bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-Volatile Programmable Ultra-Small Photonic Arbitrary Power Splitters
Authors: Yuan Huan , Wu Jiagui , Zhang Jinping , Pu Xun , Zhang Zhenfu , Yu Yang , Yang Junbo
Published: February 2022

A series of reconfigurable compact photonic arbitrary power splitters are proposed based on the hybrid structure of silicon and Ge2Sb2Se4Te1 (GSST), which is a new kind of non-volatile optical phase change material (O-PCM) with low absorption. Our pixelated meta-hybrid has an extremely small photonic integrated circuit (PIC) footprint with a size comparable to that of the most advanced electronic integrated circuits (EICs). The power-split ratio can be reconfigured in a completely digital manner through the amorphous and crystalline switching of the GSST material, which only coated less than one-fifth of the pattern allocation area. The target power–split ratio between the output channels can be arbitrarily reconfigured digitally with high precision and in the valuable C-band (1530–1560 nm) based on the analysis of three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain. The 1 × 2, 1 × 3, and 1 × 4 splitting configurations were all investigated with a variety of power–split ratios for each case, and the corresponding true value tables of GSST distribution are given. These non-volatile hybrid photonic splitters offer the advantages of an extremely small footprint and non-volatile digital programmability, which are favorable to the truly optoelectronic fusion chip.
The Influence of Argon Cluster Ion Bombardment on the Characteristics of AlN Films on Glass-Ceramics and Si Substrates
Authors: Nikolaev Ivan V. , Geydt Pavel V. , Korobeishchikov Nikolay G. , Kapishnikov Aleksandr V. , Volodin Vladimir A. , Azarov Ivan A. , Strunin Vladimir I. , Gerasimov Evgeny Y.
Published: February 2022

In this paper, the influence of surface modification on the characteristics and properties of AlN thin films on Si and glass-ceramics substrates is investigated. The surface modification was made at various parameters of argon cluster ions. By using XRD and Raman spectroscopy, it was shown that the obtained AlN films have a hexagonal structure with a characteristic direction of texturing along the c axis and slight deviations from it. A comparison of the AlN surface morphology obtained by atomic force microscopy before and after cluster processing was demonstrated. This demonstrated that the cluster ions with low energy per atom (E/N = 10 eV/atom) have a high efficiency of surface smoothing. A decrease in the intensity of the Raman peaks and an increase in their full-width after bombardment with cluster ions were found, which may be caused by a change in the physicochemical state of the surface. The optical properties, the quality of the boundaries, and the distribution map of the thickness of the functional layer of AlN were investigated by the methods of spectral and spatial resolution ellipsometry. By using the cross-sectional SEM, the direction of crystallite texturing was demonstrated. The influence of argon cluster ion bombardment on the stoichiometry of samples was analyzed by EDX spectroscopy. The results obtained demonstrate the efficiency of the cluster ion smoothing of polycrystalline thin films for microelectronics, particularly when creating surface acoustic wave resonators.
Artificial Lipid Droplets: Novel Effective Biomaterials to Protect Cells against Oxidative Stress and Lipotoxicity
Authors: Zhao Pengxiang , Jin Yi , Wu Xiang , Huang Jin , Chen Lupeng , Tan Yanjie , Yuan Hong , Wu Jian , Ren Zhuqing
Published: February 2022

Lipid droplets (LDs) play an important role in the regulation of cellular stress. This suggests LDs can be applied as safe and effective biomaterials to alleviate cellular stress and lipotoxicity. Here, we constructed a convenient method to generate stable and pure artificial lipid droplets (aLDs). aLDs can maintain their biological function by incubating LD-associated proteins or organelles in vitro. It was validated that perilipin-coated aLDs could be uptaken by cells, significantly reducing hydrogen peroxide-induced reactive oxidative species (ROS) and alleviating cellular lipotoxicity caused by excess fatty acid. Our work demonstrated a direct role of LDs in regulating cellular stress levels, providing methods and potential value for future research and medical applications of LDs.
Carbon Dots/Iron Oxide Nanoparticles with Tuneable Composition and Properties
Authors: Stachowska Joanna D. , Gamża Monika B. , Mellor Claire , Gibbons Ella N. , Krysmann Marta J. , Kelarakis Antonios , Gumieniczek-Chłopek Elżbieta , Strączek Tomasz , Kapusta Czesław , Szwajca Anna
Published: February 2022

We present a simple strategy to generate a family of carbon dots/iron oxide nanoparticles (C/Fe-NPs) that relies on the thermal decomposition of iron (III) acetylacetonate in the presence of a highly fluorescent carbon-rich precursor (derived via thermal treatment of ethanolamine and citric acid at 180 °C), while polyethylene glycol serves as the passivation agent. By varying the molar ratio of the reactants, a series of C/Fe-NPs have been synthesized with tuneable elemental composition in terms of C, H, O, N and Fe. The quantum yield is enhanced from 6 to 9% as the carbon content increases from 27 to 36 wt%, while the room temperature saturation magnetization is improved from 4.1 to 17.7 emu/g as the iron content is enriched from 17 to 31 wt%. In addition, the C/Fe-NPs show excellent antimicrobial properties, minimal cytotoxicity and demonstrate promising bioimaging capabilities, thus showing great potential for the development of advanced diagnostic tools.
Innovative Microstructural Transformation upon CO2 Supercritical Conditions on Metal-Nucleobase Aerogel and Its Use as Effective Filler for HPLC Biomolecules Separation
Authors: Maldonado Noelia , Beobide Garikoitz , Reyes Efraim , Martínez José Ignacio , Gómez-García Carlos J. , Castillo Oscar , Amo-Ochoa Pilar
Published: February 2022

