investment and national planning policies that trigger regional LUC were often ignored. This study aims to couple the economic theory-based Computable General Equilibrium of Land Use Change (CGELUC) model and the cellular automata-based Future Land Use Simulation (FLUS) model to incorporate macroscopic impacts of investment into land use simulation, while proposing an updated mechanism that integrates into the FLUS model to consider the local impacts of planning policies. Taking Myanmar as a case, the method was applied to project the land use patterns (LUPs) during 2017–2050 under three scenarios: baseline, fast, and harmonious development. Specifically, the simulated land use structure (LUS) in 2018 acquired by the CGELUC model was verified by the existing data, and the future LUSs under different scenarios were projected later. Simultaneously, the consistencies between the results simulated by the FLUS model and land use maps in 2013, 2015, and 2017 were represented by the kappa coefficient. The updated mechanism was applied to update the Probability-of-Occurrence (PoO) surfaces based on the planning railway networks and special economic zone. Lastly, the LUPs under different scenarios were projected based on the future LUSs and updated PoO surfaces. Results reveal that the validation accuracy reaches 96.87% for the simulated LUS, and satisfactory accuracies of the simulated LUPs are obtained (kappa coefficients > 0.83). The updated mechanism increases the mean PoO values of built-up land in areas affected by planning policies (increasing by 0.01 to 0.21), indicating the importance of the planning policies in simulation. The cultivated land and built-up land increase with investment increasing under all three scenarios. The harmonious development scenario, showing the least forest encroachment and the highest diversity of LUP, is the optimal approach to achieve land sustainability. This study highlights the impacts of investment and planning policies on future LUCs of Myanmar, and a dynamic simulation process is expected to minimize the uncertainties of the input data and model in the future work.
A Review of Cooling Studies on Gas Turbine Rotor Blades with Rotation
Authors: Chang Shyy Woei , Wu Pey-Shey , Wan Ting-Yu , Cai Wei-Ling
Published: January 2023

Increases in power density and thermal efficiency of a highly efficient gas turbine engine motivate an ever-mounting turbine entry temperature. The combined metallurgical and cooling advancements ensure the structural integrity of a gas turbine rotor blade that spins at high rotor speeds in a gas stream with temperatures above the melting point of the blade material. The cooling performances promoted by a variety of heat transfer enhancement methods typical of the coolant channels of the leading edge, the mid-chord region, and the trailing edge of a gas turbine rotor blade are reviewed. The manifested rotational effects on the aerothermal performances of impinging jets and swirl chambers for leading-edge cooling, multi-pass ribbed, dimpled, and/or wavy channels over the mid-chord region, as well as pin fin and latticework narrow ducts in the trailing edge of a gas turbine rotor blade, are summarized and cross-examined. Research orientations for future cooling studies aimed at preventing the development of hot spots in a gas turbine rotor blade are recommended.
Comparison of Patient Survival According to Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agent Type of Treatment in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Kang Seok Hui , Kim Bo Yeon , Son Eun Jung , Kim Gui Ok , Do Jun Young
Published: January 2023

This study aimed to evaluate the difference in patient survival according to the type of erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) treatment used in the Korean hemodialysis (HD) population. This retrospective study analyzed the laboratory data from a national HD quality assessment program and the claims of Korea. Included participants were divided into three groups according to the type of ESA used during the 6 months of each assessment period as follows: the EP group (n = 38,043, epoetin-α or epoetin-β), the DP group (n = 10,054, darbepoetin-α), and the MR group (2253, continuous erythropoietin receptor activator). The ESA doses in the EP, DP, and MR groups were 6451 ± 3586, 5959 ± 3857, and 3877 ± 2275 unit/week, respectively. The erythropoiesis resistance indexes (ERIs) in the three groups were 10.7 ± 6.7, 9.9 ± 7.6, and 6.3 ± 4.1 IU/kg/g/dL, respectively. Kaplan–Meier curves revealed similar rates of patient survival among the three groups (p = 0.530). A multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the hazard ratios in the DP group and MR group were 1.00 (p = 0.853) and 0.87 (p < 0.001), respectively, compared to that of the EP group. The hazard ratio in the MR group was 0.87 (p = 0.001) compared to that of the DP group. Our study shows that the MR group had comparable or better patient survival than the EP and DP groups in the multivariate analysis. However, the ESA doses and ERI were considerably different among the three groups. It was difficult to determine whether the better patient survival in the MR group originated from the ESA type, ESA dose, ERI, or other hidden factors.
Missed Radiological Diagnosis of Otosclerosis in High-Resolution Computed Tomography of the Temporal Bone—Retrospective Analysis of Imaging, Radiological Reports, and Request Forms
Authors: Bassiouni Mohamed , Bauknecht Hans-Christian , Muench Gloria , Olze Heidi , Pohlan Julian
Published: January 2023

