bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heptamethine Cyanine-Loaded Nanomaterials for Cancer Immuno-Photothermal/Photodynamic Therapy: A Review
Authors: Alves Cátia G. , Lima-Sousa Rita , Melo Bruna L. , Moreira André F. , Correia Ilídio J. , de Melo-Diogo Duarte
Published: May 2022

The development of strategies capable of eliminating metastasized cancer cells and preventing tumor recurrence is an exciting and extremely important area of research. In this regard, therapeutic approaches that explore the synergies between nanomaterial-mediated phototherapies and immunostimulants/immune checkpoint inhibitors have been yielding remarkable results in pre-clinical cancer models. These nanomaterials can accumulate in tumors and trigger, after irradiation of the primary tumor with near infrared light, a localized temperature increase and/or reactive oxygen species. These effects caused damage in cancer cells at the primary site and can also (i) relieve tumor hypoxia, (ii) release tumor-associated antigens and danger-associated molecular patterns, and (iii) induced a pro-inflammatory response. Such events will then synergize with the activity of immunostimulants and immune checkpoint inhibitors, paving the way for strong T cell responses against metastasized cancer cells and the creation of immune memory. Among the different nanomaterials aimed for cancer immuno-phototherapy, those incorporating near infrared-absorbing heptamethine cyanines (Indocyanine Green, IR775, IR780, IR797, IR820) have been showing promising results due to their multifunctionality, safety, and straightforward formulation. In this review, combined approaches based on phototherapies mediated by heptamethine cyanine-loaded nanomaterials and immunostimulants/immune checkpoint inhibitor actions are analyzed, focusing on their ability to modulate the action of the different immune system cells, eliminate metastasized cancer cells, and prevent tumor recurrence.
Regeneration of Articular Cartilage Using Membranes of Polyester Scaffolds in a Rabbit Model
Authors: Baranowski Maciej , Wasyłeczko Monika , Kosowska Anna , Plichta Andrzej , Kowalczyk Sebastian , Chwojnowski Andrzej , Bielecki Wojciech , Czubak Jarosław
Published: May 2022

One promising method for cartilage regeneration involves combining known methods, such as the microfracture technique with biomaterials, e.g., scaffolds (membranes). The most important feature of such implants is their appropriate rate of biodegradation, without the production of toxic metabolites. This study presents work on two different membranes made of polyester (L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone-PLCA) named “PVP and “Z”. The difference between them was the use of different pore precursors—polyvinylpyrrolidone in the “PVP” scaffold and gelatin in the “Z” scaffold. These were implemented in the articular cartilage defects of rabbit knee joints (defects were created for the purpose of the study). After 8, 16, and 24 weeks of observation, and the subsequent termination of the animals, histopathology and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) examinations were performed. Statistical analysis proved that the membranes support the regeneration process. GPC testing proved that the biodegradation process is progressing exponentially, causing the membranes to degrade at the appropriate time. The surgical technique we used meets all the requirements without causing the membrane to migrate after implantation. The “PVP” membrane is better due to the fact that after 24 weeks of observation there was a statistical trend for higher histological ratings. It is also better because it is easier to implant due to its lower fragility then membrane “Z”. We conclude that the selected membranes seem to support the regeneration of articular cartilage in the rabbit model.
CASM: A Cost-Aware Switch Migration Strategy for Elastic Optical Inter-Datacenter Networks
Authors: Liu Yong , Meng Qian , Shen Zhonghua , Yan Fulong
Published: May 2022

In inter-datacenter elastic optical networks, multi-controller deployment is adopted to improve the stability and scalability of the control plane. As the network scale increases, the traditional multi-controller deployment scheme ignores the dynamic characteristics of traffic, resulting in unbalanced load among multiple controllers. In response to this problem, the existing switch migration mechanism is proposed to achieve balanced distribution of control loads. However, most of the existing research work does not consider the additional cost of switch migration, and the load balancing performance of the controller is not significantly improved after switch migration. In this paper, we propose a cost-aware switch migration (CASM) strategy for controller load balancing. The proposed CASM strategy first measures the controller load through multiple performance indicators that affect the controller load, and then judges whether the controller is overloaded or underloaded based on the controller’s response time to the request message, thereby improving the load balancing performance of the controller. Additionally, when selecting the switch to be migrated, the CASM selects the optimal switch for migration based on minimizing the migration cost, thereby reducing the cost of switch migration. The performance evaluation shows that CASM significantly improves load balancing performance of controllers and reduces the migration cost compared to existing solutions.
Research on the Influence of Extremely Cold Environment on the Performance of Silicone Rubber and Fluorinated Silicone Rubber
Authors: Wang Shenghui , Hou Mengchao , Ma Kang , Li Zhiwei , Geng Hui , Zhang Wenwen , Li Nan
Published: May 2022

