bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Study on the Prediction of Electrical Energy in Food Storage Using Machine Learning
Authors: Kim Sangoh
Published: December 2022

This study discusses methods for the sustainability of freezers used in frozen storage methods known as long-term food storage methods. Freezing preserves the quality of food for a long time. However, it is inevitable to use a freezer that uses a large amount of electricity to store food with this method. To maintain the quality of food, lower temperatures are required, and therefore more electrical energy must be used. In this study, machine learning was performed using data obtained through a freezer test, and an optimal inference model was obtained with this data. If the inference model is applied to the selection of freezer control parameters, it turns out that optimal food storage is possible using less electrical energy. In this paper, a method for obtaining a dataset for machine learning in a deep freezer and the process of performing SLP and MLP machine learning through the obtained dataset are described. In addition, a method for finding the optimal efficiency is presented by comparing the performances of the inference models obtained in each method. The application of such a development method can reduce electrical energy in the food manufacturing equipment related industry, and accordingly it will be possible to achieve carbon emission reductions.
Carbazoles: Role and Functions in Fighting Diabetes
Authors: Grande Fedora , Ioele Giuseppina , Caruso Anna , Occhiuzzi Maria Antonietta , El-Kashef Hussein , Saturnino Carmela , Sinicropi Maria Stefania
Published: December 2022

Carbazole derivatives have gained a lot of attention in medicinal chemistry over the last few decades due to their wide range of biological and pharmacological properties, including antibacterial, antitumor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. The therapeutic potential of natural, semi-synthetic or synthetic carbazole-containing molecules has expanded considerably owing to their role in the pathogenesis and development of diabetes. Several studies have demonstrated the ability of carbazole derivatives to reduce oxidative stress, block adrenergic hyperactivation, prevent damage to pancreatic cells and modulate carbohydrate metabolism. In this survey, we summarize the latest advances in the synthetic and natural carbazole-containing compounds involved in diabetes pathways.
Combining Supervised and Unsupervised Fuzzy Learning Algorithms for Robust Diabetes Diagnosis
Authors: Kim Kwang Baek , Park Hyun Jun , Song Doo Heon
Published: December 2022

In domains that have complex data characteristics and/or noisy data, any single supervised learning algorithm tends to suffer from overfitting. One way to mitigate this problem is to combine unsupervised learning component as a front end of the main supervised learner. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical combination of fuzzy C-means clustering component and fuzzy max–min neural network supervised learner for that purpose. The proposed method is evaluated in a noisy domain (Pima Indian Diabetes open database). The proposed combination showed superior result to standalone fuzzy max–min and backpropagation-based neural network. The proposed method also showed better performance than any single supervised learner tested in the same domain in the literature with high accuracy (80.96%) and was at least competitive in other measures such as sensitivity, specificity, and F1 measure.
Three-Dimensional Thermoelasticity Analysis of Viscoelastic FGM Plate Embedded in Piezoelectric Layers under Thermal Load
Authors: Feri Maziyar , Krommer Michael , Alibeigloo Akbar
Published: December 2022

Due to the high importance of viscoelastic materials in modern industrial applications, besides the intensive popularity of piezoelectric smart structures, analyzing their thermoelastic response in extreme temperature conditions inevitably becomes very important. Accordingly, this research explores the thermoviscoelastic response of sandwich plates made of a functionally-graded Boltzmann viscoelastic core and two surrounding piezoelectric face-layers subjected to electrothermal load in the platform of three-dimensional elasticity theory. The relaxation modulus of the FG viscoelastic layer across the thickness follows the power law model. the plate’s governing equations are expressed in the Laplace domain to handle mathematical complications corresponding to the sandwich plate with a viscoelastic core. Then, the state-space method, combined with Fourier expansion, is utilized to extract the plate response precisely. Finally, the obtained solution is converted to the time domain using the inverse Laplace technique. Verification of the present formulation is compared with those reported in the published papers. Finally, the influences of plate dimension, temperature gradient, and relaxation time constant on the bending response of the above-mentioned sandwich plate are examined. As an interesting finding, it is revealed that increasing the length-to-thickness ratio leads to a decrease in deflections and an increase in stresses.
Deep Interest Network Based on Knowledge Graph Embedding
Authors: Zhang Dehai , Wang Haoxing , Yang Xiaobo , Ma Yu , Liang Jiashu , Ren Anquan
Published: December 2022

Recommendation systems based on knowledge graphs often obtain user preferences through the user’s click matrix. However, the click matrix represents static data and cannot represent the dynamic preferences of users over time. Therefore, we propose DINK, a knowledge graph-based deep interest exploration network, to extract users’ dynamic interests. DINK can be divided into a knowledge graph embedding layer, an interest exploration layer, and a recommendation layer. The embedding layer expands the receptive field of the user’s click sequence through the knowledge graph, the interest exploration layer combines the GRU and the attention mechanism to explore the user’s dynamic interest, and the recommendation layer completes the prediction task. We demonstrate the effectiveness of DINK by conducting extensive experiments on three public datasets.
Correlation of Acoustic Emissions with Electrical Signals in the Vicinity of Fracture in Cement Mortars Subjected to Uniaxial Compressive Loading
Authors: Loukidis Andronikos , Tzagkarakis Dimitrios , Kyriazopoulos Antonios , Stavrakas Ilias , Triantis Dimos
Published: December 2022

