Major Technological Innovations Research Articles

Efficacy of a real-time intelligent quality-control system for the detection of early upper gastrointestinal neoplasms: a multicentre, single-blinded, randomised controlled trial

Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) quality and identification of the early upper gastrointestinal (UGI) neoplasm play an important role in detecting the UGI neoplasm. However, the optimal method for quality control in daily OGD procedures is currently lacking. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a real-time intelligent quality-control system (IQCS), which combines OGD quality control with lesion detection of early UGI neoplasms. We performed a multicentre, single-blinded, randomised controlled trial at 6 hospitals in China. Patients aged 40-80 years old who underwent painless OGD were screened for enrolment in this study. Patients with a history of advanced UGI cancer, stenosis, or obstruction in UGI tract were excluded. Eligible subjects were randomly assigned (1:1) to either the routine or IQCS group to undergo standard OGD examination and OGD examination aided by IQCS, respectively. Patients were masked to the randomisation status. The primary outcome was the detection of early UGI neoplasms. All analyses were done on a per-protocol basis. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04720924. Between January 16, 2021 and December 23, 2022, 1840 patients were randomised (IQCS group: 919, routine group: 921). The full analysis set consisted of 914 in the IQCS group and 915 in the routine group. The early UGI neoplasms detection rate in the IQCS group (6.1%, 56/914) was significantly higher than in the routine group (2.3%, 21/915; P=0.0001). The IQCS group had fewer blind spots (2.3 vs. 6.2, P<0.0001). The IQCS group had higher stomach cleanliness on cardia or fundus (99.5% vs. 87.9%, P<0.0001), body (98.9% vs. 88.0%, P<0.0001), angulus (99.8% vs. 88.4%, P<0.0001) and antrum or pylorus (100.0% vs. 87.4%, P<0.0001). The inspection time (576.2 vs. 574.5s, P=0.91) and biopsy rate (57.2% vs. 56.6%, P=0.83) were not different between the groups. The early UGI neoplasms detection rate in the IQCS group increased in both non-academic centres (RR=3.319, 95% CI 1.277-9.176; P=0.0094) and academic centres (RR=2.416, 95% CI 1.301-4.568; P=0.0034). The same improvements were observed for both less-experienced endoscopists (RR=2.650, 95% CI 1.330-5.410; P=0.0034) and experienced endoscopists (RR=2.710, 95% CI 1.226-6.205; P=0.010). No adverse events or serious adverse events were reported in the two groups. The IQCS improved the OGD quality and increased early UGI neoplasm detection in different hospital types and endoscopist experiences. IQCS could play an important role in primary basic hospitals and non-expert endoscopists to improve the diagnostic accuracy of early UGI neoplasms. The effectiveness of IQCS in real-world clinical settings needs a larger population validation. Key R&D Program of Shandong Province, China (Major Scientific and Technological Innovation Project), National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Taishan Scholars Program of Shandong Province, the National Key Research and Development Program of China, and the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Personalizing Learning for Each Student

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become one of the major technological innovations in modern education. This article explores the role of AI in personalizing each student's learning. Individual learning is a learning method that adapts each student's learning experience to their needs, abilities and interests. AI enables this personalization of learning to be more efficient and productive. AI plays an important role in personalizing each student's learning. With the ability to analyze data, deliver personalized content, provide better feedback, and predict student progress, AI creates a more adaptive and effective learning environment. However, it should be remembered that the role of the teacher as a learning facilitator is still very important in the use of AI, because human interaction is still an important factor in an effective learning process. The method used in this research is a quantitative method. Researchers conducted a survey using a Google Form which consisted of 15 sentences related to the search title. The study found that applying artificial intelligence (AI) to personalize each student's learning produces significant tracking effects in educational settings. Overall, the use of AI in personalized learning has a significant positive impact on education. However, this requires careful oversight and regulation to ensure that this technology is used properly and provides maximum benefit to all students. The limitation of this research is that the researcher only conducted research in schools, and the researcher did not conduct research directly in schools, but distributed a survey link on a Google form which contained statements about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in individualization. learning of each student.