In order to study the performance variation characteristics of silicone rubber and fluorinated silicone rubber at extremely cold temperatures, two type samples were frozen for 0, 150, 300, 450, 600, 750, 900 and 1050 h in a low-temperature test chamber with a constant temperature of −50 °C. After the samples reached a certain freezing time, they were taken out and placed at room temperature for 2 h, then the breakdown voltage, mechanical tensile properties, and hardness and surface morphology were measured, and the mechanism was analyzed. The breakdown voltage, maximum tensile force, and tensile strength of the two type samples increased with freezing time. The elongation at break decreased with freezing time, but the hardness of the two materials changed little. Microcracks appeared on the surface of the samples at about 300 h and some tiny pore and holes appeared at 750 h. The length and depth of the microcracks gradually developed with freezing time. The comparative test results of the two materials showed that the performance of fluorinated silicone rubber was better than that of silicone rubber, which indicates that fluorinated silicone rubber is more stable for some applications in extremely cold environments.
Facile Synthesis of Microporous Ferrocenyl Polymers Photocatalyst for Degradation of Cationic Dye
Authors: Zhang Bing , Tan Zhiqiang , Zhang Yinhu , Liu Qingquan , Li Qianxia , Li Gen
Published: May 2022

Microporous organic polymers (MOPs) were prepared by condensation reactions from substituent-group-free carbazole and pyrrole with 1,1′-ferrocenedicarboxaldehyde without adding any catalysts. The resultant MOPs were insoluble in common solvent and characterized by FTIR, XPS, TGA and SEM. An N2 adsorption test showed that the obtained polymers PFcMOP and CFcMOP exhibited Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface areas of 48 and 105 m2 g−1, respectively, and both polymers possessed abundant micropores. The MOPs with a nitrogen and ferrocene unit could be potentially applied in degrading dye with high efficiency.
Experimental Investigation of the High-Temperature Rheological and Aging Resistance Properties of Activated Crumb Rubber Powder/SBS Composite-Modified Asphalt
Authors: Zhao Zhizhong , Wang Longlin , Wang Wensheng , Shangguan Xuanhao
Published: May 2022

Crumb rubber could form the active groups on the surface by interrupting the crosslinking bond to improve the compatibility with asphalt. While styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS)-modified asphalt has excellent comprehensive properties, it has poor anti-aging performance and a high cost. To explore the influence of composite modification of activated crumb rubber powder (ACR) and SBS on asphalt, modified asphalt samples with different modifiers and SBS contents were prepared. Conventional physical properties tests, a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), and the thin-film oven test (TFOT) were used to study the conventional physical properties, high-temperature rheological properties, and aging resistance of asphalt. In addition, the action forms and distribution of modifiers in asphalt were observed by an optical microscope to characterize the micro-morphology of ACR/SBS composite-modified asphalt. Test results showed that after adding SBS, the softening point, ductility, and elastic recovery of ACR/SBS asphalt could be significantly improved, but the viscosity and softening point difference were also larger. At the same time, according to the complex shear modulus, phase angle, and rutting factor, SBS can effectively improve the high-temperature deformation resistance of ACR/SBS asphalt. The modified asphalt (ACR/SBS-2) had good high- and low- temperature performances, as well as an appropriate viscosity and low softening point difference, as a research object of aging. After short-term aging, the changes in the high- and low-temperature performances and workability of ACR/SBS asphalt were reduced. Taking the softening point as the target performance, the softening point of ACR/SBS asphalt was less affected by aging time and temperature, indicating that ACR/SBS asphalt was not sensitive to aging temperature and had good stability and aging resistance. From the micrograph by microscope, it was found that ACR/SBS asphalt could maintain a relatively stable polyphase structure for aging resistance.
Fabrication of a Nickel Ferrite/Nanocellulose-Based Nanocomposite as an Active Sensing Material for the Detection of Chlorine Gas
Authors: Janudin Nurjahirah , Kasim Noor Azilah Mohd , Feizal Knight Victor , Norrrahim Mohd Nor Faiz , Razak Mas Amira Idayu Abdul , Abdul Halim Norhana , Mohd Noor Siti Aminah , Ong Keat Khim , Yaacob Mohd Hanif , Ahmad Muhammad Zamharir , Yunus Wan Md Zin Wan
Published: May 2022

Chlorine gas is extensively utilised in industries as both a disinfectant and for wastewater treatment. It has a pungent and irritating odour that is comparable with that of bleach and can cause serious health issues such as headaches and breathing difficulties. Hence, efficiently, and accurately monitoring chlorine gas is critical to ensure that no undesirable incidents occur. Due to its remarkable characteristics, numerous researchers have explored the potential of ferrite nanoparticles as a sensing material for chlorine gas detection. Among several ferrite nanoparticles, nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) is extensively studied as an inverse spinel structured magnetic material that may be ideal for sensing applications. However, the magnetic characteristics of NiFe2O4 cause agglomeration, which necessitates the use of a substrate for stabilisation. Therefore, nanocellulose (NC), as a green and eco-friendly substrate, is ideal for stabilising bare nickel ferrite nanoparticles. In a novel experiment, nickel ferrite was loaded onto NC as a substrate using in situ deposition. The structure was confirmed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis, while elemental composition was verified by Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. Gas sensing properties were determined by evaluating sensitivity as a function of various regulating factors, such as the amount of nickel ferrite, gas concentration, repeatability, and reusability. In the evaluation, 0.3 g nickel ferrite showed superior response and sensitivity than those of other samples. The achieved response time was around 40 s, while recovery time was about 50 s. This study demonstrates the potential of a nickel ferrite/nanocellulose-based nanocomposite to efficiently monitor chlorine gas.
The Microencapsulation of Tung Oil with a Natural Hydrocolloid Emulsifier for Extrinsic Self-Healing Applications
Authors: Mustapha Abdullah Naseer , AlMheiri Maitha , AlShehhi Nujood , Rajput Nitul , Joshi Sachin , Antunes Ana , AlTeneiji Mohamed
Published: May 2022

