bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neurological recovery and neurogenesis by curcumin sustained‐release system cross‐linked with an acellular spinal cord scaffold in rat spinal cord injury: TargetingNLRP3inflammasome pathway
Authors: Ghaffari Neda , Mokhtari Tahmineh , Adabi Mahdi , Ebrahimi Babak , Kamali Morteza , Gholaminejhad Morteza , Hassanzadeh Gholamreza
Published: March 2024

In the context of treating spinal cord injury (SCI), the modulation of inflammatory responses, and the creation of a suitable region for tissue regeneration may present a promising approach. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of curcumin (Cur)‐loaded bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (Cur‐BSA NPs) cross‐linked with an acellular spinal cord scaffold (ASCS) on the functional recovery in a rat model of SCI. We developed an ASCS using chemical and physical methods. Cur‐BSA, and blank (B‐BSA) NPs were fabricated and cross‐linked with ASCS via EDC‐NHS, resulting in the production of Cur‐ASCS and B‐ASCS. We assessed the properties of scaffolds and NPs as well as their cross‐links. Finally, using a male rat hemisection model of SCI, we investigated the consequences of the resulting scaffolds. The inflammatory markers, neuroregeneration, and functional recovery were evaluated. Our results showed that Cur was efficiently entrapped at the rate of 42% ± 1.3 in the NPs. Compared to B‐ASCS, Cur‐ASCS showed greater effectiveness in the promotion of motor recovery. The implantation of both scaffolds could increase the migration of neural stem cells (Nestin‐ and GFAP‐positive cells) following SCI with the superiority of Cur‐ASCS. Cur‐ASCS was successful to regulate the gene expression and protein levels of NLRP3, ASC, and Casp1in the spinal cord lesion. Our results indicate that using ASCS can lead to the entrance of cells into the scaffold and promote neurogenesis. However, Cur‐ASCS had greater effects in terms of inflammation relief and enhanced neurogenesis.
Assessment of safety climate perception of maintenance workers during major overhauls, outages, shutdowns or turnarounds (MoOSTs)
Authors: Yunusa‐Kaltungo Akilu , Ray Srija , AlSanad Shaikha , Sokunbi Idowu , Manu Patrick , Cheung Clara Man , Mohandes Saeed Reza
Published: March 2024

Maintenance activities are used to sustain the reliability of physical industrial assets. However, studies indicate that some of the most devastating industrial accidents are attributable to poor safety perceptions of maintenance workers, especially during major overhauls, outages, shutdowns or turnarounds (MoOSTs). Typical MoOSTs involve the harmonisation of regular maintenance endeavours on a large scale, which in turn heighten risks of accidents and costs. Furthermore, MoOSTs are performed over short durations thereby necessitating parallel high‐risk activities by different organisations that have different perceptions of safety and possess different safety cultures. Understanding safety climate can immensely benefit MoOSTs organisations by improving the understanding of attitudes and perceptions that alleviate workplace incidents. This study aimed to establish safety climate that would boost safety culture and positively impact perceived safety performance during MoOSTs. Safety climate questionnaire survey was deployed to MoOSTs workers of leading cement plants in Nigeria. Through exploratory factor analysis, three underlying safety climate factors were identified, which helped to determine that factors such as ‛training and learning from incidents’, ‛commitment of senior management towards ensuring safety and its protocol development process’ and ‛effectiveness of incident reporting systems during MoOSTs’ were significant predictors of workers’ perceptions of safety performance. The findings also pointed out that the inter‐relationship between perceived safety performance, MoOSTs safety training and organisational commitment were positively correlated.
Dynamic modeling and reliability analysis of satellite antenna deployment mechanism based on parameter uncertainty
Authors: Wang Ke , Qian Hua‐Ming , Mi Jinhua , Xu Tianlong , Huang Hong‐Zhong
Published: March 2024

This study delves into the factors that affect the reliability of satellite antenna deployment mechanisms. It employs the Kolmogorov–Smirnov (K‐S) test to quantify uncertainty characteristics, leading to the acquisition of pertinent stochastic parameters. Subsequently, three‐dimensional models and finite element models of the satellite antenna deployment mechanism are established using SOLIDWORKS and ANSYS software. Modal distribution, harmonic response analysis, random vibration analysis, and deployment process simulation are conducted. Parameterized modeling of the deployment mechanism's dynamics simulation process is performed, taking into consideration parameter uncertainty. Finally, a Kriging surrogate model is utilized to formulate an approximate expression between the factors influencing the reliability of the antenna deployment mechanism and its dynamic response. Based on the general stress‐strength interference theory, a reliability analysis model is constructed. Combined with active learning algorithms, this approach achieves efficient and precise calculations of the reliability of the satellite antenna deployment mechanism.
Optical Characterization of InGaN Quantum Structures at the Nanoscale
Authors: Fu Wai Yuen , Choi Hoi Wai
Published: March 2024

