bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bone Targeting Agents in Patients with Prostate Cancer: General Toxicities and Osteonecrosis of the Jaw
Authors: Mollica Veronica , Nuvola Giacomo , Tassinari Elisa , Nigro Maria Concetta , Marchetti Andrea , Rosellini Matteo , Rizzo Alessandro , Errani Costantino , Massari Francesco
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Bone metastases are the most frequent site of secondary localization of prostate cancer (PCa) and are present in about 90% of cases of advanced disease. Consequently, an adequate management of bone involvement is of pivotal importance in the therapeutic approach and skeletal-related events (SREs) need to be closely monitored and promptly assessed and treated. Bone targeting agents (BTAs), consisting in bisphosphonates and denosumab, are an essential part of the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer that accompanies systemic treatments throughout the most part of the history of the disease. Activity and safety of bone targeting agents: These treatments are correlated to better outcomes in terms of reduction of SREs and, in metastatic castration resistant setting, of increased overall survival (OS), but several important adverse events have to be managed and prevented. Of these, osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is extremely invalidating and should be managed with a special attention. Discussion: The role of BTAs in prostate cancer is pivotal throughout many stages of the disease, but several toxicities should be quickly recognized and treated. We aim at recollecting evidence on clinical benefit of BTAs, common and specific toxicities, and explore the pathophysiology and clinical aspects of osteonecrosis of the jaw. We present a review of the literature to report the role of the different types of bone targeting agents in the management of prostate cancer with bone metastases with a particular focus on common toxicities and ONJ to recollect current evidences on the activity of these compounds and the correct management of their adverse events.
Report from the Ready for the Next Round Thought-Leadership Roundtables on Building Resilience in Cancer Care and Control in Canada-Colorectal Cancer Canada; 2021
Authors: Farah Eliya , El Bizri Maria , Day Radmila , Matai Lavina , Horne Fred , Hanna Timothy P. , Armstrong David , Marlin Susan , Jérôme Olivier , Brenner Darren R. , Cheung Winson , Radvanyi Laszlo , Villalba Eva , Leon Natalie , Cohen Chana , Chalifour Karine , Burkes Ronald , Gill Sharlene , Berry Scott , Sheffield Brandon S. , Fralick Pamela , Stein Barry D. ,   on behalf of Ready for the Next Round Patient Panelists
Published: March 2022

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated vulnerabilities in the Canadian health care system and exposed gaps and challenges across the cancer care continuum. Canada is experiencing significant disruptions to cancer-related services, and the impact these disruptions (delays/deferrals/cancellations) have on the health care system and patients are yet to be determined. Given the potential adverse ramifications, how can Canada’s health care systems build resilience for future threats? (2) Methods: To answer this question, CCC facilitated a series of four thought-leadership roundtables, each representing the views of four different stakeholder groups: patients, physicians, health care system leaders, and researchers. (3) Results: Six themes of strength were identified to serve as a springboard for building resilience including, (1) advancing virtual care and digital health technologies to prevent future interruptions in cancer care delivery. (2) developing real-time data metrics, data sharing, and evidence-based decision-making. (3) enhancing public–private-non-profit partnerships to advance research and strengthen connections across the system. (4) advancing patient-centricity in cancer research to drive and encourage precision medicine approaches to care. (5) investing in training and hiring a robust supply of health care human resources. (6) implementing a national strategy and infrastructure to ensure inter-provincial collaborative data sharing (4). Conclusions: A resilient health care system that can respond to shocks and threats is not an emergency system; it is a robust everyday system that can respond to emergencies.
The Impact of Real-World Alternative Dosing Strategies of Palbociclib on Progression-Free Survival in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Fu Fulbert , Kano Jessica , Ma Julia , Guindy Mera
Published: March 2022

Background: Palbociclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK 4/6) inhibitor, in combination with letrozole or fulvestrant has been demonstrated to prolong the progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor 2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer. In efforts to mitigate neutropenic toxicities, oncologists in real-world practice have prescribed alternative dosing strategies with palbociclib, yet the implication on PFS is unknown. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational chart review of all female patients at our clinics with HR+, HER2- metastatic breast cancer receiving palbociclib in combination with either letrozole or fulvestrant with a first dose initiated between June 2016 and December 2018 and followed their disease course until 30 April 2020. Results: The median PFS for all clinic patients receiving palbociclib and letrozole (n = 63) was 40.8 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 25.6–not estimable) and 16.97 months (95% CI 8.57–not estimable) for patients receiving palbociclib and fulvestrant (n = 11). We identified seven alternative dosing strategies prescribed by oncologists, the most prevalent being prescribing palbociclib for three weeks on and two weeks off (n = 8). The Kaplan–Meier curves for PFS in patients receiving letrozole and palbociclib prescribed alternative dosing strategies appear to diverge from monograph dosing early in the treatment. Many patients prescribed palbociclib using alternative dosing strategies continued to be observed even by the 18-month timepoint. The prevalence of grade 4 neutropenia was lower for patients on palbociclib with letrozole, suggesting a possible mitigation of severe neutropenia with alternative dosing strategies. Conclusions: We conclude that alternative dosing strategies used by oncologists such as prescribing palbociclib for three weeks on, two weeks off may achieve comparable disease control while mitigating neutropenic toxicities when compared to standard monograph dosing recommendations, prolonging treatment tolerability and adherence. Further large-scale studies are needed to confirm these results for future clinical adoption.
Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Screening, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Qiu Hang , Ding Shuhan , Liu Jianbo , Wang Liya , Wang Xiaodong
Published: March 2022