In this work, tung oil was utilised as a catalyst-free self-healing agent, and an in-situ polymerization process was applied to encapsulate the tung oil core with a poly(urea-formaldehyde) (PUF) shell. The conventional poly(ethylene-alt-maleic-anhydride) (PEMA) polymer was compared to a more naturally abundant gelatin (GEL) emulsifier to compare the microcapsules’ barrier, morphological, thermal, and chemical properties, and the crystalline nature of the shell material. GEL emulsifiers produced microcapsules with a higher payload (96.5%), yield (28.9%), and encapsulation efficiency (61.7%) compared to PEMA (90.8%, 28.6% and 52.6%, respectively). Optical and electron microscopy imaging indicated a more uniform morphology for the GEL samples. The thermal decomposition measurements indicated that GEL decomposed to a value 7% lower than that of PEMA, which was suggested to be attributed to the much thinner shell materials that the GEL samples produced. An innovative and novel focused ion beam (FIB) milling method was exerted on the GEL sample, confirming the storage and release of the active tung oil material upon rupturing. The samples with GEL conveyed a higher healing efficiency of 91%, compared to PEMA’s 63%, and the GEL samples also conveyed higher levels of corrosion resistance.
Hybrid Time-Dependent Ginzburg–Landau Simulations of Block Copolymer Nanocomposites: Nanoparticle Anisotropy
Authors: Diaz Javier , Pinna Marco , Zvelindovsky Andrei V. , Pagonabarraga Ignacio
Published: May 2022

Block copolymer melts are perfect candidates to template the position of colloidal nanoparticles in the nanoscale, on top of their well-known suitability for lithography applications. This is due to their ability to self-assemble into periodic ordered structures, in which nanoparticles can segregate depending on the polymer–particle interactions, size and shape. The resulting coassembled structure can be highly ordered as a combination of both the polymeric and colloidal properties. The time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau model for the block copolymer was combined with Brownian dynamics for nanoparticles, resulting in an efficient mesoscopic model to study the complex behaviour of block copolymer nanocomposites. This review covers recent developments of the time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau/Brownian dynamics scheme. This includes efforts to parallelise the numerical scheme and applications of the model. The validity of the model is studied by comparing simulation and experimental results for isotropic nanoparticles. Extensions to simulate nonspherical and inhomogeneous nanoparticles are discussed and simulation results are discussed. The time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau/Brownian dynamics scheme is shown to be a flexible method which can account for the relatively large system sizes required to study block copolymer nanocomposite systems, while being easily extensible to simulate nonspherical nanoparticles.
A Green Approach for the Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticle-Embedded Chitosan Bionanocomposite as a Potential Device for the Sustained Release of the Itraconazole Drug and Its Antibacterial Characteristics
Authors: Saruchi  , Kaur Manpreet , Kumar Vaneet , Ghfar Ayman A. , Pandey Sadanand
Published: May 2022

The present research work intended to demonstrate the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the plant extract Saccharum officinarum, and then the development of chitosan–silver (CH-Ag) bionanocomposite. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized using UV spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The maximum absorption spectrum peak was observed at 420 nm, revealing the formation of AgNPs by the stem extract of S. officinarum. The AgNPs sizes were in the range of 10–50 nm. Itraconazole is an antifungal that is used as a novel drug to study its release through synthesized bionanocomposite. Different kinetic models, such as zero order, first order, Korsmeyer–Peppas, Hixson–Crowell and Higuchi, were used to study the drug release profile from the synthesized CH-Ag bionanocomposite. The first-order kinetic model showed the best fit for the drug release with the maximum regression coefficient value. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized CH-Ag bionanocomposite was examined against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus, and Escherichia coli, and it was shown to be efficient against these strains.
Tailoring of Geranium Oil-Based Nanoemulsion Loaded with Pravastatin as a Nanoplatform for Wound Healing
Authors: Rizg Waleed Y. , Hosny Khaled M. , Eshmawi Bayan A. , Alamoudi Abdulmohsin J. , Safhi Awaji Y. , Murshid Samar S. A. , Sabei Fahad Y. , Al Fatease Adel
Published: May 2022

