bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In situ fluidized mining and conversion solution to alleviate geological damage and greenhouse gas emissions due to coal exploitation: A numerical analysis and evaluation
Authors: Ju Yang , Nie Xiaodong , Zhu Yan , Xie Heping 
Published: September 2020

AbstractCoal remains a primary energy source for the foreseeable future. However, existing approaches for coal exploitation and utilization are highly detrimental to the geological formations from which they are extracted and the atmospheric environment. Moreover, underground mining can induce earthquakes that lead to fatalities and financial losses. The demand to abandon coal mining is increasing worldwide, and the need for efficient, safe, and environmentally acceptable coal exploitation and utilization has garnered widespread attention. We propose a novel unmanned automatic machine‐based mining and in situ conversion method for the safe and clean exploitation and utilization of subsurface coal resources. Solid coal is transformed in situ into fluidized energy resources using this method. To evaluate its effectiveness, a geological model of a coal mine was generated, and a numerical simulation based on the continuum‐based discrete element method was conducted to compare the mining‐induced stress distribution, roof subsidence, coal wall failure, and microseismicity for fluidized and traditional mining methods. Our results indicate that the proposed mining method can significantly reduce damage to the geological formation and greenhouse gas emissions associated with the exploitation and utilization of coal resources. We also discuss the limitations of the current study and future research possibilities.
Experimental and numerical studies on hydraulic fracturing characteristics with different injection flow rates in granite geothermal reservoir
Authors: Cheng Yuxiang , Zhang Yanjun , Yu Ziwang , Hu Zhongjun , Ma Yueqiang , Yang Yunxing 
Published: September 2020

AbstractGeothermal energy has been widely proposed as a potential renewable energy to replace traditional fossil fuel energy. Hot dry rock (HDR) reservoirs were the main geothermal energy resources and usually consist of low‐permeability hard granite without fluid. Developing HDR requires water cyclically flowing between injection and production wells to extract heat energy. Hydraulic fracturing, as a key reservoir stimulation technology, can create the path of fluid cyclically flowing. However, few studies have investigated hydraulic induced artificial fractures in HDR geothermal formations. This paper investigated HDR geothermal reservoir stimulation characteristics and fracture patterns under different injection flow rates. Numerical simulations were conducted to model the laboratory tests. Results showed they were in good agreement, and this indicated the possibility of numerical simulation to predict hydraulic fracturing behavior under different injection flow rates. With the increase of injection flow rate, the fracture initiation pressures and breakdown pressures increased, and the propagation times and postfracturing pressures decreased. The fracture geometries were observed and analyzed, mean injection power was proposed, and results showed that it could be used to roughly estimate the fracture total lengths. Moreover, the fracture permeabilities based on the pressure data were calculated. These results can provide some reasonable advice for implementing reservoir stimulations on application to field‐scale HDR operation.
Remote sensing to control respiratory viral diseases outbreaks using Internet of Vehicles
Authors: Sahraoui Yesin , Korichi Ahmed , Kerrache Chaker Abdelaziz , Bilal Muhammad , Amadeo Marica 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe respiratory viral diseases, such as those caused by the family of coronaviruses, can be extremely contagious and spread through saliva droplets generated by coughing, sneezing, or breathing. In humans, the most common symptoms of the infection include fever and difficulty in breathing. In order to reduce the diffusion of the current “Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19)” pandemic, the Internet of Things technologies can play an important role; for instance, they can be effectively used for implementing a real‐time patient tracking and warning system at a city scale. Crucial places to install the tracking IoT devices are the public/private vehicles that, augmented with multiple connectivity solutions, can implement the Internet of Vehicles paradigm. In such ubiquitous network environment, vehicles are equipped with a variety of sensors, including regular cameras that can be replaced with thermal cameras. Therefore, this article proposes a new design for widely detecting respiratory viral diseases that leverages IoV to collect real‐time body temperature and breathing rate measurements of pedestrians. This information can be used to recognize geographic areas affected by possible COVID‐19 cases and to implement proactive preventive strategies that would further limit the spread of the disease.