This review paper presents an overview of the optical characterization techniques for Indium Gallium Nitride (InGaN) quantum well (QW) structures at a nanoscale. The two major techniques are reviewed—Electron Microscopy‐Cathodoluminescence (EM‐CL) and Scanning Near‐field Optical Microscopy (SNOM). It elucidates the critical role these methodologies play in revealing the complex properties of InGaN QWs, including their structural characteristics, optical properties, carrier dynamics, and the effects of defects and doping. The review highlights key findings from a variety of studies, demonstrating how EM‐CL and SNOM have contributed to the understanding of these micro‐/nano‐ structures and their potential applications in high‐efficiency optoelectronic devices.
Modification of activated carbon for enhanced treatment of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances: A focused review
Authors: Okorie Chika J. , Ojeyemi Toluwalase , Egbemhenghe Abel , Ali Muhammad Qasim , Emenike Ebuka Chizitere , Iwuozor Kingsley O. , Adeniyi Adewale George
Published: March 2024

In response to the growing concern over the contamination of water sources by per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the use of activated carbon (AC) for PFAS removal has garnered significant attention. However, the efficient removal of PFAS with conventional AC poses challenges due to the limited surface area and delayed absorption kinetics. This focused review provides a concise overview of the latest advancements in the modification of AC, a promising strategy for enhancing PFAS adsorption. Chemical and physical modifications, including the deposition of metal/metal oxide nanoparticles, polymer‐based coatings, surfactants, and advanced oxidation processes, were explored, offering insights into their mechanisms and effectiveness. The thorough analysis of these modified AC materials provides a valuable resource for developing efficient and sustainable strategies to address the pressing issue of PFAS contamination in water sources.
Switching‐like event‐triggered tracking control for UAH/UGV systems under external disturbance and DoS attacks
Authors: Zhang Haoran , Pan Shihao , Li Tao , Mao Zehui
Published: March 2024

In this article, by considering the existence of unavailable state, external disturbance, and denial of service (DoS) attacks, an anti‐disturbance trajectory tracking controller is proposed for the air‐ground system composed of unmanned autonomous helicopter (UAH) and unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). Initially, by combining the advantages of conventional event‐triggered scheme (ETS) and memory ETS, a switching‐like event‐triggered mechanism is put forward, which can induce less data transmissions without reducing control performance, and effectively restrain the DoS attacks. Second, by dividing the DoS attacks into active intervals and sleep ones, the concept of acknowledgement character technology (ACK) is presented to define the suitable types of time intervals. Third, a switching‐like dynamic ETS is introduced for the sleep intervals of DoS attacks while the ETS with fixed triggered‐threshold is exploited for the active intervals. Fourth, based on the occurrence of DoS attacks, a switching‐like observer and a normal one are respectively proposed to estimate the UGV state, the UAH state, the reference input of the UGV, and the disturbance of the UAH, which are further utilized to design the tracking controller. Fifth, an augmented closed‐loop system consisting of observation errors and tracking error is established and its stability is analyzed by using Lyapunov stability theory. Then, a sufficient condition on co‐designing the parameters of switching‐like ETS, observers, and tracking controller is presented in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMI). Finally, the validity and superiority of the proposed control scheme are verified by resorting to simulations and comparisons.
2D and 3D Halide Perovskite‐Based Supercapacitors
Authors: Sandhu Akanksha , Chini Mrinmoy Kumar
Published: March 2024

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are extremely promising materials for energy storage applications. Among them, two‐dimensional (2D) halide perovskites attract much attention for supercapacitor applications because of exciting properties such as electronic confinement, structural flexibility, attractive performance and stability. On the other hand, owing to its low exciton binding energy and long‐range carrier transport nature, three‐dimensional (3D) halide perovskites have been employed as one of the most promising supercapacitor materials. These materials have become one of the highly promising mixed electronic‐ionic material for efficient energy storage devices. 2D and 3D MHPs have distinctive physicochemical and electrochemical characteristics, and capacity to create hetero‐structures to strengthen their electrochemical capabilities. Thus, it is important to understand synthesis, properties and various electrochemical aspects of MHPs and their super‐capacitive behaviors. This review article focuses on the extensive overview of the recent developments of MHPs which have demonstrated exciting possibilities as supercapacitor materials but relatively less explored till now. Our review article comprises of synthesis processes, opto‐electronic properties, mechanism, supercapacitor performances, challenges and opportunities in brief. This review thus thoroughly discusses the importance and intriguing aspect of 2D and 3D halide perovskites as supercapacitor materials for their futuristic energy storage applications.
A Small Molecule Fluorescent Probe for the Detection of Zn2+ and Alcoholic Strength in Chinese Baijiu
Authors: Deng Linlong , Gao Yunke , Fu Shuai , Cheng Yihan , Wang Haibin , Xue Lei
Published: March 2024

