bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Efficacy-To-Safety Ratio of Angiogenesis-Inhibitors Based Therapies in Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Simion Laurentiu , Rotaru Vlad , Cirimbei Ciprian , Stefan Daniela-Cristina , Gherghe Mirela , Ionescu Sinziana , Tanase Bogdan Cosmin , Luca Dan Cristian , Gales Laurentia Nicoleta , Chitoran Elena
Published: March 2023

(1) Background: Among new anti-angiogenesis agents being developed and ever-changing guidelines indications, the question of the benefits/safety ratio remains unclear. (2) Methods: We performed a systematic review combined with a meta-analysis of 23 randomized controlled trials (12,081 patients), evaluating overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS) and toxicity (grade ≥ 3 toxic effects, type, and number of all adverse effects. (3) Results: The analysis showed improvement of pooled-PFS (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.64–0.78; I2 = 77%; p < 0.00001) in first-line (HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.78–0.93; p = 0.0003) or recurrent cancer (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.56–0.70; p < 0.00001) and regardless of the type of anti-angiogenesis drug used (Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, VEGF-receptors (VEGF-R) inhibitors or angiopoietin inhibitors). Improved OS was also observed (HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.90–0.99; p = 0.03). OS benefits were only observed in recurrent neoplasms, both platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant neoplasms. Grade ≥ 3 adverse effects were increased across all trials. Anti-angiogenetic therapy increased the risk of hypertension, infection, thromboembolic/hemorrhagic events, and gastro-intestinal perforations but not the risk of wound-related issues, anemia or posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome. (4) Conclusions: Although angiogenesis inhibitors improve PFS, there are little-to-no OS benefits. Given the high risk of severe adverse reactions, a careful selection of patients is required for obtaining the best results possible.
Age Estimation in 0–8-Year-Old Children in France: Comparison of One Skeletal and Five Dental Methods
Authors: Martrille Laurent , Papadodima Stavroula , Venegoni Cristina , Molinari Nicolas , Gibelli Daniele , Baccino Eric , Cattaneo Cristina
Published: March 2023

Age estimation in juveniles is a critical procedure in judicial cases for verification of imputability or for civil reasons when adopting children. Several methods based both on skeletal and dental growth have been performed and applied on different populations; nevertheless, few articles have compared different methods in order to test their reliability in different conditions and age ranges, and this is a clear obstacle in the creation of common guidelines for age estimation in the living. A comparison of five dental methods (Anderson, Ubelaker, Schour and Massler, Gustafson and Koch, Demirjian) and one skeletal method (Greulich a Pyle atlas) was performed on a population of 94 children aged between 0 and 8 years. Results showed that, whereas under 2 years all the methods have the same inaccuracy, over 2 years the diagram methods, such as Schour and Massler and Ubelaker’s revised one, have a lower error range than the most frequently used Greulich and Pyle atlas and Demirjian method. Schour and Massler, Gustafson and Koch, and Ubelaker methods showed, respectively, a mean error amounting to 0.40, 0.53, and 0.56 years versus the 0.74 and 0.88 years given by Demirjian and the Greulich and Pyle atlas. An in-depth analysis of the potential of several methods is necessary in order to reach a higher adherence of age estimation with the complexity of growth dynamics.
Promising Antimicrobial Action of Sustained Released Curcumin-Loaded Silica Nanoparticles against Clinically Isolated Porphyromonas gingivalis
Authors: Shirmohammadi Adileh , Maleki Dizaj Solmaz , Sharifi Simin , Fattahi Shirin , Negahdari Ramin , Ghavimi Mohammad Ali , Memar Mohammad Yousef
Published: March 2023

Background. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) has always been one of the leading causes of periodontal disease, and antibiotics are commonly used to control it. Numerous side effects of synthetic drugs, as well as the spread of drug resistance, have led to a tendency toward using natural antimicrobials, such as curcumin. The present study aimed to prepare and physicochemically characterize curcumin-loaded silica nanoparticles and to detect their antimicrobial effects on P. gingivalis. Methods. Curcumin-loaded silica nanoparticles were prepared using the chemical precipitation method and then were characterized using conventional methods (properties such as the particle size, drug loading percentage, and release pattern). P. gingivalis was isolated from one patient with chronic periodontal diseases. The patient’s gingival crevice fluid was sampled using sterile filter paper and was transferred to the microbiology laboratory in less than 30 min. The disk diffusion method was used to determine the sensitivity of clinically isolated P. gingivalis to curcumin-loaded silica nanoparticles. SPSS software, version 20, was used to compare the data between groups with a p value of <0.05 as the level of significance. Then, one-way ANOVA testing was utilized to compare the groups. Results. The curcumin-loaded silica nanoparticles showed a nanometric size and a drug loading percentage of 68% for curcumin. The nanoparticles had a mesoporous structure and rod-shaped morphology. They showed a relatively rapid release pattern in the first 5 days. The release of the drug from the nanoparticles continued slowly until the 45th day. The results of in vitro antimicrobial tests showed that P. gingivalis was sensitive to the curcumin-loaded silica nanoparticles at concentrations of 50, 25, 12.5, and 6.25 µg/mL. One-way ANOVA showed that there was a significant difference between the mean growth inhibition zone, and the concentration of 50 µg/mL showed the highest inhibition zone (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the local nanocurcumin application for periodontal disease and implant-related infections can be considered a promising method for the near future in dentistry.
Stamp Technique: An Explorative SEM Analysis
Authors: Zotti Francesca , Vincenzi Stefano , Zangani Alessandro , Bernardi Paolo , Sbarbati Andrea
Published: March 2023