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Accurate early detection and diagnosis, comprehensive assessment of treatment response, and precise prediction of prognosis are essential to improve the patients’ survival rate. In recent years, due to the explosion of clinical and omics data, and groundbreaking research in machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) has shown a great application potential in clinical field of CRC, providing new auxiliary approaches for clinicians to identify high-risk patients, select precise and personalized treatment plans, as well as to predict prognoses. This review comprehensively analyzes and summarizes the research progress and clinical application value of AI technologies in CRC screening, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, demonstrating the current status of the AI in the main clinical stages. The limitations, challenges, and future perspectives in the clinical implementation of AI are also discussed.
Simultaneous Study of the Growth and Grazing Mortality Rates of Microbial Food Web Components in a Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon
Authors: Pecqueur David , Courboulès Justine , Roques Cécile , Mas Sébastien , Pete Romain , Vidussi Francesca , Mostajir Behzad
Published: March 2022

The abundances of 17 cytometric groups encompassing four groups of bacteria, three groups of cyanobacteria, six groups of eukaryotic picophytoplankton (<2–3 µm), and four groups of small eukaryotic nanophytoplankton (between 3 and 6 µm) were studied in the Thau Lagoon across different seasonal conditions. Among them, the growth (µ) and mortality rates due to grazing (g) of 12 groups of bacteria, cyanobacteria, and eukaryotic pico- and nanophytoplankton were simultaneously studied in the Thau Lagoon via four dilution experiments across different seasonal conditions. The abundances of heterotrophic flagellates and ciliates and their potential predators were studied and linked to prey mortality. Bacteria were more active than phytoplankton and displayed the highest growth and grazing mortality rates. Most studied groups had g:µ ratios > 1, suggesting that predators efficiently grazed and transferred these preys. Surprisingly, the observed variations in predator abundance across seasons did not necessarily correspond with changes in grazing pressure. The significant positive relationship found between water temperature and bacterial grazing mortality rates and the reverse trend observed for larger eukaryotic prey suggested that warmer water increases small prokaryote transfer to higher trophic levels but disadvantages larger eukaryotic prey transfer.
Diversity Patterns and Assemblage Structure of Non-Biting Midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) in Urban Waterbodies
Authors: Popović Nataša , Marinković Nikola , Čerba Dubravka , Raković Maja , Đuknić Jelena , Paunović Momir
Published: March 2022

Urban waters are often neglected in biodiversity research; nonetheless, the number of aquatic microhabitats present in a city and the surrounding urban area is impressive. Twenty-two waterbodies in the Belgrade functional urban area (FUA) were investigated for faunistic and diversity patterns and to assess the effects of environmental factors on the differentiation of Chironomidae assemblages. A total of 66 chironomid taxa within four subfamilies was identified. Water quality at the studied sites, expressed by the water pollution index (WPI), varied significantly. K-means clustering gave four homogenous groups of chironomid assemblages, which showed clear preferences to specific habitat conditions and tolerance to anthropogenic pressures. These groups had high values of alpha and beta diversity components. The main component of beta diversity was species turnover. Waterbody type, water temperature, pH, nutrients and overall pollution were the most important factors influencing the distribution and composition of chironomid assemblages, which revealed clear preferences of each assemblage type to the category of waterbody type and tolerances to environmental pressures.
Assessment of ITS1, ITS2, 5′-ETS, and trnL-F DNA Barcodes for Metabarcoding of Poaceae Pollen
Authors: Omelchenko Denis O. , Krinitsina Anastasia A. , Kasianov Artem S. , Speranskaya Anna S. , Chesnokova Olga V. , Polevova Svetlana V. , Severova Elena E.
Published: March 2022

