bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Opportunities for Post−COP26 Governance to Facilitate the Deployment of Low−Carbon Energy Infrastructure: An Open Door Policy
Authors: Imran Muhammad , Khan Shiraz , Zaman Khalid , Siddique Muhammad , Khan Haroon ur Rashid
Published: January 2023

Temperatures worldwide continue to climb, while carbon emissions have exceeded previous records. To achieve environmental sustainability, countries with the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement (COP26) demonstrate sophisticated technical expertise and deploy environmentally driven technologies, such as greenfield investment and renewable energy infrastructure. This proposal presents an intriguing opportunity for policymakers to identify the distinct characteristics of institutional reforms and green energy sources that may be used to mitigate carbon emissions. Governance regulatory factors, foreign direct investment (FDI), renewable energy consumption (REC), research and development expenditures, urbanization, and carbon emissions are examined in Pakistan. The study estimated the short- and long-run association between the variables using the ARDL bounds testing method for 1996Q1 to 2020Q4. In the short run, in terms of carbon emissions and economic output, the country has an upturned cord environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). The race-to-the-bottom concept holds for countries with U-shaped EKCs in the long term. The negative correlation between overseas investment and environmental damage supports the environmental halo hypothesis. Investment in research and technology may reduce emissions, even though urbanization increases them. Future and present REC are often intertwined with carbon footprints. Carbon emissions are also strongly connected with indicators of institutional quality (IQ), such as procedural efficiency, administrative effectiveness, and political unrest. The research findings demonstrated unidirectional Granger causality running from urbanization, government effectiveness, economic growth, and R&D expenditures to carbon emissions to validate urban-led emissions, institutional-led emissions, growth-led emissions, and innovation-led emissions in a country. Furthermore, R&D expenditure Granger causality was linked to inbound FDI, while government effectiveness Granger causality was linked to REC and R&D expenditures. Following the COP26 guidelines for achieving shared prosperity, the study concluded that good governance reforms, R&D expenditures, greenfield investment, and REC promote environmental sustainability and maintain air quality.
Hydrothermal Preparation of TiO2/Graphite Nanosheets Composites and Its Effect on Electrothermal Behavior
Authors: Wang Chunyu , Tian Weiyao , Kang Sibo , Zhong Bo , Qin Chunlin , Wang Hongyang
Published: January 2023

Nowadays, carbon materials are supposed to replace the resistance wire made of metal alloy to be the next generation of heat-generating materials due to their excellent electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance. In this study, TiO2/graphite nanosheets (GNs) composite was prepared by chemical exfoliation and hydrothermal methods. XRD, FTIR, and Raman spectra confirm TiO2 particles are on the surface of GNs. SEM photographs show TiO2 nanoparticles covering the surface of the GNs uniformly. We used TiO2/GNs and sodium silicate to produce the electrothermal film coated on the glass. As compared to raw GNs, the heating rate and maximum temperature have greatly improved. In order to find the reasons for the improvement, the BET and zeta potential of TiO2/GNs were tested, and we found that the enhancement of the surface area and the dispersion to the composite by TiO2 particles and sodium silicate make the distribution of GNs more uniform.
A Thermoplastic Transfer Film Spin-Coated for Near-Field Probe Laser-Capture Microdissection System
Authors: Yen Chi-Fu , Chen Chien-Ming , Shen Chuan-Yu
Published: January 2023

To improve laser-capture microdissection (LCM) resolution, we designed a near-field probe LCM system that pushed microdissection resolution from 7.5 μm to 400 nm. Here, we report a transfer film for our constructed system, replacing commercial transfer films used in conventional LCM systems. A low-melting-point ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer was chosen as the main material. Adequate concentrations of EVA and near-infrared (NIR) absorbing dyes of an appropriate thickness to prepare the transfer film were investigated. The flatness of the film surface and the relationship between different film thicknesses and melt dot sizes were studied using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The results show that the flatness is approximately 4.3 nm, and the melt dot size is proportional to the transfer film’s thickness. The proper conditions for preparing the film were 17.5% (w/v) of EVA in the toluene solution with 0.001 M of NIR absorbing dyes. Using a 30 μm thick transfer film, 200 nm diameter particles on a 20 nm thick monolayer of gold particles could be captured.
Enhancing the Surface Hydrophilicity of an Aluminum Alloy Using Two-Step Anodizing and the Effect on Inkjet Printing Characteristics
Authors: Kim Youngyoon , Kim Wook-Bae
Published: January 2023

