bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Manufacture and Characterization of Geopolymer Coatings Deposited from Suspensions on Aluminium Substrates
Authors: Novotný Jan , Jaskevič Martin , Mamoń Filip , Mareš Jakub , Horký Roman , Houška Pavel
Published: November 2022

Geopolymers compete with a number of conventional coatings and a few of them have already been replaced. The aim of this work was the analysis of alkali-activated metakaolin-based geopolymers and their use as brush-applied coatings, which were chosen due to their simplicity and cost-effectiveness. Eight coatings were prepared and the AlMgSi aluminum alloy underlying the substrate was also studied. The main characterizations of the prepared coatings were the microscopy analysis, which showed that manual painting with a brush on the coatings we prepared could achieve a high-quality geopolymer layer, and that if microscopic cracks are visible on the surface, they are uniform and do not affect the resulting cohesiveness of the coating. The thicknesses of these coatings are different, ranging from 1.5 to 11 μm, with no visible anomalies. For the evaluation of the properties of the coatings, we determined the analysis of adhesion to the adjacent substrate, microhardness and thermal expansion determined using the so-called dilatometric analysis as important criteria. For these analyses, the results vary by geopolymer type and are discussed in the following chapters.
Environmental Effects of Commodity Trade vs. Service Trade in Developing Countries
Authors: Saeed Mohammad Zohaib , Ghimire Shankar
Published: November 2022

Increasing levels of carbon emissions have been a growing concern worldwide because of their adverse environmental effects. In that context, this paper examines the association between different categories of trade and carbon dioxide emissions. In particular, we analyze whether total trade, commodity trade, and service trade affect the environment differently. The analysis is based on panel data for 147 developing countries for the period from 1960 to 2020. Methodologically, the fixed-effects model, as suggested by the Hausman test, is used to examine the relationships. We present two main conclusions: (1) overall trade increases CO2 emissions, and (2) commodity trade contributes to higher levels of CO2 emissions than service trade. These results have important policy implications—climate change policies should target commodity trade sectors to help reduce environmental carbon emissions.
Greedy Texts Similarity Mapping
Authors: Jangabylova Aliya , Krassovitskiy Alexander , Mussabayev Rustam , Ualiyeva Irina
Published: November 2022

The documents similarity metric is a substantial tool applied in areas such as determining topic in relation to documents, plagiarism detection, or problems necessary to capture the semantic, syntactic, or structural similarity of texts. Evaluated results of the similarity measure depend on the types of word represented and the problem statement and can be time-consuming. In this paper, we present a problem-independent algorithm of the similarity metric greedy texts similarity mapping (GTSM), which is computationally efficient to be applied for large datasets with any preferred word vectorization models. GTSM maps words in two texts based on a decision rule that evaluates word similarity and their importance to the texts. We compare it with the well-known word mover’s distance (WMD) algorithm in the k-nearest neighbors text classification problem and find that it leads to similar or better results. In the correlation evaluation task of similarity measures with human-judged scores, we demonstrate its higher correlation scores in comparison with WMD and sentence mover’s similarity (SMS) and show that GTSM is a decent alternative for both word-level and sentence-level tasks.
Analysis of Structural, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of (Fe,Co) Co-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles Synthesized under UV Light
Authors: Madkhali Nawal
Published: November 2022

In this report, we discuss the preparation of undoped and (Fe,Co) co-doped ZnO nanocomposites via an ultrasonicated probe, which were both under UV irradiation for 12 h and annealed at 400 °C for four hours in ambient air. Here, we investigated the different concentration of dopant transition metals (ZnO-Fe1-x-Cox) (x = 0.03, 0.05, and 0.07). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses confirmed the nanophase, crystallinity, good uniformity, and around 28 nm core sizes of all of the (ZnO-Fe1-x-Cox) as-synthesized composites with different rates. The optical properties of ZnO doped with a high percent of Fe nanoparticles displayed an increase in absorption in the UV region and a slight decrease in the energy band gap to 3.13 eV. Magnetic measurements revealed that doping enhanced the ferromagnetism of ZnO. Recent studies which aimed to improve the optical and magnetic properties of metal oxides, the most important of which being zinc oxide, have allowed their applications to diversify and multiply in the medical, industrial, and electronic fields.
Reliability, Applications and Challenges of GaN HEMT Technology for Modern Power Devices: A Review
Authors: Islam Naeemul , Mohamed Mohamed Fauzi Packeer , Khan Muhammad Firdaus Akbar Jalaludin , Falina Shaili , Kawarada Hiroshi , Syamsul Mohd
Published: November 2022