Different QAM schemes analyses for ARS fading channels
Authors: Bilim Mehmet 
Published: September 2020

AbstractQuadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) techniques are employed for various communication systems due to its advantages such as efficient bandwidth and high rate. In this paper, the average symbol error rate (ASER) performances of single‐input single‐output networks are investigated to address the different QAM schemes combined use. The link in the network experiences the alternate Rician shadowed (ARS) fading which has the benefit of contributing left or right‐sided bimodality. Four different QAM schemes such as rectangular QAM, cross‐QAM, hexagonal QAM, and square QAM are used for the considered network. Under these assumptions, new closed‐form expressions for the ASER in terms of elementary functions and Meijer's G functions are derived. The derived ASER expressions are obtained by employing the Prony approximation with two terms which has fractional coefficients to provide precise results. Based on the second‐order exponential function approximation for Gaussian Q‐function, the ASER expressions of the considered system are also proposed. Additionally, we provide other important engineering insights based on the high signal‐to‐noise‐ratio analysis of the ASER performance over ARS fading channels. Finally, all our theoretical results are confirmed with simulations.
Antioxidant and α‐glucosidase inhibitory capacity of nonextractable polyphenols in Mopan persimmon
Authors: Zhou Chang , Mao Kemin , Li Jiao , Gao Jie , Liu Xiaoyu , Sang Yaxin 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThis study was to evaluate and compare the polyphenols contents, antioxidant capacities, and α‐glucosidase inhibitory abilities of extractable and nonextractable polyphenols (EP and NEP) in Mopan persimmon. The results showed that total phenols content of NEP was 5 times higher than that of EP, and the hydrolyzed NEP compounds displayed higher antioxidant capacity than EP in vitro by DPPH, ORAC assays. Meanwhile, NEP also exhibited inhibition capacity of α‐glucosidase and were higher than that of acarbose. In addition, an in vitro model of gastrointestinal digestion was used for the release of NEP, the polyphenols content and ORAC values were obviously increased in gastric digestion stage. The result indicated that NEP in Mopan persimmon, which has often been overlooked and discarded in the past, possessed higher polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity than EP.
ZrC Coating Modified Ti Bipolar Plate for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell
Authors: Zhang P.C. , Han Y. T. , Shi J. F. , Li T. , Wang H. Y. , Wang X. Y. , Sun J. C. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance and hydrophobic property of bipolar plate are important factors to affect the overall performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). In order to improve the performance of bipolar plate, ZrC coating has been prepared on bare Ti plate by plasma surface modification technology. From the microscopic morphology characterization, it can be found that the surface of ZrC modified plate is smooth without obvious defect. The potentiodynamic polarization and potentiostatic polarization tests are measured in cathodic and anodic environment of PEMFC. The result shows that the corrosion current density of ZrC coated Ti plate decreases by 1–2 orders of magnitude compared with bare Ti plate. Moreover, the interfacial contact resistance (ICR) decreases from 110 mΩ cm2 to 7.70 mΩ cm2 under the compaction force of 140 N cm−2. In addition, the ICR of ZrC coated Ti plate slightly increases after potentiostatic polarization, indicating that a good electrical conductivity and durability is obtained by ZrC coated Ti plate. Furthermore, the ZrC coated Ti plate has a lower water contact angle (105°) than bare Ti plate (76°), indicating a better hydrophobic performance for water management.
Investigation on High Temperature Corrosion Characteristic of Super304H, TP347H, and HR3C Steel in an Ultra‐supercritical Coal‐fired Boiler▴
Authors: Ma H. , Wang Y. , Liang Z. , Zhao Q. , Ke Z. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe high temperature corrosion characteristic of Super304H, TP347H, and HR3C steel in an ultra‐supercritical coal‐fired boiler with service time of 17,973 h was investigated. The samples were analyzed by XRD, SEM, and EDS. The results showed that corrosion scales were composed and could be divided into three layers, including outer layer with composite reaction of alkalis and sulfate, middle layer with oxidation, and penetrated inner layer with oxidation and sulfidation. In addition, spalling of corrosion scales in the Super304H and TP347H samples was observed with the reasons of low Cr content and thermal expansion difference between different corrosion layers.