This work contributes to enlightening the opportunities of the anisotropic scheme of non-covalent interactions present in supramolecular materials. It provides a top-down approach based on their selective disruption that herein has been employed to process a conventional microcrystalline material to a nanofibrillar porous material. The developed bulk microcrystalline material contains uracil-1-propionic acid (UPrOH) nucleobase as a molecular recognition capable building block. Its crystal structure consists of discrete [Cu(UPrO)2 (4,4′-bipy)2 (H2 O)] (4,4′-bipy=4,4′-bipyridine) entities held together through a highly anisotropic scheme of non-covalent interactions in which strong hydrogen bonds involving coordinated water molecules provide 1D supramolecular chains interacting between them by weaker interactions. The sonication of this microcrystalline material and heating at 45 °C in acetic acid–methanol allows partial reversible solubilization/recrystallization processes that promote the cross-linking of particles into an interlocked platelet-like micro-particles metal–organic gel, but during CO2 supercritical drying, the microcrystalline particles undergo a complete morphological change towards highly anisotropic nanofibers. This unprecedented top-down microstructural conversion provides a nanofibrillar material bearing the same crystal structure but with a highly increased surface area. Its usefulness has been tested for HPLC separation purposes observing the expected nucleobase complementarity-based separation.
Hemoglobin Concentration during Early Pregnancy as an Accurate Predictor of Anemia during Late Pregnancy
Authors: Noshiro Kiwamu , Umazume Takeshi , Hattori Rifumi , Kataoka Soromon , Yamada Takashi , Watari Hidemichi
Published: February 2022

It is undetermined which blood variables related to iron storage during the first trimester of pregnancy could efficiently predict anemia occurring during the third trimester. Red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, ferritin, iron, and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) were assessed longitudinally during the first, second, and third trimesters of 231 healthy Japanese women. None of the patients had anemia in the first trimester and none used iron supplementation before the second trimester blood test. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin (Hb) < 11 g/dL for the first trimester and Hb < 10.0 g/dL for the third trimester. Forty-seven (20%) women developed anemia in the third trimester. The first trimester RBC, Hb, hematocrit, and ferritin levels were significantly lower in women with third-trimester anemia than those without anemia. The first trimester hemoglobin level exhibited a greater area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve for prediction of the third trimester anemia than other blood variables; the optimal cut-off (12.6 g/dL) of hemoglobin yielded a sensitivity of 83% (39/47). First trimester hemoglobin levels were significantly better predictors of anemia during the third trimester than the indices of iron storage, including serum iron, ferritin, and TIBC levels.
Factors Associated with Beverage Intake in Low-Income, Overweight, or Obese Pregnant Women
Authors: Chang Mei-Wei , Lin Chyongchiou J. , Lee Rebecca E. , Wegener Duane T. , Hu Jie , Williams Karen Patricia
Published: February 2022

This study examined consumption proportions and factors associated with sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs), and 100% fruit juice (FJ) consumption. We recruited Non-Hispanic Black (n = 136) and White (n = 192) low-income overweight or obese pregnant women aged 18 to 46 years (mean = 25.7 years) from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children clinics in Michigan, USA. Independent variables included weight status, trimester, smoking, stress, education, employment, race, and age. Dependent variables were high (consuming ≥ 1 serving/day) versus low consumptions of SSB, ASB, and 100% FJ. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was performed to examine factors associated with beverage consumption. Out of the sample, 48.2%, 6.7%, and 31.3% reported high SSB, ASB, and 100% FJ consumption, respectively. SSB consumption was associated with smoking (OR: 3.77, p < 0.001), education (OR: 0.57, p = 0.03), and race (OR: 1.69, p = 0.03). Artificially sweetened beverage consumption was not associated with any factors examined. One hundred percent FJ consumption was associated with stress (OR: 0.90, p = 0.03) and race (OR: 4.48, p < 0.001). Clinicians may advocate for reductions in SSB and 100% FJ consumption tailored to client consumption characteristics.
Saponins of Korean Red Ginseng May Protect Human Skin from Adipokine-Associated Inflammation and Pigmentation Resulting from Particulate Matter Exposure
Authors: Moon Ik Jun , Kim WooHyeong , Kim Su Yeon , Lee JeongHyeon , Yoo Hanju , Bang Seunghyun , Song Youngsup , Chang Sung Eun
Published: February 2022

