bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A bi-dimensional numerical study for the porosity effects on perforated GTC efficiency under constant surface heat flux condition
Authors: Amrani Asmaa , Habchi Mohammed , Chaouch Saâd
Published: January 2022

In this paper, the flat-plate solar collector with different porosities is considered. The use of perforated absorbers has many advantages, including the diffusion of the absorbed radiation over the entire depth of the absorber, which increases the area of heat transfer and reduces the local flux density on absorbent surfaces. A parametric study based on numerical simulation is carried out by varying the absorber plate perforation diameter and fixing its spacing. The inlet mass flow rate is changed in a large interval in order to determine the optimal operating points. The heat diffusion and energy balance equations are formulated to be suitable to analyze the influence of the absorber plates’ perforation on the GTC thermal performance. That is why, the necessary basic assumptions are developed to simulate the heat exchange mechanism as accurate as possible. Therefore, the heated air thermal conductivity is neglected against that of the absorber which allows that constant surface heat flux condition to be applied at its outer well as well as at glazing cover. The methodology of simulation is completed by aided flowchart to handle the radiation loss and pressure drops’ validation.
Practical synchronization of nonautonomous chaotic systems with parameter mismatch via event-triggered control
Authors: Qiu Wenlan , Cai Jianping
Published: January 2022

Practical synchronization between two [Formula: see text]-dimensional nonautonomous chaotic systems is achieved by the method of event-triggered control in the case of parameter mismatch. This study focuses on parameter mismatch and its effect on synchronization performance. The synchronization criterion is deduced in the form of linear matrix inequality. The synchronization error bound is analytically estimated, which can reveal the relationships between the synchronization error and the parameters. It is proven that there exists a lower bound for the inter-event times between two event-triggered moments, which means no Zeno behavior will occur in this control scheme. The obtained results are applied to a gyrostat system. Subsequently, numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the control strategy.
Performance and Power Estimation of STT-MRAM Main Memory with Reliable System-level Simulation
Authors: Asifuzzaman Kazi , Verdejo Rommel Sánchez , Radojković Petar
Published: January 2022

It is questionable whether DRAM will continue to scale and will meet the needs of next-generation systems. Therefore, significant effort is invested in research and development of novel memory technologies. One of the candidates for next-generation memory is Spin-Transfer Torque Magnetic Random Access Memory (STT-MRAM). STT-MRAM is an emerging non-volatile memory with a lot of potential that could be exploited for various requirements of different computing systems. Being a novel technology, STT-MRAM devices are already approaching DRAM in terms of capacity, frequency, and device size. Although STT-MRAM technology got significant attention of various major memory manufacturers, academic research of STT-MRAM main memory remains marginal. This is mainly due to the unavailability of publicly available detailed timing and current parameters of this novel technology, which are required to perform a reliable main memory simulation on performance and power estimation. This study demonstrates an approach to perform a cycle accurate simulation of STT-MRAM main memory, being the first to release detailed timing and current parameters of this technology from academia—essentially enabling researchers to conduct reliable system-level simulation of STT-MRAM using widely accepted existing simulation infrastructure. The results show a fairly narrow overall performance deviation in response to significant variations in key timing parameters, and the power consumption experiments identify the key power component that is mostly affected with STT-MRAM.
L
2
C: Combining Lossy and Lossless Compression on Memory and I/O
Authors: Eldstål-Ahrens Albin , Arelakis Angelos , Sourdis Ioannis
Published: January 2022

In this article, we introduce L
2
C, a hybrid lossy/lossless compression scheme applicable both to the memory subsystem and I/O traffic of a processor chip. L
2
C employs general-purpose lossless compression and combines it with state-of-the-art lossy compression to achieve compression ratios up to 16:1 and to improve the utilization of chip’s bandwidth resources. Compressing memory traffic yields lower memory access time, improving system performance, and energy efficiency. Compressing I/O traffic offers several benefits for resource-constrained systems, including more efficient storage and networking. We evaluate L
2
C as a memory compressor in simulation with a set of approximation-tolerant applications. L
2
C improves baseline execution time by an average of 50% and total system energy consumption by 16%. Compared to the lossy and lossless current state-of-the-art memory compression approaches, L
2
C improves execution time by 9% and 26%, respectively, and reduces system energy costs by 3% and 5%, respectively. I/O compression efficacy is evaluated using a set of real-life datasets. L
2
C achieves compression ratios of up to 10.4:1 for a single dataset and on average about 4:1, while introducing no more than 0.4% error.
Holistic Resource Allocation Under Federated Scheduling for Parallel Real-time Tasks
Authors: Nie Lanshun , Fan Chenghao , Lin Shuang , Zhang Li , Li Yajuan , Li Jing
Published: January 2022