Acoustic emissions (AEs) and weak electrical signals, also known as pressure stimulated currents (PSCs), were concurrently recorded in order to investigate their behavior and detect precursory indicators when cement mortar specimens were subjected to mechanical compressive loading, emphasizing the behavior of the AEs and the PSC signal in the vicinity of fracture. The axial compressive loading protocol incorporated a constantly increasing stress, from early stress values up to the vicinity of fracture and a sequential stress stabilization until the time the specimen collapses, due to severe growing internal damages. Concurrent recordings of the electrical and acoustic emissions were performed. The AE recordings were analyzed, by incorporating the recently introduced F- and P-functions, and the well-known b-value. The experimental results highlight strong similarities regarding the variations of the PSC signal, the AE hits occurrence rate (F-function), and the AE hits energy release rate (P-function). The above was also confirmed with another similar experiment in an identical specimen. It is noteworthy that, during the stay of the specimens under a constant load regime near their strength levels, a peak appears in the above quantities, which is directly related to an increased rate of axial deformation. The temporal evolution of the b-values is also presented. Results show that the local minima appearing at values close to b ≈ 1.0 correspond to the local maxima of the PSC signal. It is straightforwardly concluded that when both the PSC signal and the AE data are combined, they provide clear pre-failure indicators.
Fluorosis and Oral Health Status in Adolescents Living in a High-Fluoride Groundwater Area: A Case Study of Nairobi Suburbs (Kenya)
Authors: Demarchi Paolo , Garbarino Federico , Mascolo Andrea , Silvestrini Biavati Francesca , Ugolini Alessandro
Published: December 2022

Dental fluorosis is an irreversible defect in dental enamel caused by long-term undesired fluoride intake during tooth formation. The clinical manifestations may range from white spots to dark brown areas, which can initially represent only an aesthetic problem, but they can also lead to functional problems—in severe cases, pitting and fractures can occur. The aim of this cross-sectional study in a cluster of 215 Kenyan adolescents was to evaluate oral health status—especially with respect to fluorosis and dental caries risk factors—in the Nairobi suburbs. Clinical data were recorded using DMFT and TF indices in accordance with the WHO standards. A multivariate model with logistic regression was carried out. In total, 36.7% of individuals presented carious lesions. The DMFT index was 0.87 in the total sample. Around 78.6% were affected by mild-to-severe forms of fluorosis. Statistically significant associations were found between the presence of caries and consuming sweets during (OR = 3.9) and between meals (OR = 3.6), consuming soft drinks during (OR = 2.8) and between meals (OR = 4.3), tooth-brushing frequency (OR = 2.8), use of toothbrush and toothpaste (OR = 3.8), presence of bleeding (OR = 10.2), and calculus (OR = 12.1). It is critical to give people sufficient knowledge and to educate the communities to mobilize the implementation of preventive measures, such as reducing fluoride ingestion and paying attention to the dangers of drinking untreated water, in order to develop strategies to ensure equitable access to medical services and promote oral prevention programs to significantly reduce the impact of oral diseases.
Monitoring of Atmospheric Corrosion of Aircraft Aluminum Alloy AA2024 by Acoustic Emission Measurements
Authors: Erlinger Thomas , Kralovec Christoph , Schagerl Martin
Published: December 2022

Atmospheric corrosion of aluminum aircraft structures occurs due to a variety of reasons. A typical phenomenon leading to corrosion during aircraft operation is the deliquescence of salt contaminants due to changes in the ambient relative humidity (RH). Currently, the corrosion of aircraft is controlled through scheduled inspections. In contrast, the present contribution aims to continuously monitor atmospheric corrosion using the acoustic emission (AE) method, which could lead to a structural health monitoring application for aircraft. The AE method is frequently used for corrosion detection under immersion-like conditions or for corrosion where stress-induced cracking is involved. However, the applicability of the AE method to the detection of atmospheric corrosion in unloaded aluminum structures has not yet been demonstrated. To address this issue, the present investigation uses small droplets of a sodium chloride solution to induce atmospheric corrosion of uncladded aluminum alloy AA2024-T351. The operating conditions of an aircraft are simulated by controlled variations in the RH. The AE signals are measured while the corrosion site is visually observed through video recordings. A clear correlation between the formation and growth of pits, the AE and hydrogen bubble activity, and the RH is found. Thus, the findings demonstrate the applicability of the AE method to the monitoring of the atmospheric corrosion of aluminum aircraft structures using current measurement equipment. Numerous potential effects that can affect the measurable AE signals are discussed. Among these, bubble activity is considered to cause the most emissions.
Entity Recognition for Chinese Hazardous Chemical Accident Data Based on Rules and a Pre-Trained Model
Authors: Dai Hui , Zhu Mu , Yuan Guan , Niu Yaowei , Shi Hongxing , Chen Boxuan
Published: December 2022

