bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mexican and Puerto Rican Men’s Preferences Regarding a Healthy Eating, Physical Activity and Body Image Intervention
Authors: Sanchez-Johnsen Lisa , Dykema-Engblade Amanda , Rosas Carlos E. , Calderon Leonilda , Rademaker Alfred , Nava Magdalena , Hassan Chandra
Published: November 2022

This study examined the logistical, practical, and cultural preferences of Latinos regarding the design of a healthy eating, physical activity, and body image intervention. Puerto Rican and Mexican men (n = 203) completed an interview as part of an NIH-funded study. Overall, 66.5% preferred the intervention to be in Spanish only or both Spanish and English; 88.67% said it was moderately, very or extremely important for the intervention leader to be bilingual; and 66.01% considered it moderately to extremely important for the leader to be Hispanic or Latino. Most participants (83.74%) reported they would be willing to attend an intervention that met twice per week and 74.38% said they would be willing to attend an intervention that met for 1.5 to 2 h, twice weekly. Overall, the majority said they would be moderately to extremely interested in attending an exercise program if it consisted of aerobics with Latin or salsa movements (74.88%) and if it consisted of aerobics with Latin or salsa music (70.44%). Some participants were moderately to extremely interested in attending an intervention if it included dichos (Latino sayings) (65.02%) and cuentos (folktales or stories) (69.46%). The findings have implications for lifestyle and body image interventions aimed at preventing cardiometabolic diseases.
The Ethanolic Extract of Gomphrena celosioides Mart. Does Not Alter Reproductive Performance or Embryo-Fetal Development, nor Does It Cause Chromosomal Damage
Authors: Salustriano Fabricia Rodrigues , Monreal Antonio Carlos Duenhas , das Neves Silvia Cordeiro , de Oliveira Giovana Martins , de Oliveira Diego Duarte Marques , Vilela Marcelo Luiz Brandão , do Nascimento Valter Aragão , Martins Allana Cristina Faustino , Saroja Baby , Karuppusamy Arunachalam , Coelho Henrique Rodrigues Scherer , Kassuya Candida Aparecida Leite , Gelves Dayanna Isabel Araque , Salvador Marcos José , Oliveira Rodrigo Juliano , Gomes Roberto da Silva
Published: November 2022

Gomphrena celosioides is a native Brazilian plant found in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. It is used in folk medicine to treat kidney diseases, skin diseases, infections, rheumatism, gastrointestinal diseases, and respiratory diseases. It is also used as an abortifacient. To evaluate the effects of the ethanolic extract of Gomphrena celosioides (EEGc) on reproductive performance, embryo development, and chromosome stability, Swiss mice were randomly divided into experimental groups (n = 10). The animals in the control group received the vehicle Tween 80–1% in the proportion of 0.1 mL/10 g of body weight orally, from the first to the 18th gestational day. The animals in the treatment groups received the EEGc (100, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg) from the first to the 18th gestational day. The animals underwent evaluations of their reproductive performance and embryofetal development. The results showed that the EEGc did not change the animals’ final weight, weight gain, uterine weight, or net weight gain. The evaluation showed that the absolute and relative organs’ weights did not vary between the different experimental groups. In addition, the EEGc did not change the numbers of implants, live fetuses, dead fetuses, or fetal resorptions. There were no differences in post-operative loss rates, implantations, or resorptions, nor were there differences in fetal viability or sex ratio. The use of the EEGc did not result in different frequencies of malformations. In addition, the EEGc did not alter the frequency of chromosomal damage or frequency of micronuclei. Based on our findings, we considered the extract of Gomphrena celosioides to be safe for use during pregnancy, although some parameters indicated caution in its use.
Density Awareness and Neighborhood Attention for LiDAR-Based 3D Object Detection
Authors: Qian Hanxiang , Wu Peng , Sun Xiaoyong , Guo Xiaojun , Su Shaojing
Published: November 2022

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is widely used in the automotive industry as it can provide point cloud information containing precise distances. Three-dimensional (3D) object detection based on LiDAR point clouds is significant for environment perception tasks. However, feature learning for point clouds remains challenging. This paper proposes a two-stage voxel-based LiDAR 3D object detector, referred to as density-aware and neighborhood attention (DenNet), that focuses on the neighborhood information of objects. DenNet mainly integrates two modules: voxel density-aware (VDA) and neighborhood attention (NA). VDA introduces density information of the point cloud. Here, point cloud density information was added as voxel features in the voxel-based framework to alleviate the information loss during voxelization. Additionally, to extract neighbor information, the characteristics of 3D objects were analyzed for traffic scenes. The NA mechanism was adopted, which localizes the receptive field for each query to its nearest neighboring points. DenNet yielded competitive results, as compared with state-of-the-art methods, for the KITTI and One Million Scenes (ONCE) datasets; notably, it afforded an improvement of 3.96% relative to the baseline mean average precision on the more challenging ONCE dataset.
Generation, Transmission, and Amplification of OAM Modes in the PbSe-Doped Ring-Core Fiber Carrying 3D Printed Spiral Phase Plate
Authors: Shang Yana , Wei Huimei , Guo Hengfei , Chen Na , Chen Zhenyi , Wei Heming , Wang Kemin , Dong Yanhua , Pang Fufei , Wang Tingyun
Published: November 2022