With the technology trend of hardware and workload consolidation for embedded systems and the rapid development of edge computing, there has been increasing interest in supporting parallel real-time tasks to better utilize the multi-core platforms while meeting the stringent real-time constraints. For parallel real-time tasks, the federated scheduling paradigm, which assigns each parallel task a set of dedicated cores, achieves good theoretical bounds by ensuring exclusive use of processing resources to reduce interferences. However, because cores share the last-level cache and memory bandwidth resources, in practice tasks may still interfere with each other despite executing on dedicated cores. Such resource interferences due to concurrent accesses can be even more severe for embedded platforms or edge servers, where the computing power and cache/memory space are limited. To tackle this issue, in this work, we present a holistic resource allocation framework for parallel real-time tasks under federated scheduling. Under our proposed framework, in addition to dedicated cores, each parallel task is also assigned with dedicated cache and memory bandwidth resources. Further, we propose a holistic resource allocation algorithm that well balances the allocation between different resources to achieve good schedulability. Additionally, we provide a full implementation of our framework by extending the federated scheduling system with Intel’s Cache Allocation Technology and MemGuard. Finally, we demonstrate the practicality of our proposed framework via extensive numerical evaluations and empirical experiments using real benchmark programs.
Microarchitectural Exploration of STT-MRAM Last-level Cache Parameters for Energy-efficient Devices
Authors: Marinelli Tommaso , Pérez José Ignacio Gómez , Tenllado Christian , Komalan Manu , Gupta Mohit , Catthoor Francky
Published: January 2022

As the technology scaling advances, limitations of traditional memories in terms of density and energy become more evident. Modern caches occupy a large part of a CPU physical size and high static leakage poses a limit to the overall efficiency of the systems, including IoT/edge devices. Several alternatives to CMOS SRAM memories have been studied during the past few decades, some of which already represent a viable replacement for different levels of the cache hierarchy. One of the most promising technologies is the spin-transfer torque magnetic RAM (STT-MRAM), due to its small basic cell design, almost absent static current and non-volatility as an added value. However, nothing comes for free, and designers will have to deal with other limitations, such as the higher latencies and dynamic energy consumption for write operations compared to reads. The goal of this work is to explore several microarchitectural parameters that may overcome some of those drawbacks when using STT-MRAM as last-level cache (LLC) in embedded devices. Such parameters include: number of cache banks, number of miss status handling registers (MSHRs) and write buffer entries, presence of hardware prefetchers. We show that an effective tuning of those parameters may virtually remove any performance loss while saving more than 60% of the LLC energy on average. The analysis is then extended comparing the energy results from calibrated technology models with data obtained with freely available tools, highlighting the importance of using accurate models for architectural exploration.
Selective Electrochemical Detection of Catechin Compounds in Herbal Medicines
Authors: Gomes Jessica Santos , da Costa Érica Abadia , Munoz Rodrigo Alejandro Abarza , de Oliveira Alberto , Sousa Raquel Maria Ferreira
Published: January 2022

Most electrochemical sensors reported for catechin determination in herbal medicines actually involve the detection of not only catechins but also other flavonoids. This work proposes a strategy to selectively detect and quantify flavan-3-ol, known as catechins, in the presence of other flavonoids by complexation with AlCl3. Flavonoids (e.g., rutin, quercetin) form stable complex with AlCl3 which affect the electrooxidation of these molecules. Hence, the electrochemical oxidation of catechin is free from the interference of other flavonoids as shown by differential-pulse voltammetry using glassy-carbon electrode. The approach was applied to herbal medicines and mass-spectrometry confirmed the presence of catechins in such samples.
Sensor Division: After a Decade and into the Next Century
Authors: Vanysek Petr
Published: January 2022

In this issue three articles are featured that provide a profile of the interests of the Sensor Division of The Electrochemical Society. This year is the tenth anniversary of the Sensor Division, which was formed, as a Sensor Group, on May 19, 1988. A brief overview of the first ten years reveals the success of the Division, as marked by its steady increase in membership, the number of organized and co-organized symposia, the number of presented papers, and the number of active participants in each symposia.
Decoupling Hydrogen Production and Water Oxidation in a Hybrid Solar-Driven Vanadium Redox Cell Supported By a Bipolar Membrane with Earth-Abundant Catalysts
Authors: Xiang Chengxiang("CX")
Published: January 2022

Renewable hydrogen produced by solar water-splitting has the potential to balance the intermittent nature of the sunlight and support grid-scale energy storage. In a solar-driven water-splitting device, the cathode surface and the anode surface involve hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which are tightly coupled with each other, that is, whenever one oxygen molecule was produced at the cathode surface, two hydrogen molecules were produced at the anode surface at the same time.

In this talk, I will show some recent results on an alternative approach to solar water-splitting, where the electron and proton generated at OER was used to charge an aqueous vanadium solution in a 2.0 M sulfuric acid (pH = -0.16) electrolyte with near unity Faradaic efficiency, rather than being used directly to produce hydrogen at the cathode. The produced V2+ species in the cathode chamber was then passed through a MoCx based catalyst to produce hydrogen and to re-generate V3+ for the subsequent reduction, with an average hydrogen generation efficiency of 85% at different depths of charging. Coupled to a solar tracker, the solar-driven vanadium redox cell was charged outdoors under real-world illumination during the day and discharged at night to produce hydrogen with a daily average solar to hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency of 5.8%.
(Invited) Nanoscale Design and Modification of Plasmonic Aerogels for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation
Authors: Pietron Jeremy , DeSario Paul A. , Pitman Catherine L. , Brintlinger Todd , Dunkelberger Adam , Baturina Olga A , Stroud Rhonda , Owrutsky Jeffrey C. , Rolison Debra R.
Published: January 2022

Composite catalytic aerogels comprise a highly-flexible design motif for the creation of solar fuels photocatalysts. We exploit the compositional and interfacial design flexibility of catalytic aerogels to couple surface plasmon resonant (SPR) guests to nanometric oxidation and reduction catalysts in one hierarchical photocatalytic composite architecture. In our composite aerogels, the nanoscale TiO2 aerogel acts as a 3D-interconnected network of nanowires that couples all of the functional elements required to photogenerate molecular hydrogen from visible light and water: visible light sensitization, electron and ion transport, and oxidation and reduction catalysis.

