bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integration of Rooftop Solar PV on Trains: Comparative Analysis of MPPT Methods for Auxiliary Power Supply of Locomotives in Milan
Authors: Darvishpour Yasaman , Mousavi Gazafrudi Sayed Mohammad , Jafari Kaleybar Hamed , Brenna Morris
Published: September 2024

As electricity demand increases, especially in transportation, renewable sources such as solar energy become more important. The direct integration of solar energy in rail transportation mostly involves utilizing station roofs and track side spaces. This paper proposes a novel approach by proposing the integration of photovoltaic systems directly on the roofs of trains to generate clean electricity and reduce dependence on the main grid. Installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on train rooftops can reduce energy costs and emissions and develop a more sustainable and ecological rail transport system. This research focuses on the Milan Cadorna-Saronno railway line, examining the feasibility of installing PV panels onto train rooftops to generate power for the train’s internal consumption, including lighting and air conditioning. In addition, it is a solution to reduce the power absorbed by the train from the main supply. Simulations conducted using PVSOL software 2023 (R7) indicate that equipping a train roof with PV panels could supply up to almost 10% of the train’s auxiliary power needs, equating to over 600 MWh annually. Implementing the suggested system may also result in a decrease of more than 27 tons of CO2 emissions per year for one train. To optimize the performance of PV systems and maximize power output, the gravitational search algorithm (GSA) as an evolutionary-based method is proposed alongside a DC/DC boost converter and its performance is compared with two other main maximum power point tracking (MPPT) methods of perturb and observe (PO), and incremental conductance (INC). The accuracy of the suggested algorithm was confirmed utilizing MATLAB SIMULINK R2023b, and the results were compared with those of the PO and INC algorithms. The findings indicate that the GSA performs better in terms of accuracy, while the PO and INC algorithms demonstrate greater robustness and dynamic response.
A Generative Approach for Document Enhancement with Small Unpaired Data
Authors: Uddin Mohammad Shahab , Khallouli Wael , Sousa-Poza Andres , Kovacic Samuel , Li Jiang
Published: September 2024

Shipbuilding drawings, crafted manually before the digital era, are vital for historical reference and technical insight. However, their digital versions, stored as scanned PDFs, often contain significant noise, making them unsuitable for use in modern CAD software like AutoCAD. Traditional denoising techniques struggle with the diverse and intense noise found in these documents, which also does not adhere to standard noise models. In this paper, we propose an innovative generative approach tailored for document enhancement, particularly focusing on shipbuilding drawings. For a small, unpaired dataset of clean and noisy shipbuilding drawing documents, we first learn to generate the noise in the dataset based on a CycleGAN model. We then generate multiple paired clean–noisy image pairs using the clean images in the dataset. Finally, we train a Pix2Pix GAN model with these generated image pairs to enhance shipbuilding drawings. Through empirical evaluation on a small Military Sealift Command (MSC) dataset, we demonstrated the superiority of our method in mitigating noise and preserving essential details, offering an effective solution for the restoration and utilization of historical shipbuilding drawings in contemporary digital environments.
Optimized Decode-and-Forward Multirelay Selection and Power Allocation in Cooperative Wireless Networks
Authors: Yang Duanrong , Cai Yongbin , Li Yang , Jin Xia , Bao Jianrong
Published: September 2024

To combat the high outage probability, high complexity calculation, and low resource utilization rate of collaborative communications, an optimal decode-and-forward (DF) multirelay selection and power allocation is proposed in cooperative wireless sensor networks. It is suitable for cooperative communications equipped with a large number of relay nodes. It uses the Lagrange multiplier method to perform the power pre-distribution of the source nodes and all relay nodes before the relay selection. In addition, it also optimally exploits the power of the distributed source and relay nodes according to statistics channel status information (CSI). By optimizing the selection of the multirelay nodes and the allocation of the power with the water-filling algorithm, the proposed scheme totally exploits the whole power to greatly reduce the resource waste. Especially, it chooses an optimal relay node in cooperative communications without a large number of instantaneous channel information, and it only need to arrange the relay nodes according to the increase in the equivalent channel gain order for the optimal relay node collection at the proper signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Simulation results show that the outage probability of the scheme outperforms those of the existing single selective decode-and-forward (SDF) counterparts by about 2.1 dB at an outage probability of 10−2.
Z-OFDM: A New High-Performance Solution for Underwater Acoustic Communication
Authors: Su Haitao , Chen Jiaxuan , Li Angdi , Hu Hongzhi , Xu Cuifeng
Published: September 2024