Background: Achieving correct tooth anatomy and saving time at the dental chair are some of the goals of modern restorative dentistry. Stamp technique has gained acceptance in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of this technique in terms of microleakage, voids, overhangs and marginal adaptation of Class I restorations, and to analyse the operative times in comparison with traditional restorative procedures. Methods: Twenty extracted teeth were divided into 2 groups. Ten teeth in the study group (SG) were Class I prepared and restored using stamp technique, and ten teeth in the control group (CG) were Class I restored traditionally. SEM analysis was performed to evaluate voids, microleakage, overhangs, and marginal adaptation, and operative times were recorded. A statistical analysis was performed. Results: There were no significant differences in microleakage, marginal adaptation and filling defects between the two groups, however, the stamp technique seems to facilitate the formation of large overflowing margins that require a careful finishing phase. Conclusions: Stamp technique does not seem to have any critical aspects in terms of restoration durability and it can be performed in a short time.
Stochastic Expectation Maximization Algorithm for Linear Mixed-Effects Model with Interactions in the Presence of Incomplete Data
Authors: Zakkour Alandra , Perret Cyril , Slaoui Yousri
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new algorithm based on stochastic expectation maximization (SEM) to deal with the problem of unobserved values when multiple interactions in a linear mixed-effects model (LMEM) are present. We test the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm with the stochastic approximation expectation maximization (SAEM) and Monte Carlo Markov chain (MCMC) algorithms. This comparison is implemented to highlight the importance of including the maximum effects that can affect the model. The applications are made on both simulated psychological and real data. The findings demonstrate that our proposed SEM algorithm is highly preferable to the other competitor algorithms.
Testing the Impact of Exports, Imports, and Trade Openness on Economic Growth in Namibia: Assessment Using the ARDL Cointegration Method
Authors: Sunde Tafirenyika , Tafirenyika Blessing , Adeyanju Anthony
Published: March 2023

This study examines the impact of exports, imports, and trade openness on Namibia’s economic growth using the ARDL cointegration method. The results reveal a significant negative relationship between imports and economic growth, while exports and trade openness show positive and significant relationships with economic growth. Moreover, short-term economic growth is driven by exports, imports, and trade openness. The findings suggest that trade liberalisation and export-led growth are crucial for Namibia’s economic development. Overall, this study supports the mercantilist theory, which emphasises the importance of participating in global markets by increasing exports and trade.
A Metaphorical Analysis of Mentoring for Education without Walls in Palestine and Finland with the OLIVE International Project as a Key Example
Authors: Vivitsou Marianna , Hamad Fatima Khalil , Janhonen-Abruquah Hille
Published: March 2023

Nowadays, efforts are being made in Finland to develop education across borders through projects that seek to deal with global learning crises. Palestine, being engaged in high-intensity struggle and faced with emergencies in education, is one example of such an initiative. Both actual and virtual walls exist in the collaboration between Palestinian and Finnish universities. By using conceptual metaphor theory and Ricoeur’s metaphor theory, this paper discusses and analyzes metaphors that emerge in the process of building education without walls in the OLIVE international project. Project activities support online teaching and learning methods. Drawing from the experience of first-stage implementation, the paper brings forward metaphors that emerge in developing mentoring. The study explores new perspectives on mentoring to conceptualize the metaphor by considering the need to decolonize engagement with learning through both intellectual and embodied–affective elements. This is done by providing a framework for immersive learning. As a result, one can conclude that mentoring is not only cognitive but also an embodied metaphor with affective elements and needs immersive learning environments. Mentoring is fluid, as the roles of mentors and mentees interchange and intertwine. Mentoring takes place in groups, between and among peers, students, teachers, and researchers both on-line and on-site.
Analysis on the Variation Laws of Electromagnetic Force Wave and Vibration Response of Squirrel-Cage Induction Motor under Rotor Eccentricity
Authors: Du Jianmin , Li Yan
Published: March 2023

