bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE IMPACT OF FRUGAL INNOVATION ON SUSTAINABILITY: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW
Authors: STÖBER LEA FRANZISKA , SOMMER DANIEL , EBERSBERGER BERND
Published: March 2023

Concerns about sustainability challenges are growing. Companies are under pressure to rethink existing innovation paradigms. In this context, research interest in the resource-constrained innovation concept, frugal innovation, has increased. In this paper, we examine the impact of frugal innovation on the economic, social, and ecological sustainability dimensions by conducting a systematic literature review of 44 papers. We find that frugal innovation is a promising approach to promote sustainable development from an economic perspective and a social perspective. Nevertheless, positive and negative effects exist in all three dimensions. Thus, a positive relationship is not inherent but must be proactively formed. External factors can influence the impact of frugal innovation on sustainability. For future research we recommend (1) establishing a unified understanding of frugal innovation through a clear definition, (2) broadening the research focus to a global perspective, (3) assessing the impact of frugal innovation along the entire product life cycle, and (4) investigating characteristics that make frugal innovation sustainable.
Shaping Pre-Reflective Self-Consciousness
Authors: Pacholik-Żuromska Anita , Preyer Gerhard
Published: March 2023

The aim of this paper is to address the problem of pre-reflective self-consciousness in the context of the contemporary computational approaches to the mind. These standpoints try to grasp consciousness in the language of mathematics and geometry, hoping for its more precise description. As a counterbalance to such theories, Sartre’s abiding insight (pre-reflective consciousness) and Henrich’s critique of the modern philosophy of reflection on rationalism and empiricism are receiving an increasing attention. In our opinion, the conceptions that consider pre-reflective self-consciousness as relational fall into a paradox. We provide an argumentation that such approaches are missing the basic problem of pre-reflective consciousness, namely the self-determination of non-relational mental states. Therefore, following the New Heidelberg’s argumentation, we propose another approach which returns to the concept of consciousness as based on irrelational intrinsic quality of experience.
A Practical Survey on Faster and Lighter Transformers
Authors: Fournier Quentin , Caron Gaétan Marceau , Aloise Daniel
Published: March 2023

Recurrent neural networks are effective models to process sequences. However, they are unable to learn long-term dependencies because of their inherent sequential nature. As a solution, Vaswani et al. introduced the Transformer, a model solely based on the attention mechanism that is able to relate any two positions of the input sequence, hence modelling arbitrary long dependencies. The Transformer has improved the state-of-the-art across numerous sequence modelling tasks. However, its effectiveness comes at the expense of a quadratic computational and memory complexity with respect to the sequence length, hindering its adoption. Fortunately, the deep learning community has always been interested in improving the models’ efficiency, leading to a plethora of solutions such as parameter sharing, pruning, mixed-precision, and knowledge distillation. Recently, researchers have directly addressed the Transformer’s limitation by designing lower-complexity alternatives such as the Longformer, Reformer, Linformer, and Performer. However, due to the wide range of solutions, it has become challenging for researchers and practitioners to determine which methods to apply in practice to meet the desired tradeoff between capacity, computation, and memory. This survey addresses this issue by investigating popular approaches to make Transformers faster and lighter and by providing a comprehensive explanation of the methods’ strengths, limitations, and underlying assumptions.
Point Set Registration for Target Localization Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Authors: Darji Dhruvil , Vejarano Gustavo
Published: March 2023

The problem of point set registration (PSR) on images obtained using a group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is addressed in this article. UAVs are given a flight plan each, which they execute autonomously. A flight plan consists of a series of GPS coordinates and altitudes that indicate where the UAV stops and hovers momentarily to capture an image of stationary targets on ground. A PSR algorithm is proposed that, given any two images and corresponding GPS coordinates and altitude, estimates the overlap between the images, identifies targets in the overlapping area, and matches these targets according to the geometric patterns they form. The algorithm estimates the overlap considering the error in UAVs’ locations due to wind, and it differentiates similar geometrical patterns by their GPS location. The algorithm is evaluated using the percentage of targets in the overlapping area that are matched correctly and the percentage of overlapping images matched correctly. The target-matching rate achieved using only the GPS locations of targets varied from 44% to 55% for target densities that varied from 6.4 down to 3.2 targets/m
2
. The proposed algorithm achieved target-matching rates of 48% to 87%. Well-known algorithms for PSR achieved lower rates on average.
Deterministic Approach for Range-enhanced Reconfigurable Packet Classification Engine
Authors: M Dhayalakumar , Sk Noor Mahammad
Published: March 2023

Reconfigurable hardware is a promising technology for implementing firewalls, routing mechanisms, and new protocols for evolving high-performance network systems. This work presents a novel deterministic approach for a Range-enhanced Reconfigurable Packet Classification Engine based on the number of rules on FPGAs. The proposed framework uses a RAM-established
Ternary Match
to represent the prefix and the range prefix and efficient rule-reordering for priority selection to get both best-match and multi-match in the same architecture. The recommended framework exhibits
3.2 Mbits
of LUT-RAM-based ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) to hold a maximum of
31.3 K
of 104-
bit rules
with
520 MPPS
. LUT-RAM, along with BRAM, shows
4 Mbits
of TCAM space to implement
38.5 K
of 104-
bit rules
to sustain a throughput of
400 MPPS
on Virtex-7 FPGA. The complete architecture offers scalability, better resource utilization (minimum of
50%
), representation of inverse prefix with single entry, range expansion with a single rule, getting best- and multi-match, and determination of the required number of FPGA resources for a particular dataset.
CNN-based Robust Sound Source Localization with SRP-PHAT for the Extreme Edge
Authors: Yin Jun , Verhelst Marian
Published: March 2023