Vortex beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) have increasingly attracted attention in the field of optical communication. However, transmission is still an issue due to transmission loss, especially in optical fibers. In this work, we proposed, designed, and fabricated micro spiral phase plates (SPPs) directly on an end facet of a piece of PbSe-doped ring-core fiber (RCF) through two-photon polymerization, realizing the integration of OAM beam generation, transmission, and amplification. The prepared RCF comprises a double-clad structure with a core-clad refractive index difference of 2.2% and the fluorescence range is 1150 nm–1700 nm. The intensity distribution of the OAM beam and the spiral interference fringes were obtained, which indicated that the OAM mode (|l|=1, 2, 3, 4) was generated and transmitted directly within the fiber. The small-signal amplification of four OAM modes was accomplished at 1550 nm under a pump power of 634 mW. The on–off gain is >13.2 dB for all modes and the differential mode gain (DMG) is <1.7 dB. The SPP-carrying RCF structure demonstrates the integration of generation, transmission, and amplification of higher-order OAM modes in all-fiber systems.
Effects of Chilling Treatment on Baicalin, Baicalein, and Wogonin Biosynthesis in Scutellaria baicalensis Plantlets
Authors: Yeo Hyeon Ji , Park Chang Ha , Kim Jae Kwang , Sathasivam Ramaraj , Jeong Jae Cheol , Kim Cha Young , Park Sang Un
Published: November 2022

When plants are exposed to stressful conditions, they modulate their nutrient balance by regulating their primary and secondary metabolisms to adapt. In this study, changes in primary and secondary metabolites elicited by chilling stress treatment and the effects of treatment duration were examined in roots of Scutellaria baicalensis (S. baicalensis) plantlets. The concentrations of most sugars (maltose, glucose, sucrose, and fructose) and of several amino acids (proline and GABA), which are crucial regarding plant defense mechanisms, increased with increasing duration of chilling stress. Furthermore, salicylic acid levels increased after two-day chilling treatments, which may enhance plant tolerance to cold temperatures. The concentrations of flavones (baicalin, baicalein, and wogonin) increased during chilling stress, and those of phenolic acids (ferulic acid and sinapic acid) increased after two-day chilling treatments. The concentrations of these flavones were positively correlated with sucrose levels which acted as energy sources.
Constituents, Enantiomeric Content, and ChE Inhibitory Activity of the Essential Oil from Hypericum laricifolium Juss. Aerial Parts Collected in Ecuador
Authors: Salinas Melissa , Bec Nicole , Calva James , Larroque Christian , Vidari Giovanni , Armijos Chabaco
Published: November 2022

The physical properties, chemical composition, enantiomer distribution, and cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitory activity were determined for a steam-distilled essential oil (EO), with a yield of 0.15 ± 0.05 % (w/w), from H. laricifolium aerial parts, collected in southern Ecuador. The oil qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed by GC-EIMS and GC-FID techniques, using two capillary columns containing a non-polar 5%-phenyl-methylpolysiloxane and a polar polyethylene glycol stationary phase, respectively. The main constituents (>10%) detected on the two columns were, respectively, limonene (24.29, 23.16%), (E)-β-ocimene (21.89, 27.15%), and (Z)-β-ocimene (12.88, 16.03%). The EO enantioselective analysis was carried out using a column based on 2,3-diethyl-6-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-β-cyclodextrin. Two mixtures of chiral monoterpenes were detected containing (1R,5R)-(+)-α-pinene (ee = 83.68%), and (S)-(-)-limonene (ee = 88.30%) as the major enantiomers. This finding led to some hypotheses about the existence in the plant of two enantioselective biosynthetic pathways. Finally, the EO exhibited selective inhibitory effects in vitro against butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) (IC50 = 36.80 ± 2.40 µg/mL), which were about three times greater than against acetylcholinesterase (IC50 = 106.10 ± 20.20). Thus, the EO from Ecuadorian H. laricifolium is an interesting candidate for investigating the mechanism of the selective inhibition of BuChE and for discovering novel drugs to manage the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Cotton Seedling Root Growth Parameters and Enzyme Activity
Authors: Cao Zhenxi , Wang Xingpeng , Gao Yang
Published: November 2022

It is well known that the survival rate of cotton seedlings is low, and the growth and development status at this stage is crucial to improve productivity. Plant hormones are important factors that promote the growth and development of cotton seedlings. Growth regulators have the same function as plant hormones. The purpose of this research is to explore the effects of different concentrations of growth regulators on cotton root morphological parameters and enzyme activities, and to find suitable plant growth regulators and their optimal concentrations to improve the growth of the cotton seedling root system. Three cotton varieties, “Zhongmian 619” (Z619), “Xinluzao 27” (Z27), and “Xinluzao 39” (Z39), and three growth regulators, gibberellin (GA3), salicylic acid (SA), and paclobutrazol (PP333), at three concentrations were used in our experiment. In Z619 and Z27, 0.050 mg/L GA3 significantly increased the total root length. Similarly, 0.010 mmol/L SA significantly increased the root growth parameters of Z619 and Z39. In Z619, 0.1 mg/L PP333 significantly increased the total root length and total surface area and reduced the average root diameter. For all three cotton varieties, 0.050 mg/L GA3 increased peroxidase (POD) activity in the roots. In Z27 and Z39, 0.80 mg/L GA3 increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the roots. All SA concentrations increased SOD activity in roots of Z619 and Z27; 0.10 mg/L PP333 significantly increased SOD and POD activities in the roots of Z619 and significantly increased SOD activity in Z27. Principal component analysis indicated that 0.10 mmol/L SA was the optimal treatment for promoting the development of the roots of Z619 and 0.050 mmol/L SA was the optimal treatment for promoting the development of the roots of Z27 and Z39.
Multi-Scale Evaluation of the Effect of Thermal Modification on Chemical Components, Dimensional Stability, and Anti-Mildew Properties of Moso Bamboo
Authors: Xiao Xiao , Liang Xingyu , Peng Haozhe , Wang Kaili , Liu Xiaorong , Li Yanjun
Published: November 2022