This paper presents Z-OFDM, a high-performance solution for underwater acoustic communication. Traditional underwater orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems suffer from spectrum leakage and distortion due to the narrowband nature of underwater acoustic signals and the picket fence effect of the fast Fourier transform (FFT). Z-OFDM addresses these issues by integrating zoom-fast Fourier transform (ZoomFFT) with OFDM and redesigning the modulator and demodulator to replace the conventional FFT. This integration enhances spectral resolution, resulting in higher channel capacity, improved Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR), and reduced Bit Error Rate (BER). Computer simulations using underwater acoustic channels from Fuxian Lake and Wuyuan Bay demonstrate that the Z-OFDM system achieves a 6 dB gain compared to conventional OFDM systems at a BER of 10−3. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of Z-OFDM in overcoming the limitations of traditional FFT-based OFDM systems in underwater environments.
Estimation of Void Area and Position in Solder Layer of Power Semiconductor Devices Based on Temperature Distribution Characteristics
Authors: Guo Wang , Chen Xingang , Tang Zheng , Liu Xingmou , Ma Zhipeng , Xu Xiangtao , Xia Daquan
Published: September 2024

Solder layer voids have a significant impact on the thermal performance of a device, which is a key cause of the thermal failure of the device. In this paper, the area and location of solder layer voids are calculated by combining finite element modeling and experimental measurements. Specifically, by analyzing the path of heat dissipation in the device, an equivalent thermal resistance network is constructed to calculate the area and location of the solder layer voids, and the calculation results show that the increment of the path thermal resistance depends on the void area; almost independently of the location, the temperature distribution of the device changes due to the phenomenon of heat accumulation in the voids. Further, in order to calculate the position of the solder layer voids, a point thermal resistance network matrix model is proposed based on the temperature distribution characteristics of the device surface. The validity of the proposed model is verified by comparing the calculation results of the junction temperature, void area, and location with the measurement results based on experimental platforms.
An Efficient Greedy Hierarchical Federated Learning Training Method Based on Trusted Execution Environments
Authors: Yan Jiaxing , Li Yan , Yin Sifan , Kang Xin , Wang Jiachen , Zhang Hao , Hu Bin
Published: September 2024

With the continuous development of artificial intelligence, effectively solving the problem of data islands under the premise of protecting user data privacy has become a top priority. Federal learning is an effective solution to the two significant dilemmas of data islands and data privacy protection. However, there are still some security problems in federal learning. Therefore, this study simulates the data distribution in a hardware-based trusted execution environment in the real world through two processing methods: independent identically distributed and non-independent identically distributed methods. The basic model uses ResNet164 and innovatively introduces a greedy hierarchical training strategy to gradually train and aggregate complex models to ensure that the training of each layer is optimized under the premise of protecting privacy. The experimental results show that under the condition of an IID data distribution, the final accuracy of the greedy hierarchical model reaches 86.72%, which is close to the accuracy of the unpruned model at 89.60%. In contrast, under the non-IID condition, the model’s performance decreases. Overall, the TEE-based hierarchical federated learning method shows reasonable practicability and effectiveness in a resource-constrained environment. Through this study, the advantages of the greedy hierarchical federated learning model with regard to enhancing data privacy protection, optimizing resource utilization, and improving model training efficiency are further verified, providing new ideas and methods for solving the data island and data privacy protection problems.
Digital Twins in 3D Printing Processes Using Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Rojek Izabela , Marciniak Tomasz , Mikołajewski Dariusz
Published: September 2024

Digital twins (DTs) provide accurate, data-driven, real-time modeling to create a digital representation of the physical world. The integration of new technologies, such as virtual/mixed reality, artificial intelligence, and DTs, enables modeling and research into ways to achieve better sustainability, greater efficiency, and improved safety in Industry 4.0/5.0 technologies. This paper discusses concepts, limitations, future trends, and potential research directions to provide the infrastructure and underlying intelligence for large-scale semi-automated DT building environments. Grouping these technologies along these lines allows for a better consideration of their individual risk factors and use of available data, resulting in an approach to generate holistic virtual representations (DTs) to facilitate predictive analyses in industrial practices. Artificial intelligence-based DTs are becoming a new tool for monitoring, simulating, and optimizing systems, and the widespread implementation and mastery of this technology will lead to significant improvements in performance, reliability, and profitability. Despite advances, the aforementioned technology still requires research, improvement, and investment. This article’s contribution is a concept that, if adopted instead of the traditional approach, can become standard practice rather than an advanced operation and can accelerate this development.
Going beyond API Calls in Dynamic Malware Analysis: A Novel Dataset
Authors: Ilić Slaviša , Gnjatović Milan , Tot Ivan , Jovanović Boriša , Maček Nemanja , Gavrilović Božović Marijana
Published: September 2024

Automated sandbox-based analysis systems are dominantly focused on sequences of API calls, which are widely acknowledged as discriminative and easily extracted features. In this paper, we argue that an extension of the feature set beyond API calls may improve the malware detection performance. For this purpose, we apply the Cuckoo open-source sandbox system, carefully configured for the production of a novel dataset for dynamic malware analysis containing 22,200 annotated samples (11,735 benign and 10,465 malware). Each sample represents a full-featured report generated by the Cuckoo sandbox when a corresponding binary file is submitted for analysis. To support our position that the discriminative power of the full-featured sandbox reports is greater than the discriminative power of just API call sequences, we consider samples obtained from binary files whose execution induced API calls. In addition, we derive an additional dataset from samples in the full-featured dataset, whose samples contain only information on API calls. In a three-way factorial design experiment (considering the feature set, the feature representation technique, and the random forest model hyperparameter settings), we trained and tested a set of random forest models in a two-class classification task. The obtained results demonstrate that resorting to full-featured sandbox reports improves malware detection performance. The accuracy of 95.56 percent obtained for API call sequences was increased to 99.74 percent when full-featured sandbox reports were considered.
Research on the Power Coordinate Control Strategy between a CLCC-HVDC and a VSC-HVDC during the AC Fault Period
Authors: Zhao Jingbo , Xu Ke , Li Wenbo
Published: September 2024

The underlying cause of commutation failures in traditional line-commutated converter (LCC) high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission technology lies in the sensitivity of the thyristor devices, which are prone to turning off, thereby restoring the forward circuit breaker capability. This paper presents a coordination strategy between a controllable line-commutated converter (CLCC) and a voltage-sourced converter (VSC) and delves into the fault characteristics specific to CLCC damage. Our research focuses on CLCC topology, where fully controlled devices are incorporated to manage the thyristor’s turn-off time, ensuring its successful deactivation. This approach serves as a fundamental preventative measure against commutation faults. Furthermore, we employ a coordination strategy between the VSC and the CLCC to enhance the recovery time efficiency of the AC system. This strategy is simulated and validated using PSCAD software, and the results confirm its effectiveness in fault tolerance and AC system recovery.
Thermodynamic Comparative Analysis of Cascade Refrigeration System Pairing R744 with R404A, R448A, and R449A with Internal Heat Exchanger: Part 1—Coefficient of Performance Characteristics
Authors: Jeon Min-Ju , Lee Joon-Hyuk
Published: September 2024

The R744/R404A cascade refrigeration system (CRS) has been widely used in supermarkets and hypermarkets, but due to the refrigerant regulation of R404A, research on alternative refrigerants is necessary. In addition, although there have been quite a few studies on R448A and R449A, which are well-known alternatives to R404A, few studies have analyzed the performance coefficients of the three refrigerants, and the studies that have analyzed them are not based on enough variables. Therefore, we aimed to understand the performance characteristics of CRS combined with an internal heat exchanger (IHX) by applying R744 for the low-temperature cycle (LTC) and R404A, R448A, and R449A for the high-temperature cycle (HTC). The analysis method was to analyze the coefficient of performance (COP) and mass flow rate (MFR) of the three refrigerants according to the degree of subcooling (DSC) and degree of superheating (DSH), IHX efficiency, temperature difference in the cascade heat exchanger (CHX), condensation temperature (CT), evaporation temperature (ET), and cascade evaporation temperature (CET). The purpose of this study is to compare R448A and R449A, alternative refrigerants to R404A, in an R744/R404A CRS, with R404A to provide sufficient data for optimal CRS design. The comparison results are as follows: (1) Compared with R404A, the MFR of R448A and R449A are 67.27–77.6% and 70.05–80.80%, respectively, under the same conditions. Therefore, R448A and R449A are economically favorable because they have less refrigerant charge than R404A, and R448A is more favorable than R449A. (2) The R744/R448A CRS is stable and performs better than the R744/R449A CRS in places with large changes in the surrounding environment.
Detection Method of External Damage Hazards in Transmission Line Corridors Based on YOLO-LSDW
Authors: Zou Hongbo , Yang Jinlong , Sun Jialun , Yang Changhua , Luo Yuhong , Chen Jiehao
Published: September 2024

To address the frequent external damage incidents to transmission line corridors caused by construction machinery such as excavators and cranes, this paper constructs a dataset of external damage hazards in transmission line corridors and proposes a detection method based on YOLO-LSDW for these hazards. Firstly, by incorporating the concept of large separable kernel attention (LSKA), the spatial pyramid pooling layer is improved to enhance the information exchange between different feature levels, effectively reducing background interference on external damage hazard targets. Secondly, in the neck network, the traditional convolution is replaced with a ghost-shuffle convolution (GSConv) method, introducing a lightweight slim-neck feature fusion structure. This improves the extraction capability for small object features by fusing deep semantic information with shallow detail features, while also reducing the model’s computational load and parameter count. Then, the original YOLOv8 head is replaced with a dynamic head, which combines scale, spatial, and task attention mechanisms to enhance the model’s detection performance. Finally, the wise intersection over union (WIoU) loss function is adopted to optimize the model’s convergence speed and detection performance. Evaluated on the self-constructed dataset of external damage hazards in transmission line corridors, the improved algorithm shows significant improvements in key metrics, with mAP@0.5 and mAP@0.5:0.95 increasing by 3.4% and 4.6%, respectively, compared to YOLOv8s. Additionally, the model’s computational load and parameter count are reduced, and it maintains a high detection speed of 96.2 frames per second, meeting real-time detection requirements.
Development Status and Prospects of Biomass Energy in China
Authors: Wang Tong , Zhou Tuo , Li Chaoran , Song Qiang , Zhang Man , Yang Hairui
Published: September 2024

With the increasingly serious problems of energy shortage and environmental degradation, countries around the world are actively developing safe, environmentally friendly, and renewable energy. Biomass energy has become an ideal substitute for fossil fuels due to its abundant reserves, good renewable performance, and zero carbon emissions. This paper discusses the importance and potential of biomass energy as a renewable energy source for China’s energy development, mainly including the three biomass conversion methods of physics, chemistry, and biology, seven utilization technologies, such as direct combustion, gasification, and pyrolysis, and five application approaches, such as biomass power generation, biomass gas fuel, biomass liquid fuel, and bio-based materials. This review systematically analyzes the challenges faced by China’s development of biomass energy and discusses the future development direction of biomass. The utilization of biomass resources should take a comprehensive and high-value path. China is actively looking for new energy utilization paths, and biomass energy has become a key measure to cope with carbon emission reduction, climate change, and ecological environment protection.
An Updated Review for Performance Enhancement of Solar Cells by Spectral Modification
Authors: Ju Tiancheng , Li Zeyu
Published: September 2024

Photovoltaic technology has become one of the major renewable ways to generate electric power. However, the mismatch between the incident solar spectrum and photo-electric response efficiency of solar cells severely constrains their performance. Hence, spectral modification technologies, e.g., up-conversion (UC), down-conversion (DC), and luminescent down-shifting (LDS) technologies have been applied widely in the photovoltaic field to reform the incident spectrum to match the best response band possible. In this paper, we review the latest developments of the three technologies above in terms of material selection, optical characteristics, and photovoltaic performance. It is found that the three most popular materials for conversion are NaYF4: Er3+, Yb3+, and Yb3+. The excitation bands for the three technologies are 800–1550 nm, 250–488 nm, and 250–488 nm, respectively, while the emission bands are 523–669 nm, 520–1031 nm, and 490–1010 nm, respectively. Furthermore, issues hindering the development of spectral modification technologies are pointed out, e.g., low absorption efficiency, poor quantum conversion efficiency, and hurdles in commercialization. Finally, suggestions and solutions to address the above-mentioned issues are provided.
Retrotransposons and Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Katsanou Andromachi , Kostoulas Charilaos , Liberopoulos Evangelos , Tsatsoulis Agathocles , Georgiou Ioannis , Tigas Stelios
Published: September 2024

Retrotransposons are invasive genetic elements, which replicate by copying and pasting themselves throughout the genome in a process called retrotransposition. The most abundant retrotransposons by number in the human genome are Alu and LINE-1 elements, which comprise approximately 40% of the human genome. The ability of retrotransposons to expand and colonize eukaryotic genomes has rendered them evolutionarily successful and is responsible for creating genetic alterations leading to significant impacts on their hosts. Previous research suggested that hypomethylation of Alu and LINE-1 elements is associated with global hypomethylation and genomic instability in several types of cancer and diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, obesity, osteoporosis, and diabetes mellitus (DM). With the advancement of sequencing technologies and computational tools, the study of the retrotransposon’s association with physiology and diseases is becoming a hot topic among researchers. Quantifying Alu and LINE-1 methylation is thought to serve as a surrogate measurement of global DNA methylation level. Although Alu and LINE-1 hypomethylation appears to serve as a cellular senescence biomarker promoting genomic instability, there is sparse information available regarding their potential functional and biological significance in DM. This review article summarizes the current knowledge on the involvement of the main epigenetic alterations in the methylation status of Alu and LINE-1 retrotransposons and their potential role as epigenetic markers of global DNA methylation in the pathogenesis of DM.
A Novel Framework for Cross-Cluster Scaling in Cloud-Native 5G NextGen Core
Authors: Dumitru-Guzu Oana-Mihaela , Călin Vlădeanu , Kooij Robert
Published: September 2024