Crisis in the Culture Cabinet: Oswald Mathias Ungers, Colin Rowe and the Architekturtheorie Internationaler Kongress, TU Berlin, 1967

In December 1967 Oswald Mathias Ungers convened an international congress on “Architectural Theory” at the TU Berlin. The proceedings of this event were published in German one year later. Here, two excerpts from those proceedings are published in English for the first time: the opening address given by Ungers, and a lecture by Colin Rowe. Ungers’ welcoming remarks emphasise the importance of discussing architecture’s theoretical foundations in a time of mounting protests, major technological innovations and an intense phase of building activity in the city of Berlin. He openly questions whether historical insights remain relevant, or whether they burden contemporary practice. Rowe responds by dissecting architecture’s engagement with history. Rather than analysing the present situation, Rowe delves into modernism’s historical subconscious and demonstrates how the threat of crisis has been used to fuel two enduring myths: architects as saviours of society; and their buildings as an index of the times.

The stone-to-metal transition reflected in the Iron Age copper production sites of Timna Valley, Israel.

Metalwork was a major technological innovation that displaced stone-tool technologies and transformed human society and the environment. However, our understanding of these processes remains partial. In this paper, we approach the stone-to-metal transition from a novel angle-the presence of flint knapping at metal production sites. Drawing on excavations at the Late Bronze and Iron Age copper smelting sites in Timna Valley, Israel, we demonstrate that systematic production of expedient stone tools was integral to these sites' industrial operations, placing it at the heart of the very same metal circulation networks that were presumably responsible for its displacement. The observations from Timna, coupled with evidence for the use of chipped stone technology in other early Iron Age metallurgical contexts, support the hypothesis that it was probably both the high accessibility of iron and its qualities that put an end to the stone tool industry. Copper and bronze could not easily fulfill the function of the ad hoc stone tools and were not used to replace stone tools even if they were available and accessible.

Research on stability of major engineering technology innovation consortia based on evolutionary game theory

Currently, major engineering projects have become increasingly complex, necessitating continuous technological innovation in response to improved social productivity. Innovation consortia, as typical organizations driving technological advancement, face challenges such as uncertain decision-making behavior and organizational instability, particularly in major engineering technology innovation consortia (METIC). This study aims to explore innovation behavior strategies and investigate the factors influencing consortium stability. Drawing from extensive literature research and practical scenarios, this paper outlines the evolutionary game problem and theoretical assumptions within METIC, focusing on the interplay between construction enterprises and research institutions. By constructing and deducing an evolutionary game model, we analyze the effects of various factors, such as the initial state, distribution coefficients of innovation income, reputation loss, and others, on the stability of innovation consortia. Additionally, we simulate the dynamic evolution process of strategy selection. Our findings reveal that evolution behavior is significantly influenced by the initial state. Furthermore, an optimal range of innovation income distribution coefficient exists, and factors like government incentives, penalties, and reputation loss positively influence the evolution towards active strategies. Conversely, factors like absorptive capacity, risk coefficient, and distrust coefficient inhibit the evolution towards active strategies. The research outcomes and managerial implications presented in this study serve as a valuable reference for enhancing the stability of METIC, thus fostering successful technological innovation and progress in major engineering projects.

Leveraging Novel Technologies and Artificial Intelligence to Advance Practice-Oriented Research.

Mental health services are experiencing notable transformations as innovative technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly utilized in a growing number of studies and services.These cutting-edge technologies carry the promise of substantial improvements in the field of mental health. Nevertheless, questions emerge about the alignment of novel technologies and AI systems with human needs, especially in the context of vulnerable populations receiving mental healthcare. The practice-oriented research (POR) model is pivotal in seamlessly integrating these emerging technologies into clinical research and practice. It underscores the importance of tight collaboration between clinicians and researchers, all driven by the central goal of ensuring and elevating client well-being. This paper focuses on how novel technologies can enhance the POR model and highlights its pivotal role in integrating these technologies into clinical research and practice. We discuss two key phases: pre-treatment, and during treatment. For each phase, we describe the challenges, present the major technological innovations, describe recent studies exemplifying technology use, and suggest future directions. Ethical concerns and the importance of aligning humans and technology are also considered, in addition to implications for practice and training.