The healing of a burn wound is a complex process that includes the re-formation of injured tissues and the control of infection to minimize discomfort, scarring, and inconvenience. The current investigation’s objective was to develop and optimize a geranium oil–based self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system loaded with pravastatin (Gr-PV-NE). The geranium oil and pravastatin were both used due to their valuable anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities. The Box–Behnken design was chosen for the development and optimization of the Gr-PV-NE. The fabricated formulations were assessed for their droplet size and their effects on the burn wound diameter in experimental animals. Further, the optimal formulation was examined for its wound healing properties, antimicrobial activities, and ex-vivo permeation characteristics. The produced nanoemulsion had a droplet size of 61 to 138 nm. The experimental design affirmed the important synergistic influence of the geranium oil and pravastatin for the healing of burn wounds; it showed enhanced wound closure and improved anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial actions. The optimal formulation led to a 4-fold decrease in the mean burn wound diameter, a 3.81-fold lowering of the interleukin-6 serum level compared to negative control, a 4-fold increase in the inhibition zone against Staphylococcus aureus compared to NE with Gr oil, and a 7.6-fold increase in the skin permeation of pravastatin compared to PV dispersion. Therefore, the devised nanoemulsions containing the combination of geranium oil and pravastatin could be considered a fruitful paradigm for the treatment of severe burn wounds.
Relevance between Cassava Starch Liquefied by Phenol and Modification of Phenol-Formaldehyde Resin Wood Adhesive
Authors: Liu Jinming , Fang Jianlin , Xie Enjun , Gan Weixing
Published: May 2022

A novel type of phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin was prepared by utilizing the liquefaction products liquefied by phenol under acidic conditions and then reacted with formaldehyde under alkaline conditions. The relationship between the liquefaction behavior of cassava starch and the properties of modified PF resin wood adhesive was studied. The effects of the liquid–solid ratio of phenol to cassava starch, sulfuric acid usage, and liquefaction time on the liquefaction residue rate and relative crystallinity of cassava starch were determined. The results showed that the bonding strength of modified PF resin decreased gradually with the decrease of the liquid–solid ratio. It was a great surprise that bonding strength still met the requirement of the national standard of 0.7 MPa when the liquid–solid ratio was 1.0. The detailed contents were analyzed through FT-IR, SEM, and XRD. In terms of the utilization of bio-materials for liquefaction to synthesize wood adhesive, cassava starch may be superior to the others.
A Supplier Selection Model Using Alternative Ranking Process by Alternatives’ Stability Scores and the Grey Equilibrium Product
Authors: Zakeri Shervin , Yang Yingjie , Konstantas Dimitri
Published: May 2022

Supply chain management begins with supplier evaluation and selection. The supplier selection deals with various criteria with different contexts which makes it a complex multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method. In this paper, a novel MCDM method, called the alternative ranking process by alternatives’ stability scores (ARPASS), is proposed to solve supplier selection problems. ARPASS considers each alternative as a system that is constructed on integrated components. To perform properly, a system requires high integrity and stability. ARPASS utilizes the stability of alternatives as an effective element for ranking the alternatives. The ARPASS is developed in two forms, ARPASS and ARPASS*. The new method utilizes standard deviations and Shannon’s entropy to compute the alternatives’ stabilities. In this paper, in addition to the new MCDM methods, a new method called the grey equilibrium product (GEP) is introduced to convert grey linguistic variables into crisp values, using decision makers’ subjective perceptions and judgments. To highlight and validate the novel methods’ performance, they are applied to two sustainable supplier selection problems. For evaluation of the reliability of ARPASS and ARPASS*, their results were compared with the results of the popular MCDM methods. We compared the methods in terms of calculation time, simplicity, transparency, and information type.
Anti-Hyperglycemic Effect of Magnesium-Enhanced Alkaline-Reduced Water on High Glucose-Induced Oxidative Stress in Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells
Authors: Sharma Subham , Bajgai Johny , Antonio Jayson M. , Fadriquela Ailyn , Trinh Thuy Thi , Rahman Md. Habibur , Vira Kchorng , Sofian Abdul-Nasir , Kim Cheol-Su , Lee Kyu-Jae
Published: May 2022

Diabetes is coupled with hyperglycemia, a state in which elevated glucose levels trigger oxidative stress (OS) in various body functions. One of the organs most afflicted by diabetes is the kidney. Despite this, specific treatments to mitigate the harmful effects of hyperglycemia-induced OS in the kidney have not been extensively explored. This study evaluates the anti-hyperglycemic efficacy of magnesium-enhanced alkaline-reduced water (MARW) in human kidney-2 (HK-2) cells. OS, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and fibrosis markers were assessed in high glucose (HG)-induced HK-2 cells, followed by treatment with experimental water for 24 h. Surprisingly, MARW rescued the vitality of HG-induced HK-2 cells, in contrast to that seen with other experimental waters. Additionally, MARW maintained reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, hepatocyte growth factor and glucose uptake in HG-induced HK-2 cells but not in tap water and mineral water. Similarly, MARW downregulated the expression of MAPK and fibrosis-linked signaling proteins such as p-p38, phospho-c-Jun N-terminal kinase, α-smooth muscle actin, matrix metalloproteinase-3 and cleaved caspase 3 in HG-induced HK-2 cells. In conclusion, MARW protects HK-2 cells from the deleterious effects of HG by stabilizing antioxidant defenses and by signaling cascades related to metabolism, apoptosis and fibrosis.
Prediction of Horizontal Gas–Liquid Segregated Flow Regimes with an All Flow Regime Multifluid Model
Authors: Colombo Marco , De Santis Andrea , Hanson Bruce C. , Fairweather Michael
Published: May 2022