Aluminum alloy anodizing is widely used in the surface treatment industry to provide surface protection and decoration. The resulting anodic aluminum oxide film enables durable printing and dyeing of metals owing to its nanoporous structure, which easily absorbs ink. Conventional one-step anodizing of Al 1050 using sulfuric acid was observed to form a surface with small pore diameters less than 10 nm and lead to an average contact angle of 30°, whereas two-step anodizing yielded a regular pore pattern with significantly larger pores, reducing the contact angle to less than 20°. This change in pore structure and the corresponding enhanced hydrophilicity directly impacted inkjet printing characteristics; inkjet printing of 13 pL droplets on the one-step and two-step anodized surfaces showed that the average dot diameter varied from 72.2 μm to 48.0 μm according to applied voltage and anodizing time. The ink dot diameters on the two-step film were smaller than those on the one-step film produced under the same conditions, and the dot diameters decreased as the average pore diameter increased under an increasing anodizing voltage up to 20 V, indicating improved hydrophilicity. The pore volumes produced by two-step anodizing were larger, facilitating ink droplet absorption during spreading, which was examined by elemental analysis of cross-sections of the ink-filled porous specimen.
English Language Learning via YouTube: An NLP-Based Analysis of Users’ Comments
Authors: Alawadh Husam , Alabrah Amerah , Meraj Talha , Rauf Hafiz
Published: January 2023

Online teaching and learning has been beneficial in facilitating learning of English as a foreign language (EFL). In online EFL learning, YouTube is one of the most utilized information and communication technology (ICT) tools because of its inherent features that make it a unique environment for learners and educators. Many interesting aspects of YouTube-based learning can be beneficial in supplementing conventional classroom methods, and, therefore, such aspects must be identified. Previous scholarly work aimed at improving YouTube learning environment was predominantly conducted manually by gathering learners’ impressions through interviews and questionnaires to analyze the differences between YouTube- and classroom-based EFL learning. However, such methods are tedious and time-consuming and can lead to results that are of less generalizable implications. User comments on YouTube channels are useful in identifying such aspects, as they present a wealth of information related to the quality of the content provided, challenges the targeted audience faces, and areas of potential improvement. Therefore, in our current study, YouTube API is used to collect the comments of three randomly selected and popular YouTube channels. Following a data cleaning process, people’s sentiments about EFL learning were first identified via a TextBlob method. Second, the automated latent semantic analysis (LSA) method of topic finding was used to collect global and open-ended topics of discussion on YouTube-based EFL learning. Users’ sentiments on the most popular topics of discussion are discussed in this paper. Further, based on the results, hypothetical findings on YouTube EFL learning are provided as recommendation for future content, including more variety of the content covered, introduction of the meanings and punctuation following words, the design of the course such that it addresses a multinational audience of any age, and targeted teaching of each variety of English, such as British and American. We also make suggestions for learners of English who wish to utilize online and offline learning, which include finding the course of interest first based on one’s needs which can be discussed with a tutor or any English teacher to optimize the learning experience, participating in fearless educator–learner interaction and engagement, and asking other EFL learners for their previous experiences with learning online in order for the learner to maximize benefit.
Direct Evidence for Phase Transition Process of VC Precipitation from (Fe,V)3C in Low-Temperature V-Bearing Molten Iron
Authors: Cao Lei , Chen Desheng , Sang Xiaomeng , Zhao Hongxin , Zhen Yulan , Wang Lina , Liu Yahui , Meng Fancheng , Qi Tao
Published: January 2023

V-bearing molten iron was obtained by adding Na2CO3 in the smelting process of vanadium titanomagnetite at low temperature. Two forms of V-rich carbides ((Fe,V)3C, VC) were detected in the V-bearing pig iron products. Once the smelting temperature was above 1300 °C, most of the V in the raw ore was reduced into molten iron. Owning to the high content of V, the unsteady (Fe,V)3C solid solution decomposed along with the precipitation of graphite and VC during the solidification process. The presence of VC cluster and VC precursor in (Fe,V)3C was detected by transmission electron microscopy, which confirmed the possibility of this transition process at the atomic perspective. The transformation dramatically affected the compositions and properties of V-bearing pig iron and had important guiding significance for the actual production process.
Phylogenetic Relationships in the Group Caespitosa of Paspalum L. (Poaceae, Panicoideae, Paspaleae)
Authors: Delfini Carolina , Acosta Juan M. , Aliscioni Sandra S. , Souza Vinicius Castro , Zuloaga Fernando O.
Published: January 2023

