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15 pages, 2559 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Shape of Parabolic Aeration Facilities with Local Steepness in Slow Slope Chutes
by Yuping Dong, Guodong Li, Shaobin Liu, Shanshan Li, Pengfeng Li and Yong Wei
Water 2024, 16(11), 1574; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16111574 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
For flood discharge structures with high water heads, aeration facilities are usually installed in engineering to promote water flow aeration and prevent cavitation damage to the overflow surface. Actual engineering has shown that as the slope of the discharge channel bottom decreases or [...] Read more.
For flood discharge structures with high water heads, aeration facilities are usually installed in engineering to promote water flow aeration and prevent cavitation damage to the overflow surface. Actual engineering has shown that as the slope of the discharge channel bottom decreases or water level changes lead to a decrease in the Froude number, the cavity morphology after conventional aeration facilities or allotype aerators is poor. This article proposes a curved aeration facility scheme based on the idea of locally increasing the bottom slope to reduce the impact angle, which is formed by the convex parabolic bottom plate and concave parabolic bottom plate. The convex parabolic bottom plate is tangent to a flat bottom plate behind the offset, and the concave parabolic bottom plate is tangent to the downstream. The jet landing point is controlled at the junction of the convex parabolic bottom plate and the concave parabolic bottom plate, and the lower jet trajectory is in line with the parabolic bottom plate. The corresponding parabolic bottom plate calculation formulas were theoretically derived, and the design method of the shape parameters of the aeration facility was provided. Through specific engineering case studies, it was found that: (1) As the ZAC/ZAG value increases, point C becomes closer to point G, the slope of the water tongue landing point C becomes steeper, and the cavity is less likely to return water. (2) When the position of the water tongue landing point is 0.5–0.8 times the height of the water tongue impact point, there is almost no water accumulation in the calculated cavity. At this time, the platform length LAB = 0.5LAF, the convex parabolic section length LBC = (0.45–0.6) LAG, the concave parabolic section length LCD = (0.43–0.11) LAG, the convex parabolic section calculation formula is z (x) = −A1x2 (A1 = 0.0059–0.00564), and the concave parabolic section calculation formula is A2x2 − B2x2 (A2 = 0.003347–0.01927).This solved the problem of aeration and corrosion reduction under small bottom slope, large-unit discharge, and low Froude number engineering conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Hydraulic Engineering and Hydrological Modelling)
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14 pages, 3994 KiB  
Article
Adsorption and Diffusion Characteristics of CO2 and CH4 in Anthracite Pores: Molecular Dynamics Simulation
by Yufei Gao, Yaqing Wang and Xiaolong Chen
Processes 2024, 12(6), 1131; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12061131 (registering DOI) - 30 May 2024
Abstract
CO2-enhanced coalbed methane recovery (CO2-ECBM) has been demonstrated as an effective enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technique that enhances the production of coalbed methane (CBM) while achieving the goal of CO2 sequestration. In this paper, the grand canonical Monte [...] Read more.
CO2-enhanced coalbed methane recovery (CO2-ECBM) has been demonstrated as an effective enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technique that enhances the production of coalbed methane (CBM) while achieving the goal of CO2 sequestration. In this paper, the grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation is used to investigate the dynamic mechanism of CO2-ECBM in anthracite pores. First, an anthracite pore containing both organic and inorganic matter was constructed, and the adsorption and diffusion characteristics of CO2 and CH4 in the coal pores under different temperature and pressure conditions were studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results indicate that the interaction energy of coal molecules with CO2 and CH4 is positively associated with pressure but negatively associated with temperature. At 307.15 K and 101.35 kPa, the interaction energies of coal adsorption of single-component CO2 and CH4 are −1273.92 kJ·mol−1 and −761.53 kJ·mol−1, respectively. The interaction energy between anthracite molecules and CO2 is significantly higher compared to CH4, indicating that coal has a greater adsorption capacity for CO2 than for CH4. Furthermore, the distribution characteristics of gas in the pores before and after injection indicate that CO2 mainly adsorbs and displaces CH4 by occupying adsorption sites. Under identical conditions, the diffusion coefficient of CH4 surpasses that of CO2. Additionally, the growth rate of the CH4 diffusion coefficient as the temperature increases is higher than that of CO2, which indicates that CO2-ECBM is applicable to high-temperature coal seams. The presence of oxygen functional groups in anthracite molecules greatly influences the distribution of gas molecules within the pores of coal. The hydroxyl group significantly influences the adsorption of both CH4 and CO2, while the ether group has a propensity to impact CH4 adsorption, and the carbonyl group is inclined to influence CO2 adsorption. The research findings are expected to provide technical support for the effective promotion of CO2-ECBM technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shale Gas and Coalbed Methane Exploration and Practice)
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Article
Expanding the Application of Sentinel-2 Chlorophyll Monitoring across United States Lakes
by Wilson B. Salls, Blake A. Schaeffer, Nima Pahlevan, Megan M. Coffer, Bridget N. Seegers, P. Jeremy Werdell, Hannah Ferriby, Richard P. Stumpf, Caren E. Binding and Darryl J. Keith
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(11), 1977; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16111977 (registering DOI) - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Eutrophication of inland lakes poses various societal and ecological threats, making water quality monitoring crucial. Satellites provide a comprehensive and cost-effective supplement to traditional in situ sampling. The Sentinel-2 MultiSpectral Instrument (S2 MSI) offers unique spectral bands positioned to quantify chlorophyll a, [...] Read more.
