ALBERT

Description: The use of polymer composite materials in the aeronautics and automotive sectors has increased dramatically, and their fire behaviour has become a critical parameter in terms of fire safety. On this premise, it is critical to demonstrate that these composite materials constitute elements whose safety justifies a high level of confidence. This is based on their combustibility and the rate at which flammable and toxic gaseous species are emitted. Thus, strict fire safety regulations are enforced by the relevant authorities concerned because of their potential fire risk. This study analysed papers published between 1970 and 2021 that described the devices used to characterise the thermal behaviour of composite materials at various scales. The objective was to highlight the thermophysical phenomena, making it possible to accurately assess the flammability and thermal stability of polymer composite materials. The results of this research reveal that the small-scale facilities provide detailed understanding and mastery of the thermal reaction properties of the composites. While with the medium scale, the extended fire reaction parameters, which are the key indicators of the fire safety performance, can be determined. On a large scale, the tests were carried out using devices such as the NexGen burner recommended by the FAA. Therefore, with such assays, it is possible to assess the rates of thermal degradation as well as quantified pyrolysis gases. However, compared to other scales, there were very few works on a large scale. In addition, by focusing on the polluting nature of synthetic composite materials, there is also few research studies aimed at designing new polymer composite materials from biological sources.

Description: The liberalization of the gas market has deeply affected the structure of the gas system. The change from a vertically integrated utility structure to a liberalized architecture has resulted in a new network asset where aggregators could play a key role. To enable aggregators’ functionalities, the gas system has moved to a smart configuration. The development of this Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) allowing a two-way communication between the utility and the consumers, together with demand response programs, prove to be an advantageous solution. Utilities are allowed to manage consumers’ gas load by asking them to reduce or shift their gas usage so that rebates or back payments could be available for consumers. In this framework, aimed at ensuring the feasibility of the gas system and promoting the aggregation of small gas loads, a new agent has been identified. In this research, the potential of district heating systems as gas market aggregators, together with a novel architecture for the gas network system has been identified. Furthermore, DR benefits in natural gas systems have been assessed with a focus on the Italian peninsula, where the authors have already carried out a previous analysis in this regard.

Description: By combining the advantages of different energy storage technologies, the hybrid energy storage system (HESS) can satisfy the multiple requirements of prosumer systems. However, the required capacity of the HESS is larger than that of the single-battery energy storage system (ESS). This paper investigates the energy exchange within the HESS caused by the phase shift of the low-pass filter controller and its relevant impact on the HESS. The results show that unnecessary energy exchange results in an oversized capacity and increased energy loss. In addition, the increase in the time constant of the low-pass filter controller leads to a larger phase shift, further contributing to the increases in the total capacity and energy loss. Furthermore, this paper compares the single-battery ESS, the battery-supercapacitor HESS, and the battery-flywheel HESS implemented in a household-prosumer system along with a renewable energy source (RES). The comparison of the ESS combinations demonstrates the differences between their power flows, the required capacities of their individual energy storage devices (ESDs), their energy losses, their battery lifetimes, and their project costs. The results indicate that techno-economic analysis should be performed carefully to select the appropriate ESS solution for specific household-prosumer systems.

Description: In the case of the inductive voltage transformer (VT), the resonance phenomenon may be the main reason for its poor transformation accuracy of the non-sinusoidal voltage. This problem mainly results from the leakage inductance and the parasitic capacitance of its primary winding. The application of the sinusoidal voltage with a frequency from 20 Hz to 20 kHz presented in this study ensures proper identification of the resonance frequencies of the medium-voltage (MV) inductive VTs. The results are consistent with the values obtained in the reference condition at their nominal primary voltage. Therefore, it is proven that the proposed solution is effective in all cases. The influence of the main frequency variation of the non-sinusoidal primary voltage on the resonance properties of the inductive VT is also studied. Moreover, the tests indicate that the capacitance of the load of the secondary winding may cause a decrease in their resonance frequency.

Description: In our research, we analyzed the energy and water consumption in diamond mining and laboratory synthesis operations. We used publicly available reports issued by two market leaders, DeBeers and ALROSA, to estimate water and energy use per carat of a rough diamond. The efficiency of the two most popular synthesis technologies for artificial diamonds—High-Pressure-High-Temperature (HPHT) and Microwave-assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (M-CVD)—was examined. We found that the modern HPHT presses, with open cooling circuits, consume about 36 kWh/ct when producing gem-quality and average-sized (near-) colorless diamonds. ALROSA and DeBeers use about 96 kWh/ct and 150 kWh/ct, respectively, including all energy required to mine. Energy consumption of M-CVD processes can be different and depends on technological conditions. Our M-CVD machine is the least energy-efficient, requiring about 215 kWh/ct in the single-crystal regime, using 2.45-GHz magnetron for the support synthesis. The M-CVD methods of individual synthetic companies IIa Technology and Ekati Mine are different from our results and equal 77 and 143 kWh/ct, respectively. Water consumption for the HPHT and M-CVD methods was insignificant: approximately zero and 0.002 m3/ct, respectively, and below 0.077 m3/ct for ALROSA-mined diamonds. This study touches upon the impact of the diamond production methods used on the carbon footprint.

Description: Geothermal heat pumps have a widespread diffusion as they are able to deliver relatively higher energy output than other systems for building air-conditioning. The exploitation of low-enthalpy geothermal energy, however, presents crucial sustainability issues. This review investigates the primary forms of the environmental impact of geothermal heat pumps and the strategies for their mitigation. As life-cycle analyses shows that the highest impacts arise from installation and operation stages, most optimization studies focus on system thermodynamics, aiming at maximizing the energy performance via the optimization in the design of the different components interacting with the ground and serviced building. There are environmental studies of great relevance that investigate how the climate and ground properties affect the system sustainability and map the most suitable location for geothermal exploitation. Based on this review, ground-source heat pumps are a promising technology for the decarbonization of the building sector. However, a sustainable design of such systems is more complex than conventional air-conditioning systems, and it needs a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to include the broad environmental boundaries to fully understand the environmental consequences of their operation.

Description: Wine batch distillation in a copper pot still heated directly by combustion is unusual. It is a niche sector. Few studies are available on the subject and even fewer have studied it from a thermal point of view. In a context of ecology awareness and regularly increasing gas taxes, finding less energy consuming and more performing solutions has become necessary. Two methods already exist to recover energy for such pot stills, however improvements could be made. The present study focuses on the heating zone of an experimental pot still. First, a thermal diagnosis based on a nodal model is conducted in transient regime. The major sites of energy expenditure and waste are thus identified and quantified. Results highlight significant losses both in combustion smoke and by conduction to the environment resulting from a limited thermal performance of the system. Proposals are then made to enhance it. For instance, the preheating could be optimized and more thermal waste could be recovered.

Description: Background Measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of people with chronic illnesses has become extremely important as the mortality rates associated with such illnesses have decreased and survival rates have increased. Thereby, such measurements not only provide insights into physical, mental and social dimensions of patient’s health, but also allow monitoring of the results of interventions, complementing the traditional methods based on morbidity and mortality. Objective The present study was conducted to describe the HRQOL of patients suffering from Rheumatic Fever (RF) and Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), and to identify socio-demographic and clinical factors as predictors of HRQOL. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the HRQOL among 702 RF and RHD patients using EuroQol 5-dimensions 5-levels instrument (EQ-5D-5L), EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale and Time Trade off method. Mean EQ-5D-5L quality of life scores were calculated using EQ5D index value calculator across different stages of RF and RHD. Proportions of patients reporting problems in different attributes of EQ-5D-5L were calculated. The impact of socio-economic determinants on HRQOL was assessed. Results The mean EQ-5D-5L utility scores among RF, RHD and RHD with Congestive heart failure patients (CHF) were estimated as 0.952 [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.929–0.975], 0.820 [95% CI: 0.799–0.842] and 0.800 [95% CI: 0.772–0.829] respectively. The most frequently reported problem among RF/RHD patients was pain/discomfort (33.8%) followed by difficulty in performing usual activities (23.9%) patients, mobility (22.7%) and anxiety/depression (22%). Patients with an annual income of less than 50,000 Indian National Rupees (INR) reported the highest EQ-5D-5L score of 0.872, followed by those in the income group of more than INR 200,000 (0.835), INR 50,000–100,000 (0.832) and INR 100,000–200,000 (0.828). Better HRQOL was reported by RHD patients (including RHD with CHF) who underwent balloon valvotomy (0.806) as compared to valve replacement surgery (0.645). Conclusion RF and RHD significantly impact the HRQOL of patients. Interventions aiming to improve HRQOL of RF/RHD patients should focus upon ameliorating pain and implementation of secondary prevention strategies for reducing the progression from ARF to RHD and prevention of RHD-related complications.

Description: We evaluated phytochemical composition, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-oxidant and cytotoxic properties of aqueous (water) and organic extracts (methanol, ethyl acetate and n-hexane) of Chenopodium glaucum. Highest phenolic content 45 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g d.w was found in aqueous extract followed by ethyl acetate (41mg GAE/g d.w) and methanol extract (34.46 mg GAE/g d.w). Antibacterial potential of aqueous and organic extracts of C. glaucum was examined against Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The aqueous, methanolic, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane extract showed antibacterial activity against A. baumannii, K. pneumoniae, E. coli and S. epidermidis. However, against A. baumannii significantly higher inhibition zone (19 mm and 18.96 mm respectively) was shown by ethyl acetate and methanol extracts. Aqueous extract possessed highest growth inhibition (11 mm) against E. coli. Aqueous, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts showed 9 mm, 10 mm, and 10.33 mm zone of inhibition against the K. pneumoniae. For antifungal activity, the extracts were less effective against Aspergillus niger but showed strong antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus). The antioxidant activity was measured as DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), H2O2 and ABTS (2, 2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) scavenging activity of free radicals. All the organic extracts of C. glaucum possessed ABTS, DPPH and H2O2 scavenging properties. The highest cytotoxic activity measured as half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) against human lungs carcinoma cells was recorded for methanolic (IC50 = 16 μg/mL) and n-hexane (IC50 = 25 μg/mL) extracts, respectively. The Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed 4 major and 26 minor compounds in n-hexane extract and 4 major and 7 minor compounds in methanol extract of the C. glaucum. It is concluded that aqueous and organic extracts of C. glaucum would be potential therapeutic agents and could be exploited on a pilot scale to treat human pathogenic diseases.

Description: Sign Language (SL) is a continuous and complex stream of multiple body movement features. That raises the challenging issue of providing efficient computational models for the description and analysis of these movements. In the present paper, we used Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to decompose SL motion into elementary movements called principal movements (PMs). PCA was applied to the upper-body motion capture data of six different signers freely producing discourses in French Sign Language. Common PMs were extracted from the whole dataset containing all signers, while individual PMs were extracted separately from the data of individual signers. This study provides three main findings: (1) although the data were not synchronized in time across signers and discourses, the first eight common PMs contained 94.6% of the variance of the movements; (2) the number of PMs that represented 94.6% of the variance was nearly the same for individual as for common PMs; (3) the PM subspaces were highly similar across signers. These results suggest that upper-body motion in unconstrained continuous SL discourses can be described through the dynamic combination of a reduced number of elementary movements. This opens up promising perspectives toward providing efficient automatic SL processing tools based on heavy mocap datasets, in particular for automatic recognition and generation.

Description: This paper analyses the effect of mortality rates (under-five and adult mortality) and population growth on the population ageing in a pooled sample of nine lower and upper middle European countries. Therefore, the main goal of this research is to investigate the ageing process of the population in the context of mortality mechanisms (under five and adult mortality) and of population growth in nine European LUMIs. The analysis is implemented in terms of Pooled least squares with cross-section fixed effects methodology. The novelty used within this research is White two-way cluster standard errors & covariance. This study is based on a database from the World Bank and UN covering the period 1995–2019. The expected results are making available quantitative analysis and insights in the context of mechanisms between the ageing process of population, mortality and population growth across these European LUMIs. Results are consistent with the notion that the increasing ageing process within these countries may be a consequence of the negative impact of population growth and from the influence of adult mortality for both sexes. The research results confirm the presence of solid ties of the mechanism between mortality, population growth and population ageing. Therefore, a clear point was provided that mortality acceleration will depend primarily on the level of population growth.

Description: Electrical impedance myography (EIM) using surface techniques has shown promise as a means of diagnosing and tracking disorders affecting muscle and assessing treatment efficacy. However, the relationship between such surface-obtained impedance values and pure muscle impedance values has not been established. Here we studied three groups of diseased and wild-type (WT) animals, including a Duchenne muscular dystrophy model (the D2-mdx mouse), an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) model (the SOD1 G93A mouse), and a model of fat-related atrophy (the db/db diabetic obese mouse), performing hind limb measurements using a standard surface array and ex vivo measurements on freshly excised gastrocnemius muscle. A total of 101 animals (23 D2-mdx, 43 ALS mice, 12 db/db mice, and corresponding 30 WT mice) were studied with EIM across a frequency range of 8 kHz to 1 MHz. For both D2-mdx and ALS models, moderate strength correlations (Spearman rho values generally ranging from 0.3–0.7, depending on the impedance parameter (i.e., resistance, reactance and phase) were obtained. In these groups of animals, there was an offset in frequency with impedance values obtained at higher surface frequencies correlating more strongly to impedance values obtained at lower ex vivo frequencies. For the db/db model, correlations were comparatively weaker and strongest at very high and very low frequencies. When combining impedance data from all three disease models together, moderate correlations persisted (with maximal Spearman rho values of 0.45). These data support that surface EIM data reflect ex vivo muscle tissue EIM values to a moderate degree across several different diseases, with the highest correlations occurring in the 10–200 kHz frequency range. Understanding these relationships will prove useful for future applications of the technique of EIM in the assessment of neuromuscular disorders.

Description: Tendinopathy is a complex multifaceted tendinopathy often associated with overuse and with its high prevalence resulting in significant health care costs. At present, the pathogenesis and effective treatment of tendinopathy are still not sufficiently elucidated. The purpose of this research is to intensely explore the genes, functional pathways, and immune infiltration characteristics of the occurrence and development of tendinopathy. The gene expression profile of GSE106292, GSE26051 and GSE167226 are downloaded from GEO (NCBI comprehensive gene expression database) and analyzed by WGCNA software bag using R software, GSE26051, GSE167226 data set is combined to screen the differential gene analysis. We subsequently performed gene enrichment analysis of Gene Ontology (GO) and "Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes" (KEGG), and immune cell infiltration analysis. By constructing the LASSO regression model, Support vector machine (SVM-REF) and Gaussian mixture model (GMMs) algorithms are used to screen, to identify early diagnostic genes. We have obtained a total of 171 DEGs through WGCNA analysis and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) screening. By GO and KEGG enrichment analysis, it is found that these dysregulated genes were related to mTOR, HIF-1, MAPK, NF-κB and VEGF signaling pathways. Immune infiltration analysis showed that M1 macrophages, activated mast cells and activated NK cells had infiltration significance. After analysis of THE LASSO SVM-REF and GMMs algorithms, we found that the gene MACROD1 may be a gene for early diagnosis. We identified the potential of tendon disease early diagnosis way and immune gene regulation MACROD1 key infiltration characteristics based on comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. These hub genes and functional pathways may as early biomarkers of tendon injuries and molecular therapy level target is used to guide drug and basic research.