A new generation of high-efficiency power devices is being developed using wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, like GaN and SiC, which are emerging as attractive alternatives to silicon. The recent interest in GaN has been piqued by its excellent material characteristics, including its high critical electric field, high saturation velocity, high electron mobility, and outstanding thermal stability. Therefore, the superior performance is represented by GaN-based high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) devices. They can perform at higher currents, voltages, temperatures, and frequencies, making them suitable devices for the next generation of high-efficiency power converter applications, including electric vehicles, phone chargers, renewable energy, and data centers. Thus, this review article will provide a basic overview of the various technological and scientific elements of the current GaN HEMTs technology. First, the present advancements in the GaN market and its primary application areas are briefly summarized. After that, the GaN is compared with other devices, and the GaN HEMT device’s operational material properties with different heterostructures are discussed. Then, the normally-off GaN HEMT technology with their different types are considered, especially on the recessed gate metal insulator semiconductor high electron mobility transistor (MISHEMT) and p-GaN. Hereafter, this review also discusses the reliability concerns of the GaN HEMT which are caused by trap effects like a drain, gate lag, and current collapse with numerous types of degradation. Eventually, the breakdown voltage of the GaN HEMT with some challenges has been studied.
Phase Sequence, Kinetics of Crystallization and Molecular Dynamics of the Chiral Liquid Crystalline Compound Forming a Hexatic Smectic Glass
Authors: Deptuch Aleksandra , Jasiurkowska-Delaporte Małgorzata , Juszyńska-Gałązka Ewa , Drzewicz Anna , Urbańska Magdalena
Published: November 2022

The vitrification of the antiferroelectric hexatic smectic XA* phase and cold crystallization are reported for (S)-4′-(1-methylheptylcarbonyl)biphenyl-4-yl 4-[5-(2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluorobutoxy) heptyl-1-oxy]benzoate. The kinetics of isothermal cold crystallization and melt crystallization are investigated, revealing that both are controlled mainly by diffusion, as indicated by decrease in the characteristic crystallization time with increasing temperature of crystallization, with an activation energy of 114 kJ/mol. A weak relaxation process is detected in a crystal phase, with an activation energy of 38 kJ/mol, implying the conformationally disordered crystal phase. The estimated fragility parameter of the investigated glass former is equal to 94.5, which indicates rather high fragility.
The Influence of Shock Wave Surface Treatment on Vibration Behavior of Semi-Solid State Cast Aluminum—Al2SiO5 Composite
Authors: Kumar Paul Sureshkumar Samuel Ratna , Mashinini Peter Madindwa , Khan Mahaboob Adam , Uthayakumar Marimuthu , Toleuova Ainagul Rymkulovna , Mierzwiński Dariusz , Korniejenko Kinga , Majid Mohd Shukry Abdul
Published: November 2022

The semi-solid state casting procedure was used to manufacture as-cast AA5083, 1 and 2 wt.% of aluminosilicate reinforced composite material. After solidification, developed as-cast materials were subjected to shock wave treatment in the subsonic wind tunnel. Various techniques were used to evaluate the change in shock wave exposure, including mechanical and structural analysis, which is a field dedicated to the study of vibrations and other material properties. The research methods involved developed material grain structure and surface morphology, such as field emission scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and the energy dispersive method. This study shows that the microhardness value of the matrix material is increased before and after exposure to shock wave treatment compared to the developed composite material. The natural frequency of the developed composite increases as a result of the addition of aluminosilicate reinforcement before and after the shock wave. In addition, the shifting of frequency mechanism is studied to know the influence of shock wave surface treatment. The results obtained show the potential of the application of this material in the area of robotic parts.
Impact of Photon Counting Detector CT Derived Virtual Monoenergetic Images on the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Yalynska Tetyana , Polacin Malgorzata , Frauenfelder Thomas , Martini Katharina
Published: November 2022

Purpose: To assess the impact of virtual-monoenergetic-image (VMI) energies on the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) in photon-counting-detector computed-tomography (PCD-CT). Methods: Eighty patients (median age 60.4 years) with suspected PE were retrospectively included. Scans were performed on PCD-CT in the multi-energy mode at 120 kV. VMIs from 40–70 keV in 10 keV intervals were reconstructed. CT-attenuation was measured in the pulmonary trunk and the main branches of the pulmonary artery. Signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio was calculated. Two radiologists evaluated subjective-image-quality (noise, vessel-attenuation and sharpness; five-point-Likert-scale, non-diagnostic–excellent), the presence of hardening artefacts and presence/visibility of PE. Results: Signal was highest at the lowest evaluated VMI (40 keV; 1053.50 HU); image noise was lowest at the highest VMI (70 keV; 15.60 HU). Highest SNR was achieved at the lowest VMI (p < 0.05). Inter-reader-agreement for subjective analysis was fair to excellent (k = 0.373–1.000; p < 0.001). Scores for vessel-attenuation and sharpness were highest at 40 keV (both:5, range 4/3–5; k = 1.000); scores for image-noise were highest at 70 keV (4, range 3–5). The highest number of hardening artifacts were reported at 40 keV (n = 22; 28%). PE-visualization was rated best at 50 keV (4.7; range 4–5) and decreased with increasing VMI-energy (r = −0.558; p < 0.001). Conclusions: While SNR was best at 40 keV, subjective PE visibility was rated highest at 50 keV, potentially owing to the lower image noise and hardening artefacts.
Patterns of Thyroid Cancer Mortality and Incidence in Saudi Arabia: A 30-Year Study
Authors: Flemban Arwa F. , Kabrah Saeed , Alahmadi Hanaa , Alqurashi Raghad K. , Turaes Anwar S. , Almaghrabi Ruba , Al Harbi Samah , Khogeer Asim A.
Published: November 2022