Eutrophication of inland lakes poses various societal and ecological threats, making water quality monitoring crucial. Satellites provide a comprehensive and cost-effective supplement to traditional in situ sampling. The Sentinel-2 MultiSpectral Instrument (S2 MSI) offers unique spectral bands positioned to quantify chlorophyll a, a water-quality and trophic-state indicator, along with fine spatial resolution, enabling the monitoring of small waterbodies. In this study, two algorithms—the Maximum Chlorophyll Index (MCI) and the Normalized Difference Chlorophyll Index (NDCI)—were applied to S2 MSI data. They were calibrated and validated using in situ chlorophyll a measurements for 103 lakes across the contiguous U.S. Both algorithms were tested using top-of-atmosphere reflectances (ρt), Rayleigh-corrected reflectances (ρs), and remote sensing reflectances (Rrs). MCI slightly outperformed NDCI across all reflectance products. MCI using ρt showed the best overall performance, with a mean absolute error factor of 2.08 and a mean bias factor of 1.15. Conversion of derived chlorophyll a to trophic state improved the potential for management applications, with 82% accuracy using a binary classification. We report algorithm-to-chlorophyll-a conversions that show potential for application across the U.S., demonstrating that S2 can serve as a monitoring tool for inland lakes across broad spatial scales. Full article
42 pages, 16160 KiB  
Review
Research Progress on the Fire Characteristics of Electric Cables and Wires
by Feiyang Yu, Shijie Wang, Kaixuan Tang, Yifan Lin, Shasha Wang and Ying Zhang
Fire 2024, 7(6), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire7060186 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
With the development of the social economy and the improvement of electrification, cables and wires play an important role in people’s lives and industrial development. Meanwhile, the large-scale laying of cables has also made them a fire hazard that cannot be ignored in [...] Read more.
With the development of the social economy and the improvement of electrification, cables and wires play an important role in people’s lives and industrial development. Meanwhile, the large-scale laying of cables has also made them a fire hazard that cannot be ignored in land construction such as residential buildings, utility tunnels, nuclear power plants, refineries, marine systems such as submarines and ships, and airborne systems such as spacecrafts and aircrafts. In this work, studies on fire the characteristics of cables and wires over the last decades have been reviewed. Based on different experimental forms and objects (laboratory wires and commercial cables), this paper summarizes the theories of the fire dynamics in wire combustion, including the models of ignition and flame propagation, the criteria for blowing off and quenching, and the critical conditions for dripping behavior. The effects of materials, layouts, and environments on wire combustion phenomena such as airflow, ambient pressure, oxygen, gravity, and orientation angle have been discussed in detail according to the theories of heat transfer and combustion. In addition, test standards and studies on the fire behavior and release of toxic gases of commercial cables have also been fully described. Through the summary of the above content, it is expected to build a preliminary theoretical framework and future research directions for researchers in the field of cable fires. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cable and Electrical Fires)
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22 pages, 11135 KiB  
Article
Multi-UAV Cooperative Localization Using Adaptive Wasserstein Filter with Distance-Constrained Bare Bones Self-Recovery Particles
by Xiuli Xin, Feng Pan, Yuhe Wang and Xiaoxue Feng
Drones 2024, 8(6), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8060234 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Aiming at the cooperative localization problem for the dynamic UAV swarm in an anchor-limited environment, an adaptive Wasserstein filter (AWF) with distance-constrained bare bones self-recovery particles (CBBP) is proposed. Firstly, to suppress the cumulative error from the inertial navigation system (INS), a position-prediction [...] Read more.
Aiming at the cooperative localization problem for the dynamic UAV swarm in an anchor-limited environment, an adaptive Wasserstein filter (AWF) with distance-constrained bare bones self-recovery particles (CBBP) is proposed. Firstly, to suppress the cumulative error from the inertial navigation system (INS), a position-prediction strategy based on transition particles is designed instead of using inertial measurements directly, which ensures that the generated prior particles can better cover the ground truth and provide the uncertainties of nonlinear estimation. Then, to effectively quantify the difference between the observed and the prior data, the Wasserstein measure based on slice segmentation is introduced to update the posterior weights of the particles, which makes the proposed algorithm robust against distance-measurement noise variance under the strongly nonlinear model. In addition, to solve the problem of particle impoverishment caused by traditional resampling, a diversity threshold based on Gini purity is designed, and a fast bare bones particle self-recovery algorithm with distance constraint is proposed to guide the outlier particles to the high-likelihood region, which effectively improves the accuracy and stability of the estimation. Finally, the simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is robust against cumulative error in an anchor-limited environment and achieves more competitive accuracy with fewer particles. Full article
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26 pages, 25111 KiB  
Review
Monitoring Nodal Transportation Assets with Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles: A Comprehensive Review
by Taraneh Askarzadeh, Raj Bridgelall and Denver Tolliver
Drones 2024, 8(6), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8060233 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Using Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to monitor the condition of nodal transportation assets—airports, seaports, heliports, vertiports, and cargo terminals—presents a transformative approach to traditional inspection methods. The focus on nodal assets rather than linear assets like roads, railways, bridges, and waterways fills a [...] Read more.