Description: This study presents pro-ecological activities focused on an analysis of the use of biofuels as an environmentally friendly fuel. The research objects were different concentration mixtures of diesel fuel and fatty acid methyl esters, that is, transesterified plant oils. The tests involved an assessment of the performance parameters of a drive unit in a vehicle powered by diesel fuel for different mixtures of diesel oil and fatty acid methyl esters in the following proportions: 10%, 30%, 50% and 50% with chemical additives. The tests were comparative and were conducted for ‘pure’ diesel (ON). The study presents test results of selected performance parameters of the analyzed power unit. The object of the tests was a self-injection engine with a maximum power of 81 kW. The main tests which were most important for assessment of the mixtures, from the point of view of their effect on the analyzed performance parameters, involved measuring power and torque, and the toxic components of exhaust gases. Based on the obtained results, a statistical analysis was carried out, and a model for the evaluation of how the research object functions when fed with different fuel mixtures was developed. The research found which mixture can be considered the most optimal, and what the influence of individual fuel mixtures is on the analyzed performance parameters of the tested power unit.

Description: Renewable energy sources are ecological and sustainable solutions accepted with a common consensus under the sustainable development goals. Energy source exploration has enforced the human race to think about sustainable energy production as fossil fuels are non-renewable and are having a negative impact on ecosystem. Consumer needs and wants are the key for acceptance of renewable energy and making production a possibility. The real challenge is with the consumer market for the acceptance of green energy. The current research is based on the concept of GREEN consumer values synergizing with renewable energy sources, and eco innovation for sustainability in India. The crucial point of study is assessing GREEN consumer values which are the determining factor for consumption. All five renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass) have received a higher level of acceptance by respondents which shows that India is on its way to enhancing its capacity for renewable energy. Indian consumer values are very much aligned with eco sustainability, and the market is ready to consume renewable energy.

Description: Background Drug coated balloons (DCB) with paclitaxel (Ptx) dose of 2–3.5 μg/mm2 balloon surface inhibit restenosis with different effectiveness and duration of success. A clinical dose finding study is not known for any of the currently marketed products. The aim of the present preclinical trial was to investigate a novel DCB coated with 6 μg Ptx/mm2 in a porcine model. Methods and results The current study investigated a DCB with a novel, modified iopromide based matrix with 6 μg Ptx/mm2. Drug transfer to the vessel wall of peripheral arteries was compared with a dose of 3 μg Ptx/mm2 and two fully overlapping DCB with 3 μg Ptx/mm2, each. Ptx concentration in the vessel wall after drug transfer was about twice as high for balloons with 6 μg/mm2 (1957±1472 μg/g) and two overlapping DCB with 3 μg Ptx/mm2, each (1287±619 μg/g) compared to a single balloon with 3 μg Ptx/mm2, (787±738 μg/g), with statistical significant differences for 1x6 μg/mm2 vs. 1x3 μg/mm2 (p = 0.017) but not for 2x3 μg/mm2 vs. 1x3 μg/mm2 (p = 0.184) and 1x6 μg/mm2 vs. 2x3 μg/mm2 (p = 0.178). The proportion of residual Ptx on balloon after treatment was similar for all groups between 6±1% and 10±3% of dose on balloon. Conclusion The dose of 6 μg Ptx/mm2 was successfully as well as reproducibly coated on conventional balloon catheters. Increased Ptx on balloons resulted in increased drug concentration in the vessel wall. A single balloon with 6 μg Ptx/mm2 seems to provide double dose compared to 3 μg Ptx/mm2, facilitates the procedure, and may reduce medico-economic cost compared to the use of two standard DCB.

Description: Apart from numerous technical challenges, the transition towards a carbon-neutral energy supply is greatly hindered by limited economic feasibility of renewable energy sources. This results in their slow and bounded penetration in both commercial and residential sectors that are responsible for over 40% of final energy consumption. This paper aims to demonstrate that combined application of sophisticated planning methodologies at building-level and presents incentive mechanisms for renewables that can result in prosumers, featuring hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES), with economic performance comparable to that of conventional energy systems. The presented research enhances existing planning methodologies by integrating appliance-level demand side management into the decision process and investigates its effect on the planning problem. Moreover, the proposed methodology features an innovative and holistic approach that simultaneously assess electrical and thermal domain in both an isolated and grid-connected context. The analyzed hybrid system consists of solar photovoltaic, wind turbine and battery with thermal supply featuring solar thermal collector and a ground-source heat pump. Overall optimization problem is modeled as a mixed-integer linear program, while ranking of all feasible alternatives is made by the multicriteria decision-making algorithm against several technological, economic, and environmental criteria. A real-life scenario of energy system retrofit for a building in the United Kingdom was employed to demonstrate overall cost savings of 12% in the present market and regulation context.

Description: Understanding the behaviour of gas–liquid flows in upward and downward pipe configurations in chemical, petroleum, and nuclear industries is vital when optimal design, operation, production, and safety are of paramount concern. Unfortunately, the information concerning the behaviour of such flows in large pipe diameters is rare. This article aims to bridge that gap by reporting air–water upward and downward flows in 127 mm internal diameter pipes using advanced conductance ring probes located at two measurement locations. The liquid and gas flow rates are 0.021 to 0.33 m/s and 3.52 to 16.1 m/s, correspondingly, covering churn and annular flows. To achieve the desired objectives, several parameters, probability density function (PDF), power spectral density (PSD), Slippage Number (SN), drift velocity (Ugd), and distribution coefficient (C0) were employed. The flow regimes encountered in the two pipe configurations were distinguished employing a flow regime map available in the literature and statistical analysis. The obtained results were supported by visual inspection. The comparison between the present study against reported studies reveals the same tendency for the measured experimental data. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) method within 4% was utilized in recommending the best void fraction prediction correlation for the downward and upward flows.

Description: Solar still, a small equipment using evaporation and condensation processes to get clean water, is expected to be widely used for sea/brackish water desalination, water purification, and wastewater treatment because of its convenient carrying, friendly environment, and low energy consumption. In recent years, considerable progress has been made in improving the productivity of solar still. This paper will reclassify the methods to improve the solar still by elevating the evaporation rate and condensation rate. The main methods increasing evaporation rate are as follows: (i) adding heat storage materials; (ii) using nanoparticles; (iii) changing structure of the absorption plate; and (iv) using photothermal materials. The primary methods increasing the condensation rate are as follows: (i) cooling the condensing surface; (ii) increasing the condensation area; (iii) changing the wettability of the condensing surface; and (iv) using a separate condenser. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are compared. Furthermore, this paper includes an economic analysis of current solar stills and a forecast of future developments. The freshwater cost of solar still is in the range of about USD 0.0061–0.277/L, which provides reference and direction for future researching solar stills on their low cost and high productivity.

Description: Energy saving is an important issue for multiple-chiller systems. Optimal chiller loading (OCL) in multiple-chiller systems has been investigated with many optimization algorithms to save energy. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm has been successful in solving this problem in some cases, but not in all. This study innovatively added a team evolution to the original particle swarm optimization algorithm, called team particle swarm optimization (TPSO). The TPSO enhances the effectiveness of original particle swarm optimization to better solve the OCL problem. The TPSO algorithm is composed of two evolutions: particle evolution and team evolution. The partial load ratio (PLR) of each operating chiller and the on-off state of each chiller are the particle evolution parameters and team evolution parameters, respectively. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, this paper adopts three case studies so the results generated from the proposed algorithm TPSO, the original particle swarm optimization (PSO) and other recently published algorithms can be compared. In these three case studies, the optimal results generated by using TPSO algorithm are the same as those by other compared algorithms. In case 1 under 5717 RT and 5334 RT cooling load, the results generated using the TPSO are lower than those by the original PSO in the amounts of 63.35 and 79.33 kW, respectively. The results indicated that the TPSO algorithm not only enabled the optimal solution in minimizing energy consumption, but also demonstrated the best stability when compared to other algorithms. In conclusion, the presented TPSO algorithm is an efficient and promising new algorithm for solving the OCL problem.

Description: A daylighting control system that uses the closed loop proportional algorithm needs to be calibrated both during nighttime and daytime. The selection of the daytime calibration time can affect the behavior of the system and is usually performed when the ratio of the illuminance of the ceiling sensor (SD,tc) to the illuminance at a point on the working plane (ED,tc) is relatively large without sunlight patches in the ceiling photo-sensor’s field of view (FOV). However, this requirement is not associated with a specific value and can be achieved under a wide range of conditions related to the sky luminance distribution. In the present work, four ceiling sensors with different field of views (FOVs) were examined in a typical north-facing office space. The effect of daytime calibration on the system’s performance was estimated through the calculation of lighting energy savings and the overdimming percentage. The results show that the effect of both the FOV of the ceiling sensor and the daytime calibration period is small except for the case of the sensor without cover, especially when it is close to the opening. In an attempt to quantify the SDtc/IDtc ratio, a new magnitude (RR) is proposed by dividing the illuminance ratios of the ceiling photo-sensor by that on the working surface during daytime and nighttime calibration. Thus, the daily calibration of the sensors with cover can be performed when RR 〉 1.

Description: Increased behind-the-meter (BTM) solar generation causes additional errors in short-term load forecasting. To ensure power grid reliability, it is necessary to consider the influence of the behind-the-meter distributed resources. This study proposes a method to estimate the size of behind-the-meter assets by region to enhance load forecasting accuracy. This paper proposes a semi-supervised approach to BTM capacity estimation, including PV and battery energy storage systems (BESSs), to improve net load forecast using a probabilistic approach. A co-optimization is proposed to simultaneously optimize the hidden BTM capacity estimation and the expected improvement to the net load forecast. Finally, this paper presents a net load forecasting method that incorporates the results of BTM capacity estimation. To describe the efficiency of the proposed method, a study was conducted using actual utility data. The numerical results show that the proposed method improves the load forecasting accuracy by revealing the gross load pattern and reducing the influence of the BTM patterns.

Description: A Net Zero Community (NZC) concept and its energy characteristics are presented in this paper. NZC is an emerging topic with multiple variations in terms of scope and calculated methods, which complicates quantifying its performance. This paper covers three key barriers in achieving NZC targets: (1) the main focus of current definitions on buildings, disregarding community power systems and energy use in transportation; (2) different requirements (source, supply, metrics, etc.) in the existing definitions; and (3) lack of updated published reports to track the progress of committed NZC targets. The importance of this research is summarized as due to increased savings in primary energy and greenhouse gas emissions related to the three main energy sectors, namely power systems, buildings, and transportation (PBT). To clarify the current NZC, this paper reviews: (1) variations in the existing definitions and criteria from peer-reviewed publications; (2) the latest climate projection models by policymakers to achieve net zero by 2050; (3) the literature on renewable-based power systems; and (4) three planned NZC cases in international locations, in order to study their NZC targets, energy performance, and challenges. The outcome highlights NZC design guidelines, including energy efficiency measures, electrification, and renewables in PBT sectors that help stakeholders including policymakers, developers, designers, and engineers speed up achievement of NZC targets.

Description: Two design flows of the Petri net-based cyber-physical systems oriented towards implementation in an FPGA are presented in the paper. The first method is based on the behavioural description of the system. The control part of the cyber-physical system is specified by an interpreted Petri net, and is described directly in the synthesisable Verilog hardware language for further implementation in the programmable device. The second technique involves splitting the design into sequential modules. In particular, adequate decomposition and synchronisation algorithms are proposed. The resulting modules are further modelled within the Verilog language as the composition of sequential automata. The presented design flows are supported by theoretical background, and templates of Verilog codes. The proposed techniques are illustrated by a real-life example of a multi-robot cyber-physical system, where each step of the proposed flows is explained in detail, including modelling, description of the system in the Verilog language, and final implementation within the FPGA device. The results obtained during the verification and validation confirm the proper functionality of the system designed by both design flows.

Description: Disposal of municipal solid wastes (MSW) remains a challenge to minimize its impacts on the environment and human health. Landfilling, currently the most common method used for MSW disposal, occupies land space and leads to soil and air emissions. Gasification, an alternative MSW disposal method, can convert waste to energy, but can also lead to soil and air emissions and is a more extensive operation. In this study, life cycle assessments (LCA) of the two disposal methods (landfilling without energy recovery and gasification) were compared to understand impacts on environment and health. The LCA was conducted following the ISO 14040 standards with one ton of MSW as the functional unit. The life cycle inventory was obtained from published journals, technical reports, LandGEM, HELP and GREET database. The impact assessment was done using TRACI 2.1 and categorized into eight groups. The LCA revealed that landfilling is a higher contributor in global warming, acidification, smog formation, eutrophication, ecotoxicity and human health cancer and non-cancer categories. The negative environmental impacts of MSW landfilling can be primarily attributed to the fate of leachate loss and landfill gas, while those of the MSW gasification can be attributed to the disposal of its solid residues.

Description: Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harms human health, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. We wish to provide more molecular therapeutic targets for NSCLC. Methods The NSCLC tissue and normal tissue samples were screened for genetic comparison in the TCGA database. The predicted lncRNA and mRNA in BEAS2B and A549 cells were detected. Results Volcano plot displayed differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in adjacent tissues and NSCLC tissues. The survival curve showed that the lncRNA and mRNA had a significant impact on the patient’s survival. The results of GO term enrichment analysis indicated that mRNA functions were enriched in cell cycle-related pathways. In the ceRNA interaction network, 13 lncRNAs and 20 miRNAs were found to have an interactive relationship. Finally, 3 significantly different lncRNAs (LINC00968, lnc-FAM92A-9 and lnc-PTGFR-1) and 6 mRNAs (CTCFL, KRT5, LY6D, TMEM, GBP6, and TMEM179) with potential therapeutic significance were screened out. And the cell experiment verified our results. Conclusion We screened out clinically significant 3 lncRNAs and 6 mRNAs involved in the ceRNA network, which were the key to our future research on the treatment of NSCLC.

