Search Results (5,642)

In the context of the “Dual-Carbon Strategy”, the seamless integration and optimal utilization of renewable energy sources present a pressing challenge for the emerging power system. The advent of demand-side response technology offers a promising solution to this challenge. This study proposes a two-stage response control strategy for multiple DR clusters based on the specific response time characteristics of industrial and residential loads. The strategy enhances the utilization rate of wind power, harnesses the joint response capability of various types of loads on the demand side, and ensures the overall revenue of the load aggregator (LA). It underscores the importance of industrial loads in large-scale energy consumption control throughout the overall consumption response process, while residential load clusters exhibit quick response flexibility. A homogeneous energy consumption sorting unit response strategy is established from the perspective of a residential load variable-frequency air conditioning cluster unit. This strategy addresses the challenge faced by industrial electrolytic aluminum plants in coping with long-term response intervals amidst significant fluctuations in wind power consumption demand, which may lead to incomplete consumption. This study constructs a response model based on industrial and residential time-sharing tariffs, as well as the aggregator consumption penalty price, with the optimal load energy economy index serving as the evaluation criterion. A series of simulations are conducted to comprehensively evaluate the energy consumption of the two load clusters at all times and the total revenue of the aggregator in the response zone. The objective is to achieve a win–win situation for the total wind power energy consumption rate and the aggregator’s economy. The results of the simulations demonstrate that the response control strategy proposed in this study enhances the overall energy consumption rate by nearly 4 percentage points compared to a single industrial cluster. The total benefit of the load aggregator can reach CNY 941,732.09. The consumption response scheduling strategy put forward in this paper bolsters wind power consumption, triggers demand response, and significantly propels the comprehensive construction and development of the dual-high power grid. Full article

Forest fires require rapid and precise early smoke detection to minimize damage. This study focuses on employing smoke recognition methods for early warning systems in forest fire detection, identifying smoke as the primary indicator. A significant hurdle lies in the absence of a large-scale dataset for real-world early forest fire smoke detection. Early smoke videos present characteristics such as smoke plumes being small, slow-moving, and/or semi-transparent in color, and include images where there is background interference, posing critical challenges for practical recognition algorithms. To address these issues, this paper introduces a real-world early smoke monitoring video dataset as a foundational resource. The proposed 4D attention-based motion target enhancement network includes an important frame sorting module which adaptively selects essential frame sequences to improve the detection of slow-moving smoke targets. Additionally, a 4D attention-based motion target enhancement module is introduced to mitigate interference from smoke-like objects and enhance recognition of light smoke during the initial stages. Moreover, a high-resolution multi-scale fusion module is presented, incorporating a small target recognition layer to enhance the network’s ability to detect small smoke targets. This research represents a significant advancement in early smoke detection for forest fire surveillance, with practical implications for enhancing fire management. Full article

Around the world, managing and classifying solid waste is one of the most important challenges to sustaining economic growth and preserving the environment. The objective of this paper is to propose the use of Smart Ecological Points as a strategy to address the problem of solid waste management systems at the source, which has become one of the biggest problems globally, and Colombia is no exception. This article describes the current state of the problem in the country and presents a prototype of a low-cost Smart Ecological Point supported by the use of an experimental capacitive sensor and machine learning algorithms, which will reduce the time necessary for the classification of recyclable and non-recyclable waste, increasing the percentage of waste that can be reused and minimizing health risks by reducing the probability of being contaminated at the source, an aspect that is very common when waste is sorted manually. According to the results obtained, it is evident that the proposed prototype made an adequate classification of waste, generating the possibility of it being manufactured with existing technology in order to promote adequate waste classification at the source. Full article

To promote the inheritance of Zhuang brocade culture and the rapid extraction of features and automatic generation of patterns, this paper constructs a feature dataset of Zhuang brocade patterns and proposes an automatic generation technology using relative coordinates and regional content replacement. Firstly, by sorting through a large number of cases, a feature dataset of Zhuang brocade patterns is constructed. For the significant features of Zhuang brocade patterns, intelligent extraction algorithms and processes are used to effectively extract the color matching, patterns, and organizational forms of the patterns into the feature dataset. Secondly, to generate Zhuang brocade patterns quickly, an automatic generation technology based on genotype encoding and regional replacement algorithms is proposed, which encodes these pattern elements into a format that can be interpreted by computer algorithms. Finally, through similarity evaluation, the method’s feasibility for rapid extraction and generation of Zhuang brocade patterns is effectively verified. This method is significant for the inheritance of Zhuang brocade patterns and the development of the intangible cultural heritage industry. Full article