Grass pollen is one of the major causes of allergy. Aerobiological monitoring is a necessary element of the complex of anti-allergic measures, but the similar pollen morphology of Poaceae species makes it challenging to discriminate species in airborne pollen mixes, which impairs the quality of aerobiological monitoring. One of the solutions to this problem is the metabarcoding approach employing DNA barcodes for taxonomical identification of species in a mix by high-throughput sequencing of the pollen DNA. A diverse set of 14 grass species of different genera were selected to create a local reference database of nuclear ITS1, ITS2, 5′-ETS, and plastome trnL-F DNA barcodes. Sequences for the database were Sanger sequenced from live field and herbarium specimens and collected from GenBank. New Poaceae-specific primers for 5′-ETS were designed and tested to obtain a 5′-ETS region less than 600 bp long, suitable for high-throughput sequencing. The DNA extraction method for single-species pollen samples and mixes was optimized to increase the yield for amplification and sequencing of pollen DNA. Barcode sequences were analyzed and compared by the barcoding gap and intra- and interspecific distances. Their capability to correctly identify grass pollen was tested on artificial pollen mixes of various complexity. Metabarcoding analysis of the artificial pollen mixes showed that nuclear DNA barcodes ITS1, ITS2, and 5′-ETS proved to be more efficient than the plastome barcode in both amplification from pollen DNA and identification of grass species. Although the metabarcoding results were qualitatively congruent with the actual composition of the pollen mixes in most cases, the quantitative results based on read-counts did not match the actual ratio of pollen grains in the mixes.
Indigenous Knowledge on the Uses, Sustainability and Conservation of African Ginger (Siphonochilus aethiopicus) among Two Communities in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
Authors: Seile Boinelo P. , Bareetseng Sechaba , Koitsiwe Motheo T. , Aremu Adeyemi O.
Published: March 2022

Harvesting of medicinal plants in the wild has an impact on sustainability of medicinal plants, which leads to the need for intervention in terms of conservation strategies. Siphonochilus aethiopicus, commonly known as African ginger or wild ginger is used to cure a variety of health conditions/illnesses, such as coughs, colds, asthma, nausea, headaches and pains. This study explored the potential role of indigenous knowledge on the uses, sustainability, and conservation strategies for African ginger among two communities in Mpumalanga province. Qualitative method entailing in-depth interviews were used for this research. We used a non-probability sample (snow-balling) to recruit ten (10) participants that comprised of four traditional health practitioners, four knowledge holders and two herbalists, considered as experts on African ginger in the study area. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The diverse indigenous knowledge on the uses of African ginger were divided into two categories (diseases and spiritual/cultural purposes) among the local communities. African ginger is indigenous to South Africa and the plant species in the wild is mainly lost to commercial trade. As revealed by the participants, the multiple uses of African ginger are major contributing factors exacerbating the demands for the plant. The uses of African ginger have resulted in the scarcity and possibly extinction of this plant species in the wild, which remain a major concerns to several stakeholders especially traditional health practitioners. Harvesting of the rhizomes of African ginger is recommended instead of the root given the relative ease and higher chances for survival and regeneration. To ensure the sustainable utilisation of African ginger, its cultivation was recommended by the participants. However, there is a need for further intervention to assess how the community members can be assisted with developing and adopting indigenous conservation protocols for the continuous sustainability of African ginger. In addition, it is pertinent to strongly discourage the indiscriminate destruction of natural habitats and create more awareness on the importance of designating protected areas among local communities.
Host Range of the Coral-Associated Worm Snail Petaloconchus sp. (Gastropoda: Vermetidae), a Newly Discovered Cryptogenic Pest Species in the Southern Caribbean
Authors: Hoeksema Bert , Harper Charlotte , Langdon-Down Sean , van der Schoot Roel , Smith-Moorhouse Annabel , Spaargaren Roselle , Timmerman Rosalie
Published: March 2022

The presence of associated endofauna can have an impact on the health of corals. During fieldwork on the southern Caribbean island of Curaçao in 2021, the presence of an unknown coral-dwelling worm snail was discovered, which appeared to cause damage to its hosts. A study of photo archives revealed that the species was already present during earlier surveys at Curaçao since 2014 and also in the southern Caribbean island of Bonaire in 2019. It was not found in St. Eustatius, an island in the eastern Caribbean, during an expedition in 2015. The vermetid snail was preliminarily identified as Petaloconchus sp. Its habitat choice resembles that of P. keenae, a West Pacific coral symbiont. The Caribbean species was observed in 21 host coral species, more than reported for any other vermetid. Because Petaloconchus sp. is a habitat generalist, it is possible that it was introduced from an area with another host-coral fauna. The unknown vermetid is considered to be cryptogenic until future studies reveal its actual identity and its native range.
An Integrated Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) Model for Studying Significant Factors Associated with Frequent Lane Changing
Authors: Moslem Sarbast , Farooq Danish , Jamal Arshad , Almarhabi Yahya , Almoshaogeh Meshal , Butt Farhan Muhammad , Tufail Rana Faisal
Published: March 2022