Background: Exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM) is an ever-increasing concern worldwide. Strategies to counter the detrimental effects that follow cutaneous exposure to PM, such as induction of pigmentation, inflammation, and alterations in adipokine profile, need to be investigated further. Korean red ginseng (KRG) extracts and individual ingredients have been demonstrated to play an effective role in suppression of ROS, inflammation, and resultant skin aging. In addition, recent investigations revealed that Rg3 and Rf saponins work as antimelanogenic agents. In this study, we investigated whether saponins of KRG can protect against or reverse the PM-induced detrimental effects. Methods: The biological effects of PM and saponins were evaluated both in vitro and ex vivo. Cell viability and intracellular ROS levels were determined in normal human epidermal melanocytes (NHMs), human epidermal keratinocytes (NHKs), and their cocultures. Experiments to demonstrate the protective properties of saponins against consequences of exposure to PM were performed. Melanin assay, quantitative real-time PCR, and Western blotting were carried out to determine the effects on melanogenesis and the implicated molecular signaling pathways. Results: Exposure to PM resulted in decreased keratinocyte viability, which was coupled with augmented oxidative stress. These changes were attenuated by treatment with saponins. PM exposure resulted in increased expression of leptin, which was reduced by saponins. Moreover, PM exposure led to increased melanin production in a coculture model, which was mitigated by treatment with saponins. Treatment with saponins resulted in a decrease in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) levels after exposure to PM. Conclusion: Saponins of KRG can protect the skin from the harmful effects of PM exposure by reducing levels of ROS, leptin, inflammatory cytokines, and melanin.
A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study of the Consequences of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Women’s Health Behaviors in Spain
Authors: González-Calderón María José , Baile José I. , Izquierdo-Sotorrío Eva
Published: February 2022

Changes in health habits were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. An unequal distribution of responsibilities may have generated unequal levels of stress in men and women, and, therefore, this may have led to different impacts on their health habits during lockdown. This study aimed to analyze the changes in eating habits, physical activity, sleep, and body weight in women, compared to men, because of lockdown. A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out. 2834 Spanish volunteers aged 19 to 76 completed an online survey on health habits. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using a cross-sectional methodology to explore gender differences. Results showed that men maintained their health habits to a greater extent, performing the same physical activity, while maintaining the quantity and quality of sleep, the quality of the diet, the quantity of the intake, and their mealtimes and body weight, whereas women’s eating habits changed in relation to the quality of their diet and mealtimes, as their food intake and weight increased, and their sleep was poorer in quality and duration than it was before lockdown. This could be due to the higher levels of anxiety experienced by women as a result of working on essential jobs in addition to taking on more unpaid work associated with care and housework.
Correlations between Convenience Cooking Product Use and Vegetable Intake
Authors: Brasington Natasha , Bucher Tamara , Beckett Emma L.
Published: February 2022

Australians’ vegetable intakes are low, and strategies are needed for improvement. Popular convenience cooking products (meal bases and recipe bases, ready-made marinades, and convenience cooking sauces) address common cooking and vegetable consumption barriers (cost, time, and cooking skills). However, relationships between their usage and vegetable intakes have not been established. Therefore, Australian adults were surveyed on convenience cooking product use, vegetable intake and variety, behaviours when barriers to vegetable inclusion arise, and vegetable choice factors. Of 842 participants, 36.7% used meal and recipe bases, 28.1% marinades, and 47.2% cooking sauces, with most following the back-of-pack recipes at least sometimes. A total of 12.5% of participants used products from all three categories. Factors associated with lower vegetable intakes were meal and recipe base and cooking sauce use, using a higher number of product categories, and always following back-of-pack recipes. Factors associated with lower vegetable variety were the use of meal and recipe bases and cooking sauces. Factors in vegetable choice, and behaviours when not including a listed vegetable (due to not having or liking the vegetable, or an inability to eat it) did not vary by usage habits. These results provide insights into current vegetable intakes of those using convenience products, providing a baseline for future changes in the product design and recommendations.
Mandibular Carcinoma Cuniculatum around the Dental Implant in a Patient with Concurrent Management for Pemphigus Vulgaris: A Case Report
Authors: Murai Chika , Sakata Ken-ichiro , Ouchi Chisato , Sonobe Masanao , Yoshikawa Kazuhito , Sato Jun , Satoh Akira , Matsuda Aya , Kitagawa Yoshimasa
Published: February 2022

Background: Carcinoma cuniculatum (CC) is a rare subtype of squamous cell carcinoma that is difficult to diagnose owing to the lack of cellar atypia and/or associated oral epithelial dysplasia. The prognosis is good given proper resection, but it often has a poor prognosis with recurrence. We present the case of a 78-year-old man who visited our department with an ulcer around the implant in tooth 35. With Nikolsky’s phenomenon in the gingiva, a detailed examination revealed pemphigus vulgaris. Steroid administration remarkably improved the oral symptoms but caused osteomyelitis and rapid bone destruction, leading to pathological fracture. After multiple biopsies, mandibular segment resection was performed with a diagnosis of mandibular osteomyelitis, and no malignant findings were found. Four months later, the wound reopened, a white keratinized lesion appeared, and a biopsy revealed CC. Unresectable tumor infiltration was already observed, but the patient died of aspiration pneumonia 15 months after diagnosis. Conclusions: It took 20 months to make a definitive diagnosis of CC in this case. Pemphigus vulgaris may have made the diagnosis particularly difficult. Since other CCs are often diagnosed with osteomyelitis or odontogenic keratocyst preoperatively, we recommend keeping in mind the possibility of CC in refractory cases.
Tyrphostin AG1024 Suppresses Coronaviral Replication by Downregulating JAK1 via an IR/IGF-1R Independent Proteolysis Mediated by Ndfip1/2_NEDD4-like E3 Ligase Itch
Authors: Yang Cheng-Wei , Lee Yue-Zhi , Hsu Hsing-Yu , Zhao Guan-Hao , Lee Shiow-Ju
Published: February 2022