Robust sound source localization for environments with noise and reverberation are increasingly exploiting deep neural networks fed with various acoustic features. Yet, state-of-the-art research mainly focuses on optimizing algorithmic accuracy, resulting in huge models preventing edge-device deployment. The edge, however, urges for real-time low-footprint acoustic reasoning for applications such as hearing aids and robot interactions. Hence, we set off from a robust CNN-based model using SRP-PHAT features, Cross3D [16], to pursue an efficient yet compact model architecture for the extreme edge. For both the SRP feature representation and neural network, we propose respectively our scalable LC-SRP-Edge and Cross3D-Edge algorithms which are optimized towards lower hardware overhead. LC-SRP-Edge halves the complexity and on-chip memory overhead for the sinc interpolation compared to the original LC-SRP [19]. Over multiple SRP resolution cases, Cross3D-Edge saves 10.32%~73.71% computational complexity and 59.77%~94.66% neural network weights against the Cross3D baseline. In terms of the accuracy-efficiency tradeoff, the most balanced version (EM) requires only 127.1 MFLOPS computation, 3.71 MByte/s bandwidth, and 0.821 MByte on-chip memory in total, while still retaining competitiveness in state-of-the-art accuracy comparisons. It achieves 8.59 ms/frame end-to-end latency on a Rasberry Pi 4B, which is 7.26× faster than the corresponding baseline.
p120-Catenin suppresses NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages
Authors: Kanmani Paulraj , Elkafas Hoda El-Hossiny , Ghazal Muhammed , Minshall Richard D. , Hu Guochang
Published: March 2023

Inflammasome activation is of central importance for the process of generation of overwhelming inflammatory response and the pathogenesis of sepsis. The intrinsic molecular mechanism for controlling inflammasome activation is still poorly understood. Here we investigated the role of p120-catenin expression in macrophages in regulating nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD) and leucine-rich repeat (LRR)- and pyrin domain-containing proteins 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. Depletion of p120-catenin in murine bone marrow-derived macrophages enhanced caspase-1 activation and secretion of active interleukin (IL)-1β in response to ATP stimulation following LPS priming. Coimmunoprecipitation analysis showed that p120-catenin deletion promoted NLRP3 inflammasome activation by accelerating the assembly of the inflammasome complex comprised of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), and pro-caspase-1. Depletion of p120-catenin also increased the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Pharmacological inhibition of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species nearly completely abolished NLRP3 inflammasome activation, caspase-1 activation, and the production of IL-1β in p120-catenin-depleted macrophages. Furthermore, p120-catenin ablation significantly disrupted mitochondrial function, evidenced by decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and lower production of intracellular ATP. In alveolar macrophage-depleted mice challenged with cecal ligation and puncture, pulmonary transplantation of p120-catenin-deficient macrophages dramatically enhanced the accumulation of IL-1β and IL-18 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. These results demonstrate that p120-catenin prevents NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages by maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis and reducing the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species in response to endotoxin insult. Thus, inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation by stabilization of p120-catenin expression in macrophages may be a novel strategy to prevent an uncontrolled inflammatory response in sepsis.
Androgen-deprivation therapy with leuprolide increases abdominal adiposity without causing cardiac dysfunction in middle-aged male mice: effect of sildenafil
Authors: Xi Lei , Kraskauskas Donatas , Muniyan Sakthivel , Batra Surinder K. , Kukreja Rakesh C.
Published: March 2023

Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is the primary systemic therapy for treating advanced or metastatic prostate cancer (PCa), which has improved survival outcomes in patients with PCa. However, ADT may develop metabolic and cardiovascular adverse events that impact the quality of life and lifespan in PCa survivors. The present study was designed to establish a murine model of ADT with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist leuprolide and to investigate its effects on metabolism and cardiac function. We also examined the potential cardioprotective role of sildenafil (inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 5) under chronic ADT. Middle-aged male C57BL/6J mice received a 12-wk subcutaneous infusion via osmotic minipumps containing either saline or 18 mg/4 wk leuprolide with or without 1.3 mg/4 wk sildenafil cotreatment. Compared with saline controls, leuprolide treatment significantly reduced prostate weight and serum testosterone levels, confirming chemical castration in these mice. The ADT-induced chemical castration was not affected by sildenafil. Leuprolide significantly increased the weight of abdominal fat after 12-wk treatment without a change in total body weight, and sildenafil did not block the proadipogenic effect of leuprolide. No signs of left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction were observed throughout the leuprolide treatment period. Interestingly, leuprolide treatment significantly elevated serum levels of cardiac troponin I (cTn-I), a biomarker of cardiac injury, and sildenafil did not abolish this effect. We conclude that long-term ADT with leuprolide increases abdominal adiposity and cardiac injury biomarker without cardiac contractile dysfunction. Sildenafil did not prevent ADT-associated adverse changes.
IFN-α-2b Reduces Postoperative Arthrofibrosis in Rats by Inhibiting Fibroblast Proliferation and Migration through STAT1/p21 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Liu Zhendong , Fan Zhehao , Wang Rui , Li Xiaolei , Chen Hui , Wang Jingcheng
Published: March 2023