The generalized multifluid modelling approach (GEMMA) has been developed to handle the multiplicity of flow regimes and the coexistence of interfaces of largely different scales in multiphase flows. The solver, based on the OpenFOAM reactingEulerFoam family of solvers, adds interface resolving-like capabilities to the multifluid solver in the cells occupied by large interfaces. In this paper, GEMMA is further developed to predict stratified and slug flow regimes in horizontal ducts. The suppression of the turbulence and the wall-like behaviour of large interfaces is modelled with an additional dissipation source. This enables an accurate prediction of the velocity and of the turbulence kinetic energy in a stratified channel flow and the capturing of the formation and the travel of liquid slugs in an annulus. Large interfaces are identified and tracked, not only in the smooth and wavy stratified regimes but also in the much more perturbed interfaces of liquid slugs. The present work confirms GEMMA to be a reliable approach to provide all flow regime modelling capabilities. Further development will be focused on large interface momentum-transfer modelling, responsible for the overestimation of the interfacial shear and the limited liquid excursion during slugs, and the extension to interface break-up and the entrainment of bubbles and droplets, to handle the entire range of regimes encountered in horizontal flows.
An Agent-Based Approach for Make-To-Order Master Production Scheduling
Authors: Bagheri Faezeh , Demartini Melissa , Arezza Alessandra , Tonelli Flavio , Pacella Massimo , Papadia Gabriele
Published: May 2022

In recent decades, manufacturers’ intense competitiveness to suit consumer expectations has compelled them to abandon the conventional workflow in favour of a more flexible one. This new trend increased the importance of master production schedule and make-to-order (MTO) strategy concepts. The former improves overall planning and controls complexity. The latter enables the production businesses to reinforce their flexibility and produce customized products. In a production setting, fluctuating resource capacity restricts production line performance, and ignoring this fact renders planning inapplicable. The current research work addresses the MPS problem in the context of the MTO production environment. The objective is to resolve Rough-Cut Capacity Planning by considering resource capacity fluctuation to schedule the customer’s order with the minimum cost imposed by the company and customer side. Consequently, this study is an initial attempt to propose a mathematical programming approach, which provides the optimum result for small and medium-size problems. Regarding the combinatorial intrinsic of this kind of problem, the mathematical programming approach can no longer reach the optimum solution for a large-scale problem. To overcome this, an innovative agent-based heuristic has been proposed. Computational experiments on variously sized problems confirm the efficiency of the agent-based approach.
The Characteristic of High-Speed Centrifugal Refrigeration Compressor with Different Refrigerants via CFD Simulation
Authors: Hung Kuo-Shu , Ho Kung-Yun , Hsiao Wei-Chung , Kuan Yean-Der
Published: May 2022

This study used Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulate and analyze the working fluid in magnetic centrifugal refrigerant compressors using R-134a to mixed refrigerant: R-513A and HFO (Hydrofluoroolefins) Hydrofluoroolefin refrigerant: R-1234yf, and the impact on integrated part-load performance, Integrated Part Load Value (IPLV) and internal flow field. This study used a single-stage 280 USRT maglev centrifugal refrigerant compressor as a simulation model. Three different refrigerants were used: R-134a, R-513A, and R-1234yf, as presented in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) real gas database. The refrigerant was used to set the IPLV working conditions and change the compressor speed and mass flow rate to simulate the compressor’s characteristic curve after replacing the refrigerant. The compressor working conditions were the fixed refrigeration cycle condensation and evaporation following the same capacity standards. This study used the CFD software by Ansys software company to simulate the flow field. The k-omega turbulence software was used to model the turbulence. The results show that the maglev centrifugal refrigerant compressor efficiency dropped significantly when the refrigerant was directly replaced. Based on R-134a, the full load efficiency of R-1234yf dropped 13.21%, the full load efficiency of R-513A dropped 9.97%, and the partial load efficiency was similar to R-134a.
The Genesis of a New Open-Access Journal Focused on the Latest Scientific Advances in Psychoactive Substances
Authors: Dinis-Oliveira Ricardo Jorge
Published: May 2022

Psychoactive substances have been in use for millennia, and their use can be traced back to prehistory, where they were utilized for spiritual purposes in particular [...]
Social Media’s Role in the Changing Religious Landscape of Contemporary Bangkok
Authors: Agarwal Ruchi , Jones William J.
Published: May 2022

In this article, the authors argue that social media is becoming a more influential medium for religious services in Bangkok, Thailand. Buddhism, with an attendant mixing of Thai animistic beliefs in spirits, inanimate objects, and talismans, along with other expressive forms of religious enterprise, is adapting to a changing personalized media landscape to reach ever more diverse audiences. Social media in particular is allowing for social and personal entrepreneurship of religious expressions that formerly were largely limited by physical space and its attendant costs. The authors argue that utilizing the Uses and Gratification approach will provide a powerful method for understanding and evaluating how and why religious entrepreneurship is shifting in contemporary Thailand.
Bible Didactics and Social Inequality? Critical Considerations on the Interconnection of Religious Education and Heterogeneous Settings
Authors: Winkler Kathrin , Scholz Stefan
Published: May 2022