The informal group Caespitosa of Paspalum L. comprises 13–15 perennial species that are able to tolerate extreme climatic stresses, such as prolonged droughts, floods, and saltwater. Previous molecular phylogenetic studies have suggested that the Caespitosa might not be monophyletic, but they did not analyze a large enough sample of taxa for a meaningful conclusion. In this study, we evaluate the phylogeny of the genus Paspalum using parsimony, likelihood, and Bayesian inference based on four DNA regions (ETS, ndhF, rpl16, and trnH-psbA) and increasing the number of sampled species (i.e., a total of 13 taxa and 40 new accessions of the group Caespitosa). Our main objective was to analyze the positions of Caespitosa taxa, assuming a priori that they do not represent a natural group as traditionally circumscribed. Our findings showed the Caespitosa species distributed in seven morphologically distinct clades and correlated with members of the informal groups Alma, Corcovadensia, Dissecta, Lachnea, Macrophylla, Notata, Paniculata, and Rupestria. Clades containing Caespitosa taxa were characterized based on morphological, anatomical, and cytological evidence, one of which was associated with geographic isolation. A comparison with results from other studies, a brief discussion on the group Macrophylla, which our analyses showed to be polyphyletic, and comments on the need for future molecular studies in Paspalum are also included.
Testing the Usefulness of the Surface Collecting Method in a Vertebrate Microfossil Site from the Barremian of Spain (Los Menires, Mirambel Formation)
Authors: Gasca José M. , Parrilla-Bel Jara , Moreno-Azanza Miguel , Navarro-Lorbés Pablo , Canudo José I.
Published: January 2023

Surface collecting is the first and sometimes the only type of sampling carried out in many fossiliferous localities, including vertebrate microfossil assemblages. Nevertheless, it is rare to test how representative these surface-collected samples are of the palaeobiocoenosis. A first approach to the palaeontological analysis of Los Menires, a Barremian vertebrate microfossil assemblage, is here performed while testing the usefulness of the surface collection method. New fossil material obtained by surface collection is described, and the resulting data are compared with those obtained by screen-washing. The fossil assemblage of Los Menires is dominated by parautochthonous remains of freshwater aquatic and semiaquatic organisms—i.e., charophytes, ostracods, bivalves, gastropods, testudinatans, crocodylomorphs, lissamphibians, and osteichthyans—although parautochthonous remains of terrestrial vertebrates—i.e., dinosaurs, lacertilians, and mammaliforms—are also present. The accumulation of vertebrate hard parts in Los Menires took place in a low-energy, shallow-water, depositional environment within the alluvial-lacustrine system represented by the Mirambel Formation. Sampling test results indicate that surface collection is effective in recognizing the main fossil groups present in an assemblage. Yet, it is not suitable for capturing delicate and tiny fossils nor for recognizing the abundance of eggshells. In contrast, it can generate an overrepresentation of other hard components such as coprolites or ornithopod teeth.
Community Structure and Abiotic Characteristics of Pelagic Microalgal in Adjacent Areas of the Barents Sea and Kara Sea
Authors: Makarevich Pavel R. , Larionov Viktor V. , Vodopianova Veronika V. , Obluchinskaya Ekaterina D. , Ishkulova Tatiana G.
Published: January 2023

This study aimed to confirm the hypothesis of a floristic identity between the southeastern Barents Sea and the southwestern Kara Sea. We conducted integrated studies of pelagic microalgae communities including microscope cell counting and taxonomical identification as well as photosynthetic pigments determination and defining of hydrological and hydrochemical characteristics during a cruise in late August and the first half of September 2020. As far as we are concerned, no such observations had been carried out in this region at this time of the year before. During our observations, 35 species were identified, 14 (40%) of which were present in both water bodies. The communities of both regions were in a state corresponding to the autumn stage of the annual succession cycle. In the southeastern Barents Sea, the mean abundance of organisms in the water column varied from 10.650 to 41.840 cells per liter with a biomass of 71.04 to 300.55 µg/L. In the southwestern Kara Sea, these values were 3.510–28.420 cell/L and 16.31–66.96 µg/L, respectively. In general, the results of a comparative analysis suggest that the pelagic algal communities in the regions under comparison, despite the difference in hydrological parameters, demonstrate similar qualitative and quantitative characteristics and thus may belong to the same phytogeographic region.
Invasive and Alien Mammal Species in Poland—A Review
Authors: Dziech Arkadiusz , Wierzbicki Heliodor , Moska Magdalena , Zatoń-Dobrowolska Magdalena
Published: January 2023

About 20 species of non-native mammals have been recorded in Poland. Some of them are already extinct or have been extirpated, while others are widely distributed and may affect the native biota in Poland. We review the literature on 15 non-native species found in this country, discussing their origin, distribution, and presence on lists of invasive species that pose a threat to wildlife in Poland and the EU. In addition, we discuss current knowledge on their impact on Polish ecosystems. However, on many of these species, there is little information, and the consequences of their presence remain unclear. Therefore, we emphasize the importance of this review for appropriate species management and suggest the introduction of monitoring, especially of species whose populations are increasing.
Longitudinal Changes in Diverse Assemblages of Water Mites (Hydrachnidia) along a Lowland River in Croatia
Authors: Žeželj Vidoša Tia , Pozojević Ivana , Vidaković Maoduš Iva , Mihaljević Zlatko
Published: January 2023