Using Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to monitor the condition of nodal transportation assets—airports, seaports, heliports, vertiports, and cargo terminals—presents a transformative approach to traditional inspection methods. The focus on nodal assets rather than linear assets like roads, railways, bridges, and waterways fills a gap in addressing the dynamic challenges specific to transportation hubs. This study reviews scholarly literature on applying UAV-based remote sensing (URS) techniques to assess the condition of various transportation hubs, which are critical junctures in global logistics networks. Utilizing a systematic literature review framework, this study reviewed 486 publications from 2015 to 2023 to extract insights from the evolving discourse on URS applications. The findings suggest that these emerging methods resulted in substantial enhancements in time saving, cost efficiency, safety, and reliability. Specifically, this study presents evidence on how URS approaches can overcome the constraints of conventional inspection methods by enabling rapid, high-precision mapping and surveillance in complex and constrained environments. The findings highlight the role of UAVs in enhancing operational workflows and decision making in transportation planning and maintenance. By bridging the gap between traditional practices and innovative technology, this research offers significant implications for stakeholders in the field, advocating for a shift towards more dynamic, cost-effective, and precise asset management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of UVs in Digital Photogrammetry and Image Processing)
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20 pages, 4125 KiB  
Article
A Robust Strategy for UAV Autonomous Landing on a Moving Platform under Partial Observability
by Godwyll Aikins, Sagar Jagtap and Kim-Doang Nguyen
Drones 2024, 8(6), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8060232 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Landing a multi-rotor uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) on a moving target in the presence of partial observability, due to factors such as sensor failure or noise, represents an outstanding challenge that requires integrative techniques in robotics and machine learning. In this paper, we [...] Read more.
Landing a multi-rotor uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) on a moving target in the presence of partial observability, due to factors such as sensor failure or noise, represents an outstanding challenge that requires integrative techniques in robotics and machine learning. In this paper, we propose embedding a long short-term memory (LSTM) network into a variation of proximal policy optimization (PPO) architecture, termed robust policy optimization (RPO), to address this issue. The proposed algorithm is a deep reinforcement learning approach that utilizes recurrent neural networks (RNNs) as a memory component. Leveraging the end-to-end learning capability of deep reinforcement learning, the RPO-LSTM algorithm learns the optimal control policy without the need for feature engineering. Through a series of simulation-based studies, we demonstrate the superior effectiveness and practicality of our approach compared to the state-of-the-art proximal policy optimization (PPO) and the classical control method Lee-EKF, particularly in scenarios with partial observability. The empirical results reveal that RPO-LSTM significantly outperforms competing reinforcement learning algorithms, achieving up to 74% more successful landings than Lee-EKF and 50% more than PPO in flicker scenarios, maintaining robust performance in noisy environments and in the most challenging conditions that combine flicker and noise. These findings underscore the potential of RPO-LSTM in solving the problem of UAV landing on moving targets amid various degrees of sensor impairment and environmental interference. Full article
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18 pages, 4725 KiB  
Article
Stock Trend Prediction with Machine Learning: Incorporating Inter-Stock Correlation Information through Laplacian Matrix
by Wenxuan Zhang and Benzhuo Lu
Big Data Cogn. Comput. 2024, 8(6), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/bdcc8060056 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Predicting stock trends in financial markets is of significant importance to investors and portfolio managers. In addition to a stock’s historical price information, the correlation between that stock and others can also provide valuable information for forecasting future returns. Existing methods often fall [...] Read more.
Predicting stock trends in financial markets is of significant importance to investors and portfolio managers. In addition to a stock’s historical price information, the correlation between that stock and others can also provide valuable information for forecasting future returns. Existing methods often fall short of straightforward and effective capture of the intricate interdependencies between stocks. In this research, we introduce the concept of a Laplacian correlation graph (LOG), designed to explicitly model the correlations in stock price changes as the edges of a graph. After constructing the LOG, we will build a machine learning model, such as a graph attention network (GAT), and incorporate the LOG into the loss term. This innovative loss term is designed to empower the neural network to learn and leverage price correlations among different stocks in a straightforward but effective manner. The advantage of a Laplacian matrix is that matrix operation form is more suitable for current machine learning frameworks, thus achieving high computational efficiency and simpler model representation. Experimental results demonstrate improvements across multiple evaluation metrics using our LOG. Incorporating our LOG into five base machine learning models consistently enhances their predictive performance. Furthermore, backtesting results reveal superior returns and information ratios, underscoring the practical implications of our approach for real-world investment decisions. Our study addresses the limitations of existing methods that miss the correlation between stocks or fail to model correlation in a simple and effective way, and the proposed LOG emerges as a promising tool for stock returns prediction, offering enhanced predictive accuracy and improved investment outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Big Data Analytics and Edge Computing: Recent Trends and Future)
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26 pages, 5470 KiB  
Article
Metaheuristic Optimization of Functionally Graded 2D and 3D Discrete Structures Using the Red Fox Algorithm
by J. S. D. Gaspar, M. A. R. Loja and J. I. Barbosa
J. Compos. Sci. 2024, 8(6), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8060205 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
The growing applicability of functionally graded materials is justified by their ability to contribute to the development of advanced solutions characterized by the material customization, through the selection of the best parameters that will confer the best mechanical behaviour for a given structure [...] Read more.