Due to the fragile physicochemical properties of hazardous chemicals, the chances of leakage and explosion during production, transportation, and storage are quite high. In recent years, hazardous chemical accidents have occurred frequently, posing a great threat to people’s lives and property. Hence, it is crucial to analyze hazardous chemical accidents and establish corresponding warning mechanisms and safeguard measures. At present, most hazardous-chemical-accident data exist in text format. However, named entity recognition (NER), as a method to extract useful information from text data, has not been fully utilized in the field of Chinese hazardous-chemical handling. The challenge is that Chinese NER is more difficult than English NER, because the boundaries of Chinese are fuzzy. In addition, the descriptions of hazardous chemical accidents are colloquial and lacks relevant labeling data. Further, most current models do not consider identifying the entities related to accident scenarios, losses, and causes. To tackle these issues, we propose a model based on a rule template and Bert-BiLSTM-CRF (RT-BBC) to recognize named entities from unstructured Chinese hazardous chemical accident reports. Comprehensive experiments on real-world datasets show the effectiveness of the proposed method. Specifically, RT-BBC outperformed the most competitive method by 6.6% and 3.6% in terms of accuracy and F1.
Harmonic Elimination and Magnetic Resonance Sounding Signal Extraction Based on Matching Pursuit Algorithm
Authors: Tian Baofeng , Li Xiyang , Duan Haoyu , Wang Liang , Zhu Hui , Luan Hui
Published: December 2022

Magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) is a non-invasive, direct, and quantitative geophysical method for detecting groundwater, and has been widely used in groundwater survey, water resource assessment, and disaster water source forecasting. However, the MRS signal is weak (nV level) and highly susceptible to environmental noise, such as random noise and power-line harmonics, resulting in reduced quality of received data. Achieving reliable extraction of MRS signals under strong noise is difficult. To solve this problem, we propose a matching pursuit algorithm based on sparse decomposition theory for data noise suppression and MRS signal extraction. In accordance with the characteristics of the signal and noise, an oscillating atomic library is constructed as a sparse dictionary to realize signal sparse decomposition. A two-step denoising strategy is proposed to reconstruct the power-line harmonics and then extract the MRS signal. We simulated synthetic data with different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), relaxation times, and Larmor frequencies. Our results show that the proposed algorithm can effectively remove power-line harmonics and reduce random noise. SNR is significantly improved by up to 35.6 dB after denoising. The effectiveness and superiority of the proposed algorithm are further verified by the measured data and through comparison with the singular spectrum analysis algorithm and harmonic modeling cancellation algorithm.
EFCANet: Exposure Fusion Cross-Attention Network for Low-Light Image Enhancement
Authors: Yang Zhe , Liu Fangjin , Li Jinjiang
Published: December 2022

Image capture devices capture poor-quality images under low-light conditions, and the resulting images have dark areas due to insufficient exposure. Traditional Multiple Exposure Fusion (MEF) methods fuse images with different exposure levels from a global perspective, which often leads to secondary exposure in well-exposed areas of the original image. At the same time, the image sequences with different exposure levels are not sufficient, and the MEF method is limited by the training data and benchmark labels. To address the above problems, this paper proposes an exposure fusion cross-attention network based low-light image enhancement (EFCANet). EFCANet is characterized by recovering normal light images from a single exposure-corrected image. First, the Exposure Image Generator (EIG) is used to estimate the single exposure-corrected image corresponding to the original input image. Then, the color space of the exposure-corrected image and the original input image are converted from RGB to YCbCr, aiming to maintain the balance of brightness and color. Finally, a Cross-Attention Fusion Module (CAFM) is used to fuse the images on the YCbCr color space to achieve image enhancement. We use a single CAFM as a recursive unit, and EFCANet progressively uses four recursive units. The intermediate enhancement results generated by the first recursive unit and the exposure-corrected image of the original input image in YCbCr color space are used as inputs for the second recursive unit. We conducted comparison experiments with 14 state-of-the-art methods on eight publicly available datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the image quality of EFCANet enhancement is better than other methods.
Operation State Evaluation of Miter Gate Based on On-Line Monitoring and Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Li Ran , Zhang Jie , Xiao Jianbo
Published: December 2022

As an essential part of the water conservancy hub, the miter gate undertakes the vital task of navigational operation and works in a complex basin with a high water level drop for a long time; therefore, it is necessary to ensure its safe operation. In this paper, taking the Gezhouba No. 2 ship lock miter gate as an example, the actual gate stress and crack signals are obtained using the online monitoring system. The stress distributions of the gate under different working conditions are studied using finite element simulation analysis. Combining simulation analysis with the collected signal analysis, the operation status of the actual gate under each working condition is evaluated. The results show that the stress analysis of the online monitoring is consistent with the finite element analysis results, which verifies the reasonableness of the sensor arrangement. The stress is more concentrated in the area of the gate shaft column, the middle door seam, and the rear flange plate during the operation of the miter gate, and the maximum stress appears on the central sector shaft column of the gate. The cracks of the miter gate mainly appeared in the lower layer of the gate body, and the cracks expand gradually during the long-term operation of the gate. The crack expansion speed corresponds to the miter gate’s stress magnitude.
Investigation on Distributed Vibration Damping of Bridge Based on Energy Harvesting Technique and Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Yang Hailu , Chen Qun , Liu Huifang , Chang Haoran , Yang Shih-Hsien , Wang Linbing , Liu Pengfei
Published: December 2022