This paper deals with the question, to what extent, in the German context, have biblical didactic implications and systemic requirements in religious education led to social inequality in heterogeneous classrooms. Based on four different case studies in elementary, middle, and vocational schools, an empirical insight is provided that sheds exploratory and descriptive light on the construction of reality in the context of biblical learning. The analysis clearly shows that physical as well as socialization-related limitations, structural and systemic conditions in the German school system, and also strangeness and existential irrelevance, are obvious barriers that prevent students in heterogeneous settings from accessing biblical learning. In the synopsis, with theological–pedagogical implications as well as didactical challenges, it becomes clear how necessary difference-sensitive Bible didactics in the context of heterogeneity and social inequality is. Finally, based on the empirical evidence of the analyzed case studies and the theoretical framings, concrete expectations for biblical learning in religious education, in relation to heterogeneity and social inequality, are highlighted.
Modernity, Its Impact on Muslim World and General Characteristics of 19–20th-Century Revivalist–Reformists’ Re-Reading of the Qur’an
Authors: Albayrak Ismail
Published: May 2022

The 19th and 20th centuries were times of great change and transformation for the Muslim world. The salvation of the ummah—which is getting politically, militarily, and economically more backward against the West, terms such as revival (ihya), renewal (tajdid) and reform and reconstruction (islah)—have occupied almost all intellectuals and ulama. Many prescriptions have been proposed on this subject, the most vivid examples of which are mainly related to new approaches to the Qur’an and its interpretation. This article deals with the innovations put forward by reformist–revivalist leaders in different Muslim geographies regarding the interpretation of the Qur’an under the influence of modernism. We see that these approaches, which are basically based on the assumption of the inadequacy of classical methods and understandings, open up to questions and discussions for many hermeneutical devices that have become entrenched in the classical period and even argue that they are now unnecessary. Contrary to classical Qur’anic exegesis, reformist tajdid-centered suggestions of polyphonic modern Qur’an interpretations, the theological reflections of these suggestions, and most importantly their effect (or ineffectiveness) on Muslim societies are among the main topics of the article. In the beginning, the pressure of modernity, which should not be ignored in the perception and interpretation of the Qur’an, has become an indispensable element in the course of time. This new phenomenon and changing conditions have forced many Muslim intellectuals to compromise on principles that have become norms. The result, instead of a healthy reform, consisted of eclectic innovations and only saved the day and could not find a serious ground for itself in the grassroots.
Vulnerability, Vulnerance and Resilience—Spiritual Abuse and Sexual Violence in New Spiritual Communities
Authors: Keul Hildegund
Published: May 2022

In February 2017, Braz de Aviz, Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, acknowledged in an interview that some 70 “new spiritual movements” were under investigation for abusive behavior committed by their founders. The number of cases that remain undetected is probably large. This article uses the example of these communities to analyze the precarious tension between vulnerability, vulnerance, and resilience. It draws on Céline Hoyeau’s excellent study of those founders of new spiritual movements in France who were later exposed as abusers. It also presents my research on the sacred in its dangerous connection to the victimizing sacrifice. My basic thesis is that exploring the link between vulnerability and resilience is not enough. Rather, vulnerance needs to be systematically included in the analyses. This new approach opens up a more complex understanding of abuse, cover-ups, and disclosure. It can tackle both the vulnerant resilience of the perpetrators and the voluntary vulnerability of survivors in disclosing abuse.
Arts of Memory, Ancient Manuscript Technologies, and the Aims of Theology
Authors: Lang T. J.
Published: May 2022

This article explores how ancient rhetorical theories about the improvement of human memory were applied to manuscripts in the form of paratextual ordering systems. It then considers the intellectual implications of these technological changes in the management of textual knowledge. A sequentially ordered system for dividing textual information into “chapters” or “verses” proved powerful for both mnemonic arts and textual arts. The article next explores a specific example of paratextual technologies in Priscillian of Avila’s fourth-century CE Canones Epistularum Pauli Apostoli, which is one of the most sophisticated cross-referencing systems ever produced prior to printed texts. The article concludes by reflecting on the implications of textual divisions and citation schemes for the work of theology. The test case for this is Priscillian’s “versification” of the Pauline corpus for purposes of textual abstraction (the extraction and reorganization of numerically divided textual parts) in service of theological abstraction (the attempt to create systematic wholes out of the newly reorganized parts).
A Network of X-Band Meteorological Radars to Support the Motorway System (Campania Region Meteorological Radar Network Project)
Authors: Capozzi Vincenzo , Mazzarella Vincenzo , Vivo Carmela De , Annella Clizia , Greco Alberto , Fusco Giannetta , Budillon Giorgio
Published: May 2022