Water mites are the most diverse freshwater group of Acari and despite growing research interest in the ecology of this group, the environmental influences along longitudinal river gradients on their assemblages are still not fully understood. The objective of this study was to determine how physico-chemical water properties and hydromorphological alterations affect the composition and distribution of water mite assemblages along a longitudinal river gradient. Macroinvertebrate samples were collected from 20 study sites distributed longitudinally along the entire 106 km course of a lowland river (Bednja River) in the Pannonian Lowlands ecoregion of Croatia. At each site, 20 samples were collected with regard to microhabitat composition (+400 samples in total). In parallel with the sampling of macroinvertebrates at each site, the physico-chemical water properties were measured and the degree of hydromorphological alteration was assessed (European Standard EN 15843:2010). Both the number of taxa and water mite abundance were found to increase significantly with increasing distance from the source. However, the assemblages from the upper reaches and those from the lower reaches shared very few species, emphasizing the importance of species-level identification. Water mite species richness and diversity were not reduced with increased levels of variables associated with organic enrichment and eutrophication pressures. Similarly, hydromorphological alteration did not reduce either water mite abundance or species richness and was positively correlated with both. Furthermore, a correspondence analysis on water mite microhabitat preferences revealed that 32% of all species were positively associated with artificial microhabitats (technolithal). These positive associations may be the result of reduced competitive pressure from other larger invertebrates, as well as a possible preference for higher velocity, which usually occurs on smooth technolithal surfaces. A total of 22 different species of water mites were found during this study, 8 of which (or 36% of all species found) were recorded for the first time in Croatia.
An Integration Matrix for Investigating the Impact of Design Changes in Mechatronic Products
Authors: Assawarungsri Tossaporn , Janthong Nattawut
Published: January 2023

In the design process, design changes are unavoidable due to the need to meet customers’ requirements and support future change through technology development. Although components are supposed to be renewed within existing designs, these changes can propagate into other parts due to their interfaces. Propagation makes it difficult for a designer to identify these changes. This study aimed to introduce the integration matrix (I-DSM), an approach to the design of mechatronic products that involves determining changes in existing products with an axiomatic design. Reverse zigzagging was used to break down the entire product to its lowest level. A design matrix (DM) was constructed and then transformed into a design structure matrix (DSM). The I-DSM consists of three layers: information technology, electrical technology, and mechanical technology. The breadth-first search (BFS) method was employed to ascertain the change propagation path in order to consider it. After this, the changing workload was analyzed, and the decision-making process was used to determine the best possible option. Finally, an automatic guided vehicle was used in a case study to demonstrate the use of this methodology by showing how changes in a product can affect it and how a designer can prioritize activities.
Are Dietary Sugars Potent Adipose Tissue and Immune Cell Modulators?
Authors: Barbosa Pedro , Carvalho Eugenia
Published: January 2023

Glucose, fructose, and galactose are widely used in the food industry as sweeteners and food additives. The over-consumption of these carbohydrates has been identified as a possible trigger of non-communicable diseases. These include insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. These sugars induce an energy overload with consequent adipose tissue (AT) expansion, contributing to the development of obesity. Furthermore, a common feature of these non-communicable diseases is the detrimental, chronic, low-grade inflammation contributing to their onset. In the present review, we identify the most widely used dietary free sugars and their direct impacts on AT metabolism and inflammation, as well as their involvement in systemic inflammation and effects on the immune cell phenotype and function. Additionally, we discuss the capacity of the free sugars to induce immune modulation, enhancing inflammation, an underlying hallmark of insulin resistance, obesity, and T2DM. Dietary sugars have an important and deleterious metabolic impact on AT and also on immune cells. More research is needed to effectively understand the impact of chronic exposure to high levels of individual or combined sugars on metabolism, with the impact on immunomodulation being especially important.
Frequency and Demographic Profile of Odontogenic Cysts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Retrospective Multicenter Study
Authors: Almazyad Asma , Almutairi Marzouq , Almadan Nasser , Alamro Mohammed , Maki Fahad , AlQuwayz Turki S. , Alrumeh Assem S.
Published: January 2023

Odontogenic cysts (OCs) are etiologically diverse conditions with a shared origin in the jaws. Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of published data regarding OC frequency, treatment, and follow-up information in Saudi Arabia, especially from tertiary centers. Objectives: The study aims to assess the relative frequency, clinicopathological features, treatment, and follow-up of OCs in three tertiary medical centers. Methods and Material: OCs were identified from King Abdulaziz Medical City, King Fahad Medical City, and Prince Sultan Military Medical City from January 2010 to December 2021. Results: Three hundred and seventy-two cases of OCs were identified from the archive of three medical centers in Riyadh; one hundred and forty-nine (40%) cases were retrieved from Prince Sultan Military Medical City. The mean age of all OCs was 32 years (range 2–90), with 225 (60.4%) cases occurring in males. There was an almost equal distribution of OCs between the maxilla (47.0%) and the mandible (53.0%). The apical radicular cyst (ARC) accounted for half of the cases, followed by dentigerous cyst (DC) (29.3%) and odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) (14.2%). Enucleation was the most common treatment modality (52.8%), followed by excision (35.0%). Thirteen cases showed recurrence: one ARC, four DCs, and eight OKCs. Conclusion: This is the first large multicenter study of OCs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All three centers showed that ARC was the most common, followed by DC and OKC.
The Presence of Ascending Aortic Dilatation in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Is Negatively Correlated with the Presence of Diabetes Mellitus and Does Not Impair Post-Procedural Outcomes
Authors: Boxhammer Elke , Hecht Stefan , Kaufmann Reinhard , Kammler Jürgen , Kellermair Jörg , Reiter Christian , Akbari Kaveh , Blessberger Hermann , Steinwender Clemens , Lichtenauer Michael , Hoppe Uta C. , Hergan Klaus , Scharinger Bernhard
Published: January 2023