Description: Fungal infection and synthesis of mycotoxins in coffee leads to significant economic losses. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of toxigenic fungi, their metabolites, and the effect of traditional roasting and brewing on ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxins (AFs) contents of naturally contaminated coffee samples. In addition, in vivo biocontrol assays were performed to explore the antagonistic activities of Bacillus simplex 350–3 (BS350-3) on the growth and mycotoxins synthesis of Aspergillus ochraceus and A. flavus. The relative density of A. niger, A. flavus, Penicillium verrucosum and A. carbonarius on green coffee bean was 60.82%, 7.21%, 3.09% and 1.03%, respectively. OTA contents were lowest in green coffee beans (2.15 μg/kg), followed by roasted (2.76 μg/kg) and soluble coffee (8.95 μg/kg). Likewise, AFs levels were highest in soluble coffee (90.58 μg/kg) followed by roasted (33.61 μg/kg) and green coffee (9.07 μg/kg). Roasting naturally contaminated coffee beans at three traditional methods; low, medium and high, followed by brewing resulted in reduction of 58.74% (3.50 μg/kg), 60.88% (3.72 μg/kg) and 64.70% (4.11 μg/kg) in OTA and 40.18% (34.65 μg/kg), 47.86% (41.17 μg/kg) and 62.38% (53.73 μg/kg) AFs contents, respectively. Significant inhibitions of AFs and OTA synthesis by A. flavus and A. carbonarius, respectively, on infected coffee beans were observed in presence of Bacillus simplex BS350-3 volatiles. Gas chromatography mass spectrochemistry (GC-MS/MS) analysis of head-space BS350-3 volatiles showed quinoline, benzenemethanamine and 1-Octadecene as bioactive antifungal molecules. These findings suggest that marketed coffee samples are generally contaminated with OTA and AFs, with a significant level of roasted and soluble coffee contaminated above EU permissible limits for OTA. Further, along with coffee roasting and brewing; microbial volatiles can be optimized to minimize the dietary exposure to mycotoxins.

Description: Participation and activity post stroke can be limited due to adverse weather conditions. This study aimed to: Quantify and compare summer and winter participation and activity, and explore how community dwelling people with stroke describe their feelings about their level of participation and activity by season. This embedded mixed-methods observational study took place in a city with weather extremes. Community dwelling individuals at least one year post-stroke, able to walk ≥50 metres +/- a walking aide were included. Evaluations and interviews occurred at participants’ homes in two seasons: Reintegration to Normal living Index (RNL), Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) and descriptive outcomes. Participants wore activity monitors for one week each season. Analysis included descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests and an inductive approach to content analysis. Thirteen individuals participated in quantitative evaluation with eight interviewed. Mean age 61.5 years, 62% female and mean 6.2 years post-stroke. No differences between winter-summer values of RNL, ABC, or activity monitor outcomes. However, participants felt they could do more and were more independent in summer. The winter conditions such as ice, snow, cold and wind restricted participation and limited activities. Nonetheless, many participants were active and participated despite the winter challenges by finding other ways to be active, and relying on social supports and personal motivation. The qualitative findings explained unexpected quantitative results. Participants described many challenges with winter weather, but also ways they had discovered to participate and be active despite these challenges. Changes to future studies into seasonal differences are suggested.

Description: This exploration primarily aims to jointly apply the local FCN (fully convolution neural network) and YOLO-v5 (You Only Look Once-v5) to the detection of small targets in remote sensing images. Firstly, the application effects of R-CNN (Region-Convolutional Neural Network), FRCN (Fast Region-Convolutional Neural Network), and R-FCN (Region-Based-Fully Convolutional Network) in image feature extraction are analyzed after introducing the relevant region proposal network. Secondly, YOLO-v5 algorithm is established on the basis of YOLO algorithm. Besides, the multi-scale anchor mechanism of Faster R-CNN is utilized to improve the detection ability of YOLO-v5 algorithm for small targets in the image in the process of image detection, and realize the high adaptability of YOLO-v5 algorithm to different sizes of images. Finally, the proposed detection method YOLO-v5 algorithm + R-FCN is compared with other algorithms in NWPU VHR-10 data set and Vaihingen data set. The experimental results show that the YOLO-v5 + R-FCN detection method has the optimal detection ability among many algorithms, especially for small targets in remote sensing images such as tennis courts, vehicles, and storage tanks. Moreover, the YOLO-v5 + R-FCN detection method can achieve high recall rates for different types of small targets. Furthermore, due to the deeper network architecture, the YOL v5 + R-FCN detection method has a stronger ability to extract the characteristics of image targets in the detection of remote sensing images. Meanwhile, it can achieve more accurate feature recognition and detection performance for the densely arranged target images in remote sensing images. This research can provide reference for the application of remote sensing technology in China, and promote the application of satellites for target detection tasks in related fields.

Description: Background Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, many pharmaceutical companies have been racing to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. Simultaneously, rumors and misinformation about COVID-19 are still widely spreading. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of COVID-19 misinformation among the Yemeni population and its association with vaccine acceptance and perceptions. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in four major cities in Yemen. The constructed questionnaire consisted of four main sections (sociodemographic data, misinformation, perceptions (perceived susceptibility, severity, and worry), and vaccination acceptance evaluation). Subject recruitment and data collection were conducted online utilizing social websites and using the snowball sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using SPSS version 27. Results The total number of respondents was 484. Over 60% of them were males and had a university education. More than half had less than 100$ monthly income and were khat chewers, while only 18% were smokers. Misinformation prevalence ranged from 8.9% to 38.9%, depending on the statement being asked. Men, university education, higher income, employment, and living in urban areas were associated with a lower misinformation level (p

Description: Background The bidirectional relationship between health behavior and subjective well-being has previously been studied sparsely, and mainly for individual health behaviors and regression models. In the present study, we deepen this knowledge focusing on the four principal health behaviors and using structural equation modeling with selected covariates. Methods The follow-up data (n = 11,804) was derived from a population-based random sample of working-age Finns from two waves (2003 and 2012) of the Health and Social Support (HeSSup) postal survey. Structural equation modeling was used to study the cross-sectional, cross-lagged, and longitudinal relationships between the four principal health behaviors and subjective well-being at baseline and after the nine-year follow-up adjusted for age, gender, education, and self-reported diseases. The included health behaviors were physical activity, dietary habits, alcohol consumption, and smoking status. Subjective well-being was measured through four items comprising happiness, interest, and ease in life, and perceived loneliness. Results Bidirectionally, only health behavior in 2003 predicted subjective well-being in 2012, whereas subjective well-being in 2003 did not predict health behavior in 2012. In addition, the cross-sectional interactions in 2003 and in 2012 between health behavior and subjective well-being were statistically significant. The baseline levels predicted their respective follow-up levels, the effect being stronger in health behavior than in subjective well-being. Conclusion The four principal health behaviors together predict subsequent subjective well-being after an extensive follow-up. Although not particularly strong, the results could still be used for motivation for health behavior change, because of the beneficial effects of health behavior on subjective well-being.

Description: Background Care institutions are recognised to be a high-risk setting for the emergence and spread of infections and antimicrobial-resistant organisms, which stresses the importance of infection prevention and control (IPC). Accurate implementation is crucial for optimal IPC practice. Despite the wide promotion of IPC and research thereof in the hospital and nursing home setting, similar efforts are lacking in disability care settings. Therefore, this study aimed to assess perceived barriers and facilitators to IPC among professionals working at residential care facilities (RCFs) for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), as well as to identify professional-reported recommendations to improve IPC. Methods This qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews (before COVID-19) with twelve professionals from five Dutch RCFs for people with IDD. An integrated theoretical approach was used to inform data collection and analysis. Thematic analysis using inductive and deductive approaches was conducted. This study followed the COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research (COREQ) guidelines. Results Our findings revealed barriers and facilitators at the guideline, client, professional, professional interaction, professional client interaction, client interaction, organisational, community, and societal level. Six main themes covering multiple barriers and facilitators were identified: (1) guidelines’ applicability to (work)setting; (2) professionals’ cognitions and attitude towards IPC (related to educational background); (3) organisational support and priority; (4) educational system; (5) time availability and staff capacity; and (6) task division and change coaches. The main professional-reported recommendations were the introduction of tailored and practical IPC guidelines, structural IPC education and training among all professionals, and client participation. Conclusions To promote IPC, multifaceted and multilevel strategies should be implemented, with a preliminary need for improvements on the guideline, professional, and organisational level. Given the heterogeneous character, i.e., different professionals, clients and care needs, there is a need for a tailored approach to implement IPC and sustain it successfully in disability care. Our findings can inform future IPC practice improvements.

Description: We investigated the characteristics of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the soft tissue of two frozen baby woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) that died and were buried in Siberian permafrost approximately 40,000 years ago. Morphological and biochemical analyses of mammoth lung and liver demonstrated that those soft tissues were preserved at the gross anatomical and histological levels. The ultrastructure of ECM components, namely a fibrillar structure with a collagen-characteristic pattern of cross-striation, was clearly visible with transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Type I and type IV collagens were detected by immunohistochemical observation. Quantitative amino acid analysis of liver and lung tissues of the baby mammoths indicated that collagenous protein is selectively preserved in these tissues as a main protein. Type I and type III collagens were detected as major components by means of liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis after digestion with trypsin. These results indicate that the triple helical collagen molecule, which is resistant to proteinase digestion, has been preserved in the soft tissues of these frozen mammoths for 40,000 years.

Description: Background Housemaids are the most vulnerable group to sexual violence due to their working condition, isolation and school arrangements. Despite the ubiquity of sexual violence among the domestic work sector, particularly among housemaids, this area of research continues to be neglected. This study was aimed at examining the prevalence and factors pertaining to sexual violence among housemaids attending night school program in urban setups of Gedeo zone, Southern Ethiopia. Method A school based quantitative cross sectional study was conducted among 394 housemaids attending night schools in the urban setups of Gedeo Zone from April to May 2019. After stratifying of students using class grade, SRS technique was used to choose study subjects from each stratum. Quantitative data was collected using face to face interview and qualitative was collected using focus group discussion, in-depth interview and key informant interview. The data was entered and analyzed by SPSS version 20. Binary logistic regression was fitted to determine the association of each independent variable with the dependent variable. Result Based on the finding, the prevalence of sexual violence was 60.2%. The odds of experiencing sexual violence through working life-time as housemaid was higher for those who had migrated from rural to urban for work [AOR = 1.97: 95% CI, (1.07,3.63)], had less than 5 years of experience as housemaid [AOR = 3.10: 95% CI, (1.60, 6.00)], were in the age group of 15–19 [AOR = 3.75:95% CI (1.88, 7.46), ever used alcohol [AOR = 6.77: 95% CI, (2.65,17.33)] and whose fathers lacked formal education [AOR = 2.75:95%CI (1.24,6.08)]. On the other hand, unmarried /housemaids having no regular sexual partner were less likely to face sexual violence [AOR. = 0.28: 95% CI, (0.13, 0.57)]. Conclusion The level of sexual violence was found to be high among housemaids attending night schools in in this study. Housemaids from rural area, those newly starting the work, younger housemaids, and those who were married were more likely to be victims of sexual violence.

Description: When pharmaceutical interventions are unavailable to deal with an epidemic outbreak, adequate management of communication strategies can be key to reduce the contagion risks. On the one hand, accessibility to trustworthy and timely information, whilst on the other, the adoption of preventive behaviors may be both crucial. However, despite the abundance of communication strategies, their effectiveness has been scarcely evaluated or merely circumscribed to the scrutiny of public affairs. To study the influence of communication strategies on the spreading dynamics of an infectious disease, we implemented a susceptible-exposed-infected-removed-dead (SEIRD) epidemiological model, using an agent-based approach. Agents in our systems can obtain information modulating their behavior from two sources: (i) through the local interaction with other neighboring agents and, (ii) from a central entity delivering information with a certain periodicity. In doing so, we highlight how global information delivered from a central entity can reduce the impact of an infectious disease and how informing even a small fraction of the population has a remarkable impact, when compared to not informing the population at all. Moreover, having a scheme of delivering daily messages makes a stark difference on the reduction of cases, compared to the other evaluated strategies, denoting that daily delivery of information produces the largest decrease in the number of cases. Furthermore, when the information spreading relies only on local interactions between agents, and no central entity takes actions along the dynamics, then the epidemic spreading is virtually independent of the initial amount of informed agents. On top of that, we found that local communication plays an important role in an intermediate regime where information coming from a central entity is scarce. As a whole, our results highlight the importance of proper communication strategies, both accurate and daily, to tackle epidemic outbreaks.

Description: Patterns of local adaptation can emerge in response to the selective pressures diseases exert on host populations as reflected in increased frequencies of respective, advantageous genotypes. Elucidating patterns of local adaptation enhance our understanding of mechanisms of disease spread and the capacity for species to adapt in context of rapidly changing environments such as the Arctic. Arctic rabies is a lethal disease that largely persists in northern climates and overlaps with the distribution of its natural host, arctic fox. Arctic fox populations display little neutral genetic structure across their North American range, whereas phylogenetically unique arctic rabies variants are restricted in their geographic distributions. It remains unknown if arctic rabies variants impose differential selection upon host populations, nor what role different rabies variants play in the maintenance and spread of this disease. Using a targeted, genotyping-by-sequencing assay, we assessed correlations of arctic fox immunogenetic variation with arctic rabies variants to gain further insight into the epidemiology of this disease. Corroborating past research, we found no neutral genetic structure between sampled regions, but did find moderate immunogenetic structuring between foxes predominated by different arctic rabies variants. FST outliers associated with host immunogenetic structure included SNPs within interleukin and Toll-like receptor coding regions (IL12B, IL5, TLR3 and NFKB1); genes known to mediate host responses to rabies. While these data do not necessarily reflect causation, nor a direct link to arctic rabies, the contrasting genetic structure of immunologically associated candidate genes with neutral loci is suggestive of differential selection and patterns of local adaptation in this system. These data are somewhat unexpected given the long-lived nature and dispersal capacities of arctic fox; traits expected to undermine local adaptation. Overall, these data contribute to our understanding of the co-evolutionary relationships between arctic rabies and their primary host and provide data relevant to the management of this disease.