By promoting greenhouse gas sequestration, bamboo and bamboo-based products can improve carbon storage, and thus help decrease greenhouses gas emission through replacing traditional products like concrete, steel, and alloy. Thermal modification is a useful way to effectively enhance the dimensional stability and mold-resistance property of bamboo and bamboo-based products compared with chemical treatment. This work investigates the change in anti-mildew properties, micro-structure, and chemical composition of bamboo after heat treatment. Saturated steam heat treatment was applied for this project. SEM results showed that the structural damage of parenchyma cells resulted in the separation of thin-walled cells and vascular bundles. Thus, the original regular structure of bamboo, characterized by plump and intact cells, changed markedly. After thermal modification, bamboo samples exhibited improved dimensional stability and anti-fungal properties due to the decrement of hemicellulose and cellulose. The hardness and MOE of the modified bamboo were 0.75 and 20.6 GPa, respectively.
Manufacturing of Soft Contact Lenses Using Reusable and Reliable Cyclic Olefin Copolymer Moulds
Authors: Musgrave Christopher , O’Toole Lorcan , Mao Tianyu , Li Qing , Lai Min , Fang Fengzhou
Published: November 2022

We present experimental evidence of reusable, reliable cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) moulds in soft contact lens manufacturing. The moulds showed high performance surface roughness characteristics despite >20 kW exposure to 365 nm ultraviolet (UV) light from repeated use. Ultra-precision manufacturing techniques were used to fabricate transparent COC mould inserts and to produce soft contact lenses from liquid monomer compositions. Both polymer and silicone hydrogels were fabricated with more than 60 individual uses of the moulds. White light interferometry measured the surface roughness (Sa) of the COC moulds to be almost unchanged before and after repeated use (Sa 16.3 nm before vs. 16.6 nm after). The surface roughness of the prototyped lenses and that of commercially available soft contact lenses were then compared by white light interferometry. The surface roughness of the lenses was also nearly unchanged, despite undergoing more than 60 uses of the COC moulds (lens Sa 24.4 nm before vs. after Sa 26.5 nm). By comparison the roughness of the commercial lenses ranged from 9.3–28.5 nm, including conventional and silicone lenses, indicating that the reusable COC moulds produced competitive surface properties. In summary, COC moulds have potential as reusable and reliable mould inserts in the manufacturing of soft contact lenses, yet maintain high quality optical surfaces even after sustained exposure to UV light.
Modified Polyethylene Foam for Critical Environments
Authors: Ter-Zakaryan K. A. , Zhukov A. D. , Bessonov I. V. , Bobrova E. Y. , Pshunov T. A. , Dotkulov K. T.
Published: November 2022

One of the most important priorities for all countries with property beyond the Arctic Circle and territories located in permafrost areas is the development of special construction technologies and systems. The required conditions are met by insulation systems based on seamless insulation shells made of polyethylene foam. The study of the strength and performance properties of polyethylene foam and its combinability was carried out according to standard methods and using the methods of experimental design and the analytical processing of the results. The change in material properties at negative temperatures was determined based on the results of climatic tests, followed by an evaluation of creep under load. The evaluation of the effectiveness of the design solutions was carried out using special computer programs. It was found that the performance characteristics of products made of polyethylene foam (rolls, mats) meet the requirements for insulation materials used at temperatures down to −60 °C. The resulting material is moderately combustible, which must be taken into account when developing recommendations for its use in insulation systems. A nomogram has been developed that makes it possible to predict the properties of a material and solve formulation problems. Insulation systems were developed, and a visualisation of the thermal fields of the insulation systems of the external walls and ceilings of a building was carried out.
A Highly Efficient Polystyrene-Based Cationic Resin to Reduce Bacterial Contaminations in Water
Authors: Schito Anna Maria , Caviglia Debora , Piatti Gabriella , Alfei Silvana
Published: November 2022