JAK1 depletion or downregulation was previously reported to account for coronavirus inhibition. Here, we found that AG1024, an IR (insulin receptor) and IGF-1R (insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor) inhibitor, diminishes JAK1 protein levels and exerts anti-coronaviral activities with EC50 values of 5.2 ± 0.3 μM against transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus (TGEV) and 4.3 ± 0.3 μM against human flu coronavirus OC43. However, although the IR and IGF-1R signaling pathways are activated by insulin or IGF-1 in swine testis cells, they are not triggered upon TGEV infection. AG1024, therefore, inhibits coronaviral replication and downregulates JAK1 protein levels independently of IR and IGF-1R. Moreover, JAK1 proteolysis caused by AG1024 was found through activation of upstream Ndfip1/2 and its effector NEDD4-like E3 ligase Itch. In addition, ouabain, which was reported to mediate JAK1 proteolysis causing anti-coronaviral activity by activation of Ndfip1/2 and NEDD4 E3 ligase, additively inhibited anti-coronaviral activity and JAK1 diminishment in combination with AG1024. This study provides novel insights into the pharmacological effects of AG1024 and Itch E3 ligase mediated JAK1 proteolysis and identified Ndfip1/2 as a cognate effector for JAK1 proteolysis via the diversified E3 ligases NEDD4 and NEDD4-like Itch. These findings are expected to provide valued information for the future development of anti-viral agents.
Potential UV-Protective Effect of Freestanding Biodegradable Nanosheet-Based Sunscreen Preparations in XPA-Deficient Mice
Authors: Hatanaka Tomomi , Ramphai Khampeeraphan , Takimoto Shun , Kanda Hiromi , Motosugi Nami , Kimura Minoru , Mabuchi Tomotaka , Oyama Midori , Takeuchi Tomoharu , Okamura Yosuke
Published: February 2022

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal recessive hereditary disorder. As patients with XP are deficient in nucleotide excision repair, they show severe photosensitivity symptoms. Although skin protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation is essential to improve the life expectancy of such patients, the optimal protective effect is not achieved even with sunscreen application, owing to the low usability of the preparations. Nanosheets are two-dimensional nanostructures with a thickness in the nanometer range. The extremely large aspect ratios of the nanosheets result in high transparency, flexibility, and adhesiveness. Moreover, their high moisture permeability enables their application to any area of the skin for a long time. We fabricated preparations containing avobenzone (BMDBM) based on freestanding poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) nanosheets through a spin-coating process. Although monolayered PLLA nanosheets did not contain enough BMDBM to protect against UV radiation, the layered nanosheets, consisting of five discrete BMDBM nanosheets, showed high UV absorbance without lowering the adhesive strength against skin. Inflammatory reactions in XPA-deficient mice after UV radiation were completely suppressed by the application of BMDBM-layered nanosheets to the skin. Thus, the BMDBM layered nanosheet could serve as a potential sunscreen preparation to improve the quality of life of patients with XP.
Review of Virus Inactivation by Visible Light
Authors: Hessling Martin , Lau Bernhard , Vatter Petra
Published: February 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic is driving the search for new antiviral techniques. Bacteria and fungi are known to be inactivated not only by ultraviolet radiation but also by visible light. Several studies have recently appeared on this subject, in which viruses were mainly irradiated in media. However, it is an open question to what extent the applied media, and especially their riboflavin concentration, can influence the results. A literature search identified appropriate virus photoinactivation publications and, where possible, viral light susceptibility was quantitatively determined in terms of average log-reduction doses. Sensitivities of enveloped viruses were plotted against assumed riboflavin concentrations. Viruses appear to be sensitive to visible (violet/blue) light. The median log-reduction doses of all virus experiments performed in liquids is 58 J/cm2. For the non-enveloped, enveloped and coronaviruses only, they were 222, 29 and 19 J/cm2, respectively. Data are scarce, but it appears that (among other things) the riboflavin concentration in the medium has an influence on the log-reduction doses. Experiments with DMEM, with its 0.4 mg/L riboflavin, have so far produced results with the greatest viral susceptibilities. It should be critically evaluated whether the currently published virus sensitivities are really only intrinsic properties of the virus, or whether the medium played a significant role. In future experiments, irradiation should be carried out in solutions with the lowest possible riboflavin concentration.
Recent Developments in the Application of Bio-Waste-Derived Adsorbents for the Removal of Methylene Blue from Wastewater: A Review
Authors: Hamad Hamad Noori , Idrus Syazwani
Published: February 2022