Aiming to address the rotor eccentricity problem caused by various factors, such as manufacturing, operation and the mass imbalance of the induction motor, the variation law of electromagnetic force wave and vibration response under rotor eccentricity during no-load operation is investigated. To begin with, on the basis of the air-gap permeability, the air-gap magnetic density components under static and dynamic eccentricity are analyzed by using the analytical method. The order and amplitude expressions of the radial electromagnetic force generated by the interaction of harmonics are obtained. Subsequently, a finite element model of the electromagnetic field was developed, and the space-time spectrum of the electromagnetic force was obtained by combining the 2D Fourier analysis. Finally, the electromagnetic force wave is used as a load to investigate the electromagnetic vibration response under different rotor eccentric forms. The effect of rotor eccentricity on the vibration response of the motor is quantitatively analyzed by using the spectral analysis method. The method of analyzing electromagnetic force wave and vibration response can also provide a reference for the same type of motor.
ASA-DRNet: An Improved Deeplabv3+ Framework for SAR Image Segmentation
Authors: Chen Siyuan , Wei Xueyun , Zheng Wei
Published: March 2023

Pollution caused by oil spills does irreversible harm to marine biosystems. To find maritime oil spills, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has emerged as a crucial mean. How to accurately distinguish oil spill areas from other types of areas is a committed step in detecting oil spills. Owing to its capacity to extract multiscale features and its distinctive decoder, the Deeplabv3+ framework has been developed into an excellent deep learning model in field of picture segmentation. However, in some SAR pictures, there is a lack of clarity in the segmentation of oil film edges and incorrect segmentation of small areas. In order to solve these problems, an improved network, named ASA-DRNet, has been proposed. Firstly, a new structure which combines an axial self-attention module with ResNet-18 is proposed as the backbone of DeepLabv3+ encoder. Secondly, a atrous spatial pyramid pooling (ASPP) module is optimized to improve the network’s capacity of extracting multiscale features and to increase the speed of model calculation and finally merging low-level features of different resolutions to enhance the competence of network to extract edge information. The experiments show that ASA-DRNet obtains the better results compared to other neural network models.
Effects of the Wavelength for the Sinusoidal Cylinder and Reynolds Number for Three-Dimensional Mixed Convection
Authors: Im Sanghyuk , Cho Hyun Woo , Kim Kyeongsoo , Ha Man Yeong , Park Yong Gap
Published: March 2023

A numerical study estimated the mixed convection around a sinusoidal cylinder inside a rectangular cavity. The key parameters for sinusoidal circular cylinders were the wavelength and Reynolds number (Re = 100, 500, and 1000) with a fixed Prandtl number of 0.7. The flow regimes were greatly affected by these parameters. The unsteadiness of the flow pattern was also affected by λ and Re. The results were analyzed by the thermal structure, vortical structure, and Nusselt number. Furthermore, the orthogonal enstrophy was used to quantify the three-dimensional flow characteristics, and the frequency of the surface-averaged Nusselt number for the heated bottom wall was used to analyze the unsteady characteristics. The heat transfer performance was enhanced by 6.6% at Re = 100 for λ = 3 compared to the circular cylinder. In addition, the heat transfer performance was enhanced by 6.6% and 2.6% at Re = 500 for λ = 2 and Re = 1000 for λ = 1, respectively, compared to the circular cylinder.
Strategy for the Siting of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations for Parcel Delivery Service Providers
Authors: Kłos Marcin Jacek , Sierpiński Grzegorz
Published: March 2023

The development of urban logistics is closely related to the inhabitants of specific areas. People are changing their shopping habits, hence the growing share of online shopping. The consequence of the foregoing is increased demand for parcel delivery to customers’ addresses as well as in-store and automated pick-up points. This has increased the number of couriers that provide parcel delivery services. To achieve sustainable development, there is a real need to convert conventional combustion engine fleets using greener solutions such as electric vehicles. However, introducing such vehicles on a large scale involves constraints such as the vehicle running range on a single charge, the price of a new fleet and of its maintenance, and the location of charging stations. This article focuses on the strategies for siting of charging stations intended to be used by the providers of parcel delivery services. Different strategies as well as a method for identifying optimal goal-specific locations have been proposed. The results show the limitations and challenges facing both the operators of parcel delivery services and local authorities that should also be involved in the development of charging points. Additionally, based on the method presented in the paper, operators can choose between different strategies depending on the particular requirements and local conditions.
Impact of Household PV Generation on the Voltage Quality in 0.4 kV Electric Grid—Case Study
Authors: Apse-Apsitis Peteris , Krievs Oskars , Avotins Ansis
Published: March 2023

This article (case study) discusses the influence of household photovoltaic generation on the voltage quality in a three-phase 0.4 kV grid. The research analyzes remotely acquired data from two specially designed three-phase Y-connected power meters to understand the PV system’s influence on the grid. The values of the voltages, currents, THD, individual harmonics, power factor, and K-factor are obtained every 200 ms over several months, creating more than 20 GB of data. The loads are typical household electrical appliances and EV portable chargers. The main conclusion after analyzing the measurements is that three-phase PV generation in the presence of household loads can create or increase grid unbalance; important current values into the neutral wire and THD and K-factor increase in some cases. The results also uncovered that without current sensing at the household connection point to the three-phase grid to control the PV inverter, the balanced phase output power of the grid-tied inverter is harmful to the 0.4 kV grid balance.
Study of the Prevention Method of ±800 kV Transmission Tower Foundation Deviation
Authors: Dong Xinsheng , Wen Guanru , Zhao Mingguan , Yang Yang , Li Meng , Zhao Long
Published: March 2023