Nowadays, new water disinfection materials attract a lot of attention for their cost-saving and ease of application. Nevertheless, the poor durability of the matrices and the loss of physically incorporated or chemically attached antibacterial agents that can occur during water purification processes considerably limit their prolonged use. In this study, a polystyrene-based cationic resin (R4) with intrinsic broad-spectrum antibacterial effects was produced without needing to be enriched with additional antibacterial agents that could detach during use. Particularly, R4 was achieved by copolymerizing 4-ammonium-butyl-styrene (4-ABSTY) with N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) and using N-(2-acryloylamino-ethyl)-acrylamide (AAEA) as a cross-linker. The R4 obtained showed a spherical morphology, micro-dimensioned particles, high hydrophilicity, high-level porosity, and excellent swelling capabilities. Additionally, the swollen R4 to its maximum swelling capability, when dried with gentle heating for 3 h, released water following the Higuchi’s kinetics, thus returning to the original structure. In time–kill experiments on the clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens of fecal origin, such as enterococci, Group B Salmonella species, and Escherichia coli, R4 showed rapid bactericidal effects on enterococci and Salmonella, and reduced E. coli viable cells by 99.8% after 4 h. When aqueous samples artificially infected by a mixture of the same bacteria of fecal origin were exposed for different times to R4 in a column, simulating a water purification system, 4 h of contact was sufficient for R4 to show the best bacterial killing efficiency of 99%. Overall, thanks to its physicochemical properties, killing efficiency, low costs of production, and scalability, R4 could become a cost-effective material for building systems to effectively reduce bacterial, even polymicrobial, water contamination.
Preparation of Citral Compound and Its Bamboo Antimildew Properties
Authors: Shan Yingying , Chen Shiqin , Zhang Jingjing , Du Chungui , Liu Chunlin , Yang Fei , Yin Wenxiu , Shao Yuran , Wang Yuting
Published: November 2022

To reduce the amount of citral used without reducing the antimildew performance of bamboo, the citral compound preparation process, the distribution of the compound in bamboo, and its antimildew performance were investigated using the Oxford cup method, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The results revealed that the combination of citral with cinnamaldehyde or thymol may lead to partial chemical reactions, which may change the chemical structure of citral and affect its bacteriostatic properties. The bacteriostatic properties of the citraldehyde thymol compound against common molds of bamboo were considerably superior to those of the citral cinnamaldehyde compound. The limonaldehyde thymol compound showed a low distribution trend outside and vice versa inside in the treated bamboo. The citral thymol compound exhibited good antimildew performance at a concentration of 200 mg/mL. The citral thymol compound could reduce the amount of citral by approximately 67 mg/mL without reducing the antimildew performance of bamboo.
A Simple Trick to Increase the Areal Specific Capacity of Polypyrrole Membrane: The Superposition Effect of Methyl Orange and Acid Treatment
Authors: Roohi Zahra , Mighri Frej , Zhang Ze
Published: November 2022

Polypyrrole (PPy) is one of the attractive conducting polymers that have been investigated as energy storage materials in devices like supercapacitors. Previously, we have reported a free-standing soft PPy membrane synthesized through interfacial polymerization in which methyl orange (MO) and ferric chloride were used as nano template and oxidant. In this work, we report that the presence of MO and the treatment of the PPy–MO membrane with sulfuric acid can dramatically increase the specific capacitance of the membrane. The properties of the membranes were evaluated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) for morphology, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for chemistry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for thermal stability, and cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for electrochemical activity. It was found that the areal specific capacitance of the PPy membrane increased from 2226 mF/cm2 to 6417 mF/cm2 and the charge transfer resistivity decreased from about 17 Ω to 3 Ω between 10,000 and 0.1 Hz due to the presence of MO and the acid treatment. It is likely that the superposition effect of MO and acid treatment helped the charge transfer process and consequently enhanced the charge storage performance and specific capacitance of the PPy membrane.
Polyoxyethylene Diamine Modification of Poly(amide-imide)-polyethylene Glycol Exhibits Excellent Hydrophilicity, Degradability, and Biocompatibility
Authors: Yu Ran , Xu Chao , Wu Xiaopei , Dai Honglian
Published: November 2022

We designed and synthesized the polyoxyethylene diamine (H2N-PEG-NH2) and poly(amide-imide)-polyethylene glycol (PAI-PEG) copolymers. The physical and chemical properties, mechanical properties, and in vitro biocompatibility of the materials were characterized. The results showed that the best elongation at break and recovery were obtained when the amount of PEG was 5 wt%. With the increase in PEG content, the degradation rate, hydrophilic property, tensile strength and tensile modulus of the copolymer decreased to a certain extent. The material had the best thermal stability and mechanical properties when 5 wt% PEG was added. Cytocompatibility evaluation showed that the addition of PEG could enhance the cell compatibility of the material and make it potentially suitable for application in bone repair.
Optimal Decisions on Harmful Chemical Limits in Consumer Goods within an Acceptable Risk Level
Authors: Yang Yuexiang , Sun Zhen , Liu Xiao , Jia Wenpeng , Wu Jun
Published: November 2022

Standard limits for harmful chemicals in consumer goods are important for consumer safety and the development of relevant industries. This paper proposes a method for determining content limits of chemicals in consumer goods by extending the “as low as reasonably practicable” (ALARP) principle by adding the impact of price and cost changes. While giving due consideration to the price and cost factors of consumer goods, this method derives such limits by measuring “acceptable consumer risk level” on the demand side and “industrial tolerance to chemical limits” on the supply side to obtain the ALARP area. Through a combination of functional relations between different factors and chemical limits, including consumer welfare, producer welfare, and external cost, a general chemical limit decision model can be created for the determination of the general limits of chemicals. This research provides a new methodology for studying decisions on chemical limits by considering consumer and industry affordability. In the final part of this paper, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified based on data of Bisphenol A used in the production of polycarbonate (PC) toys; the data were obtained from enterprise surveys and consumer questionnaires. Through our method, in this paper, a more suitable determination of harmful chemical substances can be obtained.
Waste Derived Biocomposite for Simultaneous Biosorption of Organic Matter and Nutrients from Green Straw Biorefinery Effluent in Continuous Mode Activated Sludge Systems
Authors: Jagaba Ahmad Hussaini , Kutty Shamsul Rahman Mohamed , Baloo Lavania , Hayder Gasim , Birniwa Abdullahi Haruna , Taha Abubakr Taha Bakheit , Mnzool Mohammed , Lawal Ibrahim Mohammed
Published: November 2022