Over the last few years, various industries have released wastewater containing high concentrations of dyes straight into the ecological system, which has become a major environmental problem (i.e., soil, groundwater, surface water pollution, etc.). The rapid growth of textile industries has created an alarming situation in which further deterioration to the environment has been caused due to substances being left in treated wastewater, including dyes. The application of activated carbon has recently been demonstrated to be a highly efficient technology in terms of removing methylene blue (MB) from wastewater. Agricultural waste, as well as animal-based and wood products, are excellent sources of bio-waste for MB remediation since they are extremely efficient, have high sorption capacities, and are renewable sources. Despite the fact that commercial activated carbon is a favored adsorbent for dye elimination, its extensive application is restricted because of its comparatively high cost, which has prompted researchers to investigate alternative sources of adsorbents that are non-conventional and more economical. The goal of this review article was to critically evaluate the accessible information on the characteristics of bio-waste-derived adsorbents for MB’s removal, as well as related parameters influencing the performance of this process. The review also highlighted the processing methods developed in previous studies. Regeneration processes, economic challenges, and the valorization of post-sorption materials were also discussed. This review is beneficial in terms of understanding recent advances in the status of biowaste-derived adsorbents, highlighting the accelerating need for the development of low-cost adsorbents and functioning as a precursor for large-scale system optimization.
Chitin-Glucan Complex Hydrogels: Optimization of Gel Formation and Demonstration of Drug Loading and Release Ability
Authors: Araújo Diana , Rodrigues Thomas , Alves Vítor D. , Freitas Filomena
Published: February 2022

Chitin-glucan complex (CGC) hydrogels were fabricated through a freeze–thaw procedure for biopolymer dissolution in NaOH 5 mol/L, followed by a dialysis step to promote gelation. Compared to a previously reported methodology that included four freeze–thaw cycles, reducing the number of cycles to one had no significant impact on the hydrogels’ formation, as well as reducing the total freezing time from 48 to 18 h. The optimized CGC hydrogels exhibited a high and nearly spontaneous swelling ratio (2528 ± 68%) and a water retention capacity of 55 ± 3%, after 2 h incubation in water, at 37 °C. Upon loading with caffeine as a model drug, an enhancement of the mechanical and rheological properties of the hydrogels was achieved. In particular, the compressive modulus was improved from 23.0 ± 0.89 to 120.0 ± 61.64 kPa and the storage modulus increased from 149.9 ± 9.8 to 315.0 ± 76.7 kPa. Although the release profile of caffeine was similar in PBS and NaCl 0.9% solutions, the release rate was influenced by the solutions’ pH and ionic strength, being faster in the NaCl solution. These results highlight the potential of CGC based hydrogels as promising structures to be used as drug delivery devices in biomedical applications.
Combined Effect of Biopolymer and Fiber Inclusions on Unconfined Compressive Strength of Soft Soil
Authors: Chen Chunhui , Wei Kai , Gu Jiayu , Huang Xiaoyang , Dai Xianyao , Liu Qingbing
Published: February 2022

The utilizing of traditional chemical stabilizers could improve soil engineering properties but also results in brittle behavior and causes environmental problems. This study investigates the feasibility of the combined utilization of an ecofriendly biopolymer and fiber inclusions as an alternative to traditional cement for reinforcing soft soil. A series of unconfined compression tests were conducted to examine the combined effect of the biopolymer and fibers on the stress–strain characteristics, strength improvement, failure pattern, and reinforcement mechanism of soft soil. The results show that the biopolymer associated with fibers has an unconfined compressive strength similar to that of fiber-reinforced soil. However, it then increases with different curing times and conditions, which can be up to 1.5 MPa–2.5 MPa. The combined effect of fibers and the biopolymer is not simply equivalent to the sum of the effects of each individual material. The fiber shows its role instantly after being mixed into soil, whereas the effect of biopolymer gradually appears with sample curing time. The biopolymer plays a dominant role in increasing the peak unconfined compressive strength and brittleness of soil, while the amount of fiber is crucial for reducing soil brittleness and increasing ductility. It is shown that the biopolymer not only contributes to the particle bonding force but also facilitates the reinforcement efficiency of fibers in the soil. The fibers in return assist in reducing the soil brittleness arising from biopolymer cementation and provide residual resistance after post-peak failure.
Economic Benefit Evaluation System of Green Building Energy Saving Building Technology Based on Entropy Weight Method
Authors: Lu Hanguang , Sheng Xiaojie , Du Fei
Published: February 2022

The development of the construction industry has brought great convenience to people’s lives, but the problems of resource shortages and energy consumption are becoming more and more serious. In order to solve the problem of resource shortages and energy consumption, this paper puts forward an evaluation system of technical and economic benefits of green building energy conservation based on the analytic hierarchy process and entropy weight method. In view of the correlation between building technology and economic benefits, this paper puts forward the economic benefit evaluation system of green building energy-saving technology combined with analytic hierarchy process and entropy weight methods, determines 6 first-class evaluation indexes and 20 s-class evaluation indexes, and takes the dynamic incremental investment payback period and incremental economic benefit ratio as the evaluation indexes, and finally obtains the economic benefit score and star value of green building. Combined with the actual situation of a middle school project, the incremental economic benefits of the four green technologies in energy conservation and resource utilization indicators are 44,256.75 yuan, 1,015,924.2 yuan, 255,490 yuan and 32,871.57 yuan, respectively. The total incremental economic effect and unit incremental effect of the six evaluation indicators are 1,472,113.3 yuan and 1501.99 yuan/m2 respectively. The economic effect of energy-saving and renewable resource utilization technology is the largest. The total score of the project is 0.404902 and it has three stars. Compared with traditional building technology, the application of green building technology and related facilities and equipment proposed in this paper can greatly reduce the consumption of building resources, so as to achieve the purpose of energy conservation and emissions reduction. This method combines objective evaluation with subjective evaluation, complements fair objective evaluation and expert evaluation, makes the best use of all basic information, and ensures the scientific effectiveness of the comprehensive evaluation model.
Revealing the Structure and Composition of the Restored Vegetation Cover in Semi-Arid Mine Dumps Based on LiDAR and Hyperspectral Images
Authors: Tang Jiajia , Liang Jie , Yang Yongjun , Zhang Shaoliang , Hou Huping , Zhu Xiaoxiao
Published: February 2022