Increasing demand for electrical and electronic equipment results in the generation of a rapidly growing waste stream, known by the acronym WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of green sink–float treatment in sorting plastic polymers typically found in WEEE (PP, ABS, PA6, PS, and PVC). Molasses, a by-product of sugar bio-refining, was added in various concentrations to water to form solutions at different densities. The methodology was initially tested on virgin polymers; later, it was applied to plastics from a WEEE treatment plant. The polymers were characterised through near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS) analyses; the detection of any additives and flame retardants was conducted using the sliding spark technology (SSS2) and scanning electron microscope (SEM—EDX). The results showed that, for plastics from WEEE, the recovery efficiency was 55.85% for PP in a solution of tap water while the remaining part of PP (44.15%) was recovered in a solution of water to which 90% molasses was added. Furthermore, 100% recovery efficiency was obtained for PS and 93.73% for ABS in a solution of tap water with the addition of 10% w/v molasses. A recovery efficiency of 100% was obtained for PVC and 100% for PA6 in a solution consisting solely of molasses. Full article

Real-time target detection plays an important role in campus intelligent surveillance systems. This paper introduces Soft-NMS, GSConv, Triplet Attention, and other advanced technologies to propose a lightweight pedestrian and vehicle detection model named SGST-YOLOv8. In this paper, the improved YOLOv8 model is trained on the self-made dataset, and the tracking algorithm is combined to achieve an accurate and efficient real-time pedestrian and vehicle tracking detection system. The improved model achieved an accuracy of 88.6%, which is 1.2% higher than the baseline model YOLOv8. Additionally, the mAP0.5:0.95 increased by 3.2%. The model parameters and GFLOPS reduced by 5.6% and 7.9%, respectively. In addition, this study also employed the improved YOLOv8 model combined with the bot sort tracking algorithm on the website for actual detection. The results showed that the improved model achieves higher FPS than the baseline YOLOv8 model when detecting the same scenes, with an average increase of 3–5 frames per second. The above results verify the effectiveness of the improved model for real-time target detection in complex environments. Full article

In the context of the escalating challenge of climate change, optimizing buildings’ energy performance has become a critical research area, yet studies specifically targeting library buildings are scarce. This study addresses this gap by investigating the impact of multi-objective optimization on energy efficiency and occupant comfort in educational library buildings under future climate scenarios. Utilizing the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II), this research optimizes a range of building parameters, including the cooling and heating setpoints, air change rates, shading device depths, window visible transmittance, and window gas types. The optimization aims to balance energy consumption and comfort, using simulations based on future weather data for the years 2020, 2050, and 2080. The results indicate that the optimized solutions can significantly reduce the heating energy by up to 95.34% and the cooling energy by up to 63.74% compared to the baseline models, while maintaining or improving the occupant comfort levels. This study highlights the necessity for dynamic, responsive architectural designs that can adapt to changing environmental conditions, ensuring both sustainability and occupant well-being. Furthermore, integrating these building-level optimizations into a City Information Model (CIM) framework can enhance urban planning and development, contributing to more resilient and energy-efficient cities. These findings underscore the importance of sustainable design practices in the context of climate change and the critical role of advanced optimization techniques in achieving energy-efficient, comfortable educational spaces. Full article

School learning environments play a crucial role in both student and faculty outcomes; however, the limited funding allocated to public school facilities can result in poor environmental conditions which can hinder occupant health and performance. Existing school facilities must then explore affordable retrofit strategies that can effectively improve health and performance outcomes. The emerging field of biophilic design offers significant potential for improving existing school environments with benefits for both the students and faculty. Through case study research, this study proposes a toolkit of 42 biophilic retrofits for existing K-12 schools in a set of stakeholder cards that illustrate precedents, known impacts, and their relevance to high-performance schools. Additionally, a stakeholder card sorting study was conducted to establish the perceived viability and impact of each strategy. The findings reveal that biophilic retrofit design strategies are perceived by school community stakeholders to be impactful with varying levels of affordability. These findings further demonstrate that a toolkit of biophilic interventions for K-12 schools will offer invaluable insights to improve student and faculty conditions. Full article