Both relevant aortic valve stenosis (AS) and aortic valve insufficiency significantly contribute to structural changes in the ascending aorta (AA) and thus to its dilatation. In patients with severe AS undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), survival data regarding aortic changes and laboratory biomarker analyses are scarce. Methods: A total of 179 patients with severe AS and an available computed tomography were included in this retrospective study. AA was measured, and dilatation was defined as a diameter ≥ 40 mm. Thirty-two patients had dilatation of the AA. A further 32 patients from the present population with a normal AA were matched to the aortic dilatation group with respect to gender, age, body mass index and body surface area, and the resulting study groups were compared with each other. In addition to echocardiographic and clinical characteristics, the expression of cardiovascular biomarkers such as brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (sST2), growth/differentiation of factor-15 (GDF-15), heart-type fatty-acid binding protein (H-FABP), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGF-BP2) and soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) was analyzed. Kaplan–Meier curves for short- and long-term survival were obtained, and Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlations were calculated to identify the predictors between the diameter of the AA and clinical parameters. Results: A total of 19% of the total cohort had dilatation of the AA. The study group with an AA diameter ≥ 40 mm showed a significantly low comorbidity with respect to diabetes mellitus in contrast to the comparison cohort with an AA diameter < 40 mm (p = 0.010). This result continued in the correlation analyses performed, as the presence of diabetes mellitus correlated negatively not only with the diameter of the AA (r = −0.404; p = 0.001) but also with the presence of aortic dilatation (r = −0.320; p = 0.010). In addition, the presence of AA dilatation after TAVR was shown to have no differences in terms of patient survival at 1, 3 and 5 years. There were no relevant differences in the cardiovascular biomarkers studied between the patients with dilated and normal AAs. Conclusion: The presence of AA dilatation before successful TAVR was not associated with a survival disadvantage at the respective follow-up intervals of 1, 3 and 5 years. Diabetes mellitus in general seemed to have a protective effect against the development of AA dilatation or aneurysm in patients with severe AS.
Clinical and Biological Data in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer vs. Chronic Pancreatitis—A Single Center Comparative Analysis
Authors: Gheorghe Gina , Ionescu Vlad Alexandru , Moldovan Horatiu , Diaconu Camelia Cristina
Published: January 2023

Introduction: In some patients with chronic pancreatitis, the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer can be missed. The objective of the study was to identify clinical and paraclinical data with statistical significance in the differential diagnosis between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational study on a cohort of 120 patients hospitalized over 3 years. The patients were equally distributed in two groups: group A, with 60 patients with pancreatic cancer, and group B, with 60 patients with chronic pancreatitis. The statistical analysis was carried out by using the R program. Results. The comparative analysis of pancreatic cancer vs. chronic pancreatitis revealed a stronger link between pancreatic cancer, female gender (p = 0.001) and age over 60 years (p < 0.001). Patients with pancreatic cancer had higher serum values of aspartate aminotransferase (p 0.005), alanine aminotransferase (p 0.006), total bilirubin (p < 0.001), direct bilirubin (p < 0.001), alkaline phosphatase (p 0.030), C-reactive protein (p = 0.049) and uric acid (p 0.001), while patients with chronic pancreatitis presented slightly higher values of amylase (p 0.020) and lipase (p 0.029). Conclusions: Female gender, advanced age, elevated aminotransferases, cholestasis markers and uric acid were associated with a higher probability of pancreatic cancer.
Prevalence of HIV and Viral Hepatitis Markers among Healthcare Workers in the Republic of Guinea
Authors: Ostankova Yulia V. , Shchemelev Alexander N. , Boumbaly Sanaba , Balde Thierno A. L. , Zueva Elena B. , Valutite Diana E. , Serikova Elena N. , Davydenko Vladimir S. , Skvoroda Vsevolod V. , Vasileva Daria A. , Semenov Alexander V. , Esaulenko Elena V. , Totolian Areg A.
Published: January 2023