In this study, a novel fluorescent probe DZ was designed by derivatizing from naphthaldehyde and benzoyl hydrazine. The probe exhibited a low detection limit of 1.75×10−8 mol/L for Zn2+ in ethanol systems. Due to its typical aggregation‐induced emission phenomenon, DZ showed exceptional efficacy in detecting the alcoholic strength of Chinese Baijiu, allowing for accurate differentiation between beverages with various alcohol contents in water/ethanol mixtures. In addition, DZ had been successfully utilized for the detection of Zn2+ in both test paper and environmental water samples.
Ultrafast Sunlight‐Induced Polymerization: Unveiling 2‐Phenylnaphtho[2,3‐d]Thiazole‐4,9‐dione as a Unique Scaffold for High‐Speed and Precision 3D Printing
Authors: Feng Ji , Zhang Yijun , Morlet‐Savary Fabrice , Schmitt Michael , Zhang Jing , Xiao Pu , Dumur Frédéric , Lalevée Jacques
Published: March 2024

A series of 15 dyes based on the 2‐phenylnaphtho[2,3‐d]thiazole‐4,9‐dione scaffold and 1 compound based on the 2,3‐diphenyl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydrobenzo[g]quinoxaline‐5,10‐dione scaffold are studied as photoinitiators. These compounds are used in two‐ and three‐component high‐performance photoinitiating systems for the free radical polymerization of trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) under sunlight. Remarkably, the conversion of TMPTA can reach ≈60% within 20 s, while PEGDA attains a 96% conversion within 90 s. To delve into the intricate chemical mechanisms governing the polymerization, an array of analytical techniques is employed. Specifically, UV–vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, steady‐state photolysis, stability experiments, fluorescence quenching experiments, cyclic voltammetry, and electron spin resonance spin trapping (ESR‐ST) experiments, collectively contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the photochemical mechanisms. Photoinitiation capacities of these systems are determined using real‐time Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (RT‐FTIR). Of particular interest is the revelation that, owing to the superior initiation ability of these dyes, high‐resolution 3D patterns can be manufactured by direct laser write (DLW) technology and 3D printing. This underscores the efficient initiation of free radical polymerization processes by the newly developed dyes under both artificial and natural light sources, presenting an avenue for energy‐saving, and environmentally friendly polymerization conditions.
Dependence of Interlayer or Sulfur Host on Hollow Framework of Lithium–Sulfur Battery
Authors: Chen Qilan , Li Junhao , Pan Jiajie , Li Tong , Wang Kaixin , Li Xu , Shi Kaixiang , Min Yonggang , Liu Quanbing
Published: March 2024

Lithium–sulfur batteries are recognized as the next generation of high‐specific energy secondary batteries owing to their satisfactory theoretical specific capacity and energy density. However, their commercial application is greatly limited by a series of problems, including disordered migration behavior, sluggish redox kinetics, and the serious shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides. One of the most efficient approaches to physically limit the shuttle effect is the rational design of a hollow framework as sulfur host. However, the influence of the hollow structure on the interlayers has not been clearly reported. In this study, the Mo2C/C catalysts with hollow(H‐Mo2C/C) and solid(S‐Mo2C/C) frameworks are rationally designed to explore the dependence of the hollow structure on the interlayer or sulfur host. In contrast to the physical limitations of the hollow framework as host, the hollow structure of the interlayer inhibited lithium‐ion diffusion, resulting in poor electrochemical properties at high current densities. Based on the superiority of the various frameworks, the H‐Mo2C/C@S | S‐Mo2C/C@PP | Li cells are assembled and displayed excellent electrochemical performance. This work re‐examines the design requirements and principles of catalyst frameworks in different battery units.
Integration of Multijunction Absorbers and Catalysts for Efficient Solar‐Driven Artificial Leaf Structures: A Physical and Materials Science Perspective
Authors: Hannappel Thomas , Shekarabi Sahar , Jaegermann Wolfram , Runge Erich , Hofmann Jan Philipp , van de Krol Roel , May Matthias M. , Paszuk Agnieszka , Hess Franziska , Bergmann Arno , Bund Andreas , Cierpka Christian , Dreßler Christian , Dionigi Fabio , Friedrich Dennis , Favaro Marco , Krischok Stefan , Kurniawan Mario , Lüdge Kathy , Lei Yong , Roldán Cuenya Beatriz , Schaaf Peter , Schmidt‐Grund Rüdiger , Schmidt Wolf Gero , Strasser Peter , Unger Eva , Vasquez Montoya Manuel F. , Wang Dong , Zhang Hongbin
Published: March 2024