The stability of transmission tower bases is key to ensuring the safe operation of power lines. This paper proposes a joint displacement-control technique for foundation-inclined piles and prestressed foundation tie beams to address the problem of tower base displacement and durability degradation caused by environmental factors. A finite element model of an exposed-pile transmission tower conforming to the structural characteristics of the actual line tower was established based on the current situation of Tower 292 of the ±800 kV Tianzhong line in Xinjiang, China. Three different displacement-control schemes were analyzed under the combined effects of tower line load, ice-cover load, and wind load, including changing exposed pile height, changing inclined pile tilt angle, and increasing the prestressed foundation tie beam. The analysis shows that the combined displacement-control technology of foundation-inclined piles and prestressed foundation tie beams can reduce the horizontal displacement of EHV tower foundations by more than 50%, which greatly reduces safety problems caused by tower displacement and effectively improves tower durability.
Methods of Measurement of Die Temperature of Semiconductor Elements: A Review
Authors: Dziarski Krzysztof , Hulewicz Arkadiusz , Kuwałek Piotr , Wiczyński Grzegorz
Published: March 2023

Monitoring the temperature of a semiconductor component allows for the prediction of potential failures, optimization of the selected cooling system, and extension of the useful life of the semiconductor component. There are many methods of measuring the crystal temperature of the semiconductor element referred to as a die. The resolution and accuracy of the measurements depend on the chosen method. This paper describes known methods for measuring and imaging the temperature distribution on the die surface of a semiconductor device. Relationships are also described that allow one to determine the die temperature on the basis of the case temperature. Current trends and directions of development for die temperature measurement methods are indicated.
Wind Power Forecasts and Network Learning Process Optimization through Input Data Set Selection
Authors: Dutka Mateusz , Świątek Bogusław , Hanzelka Zbigniew
Published: March 2023

Energy policies of the European Union, the United States, China, and many other countries are focused on the growth in the number of and output from renewable energy sources (RES). That is because RES has become increasingly more competitive when compared to conventional sources, such as coal, nuclear energy, oil, or gas. In addition, there is still a lot of untapped wind energy potential in Europe and worldwide. That is bound to result in continuous growth in the share of sources that demonstrate significant production variability in the overall energy mix, as they depend on the weather. To ensure efficient energy management, both its production and grid flow, it is necessary to employ forecasting models for renewable energy source-based power plants. That will allow us to estimate the production volume well in advance and take the necessary remedial actions. The article discusses in detail the development of forecasting models for RES, dedicated, among others, to wind power plants. Describes also the forecasting accuracy improvement process through the selection of the network structure and input data set, as well as presents the impact of weather factors and how much they affect the energy generated by the wind power plant. As a result of the research, the best structures of neural networks and data for individual objects were selected. Their diversity is due to the differences between the power plants in terms of location, installed capacity, energy conversion technology, land orography, the distance between turbines, and the available data set. The method proposed in the article, using data from several points and from different meteorological forecast providers, allowed us to reduce the forecast error of the NMAPE generation to 3.3%.
The Role of Energy Performance Agreements in the Sustainable Development of Decentralized Energy Systems: Methodology for Determining the Equilibrium Conditions of the Contract
Authors: Karamov Dmitriy , Ilyushin Pavel , Minarchenko Ilya , Filippov Sergey , Suslov Konstantin
Published: March 2023

Energy performance contracts are a very promising area for attracting private investment in the renewable energy sector. The concept of energy performance contracting is a well-established mechanism aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of a facility and reducing annual maintenance costs. This paper presents a hierarchical model of a decentralized energy system with renewable energy sources and a battery energy storage system under an energy service agreement. This model reflects the interaction between the client and the performance company. The model includes the main parameters characterizing the energy service contract, such as net present value, contract duration and levelized cost of energy. As an example, a real decentralized power system is considered, which currently only uses diesel generation. In the case of building a photovoltaic system, the optimal equipment composition consists of a 100 kW solar station and storage batteries with a capacity of 240 kW·h. The optimal contract term is 5 years, and diesel fuel savings are 69%.
Exploring the Green-Oriented Transition Process of Ship Power Systems: A Patent-Based Overview on Innovation Trends and Patterns
Authors: Sun Minghan , Jia Yiwei , Wei Jian , Zhu Jewel X.
Published: March 2023