The transport sector and road infrastructures are very sensitive to the issues connected to the atmospheric conditions. The latter constitute a source of relevant risk, especially for roads running in mountainous areas, where a wide spectrum of meteorological phenomena, such as rain showers, snow, hail, wind gusts and ice, threatens drivers’ safety. In such contexts, to face out critical situations it is essential to develop a monitoring system that is able to capillary surveil specific sectors or very small basins, providing real time information that may be crucial to preserve lives and assets. In this work, we present the results of the “Campania Region Meteorological Radar Network”, which is focused on the development of X-band radar-based meteorological products that can support highway traffic management and maintenance. The X-band measurements provided by two single-polarization systems, properly integrated with the observations supplied by disdrometers and conventional automatic weather stations, were involved in the following main tasks: (i) the development of a radar composite product; (ii) the devise of a probability of hail index; (iii) the real time discrimination of precipitation type (rain, mixed and snow); (iv) the development of a snowfall rate estimator. The performance of these products was assessed for two case studies, related to a relevant summer hailstorm (which occurred on 1 August 2020) and to a winter precipitation event (which occurred on 13 February 2021). In both cases, the X-band radar-based tools proved to be useful for the stakeholders involved in the management of highway traffic, providing a reliable characterization of precipitation events and of the fast-changing vertical structure of convective cells.
Analysis of Different Weighting Functions of Observations for GPS and Galileo Precise Point Positioning Performance
Authors: Kiliszek Damian , Kroszczyński Krzysztof , Araszkiewicz Andrzej
Published: May 2022

This research presents the analysis of using different weighting functions for the GPS and Galileo observations in Precise Point Positioning (PPP) performance for globally located stations for one week in 2021. Eight different weighting functions of observations dependent on the elevation angle have been selected. It was shown that the use of different weighting functions has no impact on the horizontal component but has a visible impact on the vertical component, the tropospheric delay and the convergence time. Depending on the solutions, i.e., GPS-only, Galileo-only or GPS+Galileo, various weighting functions turned out to the best. The obtained results confirm that the Galileo solution has comparable accuracy to the GPS solution. Also, with the Galileo solution, the best results were obtained for functions with a smaller dependence on the elevation angle than for GPS, since Galileo observations at lower elevation angles have better performance than GPS observations. Finally, a new weighting approach was proposed, using two different weighting functions from the best GPS-only and Galileo-only for GPS+Galileo solution. This approach improves the results by 5% for convergence time and 30% for the troposphere delay when compared to using the same function.
First Earth-Imaging CubeSat with Harmonic Diffractive Lens
Authors: Ivliev Nikolay , Evdokimova Viktoria , Podlipnov Vladimir , Petrov Maxim , Ganchevskaya Sofiya , Tkachenko Ivan , Abrameshin Dmitry , Yuzifovich Yuri , Nikonorov Artem , Skidanov Roman , Kazanskiy Nikolay , Soifer Victor
Published: May 2022

Launched in March 2021, the 3U CubeSat nanosatellite was the first ever to use an ultra-lightweight harmonic diffractive lens for Earth remote sensing. We describe the CubeSat platform we used; our 10 mm diameter and 70 mm focal length lens synthesis, design, and manufacturing; a custom 3D-printed camera housing built from a zero-thermal-expansion metal alloy; and the on-Earth image post-processing with a convolutional neural network resulting in images comparable in quality to classical refractive optics used for remote sensing before.
Estimating Soil Moisture over Winter Wheat Fields during Growing Season Using RADARSAT-2 Data
Authors: Chen Lin , Xing Minfeng , He Binbin , Wang Jinfei , Xu Min , Song Yang , Huang Xiaodong
Published: May 2022

Soil moisture content (SMC) is a significant factor affecting crop growth and development. However, SMC estimation, based on synthetic aperture radar (SAR), is influenced by a variety of surface parameters, such as vegetation cover and surface roughness. As a result, determining the SMC across agricultural areas (e.g., wheat fields) remotely (i.e., without ground measurement) is difficult to achieve. In this study, a model-based polarization decomposition method was used to decompose the original SAR signal into different scattering components that represented different scattering mechanisms. The different volume scattering models were applied, and then the results were compared in order to remove the scattering contribution from vegetation canopy, and extract the surface scattering components related to the soil moisture. Finally, by combining extensively used surface scattering models (e.g., CIEM and Dubois), and a method of roughness parameters optimization, a lookup table was developed to estimate the soil moisture during the wheat growth period. When CIEM is applied, the R2 and RMSE of the SMC are 0.534, 5.62 vol.%, and for the Dubois model, 0.634, 5.16 vol.%, respectively, which indicates that this approach provides good estimation performance for measuring soil moisture during the wheat growing season.
SAR Ship–Iceberg Discrimination in Arctic Conditions Using Deep Learning
Authors: Heiselberg Peder , Sørensen Kristian A. , Heiselberg Henning , Andersen Ole B.
Published: May 2022