Objective. To investigate the effect of IFN-α-2b in preventing postoperative arthrofibrosis in rats, its antiproliferation effect on fibroblasts in vitro, and its molecular mechanism. Methods. The rat model of arthrofibrosis was established and treated with different concentrations of drugs. Knee specimens were collected for histological and immunohistochemical staining to observe the effect of IFN-α-2b on arthrofibrosis in rats. The biological information was further mined according to the database data, and the possible regulatory mechanism of IFN-α-2b on fibroblasts was analyzed. The inhibitory effect of IFN-α-2b on fibroblast proliferation and migration in vitro was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), immunofluorescence analysis, cell cycle test, EdU assay, wound healing test, and Transwell method, and the analysis results were verified by Western blotting method. Results. The test results of rat knee joint specimens showed that IFN-α-2b significantly inhibited the degree of fibrosis after knee joint surgery, the number of fibroblasts in the operation area was less than that of the control group, and the expression of collagen and proliferation-related proteins decreased. In vitro experimental results show that IFN-α-2b can inhibit the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts. According to the results of database analysis, it is suggested that the STAT1/P21 pathway may be involved, and it has been verified and confirmed by Western blotting and other related methods. Conclusion. IFN-α-2b can reduce surgery-induced arthrofibrosis by inhibiting fibroblast proliferation and migration, which may be related to the regulation of STAT1/p21 signaling pathway.
CT‐Based Automatic Spine Segmentation Using Patch‐Based Deep Learning
Authors: Qadri Syed Furqan , Lin Hongxiang , Shen Linlin , Ahmad Mubashir , Qadri Salman , Khan Salabat , Khan Maqbool , Zareen Syeda Shamaila , Akbar Muhammad Azeem , Bin Heyat Md Belal , Qamar Saqib
Published: March 2023

CT vertebral segmentation plays an essential role in various clinical applications, such as computer‐assisted surgical interventions, assessment of spinal abnormalities, and vertebral compression fractures. Automatic CT vertebral segmentation is challenging due to the overlapping shadows of thoracoabdominal structures such as the lungs, bony structures such as the ribs, and other issues such as ambiguous object borders, complicated spine architecture, patient variability, and fluctuations in image contrast. Deep learning is an emerging technique for disease diagnosis in the medical field. This study proposes a patch‐based deep learning approach to extract the discriminative features from unlabeled data using a stacked sparse autoencoder (SSAE). 2D slices from a CT volume are divided into overlapping patches fed into the model for training. A random under sampling (RUS)‐module is applied to balance the training data by selecting a subset of the majority class. SSAE uses pixel intensities alone to learn high‐level features to recognize distinctive features from image patches. Each image is subjected to a sliding window operation to express image patches using autoencoder high‐level features, which are then fed into a sigmoid layer to classify whether each patch is a vertebra or not. We validate our approach on three diverse publicly available datasets: VerSe, CSI‐Seg, and the Lumbar CT dataset. Our proposed method outperformed other models after configuration optimization by achieving 89.9% in precision, 90.2% in recall, 98.9% in accuracy, 90.4% in F‐score, 82.6% in intersection over union (IoU), and 90.2% in Dice coefficient (DC). The results of this study demonstrate that our model’s performance consistency using a variety of validation strategies is flexible, fast, and generalizable, making it suited for clinical application.
Fine-Scale Landscape Epidemiology: Sarcoptic Mange in Bare-Nosed Wombats (Vombatus ursinus)
Authors: Burgess Leah G. , Richards Shane A. , Driessen Michael M. , Wilkinson Vicky , Amin Rahil J. , Carver Scott
Published: March 2023

Landscape epidemiology provides a valuable framework to interpret, predict, and manage spatiotemporal patterns of disease. Yet, owing to the difficulty of detecting pathogen occurrence in free-ranging wildlife, disentangling the factors driving disease dynamics remains a considerable challenge, particularly at fine spatial scales. Here, we investigated the fine-scale landscape epidemiology of sarcoptic mange—a visually apparent disease caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei—in bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus), by: (1) characterizing the distribution and density of wombats within the landscape and (2) examining the effect of environmental variation on the occurrence and apparent prevalence of mange. Wombats were heterogeneously distributed over 19.4 km of transect space (0.096–1.39 wombats ha−1) and seven months of time (increasing by a factor of 1.76). Wombat density was negatively associated with distance to vegetation cover, supporting a general propensity for wombats to occur and burrow near vegetation (native and exotic, excluding pasture). The apparent prevalence of mange varied spatially (3.1–37.5%), with the probability of disease greater in wombats with minimal vegetation and low-lying pans in their estimated home range. We observed trends of increased prevalence in areas with more burrows available per wombat and in individuals occurring near vegetation cover (although not within their home range). Wombat density and active burrow density did not influence the prevalence of mange. This research emphasizes the fine scale at which spatiotemporal patterns of disease can manifest and is the first to investigate the influence of host density for any species with indirect transmission of S. scabiei. Collectively, our results suggest that individuals inhabiting less optimal habitat (pasture) may be at greater risk of disease, or that diseased wombats may be competitively excluded from more optimal habitat (vegetated areas). We discuss implications for understanding and managing mange in wombats and cross-applicability to other mange-affected species with environmental transmission.
Fatty Acid Profile and Chemical Composition of Oil from Six Varieties of Lupine (Lupinus mutabilis) Consumed in Peru
Authors: Sotelo-Méndez Alejandrina , Pascual-Chagman Gloria , Santa-Cruz-Olivos Juan , Norabuena Meza Edgar , Calizaya-Milla Yaquelin E. , Huaringa-Joaquín Amelia , Vargas Tapia Eulalia , Saintila Jacksaint
Published: March 2023