Objectives: Several studies reported low detection rates of otosclerosis in high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), especially when the scans were reviewed by non-specialized general radiologists. In the present study, we conducted a retrospective review of the detection of otosclerosis in HRCT by general radiologists and the impact of inadequately filled radiological request forms on the detection rate. Methods: Retrospective analysis of hospital records, HRCT reports, and radiological referral notes of 40 patients who underwent stapedotomy surgery for otosclerosis. HRCT imaging data sets were retrospectively reviewed by a blinded experienced neuroradiologist, whose reading served as the gold standard. Results: General radiologists reading HRCT scans had an overall detection rate of otosclerosis of 36.1% in this cohort (13 of 36 available HRCT reports). The neuroradiologist had a much higher detection rate of 82.5% (33 of 40 cases). Interobserver agreement between the general radiologists and the subspecialist neuroradiologist was poor (Cohen’s kappa κ = 0.26). General radiologists missed the diagnosis in 15 of the 33 CT-positive scans, corresponding to a missed diagnosis rate of 45.4%. There was a highly significant association between a missed diagnosis and the lack of an explicitly mentioned clinical suspicion of otosclerosis in the request forms (Pearson’s chi-squared test, p < 0.005). Conclusion: The diagnosis of otosclerosis is frequently missed by radiologists on HRCT scans of the temporal bone in a clinical setting. Possible reasons include a relative lack of experience of general radiologists with temporal bone imaging as well as the failure of clinicians to unambiguously communicate their suspicion of otosclerosis.
Association between Serum Soluble α-Klotho and Urinary Albumin Excretion in Middle-Aged and Older US Adults: NHANES 2007–2016
Authors: Chang Kaixi , Li Yupei , Qin Zheng , Zhang Zhuyun , Wang Liya , Yang Qinbo , Su Baihai
Published: January 2023

(1) Background: Preclinical and clinical studies on the anti-aging effect of α-Klotho are emerging. Urinary albumin excretion (UAE) is a well-known biomarker of kidney injury and generalized damage in the cardiovascular system. However, the potential relationship between α-Klotho and UAE is limited and controversial. This study aimed to quantify this relationship in the general middle-aged and elderly population from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) 2007–2016. (2) Methods: Serum α-Klotho was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. UAE was assessed by the albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). After adjusting for several confounding variables, the relationship between α-Klotho and ACR was analyzed by weighted multivariable logistic regression, subgroup analysis, and interaction tests. A generalized additive model (GAM) with smooth functions using the two-piecewise linear regression model was used to examine the potential nonlinear relationship between α-Klotho and ACR. (3) Results: Among 13,584 participants aged 40–79 years, we observed an independent and significant negative correlation between α-Klotho and ACR (β = −12.22; 95% CI, −23.91, −0.53, p = 0.0448) by multivariable logistic regression analysis, especially in those with age ≥ 60 years, pulse pressure (PP) ≥ 60 mmHg, hypertension or diabetes. We further discovered the nonlinear relationship between α-Klotho and ACR by GAM, revealing the first negative and then positive correlations with an inflection point of 9.91 pg/mL between α-Klotho and ACR. (4) Conclusions: A dose-response relationship between α-Klotho and ACR was demonstrated, and the negative correlation therein indicated that α-Klotho has potential as a serum marker and prophylactic or therapeutic agent despite its metabolic and effective mechanisms needing to be further explored.
Allogeneic Limbal Transplants Integrate into the Corneal Surface and Lead to an Improved Visual Acuity
Authors: Kesper Christiane , Heinzelmann Joana , Viestenz Anja , Hammer Thomas , Foja Sabine , Stein Marlene , Viestenz Arne
Published: January 2023

Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) severely impairs vision and can lead to blindness. LSCD causes include chemical burns, infections, multiple previous operations and congenital malformations. Allogeneic limbal transplantation is a procedure for treating LSCD where prepared limbal tissue is attached using a double running suture during allogeneic penetrating keratoplasty (PKP). A total of 22 patients underwent ALT surgery between February 2019 and June 2022 at the University Hospital Halle (Saale). Regular follow-up was performed postoperatively every three months and included visual acuity testing, pressure measurement, slit lamp microscopic examination, fundoscopy, corneal topography and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). The mean patient age was 69.5 years, and the mean follow-up was 19 months. All included patients had LSCD and multiple previous surgeries. Patient LSCD etiology was 59% infectious and 41% traumatic. ALTs integrated into corneal surfaces in all patients, demonstrated on AS-OCT. Since most patients initially received allogeneic limbal transplants, none of the operated eyes had surgical complications. Overall, visual acuity improved postoperatively from an initial 2.06 to 1.44 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR). Allogeneic limbal transplantation can be used to treat LSCD and its integration into the surrounding corneal tissue can be observed on AS-OCT.
End-to-End Transcript Alignment of 17th Century Manuscripts: The Case of Moccia Code
Authors: De Gregorio Giuseppe , Capriolo Giuliana , Marcelli Angelo
Published: January 2023

The growth of digital libraries has yielded a large number of handwritten historical documents in the form of images, often accompanied by a digital transcription of the content. The ability to track the position of the words of the digital transcription in the images can be important both for the study of the document by humanities scholars and for further automatic processing. We propose a learning-free method for automatically aligning the transcription to the document image. The method receives as input the digital image of the document and the transcription of its content and aims at linking the transcription to the corresponding images within the page at the word level. The method comprises two main original contributions: a line-level segmentation algorithm capable of detecting text lines with curved baseline, and a text-to-image alignment algorithm capable of dealing with under- and over-segmentation errors at the word level. Experiments on pages from a 17th-century Italian manuscript have demonstrated that the line segmentation method allows one to segment 92% of the text line correctly. They also demonstrated that it achieves a correct alignment accuracy greater than 68%. Moreover, the performance achieved on widely used data sets compare favourably with the state of the art.
Stability Condition of Methane Hydrate in Fine-Grained Sediment
Authors: Lu Di , Tang Qin , Yang Dehuan , Yan Rongtao , Chen Yun , Tao Shuai
Published: January 2023

Stability condition is of critical importance for methane hydrate exploitation, transportation, and reserves. This study measured the stability conditions of methane hydrate in fine-grained sediment with different dry densities (ρd = 1.40, 1.50 and 1.60 g/cm3) and various initial water saturations by the multi-step heating method. The experimental result showed that the methane hydrate formation in fine-grained sediment required lower temperature and/or higher pressure compared to that in bulk state. At the same time, it is found that the deviation degree of P–T conditions of methane hydrate in fine-grained sediment with different dry density and initial water saturation are completely different from that in pure water. In addition, according to the nuclear magnetic resonance technique (NMR), the changes in NMR signal intensity during the formation and decomposition of methane hydrate in silt were analyzed. Regardless of formation and dissociation stages, liquid water always distributes in the small sediment pores. An empirical formula is developed to address the capillary suction of water and hydrate with respect to the unhydrated water within sediment. Furthermore, a phase equilibrium model is proposed to predict the stability conditions of hydrate-bearing fine-grained sediment.
Date-Driven Tracking Control via Fuzzy-State Observer for AUV under Uncertain Disturbance and Time-Delay
Authors: Wu Chengxi , Dai Yuewei , Shan Liang , Zhu Zhiyu
Published: January 2023