Maritime surveillance of the Arctic region is of growing importance as shipping, fishing and tourism are increasing due to the sea ice retreat caused by global warming. Ships that do not identify themselves with a transponder system, so-called dark ships, pose a security risk. They can be detected by SAR satellites, which can monitor the vast Arctic region through clouds, day and night, with the caveat that the abundant icebergs in the Arctic cause false alarms. We collect and analyze 200 Sentinel-1 horizontally polarized SAR scenes from areas with high maritime traffic and from the Arctic region with a high density of icebergs. Ships and icebergs are detected using a continuous wavelet transform, which is optimized by correlating ships to known AIS positions. Globally, we are able to assign 72% of the AIS signals to a SAR ship and 32% of the SAR ships to an AIS signal. The ships are used to construct an annotated dataset of more than 9000 ships and ten times as many icebergs. The dataset is used for training several convolutional neural networks, and we propose a new network which achieves state of the art performance compared to previous ship–iceberg discrimination networks, reaching 93% validation accuracy. Furthermore, we collect a smaller test dataset consisting of 424 ships from 100 Arctic scenes which are correlated to AIS positions. This dataset constitutes an operational Arctic test scenario. We find these ships harder to classify with a lower test accuracy of 83%, because some of the ships sail near icebergs and ice floes, which confuses the classification algorithms.
An Adaptive Sample Assignment Strategy Based on Feature Enhancement for Ship Detection in SAR Images
Authors: Shi Hao , Fang Zhonghao , Wang Yupei , Chen Liang
Published: May 2022

Recently, ship detection in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images has received extensive attention. Most of the current ship detectors preset dense anchor boxes to achieve spatial alignment with ground-truth (GT) objects. Then, the detector defines the positive and negative samples based on the intersection-over-unit (IoU) between the anchors and GT objects. However, this label assignment strategy confuses the learning process of the model to a certain extent and results in suboptimal classification and regression results. In this paper, an adaptive sample assignment (ASA) strategy is proposed to select high-quality positive samples according to the spatial alignment and the knowledge learned from the regression and classification branches. Using our model, the selection of positive and negative samples is more explicit, which achieves better detection performance. A regression guided loss is proposed to further lead the detector to select well-classified and well-regressed anchors as high-quality positive samples by introducing the regression performance as a soft label in the calculation of the classification loss. In order to alleviate false alarms, a feature aggregation enhancement pyramid network (FAEPN) is proposed to enhance multi-scale feature representations and suppress the interference of background noise. Extensive experiments using the SAR ship detection dataset (SSDD) and high-resolution SAR images dataset (HRSID) demonstrate the superiority of our proposed approach.
Interpretation of the Spatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics of Land Deformation in Beijing during 2003–2020 Using Sentinel, ENVISAT, and Landsat Data
Authors: Zhang Shuangcheng , Zhang Yafei , Yu Jing , Fan Qianyou , Si Jinzhao , Zhu Wu , Song Mingxin
Published: May 2022

Since the 1930s, due to the rapid development of the city and the increase of population, the demand from Beijing residents for water resources has gradually increased. Land deformation in the Beijing Plain is a serious issue. In order to warn of, and mitigate, disasters, it is urgently necessary to obtain the latest rate, extent, and temporal evolution of land subsidence in Beijing. Firstly, the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of land deformation in Beijing during 2003–2020 were unveiled using the time-series interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technique and two different satellite datasets, sentinel-1a/1b and ENVISAT ASAR. By means of combining calibration of InSAR results with the global positioning system (GPS), we studied the evolutionary process of long-term land subsidence in Beijing. The precision of our InSAR annual subsidence results is less than 10 mm. Land subsidence in Beijing is unevenly distributed, and so five main land subsidence zones were monitored. The time-series results showed that the rate of land subsidence rate continued to increase from 2003 to 2015, but has gradually shown a slowing trend from 2015 to 2020. Further, we used the quadratic polynomial fitting method to interpolate the time-series deformation results from 2010 to 2015, and compared these with GPS. The results demonstrated that although the InSAR observation method is not strictly registered with GPS in time, its deformation trend is consistent. In addition, the calibrated long time-series was consistent with the three deformation stages of land subsidence evolution in Beijing. Finally, we analyzed the deformation information obtained by InSAR technology in combination with land use type data, precipitation and groundwater data. The results demonstrated that the central area is mostly stable, and land deformation in the northeast is obvious and uneven. In addition, land use type and precipitation have little influence on land subsidence. Changes in land subsidence were closely related to changes in groundwater level, and seasonal variations in deformation correlated with precipitation.
OpenHSI: A Complete Open-Source Hyperspectral Imaging Solution for Everyone
Authors: Mao Yiwei , Betters Christopher H. , Evans Bradley , Artlett Christopher P. , Leon-Saval Sergio G. , Garske Samuel , Cairns Iver H. , Cocks Terry , Winter Robert , Dell Timothy
Published: May 2022

OpenHSI is an initiative to lower the barriers of entry and bring compact pushbroom hyperspectral imaging spectrometers to a wider audience. We present an open-source optical design that can be replicated with readily available commercial-off-the-shelf components, and an open-source software platform openhsi that simplifies the process of capturing calibrated hyperspectral datacubes. Some of the features that the software stack provides include: an ISO 19115-2 metadata editor, wavelength calibration, a fast smile correction method, radiance conversion, atmospheric correction using 6SV (an open-source radiative transfer code), and empirical line calibration. A pipeline was developed to customise the desired processing and make openhsi practical for real-time use. We used the OpenHSI optical design and software stack successfully in the field and verified the performance using calibration tarpaulins. By providing all the tools needed to collect documented hyperspectral datasets, our work empowers practitioners who may not have the financial or technical capability to operate commercial hyperspectral imagers, and opens the door for applications in new problem domains.