Artificial leaves could be the breakthrough technology to overcome the limitations of storage and mobility through the synthesis of chemical fuels from sunlight, which will be an essential component of a sustainable future energy system. However, the realization of efficient solar‐driven artificial leaf structures requires integrated specialized materials such as semiconductor absorbers, catalysts, interfacial passivation, and contact layers. To date, no competitive system has emerged due to a lack of scientific understanding, knowledge‐based design rules, and scalable engineering strategies. Herein, competitive artificial leaf devices for water splitting, focusing on multiabsorber structures to achieve solar‐to‐hydrogen conversion efficiencies exceeding 15%, are discussed. A key challenge is integrating photovoltaic and electrochemical functionalities in a single device. Additionally, optimal electrocatalysts for intermittent operation at photocurrent densities of 10–20 mA cm−2 must be immobilized on the absorbers with specifically designed interfacial passivation and contact layers, so‐called buried junctions. This minimizes voltage and current losses and prevents corrosive side reactions. Key challenges include understanding elementary steps, identifying suitable materials, and developing synthesis and processing techniques for all integrated components. This is crucial for efficient, robust, and scalable devices. Herein, corresponding research efforts to produce green hydrogen with unassisted solar‐driven (photo‐)electrochemical devices are discussed and reported.
Blockchain integration in big data: Review, vision, and opportunities
Authors: Bakhtiary Vahid , Rahmani Amir Masoud
Published: March 2024

Big data has attracted extensive attention from industries and universities during the past few years. Big data is crucial in many fields, such as business analytics, healthcare, the Internet of Things (IoT), smart home, supply chain, transportation, and fraud detection. Nevertheless, some challenges must be addressed, such as decentralization, integration, data sharing, privacy, and security. On the other hand, blockchain has numerous potential for improving big data services and applications because of its decentralized, verifiable, and anti‐tamper features. We apply the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach in this study to investigate blockchain integrity in big data and understand the different topics and significant areas already presented. This paper aims to analyze studies on blockchain integration in big data published between 2017 and 2022. A technical taxonomy is presented for blockchain integration into big data, including data storage, security, and applications based on the field of articles selected by the SLR method. Finally, the achievements and shortcomings of each study are discussed, and future research challenges and open issues related to blockchain integration in big data are highlighted.
Shearing performances of the detachable prefabricated composite beams with different types of connectors
Authors: Chen Jun , Zeng Linhui , Chen Chao , Xiang Ping , Zhang Xuebing , Yang Caiqian , Ding Faxing , Xu Fu
Published: March 2024

The shear performance of precast composite beams with stud connectors and detachable prefabricated composite beams with high‐strength bolt connectors are tested and studied. A total of 12 push‐out specimens were designed for tests, and then the nonlinear finite element models of two kinds of composite beams with different types of connectors were developed. Results show that the failure mode of all push‐out specimens is the shear failure of connectors, but the load‐slip curves of the two connectors are obviously different. It is found that the stiffness of stud connectors is higher, and the ultimate bearing capacity of high‐strength bolt connectors is higher. For stud connectors and high‐strength bolt connectors in this work, the reduction of shear capacity of connectors caused by the group nail effect is not considered. Moreover, the effects of different parameters on the shear performance of stud connectors and high strength bolt connectors were studied by using finite element model. The optimal preload applied to high‐strength bolt connectors with different diameters and strength grades was obtained.
A time out for prayer
Authors: Javid Patrick J. , Joharifard Shahrzad , Nyagetuba Muma J. K. , Hansen Erik N.
Published: March 2024

Compassionate care of the surgical patient recognizes the wholeness of each individual. Patients and their caregivers come to healthcare providers with the hope of relief from pain and suffering and aspirations for the potential to feel well or be “normal” again. Many lean on their personal faith and prayer for spiritual comfort and petitions for healing. We discuss a case in which prayer is incorporated into the surgical Time Out, a scenario not uncommon in faith‐based hospitals, and offer a framework to evaluate the practice that incorporates ethical principles of beneficence, non‐maleficence, patient/parental autonomy, justice, and the fiduciary responsibility of the healthcare provider.
Ethical Lessons from Yesteryear: A History of Black Buffalo’s Struggle for Food and Equity
Authors: Griffin Domonique , Hall Gabriella , Wright Alexander J.
Published: March 2024

Historically, Black Buffalonians have adopted formal and informal means of eliminating disparities in the food system. While some of these efforts concentrate solely on improving food access, or people’s ability to procure healthy and affordable food, there have also been efforts to use food as a means of transforming the economic reality of Black communities. This chapter builds on the existing body of black studies and food justice literature to examine the intersections between local food politics and ethics. Utilizing Buffalo, New York, as a case study, this chapter will explore the efforts and ethics of Black residents who envisioned food as a means to transform the sociopolitical landscape of the city. In doing so, we uncover how different groups were driven by the ethics of process and results, and embodied principles of ethical engagement outlined by Howe and Kaufman even before their time. The historical underpinnings of black food work in Buffalo, N.Y. offer valuable lessons about the accomplishments, challenges, and potential next steps toward creating community-oriented food systems.
Municipal Planning Response to Urban Agriculture: Equity is Not Quite on the Table
Authors: Raja Samina , Raj Subhashni , Ramos-Gerena Carol E.
Published: March 2024