Measuring the fabric evolution of sand – application and challenges
Authors: Wiebicke Max , Herle Ivo , Andò Edward , Viggiani Gioacchino 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe behaviour of granular materials, such as sands, is controlled by the interaction of particles. This interaction can be described geometrically by orientations and statically by forces. Using x‐rayμ‐tomography and image analysis, it is possible to determine the geometrical fabric at the grain‐scale, whereas the forces still remain inaccessible in natural granular materials. This article shows how the fabric can be accessed using standard and recently proposed advanced image analysis techniques and elaborates which problems arise when describing the fabric quantitatively. These techniques were applied to a triaxial compression test on Hostun sand. The results are described in terms of a fabric tensor, a coordination number and an anisotropy and then related to the macroscopic behaviour of the sample.
Mindfulness training preserves sustained attention and resting state anticorrelation between default‐mode network and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Bauer Clemens C. C. , Rozenkrantz Liron , Caballero Camila , Nieto‐Castanon Alfonso , Scherer Ethan , West Martin R. , Mrazek Michael , Phillips Dawa T. , Gabrieli John D. E. , Whitfield‐Gabrieli Susan 
Published: September 2020

AbstractMindfulness training can enhance cognitive control, but the neural mechanisms underlying such enhancement in children are unknown. Here, we conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with sixth graders (mean age 11.76 years) to examine the impact of 8 weeks of school‐based mindfulness training, relative to coding training as an active control, on sustained attention and associated resting‐state functional brain connectivity. At baseline, better performance on a sustained‐attention task correlated with greater anticorrelation between the default mode network (DMN) and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a key node of the central executive network. Following the interventions, children in the mindfulness group preserved their sustained‐attention performance (i.e., fewer lapses of attention) and preserved DMN–DLPFC anticorrelation compared to children in the active control group, who exhibited declines in both sustained attention and DMN–DLPFC anticorrelation. Further, change in sustained‐attention performance correlated with change in DMN–DLPFC anticorrelation only within the mindfulness group. These findings provide the first causal link between mindfulness training and both sustained attention and associated neural plasticity. Administered as a part of sixth graders' school schedule, this RCT supports the beneficial effects of school‐based mindfulness training on cognitive control.
Insight into stagnating adult life expectancy: Analyzing cause of death patterns across socioeconomic groups
Authors: Kallestrup‐Lamb Malene , Kjærgaard Søren , Rosenskjold Carsten P. T. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThis study analyzes the complexity of female longevity improvements. As socioeconomic status is found to influence health and mortality, we partition all individuals, at each age in every year, into five socioeconomic groups based on an affluence measure that combine an individual's income and wealth. We identify the particular socioeconomic groups that have been driving the standstill for Danish females at older ages. Within each socioeconomic group, we further analyze the cause of death patterns. The decline in life expectancy for Danish females is present for four out of five subgroups, however, with particular large decreases for the low‐middle and middle‐affluence groups. Cancers, smoking‐related lung and bronchus causes, and other diseases particularly contribute to the stagnation. For four of the five socioeconomic groups only small cardiovascular improvement are experienced during the period of stagnating life expectancy compared to an equally long and subsequent period.
Effects of Cirrhosis and Diagnosis Scenario in Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Chen Vincent L. , Yeh Ming-Lun , Yang Ju Dong , Leong Jennifer , Huang Daniel Q. , Toyoda Hidenori , Chen Yao-Li , Guy Jennifer , Maeda Mayumi , Tsai Pei-Chien , Huang Chung-Feng , Yasuda Satoshi , Le An K. , Dang Hansen , Giama Nasra H. , Ali Hamdi A. , Zhang Ning , Wang Xiaozhong , Jun Dae Won , Tseng Cheng-Hao , Hsu Yao-Chun , Huang Jee-Fu , Dai Chia-Yen , Chuang Wan-Long , Zhu Qiang , Dan Yock Young , Schwartz Myron , Roberts Lewis R. , Yu Ming-Lung , Nguyen Mindie H. 