Description: The Carpathian Basin represents the cradle of human agricultural development during the Neolithic period, when large parts were transformed into ‘cultural landscapes’ by first farmers from the Balkans. It is assumed that an Early Neolithic subsistence economy established along the hydrologic systems and on Chernozem soil patches, which developed from loess deposits. However, recent results from soil chemistry and geoarchaeological analyses raised the hypothesis that extensive Chernozem coverage developed from increased land-use activity and that Early Neolithic ‘cultural’ groups were not restricted to loess-covered surfaces but rather preferred hydromorphic soils that formed in the floodplains. This article performs multivariable statistics from large datasets of Neolithic sites in Hungary and allows tracing Early to Late Neolithic site preferences from digital environmental data. Quantitative analyses reveal a strong preference for hydromorphic soils, a significant avoidance of loess-covered areas, and no preference for Chernozem soils throughout the Early Neolithic followed by a strong transformation of site preferences during the Late Neolithic period. These results align with socio-cultural developments, large-scale mobility patterns, and land-use and surface transformation, which shaped the Carpathian Basin and paved the way for the agricultural revolution across Europe.

Description: Maps of bottom type are essential to the management of marine resources and biodiversity because of their foundational role in characterizing species’ habitats. They are also urgently needed as countries work to define marine protected areas. Current approaches are time consuming, focus largely on grain size, and tend to overlook shallow waters. Our random forest classification of almost 200,000 observations of bottom type is a timely alternative, providing maps of coastal substrate at a combination of resolution and extents not previously achieved. We correlated the observations with depth, depth-derivatives, and estimates of energy to predict marine substrate at 100 m resolution for Canada’s Pacific shelf, a study area of over 135,000 km2. We built five regional models with the same data at 20 m resolution. In addition to standard tests of model fit, we used three independent data sets to test model predictions. We also tested for regional, depth, and resolution effects. We guided our analysis by asking: 1) does weighting for prevalence improve model predictions? 2) does model resolution influence model performance? And 3) is model performance influenced by depth? All our models fit the build data well with true skill statistic (TSS) scores ranging from 0.56 to 0.64. Weighting models with class prevalence improved fit and the correspondence with known spatial features. Class-based metrics showed differences across both resolutions and spatial regions, indicating non-stationarity across these spatial categories. Predictive power was lower (TSS from 0.10 to 0.36) based on independent data evaluation. Model performance was also a function of depth and resolution, illustrating the challenge of accurately representing heterogeneity. Our work shows the value of regional analyses to assessing model stationarity and how independent data evaluation and the use of error metrics can improve understanding of model performance and sampling bias.

Description: Introduction Take-Home Naloxone programs have been introduced across North America in response to rising opioid overdose deaths. There is currently limited real-world data on bystander naloxone administration, overdose outcomes, and evidence related to adverse events following bystander naloxone administration. Methods The research team used descriptive statistics from Take-Home Naloxone administration forms. We explored reported demographic variables and adverse events among people who received by-stander administered naloxone in a suspected opioid overdose event between August 31, 2012 and December 31, 2018 in British Columbia. We examined and contextualized differences across years given policy, program and drug toxicity changes. We used multivariate logistic regression to examine whether an association exists between number of ampoules of naloxone administered and the odds that the recipient will experience withdrawal symptoms. Results A large majority (98.1%) of individuals who were administered naloxone survived their overdose and 69.2% had no or only mild withdrawal symptoms. Receiving three (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 1.64 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.08–2.48)) or four or more (AOR 2.19 (95% CI: 1.32–3.62)) ampoules of naloxone was significantly associated with odds of moderate or severe withdrawal compared to receiving one ampoule of naloxone. Conclusions This study provides evidence from thousands of bystander reversed opioid overdoses using Take-Home Naloxone kits in British Columbia, and suggests bystander-administered naloxone is safe and effective for opioid overdose reversal. Data suggests an emphasis on titration during bystander naloxone training in situations where the person experiencing overdose can be adequately ventilated may help avoid severe withdrawal symptoms. We identified a decreasing trend in the likelihood of moderate or severe withdrawal over the study period.

Description: The rapid growth of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector requires additional infrastructure, such as more micro-datacenters and telecom stations, to support the higher internet speeds and low latency requirements of 5G networks. The increased power requirements of the new ICT technologies necessitate the proposal of new power supplies, in an attempt to support the increase in energy demand and running costs. This work provides an in-depth theoretical analysis on the losses of the individual stages of commercially available PSU and proposes a new multicell PSU, the buck PFC converter, which offers a higher overall efficiency at varying load levels. The theoretical results are verified using simulation results, via a PSIM Thermal Module, and using experimental data. The results indicate that multicell structures can improve the overall PSU efficiency by 1.2% at 50% rated power and more than 2.1% at full power. Finally, taking into consideration the economic implications of this study, it is shown that the proposed multicell structure may increase the PSU costs by 10.78%, but the payback period is in the order of just 3.3 years.

Description: Gas engine-driven heat pumps are an interesting option to satisfy space heating and cooling demands aiming at energy saving, environmental impact and operating costs’ reduction. This work presents (i) a comprehensive review updated on gas engine-driven heat pumps research activities, (ii) the investigation of the central role of this technology in the air conditioning sector and (iii) the future perspectives regarding gas engine heat pumps’ diffusion in the context of the energy sector decarbonisation. The outcomes highlight that gas engine heat pumps could have better environmental performance compared to electric heat pumps both in heating and cooling operations. Moreover, they could play a pivotal role in the fight against climate change and energy security since they can guarantee an energy mix differentiation moving from electricity to natural gas and renewable gases’ usage. Indeed, by 2030, a lower-carbon gas grid could be supported by renewable gases. A further investigation has concerned diffusion of gas heat pumps activated from biofuels produced by local biomass in an energy community scenario based on a low-temperature energy district network. A novel biomass-based GEHP interacting with a low-temperature district heating network is proposed here. This system could save more than 30% of primary energy compared to biomass-fuelled boilers.

Description: This article introduces an application of the recently developed hunger games search (HGS) optimization algorithm. The HGS is combined with chaotic maps to propose a new Chaotic Hunger Games search (CHGS). It is applied to solve the optimal power flow (OPF) problem. The OPF is solved to minimize the generation costs while satisfying the systems’ constraints. Moreover, the article presents optimal siting for mixed renewable energy sources, photovoltaics, and wind farms. Furthermore, the effect of adding renewable energy sources on the overall generation costs value is investigated. The exploration field of the optimization problem is the active output power of each generator in each studied system. The CHGS also obtains the best candidate design variables, which corresponds to the minimum possible cost function value. The robustness of the introduced CHGS algorithm is verified by performing the simulation 20 independent times for two standard IEEE systems—IEEE 57-bus and 118-bus systems. The results obtained are presented and analyzed. The CHGS-based OPF was found to be competitive and superior to other optimization algorithms applied to solve the same optimization problem in the literature. The contribution of this article is to test the improvement done to the proposed method when applied to the OPF problem, as well as the study of the addition of renewable energy sources on the introduced objective function.

Description: Shared mobility based on cars refers to a transportation mode in which travelers/drivers share vehicles to reduce the cost of the journey, emissions, air pollution and parking demands. Cost savings provide a strong incentive for the shared mobility mode. As cost savings are due to cooperation of the stakeholders in shared mobility systems, they should be properly divided and allocated to relevant participants. Improper allocation of cost savings will lead to dissatisfaction of drivers/passengers and hinder acceptance of the shared mobility mode. In practice, several schemes based on proportional methods to allocate cost savings have been proposed in shared mobility systems. However, there is neither a guideline for selecting these proportional methods nor a comparative study on effectiveness of these proportional methods. Although shared mobility has attracted much attention in the research community, there is still a lack of study of the influence of cost saving allocation schemes on performance of shared mobility systems. Motivated by deficiencies of existing studies, this paper aims to compare three proportional cost savings allocation schemes by analyzing their performance in terms of the numbers of acceptable rides under different schemes. We focus on ridesharing based on cars in this study. The main contribution is to develop theory based on our analysis to characterize the performance under different schemes to provide a guideline for selecting these proportional methods. The theory developed is verified by conducting experiments based on real geographical data.

Description: Monitoring the State of Charge (SoC) in battery cells is necessary to avoid damage and to extend battery life. Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms and Machine Learning techniques in general can provide real-time SoC estimation without the need to design a cell model. In this work, an SVM was trained by applying an Ant Colony Optimization method. The obtained trained model was 10-fold cross-validated and then designed in Hardware Description Language to be run on FPGA devices, enabling the design of low-cost and compact hardware. Thanks to the choice of a linear SVM kernel, the implemented architecture resulted in low resource usage (about 1.4% of Xilinx Artix7 XC7A100TFPGAG324C FPGA), allowing multiple instances of the SVM SoC estimator model to monitor multiple battery cells or modules, if needed. The ability of the model to maintain its good performance was further verified when applied to a dataset acquired from different driving cycles to the cycle used in the training phase, achieving a Root Mean Square Error of about 1.4%.

Description: This study evaluated a potential transition of India’s power sector to 100% wind and solar energy sources. Applying a macro-energy IDEEA (Indian Zero Carbon Energy Pathways) model to 32 regions and 114 locations of potential installation of wind energy and 60 locations of solar energy, we evaluated a 100% renewable power system in India as a concept. We considered 153 scenarios with varying sets of generating and balancing technologies to evaluate each intermittent energy source separately and their complementarity. Our analysis confirms the potential technical feasibility and long-term reliability of a 100% renewable system for India, even with solar and wind energy only. Such a dual energy source system can potentially deliver fivefold the annual demand of 2019. The robust, reliable supply can be achieved in the long term, as verified by 41 years of weather data. The required expansion of energy storage and the grid will depend on the wind and solar energy structure and the types of generating technologies. Solar energy mostly requires intraday balancing that can be achieved through storage or demand-side flexibility. Wind energy is more seasonal and spatially scattered, and benefits from the long-distance grid expansion for balancing. The complementarity of the two resources on a spatial scale reduces requirements for energy storage. The demand-side flexibility is the key in developing low-cost supply with minimum curtailments. This can be potentially achieved with the proposed two-level electricity market where electricity prices reflect variability of the supply. A modelled experiment with price signals demonstrates how balancing capacity depends on the price levels of guaranteed and flexible types of loads, and therefore, can be defined by the market.

Description: The electric power industry sector has become increasingly aware of how counterproductive voltage sag affects distribution network systems (DNS). The voltage sag backfires disastrously at the demand load side and affects equipment in DNS. To settle the voltage sag issue, this paper achieved its primary purpose to mitigate the voltage sag based on integrating a hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) with the DNS using a distribution static synchronous compensator (D-STATCOM) system. Besides, this paper discusses the challenges and opportunities of D-STATCOM in DNS. In this paper, using HFC is well-designed, modeled, and simulated to mitigate the voltage sag in DNS with a positive impact on the environment and an immediate response to the issue of the injection of voltage. Furthermore, this modeling and controller are particularly suitable in terms of cost-effectiveness as well as reliability based on the adaptive network fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), fuzzy logic system (FLC), and proportional–integral (P-I). The effectiveness of the MATLAB simulation is confirmed by implementing the system and carrying out a DNS connection, obtaining efficiencies over 94.5% at three-phase fault for values of injection voltage in HFC D-STATCOM using a P-I controller. Moreover, the HFC D-STATCOM using FLC proved capable of supporting the network by 97.00%. The HFC D-STATCOM based ANFIS proved capable of supporting the network by 98.00% in the DNS.

Description: The most important design parameters of a moisture separator to optimize the efficiency of a nuclear power plant are the moisture carry over and pressure drop. An air-water test facility was constructed to evaluate the design parameters for various types of conventional moisture separators in Korea. In this study, a half scale of swirl-vane separator was designed, and test conditions were defined based on the scaling law to cover a wide range of operating conditions. The moisture carry over was measured using an isokinetic sampling system for 34 different flow conditions. The MCO was in range of 0.30–7.05% according to the test conditions. Single and two-phase flow experiments were also carried out to identify the two-phase pressure drop characteristics. Based on the obtained results, the proposed empirical correlation model was extended to a submerged separator and applying these results to a full scale system is discussed in this paper.

Description: Building an effective Machine Learning (ML) model for a data set is a difficult task involving various steps. One of the most important steps is to compare a substantial amount of generated ML models to find the optimal one for deployment. It is challenging to compare such models with a dynamic number of features. Comparison is more than only finding differences of ML model performance, as users are also interested in the relations between features and model performance such as feature importance for ML explanations. This paper proposes RadialNet Chart, a novel visualisation approach, to compare ML models trained with a different number of features of a given data set while revealing implicit dependent relations. In RadialNet Chart, ML models and features are represented by lines and arcs, respectively. These lines are generated effectively using a recursive function. The dependence of ML models with a dynamic number of features is encoded into the structure of visualisation, where ML models and their dependent features are directly revealed from related line connections. ML model performance information is encoded with colour and line width in RadialNet Chart. Taken together with the structure of visualisation, feature importance can be directly discerned in RadialNet Chart for ML explanations. Compared with other commonly used visualisation approaches, RadialNet Chart can help to simplify the ML model comparison process with different benefits such as the following: more efficient in terms of helping users to focus their attention to find visual elements of interest and easier to compare ML performance to find optimal ML model and discern important features visually and directly instead of through complex algorithmic calculations for ML explanations.

Description: The increasing proportion of unconventional worldwide energy demands have consistently promoted the necessity for exploring a precise, high-resolution, objective, and quantitative stratigraphic division method for macroscopically homogeneous mudstone successions. The chemostratigraphy can resolve this problem well, although it has been applied successfully in North America, but not systematically studied in China for shale gas exploration and development. This work has conducted a chemostratigraphic analysis of Wufeng and Longmaxi Formation on the Changning section of Sichuan Province, southwestern China, to testify its applicability for shale gas exploration in China. Principal component analysis (PCA) was first employed to reduce the dimensionality of datasets. Three chemofacies, including detrital (K, Ti, Fe, Al, Na, Mg, Cr, Zr, Rb), authigenic (Ca, Sr, Mn, Si, S, Ba), and redox-organic (P, V, Ni, Zn, Cu, TOC), were found. Subsequently, constrained clustering analysis was utilized for the zonation of each chemofacies into chemozones. Consequently, the whole Changning section was divided into twelve chemozones (CZ I–CZ Ⅻ). The geochemical interpretation for these chemozones can be resolved from the regional changes in paleogeography and paleoceanography during the Late Ordovician to Early Silurian period. Thus, a three-stage geochemical evolution along the Changning section can be classified: (1) the siliceous and anoxic deposits of Wufeng Formation (CZ I–CZ III) with high TOC contents; (2) the siliceous and anoxic sedimentary rocks of bottom Longmaxi Formation with still higher TOC (CZ Ⅳ); (3) the calcarous-detrital and oxic sediments for the rest of Longmaxi Formation (CZ Ⅴ–CZ Ⅻ). In considering their high content of TOC and abundant brittle siliceous minerals, the CZ (I–Ⅳ, 0 m–33.6 m) are thought to be the most preferable sweet spot for shale gas exploration.

