bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Dental Anxiety on the Dental Health Status of Nepali Adult Patients
Authors: Singh Tanuja , Ghimire Tika R. , Dhungana Manoj
Published: November 2024

Background

Patients with high dental anxiety are found to visit dental offices less frequently and have a higher number of severely diseased teeth so they are at a greater need for intensive oral care and rehabilitation.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of dental anxiety and its impact on the dental status of Nepali adult patients.

Material and Methods

A semi‐structured questionnaire of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) in the Nepali version was used for data collection. The data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS IBM, Chicago, IL, USA, version 24). Variables were calculated as frequency and percentage, while the comparisons of different factors were done using the ANOVA and t‐test. A difference with p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The study population consisted of 446 subjects, among them 205 were male (45.96%), 241 were female (54.04%), 357 (80.04%) were married, and 222 (49.78%) were employed. The mean age of the patients was 41.24 years (ranging between 18 and 79 years). Only 41 subjects (9.19%) showed high dental anxiety (MDAS ≥ 19). The mean MDAS for the total study population was 10.81. The highest mean MDAS was seen in the age group 30–39 (11.78) and the lowest mean MDAS was seen in the age group 40–49 (9.64). While comparing dental anxiety among genders, dental anxiety was higher in females (mean MDAS = 11.78) compared to males (mean MDAS = 9.67). Patients having high dental anxiety had a significantly higher number of decayed teeth (p‐value = 0.001, t‐test).

Conclusion

Oral health and dental status both are negatively affected by dental anxiety. It interferes with dental attendance, service delivery, prevention of dental diseases, and early diagnosis. Thus, dental practitioners have a major role to play in the management of dental anxiety.
Closing the Loop: Low‐Waste Phosphorus Functionalization Enabled by Simple Disulfides
Authors: Horsley Downie Thomas M. , Velić Ajdin , Coelho Luis A. , Wolf Robert , Scott Daniel J.
Published: November 2024

Useful monophosphorus products are obtained from both white and red phosphorus via a simple strategy involving initial oxidation by aryl disulfides followed by quenching with nucleophiles. Direct transformations of elemental phosphorus are usually very challenging, forcing chemists to instead rely on inefficient and hazardous multi‐step methods. However, here they are achieved using inexpensive and easy‐to‐handle reagents, providing access to diverse P−C, P−N and P−O bonded products in good yields. By isolating the thiolate byproducts of these reactions, a simple, closed loop can be achieved that produces only minimal, benign waste byproducts, in contrast to other direct methods. This closed loop can even be elaborated into a true (electro)catalytic cycle, which is extremely rare in the field of elemental phosphorus functionalization.
Discovery of Novel SIRT3 Inhibitors for the Cancer Differentiation Therapy by Structural Modification
Authors: Li Honggang , Du Yanmei , Zhang Lihui , Xu Guangzhao , Li Fahui , Zhang Daopeng , Zhang Lei
Published: November 2024

Inhibition of SIRT3 triggered differentiation of multiple myeloma (MM) cells. In discovery of potent SIRT3 inhibitors for cancer differentiation therapy, structural modification was performed on the previously developed lead compound S27. A total of 49 compounds divided into two series were designed and synthesized. In the enzyme inhibitory assay, several molecules (A7, A13, B15, and B26) exhibited potent SIRT3 inhibitory activity and selectivity. Significantly, representative compounds, especially A7, promoted differentiation of MM cells from cancer phenotype to normal cells, accompanied by increased expression of antigen CD49e, human immunoglobulin light chain λ‐IgLG and κ‐IgLG. Additionally, molecule A7 reversed growth factor IL‐6 induced MM cell proliferation, improved the antiproliferative activity of Ixazomib and increased the apoptotic rate of MM cells treated with Ixazomib. Collectively, potent SIRT3 inhibitors with MM cell differentiation potency were developed for the cancer therapy used alone or in combination.
Central and Peripheral Sensitivity to Thyroid Hormones Correlate to Metabolically Obesity Phenotypes in Chinese Euthyroid Adults: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Lu Yayun , Ye Shengchang , Gu Yaping , Xia Qing , Hou Lili
Published: November 2024

Aims

Thyroid hormones impact lipid metabolism and glucose homoeostasis through both central and peripheral regulation; however, little research has delved into the association between thyroid hormone sensitivity and metabolically obese phenotypes. We aimed to investigate the correlation between indices of central and peripheral sensitivity to thyroid hormones and metabolically obese phenotypes in euthyroid Chinese adults.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study included 20,084 euthyroid individuals. Central thyroid hormone sensitivity was assessed using the thyroid feedback quantile‐based index (TFQI), parametric thyroid feedback quantile‐based index (PTFQI), thyroid‐stimulating hormone index (TSHI), and thyrotropin thyroxine resistance index (TT4RI), while peripheral thyroid hormone sensitivity was measured by FT3/FT4. Metabolically obesity phenotypes included metabolically healthy non‐obesity (MHNO), unhealthy non‐obesity (MUNO), metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), and unhealthy obesity (MUO). Multinomial logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analyses were conducted to investigate the association between thyroid hormone sensitivity indices and metabolically obese phenotypes risk. Subgroup analysis was also performed to examine this association stratified by sex and age. Mediation analysis was performed to estimate direct and indirect effects of BMI.