The growing applicability of functionally graded materials is justified by their ability to contribute to the development of advanced solutions characterized by the material customization, through the selection of the best parameters that will confer the best mechanical behaviour for a given structure under specific operating conditions. The present work aims to attain the optimal design solutions for a set of illustrative 2D and 3D discrete structures built from functionally graded materials using the Red Fox Optimization Algorithm, where the design variables are material parameters. From the results achieved one concludes that the optimal selection and distribution of the different materials’ mixture and the different exponents associated with the volume fraction law significantly influence the optimal responses found. To note additionally the good performance of the coupling between this optimization technique and the finite element method used for the linear static and free vibration analyses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Characterization and Modelling of Composites, Volume III)
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17 pages, 3631 KiB  
Article
Identifying a Role of Polysaccharides from Agaricus Blazei Murill in Combating Skin Photoaging: The Effect of Antioxidants on Fibroblast Behavior
by Feiqian Di, Wenjing Cheng, Luyao Li, Chunhong Pu, Ruiliang Sun, Jiachan Zhang, Changtao Wang and Meng Li
Fermentation 2024, 10(6), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10060292 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Irradiation with ultraviolet A (UVA) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of skin photoaging since it increases oxidative stress and inflammation in the epidermis. There is an urgent need to screen, investigate, and apply the potential anti-photoaging active ingredients. Agaricus blazei Murill [...] Read more.
Irradiation with ultraviolet A (UVA) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of skin photoaging since it increases oxidative stress and inflammation in the epidermis. There is an urgent need to screen, investigate, and apply the potential anti-photoaging active ingredients. Agaricus blazei Murill (ABM) polysaccharides have a wide range of promising pharmacological applications. Previous studies have confirmed their antioxidant effect, but whether it has an anti-photoaging effect is unclear. In this study, two ABM polysaccharides (AB-J and AB-K) were obtained to discuss the potential photodamage-protective capacity. The free radical scavenging abilities in vitro, the safety assessment, and their protective effects and mechanisms on UVA-induced human fibroblasts (HSFs) were evaluated. The intracellular antioxidant enzyme levels and extracellular matrix proteins, such as COL-I and ELN, were significantly accelerated, and metalloproteinases (MMP-1, and MMP-9) were decreased by AB-J and AB-K. The Keap-1-Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway was activated, thus inducing the upregulated expression of downstream genes (Ho-1 and Nqo-1). The suppression of P38 and Jnk1 by AB-J and AB-K was speculated to be the inducer of the activation of the Keap-1-Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway. Owing to the excellent exhibition of AB-J, its safety assessment and the structural characterization are discussed further. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Microbial Metabolism, Physiology & Genetics)
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21 pages, 6304 KiB  
Article
Mitochondrial Protease Oct1p Regulates Mitochondrial Homeostasis and Influences Pathogenicity through Affecting Hyphal Growth and Biofilm Formation Activities in Candida albicans
by Xiaoxiao Zhu, Feng Jin, Guangyuan Yang, Tian Zhuang, Cangcang Zhang, Hanjing Zhou, Xiaojia Niu, Hongchen Wang and Daqiang Wu
J. Fungi 2024, 10(6), 391; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10060391 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Mitochondria, as the core metabolic organelles, play a crucial role in aerobic respiration/biosynthesis in fungi. Numerous studies have demonstrated a close relationship between mitochondria and Candida albicans virulence and drug resistance. Here, we report an octapeptide-aminopeptidase located in the mitochondrial matrix named Oct1p. [...] Read more.
Mitochondria, as the core metabolic organelles, play a crucial role in aerobic respiration/biosynthesis in fungi. Numerous studies have demonstrated a close relationship between mitochondria and Candida albicans virulence and drug resistance. Here, we report an octapeptide-aminopeptidase located in the mitochondrial matrix named Oct1p. Its homolog in the model fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the key proteins in maintaining mitochondrial respiration and protein stability. In this study, we utilized evolutionary tree analysis, gene knockout experiments, mitochondrial function detection, and other methods to demonstrate the impact of Oct1p on the mitochondrial function of C. albicans. Furthermore, through transcriptome analysis, real-time quantitative PCR, and morphological observation, we discovered that the absence of Oct1p results in functional abnormalities in C. albicans, affecting hyphal growth, cell adhesion, and biofilm formation. Finally, the in vivo results of the infection of Galleria mellonella larvae and vulvovaginal candidiasis in mice indicate that the loss of Oct1p led to the decreased virulence of C. albicans. In conclusion, this study provides a solid theoretical foundation for treating Candida diseases, developing new targeted drugs, and serves as a valuable reference for investigating the connection between mitochondria and virulence in other pathogenic fungi. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into the Immunity to Human Fungal Infections)
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15 pages, 2761 KiB  
Article
Evaluating Sustainable Practices for Managing Residue Derived from Wheat Straw
by Harikishore Shanmugam, Vijaya Raghavan, Rajinikanth Rajagopal, Bernard Goyette, Linxiang Lyu, Siyuan Zhou and Chunjiang An
Bioengineering 2024, 11(6), 554; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11060554 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Farm leftovers, particularly crop residues, are a key source of renewable energy in Canada. The nation’s robust agricultural industry provides ample biomass, derived from forestry and agriculture resources, for energy generation. Crop residues, such as straws and husks, play a crucial role in [...] Read more.