Based on the vibration control method and energy harvesting principle in the bridge field, this paper proposes a distributed vibration reduction and energy harvesting method for bridges. Firstly, the analytical solutions of the induced electromotive force, output power and magnetic damping generated by a coil in a magnetic field were deduced through an electromagnetic theory analysis. In addition, the structural vibration equation under the magnetic damping was deduced. Then, a new method of joint simulation and modeling analysis of vibration and energy output was proposed. Finally, the structural vibration reduction and energy output power were analyzed and calculated. The main research results are as follows: by calculating the instantaneous power of the energy collection of the designed circuit, the average instantaneous power collected by the design method is 1.093 × 10−9 W; the initial vibration signal of the target node is obtained through analysis, and the vibration signal of the node before and after applying the electromagnetic damping force is transformed. For the energy analysis, the energy of the acceleration curve before and after the node was calculated to be 3.1048 × 108 and 3.1044 × 108, respectively, and the reduction rate of the node vibration energy was 0.01% and 0.02%, respectively. Thus, the feasibility and vibration reduction effect of the designed bridge distributed vibration reduction and energy harvesting method is verified when the electromagnetic damping force is small. This method can provide new ideas for bridge structure vibration reduction and energy harvesting research and is of great significance to the infrastructure construction and utilization of renewable energy.
Review: Renewable Energy in an Increasingly Uncertain Future
Authors: Moriarty Patrick , Honnery Damon
Published: December 2022

A number of technical solutions have been proposed for tackling global climate change. However, global climate change is not the only serious global environmental challenge we face demanding an urgent response, even though atmospheric CO2 ppm have risen from 354 in 1990 to 416 in 2020. The rise of multiple global environmental challenges makes the search for solutions more difficult, because all technological solutions give rise to some unwanted environmental effects. Further, not only must these various problems be solved in the same short time frame, but they will need to be tackled in a time of rising international tensions, and steady global population increase. This review looks particularly at how all these environmental problems impact the future prospects for renewable energy (RE), given that RE growth must not exacerbate the other equally urgent problems, and must make a major difference in a decade or so. The key finding is that, while the world must shift to RE in the longer run, in the short term what is more important is to improve Earth’s ecological sustainability by the most effective means possible. It is shown that reducing both the global transport task and agricultural production (while still providing an adequate diet for all) can be far more effective than converting the energy used in these sectors to RE.
An Improved High-Resistance Fault Detection Method in DC Microgrid Based on Orthogonal Wavelet Decomposition
Authors: Jing Liuming , Zhao Tong , Xia Lei , Zhou Jinghua
Published: December 2022

High-resistance faults in direct current (DC) microgrids are small and thus difficult to detect. Such faults may be “invisible” in that grid operation continues for a considerable time, which damages the grid. It is essential to detect and remove high-resistance faults; we present a detection method herein. First, the transient DC current during the fault is subjected to hierarchical wavelet decomposition to identify high-resistance faults accurately and sensitively; the wavelet coefficients are detected using the singular value decomposition (SVD) method. The SVD valve can denoise the dc microgrid fault current, which eliminates the influence of converter switching frequency and background noise effectively. Power system computer-aided design (PSCAD)/electromagnetic transients including direct current (EMTDC)-based simulations showed that our method successfully identified high-resistance faults.
New Temporary Public Housing Typology in the Basque Country: A Legislative and Design Response to the New Requirements of the 21st Century Society
Authors: Romeo-Gurruchaga María , Otaegi Jorge , Rodríguez-Vidal Iñigo
Published: December 2022

The Administration of the Basque Country has been responsible for public housing since 1981. Since then, more than 104,000 protected housing units have been built for 2,200,000 inhabitants, 34,000 of which have been directly promoted by the Basque Government. To better adapt its policies to the requirements of a new contemporary society, the Housing Department of the Basque Government has developed a new Habitability Decree in 2022. This Decree aims to update housing to the new ways of living in Basque society and to incorporate new social requirements regarding housing, such as universal accessibility, gender perspective, productive housing, and remote work, while trying to open new ways to improve flexibility of the housing stock. This article analyses some of the key aspects of the new Decree and one of the newly regulated typologies for temporary housing aimed at young and older populations. In addition to the critical selection of the most relevant aspects of the Decree, this article aims at contextualising its requirements in the European context and the broader reference framework of the housing crisis in the Basque Country. To that end, the most notable novelties of the Decree are presented alongside the analysis of 13 temporary housing projects developed by the Housing Department before the approval of the Decree, placing special emphasis on the issue of over-occupation. The analysis makes it possible to typologically characterise the temporary accommodation built to date and to compare the new minimum living space requirements per person with other international regulations. As a conclusion, a discussion is offered about the usefulness of the Decree for adapting new housing in the Basque country to the 21st century, and for preventing the issue of overcrowding.
Outdoor Air Pollution and Human Health
Authors: Khwaja Haider Abbas , Siddique Azhar , Hussain Mirza M.
Published: December 2022