Cloud-native technologies are widely considered the ideal candidates for the future of vertical application development due to their boost in flexibility, scalability, and especially cost efficiency. Since multi-site support is paramount for 5G, we employ a multi-cluster model that scales on demand, shifting the boundaries of both horizontal and vertical scaling for shared resources. Our approach is based on the liquid computing paradigm, which has the benefit of adapting to the changing environment. Despite being a decentralized deployment shared across data centers, the 5G mobile core can be managed as a single cluster entity running in a public cloud. We achieve this by following the cloud-native patterns for declarative configuration based on Kubernetes APIs and on-demand resource allocation. Moreover, in our setup, we analyze the offloading of both the Open5GS user and control plane functions under two different peering scenarios. A significant improvement in terms of latency and throughput is achieved for the in-band peering, considering the traffic between clusters is ensured by the Liqo control plane through a VPN tunnel. We also validate three end-to-end network slicing use cases, showcasing the full 5G core automation and leveraging the capabilities of Kubernetes multi-cluster deployments and inter-service monitoring through the applied service mesh solution.
Transcriptomic Analysis Provides Insights into the Energetic Metabolism and Immune Responses in Litopenaeus vannamei Challenged by Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae
Authors: Wang Libao , Xu Qiuwen , Yu Zhijun , Hu Zhenxin , Li Hui , Shi Wenjun , Wan Xihe
Published: September 2024

To explore the molecular mechanisms of the Litopenaeus vannamei response to infection by Photobacterium damselae, reveal its immune response and energetic metabolic effect, and provide a valuable genetic data source for the scientific prevention and control of Vibrio infection, transcriptomic analysis, RT-qPCR, and physiological and biochemical tests were conducted. The results showed that the expression of key genes involved in lipid and carbohydrate transport, such as apolipoprotein and TPS, was upregulated after pathogenic infection, which brought the accumulation of triacylglycerol and trehalose into the hemolymph. Additionally, the pathogenic infection selectively triggered an immune response in infected L. vannamei, activating certain immune pathways, such as the serpins and MAPK pathways. The pathogenic infection suppressed the activity of phenoloxidase (PO), and the prophenoloxidase (PPO) cascade responses were suppressed by the invasive bacteria. This paper will help us understand the energetic metabolism, immune response, and activation of the immune recognition response after pathogenic infection by P. damselae, and it lays a theoretical foundation for the biological prevention and control of P. damselae infection.
Research on Non-Destructive Quality Detection of Sunflower Seeds Based on Terahertz Imaging Technology
Authors: Ge Hongyi , Guo Chunyan , Jiang Yuying , Zhang Yuan , Zhou Wenhui , Wang Heng
Published: September 2024

The variety and content of high-quality proteins in sunflower seeds are higher than those in other cereals. However, sunflower seeds can suffer from abnormalities, such as breakage and deformity, during planting and harvesting, which hinder the development of the sunflower seed industry. Traditional methods such as manual sensory and machine sorting are highly subjective and cannot detect the internal characteristics of sunflower seeds. The development of spectral imaging technology has facilitated the application of terahertz waves in the quality inspection of sunflower seeds, owing to its advantages of non-destructive penetration and fast imaging. This paper proposes a novel terahertz image classification model, MobileViT-E, which is trained and validated on a self-constructed dataset of sunflower seeds. The results show that the overall recognition accuracy of the proposed model can reach 96.30%, which is 4.85%, 3%, 7.84% and 1.86% higher than those of the ResNet-50, EfficientNeT, MobileOne and MobileViT models, respectively. At the same time, the performance indices such as the recognition accuracy, the recall and the F1-score values are also effectively improved. Therefore, the MobileViT-E model proposed in this study can improve the classification and identification of normal, damaged and deformed sunflower seeds, and provide technical support for the non-destructive detection of sunflower seed quality.
The Production of Water Kefir Drink with the Addition of Dried Figs in the Horizontal Rotating Tubular Bioreactor
Authors: Pavlečić Mladen , Novak Mario , Trontel Antonija , Marđetko Nenad , Tominac Vlatka Petravić , Dobrinčić Ana , Kralj Monika , Šantek Božidar
Published: September 2024

Water kefir is a product obtained through the fermentation of sucrose solution, usually with some kind of dried fruit addition, by a combined culture of micro-organisms which are contained within kefir grains. Its popularity is rising because of the simplicity of its preparation and its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, probiotic, and antibacterial effects. In this research, the water kefir production was studied in 250 mL jars, as well as in a horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor (HRTB). The first part of the research was conducted in smaller-scale (jars), wherein the optimal fruit and fruit portions were determined. These experiments included the addition of dried plums, apricots, raisins, dates, cranberries, papaya, and figs into 150 mL of initial sugar solution. Also, the optimal ratio between dried fruit and sucrose solution (0.2) at the beginning of the bioprocess was determined. The second part of this research was conducted using HRTB. The experiments in the HRTB were carried out by using different operational modes (constant or interval bioreactor rotation). A total of six different bioreactor setups were used, and in all experiments, figs were added at the beginning of the bioprocess (0.2 ratio between dried figs and sucrose solution). On the basis of the obtained results, the interval bioreactor rotation mode proved to be the better HRTB mode for the production of the water kefir, as the yield of the main fermentation products was higher, and their ratios were the most adequate for the quality of water kefir drink. The optimal results were obtained via HRTB setup 3/57 (3 min rotation, 57 min pause within 1 h) and rotation speed of 3 rpm. Furthermore, it is clear that HRTB has great potential for water kefir production due to the fact that HRTB experiments showed shorter fermentation times (at least five times) than water kefir production in jars.
Is the Behavioural Gender Gap Decreasing? Evidence from Food Consumption in Swiss Single-Person Households
Authors: Loginova Daria , Mann Stefan
Published: September 2024