Farm leftovers, particularly crop residues, are a key source of renewable energy in Canada. The nation’s robust agricultural industry provides ample biomass, derived from forestry and agriculture resources, for energy generation. Crop residues, such as straws and husks, play a crucial role in this biomass reservoir, contributing to biofuel production and greenhouse gas mitigation efforts. Focusing on supply chains, waste management, and emission reduction, this study evaluates the sustainability of wheat straw, an agricultural biomass by-product. The environmental issues of various approaches to managing agricultural biomass were explored. Following an evaluation of biomass features, conversion methods, and economic and environmental advantages, the results show anaerobic digestion to be the most sustainable approach. Four metrics were examined in relation to social elements, and numerous aspects were considered as inputs in the evaluation of transportation costs. The use of electric trucks versus fuel-based trucks resulted in an 18% reduction in total operating costs and a 58% reduction in consumption costs. This study examined CO2 emissions over four different transportation distances. The data indicate that a significant reduction of 36% in kg CO2 equivalent emissions occurred when the distance was lowered from 100 km to 25 km. These findings offer insights for creating practical plans that should increase the sustainability of agricultural biomass leftovers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Biotechnological & Microbiological Strategies for Organic Waste Management)
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16 pages, 9531 KiB  
Article
Betulin Stimulates Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Osteoblasts-Loaded Alginate–Gelatin Microbeads
by Mehmet Ali Karaca, Derya Dilek Kancagi, Ugur Ozbek, Ercument Ovali and Ozgul Gok
Bioengineering 2024, 11(6), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11060553 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Osteoporosis, a terminal illness, has emerged as a global public health problem in recent years. The long-term use of bone anabolic drugs to treat osteoporosis causes multi-morbidity in elderly patients. Alternative therapies, such as allogenic and autogenic tissue grafts, face important issues, such [...] Read more.
Osteoporosis, a terminal illness, has emerged as a global public health problem in recent years. The long-term use of bone anabolic drugs to treat osteoporosis causes multi-morbidity in elderly patients. Alternative therapies, such as allogenic and autogenic tissue grafts, face important issues, such as a limited source of allogenic grafts and tissue rejection in autogenic grafts. However, stem cell therapy has been shown to increase bone regeneration and decrease osteoporotic bone formation. Stem cell therapy combined with betulin (BET) supplementation might be adequate for bone remodeling and new bone tissue generation. In this study, the effect of BET on the viability and osteogenic differentiation of hFOB 1.19 cells was investigated. The cells were encapsulated in alginate–gelatin (AlGel) microbeads. In vitro tests were conducted during the 12 d of incubation. While BET showed cytotoxic activity (>1 µM) toward non-encapsulated hFOB 1.19 cells, encapsulated cells retained their functionality for up to 12 days, even at 5 µM BET. Moreover, the expression of osteogenic markers indicates an enhanced osteo-inductive effect of betulin on encapsulated hFOB 1.19, compared to the non-encapsulated cell culture. The 3D micro-environment of the AlGel microcapsules successfully protects the hFOB 1.19 cells against BET cytotoxicity, allowing BET to improve the mineralization and differentiation of osteoblast cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Regenerative Engineering)
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15 pages, 2535 KiB  
Article
An In Vitro Human Skin Test for Predicting Skin Sensitization and Adverse Immune Reactions to Biologics
by Shaheda Sameena Ahmed, Mohammed Mahid Ahmed, Abbas Ishaq, Matthew Freer, Richard Stebbings and Anne Mary Dickinson
Toxics 2024, 12(6), 401; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12060401 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Biologics, including monoclonal antibodies (mAb), have proved to be effective and successful therapeutic agents, particularly in the treatment of cancer and immune-inflammatory conditions, as well as allergies and infections. However, their use carries an inherent risk of an immune-mediated adverse drug reaction. In [...] Read more.