The conventional disposal of green straws through burning can be eliminated in a biorefinery that converts them into a range of sustainable commercial products. However, this leads to the generation of green straw biorefinery effluent (GSBE). Green straw biorefineries discharge wastewater into the ecosystem that contains high concentrations of COD and NH4+−N. It is one of the most notable sources of visual pollution and disruption of aquatic life as well as public health that requires treatment prior to discharge. To improve the GSBE quality for environmental sustainability, the attainment of sustainable development goals 6, 9, and 14, “clean water and sanitation”, “inorganic and organic waste utilization for added values from material”, and “life below water” is very important. Therefore, the effectiveness of the continuous mode activated sludge (CMAS) system and the biocomposite-based–continuous mode activated sludge (SB-CMAS) system in the treatment of GSBE was investigated in this study. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the process variables. At their optimized conditions, the performances of CMAS and SB-CMAS were analyzed in terms of COD and NH4+−N. Findings showed 81.21% and 95.50% COD and 78.31% and 87.34% NH4+−N reduction in concentration for CMAS and SB-CMAS, respectively. The high COD and NH4+−N removal efficiencies indicate the better performance of CMAS and SB-CMAS. The first- and second-order models and the modified Stover–Kincannon biokinetic models were utilized to analyze substrate removal rates. It was discovered that the modified Stover models were ideal for the measured data with R2 values 0.99646 and 0.91236 attained for COD and NH4+−N, respectively, in CMAS. The SB-CMAS had 0.99932 and 0.99533 for COD and NH4+−N, respectively. Maximum contaminant elimination was attained at 60% GSBE and 2-day HRT. Thus, to achieve the UN SDGs for 2030, findings from this study have the potential to answer goals 6, 9, and 14.
Enhanced Natural Dyeing and Antibacterial Properties of Cotton by Physical and Chemical Pretreatments
Authors: Ennaceur Soukaina , Bouaziz Aicha , Gargoubi Sondes , Mnif Wissem , Dridi Dorra
Published: November 2022

In this study, pomegranate peel extract was used to dye cotton fabrics. Generally, natural dyes have low affinity for cellulosic fibers and therefore need treatment for attachment. Air atmospheric plasma was applied to lower the concentrations of mordants needed and enhance dyeability. The outcomes showed that the residual concentrations of metallic ions decreased when applying the plasma treatment. ATR-FTIR and SEM analysis were performed to evaluate the effect of plasma modification on the surface chemistry and topography of the cellulosic fibers. The traces of metals released from finished fabric were quantified using ICP OES spectrometry. Color fastnesses (wash, rubbing and light) were evaluated to assess the mordanting step effect and the durability of the color. All tested fastnesses were good to very good. The concentrations of metal ions in finished fabrics were 32.4 for Fe, 0.28 for Al, 0.29 for Cr and 1.21 for Cu. Plasma treatment can be considered an efficient strategy to reduce the concentration of toxic metallic mordants.
Coupling Coordination Analysis of Regional IEE System: A Data-Driven Multimodel Decision Approach
Authors: Yang Yaliu , Hu Fagang , Ding Ling , Wu Xue
Published: November 2022

Coordinating regional innovation–economy–ecology (IEE) systems is an important prerequisite for overall continuous regional development. To fully understand the coordination relationship among the three, this study builds a data-driven multimodel decision approach to calculate, assess, diagnose, and improve the regional IEE system. First, the assessment indicator system of the regional IEE system is established. Secondly, the range method, entropy weight method, and weighted summation method are employed to calculate the synthetic developmental level. Thirdly, a multimodel decision approach including the coupling degree model, the coordination degree model, and the obstacle degree model is constructed to assess the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the regional IEE system coupling coordination and diagnose the main obstacles hindering its development. Finally, the approach is tested using Anhui Province as a case study. The results show that the coupling coordination degree of the Anhui IEE system presents a stable growth trend, but the coupling degree is always higher than the coordination degree. The main obstacle affecting its development has changed from the original innovation subsystem to the current ecology subsystem. Based on this, some countermeasures are put forward. This study, therefore, offers decision support methods to aid in evaluating and improving the regional IEE system.
Social Media Addiction and Fear of War in Germany
Authors: Hajek André , Kretzler Benedikt , König Hans-Helmut
Published: November 2022