Cryptocurrencies as a new form of money: prospects for use and impact on the financial system in the future

In today's environment modern economic technologies are rapidly developing. This process and its impact on the financial system as a whole requires all the details effective consideration. Given that cryptocurrencies are highly dynamic in the market, the article proposes prospects for further use of the new currency. Accordingly, the purpose of the research was to provide a comprehensive analysis of cryptocurrencies as digital currencies in the Ukrainian economic market, trends, and prospects for their introduction. In the article such methods as special scientific methods (methods of collecting information, methods of processing information, methods of conducting analytical work) and general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis and generalization) were used. It allowed carrying out a complex study based on the principles of systematicity, scientificity and specificity. Search engines revealed more than 70 works on the issue of cryptocurrencies. In the course of the study, 40 in-depth studies from 2019 to 2023 were selected. The results provided a strategy for the impact and transformation of cryptocurrencies on the reform of the economic sector in general. It has been established that the introduction of cryptocurrency into the Ukrainian economy will facilitate the digitalisation of the economy. Based on the analysis of market denominations, crypto-exchanges and cryptocurrencies in the world are aimed at people, management, savings, and services. The research analysed the concept of the content of “cryptocurrency”, its features, advantages and disadvantages, and the relationship with the economic world. The international cryptocurrency market, the general state, development factors, and dynamics of adaptation in Ukraine were studied. The main conclusions were reflected in a comprehensive study of cryptocurrencies and their rapid growth as major technological innovations in the global and Ukrainian economy.

The Evolution of Supply Chain Transparency through Technology

Supply chain transparency is no longer a mere buzzword. In the modern era, transparent supply chains are both a corporate responsibility and a consumer demand. With the rise of conscious consumers, businesses are under increasing pressure to ensure not only the quality but also the ethical sourcing and production of their products. Enter technology: the key driver that has enabled companies to lift the veil off their supply chains and bring about unprecedented levels of visibility and accountability. This article delves into the evolution of supply chain transparency through technology, charting the major milestones and technological innovations that have shaped this transformation.

Atlatl use equalizes female and male projectile weapon velocity

The atlatl is a handheld, rod-shaped device that employs leverage to launch a dart, and represents a major human technological innovation. One hypothesis for forager atlatl adoption over its presumed predecessor, the thrown javelin, is that a diverse array of people could achieve equal performance results, thereby facilitating inclusive participation of more people in hunting activities. We tested this hypothesis via a systematic assessment of 2160 weapon launch events by 108 people who used both technologies. Our results show that, unlike the javelin, the atlatl equalizes the velocity of female- and male-launched projectiles. This result indicates that a javelin to atlatl transition would have promoted a unification, rather than division, of labor. Moreover, our results suggest that female and male interments with atlatl weaponry should be interpreted similarly.

The 100 top-cited articles in the field of Wilson’s disease from 1990 to 2022: A bibliometric study

ObjectivesTo characterize the 100 most-cited articles in the field of Wilson’s Disease (WD) to provide a general overview and reveal the historical developments classical studies, and new findings. DesignWD-related articles were searched on the Web of Science database. The 100 most-cited articles were retrieved and their descriptive statistics were analyzed. Data extraction and synthesisThe 100 most-cited articles in the field of WD were selected and several parameters, including citation count, citation density, first author, corresponding author, journal, country, institution, and keywords were extracted to assess the overall quality and impact of the articles. ResultsMost of the selected 100 articles were published in the 1990s and 2000s, with the highest number of articles published in 2005. Citations per paper ranged from 100 to 1,631, with a mean number of citations of 199.03. The top 100 articles were published in 38 journals, and the majority were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The most prominent research themes were clinical presentations, clinical trials, copper transport mechanisms, and dysregulation of copper metabolism. Prof. Svetlana Lutsenko, Prof. Peter Ferenci, Prof. George J. Brewer, and Prof. Diane W. Cox were among the most influential researchers in this field, while Euro-American countries were the most dominant in terms of research output. Keywords network analysis identified "Transporting ATPase," "ATP7B," and “Menkes disease” as the most influential keywords. Moreover, disease management, WD clinical phenotype, ATP7B function, and copper metabolism are potential hotspots in future WD research. ConclusionsThis study reveals the most influential articles in the field of WD research. In addition, the major research themes and technological innovations in the field of WD worldwide are presented.

A deep learning and natural language processing-based system for automatic identification and surveillance of high-risk patients undergoing upper endoscopy: A multicenter study.