This paper focuses on developing a data-driven trajectory tracking control approach for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) under uncertain external disturbance and time-delay. A novel model-free adaptive predictive control (MFAPC) approach based on a fuzzy state observer (FSO) was designed to achieve high precision. Concretely, the mathematical model of AUV motion was analyzed, and simplified via model decoupling, thus providing the model basis with an explicit physical explanation for the controller. Second, the MFAPC scheme for a multiple-inputs and multiple-outputs (MIMO) discrete time system was derived, that estimates system external disturbance. The controller can online estimate and predictive time-varying parameter pseudo-Jacobian matrix (PJM) to establish equivalent state space data-model for AUV motion system. Third, the Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy model based state observer was designed to combine with the MFAPC scheme for the first time, which was used to online decline the state error generated by system uncertain time-delay. In addition, the stability of the proposed control scheme was analyzed. Finally, two trajectory tracking scenarios were designed to verify the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed FMFAPC scheme, and the simulations are implemented using the realistic parameters of T-SEA AUV.
The Interannual Variations of Summer Ichthyoplankton in the Pearl River Estuary as a Response to Climate Change
Authors: Li Shuofu , He Jianguo , Lai Zhigang
Published: January 2023

The impacts of climate change on ichthyoplankton have barely been examined in the Pearl River estuary (PRE). Using the fish larvae and eggs caught in the estuary in the summer from 2003 to 2018 (except for the years 2004 and 2008), the spatial and temporal variations in ichthyoplankton’s abundance, species composition, and community structure were examined and linked to the variability of the climate system. A positive/negative correlation was found between the abundance and taxonomic diversity of the fish larvae and the monthly Oceanic Niño Index. However, the variation in larval fish’s species diversity was in phase with climate change, while the variation in larval fish’s abundance had a 3-month lag behind the climate variability. The different phases of the correlations reflect a progressive change in the ichthyoplankton dynamics under the influence of climate. Furthermore, during the period of the study, the regional climate underwent an obvious transition from a “cold” to a “warm” state in the early 2010s. Associated with that, it was found that both the abundance and species composition of the ichthyoplankton exhibit a significant change around that time, particularly for the fish larvae. A further examination of the ichthyoplankton’s horizontal distributions suggests that the assemblage of ichthyoplankton in the PRE is sensitive to the La Niña conditions. This leads to an overall reduction in ichthyoplankton’s abundance and less seaward spreading of the assemblage, implying the possible impact of climate change on river discharge and then the estuarine environment.
Low-Frequency Sound Propagation in an Underwater Waveguide with a Giant Gassy Pockmark
Authors: Komissarov Alexander A. , Makarov Denis V. , Kholmogorov Andrey O. , Shakirov Renat B.
Published: January 2023

Bottom formations known as pockmarks basically arise due to extensive gas emission. Active pockmarks are characterized by exceptionally high gas saturation and substantially reduced sound speed. The latter circumstance leads to strong attenuation of sound waves contacting with a pockmark. In the present paper, we study low-frequency sound propagation in a 10-km long waveguide crossing a giant pockmark. A new method of acoustic waveguide scanning based on measurement of the wavefield propagator is represented. This method allows one to explore attenuation anomalies associated with the presence of the gas-saturated bottom region. In particular, one can find out which beams fall into a pockmark area and therefore experience strong losses. Identifying such beams, as well as beams which avoid pockmark-assisted losses, one can estimate probable locations of the pockmark segment in the waveguide, provided information about the background medium is sufficient.
Molecular Phylogeny and Morphology Reveal Four Novel Species of Corynespora and Kirschsteiniothelia (Dothideomycetes, Ascomycota) from China: A Checklist for Corynespora Reported Worldwide
Authors: Liu Jingwen , Hu Yafen , Luo Xingxing , Castañeda-Ruíz Rafael F. , Xia Jiwen , Xu Zhaohuan , Cui Ruqiang , Shi Xugen , Zhang Lianhu , Ma Jian
Published: January 2023

Plant debris are habitats favoring survival and multiplication of various microbial species. During continuing mycological surveys of saprobic microfungi from plant debris in Yunnan Province, China, several Corynespora-like and Dendryphiopsis-like isolates were collected from dead branches of unidentified perennial dicotyledonous plants. Four barcodes, i.e., ITS, LSU, SSU and tef1-α, were amplified and sequenced. Morphological studies and multigene phylogenetic analyses by maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference revealed three new Corynespora species (C. mengsongensis sp. nov., C. nabanheensis sp. nov. and C. yunnanensis sp. nov.) and a new Kirschsteiniothelia species (K. nabanheensis sp. nov.) within Dothideomycetes, Ascomycota. A list of identified and accepted species of Corynespora with major morphological features, host information and locality was compiled. This work improves the knowledge of species diversity of Corynespora and Kirschsteiniothelia in Yunnan Province, China.
The Prognostic Value of the GNRI in Patients with Stomach Cancer Undergoing Surgery
Authors: Zhang Qianqian , Zhang Lilong , Jin Qi , He Yongheng , Wu Mingsheng , Peng Hongxing , Li Yijin
Published: January 2023