Biologics, including monoclonal antibodies (mAb), have proved to be effective and successful therapeutic agents, particularly in the treatment of cancer and immune-inflammatory conditions, as well as allergies and infections. However, their use carries an inherent risk of an immune-mediated adverse drug reaction. In this study, we describe the use of a novel pre-clinical human in vitro skin explant test for predicting skin sensitization and adverse immune reactions. The skin explant test was used to investigate the effects of therapeutic antibodies, which are known to cause a limited reaction in a small number of patients or more severe reactions. Material and Methods: Immune responses were determined by T cell proliferation and multiplex cytokine analysis, as well as histopathological analysis of skin damage (grades I–IV in increasing severity), predicting a negative (grade I) or positive (grade ≥ II) response for an adverse skin sensitization effect. Results: T cell proliferation responses were significantly increased in the positive group (p < 0.004). Multiplex cytokine analysis showed significantly increased levels of IFNγ, TNFα, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-1β, and IL-4 in the positive response group compared with the negative response group (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p < 0.002, p < 0.01, p < 0.04, p < 0.006, and p < 0.004, respectively). Conclusions: Overall, the skin explant test correctly predicted the clinical outcome of 13 out of 16 therapeutic monoclonal antibodies with a correlation coefficient of 0.770 (p = 0.0001). This assay therefore provides a valuable pre-clinical test for predicting adverse immune reactions, including T cell proliferation and cytokine release, both associated with skin sensitization to monoclonal antibodies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Skin Sensitization Testing Using New Approach Methodologies)
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26 pages, 3922 KiB  
Article
Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Terpenoids from Indocalamus latifolius Leaves: Optimization, Purification, and Antioxidant Activity
by Yadan Chen, Yanbin Wang, Liang He, Liling Wang, Jianchen Zhao, Zhenya Yang, Qin Li and Rui Shi
Foods 2024, 13(11), 1719; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13111719 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) extraction in enhancing the extraction rate, purity, and antioxidant activity of Indocalamus latifolius (Keng) McClure (Poaceae) leaf terpenoids (ILLTs). Crude extracts obtained from leaves were subjected to qualitative and [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) extraction in enhancing the extraction rate, purity, and antioxidant activity of Indocalamus latifolius (Keng) McClure (Poaceae) leaf terpenoids (ILLTs). Crude extracts obtained from leaves were subjected to qualitative and quantitative analyses, revealing neophytadiene, phytol, β-sitosterol, β-amyrone, squalene, and friedelin as the primary terpenoid constituents, identified through gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Compared with steam distillation extraction (SD), simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE), ultra-high pressure-assisted n-hexane extraction (UHPE-Hex), ultra-high pressure-assisted ethanol extraction (UHPE-EtOH), ultrasound-assisted n-hexane extraction (UE-Hex), and ultrasound-assisted ethanol extraction (UE-EtOH), SC-CO2 exhibited a superior ILLT extraction rate, purity, and antioxidant activity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations of the residues further revealed more severe damage to both the residues and their cell walls after SC-CO2 extraction. Under optimal parameters (4.5 h, 26 MPa, 39 °C, and 20% ethyl alcohol), the ILLT extraction rate with SC-CO2 reached 1.44 ± 0.12 mg/g, which was significantly higher than the rates obtained by the other six methods. The subsequent separation and purification using WelFlash C18-l, BUCHI-C18, and Sephadex LH-20 led to an increase in the purity of the six terpenoid components from 12.91% to 93.34%. Furthermore, the ILLTs demonstrated cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells with an IC50 value of 148.93 ± 9.93 μg/mL. Additionally, with increasing concentrations, the ILLTs exhibited an enhanced cellular antioxidant status, as evidenced by reductions in both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Food Engineering and Technology)
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16 pages, 6713 KiB  
Article
Advanced Various Fault Detection Scheme for Long-Reach Mode Division Multiplexing Transmission
by Feng Liu, Zicheng Huang and Tianle Gu
Photonics 2024, 11(6), 523; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11060523 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
This paper presents a few-mode fiber (FMF) various fault-detection method for long-reach mode division multiplexing (MDM) based on multi-mode transmission reflection analysis (MM-TRA). By injecting unmodulated continuous light into the FMF, and measuring and quantitatively analyzing the transmitted and reflected or Rayleigh backscattering [...] Read more.
This paper presents a few-mode fiber (FMF) various fault-detection method for long-reach mode division multiplexing (MDM) based on multi-mode transmission reflection analysis (MM-TRA). By injecting unmodulated continuous light into the FMF, and measuring and quantitatively analyzing the transmitted and reflected or Rayleigh backscattering power of different spatial modes, it is possible to accurately detect and locate reflective and non-reflective fault events. This paper discusses the localization accuracy of fault types such as FMF break, FMF link connector mismatch, and FMF bending. Theoretical analysis and simulation experimental results demonstrate that the proposed MM-TRA can provide an effective characterization of various faults and can achieve high fault localization accuracy. In addition, the influence of mode crosstalk of mode multiplexer/demultiplexer and mode coupling in FMF on the localization accuracy of various faults are considered. The results indicate that when using the combination of LP01 and LP21 modes, the localization errors for the FMF break, connector mismatch, and bending are 3.42 m, 1.97 m, and 3.29 m, respectively, demonstrating good fault localization performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
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25 pages, 34540 KiB  
Review
High-Resolution Retinal Imaging: Technology Overview and Applications
by Mircea Mujat, R. Daniel Ferguson, Daniel X. Hammer, Ankit H. Patel and Nicusor Iftimia
Photonics 2024, 11(6), 522; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11060522 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Adaptive optics (AO) has been used in many applications, including astronomy, microscopy, and medical imaging. In retinal imaging, AO provides real-time correction of the aberrations introduced by the cornea and the lens to facilitate diffraction-limited imaging of retinal microstructures. Most importantly, AO-based retinal [...] Read more.
Adaptive optics (AO) has been used in many applications, including astronomy, microscopy, and medical imaging. In retinal imaging, AO provides real-time correction of the aberrations introduced by the cornea and the lens to facilitate diffraction-limited imaging of retinal microstructures. Most importantly, AO-based retinal imagers provide cellular-level resolution and quantification of changes induced by retinal diseases and systemic diseases that manifest in the eye enabling disease diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression or the efficacy of treatments. In this paper, we present an overview of our team efforts over almost two decades to develop high-resolution retinal imagers suitable for clinical use. Several different types of imagers for human and small animal eye imaging are reviewed, and representative results from multiple studies using these instruments are shown. These examples demonstrate the extraordinary power of AO-based retinal imaging to reveal intricate details of morphological and functional characteristics of the retina and to help elucidate important aspects of vision and of the disruptions that affect delicate retinal tissue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adaptive Optics: Methods and Applications)
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25 pages, 2123 KiB  
Article
Green Supply Chain Optimization Based on Two-Stage Heuristic Algorithm
by Chunrui Lei, Heng Zhang, Xingyou Yan and Qiang Miao
Processes 2024, 12(6), 1127; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12061127 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Green supply chain management is critical for driving sustainable development and addressing escalating environmental challenges faced by companies. However, due to the multidimensionality of cost–benefit analysis and the intricacies of supply chain operations, strategic decision-making regarding green supply chains is inherently complex. This [...] Read more.