Public policy is the decision to act, or not to act, by a government entity in response to a societal issue. Nearly 40,000 local, regional, and metropolitan governments across the United States routinely develop and implement policies in a variety of domains, ranging from ensuring public safety to the provision of physical infrastructure. Since the early 2000s, community advocates and scholars, in part urged by Jerome Kaufman and colleagues, called on local governments to develop, support, and/or implement policies that strengthen, rather than hinder, urban agriculture and food systems. This chapter, an overview of a section on municipal policy for a book that honors Jerome Kaufman’s legacy, describes the extent to which local and regional governments engage in urban agriculture policy using an equity-centered, ethically grounded approach. The chapter summarizes a collection of perspectives on municipal policy co-authored by scholars and policy practitioners from around the United States. Since Jerry’s call to action for planners, urban agriculture is increasingly recognized as a space for local government engagement. That said, the authors conclude that municipal governments continue to struggle to center questions of equity and ethics in their policymaking even as they claim to have a progressive approach toward urban agriculture.
Urban Agriculture Embedded in a Food Systems Approach: The Baltimore Story
Authors: Buzogany Sarah , Cocke Abby , Freishtat Holly , Mui Yeeli , Strauss Mariya , Kelly Sylvia
Published: March 2024

The City of Baltimore has made great progress in developing its urban agriculture policies over the last decade, as part of an overall food systems approach to sustainability. This work has been the result of intensive investment in planning efforts, mapping, inter-agency partnerships, and community engagement. Specific areas of policy development include zoning and permitting, land leasing, healthy soil regulations, and incentives for growers. There have been challenges along the way, specifically around staffing and funding, appropriately including resident voices, and differing city agency priorities, particularly on the issue of land access.

Examining Baltimore’s trajectory yields insights and lessons for other cities seeking to develop their own policies around urban agriculture, particularly in regards to establishing food and farming as city priorities, using food environment mapping as a powerful tool to show areas of need and opportunity, and properly framing the issues at play for decision-makers and community members. The greatest takeaway from Baltimore’s experience is the importance of mainstreaming food policy into urban planning, not as a sidebar but as a consistent bedrock priority. A key community partner, the Farm Alliance of Baltimore, is highlighted at the end of the chapter.
Theories and Foundations: Ethics, Urban Agriculture, and Planning
Authors: Born Branden
Published: March 2024

Early work in planning for food systems emphasized practice and approaches based on common planning methods over a robust theoretical framework. This may have been a strategic choice, but it is worth re-examining. In this section of five chapters, we develop rationales for why and examples of how theory might be applied to make practice better. The section draws out implied theoretical connections in the first wave of food systems scholarship in planning and begins to outline current food systems planning thought that is explicitly theoretical and pushes scholarship in new directions. One challenge to scholars in food systems planning is to be more critical about how and where their work is situated and the implications of different types of action; we do not want food systems planning to recreate past planning errors. How can such scholarship directly consider justice, empowerment, control, and epistemologies that drive action? And, how might ethical considerations be related to food systems scholarship? This section seeks to demonstrate that theory and ethics can be motivators for advancing the field intellectually and practically.
On Collaboration in Teaching a Food Planning Course
Authors: Kaufman Jerome L. , Caton Campbell Marcia
Published: March 2024

This article fills a gap in knowledge related to the preparation of future food systems professionals and scholars. Specifically, the article explores challenges and opportunities encountered by educators who teach food systems courses in university settings. The topic of food systems has recently experienced a boost in acceptance as an area of academic inquiry and legitimate professional practice. The article presents seven first-hand accounts by university educators who reflect back on their early experiences teaching courses on food systems in the discipline of urban planning. Set within a specific global region — North America — the findings are relevant to other professions and academic disciplines grappling with the topic of food systems. The analysis points to tensions and opportunities related to the professionalization of this emergent field of research and practice.
The Art of the Town-Gown Dance: Healing Legacies of Harm in our Food System through Equitable Pedagogy
Authors: Denckla Cobb Tanya , Bingham Shantell
Published: March 2024

As legacies of harm are surfacing in the 21st century, universities have new opportunities for addressing past traumas and transforming historically tense town-gown relationships. Food systems planning and urban agriculture faculty are perfectly positioned to help bridge the university-community divide because their work so often centers on community and equity. Urban ag and food systems faculty can use academy resources as a force for good, to advance equity and system change in the neighboring community. But this goal is challenged by the constraints of the one-semester classroom, along with the lack of adequate guidelines for faculty and students in how to navigate the complex world of community engagement that seeks systemic change to advance equity. Using the University of Virginia experience with Charlottesville, authors provide examples of why university classroom engagement with the community is fraught with landmines that can perpetuate inequities and legacies of harm. This dynamic can further erode relationships and lead neighboring communities to view universities as “extractive industries.” Coining the term “equitable pedagogy,” the authors draw on three different sets of values and best practices to propose a new framework for how university classes might engage with community. Equitable pedagogy distinguishes between engagement that aims to support grasstops and that which aims to support long-term systemic change through the grassroots. A decision tree and core values help faculty navigate these complexities, to avoid perpetuating privilege and systemic inequities and, instead, foster a relationship with community that is mutually beneficial and synergistic.
Toward City- and People-Centered Food Policy
Authors: Roberts Wayne
Published: March 2024