We investigate the effects of synthetically modifying the TiO2 aerogel network and the nanoparticulate Au||TiO2 interfaces in plasmonic Au–TiO2 aerogels on light sensitization, carrier (electron–hole pair) generation, and photocatalytic H2 evolution under both broadband (i.e., UV + visible) and visible excitation. We also introduce oxidation and reduction co-catalyst nanoparticles into the plasmonic aerogels, creating composite aerogels that perform visible light SPR–driven photocatalytic reduction of water to generate H2. The nanostructured high surface–area network in the aerogel spatially and effectively separates charge while electrochemically connecting plasmonic nanoparticle sensitizers and metal nanoparticle all in one mesoscale architecture and at length scales compatible with the kinetics of each reaction.

Reference:

"Plasmonic aerogels as a 3D nanoscale platform for solar fuels photocatalysis.” P. A. DeSario, J. J. Pietron, A. Dunkelburger, T.H. Brintlinger, O. Baturina, R. M. Stroud, J. C. Owrutsky, and D. R. Rolison, Langmuir, 2017, 33, 9444–9454; doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b01117

This work is supported by the U.S. Office of Naval Research.
(Invited) Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction III-Vs for Photo-Electrochemical Hydrogen Production Systems: Challenges in Absorber Stabilization and Device Scale-up
Authors: Young James L. , Klein Walter E. , Steiner Myles , Deutsch Todd G
Published: January 2022

While III-V semiconductors have achieved the highest photo-electrochemical solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiencies, they are remarkably unstable during operation in a harsh electrolyte[1]. The first half of this talk will focus on the degradation mechanism of inverted metamorphic multijunction (IMM) III-V cells and surface modification strategies aimed at protecting them from photocorrosion. We applied noble metal catalysts, oxide coatings by atomic layer deposition, and MoS2 in an effort to protect the GaInP2 surface that was in contact with acidic electrolyte. We also grew thin epitaxial capping layers from III-V alloys that should be more intrinsically stable than GaInP2. The ability of the various modifications to protect the IMM’s surface was evaluated by operating at each electrode at short circuit for extended periods of time.

The second part of this talk will identify the challenges encountered while scaling the IMM III-V absorber areas of from ~0.15 cm2 up to 16 cm2 and incorporating them in a photoreactor capable of generating 3 standard liters of hydrogen in 8 hours under natural sunlight. To successfully scale photo-electrochemical water-splitting technologies from bench to demonstration size requires addressing predictable and unpredictable complications. Despite using Comsol multiphysics to model our photoreactor and identify suitable specifications for a prototype, several practical issues were uncovered during testing that led to multiple iterations of photoreactor design between the initial and final generation. Several bottlenecks that ranged from counter electrode composition and orientation to bubble removal needed redress in order to meet our performance targets. Ultimately, the demonstration-scale system was able to generate nearly twice the target volume of hydrogen in an 8-hour outdoor trial.

[1] NATURE ENERGY 2, 17028 (2017)
Exploring Electrocatalytic N2 under Varying Electrolyte Conditions
Authors: Nielander Adam C. , McEnaney Joshua M , Jaramillo Thomas F
Published: January 2022

The activation of molecular nitrogen toward reduction is key to the efficient synthesis of valuable ammonia-based agricultural fertilizers. With this in mind, we have explored the electrocatalytic reduction and oxidation of N2 with a range of materials, including Re, Ni, and Fe metals predicted to have high nitrogen reduction activity via DFT calculations. The activity of these electrocatalytic materials toward nitrogen reduction and oxidation was evaluated under a range pressures (1-50 bar) and under a range of electrolyte conditions, including various pH levels, solvents (H2O, ethanol, THF), and supporting electrolyte salts (Li+, Na+, K+) to understand and minimize the loss of Faradaic efficiency for nitrogen due to concurrent hydrogen evolution. Our experimental results were compared to computationally predicted nitrogen reduction electrocatalytic activities in order to understand the mechanism of N2 activation as well as improve computational methods for further theory-based hypothesis generation and catalyst selection.
Tuning Morphology and Defect Density in Self-Assembled Thin-Films of Solvent-Exfoliated WSe2 for Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production
Authors: Yu Xiaoyun , Sivula Kevin
Published: January 2022