Green supply chain management is critical for driving sustainable development and addressing escalating environmental challenges faced by companies. However, due to the multidimensionality of cost–benefit analysis and the intricacies of supply chain operations, strategic decision-making regarding green supply chains is inherently complex. This paper proposes a green supply chain optimization framework based on a two-stage heuristic algorithm. First, anchored in the interests of intermediary core enterprises, this work integrates upstream procurement and transportation of products with downstream logistics and distribution. In this aspect, a three-tier green complex supply chain model incorporating economic and environmental factors is developed to consider carbon emissions, product non-conformance rates, delay rates, and transportation costs. The overarching goal is to comprehensively optimize the trade-off between supply chain costs and carbon emissions. Subsequently, a two-stage heuristic algorithm is devised to solve the model by combining the cuckoo search algorithm with the brainstorming optimization algorithm. Specifically, an adaptive crossover–mutation operator is introduced to enhance the search performance of the brainstorming optimization algorithm, which caters to both global and local search perspectives. Experimental results and comparison studies demonstrate that the proposed method performs well within the modeling and optimization of the green supply chain. The proposed method facilitates the efficient determination of ordering strategies and transportation plans within tight deadlines, thereby offering valuable support to decision-makers in central enterprises for supply chain management, ultimately maximizing their benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Advanced Digital and Other Processes)
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28 pages, 5264 KiB  
Article
Remote-Sensing Satellite Mission Scheduling Optimisation Method under Dynamic Mission Priorities
by Xiuhong Li, Chongxiang Sun, Huilong Fan and Jiale Yang
Mathematics 2024, 12(11), 1704; https://doi.org/10.3390/math12111704 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Mission scheduling is an essential function of the management control of remote-sensing satellite application systems. With the continuous development of remote-sensing satellite applications, mission scheduling faces significant challenges. Existing work has many inherent shortcomings in dealing with dynamic task scheduling for remote-sensing satellites. [...] Read more.
Mission scheduling is an essential function of the management control of remote-sensing satellite application systems. With the continuous development of remote-sensing satellite applications, mission scheduling faces significant challenges. Existing work has many inherent shortcomings in dealing with dynamic task scheduling for remote-sensing satellites. In high-load and complex remote sensing task scenarios, there is low scheduling efficiency and a waste of resources. The paper proposes a scheduling method for remote-sensing satellite applications based on dynamic task prioritization. This paper combines the and Bound methodologies with an onboard task queue scheduling band in an active task prioritization context. A purpose-built emotional task priority-based scheduling blueprint is implemented to mitigate the flux and unpredictability characteristics inherent in the traditional satellite scheduling paradigm, improve scheduling efficiency, and fine-tune satellite resource allocation. Therefore, the Branch and Bound method in remote-sensing satellite task scheduling will significantly save space and improve efficiency. The experimental results show that comparing the technique to the three heuristic algorithms (GA, PSO, DE), the BnB method usually performs better in terms of the maximum value of the objective function, always finds a better solution, and reduces about 80% in terms of running time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Deep Learning and Adaptive Control, 3rd Edition)
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12 pages, 259 KiB  
Article
Ruin Probabilities with Investments in Random Environment: Smoothness
by Viktor Antipov and Yuri Kabanov
Mathematics 2024, 12(11), 1705; https://doi.org/10.3390/math12111705 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
This paper deals with the ruin problem of an insurance company investing its capital reserve in a risky asset with the price dynamics given by a conditional geometric Brownian motion whose parameters depend on a Markov process describing random variations in the economic [...] Read more.
This paper deals with the ruin problem of an insurance company investing its capital reserve in a risky asset with the price dynamics given by a conditional geometric Brownian motion whose parameters depend on a Markov process describing random variations in the economic and financial environments. We prove a sufficient condition on the distribution of jumps of the business process ensuring the smoothness of the ruin probability as a function of the initial capital and obtain for this function an integro-differential equation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuarial Mathematics and Data Analytics)
11 pages, 967 KiB  
Article
Time Course of Left Ventricular Strain Assessment via Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Myocardial Feature Tracking in Takotsubo Syndrome
by Hiroki Goto, Ken Kato, Yoichi Imori, Masaki Wakita, Noriko Eguchi, Hiroyuki Takaoka, Tsutomu Murakami, Yuji Nagatomo, Toshiaki Isogai, Yuya Mitsuhashi, Mike Saji, Satoshi Yamashita, Yuichiro Maekawa, Hiroki Mochizuki, Yoshimitsu Takaoka, Masafumi Ono, Tetsuo Yamaguchi, Yoshio Kobayashi, Kuniya Asai, Wataru Shimizu and Tsutomu Yoshikawaadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(11), 3238; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13113238 (registering DOI) - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Background: Although takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is characterized by transient systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle (LV), the time course and mechanism of LV function recovery remain elusive. The aim of this study is to evaluate cardiac functional recovery in TTS via serial cardiac [...] Read more.