Although writing about the importance of food systems for urban planners, Jerome Kaufman influenced the thinking of policy leaders and practitioners across the world including Dr. Wayne Roberts, the author of this chapter. A remarkable food policy leader in his own right, Dr. Wayne Roberts authored this chapter shortly before his passing, reflecting on Kaufman’s influence on the field and his own work. Roberts wrote that “the lack of imagination [in city government] resulting from professional over-specialization is a major barrier to more interactive conversation, learning, and partnership among city planners and Good Food advocates.” Roberts critiques the narrow ‘supply chain’ or ‘nutritionism’ approaches to understanding urban food systems. Rather, he argues that a broader view where “food’s many contributions to personal, psychological, cultural, spiritual, social, environmental and economic development of people, and the mooring of people in their time and place” ought to drive how cities view food. Roberts’ policy leadership in Toronto and Kaufman’s scholarship represent the best of what is possible in municipal policy through open-minded thinking and strategic action. This chapter, Dr. Roberts’ last piece of formal writing, leaves readers with rich ideas for developing people-centered municipal food policy. To learn more about food policy in Toronto, please contact the corresponding author.
The Intersection of Planning, Urban Agriculture, and Food Justice: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Horst Megan , McClintock Nathan , Hoey Lesli
Published: March 2024

Problem, research strategy, and findings: We draw on a multidisciplinary body of research to consider how planning for urban agriculture can foster food justice by benefitting socioeconomically disadvantaged residents. The potential social benefits of urban agriculture include increased access to food, positive health impacts, skill building, community development, and connections to broader social change efforts.

The literature suggests, however, caution in automatically conflating urban agriculture’s social benefits with the goals of food justice. Urban agriculture may reinforce and deepen societal inequities by benefitting better resourced organizations and the propertied class and contributing to the displacement of lower-income households. The precarious- ness of land access for urban agriculture is another limitation, particularly for disadvantaged communities. Planners have recently begun to pay increased attention to urban agriculture but should more explicitly sup- port the goals of food justice in their urban agriculture policies and programs.

Takeaway for practice: We suggest several key strategies for planners to more explicitly orient their urban agriculture efforts to support food justice, including prioritizing urban agriculture in long-term planning efforts, developing mutually respectful relationships with food justice organizations and urban agriculture participants from diverse backgrounds, targeting city investments in urban agriculture to benefit historically disadvantaged communities, increasing the amount of land permanently available for urban agriculture, and confronting the threats of gentrification and displacement from urban agriculture. We demonstrate how the city of Seattle (WA) used an equity lens in all of its programs to shift its urban agriculture planning to more explicitly foster food justice, providing clear examples for other cities.
Reading Humanitarianism Critically
Authors: Kemedjio Cilas , Lynch Cecelia
Published: March 2024

This chapter sets the tone of the volume’s challenge to the humanitarian imaginary by articulating why reversing the conventional narrative, of Africa as dependent upon external aid, is imperative. We ask what the impact on humanitarianism would be if the humanitarian industry were to take seriously Ngũgı̃’s argument that we need to understand Africa’s centuries-long role as “giver” to the west instead of “recipient” of charity from it. Using insights from Franz Fanon and African feminists as well as Ngũgı̃, we call for a postcolonial audit of historical encounters between Africa and the west, emphasizing the need to examine critically the practices and assumptions of humanitarians from the colonial era to the present. We outline how the various chapters in the volume contribute to the task of reframing, in order to transform and decolonize humanitarianism in ways that equalize power relationships, and center and celebrate African agency.
Social Accountability in Review: From Conceptual Models to Grounded Practices of Civic Innovation
Authors: Vloeberghs Ward , Bergh Sylvia I.
Published: March 2024

This chapter offers a working definition of social accountability as any citizen-led action beyond elections that aims to enhance the accountability of state actors. We view social accountability as a broad array of predominantly bottom-up initiatives, aimed at improving the quality of governance (especially oversight and responsiveness) through active citizen participation. We also trace the evolution of SA as a concept in the literature over the past decades and, then, discuss some influential theoretic approaches to SAIs, pointing out strengths and weaknesses of each model. Finally, we suggest organising Arab SAIs into one of three categories: (1) transparency; (2) advocacy; or (3) participatory governance and we review each of these existing action formats by discussing their main strengths and flaws.
Social Accountability in Tunisia: Processes of Learning in Civic Innovation Between 2011 and 2021
Authors: Kherigi Intissar , Chirchi Tasnim
Published: March 2024