The layered semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides can be exfoliated into atomically-thin 2D sheets offering promising opto-electronic characteristics for application in solar energy conversion. However, the challenges to fabricate high-quality thin films of these 2D sheets using scalable and cost-effective methods limit their practical application. Here we present novel solution-based approaches for large-area semiconducting films of liquid exfoliated WSe2 with controllable flake alignment and defect density, which is leveraged to advance the understanding of the morphological and structural factors on the optoelectronic performance in devices. Specifically, we develop a thin film self-assembly method employing spatial confinement of WSe2 nanoflakes which affords overlapping-free morphology and superior charge transfer character over films with aggregations.[1, 2] The critical roles of the flake edge density, flake lateral size and thickness on the photogenerated charge transport and transfer are established by both experimental (by solution-based flake size sorting) and theoretical (by anisotropic charge transport simulation) routes.[3] In addition, we recently develop approaches to reduce charge recombination at internal crystal defects and surface dangling bonds by applying pre-annealing and surfactant treatments, respectively, which affords a considerable improvement that represents a new benchmark for the performance of solution-processed WSe2. Solar photocurrents for H2 evolution up to 4.0 mA cm–2 (at 0V vs RHE, AM 1.5G illumination), and internal quantum efficiency over 60% are reported for 10 nm thick WSe2 photoelectrodes.

[1] Yu X.; Prevot, M. S.; Guijarro, N.; Sivula, K. Nat.
Commun.
2015, 6, 7596.

[2] Yu X.; Prévot, M. S.; Sivula, K. Chem. Mater.
2014, 26, 5892.

[3] Yu, X.; Sivula, K. Chem. Mater.
2017, 29, 6863.
Wide-Bandgap Cuga(S,Se)2 As Top Cell Photocathodes for Tandem Water Splitting Devices
Authors: DeAngelis Alexander D , Horsley Kimberly , Gaillard Nicolas
Published: January 2022

Although several wide-bandgap (1.6-2.0 eV) chalcopyrites (e.g. CuGaSe2, Cu(In,Ga)S2, Cu(In,Al)Se2, (Ag,Cu)GaSe2) have been thus far studied as top cell absorbers for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting tandem devices, CuGa(S,Se)2 is a wide-Eg chalcopyrite that has not yet received any attention in this regard. In this communication, we report on the performance of wide-bandgap chalcopyrite CuGa(S,Se)2 photocathodes as a top cell for PEC tandem water splitting. To be able to assess the PEC performance of CuGa(S,Se)2 as well as its optical transmittance, transparent conductive fluorinated tin oxide (FTO) substrates were used as back contacts. Through our research, we found that synthesizing CuGa(S,Se)2 films through sulfurization of a CuGaSe2 precursor would degrade the optoelectronic properties of the FTO substrate. As such, a specific synthesis approach was developed to circumvent this problem and successfully fabricate functioning CuGa(S,Se)2 PEC photocathodes on FTO. We present the PEC performance of our CuGa(S,Se)2 photocathodes (JSAT≈10 mA/cm2) as well as measurements relevant to its performance as a top cell, such as sub-bandgap transmittance. Finally, we present quantum efficiency of a low-bandgap Cu(In,Ga)Se2 shaded by the CuGa(S,Se)2 PEC photocathode, and discuss the potential of Cu(In,Ga)Se2/CuGa(S,Se)2 tandem structures for non-assisted PEC water splitting.
Effects of Sambiloto (Andrographis paniculata) on GLP-1 and DPP-4 Concentrations between Normal and Prediabetic Subjects: A Crossover Study
Authors: Tarigan Tri Juli Edi , Purwaningsih Erni Hernawati , Yusra  , Abdullah Murdani , Nafrialdi  , Prihartono Joedo , Saraswati Made Ratna , Subekti Imam
Published: January 2022

Background. The extract of Andrographis paniculata (Burm. F.) Wall. Ex. Nees. (sambiloto) (穿心蓮 chuān xīn lián) has been reported to have an antidiabetic effect on mice models and has been used traditionally in the community. The exact mechanism of sambiloto extract in decreasing plasma glucose is unclear, so we investigated the role of sambiloto extract in the incretin pathway in healthy and prediabetic subjects. Methods. This study was a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover, double-blind trial. It included 38 people who were healthy and 35 people who had prediabetes. All subjects were randomly assigned to receive either the intervention sambiloto extract or a placebo. All subjects were randomly assigned to receive the first intervention for 14 days. There was a washout period between subsequent interventions. The primary outcome was glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) concentration, and secondary outcomes were fasting insulin, 2-hour postprandial insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), fasting blood glucose, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), and glycated albumin before and after the intervention. Result. After the intervention, GLP-1 concentration significantly increased in prediabetes by 19.6% compared to the placebo (

p
=
0.043

). There were no significant differences in the changes of fasting insulin, 2-hour postprandial insulin, HOMA-IR, fasting blood glucose, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose, DPP-4, and glycated albumin levels after the intervention. Sambiloto extract did not inhibit the DPP-4 enzyme in healthy and prediabetic subjects. Conclusion. Sambiloto extract increased GLP-1 concentration without inhibiting the DPP-4 enzyme in prediabetic subjects. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT03455049), registered on 6 March 2018—retrospectively registered (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03455049).
Metadichol®: A Novel Nanolipid Formulation That Inhibits SARS‐CoV‐2 and a Multitude of Pathological Viruses In Vitro
Authors: Raghavan Palayakotai R.
Published: January 2022