Frequent lane changes cause serious traffic safety concerns, which involve fatalities and serious injuries. This phenomenon is affected by several significant factors related to road safety. The detection and classification of significant factors affecting lane changing could help reduce frequent lane changing risk. The principal objective of this research is to estimate and prioritize the nominated crucial criteria and sub-criteria based on participants’ answers on a designated questionnaire survey. In doing so, this paper constructs a hierarchical lane-change model based on the concept of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with two levels of the most concerning attributes. Accordingly, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) procedure was applied utilizing fuzzy scale to evaluate precisely the most influential factors affecting lane changing, which will decrease uncertainty in the evaluation process. Based on the final measured weights for level 1, FAHP model estimation results revealed that the most influential variable affecting lane-changing is ‘traffic characteristics’. In contrast, compared to other specified factors, ‘light conditions’ was found to be the least critical factor related to driver lane-change maneuvers. For level 2, the FAHP model results showed ‘traffic volume’ as the most critical factor influencing the lane changes operations, followed by ‘speed’. The objectivity of the model was supported by sensitivity analyses that examined a range for weights’ values and those corresponding to alternative values. Based on the evaluated results, stakeholders can determine strategic policy by considering and placing more emphasis on the highlighted risk factors associated with lane changing to improve road safety. In conclusion, the finding provides the usefulness of the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to review lane-changing risks for road safety.
Theil Entropy as a Non-Lineal Analysis for Spectral Inequality of Physiological Oscillations
Authors: Carrazana-Escalona Ramón , Sánchez-Hechavarría Miguel Enrique , Ávila Ariel
Published: March 2022

Theil entropy is a statistical measure used in economics to quantify income inequalities. However, it can be applied to any data distribution including biological signals. In this work, we applied different spectral methods on heart rate variability signals and cellular calcium oscillations previously to Theil entropy analysis. The behavior of Theil entropy and its decomposable property was investigated using exponents in the range of [−1, 2], on the spectrum of synthetic and physiological signals. Our results suggest that the best spectral decomposition method to analyze the spectral inequality of physiological oscillations is the Lomb–Scargle method, followed by Theil entropy analysis. Moreover, our results showed that the exponents that provide more information to describe the spectral inequality in the tested signals were zero, one, and two. It was also observed that the intra-band component is the one that contributes the most to total inequality for the studied oscillations. More in detail, we found that in the state of mental stress, the inequality determined by the Theil entropy analysis of heart rate increases with respect to the resting state. Likewise, the same analytical approach shows that cellular calcium oscillations present on developing interneurons display greater inequality distribution when inhibition of a neurotransmitter system is in place. In conclusion, we propose that Theil entropy is useful for analyzing spectral inequality and to explore its origin in physiological signals.
Physical Education and Physical Activity Promotion: Lifestyle Sports as Meaningful Experiences
Authors: Wintle Jordan
Published: March 2022

The value of embracing a physically active lifestyle has been well documented in recent times. However, despite this knowledge, physical activity levels in many western societies remain worryingly low in both adult and youth populations. Habit formation in youth is a key indicator of engagement in physical activity as an adult; therefore, maximising opportunities to develop motivation in young people is vitally important to increase the likelihood of maintaining physical activity habits as an adult. A key factor for the development of motivation is school-based physical education. This review considers the current landscape of physical education as a vehicle for physical activity promotion, and suggests that a change of approach that moves away from physical education focusing solely on sport techniques is long overdue. A culturally relevant curriculum that includes lifestyle sports, with a focus on mastery and enjoyment through a meaningful experiences approach, is proposed as a viable update to current practice.
Adoption of IP Truncation in a Privacy-Based Decision Tree Pruning Design: A Case Study in Network Intrusion Detection System
Authors: Chew Yee Jian , Ooi Shih Yin , Wong Kok-Seng , Pang Ying Han , Lee Nicholas
Published: March 2022

A decision tree is a transparent model where the rules are visible and can represent the logic of classification. However, this structure might allow attackers to infer confidential information if the rules carry some sensitive information. Thus, a tree pruning methodology based on an IP truncation anonymisation scheme is proposed in this paper to prune the real IP addresses. However, the possible drawback of carelessly designed tree pruning might degrade the performance of the original tree as some information is intentionally opted out for the tree’s consideration. In this work, the 6-percent-GureKDDCup’99, full-version-GureKDDCup’99, UNSW-NB15, and CIDDS-001 datasets are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed pruning method. The results are also compared to the original unpruned tree model to observe its tolerance and trade-off. The tree model adopted in this work is the C4.5 tree. The findings from our empirical results are very encouraging and spell two main advantages: the sensitive IP addresses can be “pruned” (hidden) throughout the classification process to prevent any potential user profiling, and the number of nodes in the tree is tremendously reduced to make the rule interpretation possible while maintaining the classification accuracy.
Dual-Band 6 × 6 MIMO Antenna System for Glasses Applications Compatible with Wi-Fi 6E and 7 Wireless Communication Standards
Authors: Chung Ming-An , Hsiao Cheng-Wei
Published: March 2022