This chapter explores the different conceptions of social accountability held by Tunisian civil society actors and public officials in the context of the country’s transition from authoritarian rule between 2011 and 2021. It analyses the strategies and methods used by civil society actors to engage citizens in demanding accountability, to exact accountability from public officials and to enforce commitments. The chapter draws on qualitative research methods, namely semi-structured interviews, one focus group discussion and three in-depth case studies conducted between April and September 2021. We find that four main factors were important to the success of SA initiatives: first, the need for civil society to build credibility with both citizens and officials over time; second, the importance of tackling both ends of the accountability equation by working with citizens and officials to strengthen the commitment of both to accountability; third, the need to build coalitions of CSOs and local–national civil society linkages; and fourth, utilising cooperative as well as confrontational strategies towards officials that involve multiple methods, such as media campaigns, community mobilisation and training for officials. When these factors were present, SA initiatives were seen to advance downward accountability and reshape state–society relations.
Cooperative Processing and Learning Methods for High-Resolution Environmental Perception
Authors: Barbieri Luca
Published: March 2024

Cooperative positioning approaches enable interconnected agents to share information across the network, thereby improving accuracy, reliability, and safety compared to conventional single-agent localization methods. This chapter presents novel cooperative localization and learning strategies to provide precise positioning in harsh propagating environments as well as reliable environmental mapping for highly-dynamic scenarios. At first, positioning and environmental perception tasks are addressed separately. More specifically, augmentation strategies are proposed to improve positioning accuracy in complex environments by exploiting prior information on the tracking environment. Next, decentralized Federated Learning (FL) policies are developed to obtain accurate environmental sensing at the agents in a privacy-preserving and communication-efficient manner. Then, the localization and environmental perception problems are solved via a unified solution by designing a data-driven cooperative strategy where agents collaborate to enhance their environmental awareness and their positioning capabilities concurrently. Finally, Bayesian FL tools are developed so that the agents are able to incorporate uncertainty in their decisions and consequently provide trustworthy environmental perception. The achieved results show how the proposed techniques can enable accurate, communication-efficient, and trustworthy localization and sensing.
Synthesis of Filters and Filtering Antennas for Micro and Millimeter Waves Applications
Authors: Caicedo Mejillones Steven , Oldoni Matteo , D’Amico Michele
Published: March 2024

Filters and antennas are the closest building blocks to the air interface in modern wireless communications systems. Filters allow the transmission of signals in a target frequency range and attenuate those that operate in the unwanted range. Antennas help radiate signals within their operating range. This article is a summary of the author’s doctoral thesis and focuses on the development of new synthesis-based methods for the design of these two building blocks and the integration between them, in other words, filtennas. The main advantage of the synthesis-based design is that the expected frequency response of the final prototype is approximated in advance. Therefore, the selection of the best solution that satisfies the given requirements can be done through fast but accurate circuit simulations. When the best solution is found, then the actual prototype is designed according to the synthesized circuit.
Innovative Cross-Layer Optimization Techniques for the Design of Optical Networks
Authors: Ibrahimi Mëmëdhe
Published: March 2024

Optical networks have become indispensable in the era of 5G-and-beyond communications, supporting applications that require unprecedented capacity, reliability, and high Quality-of-Transmission (QoT) of lightpaths. To meet these requirements, network operators strive to provide innovative solutions while managing network costs effectively. This work summarizes the main findings of my Ph.D. thesis Innovative Cross-Layer Optimization Techniques for the Design of Filterless and Wavelength-Switched Optical Networks, that has been conducted in partnership with an industrial partner, SM-Optics. The main objective of the Ph.D. thesis is to investigate solutions to reduce network costs while enabling network expandability through novel network architectures. To ensure cost savings and scalability, (1) we optimize the deployment of Optical Amplifiers (OA) while accurately modeling physical layer impairments in filterless networks, (2) we propose a modular node architecture relying on pluggable devices and a scalable add/drop section at the node level for traffic grooming and capacity increase, and (3) we investigate the application of Machine Learning (ML)—regression approaches to estimate lightpaths’ QoT as they allow to make informed decisions about how conservative or aggressive a network operator can be when taking network planning choices, i.e., deploying a new lightpath. Numerical evaluations show that our proposed approaches achieve significant cost savings compared to benchmark approaches: (1) $${\sim }50\%$$

∼
50
%

savings in OA cost, (2) $${\sim }50\%$$

∼
50
%

savings in node architecture equipment cost, (3) $${\sim }70\%$$

∼
70
%

in penalty costs for deploying wrong lightpath configurations.
FPGA-Based Design and Implementation of a Code-Based Post-quantum KEM
Authors: Galimberti Andrea
Published: March 2024