Timely identification and regular surveillance of patients at high risk are crucial for early diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal cancer. However, traditional manual surveillance method is time-consuming, and current surveillance rate is below 50%. Here, we aimed to develop a surveillance system named ENDOANGEL-AS (automatic surveillance) for automatic identification and surveillance of high-risk patients. 7874 patients from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University between May 1 and July 31, 2021 were used as the training set, 6762 patients between August 1 and October 31, 2021 as the internal test set, and 7570 patients from two other hospitals between August 1 and October 31, 2021 as the external test sets. We first extracted descriptions of abnormalities from endoscopic and pathological reports based on natural language processing techniques to identify individuals. Then patients were classified at nine risk levels according to endoscopic and pathological findings, and a deep learning model was trained to identify demarcation line (DL) in gastric low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN) using 1561 white-light still images for risk stratification of gastric LGIN. Finally, patients undergoing upper endoscopy were classified and assigned one of ten surveillance intervals according to guidelines. The performance of ENDOANGEL-AS was evaluated and compared with physicians. Patient identification module achieved an accuracy of 100% and 99.91% in internal and external test sets, respectively. Risk level classification module achieved an accuracy of 100% and 99.85% in the internal and external test sets, respectively. DL identification module achieved an accuracy of 87.88%. ENDOANGEL-AS on surveillance interval assignment achieved an accuracy of 99.23% and 99.67% in internal and external test sets, respectively. ENDOANGEL-AS had significantly higher accuracy compared with physicians (99.00% vs 38.87%, p<0.001). The accuracy (63.67%, p<0.001) of endoscopists with the assistance of ENDOANGEL-AS was significantly improved. We established a surveillance system that can automatically identify patients and assign surveillance intervals with high accuracy and good transferability. This work was partly supported by a grant from the Hubei Province Major Science and Technology Innovation Project (2018-916-000-008) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2042021kf0084).

Effects of antipsychotics on triglyceride trajectories and its implications in CVD: A longitudinal cohort study.

SummaryBackgroundAlthough the association between short-term antipsychotics exposure and triglycerides (TG) levels has been confirmed, the effects of long-term antipsychotics exposure on TG trajectories and its implications in cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains largely unknown.MethodsA total of 39,988 participants with at least 3 TG measurements between January 2014 and February 2021 were included in this longitudinal study, with a median follow-up was 4.48 years. A latent class growth mixed model (LCGMM) was used to identify TG trajectories. Based on the LCGMM parameters, we calculated the area under the curve (AUC) and estimated the effect of antipsychotics on AUC and TG trajectory slopes. The primary outcome was CVD events. We also investigated and compared the association between antipsychotics and CVD in subgroups stratified by TG trajectory and TG levels.FindingsA total of 11,543 CVD events were documented and the incidence density was 64.64 per 1000 person-years. We identified two TG trajectories labeled as inverse-U shape (30.77%, n=12306) and low-decreasing (69.23%, n=27682). The antipsychotic exposure increased total AUC by 13% and increased the slopes of TG trajectories before age 48 years. In the inverse-U and low-decreasing group, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for antipsychotics associated with CVD were 1.40 (1.21-1.62) and 1.29 (1.14-1.45), respectively, and the difference between the two trajectory groups become larger with the increase of the antipsychotic exposure. The association of antipsychotics with CVD (HR=1.72, 95%CI: 1.36-2.19) in inverse-U trajectory and high TG group was stronger than that in other subgroups.InterpretationLong-term antipsychotic exposure increased the TG burden and TG increase rate early in life. The strength of the association between antipsychotics and CVD risk in the inverse-U group was stronger than that in the low-decreasing group.FundingThe National Key Research and Development Program of China, Shandong Province Major Science and Technology Innovation Project, and National Natural Science Foundation of China.

The importance of education and training policies in supporting technological revolutions: A comparative and historical analysis of UK, US, Germany, and Sweden (1830–1970)

Major technological innovations are not sufficient to enable socio-economic progress without governments creating the institutional framework – in particular via education, welfare and training programs - required for the absorption of the new technical possibilities these innovations create. To support this claim, we provide a comparative historical view of how four different countries tackled the challenge of adapting to three successive technological revolutions, with varying degrees of success. We look at the relationship between the welfare, education and training policies implemented by the governments of the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and Sweden and their socio-economic results. The historical period studied spans from 1830 to 1970. This, according to the neo-Schumpeterian view we follow, covers the second, third and fourth technological revolutions, namely, the Age of Iron, Coal, and Railways, the Age of Steel and Heavy Engineering, and the Age of the Automobile and Mass Production; the current Age of Information and Telecommunications being the fifth.