Multi-user multiple-input and multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems are the mainstream of current antenna design. This paper proposes a dual-band 6 × 6 MIMO glasses antenna for Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 indoor wireless communication. The six antennas have the same structure, all of which are F-shaped monopole antennas. They are on the left and right temples, at the upper and lower ends of the left and right frames, which effectively uses the space of the glasses. The substrate uses FR4 (εr=4.4, tanδ=0.02). The antenna design is compact (9 mm × 50 mm × 0.8 mm) and the glasses model is made of FR4. The overall model is similar to virtual reality (VR) glasses, which are convenient for a user to wear. The proposed antenna has three working frequency bands, at 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. Through matching and optimization, the reflection coefficient can be lower than −10 dB. In addition, this paper evaluates two usage environments for simulation and measurement on the head and free space. The measurement results show that when the operating frequency band is at 2.45 GHz, the antenna efficiency is 86.1%, and the antenna gain is 1.9 dB. At 5.5 GHz, the antenna efficiency is 86.5%, and the antenna gain is 4.4 dB. At 6.7 GHz, the antenna efficiency is 85.4%, and the antenna gain is 3.7 dB. When the isolation of the MIMO antenna system is optimized, the low-frequency band is better than −10 dB, and the high-frequency band is better than −20 dB. The measured envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) values are all lower than 0.1.
Robust Latent Common Subspace Learning for Transferable Feature Representation
Authors: Zhan Shanhua , Sun Weijun , Kang Peipei
Published: March 2022

This paper proposes a novel robust latent common subspace learning (RLCSL) method by integrating low-rank and sparse constraints into a joint learning framework. Specifically, we transform the data from source and target domains into a latent common subspace to perform the data reconstruction, i.e., the transformed source data is used to reconstruct the transformed target data. We impose joint low-rank and sparse constraints on the reconstruction coefficient matrix which can achieve following objectives: (1) the data from different domains can be interlaced by using the low-rank constraint; (2) the data from different domains but with the same label can be aligned together by using the sparse constraint. In this way, the new feature representation in the latent common subspace is discriminative and transferable. To learn a suitable classifier, we also integrate the classifier learning and feature representation learning into a unified objective and thus the high-level semantics label (data label) is fully used to guide the learning process of these two tasks. Experiments are conducted on diverse data sets for image, object, and document classifications, and encouraging experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms some state-of-the-arts methods.
Incorporation of Synthetic Data Generation Techniques within a Controlled Data Processing Workflow in the Health and Wellbeing Domain
Authors: Hernandez Mikel , Epelde Gorka , Beristain Andoni , Álvarez Roberto , Molina Cristina , Larrea Xabat , Alberdi Ane , Timoleon Michalis , Bamidis Panagiotis , Konstantinidis Evdokimos
Published: March 2022

To date, the use of synthetic data generation techniques in the health and wellbeing domain has been mainly limited to research activities. Although several open source and commercial packages have been released, they have been oriented to generating synthetic data as a standalone data preparation process and not integrated into a broader analysis or experiment testing workflow. In this context, the VITALISE project is working to harmonize Living Lab research and data capture protocols and to provide controlled processing access to captured data to industrial and scientific communities. In this paper, we present the initial design and implementation of our synthetic data generation approach in the context of VITALISE Living Lab controlled data processing workflow, together with identified challenges and future developments. By uploading data captured from Living Labs, generating synthetic data from them, developing analysis locally with synthetic data, and then executing them remotely with real data, the utility of the proposed workflow has been validated. Results have shown that the presented workflow helps accelerate research on artificial intelligence, ensuring compliance with data protection laws. The presented approach has demonstrated how the adoption of state-of-the-art synthetic data generation techniques can be applied for real-world applications.
Renewable Energy Micro-Grid Interfacing: Economic and Environmental Issues
Authors: Abou El-Ela Adel A. , El-Sehiemy Ragab A. , Allam Sohir M. , Shaheen Abdullah M. , Nagem Nadia A. , Sharaf Adel M.
Published: March 2022