The shipping industry has accelerated the transformation of its carbon emission reduction and decarbonization, and relevant patents are rapidly increasing, but the industry still lacks consensus on the low-carbon development route of ship propulsion technology. We used the Derwent Innovation Index to collect the global patent information on ship power systems between 1965 and 2022 and proposed a new patent information mining framework. It is used for the dynamic tracking and analysis of global technology correlation characteristics, hot technology topics, and competitive situations. The findings indicate that: (1) the innovation of ship power systems is more radical and concentrated in the fuel field represented by LNG technology, whereas technical innovation in the field of pure electric propulsion is more scattered. Small tonnage ships, underwater operations, and recreation technology are among its innovation hotspots. (2) Pure electric propulsion technology is dominated by combined innovation with other propulsion methods (hybrid propulsion technology) and Chinese universities have recently begun to lead this technology. (3) Fuel cells and remote control have become innovation hotspots. Fuel cell technology, which combines electric, fuel, and hybrid power technology, is now on the cutting edge of innovation and has the potential for disruptive innovation.
Optimizing Device Performance of Multi-Pass Flat-Plate Solar Air Heaters on Various Recycling Configurations
Authors: Ho Chii-Dong , Chang Hsuan , Yeh Chih-Wei , Ng Choon-Aun , Hsieh Ping-Cheng
Published: March 2023

Various external-recycle configurations of multi-pass flat-plate solar air collectors were studied theoretically to examine the optimal thermal performance under the same working dimension and operation conditions. An absorber plate and insulation sheet were implemented horizontally and vertically, respectively, into an open rectangular conduit to conduct a recycling four-pass operation, which the device lengthens the air flow channel and increases the air mass flow rate within the collector, and thus, a more heat transfer efficiency is obtained. Four recycling types with different external-recycle patterns were introduced and expected to augment the heat transfer rate due to the turbulent convective intensity through four subchannels in the present study. Coupling energy balances into one-dimensional modeling equations were derived by making the energy-flow diagram within a finite element, which the longitudinal temperature distributions for each subchannel were obtained. The theoretical predictions show that the improved four-pass device is accomplished due to the multiple heating pathways over and under the absorber plate, from which the turbulence intensity augmentation results in the heat transfer rate as compared to that in the device without inserting the absorber plate and insulation sheet (say a downward-type single-pass solar air collector). The theoretical results also show that the external-recycle configuration (say Type C in the present study) acts as an optimal collector thermal efficiency and leading to a beneficial design in multi-pass solar air collectors for improving heat-transfer rate and increasing resident time under the same operation conditions. Theoretical predictions show a higher heat-transfer efficiency for the present recycling configurations up to a maximum 115% device enhancement in comparison to that of a single-pass device. Examination of implementing the absorber plate and insulation sheet on the heat-transfer efficiency enhancement as well as the hydraulic dissipated power increment were also delineated, and deliberated the suitable external-recycle configuration with respect to an economic consideration.
Advances in Electricity-Steering Organic Waste Bio-Valorization for Medium Chain Carboxylic Acids Production
Authors: Liu Chao , Yin Yue , Chen Chuang , Zhang Xuemeng , Zhou Jing , Zhang Qingran , Chen Yinguang
Published: March 2023

Medium chain carboxylic acids (MCCAs, e.g., caproic acid, caprylic acid, etc.) with 6–12 carbon atoms are valuable platform chemicals produced from organic waste via microbial chain elongation metabolism named as reversed β-oxidation and fatty acid-biosynthesis cyclical pathway. Recently, many articles reported that electricity could not only serve as the external electron donor and provide the reduction equivalent required for chain elongation but also regulate the microbiome structure and metabolic behaviors to promote MCCAs formation. Electricity-steering MCCAs bioproduction has become an appealing technique to valorize low-value organic waste, paving an alternative pathway for net-zero carbon emission energy systems and sustainable socio-economic development. However, the MCCAs’ bioproduction from organic waste steered by electric field has not been comprehensively reviewed. From a systematical analysis of publicly available literature, we first covered the basic working principle, fermentation architecture, functional microflora, and metabolic pathway of MCCAs production driven by electricity. The strategies of substrate modulation, applied voltage/current regulation, electrode optimization, and microbial cooperation and stimulation for boosting electricity-driven MCCAs bioproduction are then scrutinized and extensively discussed. Ultimately, the pressing knowledge gaps and the potential path forward are proposed to provide pointers for consistently higher MCCAs yield and the transition from laboratory to market.
Study of Electromagnetic Characteristics of Brushless Reverse Claw-Pole Electrically Excited Generators for Automobiles
Authors: Zhang Yufeng , Gao Mingling , Wang Lei , Zhang Xueyi , Xu Mingjun , Hu Wenjing , Wang Luyao
Published: March 2023