The impact mechanism of high-speed railway on regional green innovation spillover under multi-dimensional paths

As a major technological innovation, high-speed railway (HSR) has profoundly influenced the regional sustainable development (i.e., economy, society, and ecology). Meanwhile, green innovation is a critical catalyst for sustainable development. However, the impact of HSR on regional green innovation has received little attention. To fill the research gap, this paper reveals the driving effects of HSR on regional green innovation spillover by employing the three heat transfer methods in physics. Specifically, Stackelberg game models are constructed to imitate the production and sales distribution strategies of two competitive firms in the conduction path and the convection path. Furthermore, the regional green innovation spillover model under the radiation path is constructed. The main findings are as follows: (1) HSR has a significant positive impact on regional green innovation spillover. (2) After the HSR opening, apart from production cost and spillover elasticity, production distribution and carbon emission may affect the choice of regional green innovation in the conduction path. Sales distribution and price elasticity may have significant effects on the choice of regional green innovation in the convection path. (3) The size of regional green innovation spillover from HSR depends on changes in the accessibility of central and peripheral areas. (4) The regional green innovation spillover is negatively correlated with distance to HSR stations in the radiation path. This research provides a theoretical basis for improving the HSR network. Suggestions are put forward on how to carry out green innovation activities effectively. Innovation-driven strategies are suggested to be prioritized.

Des nations, des firmes et des montres. Histoire globale de l'industrie horlogére de 1850 à nos jours [Countries, companies, and watches: A global history of the watch industry from 1850 to today] by Pierre-Yves Donzé

Reviewed by: Des nations, des firmes et des montres. Histoire globale de l'industrie horlogére de 1850 à nos jours [Countries, companies, and watches: A global history of the watch industry from 1850 to today] by Pierre-Yves Donzé Pierre Judet (bio) Des nations, des firmes et des montres. Histoire globale de l'industrie horlogére de 1850 à nos jours [Countries, companies, and watches: A global history of the watch industry from 1850 to today] By Pierre-Yves Donzé. Neuchâtel: Éditions Livreo-Alphil, 2020. Pp. 246. Studies on the history of watchmaking (watches and clocks) are not new. In 1967, Carlo Cipolla showed the link between watchmaking and modernity (Clocks and Culture 1300–1700). His work was continued in 1983 by David S. Landes, who analyzed the emergence of new uses of time as a result of the invention and improvement of the mechanical clock in the West, in Revolution in Time. Pierre-Yves Donzé is a specialist in the global history of industrial companies, and the watch industry in Switzerland and Japan. His book offers a new synthesis of the history of watchmaking from the mid-1800s to the present day. Unlike earlier works by historians in this field, who compared watchmaking in different countries, Donzé focuses on the emergence of globalized firms in the twentieth century. Considered an ornament under the Ancien Régime, the watch has indeed become a universal object meeting consumers' everyday needs, before evolving into a luxury item once again. According to Donzé, while watchmaking activities were organized within a national framework until the mid-1900s, everything changed a century later. As in other major industrial sectors, "globalized firms with much weaker territorial roots […] compete on world markets" (p. 10). Donzé takes a systemic approach at company, national, and global levels to highlight the interactions between technology, marketing, political decisions, and the global economy. Readers of this journal will appreciate the importance the author attributes to technology in this evolution. In Donzé's view, "the changes in the conditions of competition and the transformation of the industrial organization of the watch sector are essentially the result of the evolution of technological and institutional factors" (p. 125). These technological factors concern both the watch and its production processes. Donzé distinguishes four phases in this history. Until 1914, the watch industry centered on the national market. The United States is the best example of this type of operation, based on the model of the large integrated company, which allows both mass production and lower production costs. The Swiss watch industry, which is older and cannot rely on its domestic market, remains globally faithful to the model of the dispersed factory; the importance of this industry's exports is proof of its efficiency. The interwar period saw the spread of protectionism, even in Switzerland, which sometimes went as far as what the author calls "de-globalization." This situation did not prevent innovation or the consolidation of earlier innovations, [End Page 591] particularly in Switzerland. There was a tendency to abandon the pocket watch for the wristwatch, which made it possible to develop the ladies' watch. The Swiss firm Rolex, in Bienne, launched the waterproof watch (1926) and automatic movement (1931). The 1950s and 1960s marked the implementation of standardized mass production, particularly in Japan, where two large companies, Seiko and Citizen, demonstrated their capacity for innovation. They introduced tolerance standards to ensure quality control and the interchangeability of parts. In 1946, Seiko launched the extra-flat pocket watch. In addition, the world's major watchmaking companies began to outsource the assembly and subcontract components with simple technology. From the 1980s onwards, the major technological innovation of the electronic watch led to an explosion in demand and production, supported by the liberalization of trade and the opening up of China. These events challenged the balance of power between the major watchmaking firms and nations. Multinationals, such as the Swiss firm Swatch Group, are asserting themselves by relying on global value chains. Global marketing is becoming more important than reducing costs. Swiss-based companies are making their mark in the luxury sector, while Chinese production, the largest in volume, remains confined to the low-cost sector. The eight...

