Search Results (40)

In response to the IMO’s decarbonisation strategy, hydrogen—especially green hydrogen—becomes a promising alternative fuel in shipping. This article provides a comparative analysis of two hydrogen propulsion technologies suitable for a service vessel (SOV) operating in offshore wind farms: hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines. This study focuses on the use of liquid hydrogen (LH₂) stored in cryogenic tanks and fuel cells as an alternative to the previously considered solution based on compressed hydrogen (CH₂) stored in high-pressure cylinders (700 bar) and internal combustion engines. The research aims to examine the feasibility of a fully hydrogen-powered SOV energy system. The analyses showed that the use of liquefied hydrogen in SOVs leads to the threefold reduction in tank volume (1001 m³ LH₂ vs. 3198 m³ CH₂) and the weight of the storage system (243 t vs. 647 t). Despite this, neither of the technologies provides the expected 2-week autonomy of SOVs. LH₂ storage allows for a maximum of 10 days of operation, which is still an improvement over the CH₂ gas variant (3 days). The main reason for this is that hydrogen tanks can only be located on the open deck. Although hydrogen fuel cells take up on average 13.7% more space than internal combustion engines, they are lower (by an average of 24.3%) and weigh less (by an average of 50.6%), and their modular design facilitates optimal arrangement in the engine room. In addition, the elimination of the exhaust system and lubrication simplifies the engine room layout, reducing its weight and space requirements. Most importantly, however, the use of fuel cells eliminates exhaust gas emissions into the atmosphere. Full article

This study examined the effects of 2, 4 and 8% digestate-derived compost (DCP) on the retention/release of the fungicide penconazole (PEN), the herbicide S-metolachlor (S-MET) and the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) in two agricultural soils sampled in Valenzano (SOV) and Trani (SOT), in Sothern Italy. DCP alone showed a conspicuous adsorption of the three xenobiotics, followed by their slow and scarce release. Sorption isotherm data of the compounds on unamended and DCP-amended soils were well described by the Freundlich model. Compared to unamended soil, the addition of the highest dose (8%) DCP to SOV increased the distribution coefficient, Kd, values of PEN, S-MET and BPA by 281%, 192% and 176%, respectively, while for SOT, the increases were 972%, 786% and 563%, respectively. Desorption of PEN and S-MET from all treatments was slow and partial (hysteresis), and only slightly reduced or unaffected by the addition of DCP, whereas BPA was almost entirely undesorbed in all treatments. Highly significant correlations between the adsorption coefficients of the three compounds in all soil treatments and the corresponding organic C contents confirm the prominent role of native and anthropogenic OM in the adsorption of contaminants and, consequently, in the control of their transfer into natural waters and/or entry in crop plants. Full article

Is negation negative? For some authors, in some languages, it is not. This is the case for so-called strict negative concord languages (e.g., Russian), in which negation is taken to be non-negative, following the cross-linguistic analysis for negative concord systems proposed by Hedde Zeijlstra’s work “Sentential negation and negative concord”. However, this analysis is focused on languages with SVO word order. In this paper, I propose to reconsider the typology of negative concord by zooming out of the focus on SVO languages that current literature has relied on. I discuss the case of SOV languages where observing a strict NC pattern leads to weaker conclusions about the nature of negation than for SVO languages with strict negative concord, leaving the negativity status of negation in those languages underdetermined. I then take a look at Turkish, an SOV language with three sentential negation markers: plain sentential negation -mA, copular negation değil, and existential negation yok. Evidence from the interaction of these markers with neither..nor phrases suggests that değil and yok, in contrast with -mA, are non-negative for some speakers. In order to explain the variation, I put forward a hypothesis about the learning process, in which there is sometimes insufficient evidence in the input to determine whether değil and yok are negative, and learners choose between two conflicting heuristics that result in the negativity or non-negativity of these markers. Full article

Accurate protein secondary structure prediction (PSSP) plays a crucial role in biopharmaceutics and disease diagnosis. Current prediction methods are mainly based on multiple sequence alignment (MSA) encoding and collaborative operations of diverse networks. However, existing encoding approaches lead to poor feature space utilization, and encoding quality decreases with fewer homologous proteins. Moreover, the performance of simple stacked networks is greatly limited by feature extraction capabilities and learning strategies. To this end, we propose MHTAPred-SS, a novel PSSP framework based on the fusion of six features, including the embedding feature derived from a pre-trained protein language model. First, we propose a highly targeted autoencoder (HTA) as the driver to encode sequences in a homologous protein-independent manner. Second, under the guidance of biological knowledge, we design a protein secondary structure prediction model based on the multi-task learning strategy (PSSP-MTL). Experimental results on six independent test sets show that MHTAPred-SS achieves state-of-the-art performance, with values of 88.14%, 84.89%, 78.74% and 77.15% for Q3, SOV3, Q8 and SOV8 metrics on the TEST2016 dataset, respectively. Additionally, we demonstrate that MHTAPred-SS has significant advantages in single-category and boundary secondary structure prediction, and can finely capture the distribution of secondary structure segments, thereby contributing to subsequent tasks. Full article

Traumatic direct type carotid cavernous fistula (CCF) is an acquired arteriovenous shunt between the carotid artery and the cavernous sinus post severe craniofacial trauma or iatrogenic injury. We reported a 46-year-old woman who had developed a traumatic direct type CCF after severe head trauma with a skull base fracture and brain contusion hemorrhage. The clinical manifestations of the patient included pulsatile exophthalmos, proptosis, bruits, chemosis, and a decline in consciousness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed engorgement of the right superior ophthalmic vein (SOV), perifocal cerebral edema in the right frontal–temporal cortex, right basal ganglia, and brain stem. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) disclosed a direct type high-flow CCF with an aggressive cortical venous reflux drainage pattern, which was attributed to Barrow type A and Thomas classification type 5. After partial treatment by transvenous coil embolization for the CCF, the residual high-flow fistula with aggressive venous drainage had an unusual rapid spontaneous resolution in a brief period. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to meticulously monitor the clinical conditions of patients and perform brain MRI and DSA at short intervals to determine the treatment strategy for residual CCF after partial endovascular treatment. Full article

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of alternative fuels, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, ammonia, and biofuels, assessing their feasibility based on operational requirements, availability, safety concerns, and the infrastructure needed for large-scale adoption. Moreover, it examines hybrid and fully electric propulsion systems, considering advancements in battery technology and the integration of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, to further reduce SOV emissions. Key findings from this research indicate that LNG serves as a viable short- to medium-term solution for reducing GHG emissions in the SOV sector, due to its relatively lower carbon content compared to MDO and HFO. This paper finally insists that while LNG presents an immediate opportunity for emission reduction in the SOV sector, a combination of hydrogen, ammonia, and hybrid propulsion systems will be necessary to meet long-term decarbonisation goals. The findings underscore the importance of coordinated industry efforts, technological innovation, and supportive regulatory frameworks to overcome the technical, economic, and infrastructural challenges associated with decarbonising the maritime industry. Full article

According to the Donnell–Mushtari shell theory, this work presents a closed-form solution procedure for free vibration of open laminated circular cylindrical shells with arbitrary homogeneous boundary conditions (BCs). The governing differential equations of free vibration are derived from the Rayleigh quotient and solved by the iterative separation-of-variable (iSOV) method. In addition, considering axial aerodynamic pressure, simulated by the linear piston theory, the exact eigensolutions for the flutter of open laminated cylindrical shells with simply supported circumferential edges and closed laminated cylindrical shells are also achieved. The governing differential equations of cylindrical shell flutter are derived from the Hamilton variational principle and solved by the separation-of-variable (SOV) method. The influence of circumferential dimension on flutter speed is investigated for open cylindrical shells, which reveals that the number of circumferential waves in critical flutter mode increases with circumferential length, and there exists an infimum for flutter speed that is an invariant independent of circumferential length. The present results agree well with those obtained by the Galerkin method, the finite element method, and other analytical methods. Full article

Achieving the required decarbonisation targets by the shipping industry requires a transition to technologies with zero or near-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. One promising shipping fuel with zero emission of exhaust gases (including CO₂) is green hydrogen. This type of fuel, recognised as a 100% clean solution, is being investigated for feasible use on a service offshore vessel (SOV) working for offshore wind farms. This study aims to examine whether hydrogen may be used on an SOV in terms of the technical and economic challenges associated with the design process and other factors. In the analyses, a reference has been made to the current International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines and regulations. In this study, it was assumed that hydrogen would be directly combusted in a reciprocating internal combustion engine. This engine type was reviewed. In further research, hydrogen fuel cell propulsion systems will also be considered. The hydrogen demand was calculated for the assumed data of the SOV, and then the volume and number of high-pressure tanks were estimated. The analyses revealed that the SOV cannot undertake 14-day missions using hydrogen fuel stored in cylinders on board. These cylinders occupy 66% of the ship’s current volume, and their weight, including the modular system, accounts for 62% of its deadweight. The costs are over 100% higher compared to MDO and LNG fuels and 30% higher than methanol. The actual autonomy of the SOV with hydrogen fuel is 3 days. Full article

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the most versatile semiconductor materials with many potential applications. Understanding the interactions between the surface chemistry of ZnO along with its physico-chemical properties are essential for the development of ZnO as a robust photocatalyst for the removal of aqueous pollutants. We report on the fabrication of nanoparticle-like porous ZnO films and the correlation between the fabrication process parameters, particle size, surface oxygen vacancies (SOV), photoluminescence and photocatalytic performance. The synthesis route is unique, as highly porous zinc layers with nanoscale grains were first grown via magnetron sputtering, a vacuum-based technique, and subsequently annealed at temperatures of 400 °C, 600 °C and 800 °C in oxygen flow to oxidise them to zinc oxide (ZnO) while maintaining their porosity. Our results show that as the annealing temperature increases, nanoparticle agglomeration increases, and thus there is a decrease in the active sites for the photocatalytic reaction. However, for selected samples the annealing leads to an increase of the photocatalytic efficiency, which we explain based on the analysis of defects in the material, based on photoluminescence (PL). PL analysis showed that in the material the transition between the conduction band and the oxygen vacancy is responsible for the green emission centered at 525 nm, but the photocatalytic activity correlated best with surface states—related emission. Full article

Epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death in women, largely reflecting the early dissemination of this malignant disease to the peritoneum. Due to its immunological features, EOC has poor response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including a limited tumor mutational burden (TMB), poor infiltration by immune cells, and active immunosuppression. Thus, novel strategies are needed to overcome the frequent lack of pre-existing immunity in patients with EOC. We developed and tested an autologous dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccine (DCVAC), which has recently been shown to be safe and to significantly improve progression-free survival (PFS) in two independent randomized phase II clinical trials enrolling patients with EOC (SOV01, NCT02107937; SOV02, NCT02107950). In addition, our exploratory data analyses suggest that the clinical benefits of the DCVAC were more pronounced in patients with EOC with lower-than-median TMBs and reduced CD8⁺ T cell infiltration. Thus, the DC-based vaccine stands out as a promising clinical tool to jumpstart anticancer immunity in patients with immunologically “cold” EOC. Our findings underscore the need for personalized immunotherapy and the clinical relevance of potential tumor-related biomarkers within the immunotherapy field. Additional clinical trials are needed to address these strategies as well as the potential value of the TMB and immune infiltration at baseline as biomarkers for guiding the clinical management of EOC. Full article

Bolting is a symbol of the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth in plants. Late bolting can effectively prolong the commercial value of spinach and is of great importance for spinach breeding. Bolting has complex regulatory networks, and current research on spinach bolting is relatively weak, with specific regulatory pathways and genes unclear. To clarify the regulatory characteristics and key genes related to bolting in spinach, we conducted a comparative transcriptome analysis. In this study, 18 samples from three periods of bolting-tolerant spinach material 12S3 and bolting-susceptible material 12S4 were analyzed using RNA-seq on, resulting in 10,693 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional enrichment and co-expression trend analysis indicated that most DEGs were enriched in the photoperiod pathway, the hormone signaling pathway, and the cutin, suberin, and wax biosynthetic pathways. According to the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), SpFT (SOV4g003400), SOV4g040250, and SpGASA1 (SOV6g017600) were likely to regulate bolting through the gibberellin and photoperiod pathways, and SpELF4 (SOV1g028600) and SpPAT1 (SOV4g058860) caused differences in early and late bolting among different cultivars. These results provide important insights into the genetic control of bolting in spinach and will help elucidate the molecular mechanisms of bolting in leafy vegetables. Full article