“Outdoor Air Pollution and Human Health” addresses one of the most critical areas of concern in society [...]
Automatic Sleep Staging Based on Single-Channel EEG Signal Using Null Space Pursuit Decomposition Algorithm
Authors: Xiao Weiwei , Linghu Rongqian , Li Huan , Hou Fengzhen
Published: December 2022

Sleep quality is related to people’s physical and mental health, so an accurate assessment of sleep quality is key to recognizing sleep disorders and taking effective interventions. To address the shortcomings of traditional manual and automatic staging methods, such as being time-consuming and having low classification accuracy, an automatic sleep staging method based on the null space pursuit (NSP) decomposition algorithm of single-channel electroencephalographic (EEG) signals is proposed, which provides a new way for EEG signal decomposition and automatic identification of sleep stages. First, the single-channel EEG signal data from the Sleep-EDF database, DREAMS Subject database, and Sleep Heart Health Study database (SHHS), available on PhysioNet, were preprocessed, respectively. Second, the preprocessed single-channel EEG signals were decomposed by the NSP algorithm. Third, we extracted nine features in the time domain of the nonlinear dynamics and statistics from the original EEG signal and the six simple signals that were decomposed. Finally, the extreme gradient boosting (XGBOOST) algorithm was used to construct a classification model to classify and identify the 63 extracted EEG signal features for automatic sleep staging. The experimental results showed that, on the Sleep-EDF database, the accuracy of four and five categories were 93.59% and 92.89%, respectively; on the DREAMS Subject database, the accuracy rates of four and five categories were 91.32% and 90.01%, respectively; on the SHHS database, the accuracy rates of four and five categories were 90.25% and 88.37%, respectively. The experimental results show that the automatic sleep staging model proposed in this work has high classification accuracy and efficiency, as well as strong applicability and robustness.
Extremal Graphs to Vertex Degree Function Index for Convex Functions
Authors: He Dong , Ji Zhen , Yang Chenxu , Das Kinkar Chandra
Published: December 2022

The vertex-degree function index Hf(Γ) is defined as Hf(Γ)=∑v∈V(Γ)f(d(v)) for a function f(x) defined on non-negative real numbers. In this paper, we determine the extremal graphs with the maximum (minimum) vertex degree function index in the set of all n-vertex chemical trees, trees, and connected graphs. We also present the Nordhaus–Gaddum-type results for Hf(Γ)+Hf(Γ¯) and Hf(Γ)·Hf(Γ¯).
Particles Dynamics in Schwarzschild like Black Hole with Time Contracting Horizon
Authors: Khan Muhammad Atif , Ali Farhad , Fatima Nahid , El-Moneam Mohamed Abd
Published: December 2022

The black holes radiate their mass and energy in the form of gravitational waves and Hawking-radiation, which lead to a decrease in the mass and energy of the black holes. During the formation of gravitational waves and Hawking radiation, the mass and energy of black holes reduce continuously with the passage of time t. For this reason the metric tensor of the black hole should depends on time t. In this work, a time-dependent term is introduced in the horizon of black hole without losing its symmetry structure by using the approximate Noether symmetry equation. The time-dependent term affects the effective potential, effective force, and all the dynamic features of the black hole. They are discussed for neutral and charged particles. Profiles of the escape velocity of colliding particles are also taken into consideration. Lyapunov exponent is used to check the stability of the orbits of the black hole. Hawking temperature, Bekenstein entropy, Komar energy, and specific energy at horizon of the black hole are discussed in this scenario.
On Certain Estimates for Parabolic Marcinkiewicz Integrals Related to Surfaces of Revolution on Product Spaces and Extrapolation
Authors: Ali Mohammed , Al-Qassem Hussain
Published: December 2022

In this paper, appropriate Lp bounds for particular classes of parabolic Marcinkiewicz integrals along surfaces of revolution on product spaces are obtained. These bounds allow us to use Yano’s extrapolation argument to obtain the Lp boundedness of the aforesaid integral operators under weak conditions on the kernels. These conditions on the kernels are the best possible among their respective classes. In this work, several previously known results on Marcinkiewicz integrals are fundamentally improved and extended.
Effect of Capacity Variation in Series-Connected Batteries on Aging
Authors: Yun Sang-Sun , Kee Seok-Cheol
Published: December 2022

Batteries are used in various combinations in various fields. Research on single-cell batteries is well underway and is approaching a stabilization phase. However, problems caused by battery combinations are still insufficiently studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cause of fires due to gradual damage in a large-capacity energy storage system (ESS). In the paper Energy Storage System Safety Operation Plan by Preventing Overcharge During Relaxation Time, which was based on the fact that most fires in large-capacity energy storage devices occurred during the diastolic period, it was proven that the inflow of compensation current due to a voltage imbalance in the cell was the cause. The total amount of compensation current is determined by the voltage deviation of the battery. Batteries connected in series have different rates of aging due to differences in their capacities. Thus, with use, the total amount of compensating current continues to increase until a fire occurs. In this study, by analyzing the effect of battery-capacity deviation on the aging of individual cells, it was confirmed that the capacity deviation increased as the battery was used, resulting in an increase in the total amount of compensation current. In addition, if a solution to the problem is presented and the proposed solution is applied, the allowable range of battery-capacity deviation will be widened. We used Matlab 2009a, assuming a real environment. Using Simulink, problems were identified through simulation, improvement measures were suggested, and the proposed method was verified via simulation.
Age- and Sex-Dependent Behavioral and Neurochemical Alterations in hLRRK2-G2019S BAC Mice
Authors: Yao Ning , Skiteva Olga , Chergui Karima
Published: December 2022

The G2019S mutation in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene is associated with late-onset Parkinson’s disease (PD). Although PD affects men and women differently, longitudinal studies examining sex- and age-dependent alterations in mice carrying the G2019S mutation are limited. We examined if behavioral and neurochemical dysfunctions, as well as neurodegeneration, occur in male and female BAC LRRK2-hG2019S (G2019S) mice, compared to their age-matched wild type littermates, at four age ranges. In the open field test, hyperlocomotion was observed in 10–12 month old male and 2–4.5 months old female G2019S mice. In the pole test, motor coordination was impaired in male G2019S mice from 15 months of age and in 20–21 months old female G2019S mice. In the striatum of G2019S male and female mice, the amounts of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), measured with Western blotting, were unaltered. However, we found a decreased expression of the dopamine transporter in 20–21 month old male G2019S mice. The number of TH-positive neurons in the substantia nigra compacta was unaltered in 20–21 month old male and female G2019S mice. These results identify sex- and age-dependent differences in the occurrence of motor and neurochemical deficits in BAC LRRK2-hG2019S mice, and no degeneration of DA neurons.
Single-Cell Transcriptome Analysis of H5N1-HA-Stimulated Alpaca PBMCs
Authors: Lyu Menghua , Shi Xuyang , Liu Yang , Zhao Hongyan , Yuan Yue , Xie Run , Gu Ying , Dong Yuliang , Wang Meiniang
Published: December 2022

Avian influenza A virus H5N1 is a highly pathogenic and persistently a major threat to global health. Vaccines and antibodies targeting hemagglutinin (HA) protein are the primary management strategies for the epidemic virus. Although camelids possess unique immunological features, the immune response induced by specific antigens has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Herein, we immunized an alpaca with the HA antigen of the H5N1 virus and performed single-cell transcriptome profiling for analysis of longitudinal peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMCs) behavior using single-cell sequencing technology (scRNA-seq). We revealed multiple cellular immunities during the immunization. The monocytes continued to expand after immunization, while the plasma cells reached their peak three days after the second antigen stimulation. Both monocytes and B cells were stimulated by the HA antigen and produced cell-type-specific cytokines to participated in the immune response. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the HA-specific immunological dynamics of alpaca PBMCs at the single-cell level, which is beneficial for understanding the anti-viral immune system and facilitating the development of more potent vaccines and antibodies in camelid animals.
Chlamydia trachomatis: The Long Road to Describe Its Association with Disease in the Amazon Region of Brazil
Authors: Ishak Ricardo , Vallinoto Antonio Carlos Rosário , Cayres-Vallinoto Izaura Maria Vieira , Queiroz Maria Alice Freitas , Ferreira Naiff Glenda Roberta , Machado Luiz Fernando Almeida , Guimarães Ishak Marluísa de Oliveira
Published: December 2022

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) represent a worldwide public health burden, but many infections and diseases continue to be neglected. Areas with a low human development index, including the northern areas of Brazil, particularly the immense geographic Amazon region, present a high frequency of STIs because of variables that contribute to disseminate the infection, including lack of access to education, prevention measures and treatment to these vulnerable population groups. This review describes the chronological investigation of the etiology of pathologies associated with infection by Chlamydia trachomatis, including its prevalence, distribution, and clinical, descriptive and molecular epidemiology in regard to STIs, trachoma and heart disease. Long-term investigations among urban and nonurban populations are discussed and show the need for and effects of continuous surveillance to diminish the burden among vulnerable populations (female sex workers, quilombos and indigenous peoples) and to define new etiological associations of diseases with infections by C. trachomatis.
Development and Usability of a Prototype Upper Extremities Lever-Driven Exercise System
Authors: Tsatalas Themistoklis , Bellis George , Karampina Evangeli , Krommidas Charalampos , Tsilfoglou Fotios , Patas Athanasios , Fotos Christos , Kokkotis Christos , Jamurtas Athanasios Z. , Giakas Giannis
Published: December 2022