Stereolithography in implant placement

Stereolithography (SLA), the first form of additive manufacturing, creates 3D objects by selectively solidifying liquid resin via a photopolymerization reaction. Stereolithography has gained popularity due to its ability to fabricate objects with high accuracy and in a wide range of materials. SLA has undergone four generations of major technological innovation since its invention in the 1980s. As a result of these advancements, a diverse range of stereolithography systems with dramatically improved resolution, throughput, and material selection for creating complex 3D objects and devices is now available.

Development and validation of a feature extraction-based logical anthropomorphic diagnostic system for early gastric cancer: A case-control study

SummaryBackgroundPrompt diagnosis of early gastric cancer (EGC) is crucial for improving patient survival. However, most previous computer-aided-diagnosis (CAD) systems did not concretize or explain diagnostic theories. We aimed to develop a logical anthropomorphic artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostic system named ENDOANGEL-LA (logical anthropomorphic) for EGCs under magnifying image enhanced endoscopy (M-IEE).MethodsWe retrospectively collected data for 692 patients and 1897 images from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China between Nov 15, 2016 and May 7, 2019. The images were randomly assigned to the training set and test set by patient with a ratio of about 4:1. ENDOANGEL-LA was developed based on feature extraction combining quantitative analysis, deep learning (DL), and machine learning (ML). 11 diagnostic feature indexes were integrated into seven ML models, and an optimal model was selected. The performance of ENDOANGEL-LA was evaluated and compared with endoscopists and sole DL models. The satisfaction of endoscopists on ENDOANGEL-LA and sole DL model was also compared.FindingsRandom forest showed the best performance, and demarcation line and microstructures density were the most important feature indexes. The accuracy of ENDOANGEL-LA in images (88.76%) was significantly higher than that of sole DL model (82.77%, p = 0.034) and the novices (71.63%, p<0.001), and comparable to that of the experts (88.95%). The accuracy of ENDOANGEL-LA in videos (87.00%) was significantly higher than that of the sole DL model (68.00%, p<0.001), and comparable to that of the endoscopists (89.00%). The accuracy (87.45%, p<0.001) of novices with the assistance of ENDOANGEL-LA was significantly improved. The satisfaction of endoscopists on ENDOANGEL-LA was significantly higher than that of sole DL model.InterpretationWe established a logical anthropomorphic system (ENDOANGEL-LA) that can diagnose EGC under M-IEE with diagnostic theory concretization, high accuracy, and good explainability. It has the potential to increase interactivity between endoscopists and CADs, and improve trust and acceptability of endoscopists for CADs.FundingThis work was partly supported by a grant from the Hubei Province Major Science and Technology Innovation Project (2018-916-000-008) and the 10.13039/501100012226Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2042021kf0084).

Transformation Projects and Virtual Military Strategy

Major conflicts and wars are the fundament and important drivers for strong economies and their expansions. Military institutions are the ones who drive major technological transformation, evolution and innovation trends; like the USA’s Défense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which developed the Internet… Military technology transformation and innovation projects depend on financing capacities, geopolitics, economical strategies and demography. Countries, Armies, and institutions (or simply Entities) are increasingly using avant-garde technologies to gain substantial defence, geopolitical and economic advantages. Entities are today, facing new challenges and eventual risks, when implementing their vital organizational defence concept and distributed Information and Communication System (ICS). It is important to find the right balance between, Optimal Innovative Military Technology (OIMT), biotech’s evolution, military strategy, geopolitical context, combative capabilities, and the evolution of demography, which is probably the most important factor. The stability of an Entity depends on a well-defined OIMT Strategy to support the Entity’s evolution. This article proposes the fundaments of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support Virtual Reality (VR) for OIMT (VR4OIMT) integration. The author’s Applied Holistic Mathematical Model (AHMM) for VR (AHMM4VR) is the result of research on AI-based VR, business, financial and organizational transformations using a mathematical model’s concept (Trad &amp; Kalpić, 2020a). The AI based VR4OIMT manages and evaluates VR activities in projects, which are complex. Weightings of factors and areas are used as variables in the VR4OIMT. VR’s main problem is peoples’ addiction and subject areas’ complexities, due to the excessive use if VR based videogames which have exponentially expended and making decisions based on simple simulations (Acer, 2018)