The weight of the primary mirror increases as the aperture of ground-based telescopes increases, making it more challenging to maintain the positional stability and surface accuracy of the solid primary mirror. Consequently, a 2 m lightweight silicon carbide (SiC) mirror and an optimization method were proposed in this study. The relationship between the gravitational deformation of the mirror and its thickness and number of supports was derived based on force analysis of the mirror; the thickness of the mirror and the appropriate number of supports were obtained as initial parameters for optimization. The back structure of the mirror was designed in a lotus pattern to improve its rigidity. Numerous structural parameters were classified into major and non-major parameters based on the results of a sensitivity analysis. The non-major and major structural parameters were optimized using a Latin hypercube design method and a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm, respectively. The optimized 2 m lightweight SiC mirror had a mass of 119 kg and an areal density of 38.7 kg/m². The surface figure error root-mean-square (RMS) in the vertical state of the optical axis and the first modal resonance of the mirror assembly calculated using finite element analysis were 11.3 nm and 76.5 Hz, respectively. Modal tests of the mirror assembly were conducted using the hammering method, achieving a maximum relative frequency error of 7.4% compared with the simulation results. The optimized 2 m SiC mirror was over 50% lighter than traditional passive Zerodur mirrors of the same size. Full article

This study aimed to systematically review current research on the application of existing social support scales in research with refugees in resettlement, assess their quality, and identify gaps in measurement to enhance research and practice. A scoping review was conducted on the extant literature published until March 2023. A team of researchers conducted search, sorting, and data extraction processes following best practices for scale development and validation. Of the 1185 studies collected from the search process, 41 articles were retained in the final analysis, from which 17 distinct social support instruments used in research with resettled refugees were identified. An assessment of all 17 instruments showed the presence of one or more limitations associated with construct, criterion, convergent, and/or discriminant validity. Test of reliability was assessed in all studies, with a range of 0.80 to 0.90. Our findings show that most of the research evaluating social support among resettled refugees is conducted without measurement instruments adequately validated in the resettlement context. This analysis highlights the need for rigorously developed social support scales that reflect the lived experiences, needs, and priorities of resettled refugees. Full article

Background: The lack of reliable biomarkers in response to anti-TNFα biologicals hinders personalized therapy for Crohn’s disease (CD) patients. The motivation behind our study is to shift the paradigm of anti-TNFα biomarker discovery toward specific immune cell sub-populations using single-cell RNA sequencing and an innovative approach designed to uncover PBMCs gene expression signals, which may be masked due to the treatment or ongoing inflammation; Methods: The single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on PBMC samples from CD patients either naïve to biological therapy, in remission while on adalimumab, or while on ustekinumab but previously non-responsive to adalimumab. Sieves for stringent downstream gene selection consisted of gene ontology and independent cohort genomic profiling. Replication and meta-analyses were performed using publicly available raw RNA sequencing files of sorted immune cells and an association analysis summary. Machine learning, Mendelian randomization, and oligogenic risk score methods were deployed to validate DEGs highly relevant to anti-TNFα therapy response; Results: This study found PLCB1 in CD4⁺ T cells and CRTAM in double-negative T cells, which met the stringent statistical thresholds throughout the analyses. An additional assessment proved causal inference of both genes in response to anti-TNFα therapy; Conclusions: This study, jointly with an innovative design, uncovered novel candidate genes in the anti-TNFα response landscape of CD, potentially obscured by therapy or inflammation. Full article

With the increasing complexity of integrated circuit design, the threat of a hardware Trojan (HT) is becoming more and more prominent. At present, the research mainly focuses on the detection of HTs, but the amount of research on the diagnosis of HTs is very small. The number of existing HT diagnosis methods is generally completed by detecting the HT nodes in the netlist. The main reason is the lack of consideration of the integrity of HTs, so the diagnosis accuracy is low. Based on the above reason, this paper proposes two implanted node search algorithms named layer-by-layer difference search (LDS) and layer-by-layer grouping difference search (LGDS). The LDS algorithm can greatly reduce the search time, and the LGDS algorithm can solve the problem of input node disorder. The two methods greatly reduce the number of nodes sorting and comparing, and therefore the time complexity is lower. Moreover, the relevance between implanted nodes is taken into account to improve the diagnosis rate. We completed experiments on an HT diagnosis; the HT implantation example is from Trust-Hub. The experimental results are shown as follows: (1) The average true positive rate (TPR) of the diagnosis using KNN, RF, or SVM with the LDS or LGDS algorithm is more than 93%, and the average true negative rate (TNR) is 100%. (2) The average proportion of implanted nodes obtained by the LDS or LGDS algorithm is more than 97%. The proposed method has a lower time complexity compared with other existing diagnosis methods, and the diagnosis time is shortened by nearly 75%. Full article