Description: The determination of thermal structure functions from transient thermal measurements using network identification by deconvolution is a delicate process as it is sensitive to noise in the measured data. Great care must be taken not only during the measurement process but also to ensure a stable implementation of the algorithm. In this paper, a method is presented that quantifies the absolute accuracy of network identification on the basis of different test structures. For this purpose, three measures of accuracy are defined. By these metrics, several variants of network identification are optimized and compared against each other. Performance in the presence of noise is analyzed by adding Gaussian noise to the input data. In the cases tested, the use of a Bayesian deconvolution provided the best results.

Description: Energy Transition (ET) needs actors to perform independent actions on multiple levels of governance. These actors may need to write and read their data, and at the same time they want to protect their data from unauthorized access. This is particularly the case for positive energy districts (PED), a growing trend in the EU that requires actors to perform, write and read operations on a neighborhood scale where governance competences are typically absent. This paper presents a decentralized privacy-aware data management framework that enables actors to store, read, and modify data in PEDs. Our framework design integrates blockchain with a Distributed Hash Table (DHT), role-based access control, ring signature, and different encryption techniques. The proposed framework stores encrypted data on the DHT, and metadata and hash key are sent to the blockchain, which allows the data owner to keep track of their data. The proposed framework components handle multi-level data access in PEDs and enable data security at run-time. Moreover, we show security and privacy analysis and performance evaluation in time overhead. The results show that the proposed solution is effective, secure, and scalable.

Description: Reverse translation of polypeptide sequences to expressible mRNA constructs is a NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem. Each amino acid in the protein sequence can be represented by as many as six codons, and the process of selecting the combination that maximizes probability of expression is termed codon optimization. This work investigates the potential impact of leveraging quantum computing technology for codon optimization. A Quantum Annealer (QA) is compared to a standard genetic algorithm (GA) programmed with the same objective function. The QA is found to be competitive in identifying optimal solutions. The utility of gate-based systems is also evaluated using a simulator resulting in the finding that while current generations of devices lack the hardware requirements, in terms of both qubit count and connectivity, to solve realistic problems, future generation devices may be highly efficient.

Description: Background Nigeria has a high burden of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, commonly acquired through vertical transmission. However, there is a lack of an efficient surveillance system for monitoring and understanding the epidemiology of HBV among pregnant women. Building on a previous review on the prevalence of HBV in Nigeria (2000–2013), we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of HBV prevalence among pregnant women in Nigeria. Methods Four electronic databases PubMed, Embase, Global Health, and Scopus were systematically searched from January 2014 to February 2021. We also searched the African Journal Online and manually scanned the reference lists of the identified studies for potentially eligible articles. Observational studies that reported the prevalence of HBsAg and/or HBeAg among pregnant women in peer-reviewed journals were included in the study. We performed a meta-analysis using a random-effects model. We defined HBV infection as a positive test to HBsAg. Results From the 158 studies identified, 20 studies with a total sample size of 26, 548 were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of HBV infection among pregnant women across the studies was 6.49% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.75–8.46%; I2 = 96.7%, p = 0.001; n = 20). The prevalence of HBV was significantly lower among pregnant women with at least secondary education compared with those with no education or primary education (prevalence ratio = 0.7, 95% CI = 0.58–0.87; n = 10). However, the prevalence of HBV was not significantly different by age, religion, marital status, or tribe. The prevalence of HBV was not significantly different among pregnant women with previous surgery, blood transfusion, multiple lifetime sex partners, tribal marks, tattoos, scarification, or sexually transmitted infections, compared with those without these risk factors. From a total sample size of 128 (n = 7), the pooled prevalence of HBeAg among HBV-infected pregnant women was 14.59% (95% CI = 4.58–27.99%; I2 = 65.5%, p = 0.01). Subgroup analyses of HBV infection by study region and screening method, and meta-regression analysis of the study year, sample size, and quality rating were not statistically significant. Conclusions There is an intermediate endemicity of HBV infection among pregnant women in Nigeria. Interventions, such as routine antenatal HBV screening, antiviral prophylaxis for eligible pregnant women, and infant HBV vaccination should be scaled up for the prevention of perinatal transmission of HBV infection in Nigeria.

Description: Background Virtual reality (VR) has proven effective in the treatment of specific phobias and trauma particularly when in-vivo exposure therapy might be costly (e.g. fear of flying, combat scenes). Similarly, VR has been associated with improvement of chronic pain and of acute pain during medical procedures. Despite its effectiveness as a healthcare tool, VR technology is not well-integrated into common practice. This qualitative study aims to explore the provider perception of the value of VR and identify barriers to VR implementation among healthcare providers. Methods A 66-item self-report survey was created to examine application of VR to clinical practice, perceived value of this treatment, ease of learning the technology, billing considerations, and other obstacles. 128 providers (MDs and PhDs) who were located in the United States and had used VR as a therapeutic tool in the past year were identified through research papers, as well as user lists and news articles from VR application websites. Of the 128 providers contacted, 17% (22) completed our online self-report measure. Of these, 13% of respondents (N = 17) completed greater than 75% of the questionnaire and were considered completers. Provider responses were collected over a one-month period and qualitatively analyzed. Results The majority of providers were from an academic institution (n = 12, 70.6%), and all providers practiced in the outpatient setting. Providers most commonly reported using VR for the treatment of acute pain and/or anxiety related to medical procedures (n = 11, 64.7%), followed by specific phobia (n = 6, 35.3%) and social phobia (n = 6, 35.3%). All providers agreed VR is a valuable tool they would recommend to colleagues. The majority (n = 15, 93.8%) believed VR helped their patients progress in treatment, compared with other methods. Providers cited the ability to individualize treatment (n = 14, 87.5%) and increase patient engagement (n = 15, 93.8%) as main benefits of VR. A minority reported negative feedback from patients about content (n = 4, 25%) or about the technology in general (n = 6, 37.5%), whereas all reported some form of positive feedback. The slight majority (n = 10, 58.8%) of providers did not find transitioning to VR difficult. Of those who did, cost was the most commonly cited barrier (n = 6). Regarding reimbursement, only 17.6% (n = 3) of providers reported the ability to bill for VR sessions. Most providers (n = 15, 88.2%) received training on their VR platform which they found beneficial. Comparing the trained and untrained groups found no significant difference in VR comfort level (p = 0.5058), the value of VR in practice (p = 0.551) or whether providers would recommend VR to others (p = 0.551), though sample sizes were small. Conclusions In corroboration with previous research, this study demonstrates that VR is well-received by patients and providers, allowing increased patient engagement and treatment individualization. However, associated costs, including an inability to bill for this service, can present a barrier to further implementation. These findings will guide further development of virtual reality as a standardized tool in psychiatry and pain management.

Description: Background Adequate tumor tissue is required to make the best treatment choice for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Transbronchial biopsy (TBB) by endobronchial ultrasonography with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS) is useful to diagnose peripheral lung lesions. The data of tumor cell numbers obtained by two different sizes of GSs is limited. We conducted this study to investigate the utility of a large GS kit to obtain many tumor cells in patients with NSCLC. Methods Patients with a peripheral lung lesion and suspected of NSCLC were prospectively enrolled. They underwent TBB with a 5.9-mm diameter bronchoscope with a large GS. When the lesion was invisible in EBUS, we changed to a thinner bronchoscope and TBB was performed with a small GS. We compared the tumor cell number prospectively obtained with a large GS (prospective large GS group) and those previously obtained with a small GS (small GS cohort). The primary endpoint was the tumor cell number per sample, and we assessed characteristics of lesions that could be obtained by TBB with large GS. Results Biopsy with large GS was performed in 55 of 87 patients (63.2%), and 37 were diagnosed with NSCLC based on histological samples. The number of tumor cells per sample was not different between two groups (658±553 vs. 532±526, estimated difference between two groups with 95% confidence interval (CI); 125 (-125–376), p = 0.32). The sample size of the large GS group was significantly larger than that of the small GS cohort (1.75 mm2 vs. 0.83 mm2, estimated difference with 95% CI; 0.92 (0.60–1.23) mm2, p = 0.00000019). The lesion involving a third or less bronchus generation was predictive factors using large GS. Conclusions The sample size obtained with large GS was significantly larger compared to that obtained with small GS, but there was no significant difference in tumor cell number. The 5.9-mm diameter bronchoscope with large GS can be used for lesions involving a third or less bronchus generation.

Description: Ocean-going ships were key to rising maritime economies of the Early Modern period, and understanding how they were built is critical to grasp the challenges faced by shipwrights and merchant seafarers. Shipwreck timbers hold material evidence of the dynamic interplay of wood supplies, craftmanship, and evolving ship designs that helped shape the Early Modern world. Here we present the results of dendroarchaeological research carried out on Batavia’s wreck timbers, currently on display at the Western Australian Shipwrecks Museum in Fremantle. Built in Amsterdam in 1628 CE and wrecked on its maiden voyage in June 1629 CE in Western Australian waters, Batavia epitomises Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, or VOC) shipbuilding. In the 17th century, the VOC grew to become the first multinational trading enterprise, prompting the rise of the stock market and modern capitalism. Oak (Quercus sp.) was the preferred material for shipbuilding in northern and western Europe, and maritime nations struggled to ensure sufficient supplies to meet their needs and sustain their ever-growing mercantile fleets and networks. Our research illustrates the compatibility of dendrochronological studies with musealisation of shipwreck assemblages, and the results demonstrate that the VOC successfully coped with timber shortages in the early 17th century through diversification of timber sources (mainly Baltic region, Lübeck hinterland in northern Germany, and Lower Saxony in northwest Germany), allocation of sourcing regions to specific timber products (hull planks from the Baltic and Lübeck, framing elements from Lower Saxony), and skillful woodworking craftmanship (sapwood was removed from all timber elements). These strategies, combined with an innovative hull design and the use of wind-powered sawmills, allowed the Dutch to produce unprecedented numbers of ocean-going ships for long-distance voyaging and interregional trade in Asia, proving key to their success in 17th-century world trade.

Description: Purpose To investigate the postoperative course of patients who explanted a diffractive bifocal intraocular lens (IOL) due to waxy vision and implanted with an extended depth of focus IOL. Methods This study evaluated 29 eyes of 25 patients who underwent diffractive bifocal IOL explantation followed by TECNIS Symfony® implantation because of dissatisfaction due to waxy vision at the Takabatake West Eye Clinic between January 2018 and November 2019. The indication criteria for this surgery were patients with uncorrected distance visual acuity of 0.05 logMAR or better, without eye diseases that may affect visual function, and no dissatisfactions about photic phenomena. We investigated patient demographics, uncorrected and corrected visual acuity, manifest refraction, contrast sensitivity, subjective symptoms, time to IOL explantation, explanted IOL type, and spectacle independence. Results The time to the IOL exchange after the initial IOL implantation was 55.3 ± 50.4 days (range: 14–196 days). The logMAR corrected distance visual acuity before and after IOL exchange were −0.13 ± 0.06 and −0.14 ± 0.06, respectively (p = 0.273). After IOL exchange surgery, the area under log contrast sensitivity function increased significantly from 1.07 ± 0.12 to 1.21 ± 0.12 (p 〈 0.001), and the waxy vision symptoms improved. The spectacle independence rate at the last visit was 88.0%. Conclusion For patients who complain of waxy vision despite good visual acuity after diffractive bifocal IOL implantation, exchange to extended depth of focus IOL was considered one of the useful surgical options.

Description: Background One of the factors contributing to a high maternal mortality rate is the utilization of non-healthcare facilities as a birthplace for women. This study analyzed determinants affecting birthplace in middle-to lower-class women in Indonesia. Methods This study analyzed the 2017 Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS) data. The total national sample size was 49,627 eligible women. Our sample included 11,104 women, aged 15–49, who had delivered babies and were of low-to-middle economic status. The type of survey dataset was individual record dataset. Data were analyzed with chi-square and multivariate logistic regression tests using Stata 16 software. Results About 64.99% middle to lower class women in Indonesia delivered in healthcare facilities. Women aged 45–49 (OR = 2.103; 95% CI = 1.13–3.93), who graduated from higher schools (OR = 2.885; 95% CI = 1.76–4.73), whose husbands had higher education (OR = 2.826; 95% CI = 1.69–4.74) and were employed (OR = 2.523; 95% CI = 1.23–5.17), who considered access to healthcare facilities was not a problem (OR = 1.528; 95% CI = 1.28–1.82), who had a single child (OR = 2.349; 95% CI = 1.97–2.80), and who lived in urban areas (OR = 2.930; 95% CI = 2.40–3.57) were determinants that significantly correlated with women giving birth in healthcare facilities. Conclusion This study provides insights for policymakers and healthcare centers in the community to strengthen access to healthcare services and devise health promotion strategies for pregnant mothers. Policy interventions designed for middle- to lower-class women should be implemented to support vulnerable groups.

Description: Porcine epidemic diarrhoea (PED) is a highly contagious enteric viral disease of pigs with a high morbidity and mortality rate, which ultimately results in huge economic losses in the pig production sector. The etiological agent of this disease is the porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) which is an enveloped, positive single-stranded RNA virus. The aim of this study was to perform molecular characterization of PEDV to identify the strains circulating in Poland. In this study, 662 faecal samples from 2015 to 2021 were tested with reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and the results showed that 3.8% of the tested samples revealed a positive result for PEDV. A phylogenetic analysis of the complete genome and complete S gene sequences showed that Polish PEDV strains belonged to the G1b (S-INDEL) subgroup and were closely related to the European PEDV strains isolated from 2014 to 2019. Furthermore, RDP4 analysis revealed that the Polish PEDV strains harboured a recombinant fragment of ~400 nt in the 5’ end of S gene with PEDV and swine enteric coronavirus (SeCoV) being the major and minor parents, respectively. Antigenic analysis showed that the aa sequences of neutralizing epitopes were conserved among the Polish PEDV strains. Only one strain, #0100/5P, had a unique substitution in the COE epitope. However, Polish PEDV strains showed several substitutions, especially in the COE antigen, as compared to the classical strain CV777. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report concerning the molecular characterization of porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus strains, as well as the first phylogenetic analysis for PEDV in Poland.