A new type of brushless reverse claw-pole electrically excited generator is proposed for the problems of the low sine degree of the induced electromotive force waveform and the high harmonic content of the output voltage of the conventional electrically excited claw-pole generator. The design uses the equivalent magnetic network method to establish the equivalent magnetic circuit model of the motor and determines the equation for calculating the magnetoresistance of the isosceles trapezoidal variable section claw-pole structure. It derives the mathematical model of the no-load induced electric potential of the generator and completes to optimize the motor parameters with the no-load induced electric potential as the target. This study shows that the brushless reverse claw-pole electrically excited generator has the advantages of uniform magnetic field distribution, high harmonic fundamental amplitude of induced electromotive force and low harmonic content. It can better meet the application requirements compared with the conventional electrically excited claw-pole generator.
Multiple Novel Decomposition Techniques for Time Series Forecasting: Application to Monthly Forecasting of Electricity Consumption in Pakistan
Authors: Iftikhar Hasnain , Bibi Nadeela , Canas Rodrigues Paulo , López-Gonzales Javier Linkolk
Published: March 2023

In today’s modern world, monthly forecasts of electricity consumption are vital in planning the generation and distribution of energy utilities. However, the properties of these time series are so complex that they are difficult to model directly. Thus, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of forecasting monthly electricity consumption by comparing several decomposition techniques followed by various time series models. To this end, first, we decompose the electricity consumption time series into three new subseries: the long-term trend series, the seasonal series, and the stochastic series, using the three different proposed decomposition methods. Second, to forecast each subseries with various popular time series models, all their possible combinations are considered. Finally, the forecast results of each subseries are summed up to obtain the final forecast results. The proposed modeling and forecasting framework is applied to data on Pakistan’s monthly electricity consumption from January 1990 to June 2020. The one-month-ahead out-of-sample forecast results (descriptive, statistical test, and graphical analysis) for the considered data suggest that the proposed methodology gives a highly accurate and efficient gain. It is also shown that the proposed decomposition methods outperform the benchmark ones and increase the performance of final model forecasts. In addition, the final forecasting models produce the lowest mean error, performing significantly better than those reported in the literature. Finally, we believe that the framework proposed for modeling and forecasting can also be used to solve other forecasting problems in the real world that have similar features.
Research on Dynamic Monitoring of Coordinated Development of Economy, Environment and High Haze Pollution Industries Such as the Thermal Power Industry in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region
Authors: Zhou Jingkun , Qi Pen , Zhou Yunkai , Ren Qian , Liu Zhonggang
Published: March 2023

With the accelerating urbanization process in China, the extensive economic growth model with high energy consumption and high pollution aggravates atmospheric environmental pollution and restricts the sustainable development of the social economy. The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region has the most severe haze pollution and the most acute contradiction between resources, environment and economic development. Based on the physical coupling theory, this paper constructs a coupling coordination degree model of the economy, environment and high haze pollution industries, such as the thermal power industry. Through literature analysis and expert investigation of the economic, industrial and environmental data of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region from 2006 to 2018, the coordinated development of the economy, environment and high haze pollution industries, such as the thermal power industry, in the above region, was dynamically monitored. The monitoring results show that the development level of the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei region is significantly different, and the three subregions have not entered the stage of coordinated development. Moreover, since 2015, they have been in a bottleneck period of development and have not achieved a higher level of progress. The three subregions have different advantages and restraining factors. For example, the backward level of Hebei’s economy and high haze pollution industries, such as the thermal power industry, restrict the coordinated development of the region as a whole. Only by accelerating the high-quality development of the Hebei economy can we break through the bottleneck of the development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.
Shared Driving Assistance Design Considering Human Error Protection for Intelligent Electric Wheelchairs
Authors: Chiang Hsin-Han , You Wan-Ting , Lee Jin-Shyan
Published: March 2023

To effectively provide the handicapped with mobility aids, studies on the shared autonomy of robotic systems have been widely cultivated. This study proposes an adaptive shared control strategy to realize reliable and safe driving assistance on an intelligent electric wheelchair with protection against human errors. The theoretical framework of the system is analyzed by the linearized reference wheelchair model and stable characteristics of obstacle avoidance behavior can be subsequently derived according to the Lyapunov analysis and Liénard-Chipart criterion. Based on the convex analysis, the relationships between human input and robot control are investigated to determine shared control weights. As such, safety and reliability can be guaranteed. To verify the performances of the proposed approach, human errors including skill-based errors, decision errors, and violations are considered in the experiments. The experimental results based on a comprehensive study show that the proposed method is capable of enhancing driving safety and reducing operation burden in terms of the designed criteria with fluency, smoothness, and time efficiency while protecting the user from human manual errors.
Terrestrial Carbon Additions to Zooplankton Prey Influence Juvenile Estuarine Fish Growth
Authors: Johnson Ellery B. , Boys Craig , Hitchcock James , Hadwen Wade , Fielder Stewart , Facey Jordan A. , Mitrovic Simon M.
Published: March 2023