Increasing outbreaks of new pathogenic viruses have promoted the exploration of novel alternatives to time‐consuming vaccines. Thus, it is necessary to develop a universal approach to halt the spread of new and unknown viruses as they are discovered. One such promising approach is to target lipid membranes, which are common to all viruses and bacteria. The ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) pandemic has reaffirmed the importance of interactions between the virus envelope and the host cell plasma membrane as a critical mechanism of infection. Metadichol®, a nanolipid emulsion of long‐chain alcohols, has been demonstrated as a strong candidate that inhibits the proliferation of SARS‐CoV‐2. Naturally derived substances, such as long‐chain saturated lipid alcohols, reduce viral infectivity, including that of coronaviruses (such as SARS‐CoV‐2) by modifying their lipid‐dependent attachment mechanism to human host cells. The receptor ACE2 mediates the entry of SARS‐CoV‐2 into the host cells, whereas the serine protease TMPRSS2 primes the viral S protein. In this study, Metadichol® was found to be 270 times more potent an inhibitor of TMPRSS2 (EC50 = 96 ng/mL) than camostat mesylate (EC50 = 26000 ng/mL). Additionally, it inhibits ACE with an EC50 of 71 ng/mL, but it is a very weak inhibitor of ACE2 at an EC50 of 31 μg/mL. Furthermore, the live viral assay performed in Caco‐2 cells revealed that Metadichol® inhibits SARS‐CoV‐2 replication at an EC90 of 0.16 μg/mL. Moreover, Metadichol® had an EC90 of 0.00037 μM, making it 2081 and 3371 times more potent than remdesivir (EC50 = 0.77 μM) and chloroquine (EC50 = 1.14 μM), respectively.
Exacerbation of Thrombotic Responses to Silver Nanoparticles in Hypertensive Mouse Model
Authors: Ferdous Zannatul , Beegam Sumaya , Zaaba Nur E. , Elzaki Ozaz , Tariq Saeed , Greish Yaser E. , Ali Badreldin H. , Nemmar Abderrahim
Published: January 2022

With advent of nanotechnology, silver nanoparticles, AgNPs owing majorly to their antibacterial properties, are used widely in food industry and biomedical applications implying human exposure by various routes including inhalation. Several reports have suggested AgNPs induced pathophysiological effects in a cardiovascular system. However, cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension may interfere with AgNPs-induced response, yet majority of them are understudied. The aim of this work was to evaluate the thrombotic complications in response to polyethylene glycol- (PEG-) coated AgNPs using an experimental hypertensive (HT) mouse model. Saline (control) or PEG-AgNPs (0.5 mg/kg) were intratracheally (i.t.) instilled four times, i.e., on days 7, 14, 21, and 28 post-angiotensin II-induced HT, or vehicle (saline) infusion. On day 29, various parameters were assessed including thrombosis in pial arterioles and venules, platelet aggregation in whole blood in vitro, plasma markers of coagulation, and fibrinolysis and systemic oxidative stress. Pulmonary exposure to PEG-AgNPs in HT mice induced an aggravation of in vivo thrombosis in pial arterioles and venules compared to normotensive (NT) mice exposed to PEG-AgNPs or HT mice given saline. The prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and platelet aggregation in vitro were exacerbated after exposure to PEG-AgNPs in HT mice compared with either NT mice exposed to nanoparticles or HT mice exposed to saline. Elevated concentrations of fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and von Willebrand factor were seen after the exposure to PEG-AgNPs in HT mice compared with either PEG-AgNPs exposed NT mice or HT mice given with saline. Likewise, the plasma levels of superoxide dismutase and nitric oxide were augmented by PEG-AgNPs in HT mice compared with either NT mice exposed to nanoparticles or HT mice exposed to saline. Collectively, these results demonstrate that PEG-AgNPs can potentially exacerbate the in vivo and in vitro procoagulatory and oxidative stress effect in HT mice and suggest that population with hypertension are at higher risk of the toxicity of PEG-AgNPs.
A Mixed-Methods Study to Develop a Resilience Scale for Thai Elderly with Chronic Diseases and Depression
Authors: Thongkhum Kanokporn , Peungposop Narisara , Sakunpong Nanchatsan
Published: January 2022

This study was an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design to develop a resilience scale for Thai elderly with chronic diseases and depression. The qualitative findings from the focus group discussion with 6 participants were used to develop a resilience scale, and the scale was then tested on 310 samples to check the reliability and validity of the scale. The qualitative results showed that resilience was defined in 3 themes: My Characteristics, My Abilities, and My Dependencies, which were composed of 9 different categories. The results of the quantitative examination showed that all 21 items of the resilience scale had a good corrected item-total correlation and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.85 indicated that the scale was internally consistent and highly reliable. The construct validity of the resilience scale was tested by confirmatory factor analysis and revealed that the resilience model was consistent with the empirical data based on the goodness-of-fit index (

chi
−
square
=
161.51

,

df
=
186

,

p
 
value
=
0.90

,

RMSEA
=
0.000

). All the results show that the resilience scale has excellent and appropriate psychological properties. Health-care workers can use the resilience scale to assess the elderly and develop a resilience-promoting program specifically for the elderly with chronic diseases and depression to improve the well-being of the elderly.
Effect of Huaiqihuang Granules Combined with Comprehensive Nursing on Children with Primary Nephrotic Syndrome
Authors: Yang Guiyun , Yang Huanqin , Cui Shifang , Shan Jinling
Published: January 2022