Sustainability of cryptocurrency in blockchain technology for business development in African Countries

The aim of the paper is to analyze the sustainability of cryptocurrency in blockchain technology in African countries for securing financial business transactions. Following the subprime crisis that shook the world economy, a new perception of money has emerged. It is a fully digital currency whose transactions are made through a distributed network. This algorithm-encrypted currency, reputed to be tamper-proof, transparent and inclusive, relies on a distributed network called the Blockchain. By comparison with traditional registers in which operations are paginated and successively recorded, transactions in blockchain technology are aggregated within the chain of blocks. It is decentralized since it is replicated on several geographic sites around the world. It enables peer-to-peer transactions, automated in real-time, reliable, secure, without intermediaries and non-repudiable. To ensure maximum security during financial transactions, blockchain miners use cryptography. This distributed system is, therefore, a major technological innovation capable of securing the financial infrastructure and mitigating failures by reducing operational risks. According to our analysis based on the Merkle tree model and blockchain energy consumption, the sustainability of cryptocurrency is a major issue for developing countries. Especially in Africa, its practicality poses a number of constraints.

Intelligent perception of power grid condition

In face of increasingly severe challenges in energy development, a secure, stable, green, and sustainable Energy Internet has become a development tendency, as a major technological innovation that promotes the transformation of the world's power and energy systems. The essence of Energy Internet is the deep integration of energy flow and information flow, which is the in-depth perception and control of the energy network situation using advanced information technology. Electric energy equipment and its grid structure are the core of Energy Internet. Energy Internet needs to integrate all the information that can be collected to perceive the situation of power equipment and the entire grid deeply and accurately, so as to prevent sudden power outages caused by equipment failure or system instability, and to improve the reliability and economy of the entire Energy Internet. In the past few decades, a large number of fruitful research studies have been carried out on the electric energy equipment and grid state perception, which has effectively promoted the progress of grid situation perception technology. However, it still cannot meet the requirements of the future Energy Internet for in-depth and extensive perception of information. With the rapid development of latest material devices, sensing chips, microelectronics, 5G communications, artificial intelligence and digital twin technologies for situation perception, new and powerful momentum has been injected into the development of grid situation perception and the Energy Internet. This issue focuses on ‘Intelligent Perception of Power Grid Condition’, which was completed by well-known experts in the field of grid status monitoring for nearly a year. Four review papers summarise the latest research progress from the perspectives of intelligent perception of large-scale interconnected grid situation, intelligent perception of distribution network, intelligent perception of high-voltage and high-power electronic equipment and gas-insulated equipment condition, especially the deep application of artificial intelligence and new sensing technology in these fields. The future power grid will have the ‘double high’ characteristics of ‘a high proportion of grid-connected renewable energy’ and ‘a high proportion of grid-connected power electronic equipment’. Coupled with the strategic orientation of ‘carbon neutrality’, as well as the rapid progress of sensing technology, communication technology and intelligent electric equipment, it will bring huge opportunities for the improvement of the observability, controllability and intelligence of the grid. Intelligent perception of the grid situation, as an inevitable trend of development of power grid and Energy Internet in the future, is believed to receive more extensive attention and continuous investment. We hope that the topic of this issue can produce an intense spark of thought among the electric science and technology workers and promote the vigorous development of intelligent perception of grid situation. Finally, we would like to express our sincere thanks to Dr. Zheng Xiao, Ms. Yangyang Yu and Ms. Muchen Ran from ‘High Voltage’ editorial department for their full support in the planning, manuscript invitation, review and editing of this topic. It is their efficient and enthusiastic work that makes the topic available to readers as scheduled. Ju Tang, Professor of Wuhan University. He is involved in the online monitoring and fault diagnosis of HV gas insulated electric equipment insulation. Fuping Zeng, Associate Professor of Wuhan University. He is involved in the online monitoring and fault diagnosis of HV gas insulated electric equipment insulation.