Background. The characterization and evaluation of the nutritional composition of lupine (Lupinus mutabilis) seeds has a long history. However, the determination of the fatty acid profile has only been carried out in a few varieties. Objective. This study determined the fatty acid profile and chemical composition of the oil of six varieties of lupine consumed in Peru. Methods. The extraction of oil from each lupine variety was carried out using the Soxhlet method. Fatty acids, moisture, acidity index, free fatty acids, peroxide value, iodine value, saponification value, and density were determined using official AOAC methods. Results. In general, the average values of saturated fatty acids are lower than those of unsaturated fatty acids. Among the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), oleic acid (C18:1) was the most representative, with values ranging from 41.83% to 54.33%. The “Andenes” variety showed an average oleic acid value of 54.60% compared to the other varieties. The composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was dominated by linoleic acid (C18:2), and the variety “Cholo fuerte” reported higher values (34.70%) compared to the other varieties. Likewise, the highest average PUFA was 36% and was observed in the “Cholo fuerte” variety. The concentration of linolenic fatty acid (C18:3) ranges from 2.1% for the “Andenes” variety to 2.9% for the common lupine. Additionally, the mean content of linolenic (ω-6) and linoleic (ω-3) acids was 2.33 and 30.89% (13 : 1 ratio), respectively, with the consequent ratio of ω-6/ω-3 fatty acids at the mean level of 0.08. All physicochemical characteristics of lupine seed oil are in accordance with the requirements for edible oils. Conclusion. These findings make the six lupine varieties a new source of promising food components of high nutritional value.
Optimal Identification of Unknown Parameters of Photovoltaic Models Using Dual‐Population Gaining‐Sharing Knowledge‐Based Algorithm
Authors: Xiong Guojiang , Li Lei , Mohamed Ali Wagdy , Zhang Jing , Zhang Yao , Chen Hao
Published: March 2023

Establishing an accurate equivalent model is a critical foundation to describe the energy conversion characteristics of a photovoltaic system, which can support the research of fault analysis, output power prediction, and performance analysis of the photovoltaic system. However, the widely used equivalent models are highly nonlinear and have many unknown parameters, making it difficult to identify these parameters accurately. Our previous work found that the gaining‐sharing knowledge‐based algorithm (GSK) shows promising performance in solving this problem. But its efficacy is not enough to achieve accurate parameters within a relatively limited computing resource. In this context, a dual‐population GSK algorithm (DPGSK), which introduces a dual‐population evolution strategy for more excellent searchability, is proposed to address this issue. In each iteration, the population splits equally and randomly into two subpopulations, one of which performs the junior gaining‐sharing phase while the other performs the senior gaining‐sharing phase. Then two updated subpopulations merge to form a new population. This allows for a grand reconciliation of convergence speed and population diversity, giving DPGSK powerful optimization performance. Afterward, DPGSK is applied to five photovoltaic models and validated for performance against other advanced metaheuristics. Besides, the impact of different components on DPGSK is also investigated. Results and comparisons show that either component is indispensable to DPGSK, and DPGSK strengthens the convergence and achieves accurate and reliable results, demonstrating its superiority over other algorithms in solving this studied problem.
Ameliorative Effect of Rice Husk Methanol Extract on Liver and Kidney Toxicities Induced by Subchronic Codeine Administration
Authors: Nnadiukwu Chinonso U. , Onyeike Eugene N. , Ikewuchi Catherine C. , Patrick-Iwuanyanwu Kingsley C.
Published: March 2023