Published: September 2020

We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study of metabolic dysfunction-associated hepatocellular carcinoma. In this cohort, cirrhosis was not associated with poorer survival, while history of liver imaging was.
Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a major cause of liver-related complications, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While MAFLD-related HCC is known to occur in the absence of cirrhosis, our understanding of MAFLD-related HCC in this setting is limited. Here, we characterize MAFLD-related HCC and the impact of cirrhosis and screening on survival. This was a multicenter, retrospective, cohort study of MAFLD-related HCC. MAFLD was defined based on the presence of race-adjusted overweight, diabetes, or both hypertension and dyslipidemia in the absence of excess alcohol use or other underlying cause of liver disease. The primary outcome of interest was overall survival, and the primary dependent variables were cirrhosis status and prior HCC screening. We used Kaplan-Meier methods to estimate overall survival and Cox proportional hazards models and random forest machine learning to determine factors associated with prognosis. This study included 1,382 patients from 11 centers in the United States and East/Southeast Asia. Cirrhosis was present in 62% of patients, but under half of these patients had undergone imaging within 12 months of HCC diagnosis. Patients with cirrhosis were more likely to have early stage disease but less often received curative therapy. After adjustment, cirrhosis was not associated with prognosis, but the presence of cancer-related symptoms at diagnosis was associated with poorer prognosis. Conclusion: Cirrhosis was not associated with overall survival in this cohort of MAFLD-related HCC, while diagnosis in the presence of symptoms was associated with poorer prognosis. The HCC surveillance rate in patients with MAFLD-related HCC was disappointingly low in a multicenter cohort.
Differential susceptibility between skin and vaginal mucosa in sensitization phase of allergic contact dermatitis in mice
Authors: Nishijo Taku , Nakayama Kanako , Miyazawa Masaaki , Kuroda Yasutaka , Sakaguchi Hitoshi 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIntroductionMechanisms underlying skin sensitization in allergic contact dermatitis have been actively studied using the murine contact hypersensitivity (CHS) model. However, much less is known about sensitization at the vaginal mucosa (VM).MethodsWe developed a CHS model with VM sensitization and epicutaneous elicitation at the ear. We then examined the proliferation activity of lymphocytes, the frequencies of T cells and the differentiation of hapten‐specific T cells in draining lymph nodes (dLNs) after sensitization.ResultsHapten‐specific CHS responses to 2,4‐dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB), 2,4,6‐trinitrochrolobenzene, and oxazolone assessed by ear swelling suggested that the VM would be an inductive site of CHS to haptens. In the comparisons of CHS responses to each of the three haptens examined, the lower responses in VM‐sensitized mice were observed than skin‐sensitized mice (e.g., DNFB‐induced responses, −56%; p < .001, at 48 h after challenge). Consistent with the CHS responses, the DNFB‐induced proliferation of cells in dLNs examined by 5‐bromo‐2ʹ‐deoxyuridine assay was lower (−62%; p < .001) in VM‐sensitized mice than skin‐sensitized mice. On the other hand, between skin and VM sensitization, no significant differences were observed in the frequencies of interferon‐γ‐producing CD4+ and CD8+ effector, and regulatory T cells in dLNs after sensitization. We also observed no significant differences with respect to differentiation of hapten‐specific T cells based on the examination of cytokine production from dLN cells stimulated in vitro with 2,4‐dinitrobenzene sulfonate.ConclusionThese findings suggested that the lower T cell proliferation after VM sensitization is important for the lower CHS responses with VM sensitization than skin sensitization.