Results

Prevalence of MHNO, MUNO, MHO and MUO was 66.1% (n = 13,273), 21.3% (n = 4271), 5.3% (n = 1055), and 7.4% (n = 1485) respectively. After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratios (ORs) (95% CI) for MUNO and MUO were increased with all elevated thyroid hormones sensitivity indices (per SD increase) [MUNO: TFQI 1.14(1.09–1.19), PTFQI 1.18(1.23–1.23); TSHI 1.26(1.19–1.33), TT4RI 1.41, (1.31–1.53), FT3/FT4 1.20(1.14–1.25) and [MUO: TFQI 1.20(1.11–1.31), PTFQI 1.26(1.16–1.37), TSHI 1.39 (1.26–1.54), TT4RI 1.70(1.48–1.95), FT3/FT4 1.26 (1.16–1.37)] (p value < 0.001), and only TSHI and TT4RI (per SD increase) significantly increased the risk of MHO (TSHI: OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.01–1.24; TT4RI: OR = 1.25, 95%CI 1.08–1.4) (p value < 0.05). Non‐linear relationships were observed between central thyroid hormones sensitivity indices and MUNO and MUO(p for nonlinearity < 0.05). Conversely, a linear relationship between FT3/FT4 and metabolically obese phenotypes was noted in all subjects (p for nonlinearity > 0.05). Besides, subgroup analysis indicated that this association remained consistent among sex and age (p for interaction > 0.05). The proportions mediated by BMI on the association of TFQI, PTFQI, TSHI, TT4RI, FT3/FT4 and risk of metabolically unhealthy conditions were 13.73%, 25.38%, 22.75%, 17.94% and 62.28%, respectively.

Conclusions

In euthyroid adults, central and peripheral sensitivity to thyroid hormones indices are positively associated with metabolically obese phenotypes risk, especially MUNO and MUO phenotypes.
Great Gerbils (Rhombomys opimus) in Central Asia Are Spreading to Higher Latitudes and Altitudes
Authors: Liu Xuan , Xu Li , Zheng Jianghua , Lin Jun , Li Xuan , Liu Liang , Tian Ruikang , Mu Chen
Published: November 2024

The great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) is a gregarious rodent in Central Asia and is one of the major pests found in desert forest and grassland areas. The distribution changes and migration routes of R. opimus in Central Asia under climate change remain unexplored. This study employed multi‐model ensemble, correlation analysis, jackknife method, and minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model to simulate the potential habitat of R. opimus under current and future (2030 and 2050) climate scenarios and estimate its possible migration routes. The results indicate that the ensemble model integrating Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), and Maximum Entropy Model (MaxEnt) performed best within the present climate context. The model predicted the potential distribution of R. opimus in Central Asia with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.986 and a True Skill Statistic (TSS) of 0.899, demonstrating excellent statistical accuracy and spatial performance. Under future climate scenarios, northern Xinjiang and southeastern Kazakhstan will remain the core areas of R. opimus distribution. However, the optimal habitat region will expand relative to the current one. This expansion will increase with the rising CO2 emission levels and over time, potentially enlarging the suitable area by up to 39.49 × 104 km2. In terms of spatial distribution, the suitable habitat for R. opimus is shifting toward higher latitudes and elevations. For specific migration routes, R. opimus tends to favor paths through farmland and grassland. This study can provide guidance for managing and controlling R. opimus under future climate change scenarios.
Genetic and Phenotypic Divergence in a Dung Beetle 50 Years After Its Introduction to Australia
Authors: Rapalai Boikhutso Lerato , Simmons Leigh W. , Evans Theodore A. , Kennington W. Jason
Published: November 2024

Species translocations are increasingly being used in conservation and for biological control. The success of a translocation can be strongly influenced by the evolutionary processes occurring during the early phase of the introduction and the subsequent spread to new regions. In this study, morphological variation and population genetic structure were assessed in the African dung beetle Digitonthophagus gazella, a species that was intentionally introduced to Australia for biological control in 1968 and subsequently spread widely across the northern part of the continent. A dataset based on 1594 neutral single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci that were genotyped in 187 individuals from 12 sites revealed significant genetic divergences between sites (global FST = 0.118) and provides evidence of restricted gene flow among established populations at small to moderate spatial scales (74–500 km). Geometric morphometric analyses revealed significant divergence among populations in the shape of the foretibia, a trait ecologically important for tunnelling in soil and dung. Moreover, phenotypic divergence in this trait for both sexes was significantly higher than genetic differentiation at selectively neutral loci (PST > FST), suggesting that directional selection is contributing to the phenotypic divergences among populations. Our study shows how population structure can establish quickly in an introduced species and highlights the importance of considering local adaptation when performing translocations on established populations.
Genetic Variation in Trophic Avoidance Behaviour Shows Fruit Flies are Generally Attracted to Bacterial Substrates
Authors: Monteith Katy M. , Thornhill Phoebe , Vale Pedro F.
Published: November 2024