Healthcare workers are much more likely to be infected with HIV and hepatitis viruses compared to the general population. Although healthcare workers are more aware of HIV and hepatitis viruses, several countries in Africa lack a comprehensive grasp of disease routes and transmission risks. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of the serological and molecular biological markers of HIV and viral hepatitis among healthcare workers in the Republic of Guinea. The study material was 74 blood serum samples collected from healthcare workers who received additional training at the Institute of Applied Biological Research of Guinea (IRBAG, Kindia, Republic of Guinea). The markers examined included HBsAg, HBeAg, anti-HBs IgG, anti-HBcore IgG, anti-HCV qualitative determination, anti-HEV IgM and IgG, anti-HAV IgM and IgG, and anti-HIV. For viral DNA and RNA detection, nucleic acids were extracted from blood serum, and viral presence was inferred using real-time PCR with hybridization fluorescence detection. A high prevalence of viral hepatitis B markers was shown, and significantly fewer cases of viral hepatitis C and HIV were detected. Almost all examined medical workers had anti-HAV IgG antibodies, but no antibodies to hepatitis E virus. Apparently, the identified markers depend on the general prevalence of certain pathogens in the region and are associated with the traditions and characteristics of the country’s residents.
Time-Serial Evaluation of the Development and Treatment of Myopia in Mice Eyes Using OCT and ZEMAX
Authors: Ding Xueqing , Tan Jinzhen , Meng Jing , Shao Yilei , Shen Meixiao , Dai Cuixia
Published: January 2023

Myopia is a significant cause of visual impairment which may lead to many complications. However, the understanding of the mechanisms of myopia is still limited. In this paper, in order to investigate the development and the treatment of myopia, we analyzed the biological structure parameters of mice eyes, obtained from optical coherence tomography (OCT), and the optical performance of mice eyes calculated using ZEMAX software (ZEMAX Development Corporation, Kirkland, WA, USA) in which the optical model was built on the segment-by-segment optically corrected OCT 3D-images. Time-serial evaluation of three groups of mice eyes (form-deprivation myopia mice eyes, normal mice eyes, and atropine-treated myopia mice eyes) was performed. In addition to the biological structure parameters, imaging performance with the development of root-mean-square wavefront aberration at six filed angles was compared and analyzed. Results show that the biological structure parameters of the eye are closely related to the development of myopia. The peripheral defocus of the retina has a significant impact on inducing myopia, which verifies the new theory of myopia development. The delaying effect of atropine solution on myopia development is shown to verify the therapeutic effect of the medicine. This study provides technical support for the investigation of the myopia mechanism.
Hormonal and Metabolic Factors Influence the Action of Progesterone on the Endometrium of Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Baracat Maria Candida P. , Baracat Edmund C. , Simões Ricardo S. , Simões Manuel J. , Maciel Gustavo A. R. , Azziz Ricardo , Soares José Maria
Published: January 2023

Hormonal and metabolic factors may influence endometrial quality and interfere with the action of progesterone. Therefore, the aim of our study was to address this issue. Participants were recruited from an outpatient reproductive endocrinology clinic at an academic tertiary medical care centre. All subjects underwent endometrial biopsy (EB) in the follicular phase of the cycle prior to treatment. Thereafter, they were treated with micronized progesterone (400 mg/day × 10 days intravaginally) from days 14–28 of the next cycle. A second EB was performed between days 21–24 of the cycle (the second phase). The metabolic and hormonal serum levels were evaluated during the implantation window. EB samples were analysed using light microscopy for histomorphometric analysis. The endometrium of women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) in the second phase demonstrated a uniform surface epithelium with less leukocyte infiltration and an absence of apoptotic figures compared to the control group. (p < 0.021). The thickness of the surface epithelium in the second phase of the PCOS group correlated positively with free and bioavailable testosterone values. The number of stromal cells increases with increasing insulin levels. Our results suggest that histomorphometric abnormalities of the endometrium persist and are linked to androgen and insulin levels despite progesterone supplementation in PCOS.
An Effective Approach for Automatic River Features Extraction Using High-Resolution UAV Imagery
Authors: La Salandra Marco , Colacicco Rosa , Dellino Pierfrancesco , Capolongo Domenico
Published: January 2023

The effects of climate change are causing an increase in the frequency and extent of natural disasters. Because of their morphological characteristics, rivers can cause major flooding events. Indeed, they can be subjected to variations in discharge in response to heavy rainfall and riverbank failures. Among the emerging methodologies that address the monitoring of river flooding, those that include the combination of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and photogrammetric techniques (i.e., Structure from Motion-SfM) ensure the high-frequency acquisition of high-resolution spatial data over wide areas and so the generation of orthomosaics, useful for automatic feature extraction. Trainable Weka Segmentation (TWS) is an automatic feature extraction open-source tool. It was developed to primarily fulfill supervised classification purposes of biological microscope images, but its usefulness has been demonstrated in several image pipelines. At the same time, there is a significant lack of published studies on the applicability of TWS with the identification of a universal and efficient combination of machine learning classifiers and segmentation approach, in particular with respect to classifying UAV images of riverine environments. In this perspective, we present a study comparing the accuracy of nine combinations, classifier plus image segmentation filter, using TWS, also with respect to human photo-interpretation, in order to identify an effective supervised approach for automatic river features extraction from UAV multi-temporal orthomosaics. The results, which are very close to human interpretation, indicate that the proposed approach could prove to be a valuable tool to support and improve the hydro-geomorphological and flooding hazard assessments in riverine environments.
Types of Entropies and Divergences with Their Applications
Authors: Minculete Nicuşor , Furuichi Shigeru
Published: January 2023