Freshwater inflows are linked to the abundance and catch rates of fish in estuaries. The role of terrestrial carbon resources brought into estuaries after inflows may be important, but this is currently not well understood. Therefore, we performed a study examining the effect of terrestrial dissolved organic matter (tDOM) dietary additions on the growth of food-limited juvenile Australian bass (Macquaria novemculeata). Crustaceous zooplankton Artemia franciscana (Artemia) were reared for two days under control conditions (no addition) or with additions of tDOM leachate at dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations of 5 mg/L or 10 mg/L. Artemia were fed to juvenile bass in their treatment tanks over 42 days at feeding rates reduced by 65–75% of ad libitum. Juvenile fish from the 5 mg/L treatment exhibited no statistical difference in weight or standard, fork and total lengths compared to the control treatment. In contrast, the fish in the 10 mg/L tDOM treatment had significant increases (p < 0.05) in all length parameters after 42 days compared to the other treatments. The greater lengths of fish where tDOM is available indicate that tDOM can contribute to improved growth and development in juvenile Australian bass. While stable isotope analysis of fish tissue showed only minor changes toward terrestrial carbon signatures, increased terrestrial resource availability in the juvenile fish diets may have subsidised energetic needs, facilitating the greater utilisation of endogenous resources. Overall, the results indicate that freshwater inflows that deliver terrestrial resources may be important for the growth and development of estuarine fish.
Comparison of Mean Properties of Turbulent Pipe and Channel Flows at Low-to-Moderate Reynolds Numbers
Authors: Di Nucci Carmine , Absi Rafik
Published: March 2023

We focus on the fully developed turbulent flow in circular pipes and channels. We provide a comparison of the mean velocity profiles, and we compute the values of the global indicators, such as the skin friction, the mean velocity, the centerline velocity, the displacement thickness, and the momentum thickness. The comparison is done at low-to-moderate Reynolds numbers. For channel flow, we deduced the mean velocity profiles using an indirect turbulent model; for pipe flow, we extracted the needed information from a direct numerical simulation database available in the open literature. A one-to-one comparison of these values at identical Reynolds numbers provides a deep insight into the difference between pipe and channel flows. This line of reasoning allows us to highlight some deviations among the mean velocity profiles extracted from different pipe databases.
Control of Chemoconvection in a Rectangular Slot by Changing Its Spatial Orientation
Authors: Mosheva Elena , Siraev Ramil , Bratsun Dmitry
Published: March 2023

Recently, we found that a two-layer miscible system placed in a vertical slab reactor shows an occurrence of a density shock-wave-like pattern. This wave resembles a turbulent bore separating immobile fluid and an area of intense mixing. It travels away from the convective core of the system and is highly dependent on the intensity of a gravity-dependent chemoconvection in the cocurrent flow. The novelty of this work is that we demonstrate that the change in angle between gravity and wave direction allows controlling the chemoconvection intensity and, consequently, the rate of a spatially-extended reaction. We study both experimentally and numerically the effect of the spatial orientation of a slab reactor to a gravity field on a flow structure induced by a neutralization reaction. In experiments, we use aqueous mixtures of nitric acid and sodium hydroxide. We apply the Fizeau interferometry to visualize the flow and use the PIV method to measure the fluid velocity. The mathematical model includes reaction–diffusion–convection equations that describe 3D flows. We study the flow modifications with a change in the inclination angle from 0 to 90 degrees. At small angles (up to 30), the cocurrent flow becomes spatially heterogeneous, and the fields of salt and acid are separated. If the inclination exceeds 50 degrees, the wavefront is deformed, and the wave breaks up, resulting in a sharp decrease in the reaction rate.
Applications of UV–Visible, Fluorescence and Mid-Infrared Spectroscopic Methods Combined with Chemometrics for the Authentication of Apple Vinegar
Authors: Cavdaroglu Cagri , Ozen Banu
Published: March 2023

Spectroscopic techniques as untargeted methods have great potential in food authentication studies, and the evaluation of spectroscopic data with chemometric methods can provide accurate predictions of adulteration even for hard-to-identify cases such as the mixing of vinegar with adulterants having a very similar chemical nature. In this study, we aimed to compare the performances of three spectroscopic methods (fluorescence, UV–visible, mid-infrared) in the detection of acetic-acid/apple-vinegar and spirit-vinegar/apple-vinegar mixtures (1–50%). Data obtained with the three spectroscopic techniques were used in the generation of classification models with partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) to differentiate authentic and mixed samples. An improved classification approach was used in choosing the best models through a number of calibration and validation sets. Only the mid-infrared data provided robust and accurate classification models with a high classification rate (up to 96%), sensitivity (1) and specificity (up to 0.96) for the differentiation of the adulterated samples from authentic apple vinegars. Therefore, it was concluded that mid-infrared spectroscopy is a useful tool for the rapid authentication of apple vinegars and it is essential to test classification models with different datasets to obtain a robust model.
The Measurement of Hazardous Biogenic Amines in Non-Alcoholic Beers: Efficient and Applicable Miniaturized Electro-Membrane Extraction Joined to Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Kamankesh Marzieh , Barzegar Fatemeh , Shariatifar Nabi , Mohammadi Abdorreza
Published: March 2023

The determination of biogenic amines (BAs) as serious food contaminants and chemical indicators of unwanted microbial contamination or deficient processing conditions in non-alcoholic beers is of great interest for the beverage industries. In the present investigation, the combination of hollow fiber-electro-membrane extraction (HF-EME) and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was applied for the analysis of histamine, putrescine, tyramine, cadaverine in non-alcoholic beers. EME is fundamentally based on the electrostatic attraction, diffusion and solvability of analytes in a selected acceptor phase. This membrane-based extraction technique promoted selectivity and the enrichment factor. The DLLME process reduced the volumes of organic solvents and make the coupling of HF-EME to the CG/MS conceivable. The leading variables, which have a great effect on extraction recovery, were optimized. The relative standard deviation was achieved between 4.9 and 7.0%. The recoveries were between 94% and 98%. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were found to be 0.92–0.98 ng mL−1 and 3.03–3.23 ng mL−1, respectively. The enrichment factor was calculated in the range 36–41. The achievements revealed that putrescine and tyramine, with concentrations of 3.87 and 2.33 µg g−1, were at the highest concentration in non-alcoholic beers. This offered method with great benefits could help beverage industries to monitor the concentration of BAs in beers and control them.
Improvement of Estrogen Deficiency Symptoms by the Intake of Long-Term Fermented Soybeans (Doenjang) Rich in Bacillus Species through Modulating Gut Microbiota in Estrogen-Deficient Rats
Authors: Zhang Ting , Yue Yu , Jeong Su-Ji , Ryu Myeong-Seon , Wu Xuangao , Yang Hee-Jong , Li Chen , Jeong Do-Youn , Park Sunmin
Published: March 2023

Traditionally made doenjang (TMD) produced by the long-term fermentation of soybeans with salt may improve symptoms of estrogen deficiency. We aimed to evaluate the effects of four TMD types, containing low and high amounts of Bacillus species and biogenic amines (HBHA, HBLA, LBHA, and LBLA), on energy, glucose, and lipid metabolism, by altering the gut microbiota in estrogen-deficient ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Their mechanisms were also examined. The OVX rats were divided into the control, cooked soybean (CSB), HBHA, LBHA, HBLA, and LBLA groups. Sham-operated rats were the normal control group. Serum 17β-estradiol concentrations were similar among all OVX groups. Tail skin temperatures, which are indicative of hot flashes, were higher in the control than the HBHA and HBLA groups and were similar to the normal control group. Weight gain and visceral fat mass were lower in the TMD and CSB intake groups but not as low as in the normal control group. Lean body mass showed a trend opposite to that of visceral fat in the respective groups. The hepatic triglyceride content decreased with the TMD intake compared to the control and CSB groups. mRNA expressions of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 in the TMD and CSB groups were as high as in the normal control group, and the PPAR-γ mRNA expression was more elevated in the HBLA group than in the normal control group. The morphology of the intestines improved in the TMD groups compared to the control, and the HBHA and HBLA groups showed an enhanced improvement compared to the CSB group. The HBHA, HBLA, and LBHA groups increased the α-diversity of the cecal microbiota compared to the control. Akkermenia and Lactobacillus were higher in the HBLA and LBLA groups compared to the control. The expression of the estrogen, forkhead box proteins of the class-O subgroup, and insulin-signaling pathways were lower in the control group, and HBHA and HBLA prevented their decrement. In conclusion, long-term treatment with TMD containing high amounts of Bacillus potentially improves estrogen deficiency symptoms more than unfermented soybeans.
Molecular Networking-Guided Isolation of a Phenolic Constituent from Prunus mume Seed and Its Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities
Authors: Kim Chang-Kwon , Yu Jayeon , Lee Mina
Published: March 2023

Prunus mume (Maesil) is used in health foods and alternative medicine in Korea. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of phenolics from P. mume seed extracts were examined. First, the biological activities of various P. mume extracts were evaluated, and the profiles of their chemical compounds were investigated by Global Natural Products Social (GNPS)-molecular networking. Among these extracts, fermented Maesil seed extract (FMSE) showed potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, and demonstrated the presence of phenolic clusters in GNPS-based studies. Thus, the chemical constituents of this extract were further investigated. Subsequently, the chemical composition of the active CH2Cl2 fraction of FMSE was explored using an advanced GNPS analysis tool, MolNetEnhancer. In addition, the molecular structure of compound 1 from the CH2Cl2 fraction was similarly predicted with Network Annotation Propagation (NAP). Finally, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of compound 1 were confirmed by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide production and DPPH assay. Western blot analysis revealed that compound 1 downregulated the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) proteins. The molecular docking simulation additionally confirmed significant interactions of 1 with iNOS and COX-2 proteins. Our findings suggested that an integrated GNPS-based approach could prioritize samples in the early fractionation process and improve the accuracy of target compound prediction.