Background. To observe the effect of Huaiqihuang granules combined with comprehensive nursing intervention on children with primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS) and its effect on renal function index. Methods. A total of 104 patients were included, and the patients were randomly divided into two groups, with 52 cases in each group. The control group was treated with glucocorticoid, and the study group was treated with Huaiqihuang granules. The clinical efficacy of the two groups was observed. The levels of TG, TC, EGFR, 24 h UTP, BUN, Scr, IgA, IgG, IgM, IFN-γ and TNF-α were compared between two groups before and after treatment. The incidence of adverse reactions and recurrence rate after treatment were compared between the two groups. Results. The effective rate of the study group (94.23%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (78.85%). Before treatment, there was no significant difference in TG and TC levels between the two groups. After treatment, the levels of TG and TC in both groups were decreased, and the decrease was more obvious in the study group. Compared with before treatment, the levels of 24 h UTP, BUN, Scr, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in both groups were significantly decreased after treatment, while EGFR, IgA, IgG, and IgM levels were significantly increased. Compared with the control group, the changes of each index in the study group were more obvious after treatment. After treatment, the incidence of adverse reactions and recurrence rate in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group. Conclusions. Huaiqihuang granules combined with comprehensive nursing treatment in children with PNS can reduce the occurrence of recent recurrence and adverse reactions and improve the cellular immune function and renal function.
Numerical Analysis of Microcracks of Fly Ash/Slag Concrete with Cobble as Coarse Aggregate
Authors: Xie Songfang , Gao Mingxing , Li Hangtian
Published: January 2022

In order to improve mechanical properties of fly ash/slag concrete with large size cobble as coarse aggregate, this paper analyzes the effect of different factors on the concrete through the flexural strength test. The Monte Carlo simulation is used in the finite element solver of ANSYS to conduct the four-point bending beam test. Three-dimensional and two-dimensional finite element models are established to discuss how the gradation of large size cobbles affects the performance of the concrete by comparing macromechanical experiments. Results show that the gradation of large size cobbles is the main factor affecting the performance of the concrete. Slag generates the least effect on the concrete with cobble as coarse aggregate. When the mixing amount of slag and fly ash is 10%, the concrete presents the best flexural performance. Through the numerical loading test of the two-dimensional model for fly ash/slag concrete with cobble as coarse aggregate, it can be concluded that the change of the concrete follows the law of macromechanical properties.
Effects of Equine-Assistant Activity on Gross Motor Coordination in Children Aged 8 to 10 Years
Authors: Cheng XiaoDong , Kong XiaoYang , Fan Yongzhao , Wang XiangYu , Li ZiHao , Wu Hao
Published: January 2022

Generally, adequate motor coordination (MC) ability is one among the critical factors for the overall development of children. In this paper, we have thoroughly analyzed the effects of equine-assistant activity (EAA) training on MC in children. For this purpose, MC test, specifically for children, was used to the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK), and a total of 100 children, particularly those in 8 to 10 age, were equally separated into equine-assistant activity group (EAAG) and control group (CG), respectively. The EAAG group has attended a 14-week EAA training program, while the CG joined in physical education activity once per week. The experimental results have indicated that four indices of KTK test (i.e., backward walk [WB], height jump [HH], jumping sideways [JS] and moving sideways [MS], and motor quotient [MQ] score) showed significant differences (

∗

P
<
0.05

) after a 14-week EAA training. Furthermore, the indices of physical fitness test, standing long jump (SLJ), and sit and reach (SAR) showed significant differences (

∗

P
<
0.05

), but the handgrip (HG) increased slightly without significant difference (

P
>
0.05

) after a 14-week EAA training. In conclusion, there were improvements in MC, lower limb strength, and flexibility by EAAG for those who participated in a 14-week EAA training, and this study has demonstrated the effectiveness of the KTK assessment of MC in children 8 to 10 years.
Development of Machine Learning Methods in Hybrid Energy Storage Systems in Electric Vehicles
Authors: Chen Tzu-Chia , Ibrahim Alazzawi Fouad Jameel , Grimaldo Guerrero John William , Chetthamrongchai Paitoon , Dorofeev Aleksei , Ismael Aras masood , Al Ayub Ahmed Alim , Akhmadeev Ravil , Latipah Asslia Johar , Esmail Abu Al-Rejal Hussein Mohammed
Published: January 2022