Description: Historically, the database search algorithms have been the de facto standard for inferring peptides from mass spectrometry (MS) data. Database search algorithms deduce peptides by transforming theoretical peptides into theoretical spectra and matching them to the experimental spectra. Heuristic similarity-scoring functions are used to match an experimental spectrum to a theoretical spectrum. However, the heuristic nature of the scoring functions and the simple transformation of the peptides into theoretical spectra, along with noisy mass spectra for the less abundant peptides, can introduce a cascade of inaccuracies. In this paper, we design and implement a Deep Cross-Modal Similarity Network called SpeCollate, which overcomes these inaccuracies by learning the similarity function between experimental spectra and peptides directly from the labeled MS data. SpeCollate transforms spectra and peptides into a shared Euclidean subspace by learning fixed size embeddings for both. Our proposed deep-learning network trains on sextuplets of positive and negative examples coupled with our custom-designed SNAP-loss function. Online hardest negative mining is used to select the appropriate negative examples for optimal training performance. We use 4.8 million sextuplets obtained from the NIST and MassIVE peptide libraries to train the network and demonstrate that for closed search, SpeCollate is able to perform better than Crux and MSFragger in terms of the number of peptide-spectrum matches (PSMs) and unique peptides identified under 1% FDR for real-world data. SpeCollate also identifies a large number of peptides not reported by either Crux or MSFragger. To the best of our knowledge, our proposed SpeCollate is the first deep-learning network that can determine the cross-modal similarity between peptides and mass-spectra for MS-based proteomics. We believe SpeCollate is significant progress towards developing machine-learning solutions for MS-based omics data analysis. SpeCollate is available at https://deepspecs.github.io/.

Description: Background Burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, low personal accomplishment and depersonalization experienced by a health professional and it is more common in nurses due to high workload and job stress that is mostly caused by working proximity to patients and taking care of them. Burnout compromises the provision of quality health care. Despite this, there is no information in Ethiopia on burnout among nurses in study area. Objectives To determine the magnitude of burnout and associated factors among nurses working in public hospitals of Harari regional state and Dire Dawa administration, eastern Ethiopia, February 1–29, 2020. Methods Institutional based quantitative cross-sectional study was employed from February 1–29 among 412 randomly selected nurses who have been working in hospitals for the last 6 months. Simple random sampling method was employed and data was collected by self-administered, standardized, reliable and valid, questionnaire (Maslachs Burnout Inventory- Human Services Survey). Data was entered into EpiData Version 3.1 and exported to statistical package for social science version 20 for analysis. All covariate with P-value less than 0.25 in bivariable analysis were candidate for multivariable analysis. Level of statistical significance was declared at p-value 〈 0.05. Results Among 412 nurses taking part in this study, 183(44.4%) of nurses with 95% CI, had experienced burnout. Married marital status [AOR:2.3,95%CI:(1.2–4.3)], poor current health status [AOR:4.8, 95% CI:(1.1–21.4)] and fair current health status [AOR:12, 95% CI:(4.5–32)], working greater than eight hour per-day[AOR:0.52, 95%CI:(0.29–0.92)], intention to leave a job [AOR:0.48,95%CI:(0.2–0.88), being working in emergency room [AOR:0.3,95%CI:(0.1–0.98)] and using a different medication related to work related health problems were factors associated with nurses’ burnout. Conclusion The nurses’ burnout in this study is high and it is attributed by marriage, perceiving health status as poor and fair, whereas, having the intention to leave job, being working in emergency room and using a medication in relation to work related health problems reduced risk of developing burnout. So, the concerned bodies should provide trainings which focus on stress copying mechanisms and assertiveness program.

Description: Environmental DNA (eDNA) is nuclear or mitochondrial DNA shed into the environment, and amplifying this DNA can serve as a reliable, noninvasive way to monitor aquatic systems for the presence of an invasive species. Assays based on the collection of eDNA are becoming increasingly popular, and, when optimized, can aid in effectively and efficiently tracking invasion fronts. We set out to update an eDNA assay to detect the invasive rusty crayfish, Faxonius rusticus. We tested for species specificity compared to other stream crayfish and field tested the assay at sites with known presence (N = 3) and absence (N = 4) in the Juniata River watershed in central Pennsylvania, USA. To maximize sensitivity, we field tested different storage buffers (Longmire’s buffer and ethanol), DNA extraction methods (Qiagen’s DNEasy and PowerWater kits), and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) chemistries (TaqMan and SYBR green). Our assay confirmed the presence data and performed optimally when filter samples were stored in Longmire’s buffer, DNA was extracted with DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit, and TaqMan qPCR chemistry was utilized. With proper sample processing, our assay allows for accurate, noninvasive detection of F. rusticus in streams.

Description: Background Worldwide, strict infection control measures including visitation regulations were implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic at Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). These regulations gave restricted access for parents to their hospitalized infants. The consequence was limited ability to involve in the care of their infants. At Oslo University Hospital entry to NICU was denied to all except healthy mothers in March 2020. The absolute access ban for fathers lasted for 10 weeks. The aim of this study was to explore parental experiences with an infant hospitalized in the NICU during this absolute visitation ban period. Methods We invited post discharge all parents of surviving infants that had been hospitalized for at least 14 days to participate. They were interviewed during autumn 2020 using an explorative semi-structured interview approach. Data were analyzed via inductive thematic analysis. Results Nine mothers and four fathers participated. The COVID-19 regulations strongly impacted the parent’s experiences of their stay. The fathers’ limited access felt life-impacting. Parents struggled to become a family and raised their voices to be heard. Not being able to experience parenthood together led to emotional loneliness. The fathers struggled to learn how to care for their infant. The regulations might lead to a postponed attachment. On the other hand, of positive aspect the parents got some quietness. Being hospitalized during this first wave was experienced as exceptional and made parents seeking alliances by other parents. Social media was used to keep in contact with the outside world. Conclusions The regulations had strong negative impact on parental experiences during the NICU hospitalization. The restriction to fathers’ access to the NICU acted as a significant obstacle to early infant-father bonding and led to loneliness and isolation by the mothers. Thus, these COVID-19 measures might have had adverse consequences for families.

Description: Influenza viruses cause respiratory tract infections and substantial health concerns. Infection may result in mild to severe respiratory disease associated with morbidity and some mortality. Several anti-influenza drugs are available, but these agents target viral components and are susceptible to drug resistance. There is a need for new antiviral drug strategies that include repurposing of clinically approved drugs. Drugs that target cellular machinery necessary for influenza virus replication can provide a means for inhibiting influenza virus replication. We used RNA interference screening to identify key host cell genes required for influenza replication, and then FDA-approved drugs that could be repurposed for targeting host genes. We examined the effects of Clopidogrel and Triamterene to inhibit A/WSN/33 (EC50 5.84 uM and 31.48 uM, respectively), A/CA/04/09 (EC50 6.432 uM and 3.32 uM, respectively), and B/Yamagata/16/1988 (EC50 0.28 uM and 0.11 uM, respectively) replication. Clopidogrel and Triamterene provide a druggable approach to influenza treatment across multiple strains and subtypes.

Description: Background Migrants are not routinely screened for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the Netherlands. We estimated the prevalence and determined factors associated with HBV, HCV and/or HIV infections among undocumented migrants and uninsured legal residents. Methods In this cross-sectional study, undocumented migrants and uninsured legal residents were recruited at a non governmental organization (NGO), healthcare facility in the Netherlands and were invited to be tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-hepatitis B core antibodies (anti-HBcAb), HCV-RNA, and anti-HIV antibodies or HIV antigen at a local laboratory. Results Of the 1376 patients invited, 784 (57%) participated. Participants originated from Africa (35%), Asia (30%) and North/South America (30%). 451/784 (58%) participants went to the laboratory for testing. Of participants 30% were HBV exposed (anti-HBcAb-positive), with 27% (n = 119/438, 95% CI 23.1% to 31.6%) having resolved HBV infection (HBsAg-negative) and 2.5% (n = 11/438, 95%CI 1.3% to 4.5%, 64% new infection) having chronic HBV infection (HBsAg-positive). Compared to HBV non-exposed, HBV exposed individuals were older (p = 0.034) and more often originated from Africa (p

Description: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has become a major threat to the control of tuberculosis globally. Uganda is among the countries with a relatively high prevalence of tuberculosis despite significant control efforts. In this study, the drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to rifampicin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH) was investigated among patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis in Southwestern Uganda. A total of 283 sputum samples (266 from newly diagnosed and 17 from previously treated patients), collected between May 2018 and April 2019 at four different TB diagnostic centres, were assessed for RIF and INH resistance using high-resolution melt curve analysis. The overall prevalence of monoresistance to INH and RIF was 8.5% and 11% respectively, while the prevalence of MDR-TB was 6.7%. Bivariate analysis showed that patients aged 25 to 44 years were at a higher risk of developing MDR-TB (cOR 0.253). Furthermore, among the newly diagnosed patients, the prevalence of monoresistance to INH, RIF and MDR-TB was 8.6%, 10.2% and 6.4% respectively; while among the previously treated cases, these prevalence rates were 5.9%, 23.5% and 11.8%. These rates are higher than those reported previously indicating a rise in MTB drug resistance and may call for measures used to prevent a further rise in drug resistance. There is also a need to conduct frequent drug resistance surveys, to monitor and curtail the development and spread of drug-resistant TB.

Description: During the Paleolithic period, bone marrow extraction was an essential source of fat nutrients for hunter-gatherers especially throughout cold and dry seasons. This is attested by the recurrent findings of percussion marks in osteological material from anthropized archaeological levels. Among them some showed indicators that the marrow extraction process was part of a butchery cultural practice, meaning that the inflicted fracturing gestures and techniques were recurrent, standardized and counter-intuitive. In order to assess the weight of the counter-intuitive factor in the percussion mark pattern distribution, we carried out an experiment that by contrast focuses on the intuitive approach of fracturing bones to extract marrow, involving individual without experience in this activity. We wanted to evaluate the influence of bone morphology and the individuals’ behaviour on the distribution of percussion marks. Twelve experimenters broke 120 limb bones, a series of 10 bones per individual. During the experiment, information concerning the fracture of the bones as well as individual behaviour was collected and was subsequently compared to data from the laboratory study of the remains. Then, we applied an innovative GIS (Geographic Information System) method to analyze the distribution of percussion marks to highlight recurrent patterns. Results show that in spite of all the variables there is a high similarity in the distribution of percussion marks which we consider as intuitive patterns. The factor influenced the distribution for the humerus, radius-ulna and tibia series is the bone morphology, while for the femur series individual behaviour seems to have more weight in the distribution. To go further in the subject we need to compare the intuitive models with the distributions of percussion marks registered in fossil assemblages. Thus, it would be possible to propose new hypotheses on butchering practices based on the results presented in this work.

Description: This paper uses publicly available data and various statistical models to estimate the basic reproduction number (R0) and other disease parameters for Ghana’s early COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. We also test the effectiveness of government imposition of public health measures to reduce the risk of transmission and impact of the pandemic, especially in the early phase. R0 is estimated from the statistical model as 3.21 using a 0.147 estimated growth rate [95% C.I.: 0.137–0.157] and a 15-day time to recovery after COVID-19 infection. This estimate of the initial R0 is consistent with others reported in the literature from other parts of Africa, China and Europe. Our results also indicate that COVID-19 transmission reduced consistently in Ghana after the imposition of public health interventions—such as border restrictions, intra-city movement, quarantine and isolation—during the first phase of the pandemic from March to May 2020. However, the time-dependent reproduction number (Rt) beyond mid-May 2020 does not represent the true situation, given that there was not a consistent testing regime in place. This is also confirmed by our Jack-knife bootstrap estimates which show that the positivity rate over-estimates the true incidence rate from mid-May 2020. Given concerns about virus mutations, delays in vaccination and a possible new wave of the pandemic, there is a need for systematic testing of a representative sample of the population to monitor the reproduction number. There is also an urgent need to increase the availability of testing for the general population to enable early detection, isolation and treatment of infected individuals to reduce progression to severe disease and mortality.

Description: Serum Paraoxonase 2 (PON2) level is a potential biomarker owing to its association with a number of pathophysiological conditions such as atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Since cholinergic deficiency is closely linked with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) are the treatment of choice for patients with AD. However, there is a heterogenous response to these drugs and mostly the subjects do not respond to the treatment. Gene polymorphism, the simultaneous occurrence of two or more discontinuous alleles in a population, could be one of the important factors for this. Hence, we hypothesized that PON2 and its polymorphic forms may be hydrolyzing the AChEIs differently, and thus, different patients respond differently. To investigate this, two AChEIs, donepezil hydrochloride (DHC) and pyridostigmine bromide (PB), were selected. Human PON2 wildtype gene and four mutants, two catalytic sites, and two polymorphic sites were cloned, recombinantly expressed, and purified for in vitro analysis. Enzyme activity and AChE activity were measured to quantitate the amount of DHC and PB hydrolyzed by the wildtype and the mutant proteins. Herein, PON2 esterase activity and AChE inhibitor efficiency were found to be inversely related. A significant difference in enzyme activity of the catalytic site mutants was observed as compared to the wildtype, and subsequent AChE activity showed that esterase activity of PON2 is responsible for the hydrolysis of DHC and PB. Interestingly, PON2 polymorphic site mutants showed increased esterase activity; therefore, this could be the reason for the ineffectiveness of the drugs. Thus, our data suggested that the esterase activity of PON2 was mainly responsible for the hydrolysis of AChEI, DHC, and PB, and that might be responsible for the variation in individual response to AChEI therapy.

Description: The EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Well-being measures five positive indicators of the well-being of adolescents: engagement, perseverance, optimism, connectedness and happiness. This five-factor structure along with other indicators of validity and reliability were supported for the original English version and the Chinese version. In this study, we tested the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the EPOCH with a sample (n = 846) of Swedish high school adolescents aged 16–21 years (Mage = 18, SD = .85). The participants answered a questionnaire containing the EPOCH, Coping Self-Efficacy Scale, and 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). A confirmatory factor analysis supported a the five-factor, inter-correlated model. The internal consistency was good for all the EPOCH subscales (Cronbach’s α = .76–.88, McDonald’s ω = .77 –.88). The criterion validity was established by replicating correlations between the five EPOCH subscales and positive (coping self-efficacy) and negative (DASS-21) aspects of well-being. This study shows that the Swedish version of the EPOCH is suitable for assessing multiple dimensions of adolescent well-being.