Thyroid cancer is the most prevalent endocrine cancer among the female population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the ninth most common in the male population in Saudi Arabia. Over the past years, an increasing incidence of thyroid cancer has been reported in Saudi Arabia. However, the etiology of thyroid cancer is still not clear. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate thyroid cancer incidence and mortality trends in Saudi Arabia from 1990 to 2019. The current study utilized the Global Burden of Disease and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation databases to extract prevalence data of thyroid cancer in Saudi Arabia from 1990 to 2019. Moreover, the current project utilizes Global Burden of Disease (GBD) web-based tools to visualize these data. In total, 23,846 cases (17,220 females and 6626 males) were diagnosed with thyroid cancer in Saudi Arabia from 1990 to 2019. The incidence is higher in females than in males. Over these 30 years, women’s incidence steadily increased by 15-fold versus a 22-fold increase in men. Moreover, there were 2056 deaths in total caused by thyroid cancer in KSA. The mortality rate in women steadily increased by threefold in the same period. However, the increase in mortality was higher in males (sixfold). A high percentage of YLLs was observed in males, with around 24.8% ranging from 30 to 34 and 40 to 45 years. Thyroid cancer incidence rates have increased exponentially between 1990 and 2019. The expansion of the incidence of thyroid cancer in Saudi Arabia could be due to the increased development in detection and diagnosis. The current study provided evidence of the need to increase awareness and diagnosis in the male population.
Early Prediction and Monitoring of Treatment Response in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors by Means of Imaging: A Systematic Review
Authors: Weeda Ylva. A. , Kalisvaart Gijsbert M. , van Velden Floris H. P. , Gelderblom Hans , van der Molen Aart. J. , Bovee Judith V. M. G. , van der Hage Jos A. , Grootjans Willem , de Geus-Oei Lioe-Fee
Published: November 2022

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare mesenchymal neoplasms. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy is currently part of routine clinical practice for unresectable and metastatic disease. It is important to assess the efficacy of TKI treatment at an early stage to optimize therapy strategies and eliminate futile ineffective treatment, side effects and unnecessary costs. This systematic review provides an overview of the imaging features obtained from contrast-enhanced (CE)-CT and 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) PET/CT to predict and monitor TKI treatment response in GIST patients. PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and Embase were systematically screened. Articles were considered eligible if quantitative outcome measures (area under the curve (AUC), correlations, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy) were used to evaluate the efficacy of imaging features for predicting and monitoring treatment response to various TKI treatments. The methodological quality of all articles was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies, v2 (QUADAS-2) tool and modified versions of the Radiomics Quality Score (RQS). A total of 90 articles were included, of which 66 articles used baseline [18F]FDG-PET and CE-CT imaging features for response prediction. Generally, the presence of heterogeneous enhancement on baseline CE-CT imaging was considered predictive for high-risk GISTs, related to underlying neovascularization and necrosis of the tumor. The remaining articles discussed therapy monitoring. Clinically established imaging features, including changes in tumor size and density, were considered unfavorable monitoring criteria, leading to under- and overestimation of response. Furthermore, changes in glucose metabolism, as reflected by [18F]FDG-PET imaging features, preceded changes in tumor size and were more strongly correlated with tumor response. Although CE-CT and [18F]FDG-PET can aid in the prediction and monitoring in GIST patients, further research on cost-effectiveness is recommended.
Ectopic Eruption of First Permanent Molars in Children from North-Western Romania
Authors: Moca Rahela Tabita , Juncar Raluca Iulia , Moca Abel Emanuel , Sabău Denisa Tabita , Vaida Luminița Ligia , Juncar Mihai
Published: November 2022

Ectopic eruption of first permanent molars can lead to complications if left untreated. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the ectopic eruption of first permanent molars in a sample of children from North-Western Romania, and to identify the characteristic of this anomaly in the studied population. We included patients aged between 5 and 9 years, and patients who needed a radiological examination for the diagnosis and treatment of dental or dento-maxillary diseases. The following exclusion criteria were applied: unclear or poor-quality radiographs; radiographs that belonged to patients who benefited from an orthodontic treatment before the panoramic radiograph was taken; patients who were undergoing orthodontic treatment when the radiograph was taken; and patients with local or general diseases that could influence dento-facial growth and development. Three degrees of severity were selected (moderate, severe, and very severe). The sample consisted of 438 patients, and 61 patients were diagnosed with ectopic eruption of first permanent molars (13.92%). Out of the 1752 analyzed molars, 103 were affected (5.87%). Patients with a moderate degree of ectopy were more frequently boys (56%, n = 14), while patients with a severe degree of ectopy were more frequently girls (52.8%, n = 19). Patients with a moderate degree of ectopy had significantly more frequently a unilateral position (57.1%, n = 16), while patients with a very severe degree of ectopy had significantly more frequently a bilateral position (36.4%, n = 12). The ectopic eruption was diagnosed at the level of the upper-right first permanent molar in a percentage of 18.4% (n = 19), at the level of the upper-left first permanent molar in a percentage of 17.5% (n = 18), at the level of the lower-right first permanent molar in a percentage of 32% (n = 33), and at the level of the lower-left first permanent molar in a percentage of 32% (n = 33). Although not very frequent, the ectopic eruption of first permanent molars is an important anomaly that should be early diagnosed, monitored and treated.
Comparison of Concordance between Chuna Manual Therapy Diagnostic Methods (Palpation, X-ray, Artificial Intelligence Program) in Lumbar Spine: An Exploratory, Cross-Sectional Clinical Study
Authors: Lee Jin-Hyun , Woo Hyeonjun , Jang Jun-Su , Kim Joong Il , Na Young Cheol , Kim Kwang-Ryeol , Cho Eunbyul , Lee Jung-Han , Park Tae-Yong
Published: November 2022