Malnutrition often induces an adverse prognosis in cancer surgery patients. The elderly nutrition risk index (GNRI) is an example of the objective indicators of nutrition-related risks. We performed a meta-analysis to thoroughly examine the evidence for the GNRI in predicting the outcomes of patients undergoing stomach cancer surgery. Eligible articles were retrieved using PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Google Scholar by 24 October 2022. The clinical outcomes were overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and post-operative complications. A total of 11 articles with 5593 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The combined forest plot showed that for every unit increase in the preoperative GNRI score in patients with stomach cancer, their postoperative mortality was reduced by 5.6% (HR: 0.944; 95% CI: 0.933–0.956, p < 0.001). The pooled results also demonstrated that a low GNRI was correlated with poor OS (HR: 2.052; 95% CI: 1.726–2.440, p < 0.001) and CSS (HR: 1.684; 95% CI: 1.249–2.270, p = 0.001) in patients who underwent stomach cancer surgery. Postoperative complications were more likely to occur in patients with a low GNRI, as opposed to those with a high GNRI (OR: 1.768; 95% CI: 1.445–2.163, p < 0.001). There was no evidence of significant heterogeneity, and the sensitivity analysis supported the stability and dependability of the above results. the GNRI is a valuable predictor of long-term outcomes and complications in stomach cancer patients undergoing surgery.
The Impact of the 2008 Financial Crisis on Lisbon’s Housing Prices
Authors: Januário João Fragoso , Cruz Carlos Oliveira
Published: January 2023

Real estate markets are frequently affected by growth and contraction cycles. Given the social and economic impacts of changes on real estate prices, the understanding of these cycles is crucial from a socio-economic perspective, but also, and more importantly, from a public policy view. The literature has provided several contributions focusing on the deconstruction of the main determinants of housing prices. This research focuses on the analysis of housing prices variation with a particular emphasis on the analysis of the impacts of the 2008 financial crisis. Within the existing body of knowledge, few studies have focused on this particular issue, and even fewer have focused on countries where the financial crisis led to an external bailout, as was the case in Portugal. The analysis confirmed that the 2008 financial crisis had a negative impact on real estate prices, and the ex-post growth in GDP and low interest rates had a positive impact. The paper also provides a long-term analysis of housing price trends over the last decades.
The Governance and Disclosure of IFRS 9 Economic Scenarios
Authors: Stander Yolanda S.
Published: January 2023

Extraordinary economic conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic caused many IFRS 9 impairment models to produce unreliable results. Severe market reactions, resulting from unprecedented events, prompted swift action from the regulatory authorities to maintain the financial system’s stability. Banks managed the uncertainty and volatility in the models with expert overlays, increasing the risk of biased outcomes. This study examines new ways of enhancing the governance and transparency of the IFRS 9 economic scenarios within banks and suggests additional financial disclosures. Benchmarking is proposed as a useful tool to evaluate the IFRS 9 economic scenarios and ensure effective challenge as part of a model risk governance framework. Archimedean copulas are used to generate objective economic benchmarks. Ideas around benchmarking are illustrated for a set of South African economic variables, and the outcomes are compared to the IFRS 9 scenarios published by the six biggest South African banks in their annual financial statements during the pandemic.
Opportunities or Threats? The Role of Entrepreneurial Risk Perception in Shaping the Entrepreneurial Motivation
Authors: Yin Liping , Wu Yenchun Jim
Published: January 2023