Remotely sensed images with low resolution can be effectively used for the large-area monitoring of vegetation restoration, but are unsuitable for accurate small-area monitoring. This limits researchers’ ability to study the composition of vegetation species and the biodiversity and ecosystem functions after ecological restoration. Therefore, this study uses LiDAR and hyperspectral data, develops a hierarchical classification method for classifying vegetation based on LiDAR technology, decision tree and a random forest classifier, and applies it to the eastern waste dump of the Heidaigou mining area in Inner Mongolia, China, which has been restored for around 15 years, to verify the effectiveness of the method. The results were as follows. (1) The intensity, height, and echo characteristics of LiDAR point cloud data and the spectral, vegetation indices, and texture features of hyperspectral image data effectively reflected the differences in vegetation species composition. (2) Vegetation indices had the highest contribution rate to the classification of vegetation species composition types, followed by height, while spectral data alone had a lower contribution rate. Therefore, it was necessary to screen the features of LiDAR and hyperspectral data before classifying vegetation. (3) The hierarchical classification method effectively distinguished the differences between trees (Populus spp., Pinus tabuliformis, Hippophae sp. (arbor), and Robinia pseudoacacia), shrubs (Amorpha fruticosa, Caragana microphylla + Hippophae sp. (shrub)), and grass species, with classification accuracy of 87.45% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.79, which was nearly 43% higher than an unsupervised classification and 10.7–22.7% higher than other supervised classification methods. In conclusion, the fusion of LiDAR and hyperspectral data can accurately and reliably estimate and classify vegetation structural parameters, and reveal the type, quantity, and diversity of vegetation, thus providing a sufficient basis for the assessment and improvement of vegetation after restoration.
Neural Network AEROsol Retrieval for Geostationary Satellite (NNAeroG) Based on Temporal, Spatial and Spectral Measurements
Authors: Chen Xingfeng , Zhao Limin , Zheng Fengjie , Li Jiaguo , Li Lei , Ding Haonan , Zhang Kainan , Liu Shumin , Li Donghui , de Leeuw Gerrit
Published: February 2022

Geostationary satellites observe the earth surface and atmosphere with a short repeat time, thus, providing aerosol parameters with high temporal resolution, which contributes to the air quality monitoring. Due to the limited information content in satellite data, and the coupling between the signals received from the surface and the atmosphere, the accurate retrieval of multiple aerosol parameters over land is difficult. With the strategy of taking full advantage of satellite measurement information, here we propose a neural network AEROsol retrieval framework for geostationary satellite (NNAeroG), which can potentially be applied to different instruments to obtain various aerosol parameters. NNAeroG was applied to the Advanced Himawari Imager on Himawari-8 and the results were evaluated versus independent ground-based sun photometer reference data. The aerosol optical depth, Ångström exponent and fine mode fraction produced by the NNAeroG method are significantly better than the official JAXA aerosol products. With spectral bands selection, the use of thermal infrared bands is meaningful for aerosol retrieval.
Multi-Scale Assessment of SMAP Level 3 and Level 4 Soil Moisture Products over the Soil Moisture Network within the ShanDian River (SMN-SDR) Basin, China
Authors: Nadeem Adeel Ahmad , Zha Yuanyuan , Shi Liangsheng , Ran Gulin , Ali Shoaib , Jahangir Zahid , Afzal Muhammad Mannan , Awais Muhammad
Published: February 2022

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission with high-precision soil moisture (SM) retrieval products provides global daily composites of SM at 3, 9, and 36 km earth grids measured by L-band active and passive microwave sensors. The capability of passive microwave remote sensing has been recognized for the estimation of SM variations. The purpose of this work was to establish an interaction between the highly variable SM spatial distribution on the ground and the SMAP’s coarse resolution radiometer-based SM retrievals. In this work, SMAP Level 3 (L3) and Level 4 (L4) SM products are validated with in situ datasets observed from the different locations of the Soil Moisture Network within the ShanDian River (SMN-SDR) Basin over the period of January 2018 to December 2019. The values of the unbiased root mean square error (ubRMSE) for L3 (SPL3SMP_E) SM retrievals are close to the standard SMAP mission SM accuracy requirement of 0.04 m3/m3 at the 9-km scale, with an averaged ubRMSE value of 0.041 m3/m3 (0.050 m3/m3) for descending (ascending) SM with the correlation (R) values of 0.62 (0.42) against the sparse network sites. The L4 (SPL4SMGP) Surface and Root-zone SM (RZSM) estimates show less error (ubRMSE < 0.04) and high correlation (R > 0.60) values, and are consistent with the previous SMAP-based SM estimations. The SMAP L4 SM products (SPL4SMGP) performed well compared to the L3 SM retrieval products (SPL3SMP_E). In vegetated land, the variability and compatibility of the SMAP SM estimates with the evaluation metrics for both products (L3 and L4) showed a good performance in the grassland, then in the farmland, and worst in the woodlands. Finally, SMAP algorithm parameters sensitivity analysis of the satellite products was conducted to produce time-series and highly precise SM datasets in China.
A Scale-Separating Framework for Fusing Satellite Land Surface Temperature Products
Authors: Yang Yichen , Lee Xuhui
Published: February 2022