Before Chuna manual therapy (CMT), a manual therapy applied in Korean medicine, CMT spinal diagnosis using palpation or X-ray is performed. However, studies on the inter-rater concordance of CMT diagnostic methods, concordance among diagnostic methods, and standard CMT diagnostic methods are scarce. Moreover, no clinical studies have used artificial intelligence (AI) programs for X-ray image-based CMT diagnosis. Therefore, this study sought a feasible and standard CMT spinal diagnostic method and explored the clinical applicability of the CMT-AI program. One hundred participants were recruited, and the concordance within and among different diagnostic modalities was analyzed by dividing them into manual diagnosis (MD), X-ray image-based diagnosis (XRD) by experts and non-experts, and XRD using a CMT-AI program by non-experts. Regarding intra-group concordance, XRD by experts showed the highest concordance (used as a gold standard when comparing inter-group concordance), followed by XRD using the AI program, XRD by non-experts, and then MD. Comparing diagnostic results between the groups, concordance with the gold standard was the highest for XRD using the AI program, followed by XRD by non-experts, and MD. Therefore, XRD is a more reasonable CMT diagnostic method than MD. Furthermore, the clinical applicability of the CMT-AI program is high.
Validation of Voltammetric Methods for Online Analysis of Platinum Dissolution in a Hydrogen PEM Fuel Cell Stack
Authors: Birkner Lena , Eichelbaum Maik
Published: November 2022

Platinum dissolution in PEM fuel cells is an increasingly important indicator for the state-of-health and lifetime prediction of fuel cells in real applications. For this reason, portable online analysis tools are needed that can detect and quantify platinum with high sensitivity, selectivity, and accuracy in the product water of fuel cells. We validated the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) and non-toxic bismuth film electrodes for the voltammetric determination of platinum for this purpose. Bismuth films were prepared by reductive deposition on both a glassy carbon solid state electrode and on a screen-printed electrode (film on-chip electrode). Both bismuth film electrodes could be successfully validated for the determination of platinum by adsorptive stripping voltammetry. An LOD of 7.9 μg/L and an LOQ of 29.1 μg/L were determined for the bismuth film solid state electrode, values of 22.5 μg/L for the LOD and of 79.0 μg/L for the LOQ were obtained for the bismuth film on-chip electrode. These numbers are still much higher than the results measured with the HMDE (LOD: 0.76 ng/L; LOQ: 2.8 ng/L) and are not sufficient to detect platinum in the product water of a fuel cell run in different load tests. The amount of dissolved platinum produced by a 100 W fuel cell stack upon dynamic and continuous high load cycling, respectively, was in the range of 2.9–4.1 ng/L, which could only be detected by the HMDE.
Application of Phanerochaete chrysopsorium-Based Carbon Paste Electrode as an Electrochemical Sensor for Voltammetric Detection of Hg (II) in Chlor-Alkali Industrial Effluent
Authors: Zaib Maria , Farooq Umar , Athar Muhammad Makshoof
Published: November 2022

In this study, an electrochemical sensor for the monitoring of Hg (II) at trace levels by using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry has been reported. Basically the electrochemical sensor is a Phanerochaete chrysosporium-based carbon paste electrode. Here, Phanerochaete chrysosporium has played a new vital role in electrochemical detection of heavy metal apart from its known contribution in their removal. Optimal voltammetric response was observed at −0.7 V deposition potential l, 5% biomass concentration ratio (w/w), and neutral pH conditions with 12 min as the accumulation time. Selectivity was evaluated in the presence of different interfering cations. Linear range was observed for 5–50 µgL−1 of metal concentration with a detection limit of 4.4 µgL−1. The equivalence of new and reference analytical methods was statistically assessed in mercury samples collected from chlor-alkali industrial effluent by correlation of results (Pearson’s product-moment correlation), weighted Deming regression analysis, paired comparison test, relative standard deviation (RSD), median relative error (MRE), root mean square error (RMSE), and predicted residual sum of square (PRESS). This work presented a simple, efficient, and promising analytical tool in trace level detection of Hg (II), as compared to previously reported carbon paste electrodes based on biological material.
Efficient Deep Reinforcement Learning for Optimal Path Planning
Authors: Ren Jing , Huang Xishi , Huang Raymond N.
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we propose a novel deep reinforcement learning (DRL) method for optimal path planning for mobile robots using dynamic programming (DP)-based data collection. The proposed method can overcome the slow learning process and improve training data quality inherently in DRL algorithms. The main idea of our approach is as follows. First, we mapped the dynamic programming method to typical optimal path planning problems for mobile robots, and created a new efficient DP-based method to find an exact, analytical, optimal solution for the path planning problem. Then, we used high-quality training data gathered using the DP method for DRL, which greatly improves training data quality and learning efficiency. Next, we established a two-stage reinforcement learning method where, prior to the DRL, we employed extreme learning machines (ELM) to initialize the parameters of actor and critic neural networks to a near-optimal solution in order to significantly improve the learning performance. Finally, we illustrated our method using some typical path planning tasks. The experimental results show that our DRL method can converge much easier and faster than other methods. The resulting action neural network is able to successfully guide robots from any start position in the environment to the goal position while following the optimal path and avoiding collision with obstacles.
Developing Cross-Domain Host-Based Intrusion Detection
Authors: Ajayi Oluwagbemiga , Gangopadhyay Aryya , Erbacher Robert F. , Bursat Carl
Published: November 2022