The hybrid energy storage systems are a practical tool to solve the issues in single energy storage systems in terms of specific power supply and high specific energy. These systems are especially applicable in electric and hybrid vehicles. Applying a dynamic and coherent strategy plays a key role in managing a hybrid energy storage system. The data obtained while driving and information collected from energy storage systems can be used to analyze the performance of the provided energy management method. Most existing energy management models follow predetermined rules that are unsuitable for vehicles moving in different modes and conditions. Therefore, it is so advantageous to provide an energy management system that can learn from the environment and the driving cycle and send the needed data to a control system for optimal management. In this research, the machine learning method and its application in increasing the efficiency of a hybrid energy storage management system are applied. In this regard, the energy management system is designed based on machine learning methods so that the system can learn to take the necessary actions in different situations directly and without the use of predicted select and run the predefined rules. The advantage of this method is accurate and effective control with high efficiency through direct interaction with the environment around the system. The numerical results show that the proposed machine learning method can achieve the least mean square error in all strategies.
In Silico Exploration of Novel Tubulin Inhibitors: A Combination of Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Pharmacophore Modeling, and Virtual Screening
Authors: Hadizadeh Farzin , Ghodsi Razieh , Mirzaei Salimeh , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: January 2022

Microtubules play a critical role in mitosis and cell division and are regarded as an excellent target for anticancer therapy. Although microtubule-targeting agents have been widely used in the clinical treatment of different human cancers, their clinical application in cancer therapy is limited by both intrinsic and acquired drug resistance and adverse toxicities. In a previous work, we synthesized compound 9IV-c, ((E)-2-(3,4-dimethoxystyryl)-6,7,8-trimethoxy-N-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)quinoline-4-amine) that showed potent activity against multiple human tumor cell lines, by targeting spindle formation and/or the microtubule network. Accordingly, in this study, to identify potent tubulin inhibitors, at first, molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies of compound 9IV-c were performed into the colchicine binding site of tubulin; then, a pharmacophore model of the 9IV-c-tubulin complex was generated. The pharmacophore model was then validated by Güner–Henry (GH) scoring methods and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The IBScreen database was searched by using this pharmacophore model as a screening query. Finally, five retrieved compounds were selected for molecular docking studies. These efforts identified two compounds (b and c) as potent tubulin inhibitors. Investigation of pharmacokinetic properties of these compounds (b and c) and compound 9IV-c displayed that ligand b has better drug characteristics compared to the other two ligands.
Damage Detection of Laminated Rubber Bearings Based on the Antiresonance Frequencies of Periodic Structure and Its Sensitivity Analysis
Authors: Zhang Ying , Zhu Hongping , Weng Shun
Published: January 2022

An isolation bearing consumes most of the seismic energy of a structure and is vulnerable to destruction. The performance of isolation bearings is usually evaluated according to the global stiffness and energy dissipation capacity. However, the early minor damage in isolation bearings is difficult to identify. In this study, a damage detection scheme for the isolation bearing is proposed by focusing on the antiresonance of the quasiperiodic structure. Firstly, a laminated rubber bearing was simplified as a monocoupled periodic rubber-steel structure. The characteristic equation of the driving point antiresonance frequency of the periodic system was achieved via the dynamic stiffness method. Secondly, the sensitivity coefficient of the driving point antiresonance, which was obtained from the first-order derivative of the antiresonance frequency, with respect to the damage scaling parameter was derived using the antiresonance frequency characteristic equation. Thirdly, the optimised driving points of the antiresonance frequencies were selected by means of sensitivity analysis. Finally, from the measured changes in the antiresonance frequencies, the damage was identified by solving the sensitivity identification equation via a numerical optimisation method. The application of the proposed method to laminated rubber bearings under various damage cases demonstrates the feasibility of this method. This study has proven that changes in the shear modulus of each rubber layer can be identified accurately.
A Novel Framework of an IOT-Blockchain-Based Intelligent System
Authors: Alabdali Aliaa M.
Published: January 2022

With the growing need of technology into varied fields, dependency is getting directly proportional to ease of user-friendly smart systems. The advent of artificial intelligence in these smart systems has made our lives easier. Several Internet of Things- (IoT-) based smart refrigerator systems are emerging which support self-monitoring of contents, but the systems lack to achieve the optimized run time and data security. Therefore, in this research, a novel design is implemented with the hardware level of integration of equipment with a more sophisticated software design. It was attempted to design a new smart refrigerator system, which has the capability of automatic self-checking and self-purchasing, by integrating smart mobile device applications and IoT technology with minimal human intervention carried through Blynk application on a mobile phone. The proposed system automatically makes periodic checks and then waits for the owner’s decision to either allow the system to repurchase these products via Ethernet or reject the purchase option. The paper also discussed the machine level integration with artificial intelligence by considering several features and implemented state-of-the-art machine learning classifiers to give automatic decisions. The blockchain technology is cohesively combined to store and propagate data for the sake of data security and privacy concerns. In combination with IoT devices, machine learning, and blockchain technology, the proposed model of the paper can provide a more comprehensive and valuable feedback-driven system. The experiments have been performed and evaluated using several information retrieval metrics using visualization tools. Therefore, our proposed intelligent system will save effort, time, and money which helps us to have an easier, faster, and healthier lifestyle.
Major Bleeding in Adults Undergoing Peripheral Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO): Prognosis and Predictors
Authors: Nguyen Tung Phi , Phan Xuan Thi , Nguyen Tuan Huu , Huynh Dai Quang , Tran Linh Thanh , Pham Huy Minh , Nguyen Tu Ngoc , Kieu Hieu Trung , Ngoc Pham Thao Thi
Published: January 2022