Background and Objective. Rice husk remains a key by-product of rice milling generated in significant amount. Accumulated evidence indicates that rice husk contains numerous bioactive compounds; however, its application is limited. This study was designed to introduce an in vivo application of rice husk extract, against opioid-induced liver and kidney injuries. Codeine was considered a psychotic inducer in this study due to its global alarming misuse recently. The hepatorenal ameliorative proclivity of rice husk extract against codeine-induced toxicity on the liver and kidney in male albino Wistar rats was examined. To this effect, thirty-six (36) albino Wistar rats of weight 100-110 g were utilized and weight-matched animals placed in 6 groups of 6 rats each. After 30 days of the combined administration of codeine and the rice husk extract, the experimental animals were assayed for basic liver and renal markers such as AST, ALP, ALT, total protein, albumin, conjugated and total bilirubin, urea, creatinine, and electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate). Rice husks were collected from a local rice mill, and the extraction was done with methanol. Findings. Rice husk extract (RHE) significantly ameliorated the recorded hepatic damage. More so, the extract showed a significant action on the renal markers as well. A histopathology examination of the liver and kidney tissues revealed that RHE showed a hepatorenal ameliorative potential in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion. Phytonutrient from RH possesses a healing ability against opioid-induced hepatorenal toxicity. Thus, RH is safe for human and may be adopted to obviate and manage codeine-induced hepatorenal damage or injury. Significance and Novelty. Data on the application of RHE as a phytonutrient to combat liver and kidney injuries were demonstrated. Future studies should evaluate its potential on other organs.
Non-Thermal Plasma: A Promising Technology for the Germination Enhancement of Radish (Raphanus sativus) and Carrot (Daucus carota sativus L.)
Authors: Guragain Rajesh Prakash , Baniya Hom Bahadur , Shrestha Bikash , Guragain Deepesh Prakash , Subedi Deepak Prasad
Published: March 2023

Cold plasma is an innovative and promising technology that is developing in a variety of fields, and recently it has been getting a lot of attention in the agricultural industry. The influence of cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) exposure on germination parameters and vigor of radish (Raphanus sativus) and carrot (Daucus carota sativus L.) seeds was investigated in the present study. A custom-designed plasma driver utilizing 11.32 kV rms and 50 Hz was used for the generation of the discharge. Seeds were treated using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in an argon atmosphere at exposure periods of 1–4 minutes. The estimate of plasma parameters was done using optical emission spectroscopy and electrical measurements. Germination-related measures such as the final germination percentage, germination index, germination value, coefficient of velocity of germination, vigor index, and chlorophyll content were all improved in the case of CAPP-treated seeds as compared to control seeds. Similarly, CAPP treatment changed the in vitro radical scavenging capabilities, total phenolic, and total flavonoid levels of the seedlings. Our results indicated that the seeds being treated by CAPP for 3 minutes seemed to have a favorable impact on seed germination and sprouting development.
Limitations of Serological Diagnosis of Typical Cat Scratch Disease and Recommendations for the Diagnostic Procedure
Authors: Koutantou Myrto , Kambas Konstantinos , Makka Sofia , Fournier Pierre-Edouard , Raoult Didier , Angelakis Emmanouil
Published: March 2023

Introduction. Cat scratch disease (CSD) is the most common cause of bacterial infectious lymphadenopathy, especially in children, but its diagnosis still remains challenging. Serological assays are widely applied due to their simplicity and the non-invasive sampling. However, these techniques present several limitations, including not well-defined antigen preparation, assay conditions and cutoff titers, severe cross-reactions with other species and organisms, and the notably ranging seroprevalence in the normal population. The objective of this study is to review the literature in order to determine the best diagnostic procedure for the diagnosis of CSD. Methods. Databases including PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and Google were searched to determine the best diagnostic procedure for the diagnosis of CSD. A total of 437 papers were identified and screened, and after exclusion of papers that did not fulfill the including criteria, 63 papers were used. Results. It was revealed that sensitivities of serological assays varied from 10% to 100%. Indeed, more than half of the studies reported a sensitivity lower than 70%, while 71% of them had a sensitivity lower than 80%. Moreover, specificities of serological assays ranged from 15% to 100%, with 25 assays reporting a specificity lower than 90%. Conclusion. It is considered that molecular assays should be the gold standard technique for CSD confirmation, and physicians are reinforced to proceed to lymph node biopsy in suspicious CSD cases.
Factors Affecting Mealtime Difficulties in Older Adults with Dementia Living in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Multilevel Model Analysis
Authors: Jung Dukyoo , De Gagne Jennie C. , Lee Hyesoon , Yoo Leeho , Park Jisung , Choi Eunju
Published: March 2023

Aim(s). This study conducted a multilevel analysis of mealtime difficulties in older adults with dementia based on the social-ecological model. Background. Mealtime difficulty in this population should be examined from an extensive perspective, rather than approaching it as an individual problem. Method(s). This was a cross-sectional study involving 342 participant dyads from 57 long-term care facilities; 114 direct care workers; and 342 older adults with dementia. A multilevel regression analysis was conducted using the MPlus 8.0 program. Results. Among intrapersonal factors, age, cognitive function, activities of daily living, and number of beds in the facility were identified as affecting mealtime difficulty. Environmental factors included meal assistant education experience and whether an environment suitable for eating had been established. Conclusion(s). The results show that intrapersonal factors exert a large influence on the mealtime difficulties of older adults with dementia in long-term care facilities and support the need to improve environmental factors, which are modifiable. Implications for Nursing Management. This study provided useful information about the influence of leaders on mealtime difficulties in older adults with dementia. Leaders should establish an environment in the facility for reduced mealtime difficulties.
A Generalized Approach of Triple Integral Transforms and Applications
Authors: Saadeh Rania
Published: March 2023

In this study, we introduce a novel generalization of triple integral transforms, which is called a general triple transform. We present the definition of the new approach and prove the main properties related to the existence, uniqueness, shifting, scaling, and inverse. Moreover, relations between the new general triple transform and other transforms are presented, and new results related to partial derivatives and the triple convolution theorem are established. We apply the general triple transform to solve some applications of various types of partial differential equations. The strength of the new approach is that it covers almost all integral transforms of order one, two, and three, and hence no need to find new formulas of triple integral transforms or to study the basic properties.
Model Predictive Controlled Four‐Bus System Employing Hybrid Power Flow Controller
Authors: John Rose A. , Anandha Kumar G. , Ragavendiran A. , Kalaimurugan A.
Published: March 2023

A fuzzy logic‐ (FL‐) based control technique for unified power flow controller (UPFC) to resolve the power quality issues in transmission network is presented in this paper. MATLAB/Simulink is used to design the FL‐based controllers for shunt and series converters of UPFC, which is validated on 4‐bus system. In addition, the performance of the suggested FL‐based UPFC is compared with PI (proportional integral), HC (hysteresis controller), MPC (model predictive controller), and FLC (fuzzy logic controller), and the outcomes are compared in terms of settling time and steady‐state error. The consequences characterize that the higher enactment of closed loop hybrid power flow controller (HPFC) 4‐bus system with FLC UPFC controller’s (FL based) robustness is ensured from the simulation results as it has overcome the power quality issues like reactive power compensation, voltage sag mitigation, and THD reduction of transmission line current below 5% as per IEEE standard. Settling time of CL FBS is abridged from 0.87 to 0.62 sec, and steady‐state error of voltage in CL FBS is abridged from 0.9 to 0.1 V using FLC.
Modal Parameters Prediction and Damage Detection of Space Grid Structure under Environmental Effects Using Stacked Ensemble Learning
Authors: Han Qinghua , Ma Qian , Dang Dazhi , Xu Jie
Published: March 2023

A stacked ensemble learning model is developed to predict the modal parameters of space grid steel structures under environmental effects. Potential damage is detected via statistical analysis of the prediction residuals. For this purpose, five standalone heterogeneous machine learning models were trained for predicting natural frequencies; each model used the principal components of the environmental data as input parameters. Next, a stacked ensemble learner was built using the outputs of the five standalone models as its inputs. Finally, a damage indicator combining the predicted residuals of multiple orders of natural frequencies is proposed and statistically analyzed for accurate damage detection. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, a space grid model was created in the field environment and measured for a period. Dynamic and environmental data were collected, such as ambient temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, and structural surface temperature. An automated procedure of the covariance-driven stochastic subspace identification method was conducted to identify bulk mode. The environmental dependence of the natural frequencies, damping ratios, and vibration modes was analyzed. Then, the method was validated based on short-term monitoring data from the baseline health state and unknown future states. The results show that the natural frequencies and damping ratios of space grid structures fluctuate significantly on a daily basis due to environmental influences. Stacked ensemble learning utilizes predictions from multiple heterogeneous models to produce a better predictive model. The statistical analysis of the prediction residuals by ensemble learning effectively removes the environmental influences, allowing for timely structural damage detection.
Collapsibility of Gypseous Soil Treated with Pectin-Biopolymer through Leaching
Authors: Hussein Ahmed H. , Muhauwiss Farouk M. , Abdul-Jabbar Riyadh A.
Published: March 2023

Gypsum reinforcement in dry soil provides activity resistance. It quickly becomes a source of danger in the conditions of partial and complete soaking of gypsum soil as a result of the dissolution of gypsum, which poses a great danger to the structures built on this soil. The danger increases when water flows through it and works to leach the soil, which leads to the loss of its mass by leaching gypsum. The soil is chemically and mechanically improved to enhance its geotechnical properties, but despite its great advantages in strengthening, it has significant negative effects on the ecosystem, so the use of environmentally friendly materials is essential. Pectin was selected as an improved biopolymer and added at three different contents (0.5, 1, and 2)% to create a soil mixture and at four different gypsum contents (10, 20, 40, and 62%) to evaluate the chemical and mechanical properties of the improved mixture. Develop an engineering model to leach the soil and pectin mixture. The results showed a significant decrease in CH and CP. values due to biogel encapsulation of soil particles and pore filling properties. The percentage decrease in the values of (CH) reaches (0.67, 73, 75, and 68%) for soils 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. After soil (1, 2, 3, and 4), CP values decreased in percent (0.63, 0.63, 0.65, and 0.7%). TDS decreased at a biopolymer content of 2% from 1050, 1200, 2200, and 2500 mg/ml to 320, 540, 468, and 570 mg/ml of soils 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively.
Ascorbic Acid 2-Phosphate-Releasing Supercritical Carbon Dioxide-Foamed Poly(L-Lactide-Co-epsilon-Caprolactone) Scaffolds Support Urothelial Cell Growth and Enhance Human Adipose-Derived Stromal Cell Proliferation and Collagen Production
Authors: Kurki Alma , Paakinaho Kaarlo , Hannula Markus , Hyttinen Jari , Miettinen Susanna , Sartoneva Reetta
Published: March 2023

Tissue engineering can provide a novel approach for the reconstruction of large urethral defects, which currently lacks optimal repair methods. Cell-seeded scaffolds aim to prevent urethral stricture and scarring, as effective urothelium and stromal tissue regeneration is important in urethral repair. In this study, the aim was to evaluate the effect of the novel porous ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (A2P)-releasing supercritical carbon dioxide-foamed poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) scaffolds (scPLCLA2P) on the viability, proliferation, phenotype maintenance, and collagen production of human urothelial cell (hUC) and human adipose-derived stromal cell (hASC) mono- and cocultures. The scPLCLA2P scaffold supported hUC growth and phenotype both in monoculture and in coculture. In monocultures, the proliferation and collagen production of hASCs were significantly increased on the scPLCLA2P compared to scPLCL scaffolds without A2P, on which the hASCs formed nonproliferating cell clusters. Our findings suggest the A2P-releasing scPLCLA2P to be a promising material for urethral tissue engineering.
An Agent-Based Model to Simulate the Diffusion of New Energy Vehicles
Authors: Zhang Hao , Zhu Peifeng , Yao Zhichao
Published: March 2023

This paper demonstrates the use of an agent-based model (ABM) to study the mechanism of social influence in the diffusion of new energy vehicles. We introduce the “consumat” cognition model so that agents with different need satisfaction thresholds have different cognitive processes. In addition, supported by survey data, our study considers more characteristics of opinion leaders, such as innovative behavior, lower sensitivity to price influence, and a better ability to judge the product quality. Through the primary group and control group experiments, the simulations demonstrated that the opinion leaders play a significant role in the spread of information and the percentage of product adoption. The results indicate that targeting opinion leaders will be a valuable marketing strategy for new energy vehicles. It also provides some advice for assessing policies that promote sustainable behaviors.
UPTDNet: A User Preference Transfer and Drift Network for Cross‐City Next POI Recommendation
Authors: Yang Taoru , Gao Yong , Huang Zhou , Liu Yu
Published: March 2023

Cross‐city point of interest (POI) recommendation for tourists in an unfamiliar city has high application value but is challenging due to the data sparsity. Most existing models attempt to alleviate the sparsity problem by learning the user preference transfer and drift. However, they either fail to simultaneously model the preference transfer and drift in both long‐ and short‐term user preferences or cannot accomplish the task of the next POI recommendation, which is crucial for a wide spectrum of applications ranging from transportation and urban planning to advertising. To address the limitation, we proposed a user preference transfer and drift network (UPTDNet) for cross‐city next POI recommendation. UPTDNet excels at cross‐city recommendations by learning the transfer and drift of both long‐ and short‐term preferences. For short‐term preference, dual recurrent neural network‐based (RNN‐based) branches are designed to model preference transfer from tourist’s current city and drift among different user roles. For long‐term preference, a mapping function and user similarity calculation are employed for preference transfer from the tourist’s home city and drift among individual users. Experiments are conducted on the Gowalla and Foursquare datasets, and the results show that UPTDNet consistently and significantly outperforms state‐of‐the‐art models by an average of 10.22% to 22.63% in the next POI recommendation task. Ablation study and further analysis validate the effectiveness and plausibility of considering both user preference transfer and drift in the cross‐city recommendation.
Novel NLRP14 Mutations Induce Azoospermia
Authors: Song Jian , Zeng Xuhui , Zhang Xiaoning , Sha Yanwei , Zhao Xiuling
Published: March 2023

Background. LR family pyrin domain-containing 14 (NLRP14 or NALP14) is one of the important members of the NLR family and was mainly expressed in testis. It is reported that deficiency in the NALP14 gene in mice can cause spermatogenic failure, and several NALP14 mutations have been found in oligospermia and infertile men. Case Presentation. This study reported two novel NALP14 mutations (c.2076delC: p.L697X and c.T2963C: p.F988S) in our patients with azoospermia. The exonic deletion mutation (c.2076delC) and one missense mutation (c.T2963C) were firstly screened out by whole-exome sequencing (WES) and further verified by amplifying and sequencing the specific exons 5 and 10. Histological analysis of testicular biopsy revealed that NALP14 expression was detected strongly in spermatogonia and weakly in early spermatocytes. Additionally, mutations in this gene caused meiotic arrest, and no postmeiotic round spermatids and mature spermatozoa were observed in the seminiferous tubules. Conclusions. This study and previous literatures showed that NLRP14 mutations are closely related to male infertility; we discovered two novel NALP14 mutations and summarized the kinds of literatures on NLRP14 mutations and male infertility. This is the first report that deletion mutation (c.2076delC) and one missense mutation (c.T2963C) in NALP14 all lead to azoospermia, which is still significant to the clinical auxiliary diagnosis of male infertility.
Quality of Life of Cancer Patients during Chemotherapy in Indonesia: A Comparison of EORTC QLQ-C30 and EQ-5D-5L, Based on Patients’ Characteristics
Authors: Perwitasari Dyah A. , Purba Fredrick D. , Candradewi Susan F. , Dania Haafizah , Muhammad Irham Lalu , Noor Faridah Imaniar , Septiantoro Bayu P.
Published: March 2023

One of the important outcomes to define the success of cancer treatment is the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) that can be measured using generic and/or specific instruments. Our study aims to define the cancer patients’ HRQoL in some hospitals in Indonesia as measured by the European Organization for Research and Treatment for Cancer (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the EQ-5D-5L, to define the differences of cancer patients’ HRQoL referring to patients’ characteristics, and to explore determinants of cancer patients’ HRQoL. We recruited 451 cancer patients using a cross-sectional design in two referral hospitals in Central Java, Indonesia, using the purposive sampling technique. All subjects, recruited from July 2020 to October 2021, met the inclusion criteria, namely, adult patients diagnosed with cancers in all stages who willingly participated in the study. The Indonesian value set was used to obtain the EQ-5D-5L index score. We further analyzed the data based on cancer stages and compared two questionnaires using independent t test. We highlighted that most of the cancer patients are female (69.4%), young (86%), and at advanced stages of cancer (54.1%). The physical and role functions and global health status of the cancer patients are poor, and the most severe symptom is fatigue. Moreover, most of them experience severe pain and perform daily activities with difficulties. Some patients’ characteristics show significant influences on the HRQoL domains in both questionnaires (

p
<
0.05

). Interestingly, both of the questionnaires have shown significant correlations between similar domains and revealed the poor HRQoL of advanced cancer patients (

p
<
0.05

). Our study finds that cancer patients still have poor HRQoL in some domains. We suggest to the health providers that they apply education and psychological intervention to increase their HRQoL.
Diversity and conservation of fishes from karstic areas of the Jandaíra Formation in the Brazilian semiarid
Authors: Abrantes Yuri Gomes , Bennemann Ana Beatriz Alves , Lustosa-Costa Silvia Yasmin , Bento Diego de Medeiros , Ramos Telton Pedro Anselmo , Lima Sergio Maia Queiroz
Published: March 2023

Few studies have focused on non-troglomorphic fishes occurring in Brazilian caves, especially those in the Caatinga region. The present study is the first survey of fishes from karstic areas of the Jandaíra Formation in Rio Grande do Norte State, northeastern Brazil. This region is characterized by a high concentration of caves and a rich subterranean biodiversity, especially of troglobitic invertebrates, but remains considered a gap on the knowledge of the subterranean ichthyofauna in Brazil. Four field expeditions were carried out covering two dry and two rainy seasons, in 2018 and 2019, in 23 localities in small river basins along the western part of the Jandaíra Formation. A total of 829 fish specimens, none of them troglomorphic, was captured and identified as belonging to 25 species of 12 families and five orders. Amongst them, four species are endemic of the Mid-Northeastern Caatinga ecoregion, and two non-native species were recorded. Habitats were classified into three categories: superficial, associated to cave, and cave. Although no troglomorphic fish species was found in this study, we recorded 64.1% of the Apodi-Mossoró river ichthyofauna occurring in caves or associated to caves, corroborating the hypothesis that part of the ichthyofauna exploits these environments as a refuge during the dry season. In addition, we suggest conservation policies for the maintenance of subterranean and aquatic semiarid ecosystems in the Jandaira formation, which is currently under threat due to anthropogenic activities, such as mining and deforestation.
Recurrent Groin Hernia Containing the Ovary and Fallopian Tube
Authors: Pollock Aaron B. , McRee James , Tanner Richard , Mejia Vicente
Published: March 2023

A 46-year-old female presented to the emergency room with complaints of right groin pain. A palpable mass was found inferior to the right inguinal ligament. Computed tomography showed evidence of a viscera-containing hernia sac within the femoral canal. The patient was taken to the operating room for exploration of the hernia where a well-perfused right fallopian tube and right ovary were identified within the sac. These contents were reduced, and the facial defect repaired primarily. The patient was discharged and has since been seen in clinic with no residual pain or recurrence of her hernia. Femoral hernias containing gynecological structures pose unique management and only anecdotal evidence exists to guide decision making. Prompt intervention with primary repair resulted in a favorable operative outcome in this case of a femoral hernia containing adnexal structures.
Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury (BCVI) Management: Is There a Right Answer?
Authors: Barnes Brandon Michael , Bouillon Victoria , Haiflich Andrew , Butts C. Caleb , Capasso Thomas , Bright Andrew , Polite Nathan , Williams Ashley Y. , Kinnard Christopher , Simmons Jon D. , Lee Yannlei L. , Mbaka Maryann
Published: March 2023

Blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) results from blunt trauma causing injury to the carotid and/or vertebral arteries. Its most severe manifestation is stroke. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence, management, and outcomes of BCVI at a level one trauma/stroke center. Data on patients diagnosed with BCVI from 2016 to 2021 were extracted from the USA Health trauma registry with associated intervention performed and patient outcomes. Of the 97 patients identified, 16.5% presented with stroke-like symptoms (SS). Medical management was employed for 75%. Intravascular stent alone was utilized for 18.8%. The mean age of symptomatic BCVI patients was 37.6 with a mean injury severity score (ISS) of 38.2. Within the asymptomatic population, 58% received medical management and 3.7% underwent combination therapy. The mean age of asymptomatic BCVI patients was 46.9 with a mean ISS of 20.3. There were 6 mortalities, only one BCVI related.