Digital transformation has continued to have a remarkable impact on industries, creating new possibilities and improving the performance of existing ones. Recently, we have seen more deployments of cyber-physical systems and the Internet of Things (IoT) as in no other time. However, cybersecurity is often an afterthought in the design and implementation of many systems; therefore, there usually is an introduction of new attack surfaces as new systems and applications are being deployed. Machine learning has been helpful in creating intrusion detection models, but it is impractical to create attack detection models with acceptable performance for every single computing infrastructure and the various attack scenarios due to the cost of collecting quality labeled data and training models. Hence, there is a need to develop models that can take advantage of knowledge available in a high resource source domain to improve performance of a low resource target domain model. In this work, we propose a novel cross-domain deep learning-based approach for attack detection in Host-based Intrusion Detection Systems (HIDS). Specifically, we developed a method for candidate source domain selection from among a group of potential source domains by computing the similarity score a target domain records when paired with a potential source domain. Then, using different word embedding space combination techniques and transfer learning approach, we leverage the knowledge from a well performing source domain model to improve the performance of a similar model in the target domain. To evaluate our proposed approach, we used Leipzig Intrusion Detection Dataset (LID-DS), a HIDS dataset recorded on a modern operating system that consists of different attack scenarios. Our proposed cross-domain approach recorded significant improvement in the target domains when compared with the results from in-domain approach experiments. Based on the result, the F2-score of the target domain CWE-307 improved from 80% in the in-domain approach to 87% in the cross-domain approach while the target domain CVE-2014-0160 improved from 13% to 85%.
A Bilateral Cooperative Strategy for Swarm Escort under the Attack of Aggressive Swarms
Authors: Zou Bingyun , Peng Xingguang
Published: November 2022

With the development of swarm intelligence and low-cost unmanned systems, the offence and defense of a swarm have become essential issues in defense and security technologies. A swarm of drones can be used to attack some high-value units (HVUs), such as bases or fuel tanks. Moreover, some moving HVUs such as cargo ships are also greatly threatened when attacked by a swarm of unmanned surface vehicles. A promising approach to protect a HVU from the attack of an aggressive swarm is to use another low-cost swarm. However, escorting a HVU with a swarm is challenging since defenders must respond to attacks and carry out escorts in a noncentralized manner. It is difficult to balance the above tasks well using the unilateral escort strategy adopted by defenders in previous studies. Therefore, this paper proposes a bilateral cooperative strategy for the swarm escort problem under the attack of aggressive swarms. In this bilateral cooperative strategy, the HVU adaptively select different evasion strategies by inferring the threat level according to the spatial distributions of the defenders and attackers. Meanwhile, the defenders of the swarm take a noncentralized escort algorithm by moving around the HVU in a dual-layer formation. Within each layer, the defenders cluster into several uniformly distributed subswarms to counteract the attackers. Numerical simulations are conducted using different aggressive swarm models to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed bilateral cooperative strategy.
Intelligent Deep Machine Learning Cyber Phishing URL Detection Based on BERT Features Extraction
Authors: Elsadig Muna , Ibrahim Ashraf Osman , Basheer Shakila , Alohali Manal Abdullah , Alshunaifi Sara , Alqahtani Haya , Alharbi Nihal , Nagmeldin Wamda
Published: November 2022