Pathogen avoidance behaviours are often assumed to be an adaptive host defence. However, there is limited experimental data on heritable, intrapopulation phenotypic variation for avoidance, a strong prerequisite for adaptive responses to selection. We investigated trophic pathogen avoidance in 122 inbred Drosophila melanogaster lines, and in a derived outbred population. Using the FlyPAD system, we tracked the feeding choice that flies made between substrates that were either clean or contained a bacterial pathogen. We uncovered significant, but weakly heritable variation in the preference index amongst fly lines. However, instead of avoidance, most lines demonstrated a preference for substrates containing several bacterial pathogens, showing avoidance only for extremely high bacterial concentrations. Bacterial preference was not associated with susceptibility to infection and was retained in flies with disrupted immune signalling. Phenotype–genotype association analysis indicated several novel genes (CG2321, CG2006, and ptp99A) associated with increased preference for the bacterial substrate, while the amino‐acid transporter sobremesa was associated with greater aversion. Given the known fitness benefits of consuming high‐protein diets, our results suggest that bacterial attraction may instead reflect a dietary preference for protein over carbohydrate. More work quantifying intrapopulation variation in avoidance behaviours is needed to fully assess its importance in host–pathogen evolutionary ecology.
Species Diversity, Host Association, and Evolutionary History of Cronartium: An Important Global Fungal Pathogen to Trees
Authors: Zhang Jingyu , Tsui Clement K. M. , You Chongjuan
Published: November 2024

Pine stem rust, the most damaging and widespread forest disease occurring in pine trees in the Northern Hemisphere, is primarily caused by Cronartium species (Pucciniales, Melampsorineae). While the phylogenetic relationships of major Cronartium species have been largely elucidated, there is limited understanding of their species diversity and the evolutionary processes shaping their distribution patterns. In this work, we performed broad sampling and sequencing of Cronartium taxa in China together with additional sequence data and other accessions in NCBI to investigate the diversification and to estimate the divergence time of major evolutionary events in this genus. Molecular dating analysis suggested that the divergence of the genus Cronartium probably was around 91.78 Ma during the Upper Cretaceous. It is believed that Cronartium species may have originated in Asia and North America, with intercontinental dispersals occurring primarily during the Middle Eocene, Middle Miocene, and Pliocene. These dispersal events likely took place through the North Atlantic Land Bridge, the De Geer Route, and the Bering Land Bridge, and subsequently diverged through sporadic dispersal and vicariance events. Furthermore, our analysis of host associations revealed that the diversification of Cronartium species was correlated with their telial‐hosts, and some species may have experienced host jump events, indicating a complex interplay between host specificity and pathogen–host interaction during Cronartium evolution.
Long‐Distance, Transfrontier Carnivore Dispersals in Southern Africa
Authors: Beytell Piet , Hanssen Lise , Aschenborn Ortwin , Naidoo Robin
Published: November 2024

Information on long‐range dispersal in tropical carnivores is limited compared to their temperate counterparts. Here we present data on long‐range, transboundary dispersals for three species of tropical carnivores: African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), African lion (Panthera leo), and spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta). The dispersals we document in our savannah system are among the longest that have been recorded for African wild dog and African lion, while for spotted hyena one of our recorded dispersal events is of similar magnitude to the longest documented movements occurring among any carnivore species from around the world.
Temporal increase in ticks and pathogen prevalence in the small mammal part of the Lyme disease cycle in northern Europe
Authors: Lindsø Lars K. , Viljugrein Hildegunn , Mysterud Atle
Published: November 2024

Lyme disease is an emerging infectious disease and the most common vector‐borne zoonosis in the northern hemisphere. The pathogen that causes Lyme disease in Europe is vectored by the generalist tick Ixodes ricinus, and the emergence of Lyme disease is partly linked to how climate warming affects tick distribution and abundance. However, we lack long‐term data on tick infestations and infection prevalence in the main hosts involved in the transmission cycle. Here, we quantified the temporal trends (2014–2022) of I. ricinus infestations and the prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in small mammalian hosts and linked annual variation to host abundance and climate in Norway. We found that tick infestations for both larvae (21% per year [95% CI 18–25]) and nymphs (18% [11–26]), and infection prevalence (14% [8–20]) increased over the period and were negatively associated with rodent abundance. Additionally, warmer years were associated with increased larval tick infestations on hosts. The combination of a temporal increase in both larval tick infestation and infection prevalence in hosts likely results in increased production of infected nymphs. Thus, we provide one mechanistic step toward understanding the Lyme disease emergence at northern latitudes of Europe.
Molecular insights into acetyl triethyl citrate (ATEC) induced toxic effect in HepG2 cells based on multi‐omics integrative analysis
Authors: Ma Bing Jie , Chen Lu , Weng Rui , Liu Jia Xi , Yin Xiao Qian , Lu Yu Shun , Qiu Jing , Qian Yong Zhong , Xu Yan Yang
Published: November 2024