Entropy is an important concept in many fields related to communications [...]
Intelligent Path-Selection-Aided Decoding of Polar Codes
Authors: Cui Hongji , Niu Kai , Zhong Shunfu
Published: January 2023

CRC-aided successive cancellation list (CA-SCL) decoding is a powerful algorithm that dramatically improves the error performance of polar codes. Path selection is a major issue that affects the decoding latency of SCL decoders. Generally, path selection is implemented using a metric sorter, which causes its latency to increase as the list grows. In this paper, intelligent path selection (IPS) is proposed as an alternative to the traditional metric sorter. First, we found that in the path selection, only the most reliable paths need to be selected, and it is not necessary to completely sort all paths. Second, based on a neural network model, an intelligent path selection scheme is proposed, including a fully connected network construction, a threshold and a post-processing unit. Simulation results show that the proposed path-selection method can achieve comparable performance gain to the existing methods under SCL/CA-SCL decoding. Compared with the conventional methods, IPS has lower latency for medium and large list sizes. For the proposed hardware structure, IPS’s time complexity is O(klog2(L)) where k is the number of hidden layers of the network and L is the list size.
Study on the Collaboration between University and Educational Centers Mentors in the Development of the In-School Education Placements in Official University Degrees Qualifying for the Teaching Profession: The Case of the University of Santiago de Compostela
Authors: Leránoz-Iglesias Martín Manuel , Fernández-Morante Carmen , Cebreiro-López Beatriz , Abeal-Pereira Cristina
Published: January 2023

An in-school education placements is considered a crucial axis in the training of the future teacher. This first immersion in the school context allows interaction between theory and practice, contextualized learning of the profession and reflection on the processes, skills and competencies to be acquired, as well as the student’s personal development. The successful achievement of these goals requires close collaboration and communication between all the agents involved in the internship: university mentors, school mentors, and the student intern. The present study focuses on a diagnosis of the collaboration between mentors (university and school) in the development of the training activities and processes that take place during the school internships. These internships correspond to the teaching degrees and the master’s degree in secondary education of the Faculty of Education Sciences of the University of Santiago de Compostela. Through a non-experimental study with descriptive methodology, using an online questionnaire, the perceptions of both profiles of mentors are collected. The first objective is to know the degree of collaboration that exists in the processes and in the different training activities that are currently carried out in the practicum; the second aim is to know the perception of the importance and necessity of such a collaboration in each of the proposed activities. The main results show the need to improve the collaboration and teamwork processes of the mentors and reinforce the relevance of designing and implementing specific technological solutions. It is necessary to connect both teaching profiles and educational contexts and to establish a hybrid training scenario that strengthens the training link between mentors and students in the practicum, allowing permanent and personalized support. This work is part of a Doctoral Thesis developed within the framework of the International Competitive research project EKT—Educational Knowledge Transfer-(Knowledge Alliance reference number 612414-EPP-1-2019-1-ES-EPPKA2-KA). The purpose is to develop and test collaborative educational methodologies for internships through an intelligent technological framework that aims to impact on a more effective, scalable, and sustainable system that is closely linked to professional contexts.
Power-Delay-Profile-Based MMSE Channel Estimations for OFDM Systems
Authors: Lim Sungmook , Wang Hanho , Ko Kyunbyoung
Published: January 2023

This paper deals with the problem of the channel estimation of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals transmitted through a time-varying fading channel. We show that an accurate power delay profile (PDP) estimator can be obtained by utilizing the cyclic redundancy induced by a cyclic prefix (CP), which can be applicable to OFDM systems with insufficient pilot or training symbols (IEEE 802.11p/WAVE system), and then a least mean square error (MMSE) channel estimation scheme can be obtained in a manner based on the estimated PDP. The simulation results highlight the benefit of the proposed methods compared with the state-of-the-art standard and three achievable performance bounds.
A Truthful and Reliable Incentive Mechanism for Federated Learning Based on Reputation Mechanism and Reverse Auction
Authors: Xiong Ao , Chen Yu , Chen Hao , Chen Jiewei , Yang Shaojie , Huang Jianping , Li Zhongxu , Guo Shaoyong
Published: January 2023