Background. Major bleeding has been a common and serious complication with poor outcomes in ECMO patients. With a novel, less-invasive cannulation approach and closer coagulation monitoring regime, the incidence of major bleeding is currently not determined yet. Our study aims to examine the incidence of major bleeding, its determinants, and association with mortality in peripheral-ECMO patients. Method. We conducted a single-center retrospective study on adult patients undergoing peripheral-ECMO between January 2019 and January 2020 at a tertiary referral hospital. Determinants of major bleeding were defined by logistic regression analysis. Risk factors of in-hospital mortality were determined by Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Results. Major bleeding was reported in 33/105 patients (31.4%) and was associated with higher in-hospital mortality [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 3.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.63–7.80,

p
<
0.001

). There were no significant difference in age, sex, ECMO indications, ECMO modality, pre-ECMO APACHE-II and SOFA scores between two groups with and without major bleeding. Only APTT >72 seconds [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 7.10, 95% CI 2.60–19.50,

p
<
0.001

], fibrinogen <2 g/L [aOR = 7.10, 95% CI 2.60–19.50,

p
<
0.001

], and ACT >220 seconds [aOR = 3.9, 95% CI 1.20–11.80,

p
=
0.017

] on days with major bleeding were independent predictors. Conclusions. In summary, major bleeding still had a fairly high incidence and poor outcome in peripheral-ECMO patients. APTT > 72 seconds, fibrinogen < 2 g/L were the strongest predicting factors for major bleeding events.
Identification of Constituents and Exploring the Mechanism for Toutongning Capsule in the Treatment of Migraine
Authors: Du Xia , Di Zhibiao , Liu Yang , Zhi Wenbing , Liu Yuan , Zhang Hong , Liu Feng
Published: January 2022

Toutongning capsule (TTNC) is an effective and safe traditional Chinese medicine used in the treatment of migraine. In this present study, a multiscale strategy was used to systematically investigate the mechanism of TTNC in treating migraine, which contained UPLC-UESI-Q Exactive Focus network pharmacology and experimental verification. First, 88 compounds were identified by the UPLC-UESI-Q Exactive Focus method for TTNC. Then, the target fishing for these compounds was performed by means of an efficient drug similarity search tool. Third, a series of network pharmacology experiments were performed to predict the key compounds, targets, and pathways. They were protein-protein interaction (PPI), KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, and herbs-compounds-targets-pathways (H-C-T-P) network construction. As a result, 18 potential key compounds, 20 potential key targets, and 6 potential signaling pathways were obtained for TTNC in treatment with migraine. Finally, molecular docking and experimental were carried out to verify the key targets. In short, the results showed that TTNC is able to treat migraine through multiple components, multiple targets, and multiple pathways. This work may provide a theoretical basis for further research on the molecular mechanism of TTNC in the treatment of migraine.
Immersive Virtual Reality Teaching in Colleges and Universities Based on Vision Sensors
Authors: Liu Yufeng , Liu Tongsheng , Ma Qiaoyun
Published: January 2022

With the progress of society and the development of economy, people pay more and more attention to education, and traditional teaching methods are gradually unable to meet the modern teaching system. As a leader in modern information technology, virtual reality technology has developed rapidly in recent years, and virtual reality technology has also been introduced into many fields, such as teaching. Based on the immersive and extended characteristics of virtual reality, this paper proposes a virtual reality active visual interaction method based on the visual sensor. Based on virtual teaching, after 3 months of learning, the average, standard deviation, and average standard error of the experimental group’s performance are higher than those of the control group. Compared with the control group, the experimental group’s performance has increased by 8.25%. The difference is statistically significant. Learning significance (

P
<
0.05

), immersive virtual reality teaching has played a significant role in the effect, which can greatly improve the cognitive experience of students and achieve a good learning experience and effect.
The Significance of Apolipoprotein-A in the Long-Term Death of Patients with STEMI
Authors: Lin Guoli , Chen Wen , Dai Caizhi , Xu Kaizu
Published: January 2022

Objective. To analyze apolipoprotein-A for its predictive value for long-term death in individuals suffering from acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction following percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods. We selected patients suffering from acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who underwent emergency PCI at the Affiliated Hospital of Putian University from January 2017 to August 2019. The patients were divided into a high-Apo-A group and low-Apo-A group, and we observed all-cause deaths of patients in the 2 groups within 2 years. Results. The ROC curve analysis indicated the best critical value for predicting 2-year mortality as 0.8150 (area under the curve was 0.626, sensitivity 75.1%, and specificity 51.9%). There was no statistical difference among the two groups in gender, age, lesion vessel, and comorbidities. The two groups had statistically significant differences in apolipoprotein-B/A, high-density lipoprotein, apolipoprotein-A, and hypersensitivity C-reactive protein. Correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between apolipoprotein-A and hypersensitive C-reactive protein. The results of the 24-month analysis indicated the incidence of all-cause mortality as higher in the low-Apo-A group, and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed the same trend. Conclusion. Apolipoprotein-A can predict the potential for long-term mortality among individuals having acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.