Entrepreneurial risk is an important factor that individuals must consider when starting their own business. The COVID-19 continues to rage, bringing great challenges to China’s economy and entrepreneurial activities. In this study, college students encounter greater entrepreneurial risks. There are two opposing views on the role of entrepreneurial risk in shaping individual entrepreneurial motivation: one view that risk is a threat, and the other view that entrepreneurial risk contains opportunity. Existing studies have discussed the issues from individual factors and environment factors, respectively, ignoring the combined effects of individual and environment factors. Person–situation transactions theory points out that individuals usually make their final behavior choices based on their comprehensive evaluation of environmental factors and themselves. Therefore, individual and environment factors should be integrated to investigate the effect of entrepreneurial risk on entrepreneurial motivation. Based on the person–situation transactions theory, this study establishes a theoretical model that entrepreneurial risk perception influences necessity and opportunity entrepreneurial motivation through entrepreneurial self-efficacy and discusses the moderating effect of entrepreneurship policy. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 595 fresh graduates from eight universities in China to obtain relevant data and the Structural Equation modelling was established to test the hypothesis. The results confirm that without the influence of external factors, college students regard entrepreneurial risk as a great threat, which not only weakens their entrepreneurial self-efficacy, but also reduces their necessity and opportunity entrepreneurial motivation. However, with the support of good entrepreneurial policies, entrepreneurial risk can be transformed into an opportunity to improve the entrepreneurs motivation driven by necessity of college students, but the impact on the opportunity motivation is not significant. This study deeply analyzes the dual characteristics of entrepreneurial risk perception in the process of shaping individual entrepreneurial motivation, expands the related research on entrepreneurial risk perception and entrepreneurial motivation, and has important implications for the government and universities to formulate entrepreneurial policies for college students.
Analysis of Bitcoin Price Prediction Using Machine Learning
Authors: Chen Junwei
Published: January 2023

The research purpose of this paper is to obtain an algorithm model with high prediction accuracy for the price of Bitcoin on the next day through random forest regression and LSTM, and to explain which variables have influence on the price of Bitcoin. There is much prior literature on Bitcoin price prediction research, and the research methods mainly revolve around the ARMA model of time series and the LSTM algorithm of deep learning. Although it cannot be proved by the Diebold–Mariano test that the prediction accuracy of random forest regression is significantly better than that of LSTM, the prediction errors RMSE and MAPE of random forest regression are better than those of LSTM. The changes in the variables that determine the price of Bitcoin in each period are also obtained through random forest regression. From 2015 to 2018, three US stock market indexes, NASDAQ, DJI, and S&P500 and oil price, and ETH price have impact on Bitcoin prices. Since 2018, the important variables have become ETH price and Japanese stock market index JP225. The relationship between accuracy and the number of periods of explanatory variables brought into the model shows that for predicting the price of Bitcoin for the next day, the model with only one lag of the explanatory variables has the best prediction accuracy.
Modeling on Urban Land Use Characteristics and Urban System of the Traditional Chinese Era (1930s) Based on the Historical Military Topographic Map
Authors: Wan Zhiwei , Wu Hongqi
Published: January 2023

The quantitative urban system structure in historical periods and the long time-scale urban land area grid dataset with spatial attributes are important for land use and land cover change (LUCC) research. In this study, we aimed to measure the area of county level and above cities in mainland China in the 1930s, also known as the traditional Chinese era (TCE), using a geographic information system (GIS) model and 1:50,000 military topographic maps. Furthermore, we aimed to identify the structure and characteristics of the urban system in the TCE according to the administrative area division using methods such as the rank size law. The results of this study revealed that 1265 county level and above cities existed in the TCE, including 25 provincial level or above cities, 179 prefectural level cities, and 1061 county level cities. The total land area of all of the cities was 1396.48 km2, with a mean value of 1.1 km2 and a standard deviation of 2.37 km2. The rank-size analysis indicated that the urban system in TCE was characterized by large cities with insignificant development (q = 0.829 < 1, R2 = 0.905). The results of the Lorenz curve and Moran analyses showed that the spatial distribution of the urban systems in China during the traditional period exhibited nonuniform agglomeration. Large-scale military topographic maps of historical periods have proven to be a good source for land use reconstruction. The 1° × 1° grid urban land area dataset constructed based on a GIS model in the TCE is important for future research on historical LUCC and can provide basic data for climate change models, urban economic history, and other disciplines.