Individuals with an excessive use of social media may be frequently exposed to stimuli, such as (fake) news or images of violence, which might lead to a higher fear of war. Therefore, the objective of this study is to examine the association between a social media addiction and fear of war (conventional war and nuclear war) in Germany. Data were taken from a nationally representative survey with n = 3091 participants (18 to 74 years; data collection in mid-March 2022). Social media addiction was quantified using the validated Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. Moreover, established items were used to quantify a fear of war. Medium differences (in terms of Cohen’s d) were identified regarding the fear of war between individuals without a social media addiction and individuals with a social media addiction. Adjusting for several covariates, the regressions revealed that individuals with a social media addiction had a higher fear of war compared to individuals without a social media addiction (fear of a conventional war: β = 0.44, p < 0.01; fear of a nuclear war: β = 0.61, p < 0.001). In conclusion, our study demonstrated an association between a social media addiction and fear of war.
Sentinel-2 and AISA Airborne Hyperspectral Images for Mediterranean Shrubland Mapping in Catalonia
Authors: Kycko Marlena , Zagajewski Bogdan , Kluczek Marcin , Tardà Anna , Pineda Lydia , Palà Vicenç , Corbera Jordi
Published: November 2022

The Mediterranean ecosystem exhibits a particular geology and climate, which is characterized by mild, rainy winters and long, very hot summers with low precipitation; it has led to the emergence of resilient plant species. Such habitats contain a preponderance of shrubs, and collectively harbor 10% of the Earth’s species, thus containing some of the most unique shrubby formations protecting against environmental natural degradation. Due to shrub species diversity, initial phases of forestland, heterogenous grasses, bare ground and stones, the monitoring of such areas is difficult. For this reason, the aim of this paper is to assess semi-automatic classifications of the shrubby formations based on multispectral Sentinel-2 and visible and near infrared (VINR) AISA-EAGLE II hyperspectral airborne images with a support of Canopy High Model (CHM) as a three-dimensional information and field-verified patterns, based on Match-T/DSM and aerial photos. Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) classifiers have been tested on a few scenarios featuring different combinations of spectral and Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF) transformed bands and vegetation indices. Referring to the results, the average overall accuracy for the SVM and AISA images (all tested data sets) was 78.23%, and for the RF: 79.85%. In the case of Sentinel-2, the SVM classifier obtained an average value of 83.63%, while RF: 85.32%; however, in the case of the shrubland, we would like to recommend the RF classifier, because the highest mean value of F1-score achieved was 91.86% (SVM offered few-percent-point worse results), and the required training time was quicker than SVM. Commonly available Sentinel-2 data offered higher accuracies for shrubland monitoring than did the airborne VNIR data.
SAR and ASCAT Tropical Cyclone Wind Speed Reconciliation
Authors: Ni Weicheng , Stoffelen Ad , Ren Kaijun , Yang Xiaofeng , Vogelzang Jur
Published: November 2022

Wind speed reconciliation across different wind sources is critically needed for extending available satellite wind records in Tropical Cyclones. The deviations between wind references of extremes, such as the moored buoy data and dropsonde wind estimates for guidance on geophysical model function development, are one of the main causes of wind speed differences for wind products, for instance, the overestimation of Synthetic Aperture Radars (SARs) relative to ASCAT winds. The study proposes a new wind speed adjustment to achieve mutual adjustment between ASCAT CMOD7 winds and simultaneous SAR wind speeds. The so-called CMOD7D-v2 adjustment is constructed based on the statistical analysis of SAR and ASCAT Tropical Cyclone acquisitions between 2016 and 2021, showing a satisfactory performance in wind speed reconciliation for winds with speeds higher than 14 m/s. Furthermore, the error characteristics of the CMOD7D-v2 adjustment for Tropical Cyclone winds are analyzed using the Triple Collocation analysis technique. The analysis results show that the proposed wind adjustment can reduce ASCAT wind errors by around 16.0% when adjusting ASCAT winds to SAR wind speeds. In particular, when downscaling SAR winds, the improvement in ASCAT wind errors can be up to 42.3%, effectively alleviating wind speed differences across wind sources. Furthermore, to avoid the impacts of large footprints by ASCAT sensors, wind speeds retrieved from SAR VV signals (acting as a substitute for ASCAT winds) are adjusted accordingly and compared against SAR dual-polarized winds and collocated Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR) observations. We find that the bias values of adjusted winds are lower than products from other adjustment schemes by around 5 m/s at the most extreme values. These promising results verify the plausibility of the CMOD7D-v2 adjustment, which is conducive to SAR and ASCAT wind speed comparisons and extreme wind analysis in Tropical Cyclone cases.
Research on Multi-Domain Dimensionality Reduction Joint Adaptive Processing Method for Range Ambiguous Clutter of FDA-Phase-MIMO Space-Based Early Warning Radar
Authors: Zhang Tianfu , Wang Zhihao , Xing Mengdao , Zhang Shuangxi , Wang Yongliang
Published: November 2022

The ground and sea clutter received by space-based early warning radar (SBEWR) has severely range ambiguous characteristics due to its platform location, and the non-stationary factor caused by Earth’s rotation makes the received clutter at different range ambiguous positions seriously broaden in the Doppler dimension. The complex clutter suppression performance of SBEWR obtained by traditional method is degraded significantly. To solve this problem and achieve better clutter suppression performance, a novel multi-domain adaptive processing method for clutter suppression is proposed in this paper. The proposed method introduced a range related signal processing domain based on conventional space–time domain by using frequency diverse array phase multiple-input multiple-output (FDA-Phase-MIMO) radar. In addition, a novel multi-domain joint dimensionality reduction structure was designed. The novel multi-domain joint adaptive processing using the proposed dimensionality reduction structure could not only obtain great clutter suppression performance of SBEWR, but also minimize the requirement of the number of selected auxiliary channels. Simulation examples show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A Downsampling Method Addressing the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem in Remote Sensing
Authors: Mîrț Andrei , Reiche Johannes , Verbesselt Jan , Herold Martin
Published: November 2022