Description: Background Tunga penetrans, also known as sand flea, causes Tungiasis in humans and animals. Despite its notoriety as an entomological problem, however, the ectoparasite receives little consideration from public health professionals. It is against this background that this article aims to assess the prevalence of and factors associated with Tunga penetrans infestation among 5-14-year-olds in rural Western Ethiopia. Methods From November to December 2020, 487 children aged 5 to 14 were selected from four primary schools in a cross-sectional study using systematic random sampling. Clinical exams, Interviews with parents/guardians and observations of the housing and classroom environments were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and multivariable regression were used to characterize the data and identify factors associated with Tunga penetrans infestation. Result Tunga penetrans infestation (Tungiasis) was diagnosed in 138 of the 487 children examined, placing the prevalence at 28.3% (95% CI: 24.2%, 32.2%). Mud plastered walls [AOR: 5.83, % CI (3.44–9.88)], having cats in the house [AOR: 5.91, 95% CI (3.51–10.11)], not having separated sleeping quarters for animals [AOR: 4.60, 95% CI (2.69–7.86)], using self-supplied water [AOR: 6.30, 95% CI (3.33–11.93)], walking〉30 minutes to school [AOR: 2.37, 95% CI (1.48–3.80)] were associated with Tungiasis. Conclusion In one way or another, several of the identified factors were linked to poverty. Improved house wall materials, fumigation of mud-plastered houses, dusting or spraying insecticides on domestic animals (such as cats), improved access to water, community education about keeping animals separated from living spaces, and hygiene promotion are all needed, with a focus on locally available, low-cost technologies that the poorest families can afford.

Description: Horizontal wells can significantly improve the gas production and are expected to be an efficient exploitation method for the industrialization of natural gas hydrates (NGHs) in the future. However, the near-wellbore hydrate is highly prone to decomposition during the drilling process, owing to the disturbance aroused by the factors such as the drilling fluid temperature, pressure, and salinity. These issues can result in the engineering accidents such as bit sticking and wellbore instability, which are required for further investigations. This paper studies the characteristics of drilling fluid invasion into the marine NGH reservoir with varied drilling fluid parameters via numerical simulation. The effects of the drilling fluid parameters on the decomposition behavior of near-wellbore hydrates are presented. The simulating results show that the adjustments of drilling fluid density within the mud safety window have limited effects on the NGH decomposition, meanwhile the hydrates reservoir is most sensitive to the drilling fluid temperature variation. If the drilling fluid temperature grows considerably due to improper control, the range of the hydrates decomposition around the horizontal well tends to expand, which then aggravates wellbore instability. When the drilling fluid salinity varies in the range of 3.5–7.5%, the increase in the ion concentration speeds up the hydrate decomposition, which is adverse to maintaining wellbore stability.

Description: Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) are omnidirectional turbomachines commonly used in rural areas for small-to-medium-scale power generation. The complex flow observed in the wake region of VAWTs is affected by a number of factors, such as rotor blades design. A damaged rotor significantly alters the flow field in the wake region of the VAWT, degrading its power generation capability. Published literature on damaged wind turbine blades is severely limited to torque signal analysis and basic flow field description in the wake region. In this study, detailed numerical investigations have been carried out to establish and quantify the relationship between damaged rotor and the wake dynamics of a VAWT. Time-based Computational Fluid Dynamics analyses have been performed on two VAWT models, one undamaged and the other with a missing rotor blade. Proper Orthogonal Decomposition has been used to extract the energy content and temporal coefficients of the various flow patterns associated with the wake region. The results indicate that the first pressure-based flow mode contains 99% of the energy and provides a functional basis for accurate reconstruction of the wake. It is envisaged that this study will aid the development of novel machine learning algorithms for rotor damage detection in wind farms.

Description: The use of hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) has become the best option for supplying electricity to sites remote from the central power system because of its sustainability, environmental friendliness, and its low cost of energy compared to many conventional sources such as diesel generators. Due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy resources, there is a need however for an energy storage system (ESS) to store the surplus energy and feed the energy deficit. Most renewable sources used battery storage systems (BSS), a green hydrogen storage system (GHSS), and a diesel generator as a backup for these sources. Batteries are very expensive and have a very short lifetime, and GHSS have a very expensive initial cost and many security issues. In this paper, a system consisting of wind turbines and a photovoltaic (PV) array with a pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) system as the main energy storage to replace the expensive and short lifetime batteries is proposed. The proposed system is built to feed a remote area called Dumah Aljandal in the north of Saudi Arabia. A smart grid is used via a novel demand response strategy (DRS) with a dynamic tariff to reduce the size of the components and it reduces the cost of energy compared to a flat tariff. The use of the PHES with smart DRS reduced the cost of energy by 34.2%, and 41.1% compared to the use of BSS and GHSS as an ESS, respectively. Moreover, the use of 100% green energy sources will avoid the emission of an estimated 2.5 million tons of greenhouse gases every year. The proposed system will use a novel optimization algorithm called the gradually reduced particles of particle swarm optimization (GRP-PSO) algorithm to enhance the exploration and exploitation during the searching iterations. The GRP-PSO reduces the convergence time to 58% compared to the average convergence time of 10 optimization algorithms used for comparison. A sensitivity analysis study is introduced in this paper in which the effect of ±20% change in wind speed and solar irradiance are selected and the system showed a low effect of these resources on the Levelized cost of energy of the HRES. These outstanding results proved the superiority of using a pumped-storage system with a dynamic tariff demand response strategy compared to the other energy storage systems with flat-rate tariffs.

Description: Purpose The purpose of this study was to characterize the nasopharyngeal microbiota of infants with possible and confirmed pertussis compared to healthy controls. Methods This prospective study included all infants

Description: Introduction Pregnant and postpartum women face major psychological stressors that put them at higher risk of developing common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Yet, their limited access to and uptake of traditional mental health care is inequitable, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mobile interventions emerged as a potential solution to this discontinued healthcare access, but more knowledge is needed about their effectiveness and impact on health equity. This equity-focused systematic review examined the effectiveness and equity impact of mobile interventions targeting common mental disorders among pregnant and postpartum women. Methods and results We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO and 3 other databases, from date of database inception and until January 2021, for experimental studies on mobile interventions targeting pregnant and postpartum women. We used pooled and narrative synthesis methods to analyze effectiveness and equity data, critically appraised the methodological rigour of included studies using Cochrane tools, and assessed the certainty of evidence using the GRADE approach. Our search identified 6148 records, of which 18 randomized and non-randomized controlled trials were included. Mobile interventions had a clinically important impact on reducing the occurrence of depression (OR = 0.51 [95% CI 0.41 to 0.64]; absolute risk reduction RD: 7.14% [95% CI 4.92 to 9.36]; p

Description: Introduction Sex-based clinical outcome differences in sickle cell disease (SCD) remain largely unknown despite evidence that female sex is associated with an increased lifespan. To better characterize sex-based differences in SCD, we assessed pain, treatment characteristics, laboratory measures and complications among males and females currently enrolled in the Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium (SCDIC) registry. Methods The SCDIC consists of eight comprehensive SCD centers and one data coordinating center that received funding from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to improve outcomes for individuals with SCD. Eligibility criteria included: 15 to 45 years of age and a confirmed diagnosis of SCD. Self-report surveys were completed and data were also abstracted from the participants’ medical records. Results A total of 2,124 participants were included (mean age: 27.8 years; 56% female). The majority had hemoglobin SS SCD genotype. Females had worse reports of pain severity (mean (SD) T-score 51.6 (9.6) vs 49.3 (10), p

Description: ERBB family members and their ligands play an essential role in embryonic heart development and adult heart physiology. Among them, ERBB3 is a binding partner of ERBB2; the ERBB2/3 complex mediates downstream signaling for cell proliferation. ERBB3 has seven consensus binding sites to the p85 regulatory subunit of PI3K, which activates the downstream AKT pathway, leading to the proliferation of various cells. This study generated a human ERBB3 knock-in mouse expressing a mutant ERBB3 whose seven YXXM p85 binding sites were replaced with YXXA. Erbb3 knock-in embryos exhibited lethality between E12.5 to E13.5, and showed a decrease in mesenchymal cell numbers and density in AV cushions. We determined that the proliferation of mesenchymal cells in the atrioventricular (AV) cushion in Erbb3 knock-in mutant embryos was temporarily reduced due to the decrease of AKT and ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Overall, our results suggest that AKT/ERK activation by the ERBB3-dependent PI3K signaling is crucial for AV cushion morphogenesis during embryonic heart development.

Description: The main goal of the research presented in this paper was the experimental and numerical analysis of heat enhancement and aerodynamic phenomena during air flow in a channel equipped with flow turbulators in the form of properly configured ribs. The use of ribs intensifies the heat transfer and at the same time increases not only the flow resistance but also the energy costs. Therefore, designing modern heat exchangers with optimal thermal and flow parameters requires the knowledge of the theory of heat exchangers as well as measurement methods and numerical calculations. Bearing in mind the above, the liquid crystal techniques (LCT), particle image velocimetry (PIV) and digital image processing (DIP) for temperature, velocity, friction factor and heat transfer coefficient measurements are presented herein. These three optical tools (using desktop computers) create an extremely powerful and advanced measuring technique that has not been available anywhere before. Brief histories of these measurement methods and techniques are discussed and some examples are presented. In order to assess and select the value of the measurement technique, local and average distributions of Nusselt numbers (in the measurement section) obtained by the transit analysis method on the inter-rib regions of a plate coated by thermochromics liquid crystal and heated by air as an alternative to the steady-state analysis. In the parallel, numerical calculation was performed with the use of the ANSYS Fluent software code and supported by laser anemometry-computed turbulence intensity of air flow. Comparison of the Nusselt number distributions was determined by three methods, i.e., steady state, the transient method and CFD simulation. Up to three-fold enhancement of the local heat transfer capability was observed. Failure to take into account the surface of the ribs in heat transfer causes differences in the obtained results of the Nusselt number depending on the method used. Apart from the heat transfer data, the pressure drop in the form of friction factors is also presented. On the basis of the conducted research, it can be stated that both qualitative and quantitative coherence was obtained between the experimental and computational studies.

Description: This paper deals with the applicability of alternative power system configurations to reduce the environmental footprint of inland waterway ships. Its original contribution includes: models for assessment of the lifetime emissions and associated lifetime costs of alternative power system configurations for different types of inland waterway vessels, identification of the most cost-effective options for these vessels, and an estimation of the impact of emission policies on the profitability of each option. The case study considers the Croatian inland waterway sector, where three types of vessel with significantly different purposes, designs, and operative profiles are considered (cargo ship, passenger ship, and dredger). The technical and operational features of these ships are analyzed with an emphasis on their energy needs. Then, life-cycle assessments (LCAs) of a diesel engine-powered ship configuration and two battery-powered ship configurations (with and without a photovoltaic system) are performed by means of GREET 2020 software. These configurations are compared from the economical viewpoint, by the life-cycle cost assessment (LCCA), where potential carbon credit scenarios are investigated, while relevant quantities are converted into monetary units. Although the LCA identified the photovoltaic cells’ battery-powered ship configuration as the most environmentally friendly, according to the LCCA, its life-cycle costs are rather high, except for passenger ships, for which the battery-powered ship configuration is a feasible option. If a set of required specific input data is known, the presented procedure is applicable to reduce the environmental footprint of any other inland waterway fleet.

Description: A two-fold adaptive dynamic quadrilateral relay is developed in this research for protecting Thyristor-Controlled Series Compensator (TCSC)-compensated transmission lines (TLs). By investigating a new tilt angle and modifying the Takagi method to recognize the fault zone identifier, the proposed relay adapts its reactive reach and resistive reach separately and independently. The investigated tilt angle and identified fault zone use the TCSC reactance to compensate its effect on the TL parameters and system homogeneity. Excessive tests are simulated by MATLAB on the non-homogenous network, IEEE-9 bus system and further tests are carried out on IEEE-39 bus system in order to generalize and validate the efficiency of the proposed approach. The designed trip boundaries are able to detect wide range of resistive faults under all TCSC modes of operations. The proposed approach is easy to implement as there no need for data synchronization or a high level of computation and filtration. Moreover, the proposed adaptive dynamic relay can be applied for non-homogeneity systems and short as well as long TLs which are either TCSC-compensated or -uncompensated TLs.

Description: The radiation flux distributions produced by the concentrating solar systems used to produce thermal/electrical power are usually non-homogeneous. This results in non-uniform temperature distributions on the solar receivers, causing adverse effects on the system’s overall performance. An approach to better understand the problem is to study the surfaces around the focal zone where the radiation density is homogeneous (isosurfaces), generating them from experimental data. For this, it is necessary to superimpose built volumes of the different irradiance levels using parallel planes in different directions from the focal point of a concentrator. These volumes are known as effective volumes. This study presents the model used to generate effective volume produced by a point focus concentrator, comparing it with experimental results in a direction perpendicular to the focal axis. The effective volumes were developed considering a global optical error of the system of 2.8 mrad. The set of methods used to generate effective volumes has not been previously presented in the literature. The theoretical-experimental research consisted of the combination of the camera-target method and the simulations by the ray-tracing technique. The results showed effective volumes with the highest value of 10 MW/m2 and the lowest value of 4.5 MW/m2.

Description: The main purpose of this study is to identify the drivers of sustainable performance in firms that operate in the energy sector. Under the assumption of bidirectional impacts, we empirically tested the trade-offs between sustainable and financial performance, in light of neoclassical theory, the natural-resources-based view, and instrumental stakeholder theory. We hypothesize that, in the energy sector, sustainable performance is positively associated with firms’ financial performance and that sustainability reporting is an important driver of sustainable performance. We add primarily by considering the relevance of sustainability-policy-oriented factors and revising the role of sustainability reporting within. We provide empirical evidence based on a large panel of firm-year observations within the 2013–2020 time span, for firms that operate in the energy sector and are located in Europe. We have found strong support for the positive link between sustainable performance (proxied with ESG score) and returns, which conforms to the assumptions of the natural-resources-based view. However, we have also found some evidence that more sustainable firms face greater costs input, which is considered in neoclassical theory. We have also confirmed no relevance of the slack-resources-based view. Finally, we found sustainability reporting to be the most influential among the set of sustainability-policy-oriented factors. This evidence demonstrates that stakeholders’ pressure on firms’ transparency could be an important driver of sustainable performance in the energy sector.

Description: Increased use of energy in buildings and HVAC systems requires advanced control schemes like model-based control to improve energy efficiency, which in turn requires accurate thermodynamic models of buildings. The Resistive-Capacitive (RC) method is a popular and versatile approach for thermal modeling of buildings. Despite this, it is not easy to find practical solutions of implementation of the RC method. It is the goal of this paper to clarify the RC method and demonstrate simple implementation of this method, especially for multi-zone buildings, which have more potential for energy savings from use of model-based control. This paper provides two contributions. First is a detailed explanation of the RC method, focusing on its use for developing a structure of a model and first-principles approach for estimation of parameters of a model. Second is a demonstration of an algorithm that enables automatic development of the structure of a model from basic information about a building (layout, construction elements) and its combination with data-based parameter estimation. Use of the algorithm is presented with a case-study on industrial multi-zone building, for which such a grey-box model is developed and analyzed. The resulting model is rapidly developed and used in a simulation with the measured data. The outputs of the model are compared with the measured temperatures and they show good fit.