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNA sequences that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. They are involved in the regulation of multiple pathways, related to both physiological and pathological conditions, including autoimmune diseases, such as Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). Specifically, SSc is recognized as a complex and multifactorial disease, characterized by vascular abnormalities, immune dysfunction, and progressive fibrosis, affecting skin and internal organs. Among predisposing environmental triggers, evidence supports the roles of oxidative stress, chemical agents, and viral infections, mostly related to those sustained by beta-herpesviruses such as HCMV and HHV-6. Dysregulated levels of miRNA expression have been found in SSc patients compared to healthy controls, at both the intra- and extracellular levels, providing a sort of miRNA signature of the SSc disease. Notably, HCMV/HHV-6 viral infections were shown to modulate the miRNA profile, often superposing that observed in SSc, potentially promoting pathological pathways associated with SSc development. This review summarizes the main data regarding miRNA alterations in SSc disease, highlighting their potential as prognostic or diagnostic markers for SSc disease, and the impact of the putative SSc etiological agents on miRNA modulation. Full article

The SLC35 (Solute Carrier 35) family members acting as nucleotide sugar transporters are typically localized in the endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi apparatus. It is, therefore, intriguing that some reports document the presence of orphan transporters SLC35F1 and SLC35F6 within the endosomal and lysosomal system. Here, we compared the subcellular distribution of these proteins and found that they are concentrated in separate compartments; i.e., recycling endosomes for SLC35F1 and lysosomes for SLC35F6. Swapping the C-terminal tail of these proteins resulted in a switch of localization, with SLC35F1 being trafficked to lysosomes while SLC35F6 remained in endosomes. This suggested the presence of specific sorting signals in these C-terminal regions. Using site-directed mutagenesis, fluorescence microscopy, and cell surface biotinylation assays, we found that the EQERLL³⁶⁰ signal located in the cytoplasmic tail of human SLC35F6 is involved in its lysosomal sorting (as previously shown for this conserved sequence in mouse SLC35F6), and that SLC35F1 localization in the recycling pathway depends on two YXXΦ-type signals: a Y³⁶⁷KQF sequence facilitates its internalization from the plasma membrane, while a Y³⁹²TSL motif prevents its transport to lysosomes, likely by promoting SLC35F1 recycling to the cell surface. Taken together, these results support that some SLC35 members may function at different levels of the endosomal and lysosomal system. Full article

The Early Cretaceous Yamama Formation of X oilfield, deposited in a semi-restricted setting, holds considerable oil reserves. However, the reservoir is extremely heterogeneous and is poorly studied. Integrating outcrops, cores, cast thin sections, regular or special core analysis, wireline logging data from six wells, and seismic data, this study provides an improved understanding of reservoir petrophysical characteristics and geological controlling factors including sedimentation, diagenesis, and sequence. The results showed that eight lithologies are developed in the Yamama Formation, of which packstone and wackstone are dominant. The physical properties span a wide range, with porosity mainly distributed between 10% and 25%, and the permeability mainly distributed between 0.1 mD and 1 mD. Nine types of pores are developed, with moldic pores, micropores, and skeletal pores being the most developed. The reservoir has six types of microstructures, of which the poorly sorted with mega-throat represent the best reservoir. The Yamama Formation was mainly deposited in a lagoon, along with five other facies, such as supratidal flat, patchy reef, back shoal, shoal, and open shelf. Six types of diageneses are developed, with dissolution during the penecontemporaneous stage being the most beneficial to the reservoir and cementation being the most destructive. Three sequences were recognized in the Yamama Formation. It concluded that the hydrodynamics in semi-restricted depositional setting is weak overall and does not have the potential to develop large-scale high-quality reservoirs. A wide range of bioclasts were selectively dissolved to form a large number of secondary pores. Sediments rich in Algae, Bacinella, and peloids tend to form moldic pores, skeletal pores, and intergranular pores, respectively, which are prone to be favorable reservoirs. Controlled by the coupling of sedimentation and diagenesis driven by sequence, the reservoir is extremely heterogenous. Full article