Background: Although takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is characterized by transient systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle (LV), the time course and mechanism of LV function recovery remain elusive. The aim of this study is to evaluate cardiac functional recovery in TTS via serial cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT). Methods: In this Japanese multicenter registry, patients with newly diagnosed TTS were prospectively enrolled. In patients who underwent serial cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging at 1 month and 1 year after the onset, CMR-FT was performed to determine the global circumferential strain (GCS), global radial strain (GRS) and global longitudinal strain (GLS). We compared LV ejection fraction, GCS, GRS and GLS at 1 month and 1 year after the onset of TTS. Results: Eighteen patients underwent CMR imaging in one month and one year after the onset in the present study. LV ejection fraction had already normalized at 1 month after the onset, with no significant difference between 1 month and 1 year (55.8 ± 9.2% vs. 58.9 ± 7.3%, p = 0.09). CMR-FT demonstrated significant improvement in GCS from 1 month to 1 year (−16.7 ± 3.4% vs. −18.5 ± 3.2%, p < 0.01), while there was no significant difference in GRS and GLS between 1 month and year (GRS: 59.6 ± 24.2% vs. 59.4 ± 17.3%, p = 0.95, GLS: −12.8 ± 5.9% vs. −13.8 ± 4.9%, p = 0.42). Conclusions: Serial CMR-FT analysis revealed delayed improvement of GCS compared to GRS and GLS despite of rapid recovery of LV ejection fraction. CMR-FT can detect subtle impairment of LV systolic function during the recovery process in patients with TTS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cardiomyopathy: Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment: Part II)
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17 pages, 2434 KiB  
Review
The Application of Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV): Vaccine Vectors and Tumor Therapy
by Huiming Yang, Jiaxin Tian, Jing Zhao, Ye Zhao and Guozhong Zhang
Viruses 2024, 16(6), 886; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16060886 (registering DOI) - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an avian pathogen with an unsegmented negative-strand RNA genome that belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family. While primarily pathogenic in birds, NDV presents no threat to human health, rendering it a safe candidate for various biomedical applications. Extensive research [...] Read more.
Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an avian pathogen with an unsegmented negative-strand RNA genome that belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family. While primarily pathogenic in birds, NDV presents no threat to human health, rendering it a safe candidate for various biomedical applications. Extensive research has highlighted the potential of NDV as a vector for vaccine development and gene therapy, owing to its transcriptional modularity, low recombination rate, and lack of a DNA phase during replication. Furthermore, NDV exhibits oncolytic capabilities, efficiently eliciting antitumor immune responses, thereby positioning it as a promising therapeutic agent for cancer treatment. This article comprehensively reviews the biological characteristics of NDV, elucidates the molecular mechanisms underlying its oncolytic properties, and discusses its applications in the fields of vaccine vector development and tumor therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Newcastle Disease and Other Avian Orthoavulaviruses 1)
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33 pages, 3074 KiB  
Article
Solving the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows Using Modified Rat Swarm Optimization Algorithm Based on Large Neighborhood Search
by Xiaoxu Wei, Zhouru Xiao and Yongsheng Wang
Mathematics 2024, 12(11), 1702; https://doi.org/10.3390/math12111702 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
The vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW) remains a formidable challenge, due to the intricate constraints of vehicle capacity and time windows. As a result, an algorithm tailored for this problem must demonstrate robust search capabilities and profound exploration abilities. Traditional methods [...] Read more.
The vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW) remains a formidable challenge, due to the intricate constraints of vehicle capacity and time windows. As a result, an algorithm tailored for this problem must demonstrate robust search capabilities and profound exploration abilities. Traditional methods often struggle to balance global search capabilities with computational efficiency, thus limiting their practical applicability. To address these limitations, this paper introduces a novel hybrid algorithm known as large neighborhood search with modified rat swarm optimization (LNS-MRSO). Modified rat swarm optimization (MRSO) is inspired by the foraging behavior of rat swarms and simulates the search process for optimization problems. Meanwhile, large neighborhood search (LNS) generates potential new solutions by removing and reinserting operators, incorporating a mechanism to embrace suboptimal solutions and strengthening the algorithm’s prowess in global optimization. Initial solutions are greedily generated, and five operators are devised to mimic the position updates of the rat swarm, providing rich population feedback to LNS and further enhancing algorithm performance. To validate the effectiveness of LNS-MRSO, experiments were conducted using the Solomon VRPTW benchmark test set. The results unequivocally demonstrate that LNS-MRSO achieves optimal solutions for all 39 test instances, particularly excelling on the R2 and RC2 datasets with percentage deviations improved by 5.1% and 8.8%, respectively, when compared to the best-known solutions (BKSs). Furthermore, when compared to state-of-the-art algorithms, LNS-MRSO exhibits remarkable advantages in addressing VRPTW problems with high loading capacities and lenient time windows. Additionally, applying LNS-MRSO to an unmanned concrete-mixing station further validates its practical utility and scalability. Full article
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