Handling multiple scales efficiently is one avenue for processing big remote sensing imagery data. Unfortunately, imagery is also affected by the infamous modifiable areal unit problem, which creates unpredictable errors at different scales. We developed a downsampling method that attempts to keep the data distribution in a downsampled image constant, reducing the modifiable areal unit problem. We tested our method against classic downsampling methods (mean, central pixel selection, random) under a range of typical remote sensing scenarios. Under our experimental conditions, our downsampling method consistently outperformed the classical downsampling methods within a 95% confidence level. The downsampling method can be used in most typical situations where downsampling is needed, but it is likely to shine when used as a pyramid building policy in geocomputing platforms, such as Google Earth Engine.
DPAFNet: A Multistage Dense-Parallel Attention Fusion Network for Pansharpening
Authors: Yang Xiaofei , Nie Rencan , Zhang Gucheng , Chen Luping , Li He
Published: November 2022

Pansharpening is the technology to fuse a low spatial resolution MS image with its associated high spatial full resolution PAN image. However, primary methods have the insufficiency of the feature expression and do not explore both the intrinsic features of the images and correlation between images, which may lead to limited integration of valuable information in the pansharpening results. To this end, we propose a novel multistage Dense-Parallel attention fusion network (DPAFNet). The proposed parallel attention residual dense block (PARDB) module can focus on the intrinsic features of MS images and PAN images while exploring the correlation between the source images. To fuse more complementary information as much as possible, the features extracted from each PARDB are fused at multistage levels, which allows the network to better focus on and exploit different information. Additionally, we propose a new loss, where it calculates the L2-norm between the pansharpening results and PAN images to constrain the spatial structures. Experiments were conducted on simulated and real datasets and the evaluation results verified the superiority of the DPAFNet.
Victim Detection and Localization in Emergencies
Authors: Álvarez-Merino Carlos S. , Khatib Emil J. , Luo-Chen Hao Qiang , Barco Raquel
Published: November 2022

Detecting and locating victims in emergency scenarios comprise one of the most powerful tools to save lives. Fast actions are crucial for victims because time is running against them. Radio devices are currently omnipresent within the physical proximity of most people and allow locating buried victims in catastrophic scenarios. In this work, we present the benefits of using WiFi Fine Time Measurement (FTM), Ultra-Wide Band (UWB), and fusion technologies to locate victims under rubble. Integrating WiFi FTM and UWB in a drone may cover vast areas in a short time. Moreover, the detection capacity of WiFi and UWB for finding individuals is also compared. These findings are then used to propose a method for detecting and locating victims in disaster scenarios.
Analytics and Applications of Audio and Image Sensing Techniques
Authors: Wieczorkowska Alicja
Published: November 2022

Nowadays, with numerous sensors placed everywhere around us, we can obtain signals collected from a variety of environment-based sensors, including the ones placed on the ground, cased in the air or water, etc [...]
A Novel Point Set Registration-Based Hand–Eye Calibration Method for Robot-Assisted Surgery
Authors: Sun Wenyuan , Liu Jihao , Zhao Yuyun , Zheng Guoyan
Published: November 2022

Pedicle screw insertion with robot assistance dramatically improves surgical accuracy and safety when compared with manual implantation. In developing such a system, hand–eye calibration is an essential component that aims to determine the transformation between a position tracking and robot-arm systems. In this paper, we propose an effective hand–eye calibration method, namely registration-based hand–eye calibration (RHC), which estimates the calibration transformation via point set registration without the need to solve the AX=XB equation. Our hand–eye calibration method consists of tool-tip pivot calibrations in two-coordinate systems, in addition to paired-point matching, where the point pairs are generated via the steady movement of the robot arm in space. After calibration, our system allows for robot-assisted, image-guided pedicle screw insertion. Comprehensive experiments are conducted to verify the efficacy of the proposed hand–eye calibration method. A mean distance deviation of 0.70 mm and a mean angular deviation of 0.68° are achieved by our system when the proposed hand–eye calibration method is used. Further experiments on drilling trajectories are conducted on plastic vertebrae as well as pig vertebrae. A mean distance deviation of 1.01 mm and a mean angular deviation of 1.11° are observed when the drilled trajectories are compared with the planned trajectories on the pig vertebrae.
Solubility of CO2 in 2-Amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) and 3-(Methylamino)propylamine (MAPA): Experimental Investigation and Modeling with the Cubic-Plus-Association and the Modified Kent-Eisenberg Models
Authors: Kontos Giannis , Soldatou Maria Anna , Tzimpilis Evangelos , Tsivintzelis Ioannis
Published: November 2022