This paper presents a study on the technical, economic, and environmental aspects of renewable energy resources-based distributed generation units (DGs). These units are connected to the medium-voltage network to create a new structure called a microgrid (MG). Renewable energies, especially wind and solar, are the most important generation units among DGs. The stochastic behavior of renewable resources increases the need to find the optimum operation of the MG. The optimal operation of a typical MG aims to simultaneously minimize the operational costs and the accompanied emission pollutants over a daily scheduling horizon. Several renewable DGs are investigated in the MG, consisting of biomass generators (BGs), wind turbines (WTs), and photovoltaics (PV). For the proposed operating strategy of the MG, a recent equilibrium optimization (EO) technique is developed and is inspired by the mass balance models for a control volume that are used to estimate their dynamic and equilibrium states. The uncertainties of wind speed and solar irradiation are considered via the Weibull and Beta-probability density functions (PDF) with different states of mean and standard deviation for each hour, respectively. Based on the developed EO, the hourly output powers of the PV, WT, and BGs are optimized, as are the associated power factors of the BGs. The proposed MG operating strategy based on the developed EO is tested on the IEEE 33-bus system and the practical large-scale 141-bus system of AES-Venezuela in the metropolitan area of Caracas. The simulation results demonstrate the significant benefits of the optimal operation of a typical MG using the developed EO by minimizing the operational costs and emissions while preserving the penetration level of the DGs by 60%. Additionally, the voltage profile of the MG operation for each hour is highly enhanced where the minimum voltage at each hour is corrected within the permissible limit of [0.95–1.05] Pu. Moreover, the active power losses per hour are greatly reduced.
Water Is a Viable Data Storage Medium: A Security and Privacy Viewpoint
Authors: Tahir Shahzaib , Tahir Hasan , Tahir Ruhma , Rajarajan Muttukrishnan , Abbas Haider
Published: March 2022

The security of IoT devices is a major concern that needs to be addressed for their wide adoption. Users are constantly seeking devices that are faster and capable of holding large amounts of data securely. It is purported that water has memory of its own and the ability to retain memory of the substances that are dissolved into it, even after being substantially and serially diluted. It was also observed in the lab setting that the microscopic pattern of water obtained from the same vessel by different people is unique but can easily distinguish those individuals if the same experiment is executed repeatedly. Furthermore, extensive research is already underway that explores the storage of data on water and liquids. This leads to the requirement of taking the security and privacy concerns related to the storage of data on water into consideration, especially when the real-time collection of data related to water through the IoT devices is of interest. Otherwise, the water memory aspect may lead to leakage of the data and, consequently, the data owners identity. Therefore, this article for the first time highlights the security and privacy implications related to water memory and discusses the possible countermeasures to effectively handle these potential threats. This article also presents a framework to securely store sensitive data on water. The proof-of-concept prototype is implemented and tested over a real-world dataset to analyze the feasibility of the proposed framework. The performance analysis yields that the proposed framework can be deployed once data storage on water is widely used.
A Novel Meander Bowtie-Shaped Antenna with Multi-Resonant and Rejection Bands for Modern 5G Communications
Authors: Faouri Yanal S. , Ahmad Sarosh , Parchin Naser Ojaroudi , See Chan Hwang , Abd-Alhameed Raed
Published: March 2022

To support various fifth generation (5G) wireless applications, a small, printed bowtie-shaped microstrip antenna with meandered arms is reported in this article. Because it spans the broad legal range, the developed antenna can serve or reject a variety of applications such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), sub-6 GHz, and ultra-wideband (UWB) 5G communications due to its multiband characterization and optimized rejection bands. The antenna is built on an FR-4 substrate and powered via a 50-Ω microstrip feed line linked to the right bowtie’s side. The bowtie’s left side is coupled via a shorting pin to a partial ground at the antenna’s back side. A gradually increasing meandering microstrip line is connected to both sides of the bowtie to enhance the rejection and operating bands. The designed antenna has seven operating frequency bands of (2.43–3.03) GHz, (3.71–4.23) GHz, (4.76–5.38) GHz, (5.83–6.54) GHz, (6.85–7.44) GHz, (7.56–8.01) GHz, and (9.27–13.88) GHz. The simulated scattering parameter S11 reveals six rejection bands with percentage bandwidths of 33.87%, 15.73%, 11.71, 7.63%, 6.99%, and 12.22%, respectively. The maximum gain of the proposed antenna is 4.46 dB. The suggested antenna has been built, and the simulation and measurement results are very similar. The reported antenna is expanded to a four-element design to investigate its MIMO characteristics.
Employing a Wireless Sensing Network for AIoT Based on a 5G Approach
Authors: Hsiao Sung-Jung
Published: March 2022

In this paper, wireless sensing networks are considered in the context of the 5G communication architecture in order to ensure the transmission efficiency of the sensed data transmitted by the system. The various types of environmental sensors are very diverse. Wireless sensing networks may include many different types of sensing devices or data related to images or pattern transmission, among others, and are often limited by the problem of insufficient network bandwidth. By using 5G communications for data transmission, the problem of limited network bandwidth can be solved. In addition to the use of 5G transmission, when the NB-IoT method is used within the 5G network environment, it is much more efficient than that under the original LTE network conditions. Therefore, using 5G to transmit data provides the advantages of high transmission efficiency and data integrity. In this paper, in addition to analyzing the development of 5G technology, the proposed approach uses MATLAB software to simulate the generation of 5G signals under various parameter settings representing a range of conditions. Finally, our approach discusses the use of a 5G communication module, including driver installation and data transmission testing. At present, the 5G network architecture is still under construction worldwide. According to the transmission speed test data obtained in this study, the transmission efficiency of 5G is better than that of precursor generations.
A Novel Single-Stage Common-Ground Transformerless Buck–Boost Inverter
Authors: Vo Dai-Van , Nguyen Minh-Khai , Duong Truong-Duy , Tran Tan-Tai , Lim Young-Cheol , Choi Joon-Ho
Published: March 2022