Description: Despite the often emphasized importance of water awareness, and notwithstanding the fact that calls for increasing public awareness are becoming commonplace, most studies do not define the concept, let alone operationalise it into measurable units. This is, however, essential to measure and evaluate efforts related to water awareness such as public campaigns, customer communication and behavioural interventions. To address this gap, we conceptualise, operationalise and assess tap water awareness, hereby differentiating between cognitive awareness (head), affectional awareness (heart), and behavioural awareness (hands). In parallel, we also differentiate between tap water quality, quantity and system. By building on a variety of contemporary conceptual insights in literature and a series of expert interviews, an assessment framework is developed. A cohesive set of nine awareness components are identified and operationalised into a set of tangible questions which are put to the test in a large-scale online survey (n = 1003) in the Netherlands, applying both a traditional and modern segmentation approach based on four types of perspectives (‘quality & health concerned’, ‘aware & committed’, ‘egalitarian & solidary’, and ‘down to earth & confident’). Based on the analysis of the results of the first empirical application of our tap water awareness assessment framework, we conclude that—with a score 53.5 points out of 100—tap water awareness in the Netherlands shows ample room for improvement. Interestingly, most significant variations in awareness are generally not related to sociodemographic factors but rather apply to the four customer perspectives on drinking water that are based on people’s subjective views and preferences.

Description: Background High prevalence of tobacco smoking among young students remains a serious health concern given the positive association between smoking and NCDs. More recently, some studies also noted young smokers were more likely to get infected with COVID-19 compared to non-smokers. This study aims to assess the factors that influence smoking uptake among young students in Samoa. Findings from this study will provide valuable insight to policymakers and health authorities on policies and strategies to combat smoking among youth in Samoa and the Pacific Island Countries (PICs). Methods The 2017 Global Youth Tobacco Survey data of Samoa, available from the World Health Organization is used in the analysis. We use the multinominal logistic model to investigate the effects of socio-economic and demographics factors on young students’ uptake of smoking in Samoa. Result The main findings of this study indicate that sex, age, friendship, parental smoking, family discussion, outside influence, pocket money, and mother’s education are important determinants of tobacco smoking initiation among youths in Samoa. Conclusion Our findings contribute towards the evidence of the imperative health impact of friends, parents, and public smoking on students in Samoa. This warrants strategies that are effective in discouraging parents from smoking and implement measures that prevent smoking in public places. Moreover, educational efforts, particularly those that encourage more discussion at home settings on the harmful effects of smoking are strongly recommended. Parents are strongly encouraged to regularly monitor children’s spending behaviour.

Description: The annual assessment of Family Planning (FP) indicators, such as the modern contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR), is a key component of monitoring and evaluating goals of global FP programs and initiatives. To that end, the Family Planning Estimation Model (FPEM) was developed with the aim of producing survey-informed estimates and projections of mCPR and other key FP indictors over time. With large-scale surveys being carried out on average every 3–5 years, data gaps since the most recent survey often exceed one year. As a result, survey-based estimates for the current year from FPEM are often based on projections that carry a larger uncertainty than data informed estimates. In order to bridge recent data gaps we consider the use of a measure, termed Estimated Modern Use (EMU), which has been derived from routinely collected family planning service statistics. However, EMU data come with known limitations, namely measurement errors which result in biases and additional variation with respect to survey-based estimates of mCPR. Here we present a data model for the incorporation of EMU data into FPEM, which accounts for these limitations. Based on known biases, we assume that only changes in EMU can inform FPEM estimates, while also taking inherent variation into account. The addition of this EMU data model to FPEM allows us to provide a secondary data source for informing and reducing uncertainty in current estimates of mCPR. We present model validations using a survey-only model as a baseline comparison and we illustrate the impact of including the EMU data model in FPEM. Results show that the inclusion of EMU data can change point-estimates of mCPR by up to 6.7 percentage points compared to using surveys only. Observed reductions in uncertainty were modest, with the width of uncertainty intervals being reduced by up to 2.7 percentage points.

Description: Surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 variants including the quickly spreading mutants by rapid and near real-time sequencing of the viral genome provides an important tool for effective health policy decision making in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Here we evaluated PCR-tiling of short (~400-bp) and long (~2 and ~2.5-kb) amplicons combined with nanopore sequencing on a MinION device for analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences. Analysis of several sequencing runs demonstrated that using the long amplicon schemes outperforms the original protocol based on the 400-bp amplicons. It also illustrated common artefacts and problems associated with PCR-tiling approach, such as uneven genome coverage, variable fraction of discarded sequencing reads, including human and bacterial contamination, as well as the presence of reads derived from the viral sub-genomic RNAs.

Description: Background The objective of this study was to compare the prognostic impact of sarcopenia in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) treated with surgery or radiation. Methods We systematically searched electronic databases to identify articles reporting the impact of sarcopenia on the prognosis of patients with HNC. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and disease-specific survival (DSS) were extracted and pooled. HR according to treatment modality were estimated using random-effects models. Statistical analyses were carried out using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. Results In total, 18 studies enrolling 3,233 patients were included. Sarcopenia was associated with poor OS in both surgery and radiotherapy groups (hazard ratio [HR] 2.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.95–3.21; HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.40–1.90, respectively). The HR was significantly higher in the surgery group than in the radiotherapy group (p = 0.004), with similar results obtained for DFS (HR 2.59, 95% CI 1.56–4.31; HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.24–1.97 for the surgery and radiotherapy groups, respectively) and DSS (HR 2.96, 95% CI 0.73–11.95; HR 2.67, 95% CI 1.51–4.73 for the surgery and RT groups, respectively). Conclusions Sarcopenia was a poor prognostic factor for HNC, regardless of the treatment modality. However, the adverse effects of sarcopenia on survival were more prominent in the surgery group than in the radiotherapy group. Sarcopenia assessment is required for appropriate treatment decision-making.

Description: Aim Combined antiretroviral treatment (cART) traditionally consists of three antiretroviral medications, while two-drug regimens (2DR), historically used infrequently, recently been suggested to be non-inferior to three-drug regimens, is emerging as a potential treatment option and is currently a recommended option for treatment initiation in many guidelines. Purpose Characterize the indications and clinical efficacy of 2DR use at a real-life setting in a nation-wide survey. Methods A cross-sectional survey of Israeli patients treated by 2DR until July 2019, included demographic, immunologic, virologic, genotypic and biochemical/metabolic parameters at diagnosis, ART initiation, 2DR initiation and following 24, 48, 96 and 144 weeks of 2DR treatment. Results 176 patients were included in the study. In contrast to historical data implicating ART resistance and adverse effects as the major reasons leading to 2DR switching, treatment simplification was the main reason leading to 2DR treatment in 2019. 2DR that included INSTI and PI were more commonly used in cases of drug resistance, while a combination of INSTI and NNRTI was used in all other 2DR indications. A switch to 2DR induced a mean CD4 T cell increase from 599 cells/μl at treatment initiation to 680 cells/μl at 96 weeks of treatment p

Description: In self-reports, socially desirable responding threatens the validity of prevalence estimates for sensitive personal attitudes and behaviors. Indirect questioning techniques such as the crosswise model attempt to control for the influence of social desirability bias. The crosswise model has repeatedly been found to provide more valid prevalence estimates than direct questions. We investigated whether crosswise model estimates are also less susceptible to deliberate faking than direct questions. To this end, we investigated the effect of “fake good” instructions on responses to direct and crosswise model questions. In a sample of 1,946 university students, 12-month prevalence estimates for a sensitive road traffic behavior were higher and thus presumably more valid in the crosswise model than in a direct question. Moreover, “fake good” instructions severely impaired the validity of the direct questioning estimates, whereas the crosswise model estimates were unaffected by deliberate faking. Participants also reported higher levels of perceived confidentiality and a lower perceived ease of faking in the crosswise model compared to direct questions. Our results corroborate previous studies finding the crosswise model to be an effective tool for counteracting the detrimental effects of positive self-presentation in surveys on sensitive issues.

Description: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is highly prevalent worldwide. In the United States, estimates show that more than 30% of the adult population has MetS. MetS consists of multiple phenotypes, including obesity, dyslipidemia, and impaired glucose tolerance. Therefore, identifying the molecular mechanisms to explain this complex disease is critical for diagnosing and treating MetS. We previously showed 70 increased genes and 20 decreased genes in whole blood in MetS participants. The present study aimed to identify blood-based DNA methylation biomarkers in non-MetS versus MetS participants. The present study analyzed whole blood DNA samples from 184 adult participants of Latino descent from the Arizona Insulin Resistance (AIR) registry. We used the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP: ATP III) criteria to identify non-MetS (n = 110) and MetS (n = 74) participants. We performed whole blood methylation analysis on select genes: ATP Synthase, H+ Transporting mitochondrial F1 Complex, Epsilon Subunit (ATP5E), Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit VIc (COX6C), and Ribosomal Protein L9 (RPL9). The pyrosequencing analysis was a targeted approach focusing on the promoter region of each gene that specifically captured CpG methylation sites. In MetS participants, we showed decreased methylation in two CpG sites in COX6C and three CpG sites in RPL9, all p 〈 0.05 using the Mann-Whitney U test. There were no ATP5E CpG sites differently methylated in the MetS participants. Furthermore, while adjusting for age, gender, and smoking status, logistic regression analysis reaffirmed the associations between MetS and mean methylation within COX6C and RPL9 (both p 〈 0.05). In addition, Spearman’s correlation revealed a significant inverse relationship between the previously published gene expression data and methylation data for RPL9 (p 〈 0.05). In summary, these results highlight potential blood DNA methylation biomarkers for the MetS phenotype. However, future validation studies are warranted to strengthen our findings.

Description: Urbanisation alters landscapes, introduces wildlife to novel stressors, and fragments habitats into remnant ‘islands’. Within these islands, isolated wildlife populations can experience genetic drift and subsequently suffer from inbreeding depression and reduced adaptive potential. The Western tiger snake (Notechis scutatus occidentalis) is a predator of wetlands in the Swan Coastal Plain, a unique bioregion that has suffered substantial degradation through the development of the city of Perth, Western Australia. Within the urban matrix, tiger snakes now only persist in a handful of wetlands where they are known to bioaccumulate a suite of contaminants, and have recently been suggested as a relevant bioindicator of ecosystem health. Here, we used genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data to explore the contemporary population genomics of seven tiger snake populations across the urban matrix. Specifically, we used population genomic structure and diversity, effective population sizes (Ne), and heterozygosity-fitness correlations to assess fitness of each population with respect to urbanisation. We found that population genomic structure was strongest across the northern and southern sides of a major river system, with the northern cluster of populations exhibiting lower heterozygosities than the southern cluster, likely due to a lack of historical gene flow. We also observed an increasing signal of inbreeding and genetic drift with increasing geographic isolation due to urbanisation. Effective population sizes (Ne) at most sites were small (〈 100), with Ne appearing to reflect the area of available habitat rather than the degree of adjacent urbanisation. This suggests that ecosystem management and restoration may be the best method to buffer the further loss of genetic diversity in urban wetlands. If tiger snake populations continue to decline in urban areas, our results provide a baseline measure of genomic diversity, as well as highlighting which ‘islands’ of habitat are most in need of management and protection.

Description: Population-based genomic screening is at the forefront of a new approach to disease prevention. Yet the lack of diversity in genome wide association studies and ongoing debates about the appropriate use of racial and ethnic categories in genomics raise key questions about the translation of genomic knowledge into clinical practice. This article reports on an ethnographic study of a large pragmatic clinical trial of breast cancer screening called WISDOM (Women Informed to Screen Depending On Measures of Risk). Our ethnography illuminates the challenges of using race or ethnicity as a risk factor in the implementation of precision breast cancer risk assessment. Our analysis provides critical insights into how categories of race, ethnicity and ancestry are being deployed in the production of genomic knowledge and medical practice, and key challenges in the development and implementation of novel Polygenic Risk Scores in the research and clinical applications of this emerging science. Specifically, we show how the conflation of social and biological categories of difference can influence risk prediction for individuals who exist at the boundaries of these categories, affecting the perceptions and practices of scientists, clinicians, and research participants themselves. Our research highlights the potential harms of practicing genomic medicine using under-theorized and ambiguous categories of race, ethnicity, and ancestry, particularly in an adaptive, pragmatic trial where research findings are applied in the clinic as they emerge. We contribute to the expanding literature on categories of difference in post-genomic science by closely examining the implementation of a large breast cancer screening study that aims to personalize breast cancer risk using both common and rare genomic markers.

Description: Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) introduced marked changes to cancer treatment in animals by reducing dose to organs at risk (OAR). As the next technological step, volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has advantages (increased degrees-of-freedom, faster delivery) compared to fixed-field IMRT. Our objective was to investigate a possible advantage of VMAT over IMRT in terms of lower OAR doses in advanced-disease sinonasal tumors in dogs treated with simultaneously-integrated boost radiotherapy. A retrospective, analytical, observational study design was applied using 10 pre-existing computed tomography datasets on dogs with stage 4 sinonasal tumors. Each dataset was planned with both, 5-field IMRT and 2 arc VMAT with 10x4.83 Gy to the gross tumor volume and 10x4.2 Gy to the planning target volume. Adequate target dose coverage and normal tissue complication probability of brain ≤5% was required. Dose constraints aspired to were D60

Description: Studies examining age effects in autobiographical memory have produced inconsistent results. This study examined whether a set of typical autobiographical memory measures produced equivalent results in a single participant sample. Five memory tests (everyday memory, autobiographical memory from the past year, autobiographical memory from age 11–17, word-cued autobiographical memory, and word-list recall) were administered in a single sample of young and older adults. There was significant variance in the tests’ sensitivity to age: word-cued autobiographical memory produced the largest deficit in older adults, similar in magnitude to word-list recall. In contrast, older adults performed comparatively well on the other measures. The pattern of findings was broadly consistent with the results of previous investigations, suggesting that (1) the results of the different AM tasks are reliable, and (2) variable age effects in the autobiographical memory literature are at least partly due to the use of different tasks, which cannot be considered interchangeable measures of autobiographical memory ability. The results are also consistent with recent work dissociating measures of specificity and detail in autobiographical memory, and suggest that specificity is particularly sensitive to ageing. In contrast, detail is less sensitive to ageing, but is influenced by retention interval and event type. The extent to which retention interval and event type interact with age remains unclear; further research using specially designed autobiographical memory tasks could resolve this issue.