Post-quantum cryptography aims to design cryptosystems that can be deployed on traditional computers and resist attacks from quantum computers, which are widely expected to break the currently deployed public-key cryptography solutions in the upcoming decades. Providing effective hardware support is crucial to ensuring a wide adoption of post-quantum cryptography solutions, and it is one of the requirements set by the USA’s National Institute of Standards and Technology within its ongoing standardization process. This research delivers a configurable FPGA-based hardware architecture to support BIKE, a post-quantum QC-MDPC code-based key encapsulation mechanism. The proposed architecture is configurable through a set of architectural and code parameters, which make it efficient, providing good performance while using the resources available on FPGAs effectively, flexible, allowing to support different large QC-MDPC codes defined by the designers of the cryptosystem, and scalable, targeting the whole Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA family. Two separate modules target the cryptographic functionality of the client and server nodes of the quantum-resistant key exchange, respectively, and a complexity-based heuristic that leverages the knowledge of the time and space complexity of the configurable hardware components steers the design space exploration to identify their best parameterization. The proposed architecture outperforms the state-of-the-art reference software that exploits the Intel AVX2 extension and runs on a desktop-class CPU by 1.77 and 1.98 times, respectively, for AES-128- and AES-192-equivalent security instances of BIKE, and it provides a speedup of more than six times compared to the fastest reference state-of-the-art hardware architecture, which targets the same FPGA family.
Model-Driven Development of Formally Verified Human-Robot Interactions
Authors: Lestingi Livia
Published: March 2024

Introducing service robots into everyday settings entails a significant technological shift for the robotics community. Service settings are characterized by critical sources of uncertainty (mainly due to human behavior) that current software engineering techniques do not handle. This chapter introduces a model-driven framework for developing interactive service robotic scenarios, relying on formal verification to guarantee robustness with respect to unexpected runtime contingencies. Target users specify the characteristics of the scenario under analysis through a custom textual Domain-Specific Language, which is then automatically converted into a network of Stochastic Hybrid Automata. The formal model captures non-traditional physiological (e.g., physical fatigue) and behavioral aspects of the human subjects. Through Statistical Model Checking, it is possible to estimate several quality metrics: if these meet the set dependability requirements, the scenario can be deployed. Specifically, the framework allows for deployment on the field or simulation. Field-collected data are fed to a novel active automata learning algorithm, called $$\textsf{L}^*_\textrm{SHA}$$

L
SHA
∗

, to learn an updated model of human behavior. The formal analysis can then be iterated to update the scenario’s design. The overall approach has been assessed in terms of effectiveness and accuracy through realistic scenarios from the healthcare setting.
Electronic Bio-Reconfigurable Impedance Platform for High Sensitivity Detection of Target Analytes
Authors: Piedimonte Paola
Published: March 2024

The present research presents a portable bioelectronic platform for multiplex detection to read biosensor chips with several sensing sites for real-time analyte capture. The technique is based on Differential Impedance Sensing (DIS) of the target through functionalized nanoparticle amplification. Gold-interdigitated microelectrodes are the core of the biosensing system. They are designed in a differential configuration, reference and active sensor, to counteract all possible mismatches such as temperature fluctuations and variations in the ion content of the solution. The surface of the sensor is biochemically functionalized with a synthetic probe specifically developed for the selected target. The successful combination of all of these elements allowed the system to detect IgG antibodies spiked in buffer with a limit of detection of below 100 pg/mL. In a real case study for viral infection diagnosis, the system has been challenged with infected human serum samples for digital counts of anti-dengue virus antibodies, achieving the detection of clinically relevant target concentrations. Also, the bio-reconfigurability of the system has been successfully tested with oligonucleotide detection down to pM target concentration. To allow the portability of the entire measurement setup, the setup has been equipped with a custom electronic board based on an FPGA module allowing a multiplexing approach for the parallel reading of several electrodes. The final system provides simple and effective bio-reconfigurability, exploiting advances in bio-recognition through proper probe selection and boosting the possible use of multiplex sensing to a broad spectrum of needs.
Model Predictive Control for Constrained Navigation of Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Saccani Danilo
Published: March 2024

As autonomous vehicles become increasingly prevalent in our daily lives, new control challenges arise to ensure their safety and the safety of their surroundings. This work addresses these challenges by developing a suitable regulator that strikes a balance between different objectives. The first one is ‘safety’, which involves satisfying constraints and consistently avoiding obstacles. The second objective is ‘exploitation’, which aims to optimize the utilization of existing knowledge about the environment, reducing the overly cautious behaviour of guaranteed collision-free approaches. The third objective is ‘exploration’, which pertains to the ability to discover potential unknown areas while avoiding getting stuck in blocked regions. The design of motion planning algorithms for such systems requires carefully managing the trade-off between these requirements. Among the various approaches to dynamic path planning, discrete optimization methods such as Model Predictive Control (MPC) have gained significant attention. MPC excels in handling state and input constraints to ensure safety while minimizing a cost function defined by the user, enabling both exploitation and exploration aspects. By developing a suitable regulator and leveraging MPC approaches, this work aims to address the complex control challenges faced by autonomous vehicles and other safety-critical applications, ensuring a balance between safety, exploitation, and exploration.