In this article, a novel single-stage transformerless buck–boost inverter is introduced. The proposed inverter can share a common ground between the DC input side and the grid; this leads to having a zero-leakage current. The proposed inverter also provides the buck and boost voltage capabilities. Additionally, the power switches are operated at high frequency in the half-cycle of the sinusoidal wave, so the efficiency of the proposed inverter can be improved. Operating analysis, design consideration, comparison, and simulation study are presented. Finally, a 500 W laboratory prototype is also built to confirm the correctness and feasibility of the proposed inverter.
On the Design and Topology Selection of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generators for Natural Impedance Matching in Small-Scale Uncontrolled Passive Wind Generator Systems
Authors: Labuschagne Casper J. J. , Kamper Maarten J.
Published: March 2022

Small-scale uncontrolled passive wind generator systems are an attractive solution for rural energy generation because of the system’s reliability and low cost. However, designing these uncontrolled wind generators for good power matching with the wind turbine is challenging and often requires external impedance matching. In this paper, permanent magnet generators with different stator and rotor structures were investigated and designed to increase the generator’s synchronous inductance for a natural impedance matching. For the design methodology, multi-objective optimisation was used to design the generators for near-maximum turbine power matching, whereby internal impedance matching was reached as much as possible. It was shown that altering the placement and orientation of the permanent magnets in the rotor is a viable method to achieve the desired impedance matching; however, these generators do not have the best performance. It was found that the surface-mounted permanent magnet generator with semi-closed slots was the optimum topology. An optimised generator prototype was tested for the experimental validation. All designs were verified by comparing the results of 2D and 3D finite-element analysis.
Voluntary Simplicity and Green Buying Behavior: An Extended Framework
Authors: Druică Elena , Vâlsan Călin , Puiu Andreea-Ionela
Published: March 2022

Green consumption is usually understood in the context of green consumption values and receptivity to green communication. Voluntary simplicity, a related yet distinct construct that relies on ecological responsibility, has not been included in the same framework. This paper bridges this gap and extends the original model to consider green consumption and voluntary simplicity in a unified structure. Based on a study conducted in Romania, it was found that 70% of the variation in buying behavior is explained by a combination of direct and mediated influences. The main takeaway is that any serious attempt to encourage responsible buying has to rely on a reduction in the absolute level of consumer demand. This result has far-reaching implications because the current paradigm of economic growth and prosperity is tributary to consumerism. The question is not how to avoid curtailing consumption and substitute green products for those harming the environment, but rather how to make voluntary frugality palatable.
Enhanced Bio-Oil Yield from Thermal Decomposition of Peanut Shells Using Termite Hill as the Catalyst
Authors: Nisar Jan , Ahmad Ali , Ali Ghulam , Rehman Nafees Ur , Shah Afzal , Shah Iltaf
Published: March 2022

This study focused on the thermal degradation of peanut shells in the presence and absence of a termite hill as the catalyst. EDX, XRF, SEM, SAA and XRD were employed for the characterization of the termite hill. The bio-oil obtained from peanut shell pyrolysis was analyzed by GC-MS. To ascertain the kinetic parameters of the reaction, thermogravimetric analysis of peanut shells was carried out with and without a termite hill at heating rates of 3, 12, 20 and 30 °C·min−1. TG/DTG of peanut shells revealed four steps of weight loss from 30 to 800 °C. The weight loss was attributed to the evaporation of water and degradation of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin. The Kissinger method was applied for the evaluation of kinetic parameters. The activation energy (E) for the non-catalyzed degradation reactions of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin was evaluated as 108.082, 116.396 and 182.908 kJ/mol, with a pre-exponential factor (A) of 1.9 × 108, 2.42 × 109 and 2.98 × 1011 min−1, respectively. Similarly, for the catalyzed reaction, the values of E and A were calculated as 66.512, 74.826 and 133.024 kJ/mol and 5.83 × 106, 2.859 × 107 and 1.46 × 109 min−1, respectively. The termite hill not only reduced the degradation temperature and activation energy but also modified the composition of the bio-oil. In the case of the non-catalyzed reaction, the bio-oil was found to consist of C5-C24, while catalytic pyrolysis produced more components ranging from C4 to C31 hydrocarbons.
On the Dynamic Connectedness of the Stock, Oil, Clean Energy, and Technology Markets
Authors: Attarzadeh Amirreza , Balcilar Mehmet
Published: March 2022