Novel swine orthopneumovirus (SOV) infections have been identified in pigs in the USA and some European countries but not in Asian countries, including South Korea, to date. The current study reports the first SOV infections in four domestic pig farms located in four provinces across South Korea. The detection rate of SOV in oral fluid samples using qRT-PCR was 4.4% (14/389), indicating the presence of the virus in pigs at commercial farms in Korea. Two complete genome sequences and one glycoprotein (G) gene sequence were obtained from SOV-positive samples. The complete genome analysis of KSOV-2201 and KSOV-2202 strains showed 98.2 and 95.4% homologies with a previously reported SOV, and the phylogenetic tree exhibited a high correlation with a previously reported SOV strain from the US and a canine pneumovirus (CPnV) strain from China. Based on the genetic analysis of the viral G gene, the murine pneumonia virus (MPV)-like orthopneumoviruses (MLOVs) were divided into two genogroups (G1 and G2). Seventeen CPnVs and two feline pneumoviruses were grouped into G1, while the Korean SOV strains identified in this study were grouped into G2 along with one SOV and two CPnVs. These results will contribute to expanding our understanding of the geographical distribution and genetic characteristics of the novel SOV in the global pig population. Full article

This paper presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the International Energy Agency (IEA) 15 MW Reference Wind Turbine (RWT), on floating platforms, deployed in commercial-scale arrays at multiple locations around Scotland in the ScotWind leasing round. Site-specific energy production and vessel operations are provided by a dedicated offshore wind farm operations and maintenance (O&M) model, COMPASS, allowing service operation vessel (SOV) O&M impacts to be assessed with increased confidence. For climate change, the median global warming impact varied from 17.4 to 26.3 gCO₂eq/kWh across the four sites within a 95% confidence interval using an uncertainty assessment of both foreground and background data. As is common with other offshore renewable energy systems, materials and manufacture account for 71% to 79% of global warming impact, while O&M comprise between 9% and 16% of the global warming impacts. High-voltage direct current (HVDC) export cables, floating platforms, and composite blades are significant contributors to the environmental impacts of these arrays (by mass and material choice), while the contributions from ballast, vessel transportation emissions, and power-train components are lower. The results suggest that material efficiencies, circularity, and decarbonizing material supply inventories should be a priority for the Scottish floating wind sector, followed by minimizing vessel operations and the decarbonization of vessel propulsion, while avoiding burden shifting to other impact categories. Full article

Due to increasingly stringent IMO and European Commission requirements for greenhouse gas emissions, the present study analysed the projected reductions in CO₂ emissions achieved by using methanol as an alternative fuel to power custom service operation vessels (SOVs) serving wind platforms in the Baltic Sea. Methanol is a relatively new fuel, approved for use as a safe marine fuel in the late 2020s. In these analyses, reference was made to the current interim guidelines, supplementing the IGF Code in the form of MSC.1/Circ.1621. The SOV type was chosen because of the current growing demand for these ships (the dynamic development of offshore wind power) and the lack of analyses of this type of small craft. The importance of assessing CO₂ emissions in this case is due to the specifics of the vessel’s operation in different modes, and thus the variable load on the propulsion system and the area of operation close to the coastline. A computational research method was used to evaluate CO₂ emissions, as well as the cost of methanol fuel, using current regulations and technical data. A comparison was also made between conventional MDO and LNG fuels. The first results of the analysis showed that methanol fuel is only competitive with MDO (a few-percent advantage) in terms of the average estimated index value EIV. Economically, it will require a higher investment, despite the favourable unit price of methanol compared to LNG and MDO. Full article

Salient object-detection models attempt to mimic the human visual system’s ability to select relevant objects in images. To this end, the development of deep neural networks on high-end computers has recently achieved high performance. However, developing deep neural network models with the same performance for resource-limited vision sensors or mobile devices remains a challenge. In this work, we propose CoSOV1net, a novel lightweight salient object-detection neural network model, inspired by the cone- and spatial-opponent processes of the primary visual cortex (V1), which inextricably link color and shape in human color perception. Our proposed model is trained from scratch, without using backbones from image classification or other tasks. Experiments on the most widely used and challenging datasets for salient object detection show that CoSOV1Net achieves competitive performance (i.e., $F_{\beta }=0.931$ on the ECSSD dataset) with state-of-the-art salient object-detection models while having a low number of parameters ($1.14$ M), low FLOPS ($1.4$ G) and high FPS ($211.2$) on GPU (Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti) compared to the state of the art in lightweight or nonlightweight salient object-detection tasks. Thus, CoSOV1net has turned out to be a lightweight salient object-detection model that can be adapted to mobile environments and resource-constrained devices. Full article