While Switzerland has made some progress over the past few decades in treating men and women more equally, this study intends to find out whether Swiss men and women’s food consumption patterns also converged between 1990 and 2017. After analysing 1.8 million observations of one-member households’ food baskets, we found that gender gaps are increasing significantly for 16 of 70 studied foods, decreasing significantly for another 16 of 70 studied foods and not changing significantly for more than half of the studied foods. On average, the gender gap in food consumption in Switzerland has increased over time. We conclude that behavioural differences between genders and culturally induced gender differences (e.g., unequal career chances) are largely unrelated.
Consensus of T-S Fuzzy Fractional-Order, Singular Perturbation, Multi-Agent Systems
Authors: Wang Xiyi , Zhang Xuefeng , Pedrycz Witold , Yang Shuang-Hua , Boutat Driss
Published: September 2024

Due to system complexity, research on fuzzy fractional-order, singular perturbation, multi-agent systems (FOSPMASs) remains limited in control theory. This article focuses on the leader-following consensus of fuzzy FOSPMASs with orders in the range of 0, 2. By employing the T-S fuzzy modeling approach, a fuzzy FOSPMAS is constructed. In order to achieve the consensus of a FOSPMAS with multiple time-scale characteristics, a fuzzy observer-based controller is designed, and the error system corresponding to each agent is derived. Through a series of equivalent transformations, the error system is decomposed into fuzzy singular fractional-order systems (SFOSs). The consensus conditions of the fuzzy FOSPMASs are obtained based on linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) without an equality constraint. The theorems provide a way to tackle the uncertainty and nonlinearity in FOSPMASs with orders in the range of 0, 2. Finally, the effectiveness of the theorems is verified through an RLC circuit model and a numerical example.
Polymeric Dural Biomaterials in Spinal Surgery: A Review
Authors: Yan Taoxu , Cheng Junyao , He Qing , Wang Yifan , Zhang Chuyue , Huang Da , Liu Jianheng , Wang Zheng
Published: September 2024

Laminectomy is a commonly performed surgical procedure by orthopedic and neurosurgeons, aimed at alleviating nerve compression and reducing pain. However, in some cases, excessive proliferation of fibrous scar tissue in the epidural space post-surgery can lead to persistent and intractable lower back pain, a condition known as Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS). The persistent fibrous tissue causes both physical and emotional distress for patients and also makes follow-up surgeries more challenging due to reduced visibility and greater technical difficulty. It has been established that the application of biomaterials to prevent epidural fibrosis post-lumbar surgery is more beneficial than revision surgeries to relieve dural fibrosis. Hydrogel-based biomaterials, with their excellent biocompatibility, degradability, and injectability and tunable mechanical properties, have been increasingly introduced by clinicians and researchers. This paper, building on the foundation of epidural fibrosis, primarily discusses the strategies for the preparation of natural and polymeric biomaterials to prevent epidural fibrosis, their physicochemical properties, and their ability to mitigate the excessive proliferation of fibroblasts. It also emphasizes the challenges that need to be addressed to translate laboratory research into clinical practice and the latest advancements in this field.
Introduction: Wartime Ephemera and the Transmission of Diverse Family and Community Histories
Authors: Kempshall Chris , Pennell Catriona
Published: September 2024

This Special Issue seeks to broaden our understanding of the role of ephemera and material culture in preserving conflict experiences and memories, with particular focus on the diverse—and potentially subversive—nature of family history, community narration, and generational transmission [...]
A Capacity Audit of Medical Geneticists and Genetic Counsellors in South Africa, 2024: A National Crisis
Authors: Gomes Marianne C. M. , Gomes Byron J. , Christianson Arnold L. , Bailly Claude , McKerrow Neil , Malherbe Helen L.
Published: September 2024

Community genetic services were introduced in South Africa almost seven decades ago, with medical geneticists and genetic counsellors being formally recognized for the past 30 years. Initial training platforms were established at academic centres countrywide, and posts for relevant healthcare professionals, including medical geneticists and genetic counsellors were created in the public sector. Despite these early advances, the number of these specialists required to address the rising burden of congenital disorders in the country remains far below required targets established by the National Department of Health. The aim of this study was to analyse the retrospective, current and projected number of medical geneticists and genetic counsellors in South Africa. The results indicate the number of practicing medical geneticists (n = 13) and genetic counsellors (n = 28) are currently at 10% and 5% of capacity targets, respectively. There is unequal distribution of these specialists between the public and private healthcare sectors, and geographical maldistribution. An alarming trend of emigration is particularly prevalent among newly qualified genetic counsellors. With the proportion of congenital disorders expected to continue to rise in coming years, together with the increasing proportion of ageing South Africans, it is imperative that health workforce planning addresses the ever-widening gap between the supply, demand and unmet need for these crucial specialists in South Africa.
Achieving Robust Medical Coding in DRGs Systems: Innovative Actions Adopted in Greece
Authors: Platis Charalampos , Papaioannou Leonidas , Sideri Panagiota , Messaropoulos Pantelis , Chalkias Konstantinos , Kontodimopoulos Nikolaos
Published: September 2024

The purpose of this study is to evaluate and illustrate the effectiveness of a specialized digital platform developed to improve the accuracy of medical coding during the full implementation of Greece’s new DRG system, and to highlight innovative actions for achieving and/or improving accurate medical coding. Already grouped DRG cases recorded in the first DRG implementation year in the region of Crete were examined. A sample of 133,922 cases was analyzed and audited, through a process consisting of three stages: (i) digitalization, (ii) auditor training, and (iii) control and consultation. The results indicated that a significant proportion of DRG coding, with a length of stay exceeding one day, was reclassified into different DRG categories. This reclassification was primarily due to coding errors—such as the omission of secondary diagnoses, exclusion of necessary medical procedures, and the use of less specific codes—rather than mistakes in selecting the principal diagnosis. The study underscores the importance of medical coding control and consulting services. It demonstrates that targeted actions in these areas can significantly enhance the implementation of the DRG coding system. Accurate medical coding is crucial for transparent allocation of resources within hospitals, ensuring that hospital services and reimbursements are appropriately managed and allocated based on the true complexity and needs of patient cases.
Analysis of Indirect Costs of Absence Associated with Mental Disorders on the Basis of Social Security Data (2012–2023)
Authors: Juraszek Paweł , Sobczyk Karolina , Krupa-Kotara Karolina , Grajek Mateusz
Published: September 2024

Background: Mental and behavioral disorders significantly impair psychophysical functioning, leading to challenges in daily activities. The increasing recognition of the importance of mental health in global development goals has resulted in its inclusion in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The burden of mental disorders has grown worldwide due to demographic changes, with substantial economic and social impacts. Objective: This study aimed to examine the indirect costs of mental disorders in Poland by analyzing the expenditures by the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) on work incapacity benefits and disability pensions from 2012 to 2023. The goal was to identify trends, dependencies, and the economic impact of policy changes. Material and Methods: Data were collected from ZUS reports on annual expenditures for work incapacity benefits and disability pensions. Advanced statistical methods, including linear regression and Pearson correlation, were employed to analyze trends and relationships. Student’s t-tests assessed the statistical significance of the observed trends. Results: The expenditures on benefits for work incapacity due to mental disorders increased significantly over the past decade, particularly from 2020 to 2023, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Short-term absenteeism due to mental disorders accounted for 10.5% of the total sick leave days. A strong positive correlation was found between years and benefit expenditures. Conversely, the disability pension expenditures exhibited a downward trend, potentially reflecting improvements in public health or policy changes. Conclusions: The significant increase in expenditures on benefits related to mental disorders may reflect greater awareness, improved diagnostics, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, the decline in disability pension expenditures could suggest improved mental health or effective policy measures. However, it is important to emphasize that the presented data are not the only factor influencing this situation. Multiple variables, including societal, economic, and healthcare system changes, contribute to these trends. Therefore, further research is necessary to fully understand the underlying causes and to guide effective policy development. Regular monitoring and continued investment in mental health are essential to managing indirect costs such as absenteeism and presenteeism efficiently.
Gerontology and Geriatrics in Undergraduate Nursing Education in Portugal and Spain: An Integrative and Comparative Curriculum Review
Authors: Alves Sara Brás , Magalhães Carlos Pires , Fernandes Adília , Palmero Mª José Fermoso , Fernandes Helder
Published: September 2024

Nurses play a critical role in caring for elderly patients; however, the emphasis on aging care in undergraduate programs may be insufficient. The present study aims at identifying the relevance given to theoretical and/or practical gerontological and geriatric contents in undergraduate study plans in Portugal and Spain. Presenting a two-part investigation, an integrative review approach examines nursing education on a global scale and a comparative analysis, using Bereday’s comparative method, to assess the nursing curricula between Portugal and Spain. The search found 117 documents, with 16 being included. Studies covered diverse educational practices in geriatric and gerontological nursing, emphasizing curriculum development, faculty expertise, practical training, attitudes towards elderly care, and future directions. The comparative analysis of nursing curricula revealed that Portugal places a priority on building foundational theoretical knowledge in the first year and then gradually integrating practical training. In contrast, Spain emphasizes an extensive and integrated approach with a strong focus on practical skills and comprehensive assessments. Our research emphasizes the need to incorporate aging-focused education into nursing curricula and update the curriculum, providing hands-on training with early exposure to these environments. Additionally, simulation classes can enhance critical thinking by allowing students to experience aging effects firsthand.
Italian Version of the Hospital Aggressive Behaviour Scale-Users: Initial Psychometric Evaluation among Hospital Healthcare Professionals
Authors: Cavallari Elena , Setti Ilaria , Curcuruto Matteo , Gremita Cristina , Sommovigo Valentina
Published: September 2024

Background: Healthcare professionals frequently encounter various forms of aggression, ranging from verbal abuse to physical assaults, which can compromise both their occupational well-being and patient-care quality. Despite its prevalence and serious consequences, workplace aggression is often underreported due to a lack of standardized assessment tools. This study aims to develop a valid Italian version of the Hospital Aggressive Behaviour Scale-Users. Methods: The scale’s structure was evaluated using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses on two samples of healthcare professionals during and after the pandemic. Reliability, measurement invariance, and nomological validity were examined. Results: EFA revealed a two-factor structure comprising eight items (χ2 = 59.651, df = 13, p = 0.00; CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.07; SRMR = 0.02), distinguishing non-physical and physical aggression, and meeting all recommended criteria. CFA confirmed this structure, demonstrating good reliability and outperforming alternative models. The same factor structure was confirmed in standard (χ2 = 35.01, df = 19, p = 0.00; CFI = 0.99; TLI = 0.99; RMSEA = 0.03; SRMR = 0.02) and emergency (χ2 = 30.65, df = 19, p = 0.04; CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.97; RMSEA = 0.06; SRMR = 0.04) contexts. Full residual invariance was found across job tenure groups. Aggression was positively associated with emotional exhaustion, psychological distance, psychosomatic symptoms, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and turnover intentions while negatively related to job satisfaction. Nurses and healthcare assistants reported higher levels of aggression than doctors. Conclusions: This study provides a reliable, context-specific instrument for documenting and analysing outsider aggression. The insights can inform targeted interventions, contributing to a healthier hospital environment.
The State-of-the-Art of Mycobacterium chimaera Infections and the Causal Link with Health Settings: A Systematic Review
Authors: Bolcato Vittorio , Bassetti Matteo , Basile Giuseppe , Bianco Prevot Luca , Speziale Giuseppe , Tremoli Elena , Maffessanti Francesco , Tronconi Livio Pietro
Published: September 2024

(1) Background. A definition of healthcare-associated infections is essential also for the attribution of the restorative burden to healthcare facilities in case of harm and for clinical risk management strategies. Regarding M. chimaera infections, there remains several issues on the ecosystem and pathogenesis. We aim to review the scientific evidence on M. chimaera beyond cardiac surgery, and thus discuss its relationship with healthcare facilities. (2) Methods. A systematic review was conducted on PubMed and Web of Science on 7 May 2024 according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines for reporting systematic reviews, including databases searches with the keyword “Mycobacterium chimaera”. Article screening was conducted by tree authors independently. The criterion for inclusion was cases that were not, or were improperly, consistent with the in-situ deposition of aerosolised M. chimaera. (3) Results. The search yielded 290 eligible articles. After screening, 34 articles (377 patients) were included. In five articles, patients had undergone cardiac surgery and showed musculoskeletal involvement or disseminated infection without cardiac manifestations. In 11 articles, respiratory specimen reanalyses showed M. chimaera. Moreover, 10 articles reported lung involvement, 1 reported meninges involvement, 1 reported skin involvement, 1 reported kidney involvement after transplantation, 1 reported tendon involvement, and 1 reported the involvement of a central venous catheter; 3 articles reported disseminated cases with one concomitant spinal osteomyelitis. (4) Conclusions. The scarce data on environmental prevalence, the recent studies on M. chimaera ecology, and the medicalised sample selection bias, as well as the infrequent use of robust ascertainment of sub-species, need to be weighed up. The in-house aerosolization, inhalation, and haematogenous spread deserve experimental study, as M. chimaera cardiac localisation could depend to transient bacteraemia. Each case deserves specific ascertainment before tracing back to the facility, even if M. chimaera represents a core area for healthcare facilities within a framework of infection prevention and control policies.