Citrate esters have become the main alternatives to traditional plasticizers in food packaging materials. However, there is a lack of understanding of their toxic effects, particularly the combined effects and inner mechanisms has not been well studied. Our group pioneered the study on combined toxicity of tributyl citrate (TBC) and acetyl triethyl citrate (ATEC), two commonly co‐used citrate esters in food packaging materials. The results showed that exposure to TBC and ATEC can decrease the viability of HepG2 cells in a dose dependent manner. When the mixtures of ATEC and TBC exposed to HepG2 cells, they exhibited antagonism effect. Therefore, ATEC was selected to investigate the molecular mechanisms with multi‐omics techniques at its 1/4 EC50 concentration. A total of 31 metabolites with significant changes were found as potential biomarkers. The LIPG (Lipase G, endothelial type) and GCLM (glutamate‐cysteine ligase modifier subunit) were identified as differentially expressed genes based on transcriptomic analysis. Moreover, downregulated l‐glutamate and l‐glutamine which participate in TCA cycle, resulting in the collapse of energy production and cytotoxicity. These findings on major metabolic pathways will provide insight into the mechanism of cytotoxicity of HepG2 cells after ATEC exposure.
Tri‐ and Hexanuclear Gold(I) Systems Based on Tribenzotriquinacene
Authors: Franke Maurice , Stratmann Lukas , Vishnevskiy Yury V. , Neumann Beate , Stammler Hans‐Georg , Mitzel Norbert W.
Published: November 2024

A tridentate trimethylstannyl substituted alkyne based on the tribenzotriquinacene (TBTQ) scaffold has been transformed into several gold(I)phosphane complexes by tin‐gold exchange. While the molecular structures of the gold(I) derivatives with less bulky trimethyl and dimethylphenylphosphane ligands exhibit intermolecular aurophilic interactions, the sterically demanding triphenylphosphane ligands inhibit the occurrence of Au⋅⋅⋅Au contacts. In addition, a hexanuclear gold(I) system was synthesised by terminal functionalisation of the hexaalkynyl TBTQ. Investigations of the photophysical properties of the gold(I)phosphane TBTQ compounds revealed their luminescent character at room temperature.
Moving towards the use of artificial intelligence in pain management
Authors: Antel Ryan , Whitelaw Sera , Gore Genevieve , Ingelmo Pablo
Published: November 2024

Background and Objective

While the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in medicine has been significant, their application to acute and chronic pain management has not been well characterized. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of the current state of AI in acute and chronic pain management.

Databases and Data Treatment

This review was registered with PROSPERO (ID# CRD42022307017), the international registry for systematic reviews. The search strategy was prepared by a librarian and run in four electronic databases (Embase, Medline, Central, and Web of Science). Collected articles were screened by two reviewers. Included studies described the use of AI for acute and chronic pain management.

Results

From the 17,601 records identified in the initial search, 197 were included in this review. Identified applications of AI were described for treatment planning as well as treatment delivery. Described uses include prediction of pain, forecasting of individualized responses to treatment, treatment regimen tailoring, image‐guidance for procedural interventions and self‐management tools. Multiple domains of AI were used including machine learning, computer vision, fuzzy logic, natural language processing and expert systems.

Conclusion

There is growing literature regarding applications of AI for pain management, and their clinical use holds potential for improving patient outcomes. However, multiple barriers to their clinical integration remain including lack validation of such applications in diverse patient populations, missing infrastructure to support these tools and limited provider understanding of AI.

Significance

This review characterizes current applications of AI for pain management and discusses barriers to their clinical integration. Our findings support continuing efforts directed towards establishing comprehensive systems that integrate AI throughout the patient care continuum.
The effects of plyometric versus resistance training on running economy and 5‐km running time in middle‐aged recreational runners
Authors: Eihara Yuuri , Takao Kenji , Sugiyama Takashi , Maeo Sumiaki , Kanehisa Hiroaki , Isaka Tadao
Published: November 2024

The effects of plyometric training (PT) versus resistance training (RT) on running economy and performance are unclear, especially in middle‐aged recreational runners. We examined (1) the efficacy of PT versus RT on running economy and performance in middle‐aged recreational runners and (2) the relationships between the main training outcomes. Twenty middle‐aged recreational runners were randomly allocated to a PT or RT group (n = 10/group). Training was conducted twice/week for 10 weeks combined with daily running. PT included the countermovement jump (CMJ), rebound jump, hurdle hop, and drop jump. RT consisted of leg press, leg curl, and calf raise with 50%–90% of one‐repetition maximum (1RM). Before and after the intervention, 1RM of the three lifting tasks, CMJ and drop jump performances, oxygen cost at 8–12 km/h, and 5 km running time were assessed. PT enhanced 1RM of leg curl only (8.5% and p = 0.007), whereas RT increased 1RM of the three lifting tasks (19.0%–21.1% and p < 0.001). Both groups improved CMJ height (6.4%–8.3% and p = 0.016) and drop jump performance (height: 9.7%–19.4%, p = 0.005, height/contact time: 11.4%–26.3% and p = 0.009) and oxygen cost regardless of running velocity (2.0% and p = 0.001) without significant group differences. However, neither group changed the 5‐km running time (p ≥ 0.259). A significant correlation was found between the changes in calf raise 1RM and oxygen cost (r = −0.477 and p = 0.046) but not between the other measured variables. These results suggest that for middle‐aged recreational runners, PT and RT can similarly improve running economy albeit not necessarily the 5‐km running time, and enhancing plantarflexion strength may particularly contribute to improving running economy.
Path Planning Approaches in Multi‐robot System: A Review
Authors: Banik Semonti , Banik Sajal Chandra , Mahmud Sarker Safat
Published: November 2024

The essential factor in developing multi‐robot systems is the generation of an optimal path for task completion by multiple robots. To ensure effective path planning, this paper studies the recent publications and provides a detailed review of the path planning approaches to avoid collisions in uncertain environments. In this article, path‐planning approaches for multiple robots are categorized primarily into classical, heuristic, and artificial intelligence‐based methods. Among the heuristic approaches, bio‐inspired approaches are mostly employed to optimize the classical approaches to enhance their adaptability. The articles are analyzed based on static and dynamic scenarios, real‐time experiments, and simulations involving hybrid solutions. The increasing focus on using hybrid approaches in dynamic environments is found mostly in the papers employing heuristic and AI‐based approaches. In real‐time applications, AI‐based approaches are highly implemented in comparison to heuristic and classical approaches. Moreover, the findings from this review, highlighting the strengths and drawbacks of each algorithm, can help researchers select the appropriate approach to overcome the limitations in designing efficient multi‐robot systems.
Performance Evaluation of Polygonal and Cylindrical Ball Mills Using Discrete Element Method
Authors: Kyalo Mathew Ndeto , Kimotho James Kuria , Ndiritu Hiram Muriithi
Published: November 2024

Ball mills are frequently utilized in the chemical and mineral processing industries to reduce the size of particles. In mineral processing, cylindrical rotating mills with wear‐resistant materials are used at various operation scales. Polygon‐shaped rotating mills are used in artisanal and small‐scale mining due to technological and economic reasons. It is imperative to thoroughly evaluate polygon‐shaped mills to inform decisions regarding their improvement or replacement based on technological data. Even a minor enhancement in grinding efficiency and mill durability can yield substantial economic and environmental advantages. In this study, the performance of polygonal‐shaped mills was evaluated and compared with cylindrical profiles, taking into account power draw, collision energy dissipation, relative wear, and operational stability. The effect of installing lifters in the mills was also assessed. Simulations using the discrete element method (DEM) were carried out to describe the mechanical behavior of grinding media and its interaction with the mill walls. Notably, polygonal‐shaped mills without lifters facilitated interparticle interaction with limited centrifuging of particles compared to cylindrical mills without lifters. The installation of lifters in polygonal mills increased interparticle collisions and reduced power draw and wear rate. Cylindrical mills with lifters had high interparticle collisions similar to polygonal profiles but with much lower wear rate and high operational stability.
Optimizing Dye Wastewater Purification: Ultrasonic and Flotation With Ozonation Synergy
Authors: Romanovski Valentin , Pilipenko Marina , Dubina Alexandr , Likhavitski Vitaly , Volodko Sergey , Moskovskikh Dmitry , Romanovskaia Elena
Published: November 2024

The article presents the results of experimental studies of the efficiency of purification of model and real wastewater from dyeing and finishing industries using pneumatic flotation using an ozone‐air mixture instead of air and a combination of ultrasonic treatment and ozonation. The influence of gas mixture consumption, dye concentration, and ozone concentration in the gas mixture on the cleaning efficiency was studied. The purification efficiency was assessed by optical density and COD. By using an ozone‐air mixture instead of air in the flotation process, an efficiency increase of up to 12 times was achieved. It has also been shown that wastewater treatment efficiency increases by up to 12% when combining ozone‐air flotation with ultrasonic treatment at 630 W and operating frequency 22% ± 10% kHz. This effect may be associated, first of all, with the dispersion of bubbles of the ozone‐air mixture, which leads to an increase in their total surface and, accordingly, to the rise in the kinetics of mass transfer—ozone dissolution.
A Quantified Analysis of Lean First Then Automate for a Synergetic Effect
Authors: Urmee Sharmin Akter , Hossain Mosharraf
Published: November 2024

Lean manufacturing has become a buzzword for the past few years due to its capability to reduce waste and make the system more efficient. To meet the numerous demands of consumers, companies are moving toward Industry 4.0, which can be accomplished through automation. Prior research demonstrated a conceptual integration of lean tools' effects into automation, but it lacked a quantitative analysis. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the effects of implementing lean tools prior to automation. To get real‐time data for the analysis of applying lean and automation, an empirical study was conducted on a manufacturing line. Using ARENA simulation software, four distinct simulation models were created using the data: the current assembly line model, the model with a lean tool (Inline Quality Check), the model with only automation, and the model with lean applied first and automation applied later. The productivity of the assembly line is used to compare the results. The comparative analysis demonstrated that applying lean tools prior to automation increases productivity in automated lines. This study could assist businesses understand that, before implementing automation, they should use lean technologies to improve system efficiency. An effective system can become considerably more efficient by being automated.
Multicentric study of adherence to antiseizure medications among adults with epilepsy attended in neurology departments in Burkina Faso
Authors: Dabilgou Alfred Anselme , Dravé Alassane , Kyelem Julie Marie Adeline Wendlamita , Kaboré Adama , Napon Christian , Millogo Athanase , Karfo Kapouné , Kaboré Jean
Published: November 2024

Objective

To study the adherence of antiseizures medication in neurology in the city of Ouagadougou.

Patients and Methods

We conducted a multicentric cross‐sectional study on adherence to antiseizure medications among adult patients with epilepsy followed by outpatient neurology consultations. The patients were recruited from November 22, 2021 to February 22, 2022 in four departments of neurology. Adherence to antiseizure medications (ASM) was measured using the Morisky Medication Adhesion Scale (MMAS). Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate factors associated with adherence.

Results

One hundred and seven patients with a mean age of 38.92 ± 16.06 years were included in the study. Most of the patients were men (52.34%). Twenty‐eight patients complied well with ASM (26.17%). The main causes of nonadherence to treatment were forgetfulness and lack of financial means. Factors associated with nonadherence were rural residence (p = 0.023), celibacy or divorce (p = 0.002), low level of education (p = 0.028), perception of stigma (p = 0.026), duration of epilepsy <5 years (p = 0.009).

Conclusions

Adherence to ASM is low in Burkina Faso. The main causes of nonadherence were forgetting and insufficiency of financial resources. Rural residence, celibacy, or divorce, low level of education, perception of stigmatization, and short duration of epilepsy were associated with non‐adherence.

Plain Language Summary

Studies on adherence to antiseizure medications are rare in Africa while patients do not have access to adequate treatment. The aim of our study was to evaluate the adherence to antiseizure medications among patients with epilepsy followed by the neurology departments in the city of Ouagadougou. Forgetfulness and financial insufficiency were the main causes of treatment interruption. Our study showed that most of the patients were non adherent. Several factors such as place of residence, level of education, and duration of epilepsy influence the level of compliance.
Integrated Method of Future Capacity and RUL Prediction for Lithium‐Ion Batteries Based on CEEMD‐Transformer‐LSTM Model
Authors: Hu Wangyang , Zhang Chaolong , Luo Laijin , Jiang Shanhe
Published: November 2024

Accurately predict the remaining useful life (RUL) of lithium‐ion batteries for energy storage is of critical significance to ensure the safety and reliability of electric vehicles, which can offer efficient early warning signals in a timely manner. Considering nonlinear changes in the aging trajectory of lithium‐ion batteries, a method for predicting the RUL of lithium‐ion batteries was proposed in this study based on a complementary ensemble empirical mode decomposition (CEEMD) as well as transformer and long short‐term memory (LSTM) neural network dual‐drive machine learning model. First, the CEEMD algorithm was adopted to decompose the raw aging data of lithium‐ion batteries into intrinsic mode function (IMF) sequences and residual sequence, where the number of modal layers was produced by the proposed posterior feedback entropy and relevance (PFER) method. Second, prediction models of LSTM and transformer neural networks were established to predict IMF and residual sequences. Simultaneously, the sparrow search algorithm (SSA) was used to obtain the optimal value of the hyperparameter learning rate for the RUL prediction model. Finally, the predicted IMF and residual sequences were combined to comprehensively calculate the future lifespan aging trajectory of lithium‐ion batteries. The aging data of two groups of lithium‐ion batteries were obtained from the CALCE at the University of Maryland as well as the laboratory at AQNU University to verify the proposed method. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method can effectively predict the RUL of lithium‐ion batteries; moreover, it exhibited better robustness and generalization ability.
Study on Damage Characteristics and Physical Field Characteristics of Roadway Surrounding Rock Under Multiple Disturbances
Authors: Zhang Jiuxin , Qin Hongyan , Ouyang Zhenhua , Zhang Ningbo , Zhang Yiyan , Liu Yang , Li Wenshuai , Zhou Ranran
Published: November 2024

During the mining process, repetitive stress disturbances induced by mining activities can lead to alterations in the physical properties of coal, potentially resulting in rockburst occurrences within tunnels. To investigate the propagation rule of physical field characteristics and characteristics of failure in roadway surrounding rock under multiple disturbance damage caused by dynamic load, a combined experimental and theoretical analysis is conducted to study the weakening effect of rock mass under various disturbance circumstances. A model of roadway surrounding rock loosening and failure under multiple disturbances was proposed. The degree of damage is quantified by defining the weakening coefficient Di, A “weakening variable method” is proposed to confirm the main parameters of the Holmquist‐John‐son‐Cook (HJC) model under different disturbance conditions. The reliability of these findings was validated through a microseismic event at the Tangshan coal mine's 0250 working face in 2020, followed by numerical simulation studies. The results indicate that damaged coal weakens the intensity of stress waves at the same source velocity, with the strongest effect observed at interfaces between different damage zones. Furthermore, damaged coal exhibits a stronger weakening effect on stress wave propagation speed compared to undamaged coal in non‐interface areas. The study on roadway stability reveals that severely damaged coal‐rock samples significantly weaken stress waves; however, they also exhibit lower minimum energy for dynamic failure in roadway surrounding rock, indicating that low‐stress waves cause greater damage under severe damage conditions. The study investigates the impact of coal rock mass degradation on the stability of surrounding roadways under various disturbance conditions, which holds significant implications for the timely identification of potential instability risks in damaged coal bodies, optimization of support strategies, and ensuring mining safety.
Sensitivity Analysis of a Nuclear Hybrid Energy System With Thermal Energy Storage in Deregulated Electricity Markets Considering Time Series Uncertainty in Electricity Price
Authors: Bryan Jacob A. , Wang Hailei , Talbot Paul W.
Published: November 2024

Adding thermal energy storage to nuclear power plants has been proposed as a way to allow nuclear plants to operate more flexibly and potentially be more competitive in deregulated electricity markets. The economics of these systems in deregulated markets are subject to uncertainties in capital costs, operating costs, and revenue. This study quantifies the uncertainty in the net present value of a nuclear power plant with integrated thermal energy storage in three U.S. deregulated electricity markets considering these sources of uncertainty and quantifies, for the first time, the relative contributions each source makes to the overall uncertainty. To accomplish this, a computationally efficient block bootstrap method is introduced to quantify uncertainty contributions from the stochastic time series of electricity prices, achieving a two order of magnitude decrease computational time compared to the model‐based methods used in previous works while also relaxing several strict assumptions made by the model‐based approach. Up to 18.5% of the overall variance in net present value is attributable to variance in the electricity price stochastic process, with this sensitivity varying significantly across markets.
Dendrite‐Free Zinc Anode for Zinc‐Based Batteries by Pre‐Deposition of a Cu–Zn Alloy Layer on Copper Surface via an In Situ Electrochemical Oxidation–Reduction Reaction
Authors: Davis Daiphi , Balakrishnan Jeena C. , Vadakkan Thomas Joy
Published: November 2024

The prevention of uncontrollable growth of zinc dendrites on the zinc electrodes is one of the key challenges, hindering the widespread commercialization of zinc‐based energy storage technologies. Herein, we report a facile method to mitigate dendrite growth on a copper surface by an initial in situ coating of a Cu–Zn alloy layer, before zinc deposition. During further zinc deposition, the initially formed Cu–Zn alloy layer provides uniform nucleating sites and promotes homogeneous zinc deposition. A symmetrical cell, assembled using a Cu–Zn/Cu electrode could be stably cycled for over 1000 cycles in ZnSO4 solution, at a current density of 30 mA/cm2 and a coulombic efficiency of 99.9%. A zinc–air cell, assembled using Zn@Cu–Zn/Cu as the anode and rGO/Co3O4 composite as the cathode, exhibited a very stable performance at a high current density of 50 mA/cm2 and coulombic efficiency of ~93%, for over 400 cycles. After cycling experiments, the X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the X‐ray diffraction analysis confirmed the formation of the Cu–Zn alloy layer. Hence, the present method provides an easy route for fabricating a dendrite‐free zinc electrode, for a wide range of zinc anode‐based batteries.
Integrating Phase Change Materials Into Cotton Ring Spun Yarn Structure for Thermoregulating Function
Authors: Yılmaz Demet , Aksoy Sennur Alay
Published: November 2024

Phase change materials (PCMs) have been incorporated into textiles to provide thermoregulation and temperature buffering effects on the human body. From this point of view, the aim of this study was to develop the phase change material (PCM) incorporated into the yarns for the production of textiles with a thermo‐regulating function. In the study, two types of capsules poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐methacrylic acid) (P(MMA‐co‐MAA)) walled and 1‐tetradecanol core, and gelatin‐gum Arabic walled and n‐octadecane core were synthesized and applied to cotton textile fibers using an alternative application method developed by the authors. PCM dispersion with 6% concentration was incorporated into cotton ring spun yarns at 62.5 and 80 mL/h feeding rates. Morphological and thermal properties of the capsules and spun yarns were investigated. Thermoregulation properties of fabricated yarns were detailed evaluated by segmenting thermal history (T‐history) curves into four phases and logarithmic and linear trendlines were applied to the temperature change data for unloaded and PCM incorporated yarns. Data including temperature range (°C), R2 (coefficient of determination or regression factor), rate coefficient (a) and duration of phase (s) were analyzed for both capsule types and feeding rate values. The results indicated that PCM capsules with ideal spherical morphology and enough energy storage capacity were successfully applied into the cotton fibers. All cotton yarns with PCM additives exhibited lower surface temperature values greater than 2°C which is considered sufficient for the thermoregulation effect although with some distinct variations in their temperature profiles and rate coefficients. Compared to untreated cotton ring spun yarn, the temperature difference for 1‐tetradecanol core@P(MMA‐co‐MAA) walled capsules was found to be around 4.29°C–4.56°C, whereas it was around 8.2°C–9°C for n‐octadecane core@gelatin‐gum Arabic walled capsules. With respect to all the results, obtained novel heat storage cotton yarn is a promising material for thermal energy storage and desirable thermal comfort applications.
Electrochemical and Thermal Analysis of Lithium‐Ion Battery Pack With Different Cell Configurations
Authors: Kömürcü Büşra Namaldı , Elden Gülşah , Çelik Muhammet , Genç Mustafa Serdar
Published: November 2024

The primary purpose of this research is to analyze and evaluate the effects of various discharge rates and cell configurations on the electrochemical and thermal behavior of a Li‐ion battery pack that is exposed to ambient air throughout the discharge process. The three‐dimensional numerical model is designed to accomplish this purpose and discusses two different cases. While the discharge rate is changed from 0.5 C to 2 C (stepping by 0.5 C) for each cell configuration considered in the first case, the numerical solutions are obtained for the various cell configurations (6S4P and 8S3P) by keeping the discharge rate constant at 1 C. The results obtained from these solutions show that the discharge rate affects a considerable amount of the battery performances and discharge times of the battery packs, activation, and ohmic losses occurring inside each battery cell. Moreover, 6S4P discharges over a longer period (about 25%) than 8S3P. While both activation and ohmic losses decrease with the increase of discharge rate, these losses remain almost constant at 0.5 C discharge rate in all analyzed conditions. As a result, having a battery pack with a long discharge time while maintaining low temperatures is useful and desired. With this in mind, while evaluating battery packs, the 6S4P battery pack looks to have the best arrangement.
Room‐Temperature Reversible Hydrogen Storage in Scandium‐Decorated [6]Cycloparaphenylene: Computational Insights
Authors: Parida Smruti Ranjan , Sahoo Rakesh Kumar , Jaiswal Ankita , Kour Paramjit , Chakraborty Brahmananda , Sahu Sridhar
Published: November 2024

This study discusses the hydrogen storage and delivery capacity of Sc‐decorated [6]cycloparaphenylene ([6]CPP) using dispersion‐corrected density functional theory calculations (DFT + D3). The scandium atoms are decorated over [6]CPP via Dewar coordination with an average binding energy of 1.33 eV. Each Sc atom stores up to 5H2 molecules in quasi‐molecular form at an average adsorption energy ranging from 0.23 to 0.36 eV/H2. The system's stability before and after H2 adsorption is checked using reactivity parameters. The maximum hydrogen gravimetric capacity of the system is found to be 7.68 wt% at low temperatures at 1–60 bar pressure. With an increase in temperature (300–420 K), the gravimetric density is more than 5.5 wt% (US‐DOE target) below 60 bar. Atom‐Centered Density Matrix Propagation (ADMP)‐molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal that the desorption of H2 molecules from [6]CPP starts at around 300 K/1 bar, and complete desorption occurs above 480 K. The minimum Van't Hoff desorption temperature for [6]CPP‐Sc is 296.9 K at 1 atm pressure. Insignificant change in the structure of [6]CPP‐Sc during adsorption and desorption processes promises stability and reversibility of the system. Hence, we believe that Sc‐decorated [6]CPP can be a promising candidate for hydrogen storage applications.
Assessment of Sustainability in the Supply Chain of Sweet Red Pepper Paste Production With Exergy and Life Cycle Analyses
Authors: Adal Samiye , Erbay Zafer
Published: November 2024

This study examines cumulative energy (CEnC), exergy (CExC), CO₂ emissions (CCO₂C), and life cycle assessment of sweet red pepper (SRP) paste production. A whole system approach in five improvement scenarios including different packaging materials and precision farming encompasses the supply chain from farm to fork and cradle to gate. The largest impact on SRP farming is caused by the use of diesel oil, the excessive use of chemical fertilizers, and the use of electricity. In SRP farming step, the CEnC is mainly caused by 86.5% fertilizer and 11% diesel usage. Hotspot impact categories were determined as abiotic (fossil) depletion potential, global warming potential, and human toxicity potential. The base case scenario has the greatest values for CEnC, CExC, and CCO₂C and impact assessment results. A CEnC value reduction of 48.6%, 50%, and 30% in the factory processing, packaging‐transportation step and whole process, respectively, is observed when the biodiesel scenario is performed. With a 40% reduction in global warming potential value, the combination of polyethylene terephthalate packaging, biodiesel, and precision farming scenario yielded the best results for each impact category analyzed in this study.
Forecasting Chinese Stock Market Volatility With Volatilities in Bond Markets
Authors: Lei Likun , He Mengxi , Zhang Yi , Zhang Yaojie
Published: November 2024

In this paper, we investigate whether the bond markets contain important information that can improve the accuracy of stock market volatility forecasts in China. We use realized volatility (RV) implemented by different maturity treasury bond futures contracts to predict the Chinese stock market volatility. Our work is based on the heterogeneous autoregressive (HAR) framework. Empirical results show that the volatility of treasury bond contracts with longer maturities (especially 10 years) has the best effect on predicting the Chinese stock market volatility, both in sample and out of sample. Two machine learning methods, the scaled principal component analysis (SPCA) and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso), are also more effective than the HAR benchmark model's prediction. Finally, mean–variance investors can achieve substantial economic gains by allocating their investment portfolios based on volatility forecasts after introducing treasury bond futures volatility.