The trade-off between spatial and temporal resolutions of satellite imagery is a long-standing problem in satellite remote sensing applications. The lack of daily land surface temperature (LST) data with fine spatial resolution has hampered the understanding of surface climatic phenomena, such as the urban heat island (UHI). Here, we developed a fusion framework, characterized by a scale-separating process, to generate LST data with high spatiotemporal resolution. The scale-separating framework breaks the fusion task into three steps to address errors at multiple spatial scales, with a specific focus on intra-scene variations of LST. The framework was experimented with MODIS and Landsat LST data. It first removed inter-sensor biases, which depend on season and on land use type (urban versus rural), and then produced a Landsat-like sharpened LST map for days when MOIDS observations are available. The sharpened images achieved a high accuracy, with a RMSE of 0.91 K for a challenging heterogeneous landscape (urban area). A comparison between the sharpened LST and the air temperature measured with bicycle-mounted mobile sensors revealed the roles of impervious surface fraction and wind speed in controlling the surface-to-air temperature gradient in an urban landscape.
Can a Hierarchical Classification of Sentinel-2 Data Improve Land Cover Mapping?
Authors: Waśniewski Adam , Hościło Agata , Chmielewska Milena
Published: February 2022

Monitoring of land cover plays an important role in effective environmental management, assessment of natural resources, environmental protection, urban planning and sustainable development. Increasing demand for accurate and repeatable information on land cover and land cover changes causes rapid development of the advanced, machine learning algorithms dedicated to land cover mapping using satellite images. Free and open access to Sentinel-2 data, characterized with high spatial and temporal resolution, increased the potential to map and to monitor land surface with high accuracy and frequency. Despite a considerable number of approaches towards land cover classification based on satellite data, there is still a challenge to clearly separate complex land cover classes, for example grasslands, arable land and wetlands. The aim of this study is to examine, whether a hierarchal classification of Sentinel-2 data can improve the accuracy of land cover mapping and delineation of complex land cover classes. The study is conducted in the Lodz Province, in central Poland. The pixel-based land cover classification is carried out using the machine learning Random Forest (RF) algorithm, based on a time series of Sentinel-2 imagery acquired in 2020. The following nine land cover classes are mapped: sealed surfaces, woodland broadleaved, woodland coniferous, shrubs, permanent herbaceous (grassy cover), periodically herbaceous (i.e., arable land), mosses, non-vegetated (bare soil) and water bodies. The land cover classification is conducted following two approaches: (1) flat, where all land cover classes are classified together, and (2) hierarchical, where the stratification is applied to first separate the most stable land cover classes and then classifying the most problematic once. The national databases served as the source of the reference sampling plots for the classification process. The process of selection and verification of the reference sampling plots is performed automatically. To assess the stability of the classification models the classification processes are performed iteratively. The results of this study confirmed that the hierarchical approach gave more accurate results compared to the commonly used flat approach. The median of the overall accuracy (OA) of the hierarchical classification was higher by 3–9 percentage points compared to the flat one. Of interest, the OA of the hierarchical classification reached 0.93–0.99, whereas the flat approach reached 0.90. Individual classes are also better classified in the hierarchical approach.
Dust Characteristics Observed by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle over the Taklimakan Desert
Authors: Zhou Chenglong , Liu Yuzhi , He Qing , Zhong Xinjie , Zhu Qingzhe , Yang Fan , Huo Wen , Mamtimin Ali , Yang Xinghua , Wang Yu , Meng Lu
Published: February 2022

Based on observations from the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) together with an environmental particulate matter analyzer (Grimm-180) and Global Positioning System (GPS) sounding balloons, the vertical structure of dust with different particle sizes was explored over the Taklimakan Desert (TD) during an intensive observation from 1 July 2021 to 31 July 2021. The power functions were fitted between the particle counts and particle sizes, indicating negative correlations with an R2 higher than 0.99 under different dust pollution conditions in Tazhong (TZ). The dust concentrations show a sharp vertical increase over the TD during dust pollution; however, more particles with larger sizes are entrained into the air in TZ compared with Minfeng (MF). The total solar radiation during dust pollution days is significantly weakened, accompanied by major modifications in the temperature stratification, which were characterized by low-level cooling (with −2.71 K mean intensity) and high-level heating (with +0.70 K mean intensity). On clear days, the average convective boundary layer (CBL) heights at the TZ and MF are approximately 3.94 and 2.84 km, respectively, and the average stable boundary layer (SBL) height at the TZ and MF are approximately 0.19 and 0.14 km, respectively. With the increasing dust pollution level, the CBL height decreases rapidly while the SBL height shows the opposite trend. The unique ultra-high atmospheric boundary layer structure in daytime provides beneficial conditions for the suspension and vertical transportation of dust over TD. Moreover, a negative correlation between the CBL height and near-surface PM10/PM2.5/PM1.0 concentration in TD is revealed by power function fittings.
Relative Kinematic Orbit Determination for GRACE-FO Satellite by Jointing GPS and LRI
Authors: Yang Zhouming , Liu Xin , Guo Jinyun , Guo Hengyang , Li Guowei , Kong Qiaoli , Chang Xiaotao
Published: February 2022