Using monthly data from September 2004 to February 2020, this paper investigates the connectedness of the renewable energy, common stock, oil, and technology markets. The time-domain Diebold and Yilmaz spillover index approach is used to analyze the volatility spillover between these four markets. The study’s findings reveal that the oil and clean energy markets have bidirectional volatility spillover. The oil market has been found to be a net receiver of volatility. Furthermore, the study shows that volatility spillover is stronger in extreme positive and negative shock periods than in medium shock periods. Our findings show that, during crisis periods, the volatility spillover index rises, while the total connection reached its lowest point in 2015. Our findings suggest that policymakers should be informed that, as long as oil prices remain low, alternative energy-producing industries will not require specific policies to mitigate their vulnerability to crude oil price shocks. However, large spillover in the tails—particularly in the right tail—indicates vulnerability to extreme events, such as the negative effect of oil price increases.
Analysis of the Factors Having an Influence on the LC Passive Harmonic Filter Work Efficiency
Authors: Azebaze Mboving Chamberlin Stéphane , Hanzelka Zbigniew , Firlit Andrzej
Published: March 2022

This paper presents the electrical system factors having an influence on the work efficiency and performance of the LC passive harmonic filters (PHFs). Such filters are very often used in industries for the purpose of harmonics mitigation and reactive power compensation. Before their installation in the electrical system, many investigations should be performed in order to ensure their good design as well as work efficiency after connection. In this paper, the factors having an influence on the PHFs work efficiency and performance, such as the grid short-circuit power, primary grid voltage spectrum (voltage measured at the PCC before the filter connection), load reactive power and current characteristic harmonics, manufacturer filter parameters tolerance and filter-detuning phenomena are investigated. Most of the quoted factors are mentioned in the literature, but the novelty of this paper is that, based on the case study example of the single-tuned filter investigated in the laboratory, the influence of those factors on the filter work efficiency are demonstrated, and some solutions and recommendations are proposed. The studies are focused on the design of the single-tuned filter in the laboratory, and some simulation results are presented as well.
A Comparative Analysis of Selected Predictive Algorithms in Control of Machine Processes
Authors: Dymora Paweł , Mazurek Mirosław , Bomba Sławomir
Published: March 2022

The paper presents a comparative analysis of selected algorithms for prediction and data analysis. The research was based on data taken from a computerized numerical control (CNC) milling machine. Methods of knowledge extraction from very large datasets, characteristics of classical analytical methods used in datasets and knowledge discovery in database (KDD) processes were also described. The aim of the study is a comparative analysis of selected algorithms for prediction and data analysis to determine the time and degree of tool usage in order to react early enough and avoid unwanted incidents affecting production effectiveness. The research was based on K-nearest neighbor, decision tree and linear regression algorithms. The influence of the rate of learning and testing set sizes were evaluated, which may have an important impact on the optimization of the time and quality of computation. It was shown that precision decreases with the increase of the K value of the average group, while the percentage of the number of classes in a given set (recall) increases. The harmonic mean for the group mean also increases with increasing K, while a significant decrease in these values was observed for the standard deviations of the group. The numerical value of accuracy decreases with increasing K.
Numerical Investigation on the Effects of Forest Heterogeneity on Wind-Turbine Wake
Authors: Adedipe Taiwo , Chaudhari Ashvinkumar , Hellsten Antti , Kauranne Tuomo , Haario Heikki
Published: March 2022

This work aims at investigating the effects of forest heterogeneity on a wind-turbine wake under a neutrally stratified condition. Three types of forests, homogeneous (idealized), a real forest having natural heterogeneity, and an idealized forest having a strong heterogeneity, are considered in this study. For each type, three forest densities with Leaf Area Index (LAI) values of 0.42,1.7, and 4.25 are investigated. The data of the homogeneous forest are estimated from a dense forest site located in Ryningsnäs, Sweden, while the real forest data are obtained using an aerial LiDAR scan over a site located in Pihtipudas, about 140 km north of Jyväskylä, Finland. The idealized forest is made up of small forest patches to represent a strong heterogeneous forest. The turbine definition used to model the wake is the NREL 5 MW reference wind turbine, which is modeled in the numerical simulations by the Actuator Line Model (ALM) approach. The numerical simulations are implemented with OpenFOAM based on the Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes (U-RANS) approach. The results highlight the effects of forest heterogeneity levels with different densities on the wake formation and recovery of a stand-alone wind-turbine wake. It is observed that the homogeneous forests have higher turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) compared to the real forests for an LAI value less than approximately 2, while forests with an LAI value above 2 show a higher TKE in the real forest than in the homogeneous and the strong heterogeneous (patched) forest. Technically, the deficits in the wake region are more pronounced in the strong heterogeneous forests than in other forest cases.