The purpose of this paper is to present the design, construction, and technical aspects of a prototype upper extremities lever-driven exercise system, called FIT-WHEEL (Functional and Intelligent Training system for WHEELchair users), as well as the preliminary experimental measurements conducted to test the device’s usability in healthy individuals. FIT-WHEEL was developed to provide a training modality that combines the known benefits of eccentric exercise and lever-propelled wheelchairs. Eleven healthy male participants performed, seven days apart, a moderate intensity concentric and eccentric exercise protocol on FIT-WHEEL consisting of 30 trials of both upper extremities at 30% of peak concentric and peak eccentric force, respectively. At the end of each exercise bout, participants completed a number of valid and reliable instruments examining attitudes, intention and enjoyment during concentric or eccentric exercise on the FIT-WHEEL system as well as the usability of the two exercise protocols on the novel lever-driven exercise system. Statistical analyses revealed high scores in all the examined parameters (attitudes, intention, enjoyment, and usability) in both eccentric and concentric exercise protocols, without any significant differences emerging between them. Moreover, total mechanical work during eccentric exercise was 18.3% higher compared to concentric exercise performed on the FIT-WHEEL training system (p = 0.001). The preliminary experimental results discussed serve as an initial step to implement lever-driven eccentric exercise in wheelchair dependent populations in the future and evaluate the potential long-term benefits and limitations.
The Latest Approach of Immunotherapy with Endosomal TLR Agonists Improving NK Cell Function: An Overview
Authors: Veneziani Irene , Alicata Claudia , Moretta Lorenzo , Maggi Enrico
Published: December 2022

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the most well-defined pattern recognition receptors (PRR) of several cell types recognizing pathogens and triggering innate immunity. TLRs are also expressed on tumor cells and tumor microenvironment (TME) cells, including natural killer (NK) cells. Cell surface TLRs primarily recognize extracellular ligands from bacteria and fungi, while endosomal TLRs recognize microbial DNA or RNA. TLR engagement activates intracellular pathways leading to the activation of transcription factors regulating gene expression of several inflammatory molecules. Endosomal TLR agonists may be considered as new immunotherapeutic adjuvants for dendritic cell (DC) vaccines able to improve anti-tumor immunity and cancer patient outcomes. The literature suggests that endosomal TLR agonists modify TME on murine models and human cancer (clinical trials), providing evidence that locally infused endosomal TLR agonists may delay tumor growth and induce tumor regression. Recently, our group demonstrated that CD56bright NK cell subset is selectively responsive to TLR8 engagement. Thus, TLR8 agonists (loaded or not to nanoparticles or other carriers) can be considered a novel strategy able to promote anti-tumor immunity. TLR8 agonists can be used to activate and expand in vitro circulating or intra-tumoral NK cells to be adoptively transferred into patients.
Low-Dose Metformin Treatment Reduces In Vitro Growth of the LL/2 Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Line
Authors: Bond Nicole L. Stott , Dréau Didier , Marriott Ian , Bennett Jeanette M. , Turner Michael J. , Arthur Susan T. , Marino Joseph S.
Published: December 2022

Lung cancer maintains a relatively small survival rate (~19%) over a 5-year period and up to 80–85% of all lung cancer diagnoses are Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). To determine whether metformin reduces non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) LL/2 cell growth, cells were grown in vitro and treated with metformin for 48 h. qPCR was used to assess genes related to cell cycle regulation and pro-apoptotic markers, namely Cyclin D, CDK4, p27, p21, and HES1. Treatment with 10 mM metformin significantly reduced HES1 expression (p = 0.011). Furthermore, 10 mM metformin treatment significantly decreased REDD1 (p = 0.0082) and increased p-mTOR Ser2448 (p = 0.003) protein expression. Control cells showed significant reductions in phosphorylated p53 protein expression (p = 0.0367), whereas metformin treated cells exhibited reduced total p53 protein expression (p = 0.0078). There were no significant reductions in AMPK, PKB/AKT, or STAT3. In addition, NSCLC cells were treated for 48 h. with 10 mM metformin, 4 µM gamma-secretase inhibitor (GSI), or the combination of metformin (10 mM) and GSI (4 µM) to determine the contribution of respective signaling pathways. Metformin treatment significantly reduced total nucleus expression of the proliferation maker Ki-67 with an above 65% reduction in Ki-67 expression between control and metformin-treated cells (p = 0.0021). GSI (4 µM) treatment significantly reduced Ki-67 expression by ~20% over 48 h (p = 0.0028). Combination treatment (10 mM metformin and 4 µM GSI) significantly reduced Ki-67 expression by more than 50% over 48 h (p = 0.0245). As such, direct administration of metformin (10 mM for 48 h) proved to be an effective pharmaceutical agent in reducing the proliferation of cultured non-small cell cancer cells. These intriguing in vitro results, therefore, support the further study of metformin in appropriate in vivo models as an anti-oncogenic agent and/or an adjunctive therapy.
Indisulam Reduces Viability and Regulates Apoptotic Gene Expression in Pediatric High-Grade Glioma Cells
Authors: Monção Caio C. D. , Scrideli Carlos A. , Andrade Augusto F. , Viapiano Mariano S. , Carlotti Carlos G. , Moreno Daniel Antunes , Baroni Mirella , Tone Luiz G. , Teixeira Silvia A.
Published: December 2022

Pediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG) is one of the most aggressive brain tumors. Treatment includes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or combination therapy in children older than 3–5 years of age. These devastating tumors are influenced by the hypoxic microenvironment that coordinatively increases the expression of carbonic anhydrases (CA9 and CA12) that are involved in pH regulation, metabolism, cell invasion, and resistance to therapy. The synthetic sulphonamide Indisulam is a potent inhibitor of CAs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Indisulam on CA9 and CA12 enzymes in pHGG cell lines. Our results indicated that, under hypoxia, the gene and protein expression of CA9 and CA12 are increased in pHGG cells. The functional effects of Indisulam on cell proliferation, clonogenic capacity, and apoptosis were measured in vitro. CA9 and CA12 gene and protein expression were analyzed by RT-PCR and western blot. The treatment with Indisulam significantly reduced cell proliferation (dose-time-dependent) and clonogenic capacity (p < 0.05) and potentiated the effect of apoptosis (p < 0.01). Indisulam promoted an imbalance in the anti-apoptotic BCL2 and pro-apoptotic BAX protein expression. Our results demonstrate that Indisulam contributes to apoptosis via imbalance of apoptotic proteins (BAX/BCL2) and suggests a potential to overcome chemotherapy resistance caused by the regulation these proteins.
New Opportunities in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: From Bench to Bedside… and Back
Authors: Parra-Lucares Alfredo , Romero-Hernández Esteban , Villa Eduardo , Weitz-Muñoz Sebastián , Vizcarra Geovana , Reyes Martín , Vergara Diego , Bustamante Sergio , Llancaqueo Marcelo , Toro Luis
Published: December 2022

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a growing public health problem in nearly 50% of patients with heart failure. Therefore, research on new strategies for its diagnosis and management has become imperative in recent years. Few drugs have successfully improved clinical outcomes in this population. Therefore, numerous attempts are being made to find new pharmacological interventions that target the main mechanisms responsible for this disease. In recent years, pathological mechanisms such as cardiac fibrosis and inflammation, alterations in calcium handling, NO pathway disturbance, and neurohumoral or mechanic impairment have been evaluated as new pharmacological targets showing promising results in preliminary studies. This review aims to analyze the new strategies and mechanical devices, along with their initial results in pre-clinical and different phases of ongoing clinical trials for HFpEF patients. Understanding new mechanisms to generate interventions will allow us to create methods to prevent the adverse outcomes of this silent pandemic.
Ketamine Inhalation Alters Behavior and Lower Urinary Tract Function in Mice
Authors: Wu Shu-Yu , Hsu Chun-Kai , Lim Li-Yi , Chen Yi-Chyan , Chang Hsi-Hsien , Yang Stephen Shei-Dei
Published: December 2022

We aimed to evaluate behavioral and lower urinary tract changes in mice using a novel ketamine inhalation model mimicking human ketamine abusers and compare the results to those obtained using a ketamine intraperitoneal injection model. C57BL/6N mice were placed in a transparent acrylic observation cage connected to an ultrasonic nebulizer producing ketamine (KI) or saline (SI) fog. The mice were given KI or SI fog twice a week for three months. In another experiment arm, the mice were given intraperitoneal ketamine injections (KP) or saline injections (SP) twice a week for three months. The presence of urine ketamine (>100 ng/mL) was determined using a quick test kit. Locomotor activity was recorded by video using the open field test. Lower urinary tract function was assessed using urine spots, cystometry and histology. KI and KP mice crossed the center more frequently and traveled farther than SI and SP mice. Only KI mice, however, demonstrated popcorn-like jumping, and frequent center crossing. Detrusor overactivity, reduced cystometric bladder capacity, and denuded mucosa were observed in both KI and KP mice. Ketamine inhalation induces behavioral and lower urinary tract changes in mice that are comparable to intraperitoneal ketamine injections.
A High-Frequency Mechanical Scanning Ultrasound Imaging System
Authors: Xu Jie , Wang Ninghao , Chu Tianxiang , Yang Bingqian , Jian Xiaohua , Cui Yaoyao
Published: December 2022

High-frequency ultrasound has developed rapidly in clinical fields such as cardiovascular, ophthalmology, and skin with its high imaging resolution. However, the development of multi-elements high-frequency ultrasonic transducers and multi-channel high-frequency ultrasound imaging systems is extremely challenging. Here, a high-frequency ultrasound imaging system based on mechanical scanning was proposed in this paper. It adopts the method of reciprocating feed mechanism, which can achieve reciprocating scanning in the 14 mm range at 168 mm/s with a small 60 MHz transducer. A single-channel high-frequency ultrasonic imaging system consisting of the transmitting module, analog front end, acquisition module, and FPGA control module was developed. To overcome the non-uniformity of mechanical scanning, the ultrasound images are compensated according to the motion trajectory. The wire target and ex vivo tissue experiments have shown that the system can obtain an imaging resolution of 51 μm, imaging depth of 8 mm, and imaging speed of 12 fps. This high-frequency mechanical scanning ultrasound imaging system has the characteristics of simple structure, high-frequency, real-time, and good imaging performance, which can meet the clinical needs of high-resolution ultrasound images.