As the first in-orbit formation satellites equipped with a Laser Ranging Interferometer (LRI) instrument, Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on (GRACE-FO) satellites are designed to evaluate the effective ability of the new LRI ranging system applied to satellite-to-satellite tracking. To evaluate the application of LRI in GRACE-FO, a relative kinematic orbit determination scheme for formation satellites integrating Kalman filters and GPS/LRI is proposed. The observation equation is constructed by combining LRI and spaceborne GPS data, and the intersatellite baselines of GRACE-FO formation satellites are calculated with Kalman filters. The combination of GPS and LRI techniques can limit the influence of GPS observation errors and improve the stability of orbit determination of the GRACE-FO satellites formation. The linearization of the GPS/LRI observation model and the process of the GPS/LRI relative kinematic orbit determination are provided. Relative kinematic orbit determination is verified by actual GPS/LRI data of GRACE-FO-A and GRACE-FO-B satellites. The quality of relative kinematic orbit determination is evaluated by reference orbit check and K-Band Ranging (KBR) check. The result of the reference orbit check indicates that the accuracy of GRACE-FO relative kinematic orbit determination along X, Y, and Z (components of the baseline vector) directions is better than 2.9 cm. Compared with the relative kinematic orbit determination by GPS only, GPS/LRI improves the accuracy of the relative kinematic orbit determination by approximately 1cm along with X, Y and Z directions, and by about 1.8 cm in 3D directions. The overall accuracy of relative kinematic orbit determination is improved by 25.9%. The result of the KBR check indicates that the accuracy of the intersatellite baseline determination is about +/−10.7 mm.
Identifying Voice Individuality Unaffected by Age-Related Voice Changes during Adolescence
Authors: Suzuki Natsumi , Ishimaru Momoko , Toyoshima Itsuki , Okada Yoshifumi
Published: February 2022

Identifying voice individuality is a key issue in the biometrics field. Previous studies have demonstrated that voice individuality is caused by differences in the shape and size of the vocal organs; however, these studies did not discuss voice individuality over a long term that includes periods of voice change. Therefore, we focus on adolescence (early teens to early twenties), which includes voice changes due to growth of vocal organs, and we reveal invariant voice individuality over a long period. In this study, the immature and mature periods during vocal organ development were defined as unstable and stable periods, respectively. We performed speaker verification tests across these two periods and evaluated voice features that are common to these periods using Fisher’s F-ratio. The results of the speaker verification test demonstrated a verification accuracy of 60% or more in most cases, and the results of the evaluation using Fisher’s F-ratio demonstrated that robust voice individuality existed in the frequency regions of 1–2 kHz and 4–6 kHz regardless of the period. These results suggest that voice individuality is unaffected by age-related changes over the long term, including adolescence.
Bidirectional Drive with Inhibited Hysteresis for Piezoelectric Actuators
Authors: Huang Weiqing , Lian Junkai , An Dawei , Chen Mingyang , Lei Yinfeng
Published: February 2022

Piezoelectric actuators with a flexible displacement amplification structure are widely used in the fields of precision driving and positioning. The displacement curve of conventional piezoelectric actuators is asymmetrical and non-linear, which leads to large non-linear errors and reduced positioning accuracy of these piezoelectric actuators. In this paper, a bidirectional active drive piezoelectric actuator is proposed, which suppresses the hysteresis phenomenon to a certain extent and reduces the non-linear error. Based on the deformation theory of the beam, a theoretical model of the rhombus mechanism was established, and the key parameters affecting the drive performance were analyzed. Then, the static and dynamic characteristics of series piezoelectric actuators were analyzed by the finite element method. A prototype was manufactured and the output performance was tested. The results show that the actuator can achieve a bidirectional symmetric output of amplification displacement, with a maximum value of 91.45 μm and a resolution of 35 nm. In addition, compared with the hysteresis loop of the piezoelectric stack, the nonlinear error is reduced by 62.94%.
Secure Exchange of Digital Metrological Data in a Smart Overhead Crane
Authors: Mustapää Tuukka , Tunkkari Henri , Taponen Jaan , Immonen Leo , Heeren Wiebke , Baer Oksana , Brown Clifford , Viitala Raine
Published: February 2022

Digitalization and the rapid development of IoT systems has posed challenges for metrology because it has been comparatively slow in adapting to the new demands. That is why the digital transformation of metrology has become a key research and development topic all over the world including the development of machine-readable formats for digital SI (D-SI) and digital calibration certificates (DCCs). In this paper, we present a method for using these digital formats for metrological data to enhance the trustworthiness of data and propose how to use digital signatures and distributed ledger technology (DLT) alongside DCCs and D-SI to ensure integrity, authenticity, and non-repudiation of measurement data and DCCs. The implementation of these technologies in industrial applications is demonstrated with a use case of data exchange in a smart overhead crane. The presented system was tested and validated in providing security against data tampering attacks.