Recently, phishing attacks have been a crucial threat to cyberspace security. Phishing is a form of fraud that attracts people and businesses to access malicious uniform resource locators (URLs) and submit their sensitive information such as passwords, credit card ids, and personal information. Enormous intelligent attacks are launched dynamically with the aim of tricking users into thinking they are accessing a reliable website or online application to acquire account information. Researchers in cyberspace are motivated to create intelligent models and offer secure services on the web as phishing grows more intelligent and malicious every day. In this paper, a novel URL phishing detection technique based on BERT feature extraction and a deep learning method is introduced. BERT was used to extract the URLs’ text from the Phishing Site Predict dataset. Then, the natural language processing (NLP) algorithm was applied to the unique data column and extracted a huge number of useful data features in terms of meaningful text information. Next, a deep convolutional neural network method was utilised to detect phishing URLs. It was used to constitute words or n-grams in order to extract higher-level features. Then, the data were classified into legitimate and phishing URLs. To evaluate the proposed method, a famous public phishing website URLs dataset was used, with a total of 549,346 entries. However, three scenarios were developed to compare the outcomes of the proposed method by using similar datasets. The feature extraction process depends on natural language processing techniques. The experiments showed that the proposed method had achieved 96.66% accuracy in the results, and then the obtained results were compared to other literature review works. The results showed that the proposed method was efficient and valid in detecting phishing websites’ URLs.
A Conceptual Model for Investigating the Effect of Privacy Concerns on E-Commerce Adoption: A Study on United Arab Emirates Consumers
Authors: Akour Iman , Alnazzawi Noha , Alshurideh Muhammad , Almaiah Mohammed Amin , Al Kurdi Barween , Alfaisal Raghad M. , Salloum Said
Published: November 2022

Online transactions have been reported to be hindered by privacy concerns. Although information privacy presents a threat to e-commerce adoption, cultural differences between nations can additionally impede this trend while raising people’s concerns about the privacy of their personal information. By removing geographic and time restrictions, the rise of e-commerce has completely changed how businesses interact with their clients. As a result, this research looked into how national culture affected the relationship between e-commerce adoption and information privacy in the United Arab Emirates. We suggested that, regardless of a society’s technological and economic infrastructure, privacy concerns and e-commerce adoption are influenced by cultural values. Our research model, which was validated using online survey questionnaires, was created employing Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. Self-administered questionnaires were used in a quantitative strategy. A sample of 249 consumers was chosen, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data. Our analysis revealed that key factors in people’s intention to transact online include their degree of perceptions of Internet safety, acceptance of e-commerce, privacy concerns, and personal interests. Additionally, the results show that gender has a positive effect as a mediator between the factors: “Privacy Concerns, Personal Interest, Safety Perceptions, and Transaction Willingness”. These results show how culture affects the adoption of e-commerce. Nevertheless, surprisingly, according to the research’s findings, privacy concerns were not indicative of cultural values, indicating that the idea of information privacy is more sophisticated than what a society’s culture represents.
Assessment of a New Fire Risk Index for the Atlantic Forest, Brazil
Authors: Delgado Rafael Coll , Wanderley Henderson Silva , Pereira Marcos Gervasio , Almeida André Quintão de , Carvalho Daniel Costa de , Lindemann Douglas da Silva , Zonta Everaldo , Menezes Sady Júnior Martins da Costa de , Santos Gilsonley Lopes dos , Santana Romário Oliveira de , Souza Renato Sinquini de , Santos Otavio Augusto Queiroz dos
Published: November 2022

The general objective of this research was to propose a new fire risk index, specifically the Fire Risk Atlantic Forest (FIAF) index in Itatiaia National Park (PNI). The data were collected from two levels (2 and 10 m) of a micrometeorological tower, with a time series on an hourly scale, daily from 2018 to 2021. Two multiple regression models were generated for the two collection levels (FIAF 2 and 10 m) and, based on the statistical criteria and the choice of the best model, a future simulation was generated using the scenario SSP 4.5 for 2022 to 2050. The correlation matrix between the data from the FIAF and fire foci models was also analyzed. The FIAF model was compared with the traditional models already used in Brazil, such as the Angström indices, Monte Alegre Formula (FMA), and the improved Monte Alegre Formula (FMA+) models. The results showed that the FIAF model at 10 m overestimated the results observed mainly during the dry season. The FIAF 2 m model presented the highest correlation with a fire foci value greater than 0.74. In the future simulation, the years that presented the highest extreme risks were: 2025, 2035, 2041, and 2049. Thus, it is possible to state that the FIAF model at the 2 m level was the best model for predicting the degree of fire risk in the PNI.
Enhanced Isohydric Behavior Decoupled the Whole-Tree Sap Flux Response to Leaf Transpiration under Nitrogen Addition in a Subtropical Forest
Authors: Zhao Zhen , Zhao Ping , Zhang Zhenzhen , Ouyang Lei , Zhao Xiuhua , Zhu Liwei , Cao Chenchen , Zeng Linhui
Published: November 2022

Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition has the potential to change the leaf water-use strategy in the subtropical region of China. Nevertheless, the whole-tree level response crucial for the ecosystem functions has not been well addressed over the past decades. In this study, the stem sap flux density (JS) was monitored for the whole-tree water transport capacity in two dominant species (Schima superba and Castanopsis chinensis) in a subtropical forest. To simulate the increased nitrogen deposition, the NH4NO3 solutions were sprayed onto the forest canopy at 25 kg ha−1 year−1 (CAN25) and 50 kg ha−1 year−1 (CAN50), respectively, since April 2013. The JS and microclimate (monitored since January 2014) derived from the whole-tree level stomatal conductance (GS) were used to quantify the stomatal behavior (GS sensitive to vapor pressure deficit, GS-VPD) in response to the added nitrogen. The maximum shoot hydraulic conductance (Kshoot-max) was also measured for both species. After one-year of monitoring in January 2015, the mid-day (JS-mid) and daily mean (JS-mean) sap flux rates did not change under all the nitrogen addition treatments (p > 0.05). A consistent decline in the GS-VPD indicated an enhanced isohydric behavior for both species. In addition, the GS-VPD in the wet season was much lower than that in the dry season. S. superba had a lower GS-VPD and decreased JS-mid/JS-mean, implying a stronger stomatal control under the fertilization, which might be attributed to the low efficient diffuse-porous conduits and a higher JS. In addition, the GS for S. superba decreased and the GS-VPD increased more under CAN50 than that under CAN25, indicating that the high nitrogen dose restrains the extra nitrogen benefits. Our results indicated that the JS for both species was decoupled from the leaf transpiration for both species due to an enhanced isohydric behavior, and a xylem anatomy difference and fertilization dose would affect the extent of this decoupling relation.
A Field Study of Coal Fire Areas Re-Burning Behavior Assessment and Related Carbon Emissions
Authors: Wang Haiyan , Fan Cheng , Li Jinglei , Wu Yaling , Xing Shiyue , Wang Wei
Published: November 2022

The re-burning of coal seams still occurs in coal fire areas after firefighting projects. A large amount of spontaneous combustion gas products is released from the surface fissure, which can cause air pollution and even threaten the production of surrounding mining areas. However, the distribution characteristics of fissure channels in the re-burning coal fire areas are local and scattered. Therefore, we developed a system for the in situ monitoring of spontaneous combustion gas emissions from fissure channels to conduct field investigations on the re-burning behavior of coal seams to explore the degree of re-burning in the coal fire area. The results showed that re-burning of the coal fire area induced fissure channels with different shapes. The CO2 concentrations are always higher than the CO concentrations among the spontaneous combustion gas products discharged from the fissure channels. The degree of re-burning of coal seams at different study locations was comprehensively determined using simplified MCE and CO2/CO ratios. The comprehensive factor α was obtained using the generalized principal component analysis (GPCA) by taking into account spontaneous combustion gas, meteorological factors, and the thermal physical characteristics of fissures. A carbon emission model for local fissure channels in the coal fire area was established, and the daily average carbon emissions at the study location were 2.56 t. Therefore, this provides essential theoretical support for taking corresponding fire extinguishing measures according to the degree of re-burning of the coal fire area.
Heat Transfer in a Non-Isothermal Collisionless Turbulent Particle-Laden Flow
Authors: Zandi Pour Hamid Reza , Iovieno Michele
Published: November 2022

To better understand the role of particle inertia on the heat transfer in the presence of a thermal inhomogeneity, Eulerian–Lagrangian direct numerical simulations (DNSs) have been carried out by using the point–particle model. By considering particles transported by a homogeneous and isotropic, statistically steady turbulent velocity field with a Taylor microscale Reynolds number from 37 to 124, we have investigated the role of particle inertia and thermal inertia in one- and two-way coupling collisionless regimes on the heat transfer between two regions at uniform temperature. A wide range of Stokes numbers, from 0.1 to 3 with a thermal Stokes-number-to-Stokes-number ratio equal to 0.5 to 4.43 has been simulated. It has been found that all moments always undergo a self-similar evolution in the interfacial region between the two uniform temperature zones, the thickness of which shows diffusive growth. We have determined that the maximum contribution of particles to the heat flux, relative to the convective heat transfer, is achieved at a Stokes number which increases with the ratio between thermal Stokes and Stokes number, approaching 1 for very large ratios. Furthermore, the maximum increases with the thermal Stokes-to-Stokes number ratio whereas it reduces for increasing Reynolds. In the two-way coupling regime, particle feedback tends to smooth temperature gradients by reducing the convective heat flux and to increase the particle turbulent heat flux, in particular at a high Stokes number. The impact of particle inertia reduces at very large Stokes numbers and at larger Reynolds numbers. The dependence of the Nusselt number on the relevant governing parameters is presented. The implications of these findings for turbulence modelling are also briefly discussed.
Edible Pleurotus eryngii Papery Food Prepared by Papermaking Process
Authors: Lv Shuang , Zhu Xiaolin , Liu Zhenbin , Hu Liangbin , Xu Dan , Chitrakar Bimal , Mo Haizhen , Li Hongbo
Published: November 2022

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the feasibility of papery food with Pleurotus eryngii (P. eryngii) as a raw material using the papermaking process. The physical, chemical, structural, and thermal degradation properties were studied as well as the sensory evaluation of the papery food from P. eryngii mycelia (PMP), stems (PSP), caps (PCP), and whole fruiting bodies (PEP). The results indicated that the colors from PSP, PCP, and PEP were clearly different from PMP. Thicker PSP and PMP had a smoother surface and better crispness compared to PCP. Moreover, PSP had better moisture resistance and thermal decomposition performance compared to the other groups. Nutritional composition and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy suggested abundant polysaccharide and protein content in all of the papery food. Finally, sensory evaluation showed that the formability, mouth feel, and overall palatability of PSP and PMP were more popular among consumers. Overall, this study provides a novel method for the preparation of papery food and provides a potential new mechanism for the further development and utilization of the fruiting bodies and mycelium of P. eryngii.
Nutritional Composition and Bioactive Properties of Wild Edible Mushrooms from Native Nothofagus Patagonian Forests
Authors: Rugolo Maximiliano , Mascoloti Spréa Rafael , Dias Maria Inês , Pires Tânia C. S. P. , Añibarro-Ortega Mikel , Barroetaveña Carolina , Caleja Cristina , Barros Lillian
Published: November 2022