CO2 capture attracts significant research efforts in order to reduce the volume of greenhouse gases emitted from fossil fuels combustion. Among the studied processes, chemical absorption represents a mature approach and, in this direction, new solvents, alternatives to monoethanolamine (MEA), have been suggested. In this work, the solubility of CO2 in aqueous solutions of 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) and 3-(methylamino)propylamine (MAPA), which were recently suggested as constituents of novel phase change solvent mixtures, is experimentally measured at 298, 313, 323, and 333 K and in a wide range of pressures, up to approximately 7 bar. As the available literature experimental data for MAPA aqueous solutions are very limited, the experimental results of this study were compared to respective literature data for AMP, and a very satisfactory agreement was observed. The new experimental data were correlated with the cubic-plus-association (CPA) and the modified Kent-Eisenberg models. It was observed that both models rather satisfactorily correlate the experimental data, with the Kent-Eisenberg model presenting more accurate correlations.
Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Anti-Proliferative Activities of Essential Oils of Rosmarinus officinalis from five Different Sites in Palestine
Authors: Al-Maharik Nawaf , Jaradat Nidal , Hawash Mohammed , Al-Lahham Saad , Qadi Mohammad , Shoman Izzeddin , Jaber Shatha , Rahem Raghad Abdel , Hussein Fatimah , Issa Linda
Published: November 2022

The chemical profiles of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oils, collected from five distinct geographical regions in Palestine, were determined using GC-MS. The major phytochemical classes of R. officinalis EOs were monoterpene hydrocarbon (24.81–78.75%) and oxygenated monoterpenoids (19.01–73.78%), with 1,8-cineole (4.81–37.83%), α-pinene (13.07–51.36%), and camphor (11.95–24.30%) being the most abundant components of the studied oils. Using the DPPH assay, the antioxidant activity of EOs revealed that EO from the Jenin region had the highest antioxidant activity, with an IC50 value of 10.23 ± 0.11 µg/mL, followed by samples from Tulkarm (IC50 = 37.15 ± 2.3 µg/mL) and Nablus (IC50= 38.9 ± 0.45 µg/mL). With MICs of 12.5, 12.5, 6.25, 6.25, and 6.25 µg/mL against MRSA, S. aureus, E. coli, K. pneumonia, and P. vulgaris, respectively, the EO extracted from the Jenin region of Palestine had the greatest antibacterial activity. Furthermore, EOs from Jenin and Nablus demonstrated stronger anti-candida action than the pharmaceutical formulation Fluconazole, with MICs of 0.781, 0.781, and 1.56 µg/mL, respectively.
ZIF-67(Co)-Loaded Filter Paper for In Situ Catalytic Degradation of Bisphenol A in Water
Authors: Cai Zhimin , Luo Yutao , Gan Lu
Published: November 2022

Herein, we loaded cobalt-based zeolite imidazolate frameworks, ZIF-67 (Co), onto commercial filter paper to prepare catalytic filter paper (ZFP) for the in situ degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) in water by activating peroxymonosulfate. The results showed that ZIF-67 (Co) was densely and uniformly distributed on the surface of the filter paper. The prepared ZFP could effectively degrade BPA in situ through a gravity-driven filtration process. Specifically, when the flow rate of the BPA solution passing through ZFP was lower than 10 mL/min, 0.02 mM of BPA could be completely degraded by ZFP. Furthermore, ZFP showed promising water matrix adaptability, which could provide promising BPA degradation efficiency in a wide pH range or in the existence of multiple anions. The scavenging tests demonstrated that both sulfate radical and hydroxyl radical were generated for BPA degradation, in which hydroxyl radical was the dominant active species. The ZFP also exhibited promising long-time use stability with a high mineralization rate. This study provides a novel method to prepare high-efficient catalyst paper for the in situ organic pollutant removal in water media via a prompt filtration process.
Efficient Communication Model for a Smart Parking System with Multiple Data Consumers
Authors: Anusha T. , Pushpalatha M.
Published: November 2022

A smart parking system (SPS) is an integral part of smart cities where Internet of Things (IoT) technology provides many innovative urban digital solutions. It offers hassle-free parking convenience to the city dwellers, metering facilities, and a revenue source for businesses, and it also protects the environment by cutting down drive-around emissions. The real-time availability information of parking slots and the duration of occupancy are valuable data utilized by multiple sectors such as parking management, charging electric vehicles (EV), car servicing, urban infrastructure planning, traffic regulation, etc. IPv6 wireless mesh networks are a good choice to implement a fail-safe, low-power and Internet protocol (IP)-based secure communication infrastructure for connecting heterogeneous IoT devices. In a smart parking lot, there could be a variety of local IoT devices that consume the occupancy data generated from the parking sensors. For instance, there could be a central parking management system, ticketing booths, display boards showing a count of free slots and color-coded lights indicating visual clues for vacancy. Apart from this, there are remote user applications that access occupancy data from browsers and mobile phones over the Internet. Both the types of data consumers need not collect their inputs from the cloud, as it is beneficial to offer local data within the network. Hence, an SPS with multiple data consumers needs an efficient communication model that provides reliable data transfers among producers and consumers while minimizing the overall energy consumption and data transit time. This paper explores different SPS communication models by varying the number of occupancy data collators, their positions, hybrid power cycles and data aggregation strategies. In addition, it proposes a concise data format for effective data dissemination. Based on the simulation studies, a multi-collator model along with a data superimposition technique is found to be the best for realizing an efficient smart parking system.