As a distributed machine learning paradigm, federated learning (FL) enables participating clients to share only model gradients instead of local data and achieves the secure sharing of private data. However, the lack of clients’ willingness to participate in FL and the malicious influence of unreliable clients both seriously degrade the performance of FL. The current research on the incentive mechanism of FL lacks the accurate assessment of clients’ truthfulness and reliability, and the incentive mechanism based on untruthful and unreliable clients is unreliable and inefficient. To solve this problem, we propose an incentive mechanism based on the reputation mechanism and reverse auction to achieve a more truthful, more reliable, and more efficient FL. First, we introduce the reputation mechanism to measure clients’ truthfulness and reliability through multiple reputation evaluations and design a reliable client selection scheme. Then the reverse auction is introduced to select the optimal clients that maximize the social surplus while satisfying individual rationality, incentive compatibility, and weak budget balance. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that this incentive mechanism can motivate more clients with high-quality data and high reputations to participate in FL with less cost, which increases the FL tasks’ economic benefit by 31% and improves the accuracy from 0.9356 to 0.9813, and then promote the efficient and stable development of the FL service trading market.
Energy Demand and Energy Efficiency in Developing Countries
Authors: Hunt Lester C. , Kipouros Paraskevas
Published: January 2023

This paper investigates relative aggregate energy efficiency for a panel of 39 developing countries by econometrically estimating an energy-demand function (EDF) using the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) approach to provide relative energy efficiency scores over the period 1989 to 2008. Energy efficiency is arguably difficult to define or even conceptualise with several interpretations in the literature but here it is based on an economists’ perspective of efficiency. Hence, the estimates of ‘true’ energy efficiency found in the paper using this approach approximate the economically efficient use of energy capturing both technical and allocative efficiency and the results confirm that energy intensity should not be considered as a de facto standard indicator of energy efficiency. While, by controlling for a range of socio-economic factors, the measurements of energy efficiency obtained by the analysis are deemed more appropriate and hence it is argued that this analysis should be undertaken to avoid potentially misleading advice to policy makers. This study contributes to the literature since it is, as far as is known, the first attempt to apply the benchmarking parametric stochastic frontier technique to econometrically estimate energy efficiency for a large panel of only developing counties around the world. Moreover, the results from such analysis are arguably particularly relevant in a world dominated by environmental concerns, especially in the aftermath of energy price increase as a result of the unrest in Ukraine.
Arc-Extinguishing Research on Semi-Closed Multi-Compression Tube Structures
Authors: Song Yongfeng , Wang Jufeng , Huang Ping , Lu Yang , He Qiwen , Jia Zhenghao , Li Hao , Wang Yanlei
Published: January 2023

Using lightning energy to extinguish the arc is a new lightning protection method. On this basis, the semi-closed multi-compression tube structures (SMTS) combined with the arc extinguishing structure studied in this paper can suppress the power frequency arc at the initial stage of arc establishment by using the coupling effect of current and gas. Firstly, through the simulation comparison method, the promotion effect of the semi-closed tube on the arc discharge was found. Furthermore, the two-dimensional impulse power frequency current coupling discharge model was established to obtain changes in physical quantities, such as temperature and conductivity. The conductivity decreased to the initial value in about 1 ms. Finally, the impulse power frequency combined arc extinguishing test was carried out. The test results show that the arc extinguishing structure can effectively extinguish power frequency freewheeling within 1 ms. It proves the effectiveness of the arc extinguishing structure.
Energy and Thermal Performance Analysis of PCM-Incorporated Glazing Units Combined with Passive and Active Techniques: A Review Study
Authors: Arasteh Hossein , Maref Wahid , Saber Hamed H.
Published: January 2023

The building envelope provides thermal comfort, an excellent visual view, and sunlight for the occupants. It consists of two parts: (i) an opaque (non-transparent) part (e.g., walls and roofs) and (ii) a transparent part (e.g., windows, curtain walls, and skylight devices). Recently, the use of fully-glazed facades, especially in large cities, has increased due to their aesthetical and structural advantages. This has led this study to review the performance of the currently passive smart glazing technologies. Phase Change Materials (PCMs) as latent energy storage material is the focus of this review, as well as other individual and combined techniques, including shading systems, solar cells (photovoltaic), and chromogenic (thermotropic and thermochromic) materials. PCM-integrated glazing systems have been extensively studied and rapidly developed over the past several decades from the standpoint of unique system designs, such as passive, active, and passive/active mixed designs, intelligent management, and sophisticated controls. In the academic literature, numerous studies on PCM-integrated building envelopes have been conducted, but a comprehensive review of PCM-integrated GUs combined with other passive and active techniques using dialectical analysis and comparing the climatic conditions of each study using Köppen-Geiger climate classification climate classification has been performed only rarely. Consequently, the primary objective of this study is to reduce this discrepancy for all types of glazing, excluding glazed roofs. This review article also contains literature tables as well as highlights, limitations, and further research suggestions at the end of each subsection.