Nothofagus forests of the Andean Patagonian region are home to numerous wild edible mushroom (WEM) species with interesting organoleptic characteristics, although many of them have unknown nutritional and nutraceutical profiles. The proximal composition, fatty and organic acids, soluble sugars, phenolic compounds, ergosterol, as well as antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of 17 WEMs were analyzed. Carbohydrates, the most abundant macronutrients, varied between 49.00 g/100 g dw (C. magellanicus) and 89.70 g/100 g dw (F. antarctica). Significantly higher values were found for total fat in G. gargal (5.90 g/100 g dw) followed by A. vitellinus (4.70 g/100 g dw); for crude protein in L. perlatum (36.60 g/100 g dw) followed by L. nuda (30.30 g/100 g dw); and for energy in G. gargal (398 Kcal/100g) and C. hariotii (392 Kcal/100g). The most effective extracts regarding the TBARS antioxidant capacity were those of Ramaria. This is the first time that a study was carried out on the chemical composition of G. sordulenta, C. xiphidipus, F. pumiliae, and L. perlatum. The promotion of sustainable use of WEMs, including their incorporation in functional diets that choose WEMs as nutritious, safe, and healthy foods, and their use in an identity mycogastronomy linked to tourism development, requires the detailed and precise nutritional and nutraceutical information of each species.
Conflicting Issues of Sustainable Consumption and Food Safety: Risky Consumer Behaviors in Reducing Food Waste and Plastic Packaging
Authors: Kasza Gyula , Veflen Nina , Scholderer Joachim , Münter Lars , Fekete László , Csenki Eszter Zita , Dorkó Annamária , Szakos Dávid , Izsó Tekla
Published: November 2022

Food-related consumer decisions have an impact on the environment. However, trending patterns of sustainable consumption often pose a challenge for food-safety authorities: these initiatives may unintentionally compromise food safety. The objective of this review is to support public agencies in the integration of sustainability issues into food-safety risk communication schemes. Environmentally conscious but risky behaviors aimed at the reduction of food waste and plastic packaging were chosen for discussion and scrutinized based on expert opinions. Those expert opinions clearly indicated that a significant part of environmentally conscious behaviors, such as removing mold, eating expired perishable food, overstoring leftovers, avoiding single-use plastic packaging even when cross-contamination is a threat, and using reusable bags without cleaning for a long time, often contribute to food-safety risks. Short, easy-to-remember messages were collected for each recognized risky behavior; they concentrated on prevention or providing an alternative that was still environmentally sensible but kept food-safety risks low (such as planning ahead to avoid leftovers, freezing leftovers in time, and sanitizing reusable bags). The identified challenges and solutions might encourage authorities to rethink their risk-communication practices and integrate a sustainability aspect in them.
Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Bacterial Foodborne Pathogens Isolated from Raw Bivalve Molluscs Subjected to Consumption in Poland during a Ten-Year Period
Authors: Lopatek Magdalena , Wieczorek Kinga , Osek Jacek
Published: November 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological contamination of raw bivalve molluscan shellfish (BMS) available on the Polish market and determinate the antimicrobial resistance of the obtained isolates. A total of 1000 mollusc samples were tested for the presence of Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes, V. parahaemolyticus, and S. aureus using the ISO standard methods. Additionally, the bacterial isolates’ susceptibility to antimicrobials was determined using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method. The obtained results showed that Salmonella spp. was detected in 31 (3.1%) samples, and 51.6% of the bacterial isolates were classified as Salmonella Typhimurium. A total of 74.2% of the Salmonella isolates were sensitive to all antimicrobial agents, whereas three isolates were multiresistant. L. monocytogenes was isolated from 18 (1.8%) BMS, and the isolates belonged to serogroups IIa, IIb, and IVb. Most of them were resistant to ceftriaxone (77.8%) and oxacillin (55.6%). V. parahaemolyticus was present in 24.2% BMS. These isolates were mainly resistant to ampicillin (77.3%) and streptomycin (64.0%). Moreover, 15.2% of the bivalve molluscs were contaminated with S. aureus. Most isolates belonging to this species were resistant to penicillin (84.9%). A total of 60 (6.0%) bivalve molluscs were contaminated with more than one pathogen simultaneously. In addition, the tested bacteria were more likely to be identified during the warmer period (53.9%) compared to the samples analyzed in colder months (35.7%). The obtained results indicate that raw bivalve molluscs from the Polish market are frequently contaminated with bacterial foodborne pathogens, which may be resistant to antimicrobials.