ECG steganography based on tunable Q‐factor wavelet transform and singular value decomposition
Authors: Mathivanan P. , Balaji Ganesh A. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe article presents a novel ECG steganography scheme based on the tunable Q‐factor wavelet transformation (TQWT) and also singular value decomposition (SVD) techniques that ensure better safety and confidentiality of patient information. Initial parameters such as Q, r, and J are used to decompose the cover signal into individual frequency sub‐bands with the tunable Q‐factor wavelet transform (TQWT). The singular value decomposition (SVD) technique is used to further decompose high‐frequency sub‐band coefficients into singular values. The watermark information is then embedded with high‐frequency sub‐band coefficients by involving the quantization process. The performance of this proposed system is successfully evaluated by considering various metrics, such as peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index (SSIM), percentage residual difference (PRD), and bit error rate (BER). The simulation results of the proposed scheme are observed to be better than other traditional algorithms.
Expression and diagnostic value of circulating miRNA‐190 and miRNA‐197 in patients with pulmonary thromboembolism
Authors: Zhou XiaoTing , Wu QiaoZhen , Hao TianBo , Xu Rui , Hu XiaoYun , Dong LingYun 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundDiagnosing pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) remains challenging due to the lack of specific clinical symptoms and biomarkers. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have proved to be potential biomarkers for numerous cardiovascular diseases. The aims of this study were to quantitatively analyze the expression of plasma miRNA‐190 and miRNA‐197 in patients with PTE and to evaluate the diagnostic value for PTE.MethodsThirty patients diagnosed with PTE by computed tomographic pulmonary angiography at the emergency department were enrolled in this study, and plasma was collected immediately. For comparison, myocardial infarction (MI, n = 45) and healthy participants (NC, n = 45) were recruited as the control groups. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT‐PCR) was conducted to reveal the relative expression levels of miRNA‐190 and miRNA‐197 in each group. The plasma concentrations of D‐dimer were measured by immunoturbidimetric assay. The diagnostic value was evaluated by analyzing the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).ResultsThe relative expression levels of miRNA‐190 and miRNA‐197 in the PTE group were both significantly higher than in the MI group (t = 3.602 t = 4.791, P < .05, respectively) and the healthy control group (t = 5.814, t = 5.886, P < .05, respectively). As diagnostic indicator, the sensitivity and specificity of miRNA‐190 were 75.56% and 80%, respectively, with an AUC of 0.7844 (95%CI: 0.6858‐0.8831, P < .001). The sensitivity and specificity of miRNA‐197 were 73.33% and 86.67%, respectively, with an AUC value of 0.7931 (95%CI: 0.6870‐0.8991, P < .001). Combining miRNA‐190 and miRNA‐197 with D‐dimer levels significantly increased the diagnostic power, improving the AUC to 0.9536 (95% CI: 0.9083‐0.9989, P < .001).ConclusionsThe relative expression levels of miRNA‐190 and miRNA‐197 in PTE patients were significantly higher than in the MI and healthy control groups, indicating that (a) both may be involved in the pathophysiological process of PTE and (b) both may serve as potential noninvasive diagnostic markers for PTE. The combination of miRNA‐190, miRNA‐197, and D‐dimer levels showed better sensitivity and specificity, which is more conducive to the diagnosis of PTE.
Ultrasound‐guided lung lavage for life‐threatening bronchial obstruction due to meconium plug
Authors: Dell'Orto Valentina , Centorrino Roberta , De Luca Daniele 
Published: September 2020

AbstractWe present a case of life‐threatening airway obstruction caused by meconium aspiration, a condition with significant neonatal mortality and morbidity. Lung ultrasound detected the obstruction and helped in the clinical management allowing to perform a quick and selective bronchoalveolar lavage with diluted surfactant.
Working Poor? A Study of Rural Workers' Economic Welfare in Kenya
Authors: Fibaek Maria Mwaipopo 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThis study employs a mixed methods approach to investigate the poverty reduction potential of large‐scale farm employment in Kenya. A long‐run time series of real agricultural wages is created. The quantitative data are supplemented by life‐story interviews of agricultural workers. The analysis suggests that large‐scale farm employment can serve as a route out of deep poverty. However, to prevent wages from falling below the subsistence level, there is a need for a balanced rural development strategy whereby investments in smallholder agriculture and skills upgrades accompany the expansion of commercial agriculture. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of International Development published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd