bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors Influencing Milk Quality and Subclinical Mastitis in Dairy Herds Housed in Compost-Bedded Pack Barn System
Authors: Nogara Karise Fernanda , Busanello Marcos , Tavares Queila Gouveia , De Assis Juliana Aparecida , Freu Gustavo , Dos Santos Marcos Veiga , Vieira Frederico Márcio Corrêa , Zopollatto Maity
Published: November 2023

The compost-bedded pack barn (CBPB) system has been increasingly adopted by dairy farms due to its ability to enhance animal comfort and milk production. This study evaluated the associations among bedding characteristics, milk quality and composition, and subclinical mastitis (SCM) occurrence in dairy herds housed in CBPB systems. Over a period of six months, data related to milk quality and udder health and bedding sampling were collected from eight dairy farms. Monthly measurements of the bedding temperature and wind speed inside the CBPB were taken, while temperature and relative humidity data inside the CBPB were recorded using a datalogger. Bedding samples were subjected to analysis of moisture, pH, microbiological count, and carbon/nitrogen ratio. Data on milk composition (fat, protein, milk urea nitrogen, and total solids) and quality (somatic cell count and standard plate count) of bulk tank milk were obtained from DHIA results. Canonical correlation analyses were used to evaluate the association between the analyzed group variables, and linear regression models were used to identify associations between bedding characteristics and SCM occurrence in the studied herds. The bedding characteristics that most influenced milk composition and quality were moisture, temperature at 30 cm depth (T30), and bedding pH. Environmental variables played an important role in bedding composting, as they were closely related to the surface temperature and pH. Overall, 62.71% of the variation in milk quality and composition could be explained by the bedding variables, and 77.50% of the variation in the bedding variables was associated with environmental variables. Median SCM prevalence and incidence were 28.6 and 13.8%, respectively. An increase of 1 °C for T30 resulted in a 0.6% reduction in the prevalence of SCM. Additionally, the bedding surface temperature at 22.3 °C resulted in the highest incidence of SCM (~18.1%). Our results demonstrate the importance of controlling microclimatic conditions in the CBPB to optimize the bedding composting process and milk quality.
Epidemiology of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from a Public Database from a One Health Perspective—Sample Origin and Geographical Distribution of Isolates
Authors: Zaghen Francesca , Sora Valerio Massimo , Meroni Gabriele , Laterza Giulia , Martino Piera Anna , Soggiu Alessio , Bonizzi Luigi , Zecconi Alfonso
Published: November 2023

Staphylococcus aureus are commensal bacteria that are found in food, water, and a variety of settings in addition to being present on the skin and mucosae of both humans and animals. They are regarded as a significant pathogen as well, with a high morbidity that can cause a variety of illnesses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has listed them among the most virulent and resistant to antibiotics bacterial pathogens, along with Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecium. Additionally, S. aureus is a part of the global threat posed by the existence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Using 26,430 S. aureus isolates from a global public database (NPDIB; NCBI Pathogen Detection Isolate Browser), epidemiological research was conducted. The results corroborate the evidence of notable variations in isolate distribution and ARG (Antimicrobial Resistance Gene) clusters between isolate sources and geographic origins. Furthermore, a link between the isolates from human and animal populations is suggested by the ARG cluster patterns. This result and the widespread dissemination of the pathogens among animal and human populations highlight how crucial it is to learn more about the epidemiology of these antibiotic-resistance-related infections using a One Health approach.
Serovars, Virulence and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes of Non-Typhoidal Salmonella Strains from Dairy Systems in Mexico
Authors: Barrera Stephany , Vázquez-Flores Sonia , Needle David , Rodríguez-Medina Nadia , Iglesias Dianella , Sevigny Joseph L. , Gordon Lawrence M. , Simpson Stephen , Thomas W. Kelley , Rodulfo Hectorina , De Donato Marcos
Published: November 2023

Salmonella isolated from dairy farms has a significant effect on animal health and productivity. Different serogroups of Salmonella affect both human and bovine cattle causing illness in both reservoirs. Dairy cows and calves can be silent Salmonella shedders, increasing the possibility of dispensing Salmonella within the farm. The aim of this study was to determine the genomic characteristics of Salmonella isolates from dairy farms and to detect the presence of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes. A total of 377 samples were collected in a cross-sectional study from calves, periparturient cow feces, and maternity beds in 55 dairy farms from the states of Aguascalientes, Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Mexico, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Tlaxcala, and Zacatecas. Twenty Salmonella isolates were selected as representative strains for whole genome sequencing. The serological classification of the strains was able to assign groups to only 12 isolates, but with only 5 of those being consistent with the genomic serotyping. The most prevalent serovar was Salmonella Montevideo followed by Salmonella Meleagridis. All isolates presented the chromosomal aac(6′)-Iaa gene that confers resistance to aminoglycosides. The antibiotic resistance genes qnrB19, qnrA1, sul2, aph(6)-Id, aph(3)-ld, dfrA1, tetA, tetC, flor2, sul1_15, mph(A), aadA2, blaCARB, and qacE were identified. Ten pathogenicity islands were identified, and the most prevalent plasmid was Col(pHAD28). The main source of Salmonella enterica is the maternity areas, where periparturient shedders are contaminants and perpetuate the pathogen within the dairy in manure, sand, and concrete surfaces. This study demonstrated the necessity of implementing One Health control actions to diminish the prevalence of antimicrobial resistant and virulent pathogens including Salmonella.
The Outcome of Antibiotic Overuse before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman
Authors: Pandak Nenad , Al Sidairi Hilal , Al-Zakwani Ibrahim , Al Balushi Zakariya , Chhetri Shabnam , Ba’Omar Muna , Al Lawati Sultan , Al-Abri Seif S. , Khamis Faryal
Published: November 2023

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a serious global public health challenge, may have accelerated development during the COVID-19 pandemic because antibiotics were prescribed for COVID-19. This study aimed to assess antibiotics use before and during the pandemic and correlate the results with the rate of resistant microorganisms detected in hospitalized patients during the study period. This single-center study looked retrospectively at four years of data (2018–2021) from Royal Hospital, Muscat, which is the biggest hospital in Oman with approximately 60,000 hospital admissions yearly. The consumption rate of ceftriaxone, piperacillin tazobactam, meropenem, and vancomycin was presented as the antibiotic consumption index, the ratio of defined daily dose (DDD) per 100 bed days. Analyses were performed using the nonparametric test for trend across the study period. Correlation between antibiotic consumption indexes and the isolated microorganisms in the four-year study period was performed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. We compared data from the pre-COVID-19 to the COVID-19 period. Though more patients were admitted pre-COVID-19 (132,828 versus 119,191 during COVID-19), more antibiotics were consumed during the pandemic (7350 versus 7915); vancomycin and ceftriaxone had higher consumption during than before the pandemic (p-values 0.001 and 0.036, respectively). Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and Candida auris were detected more during the COVID-19 period with p-values of 0.026 and 0.004, respectively. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp., and C. auris were detected more often during the pandemic with p-values of 0.011, 0.002, and 0.03, respectively. Significant positive correlations between antibiotic consumption and drug-resistant isolates were noted. This study confirms that the overuse of antibiotics triggers the development of bacterial resistance; our results emphasize the importance of antibiotic control.
Fast Converging Gauss–Seidel Iterative Algorithm for Massive MIMO Systems
Authors: Shen Dong , Chen Li , Liang Hao
Published: November 2023

Signal detection in massive MIMO systems faces many challenges. The minimum mean square error (MMSE) approach for massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications offer near to optimal recognition but require inverting the high-dimensional matrix. To tackle this issue, a Gauss–Seidel (GS) detector based on conjugate gradient and Jacobi iteration (CJ) joint processing (CJGS) is presented. In order to accelerate algorithm convergence, the signal is first initialized using the optimal initialization regime among the three options. Second, the signal is processed via the CJ Joint Processor. The pre-processed result is then sent to the GS detector. According to simulation results, in channels with varying correlation values, the suggested iterative scheme’s BER is less than that of the GS and the improved iterative scheme based on GS. Furthermore, it can approach the BER performance of the MMSE detection algorithm with fewer iterations. The suggested technique has a computational complexity of O(U2), whereas the MMSE detection algorithm has a computational complexity of O(U3), where U is the number of users. For the same detection performance, the computational complexity of the proposed algorithm is an order of magnitude lower than that of MMSE. With fewer iterations, the proposed algorithm achieves a better balance between detection performance and computational complexity.
Aerodynamic Enhancement of Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines Using Plain and Serrated Gurney Flaps
Authors: Chen Liu , Yang Pei , Zhang Bingxia , Chen Lingjie
Published: November 2023

In light of the escalating demand for renewable energy sources, vertical-axis wind turbines have emerged as a pivotal technical solution for addressing the challenge of clean energy supply in residential and urban areas. As a simple and feasible passive control method, the plain Gurney flap (PGF) is widely applied to improve turbine aerodynamic performance. In this paper, the influence of a novel serrated gurney flap (SGF) with different flap heights is studied on the NACA0021 airfoil by numerical simulations. The findings demonstrate that, compared with the PGF, the SGF reduces the trailing edge reverse vortices from a pair to a single vortex and possesses lower drag. When the flap height reaches 6% of the chord (6%c), the lift-to-drag ratio of SGF surpasses that of PGF. A turbine rotor is equipped with an SGF and a PGF to compare their performances. The result confirms the flap effect depending on the rotor’s tip speed. At a low tip speed ratio (TSR), the PGF works better than the SGF. The SGF is preferred over the PGF for a higher tip speed ratio (TSR > 2.5). With the 6%c flap height, the performance of the SGF rotor surpasses the PGF by 13.9% at TSR = 2.62.
Differences in the Anthropometric Measurements and Performance Tests of Qatari First Division Handball Players Depending on Position
Authors: Alneama Abdulla , Hermassi Souhail , Hayes Lawrence D. , Bartels Thomas , Konukman Ferman , Fieseler Georg , Schwesig René , Chelly Mohamed Souhaiel
Published: November 2023

This study sought to investigate the anthropometric traits and physical capabilities of team handball players, categorized based on their playing positions. A total of 50 male players (age: 27.4 ± 4.2 years; body mass: 92.8 ± 14.2 kg; height: 1.87 ± 0.08 m; body mass index (BMI): 26.3 ± 3.3 kg/m2) were categorized as Backs (12), Wings (14), Pivots (14), and Goalkeepers (10). The measurements included squat jumps (SJs), countermovement jumps (CMJs), sprint timings over 15 and 30 m, upper and lower limb muscle volume, change-of-direction T-Half test performance, and Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test performance. Depending on the position, the largest differences were detected for 30 m sprint (ηp2 = 0.72), 15 m sprint (ηp2 = 0.71), T-Half test (ηp2 = 0.41), half squat (ηp2 = 0.35), and bicipital skinfold of a throwing arm (ηp2 = 0.34). Bicipital skinfold showed the highest number (three) of relevant (r > 0.5) relationships, especially in sprinting (sprint 15 m: r = 0.528; sprint 30 m: r = 0.503) and change-of-direction ability (T-Half test: r = 0.518). Differences in physical performance and body type according to playing positions emphasize the value of goalkeeper-specific training and scouting for handball players, with a particular emphasis on both. This information might be helpful for optimizing position-specific training regimes.
Interleukin-6 Expression of Osteogenic Cell Lines Grown on Laser-Treated and Hydroxyapatite-Coated Titanium Discs
Authors: Santos Ana Flávia Piquera , Cervantes Lara Cristina Cunha , Okamoto Roberta , Guastaldi Antonio Carlos , Queiroz Thallita Pereira , Panahipour Layla , Gruber Reinhard , Souza Francisley Ávila
Published: November 2023

The laser treatment and hydroxyapatite coating of dental implants are supposed to enhance osseointegration, but prior to preclinical testing, any negative impact on cell viability should be ruled out. This study aimed to evaluate the response of murine osteogenic cell lineage MC3T3-E1 and the bone marrow-derived stromal cells ST2 to surface modifications of machined titanium discs, e.g., laser treatment without and with hydroxyapatite coating, as well as sandblasting followed by acid etching. Scanning electron microscopy and the contact angle measurements revealed that laser treatment caused a honeycomb surface and higher wettability compared to a machined or sandblasting acid-etched surface. Hydroxyapatite coating, however, not only reduced the viability of MC3T3-E1 and ST2 cells but also provoked the expression and release of interleukin-6. These findings suggest that the laser treatment of titanium supports its hydrophilicity, but adding hydroxyapatite can reduce cell viability and induce the concomitant release of inflammatory cytokines.
Long-Term Maintenance Planning Method of Rural Roads under Limited Budget: A Case Study of Road Network
Authors: Han Chao , Huang Jiuda , Yang Xu , Chen Lili , Chen Tao
Published: November 2023

At present, the task of maintaining and managing rural roads in China is becoming increasingly severe. To solve the problems of insufficient scheme benefits, complex feasible solutions, and low optimization efficiency in long-term maintenance planning of rural road networks under a limited budget, it is urgent to develop maintenance decision-making models and optimization methods suitable for rural roads in China. This paper focuses on the critical aspects of performance evaluation, prediction, and decision-making. Firstly, this paper proposes evaluation indicators and maintenance countermeasures suitable for rural roads, combining them with the characteristics of rural road performance degradation. Based on different treatment measure levels, RPCI and RRQI performance prediction models are established. On this basis, an improved heuristic optimization method is proposed, which realizes rapid optimization of the most cost-effective solution. Finally, the model and method proposed in this paper are applied to the case analysis of 10 rural roads in Haimen City, generating 171 optimal maintenance sections, further verifying the feasibility and effectiveness of the model. The study provides a theoretical basis for the scientific management of rural road maintenance.
A Mathematical Morphological Network Fault Diagnosis Method for Rolling Bearings Based on Acoustic Array Signal
Authors: Luo Yuanqing , Yang Yingyu , Kang Shuang , Tian Xueyong , Kang Xiaoqi , Sun Feng
Published: November 2023

To extract valuable characteristic information from the acoustic radiation signal of rolling bearings, a novel mathematical morphological network (MMNet) is proposed. First, a mathematical morphological network layer is constructed by leveraging the advantages of a multi-scale enhanced top-hat morphological operator (MEAVGH) that can extract positive and negative pulses, which are then integrated into the deep learning network. Second, the input signal undergoes processing with different scale structural elements (SEs) to obtain multi-branch data. This is followed by channel attention and spatial attention mechanism-based weighting of the generated multi-branch data. Finally, the fused information is fed to the neural network to yield the final result. The experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method in extracting fault feature information, achieving a fault classification accuracy of 98.56%. Furthermore, the algorithm exhibits robustness and high training efficiency. Comparative analysis reveals that the proposed method outperforms other approaches regarding cluster analysis, accuracy, recall rate, and computational efficiency. These findings further highlight the advantages of MMNet in acoustic signal-based fault diagnosis for rolling bearings.
Influence of Hot Isostatic Pressing on Microstructure and Tensile Properties of Nickel-Free Stainless Steel for Metal Binder Jetting
Authors: Kaletsch Anke , Radtke Felix , Herzog Simone , Köhnen Patrick , Höges Simon , Broeckmann Christoph
Published: November 2023

Additive manufacturing processes continue to grow in popularity. Hereby, metal binder jetting (MBJ) has a high potential for series production of highly complex parts with added value compared to other production technologies. Applications already exist in thermal management, filtering, or fluid distribution. As with beam-based additive manufacturing processes, the materials available for MBJ are still limited. Especially in the area of nickel-free stainless steels; for example, for medical applications, there are hardly any options available. Therefore, this study investigates a newly developed nickel-free stainless steel specifically designed for the MBJ process. Particular attention is paid to the microstructure and the mechanical properties such as hardness and tensile strength. In addition, the investigation focuses on the potential of hot isostatic pressing (HIP) after sintering to favorably influence the microstructure and the mechanical properties. The results show that in the as-sintered state, a maximum porosity of 2.8% is present, which can be completely removed by hot isostatic post-densification. HIP post-densification improves both the yield strength and the tensile strength by about 10%. The increase in elongation at break is around 50%.
Nonlinear Dynamic Mechanical Characteristics of Air Springs Based on a Fluid–Solid Coupling Simulation Method
Authors: Li Yuru , Xiao Shoune , Xie Junke , Zhu Tao , Zhang Jingke
Published: November 2023

The use of air springs has become widespread in various industries due to their exceptional superelastic properties; however, their strong nonlinear characteristics have become a hindrance to numerical simulations of air springs and have garnered increasing attention. This paper examined the nonlinear dynamic mechanical characteristics of air springs from a fluid–structure interaction perspective and verified the accuracy of the simulation analysis model through quasistatic tension and compression experiments. The average relative errors for air spring load and gas pressure were found to be 8.1% and 7.7%, respectively, which supports the validity of the model. The impact of frequency and amplitude excitations on the axial load characteristics of air springs was investigated through tension and torsion testing. The results showed that increasing the excitation frequency improves the stability of the axial load, while increasing the excitation amplitude enhances the axial load value. The change in axial compression was found to be more significant than that in axial tension, as it was affected not only by the axial load but also by the radial load, which is a key factor affecting the dynamic characteristics of air springs. A radial load analysis model was established to study the influence of frequency and amplitude excitations on the axial load characteristics of air springs. The simulation results indicated that under different amplitudes, the radial load of air springs goes through four stages: a steady period, rising period, steady period, and falling period. Additionally, under the same amplitude, the radial load value increases with an increase in frequency. This research on the dynamic load characteristics of air springs under amplitude and frequency excitations is important for their application in low-frequency and low-amplitude vibration environments, and its findings can be utilized to improve the technical parameters of air springs for suspension damping.
Study of the Effect of Water Content in Deep Eutectic Phases on the Extraction of Fatty Acids from Microalgae Biomass
Authors: García-Soto Pedro A. , Saavedra de Santiago María I. , Salar-García María J. , Sánchez-Segado Sergio , Ortiz-Martínez Víctor M.
Published: November 2023

Microalgae, as some of the oldest life forms on Earth, are of significant interest to industry and in terms of environmental policies, due to their ability to perform photosynthesis and consume atmospheric carbon dioxide. Moreover, they contain a wide variety of value-added compounds such as amino acids and proteins, carbohydrates, and fatty acids, which can be exploited in multiple fields like medicine, cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and for the production of biodiesel. In this article, Nannochloropsis gaditana, a type of microalgae that inhabits both fresh and salt water, is studied for fatty acid recovery using deep eutectic solvents (DES). This microalgae species is a natural source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an omega-3 compound that is commonly used in the nutritional industry. There are numerous extraction techniques and pretreatments to obtain these compounds. In this work, DES are studied as extractive agents due to their advantages as neoteric solvents. Specifically, this work focuses on an assessment of the effect of the composition of DES on the extraction yield of fatty acids from microalgae. Several DES compositions based on choline chloride, ethylene glycol, and fructose are studied to analyze the influence of water content in these phases. The results show that water content significantly influences recovery yields. The DES with higher extractive capacity were those based on choline chloride, ethylene glycol, and water at a molar ratio of 1:2:2. This composition offered 48.7% of the yield obtained with a conventional solvent like methanol for the recovery of EPA (11.2 mg/g microalgae). Furthermore, the choline chloride-fructose-based DES shows the capability of selective extractions of fatty acids with low carbon content—choline chloride:fructose:water (molar ratio 2:1:2) can extract 0.14 mg of decanoic acid/g of microalgae, indicating that this DES composition can recover 35.7% more decanoic acid in comparison to methanol.
Experimental Study on the Road Performance of Phosphogypsum-Modified Lime-Fly Ash Stabilized Red Clay
Authors: Huang Shibin , Ma Yanzhou , Wang Jiaquan , Lin Zhinan , Chen Tianxin
Published: November 2023

To assess the impact of solid waste phosphogypsum on the road performance of lime-fly ash-stabilized red clay, we conducted comprehensive tests on the road performance, swelling and shrinkage characteristics, and mechanical properties of lime-fly ash soil with varying phosphogypsum content and curing age. Additionally, we analyzed the microstructure and composition changes using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction tests. The results revealed that phosphogypsum significantly enhances the early strength and moisture stability of lime-fly ash soil. The mechanical properties of lime-fly ash soil continue to improve with increased curing age, with performance improvements tapering off after 60 days and eventually stabilizing. Moreover, as the phosphogypsum content increases, the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), splitting strength, and CBR value of the lime-fly ash soil initially increase and then decrease. The optimal mixing ratio was determined to be 4% phosphogypsum, resulting in a 7-day UCS increase of 67.2%, a 28-day UCS increase of 3 times, and a 28-day splitting strength increase of 4.3 times. The moisture stability coefficient also exhibited a 43% increase after 7 days, and its anti-disintegration ability was enhanced, reaching 0.91 after 28 days, which meets the specified standards. Microscopic analysis revealed that the addition of phosphogypsum improved the overall integrity of the lime-fly ash soil, and the formation of ettringite effectively filled the soil’s pores. However, excessive ettringite caused increased expansion and deformation. To optimize the use of phosphogypsum-modified lime-fly ash-stabilized red clay as subgrade filler, it is advisable to incorporate additives to further reduce swelling deformation.
Three-Dimensional Surface Reconstruction from Point Clouds Using Euler’s Elastica Regularization
Authors: Song Jintao , Pan Huizhu , Zhang Yuting , Lu Wenqi , Ding Jieyu , Wei Weibo , Liu Wanquan , Pan Zhenkuan , Duan Jinming
Published: November 2023

Euler’s elastica energy regularizer, initially employed in mathematical and physical systems, has recently garnered much attention in image processing and computer vision tasks. Due to the non-convexity, non-smoothness, and high order of its derivative, however, the term has yet to be effectively applied in 3D reconstruction. To this day, the industry is still searching for 3D reconstruction systems that are robust, accurate, efficient, and easy to use. While implicit surface reconstruction methods generally demonstrate superior robustness and flexibility, the traditional methods rely on initialization and can easily become trapped in local minima. Some low-order variational models are able to overcome these issues, but they still struggle with the reconstruction of object details. Euler’s elastica term, on the other hand, has been found to share the advantages of both the TV regularization term and the curvature regularization term. In this paper, we aim to address the problems of missing details and complex computation in implicit 3D reconstruction by efficiently using Euler’s elastica term. The main contributions of this article can be outlined in three aspects. Firstly, Euler’s elastica is introduced as a regularization term in 3D point cloud reconstruction. Secondly, a new dual algorithm is devised for the proposed model, significantly improving solution efficiency compared to the commonly used TV model. Lastly, numerical experiments conducted in 2D and 3D demonstrate the remarkable performance of Euler’s elastica in enhancing features of curved surfaces during point cloud reconstruction. The reconstructed point cloud surface adheres more closely to the initial point cloud surface when compared to the classical TV model. However, it is worth noting that Euler’s elastica exhibits a lesser capability in handling local extrema compared to the TV model.
Analysis of the Effect of Ultra-Fine Cement on the Microscopic Pore Structure of Cement Soil in a Peat Soil Environment
Authors: Cao Jing , Huang Chenhui , Sun Huafeng , Guo Yongfa , Ding Wenyun , Hua Guofeng
Published: November 2023

Treating peat soil foundations around Dianchi Lake and Erhai Lake in Yunnan is a complex problem in practical engineering projects. Peat soil solely reinforced with ordinary cement (OPC) does not satisfy demand. This study aims to solidify soil to achieve better mechanical properties. The preparation of peat soil incorporates a humic acid (HA) reagent into cohesive soil, and cement and ultra-fine cement (UFC) are mixed by stirring to prepare cement soil samples. They are then immersed in fulvic acid (FA) solution to simulate cement soil in the actual environment. X-ray diffraction (XRD), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and pores and cracks analysis system (PCAS) tests are used to study the impact of the UFC on the microscopic pore structure of cement soil in a peat soil environment. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test is used for verification. The microscopic test results indicate that incorporating UFC enhances the specimen’s micropore structure. The XRD test results show the presence of C–S–H, C–A–S–H, and C–A–H. SEM and PCAS tests show that the UFC proportion increases by between 0% and 10%, and the percentage reduction in the macropore volume is the largest, at 38.84%. When the UFC admixture is 30%, the cumulative reduction in the percentage of macropore volume reaches 71.55%. The MIP test results show that the cumulative volume greater than 10 µm in pore size decreases from 7.68% to 0.17% with an increase in the UFC proportion. The UCS test results show that the maximum strength growth of cement soil is 12.99% when the UFC admixture is 0–10%. Incorporating UFC to form a compound curing agent solves the problem of the traditional reinforcement treatment of peat soil foundation being undesirable and decreases the amount of cement. This study provides practical guidance for reducing carbon emissions in actual projects.
Use of Reparative Agents Topical Fluoride Activated by CO2 Laser and Curodont™ Repair and NR-5™ on Vickers Hardness and Micro-Shear Bond Strength of Eroded Enamel to Composite Restoration
Authors: Alahdal K. , Almohareb T. , Aldeeb Laila , Maawadh A. , Alshamrani A. S. , Alrahlah A.
Published: November 2023

Aim: This study aims to assess the impact of various reparative remineralizing agents, specifically topical fluoride (TF) and a combination of a carbon dioxide laser (CO2 laser) with TF, as well as regenerative agents such as Curodont™ Repair and NR-5™, on two key factors—the micro-Vickers hardness (VH) of eroded enamel and the micro-shear bond strength (µSBS) of composite restoration. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 single-rooted premolars with intact enamel were sectioned mesiodistally into two halves, making a sample size of 100 specimens. All of the samples were then exposed to Coca-ColaTM for 2 min each day over 1 month to induce erosion on the enamel surface. The specimens were then embedded in acrylic cold-cure resin facing a flat surface upward. The samples were then arbitrarily divided into five groups based on the remineralizing and regenerative agents used, as follows (n = 20): Group 1: No remineralizing agent, Group 2: Curodont™ Repair, Group 3: NR-5™, Group 4: TF, and Group 5: CO2 laser + TF. The VH of the pretreated enamel surfaces was analyzed and µSBS testing and failure mode of composite restoration were performed using a universal testing machine (UTM) and stereomicroscope. ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc were performed for data analysis. Results: In Group 3, the (NR-5™)-treated teeth exhibited the highest VH values and µSBS. In Group 1, the (No remineralizing agent)-treated specimens displayed the lowest VH and the lowest µSBS. An intergroup comparison analysis unveiled that Group 3, Group 4 (TF), and Group 5 (CO2 laser + TF) presented comparable outcomes of microhardness and bond strength. The Group 2 (Curodont™ Repair) samples exhibited no significant difference in VH and µSBS, as compared to Group 1. Conclusions: The use of a combination of NR-5™ technology and a CO2 laser in conjunction with TF has been shown to significantly augment the natural mineralization process. This enhancement results in increased microhardness and an improved bond strength in the treated enamel.
The Detection of Compensatory Movements in Gait by Evaluating Plantar Pressure in Transfemoral Amputees
Authors: Guner Senem , Alsancak Serap
Published: November 2023

Microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees (MPKs) improve the safety and functional capabilities of transfemoral amputees, but there is a lack of information on plantar pressure distribution and effects among individuals who have undergone transfemoral amputation of the sound limb. (1) Background: The aim of this study was to determine possible compensatory mechanisms in gait by evaluating intact extremity foot plantar pressure distribution in young MPK prosthesis users. Twenty-one patients with unilateral transfemoral amputation (TFA) and twenty-four healthy individuals were selected for the study. (2) Methods: The WalkinSense system was used to assess different foot plantar pressure distribution parameters as the participants walked at their chosen walking speed. Plantar pressure peaks and activation percentages in the eight foot regions were measured during the gait cycle. (3) Results: The pressure peaks and activation percentages in the sound limb with TFA patients and healthy subjects were measured, and statistically significant differences between the two groups were identified. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 6-point sensor activation percentages significantly increased, whereas the 7- and 8-point sensor activation percentages decreased in the sound limb TFA participants compared with the healthy subjects. Peak plantar pressure sensor points 1, 3, 4, and 6 increased in the TFA sound limb foot in relation to healthy individuals, while they decreased in point 8. (4) Conclusion: In this study, with the use of a microprocessor knee joint TF prosthesis, in the evaluation of the underfoot pressure of intact legs, the maximum pressure point shifted to the forefoot, and it was observed that the forefoot and midfoot were more active during walking compared with the control group. This may indicate that gait compensation and plantar flexion in the sound limb are used more forcefully in the gait cycle.
Constitutive Model of Bond-Slip between Rubber Granule–Basalt Fiber Composite Modified Concrete and Rebar
Authors: Gong Yafeng , Jiang Teng , Sun Liang , Jiang Wei , Zhang Qianjin , Liu Shi , Tian Lihua
Published: November 2023

The bonding properties between rubber granule–basalt fiber composite modified concrete (RBFC) and rebar greatly impact the load-carrying capacity, stiffness, and crack development of RBFC structures. In this paper, the effects of rebar diameter, bonding length, and concrete type on the bonding properties between RBFC and rebar were investigated using center pull-out tests. The bond stress–slip curve as well as the bond strength and its influencing factors were discussed in detail, and a semi-theoretical and semi-empirical model of RBFC with rebar was established. According to the findings, when rubber granules were added to concrete, its bond strength with rebar decreased. At a dosage of 5%, the bond strength was reduced by approximately 4% compared to ordinary concrete (OC) under the same conditions. It was shown that the addition of small amounts of rubber granules did not significantly reduce the bond strength. On the other hand, the incorporation of an appropriate amount of basalt fibers had a positive effect on the bond strength. An admixture of 4.56 Kg/m3 of fibers increased the bond strength by 3% compared to OC under the same conditions. The bond strength of RBFC with these two additions was improved by approximately 2% compared to OC under the same conditions. When the bonding length was 60 to 100 mm, the ultimate bond strength decreased with increasing bonding lengths. The bond strength decreased by 13.91–16.72% for every 20 mm increase in bonding length. When the rebar diameter was 12 to 16 mm, the ultimate bond stress decreased as the rebar diameter increased. The bond strength decreased by 3.96–5.94% for every 2 mm increase in rebar diameter. The segmental bond–slip constitutive model between RBFC and rebar, established using the results of the center pull-out test, can provide a reference basis for engineering applications of RBFC.
An Analytical Review of Industrial Privacy Frameworks and Regulations for Organisational Data Sharing
Authors: Ghorashi Seyed Ramin , Zia Tanveer , Bewong Michael , Jiang Yinhao
Published: November 2023

This study examines the privacy protection challenges in data sharing between organisations and third-party entities, focusing on changing collaborations in the digital age. Utilising a mixed-method approach, we categorise data-sharing practices into three business models, each with unique privacy concerns. The research reviews legal regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), highlighting their emphasis on user privacy protection but noting a lack of specific technical guidance. In contrast, industrial privacy frameworks such as NIST and Five Safes are explored for their comprehensive procedural and technical guidance, bridging the gap between legal mandates and practical applications. A key component of this study is the analysis of the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data breach, which illustrates the significant privacy violations and their wider implications. This case study demonstrates how the principles of the NIST and Five Safes frameworks can effectively mitigate privacy risks, enhancing transparency and accountability in data sharing. Our findings highlight the dynamic nature of data sharing and the vital role of both privacy regulations and industry-specific frameworks in protecting individual privacy rights. This study contributes insights into the development of robust privacy strategies, highlighting the necessity of integrating comprehensive privacy frameworks into organisational practices for improved decision making, operational efficiency, and privacy protection in collaborative data environments.
A Comparative Study on Recent Progress of Machine Learning-Based Human Activity Recognition with Radar
Authors: Papadopoulos Konstantinos , Jelali Mohieddine
Published: November 2023

The importance of radar-based human activity recognition has increased significantly over the last two decades in safety and smart surveillance applications due to its superiority in vision-based sensing in the presence of poor environmental conditions like low illumination, increased radiative heat, occlusion, and fog. Increased public sensitivity to privacy protection and the progress of cost-effective manufacturing have led to higher acceptance and distribution of this technology. Deep learning approaches have proven that manual feature extraction that relies heavily on process knowledge can be avoided due to its hierarchical, non-descriptive nature. On the other hand, ML techniques based on manual feature extraction provide a robust, yet empirical-based approach, where the computational effort is comparatively low. This review outlines the basics of classical ML- and DL-based human activity recognition and its advances, taking the recent progress in both categories into account. For every category, state-of-the-art methods are introduced, briefly explained, and their related works summarized. A comparative study is performed to evaluate the performance and computational effort based on a benchmarking dataset to provide a common basis for the assessment of the techniques’ degrees of suitability.
Global Cities in Transition: New York and Madrid in the Films of Chus Gutiérrez
Authors: Beceiro Sagrario , Herrero Begoña , Mejón Ana , Romero Santos Rubén
Published: November 2023

In her triple condition of emigrant, artist and woman, the work of Spanish filmmaker Chus Gutiérrez is a privileged and singular object of study. Through her filmography it is possible to approach the changes that have taken place in the cities on both sides of the Atlantic. Chus Gutiérrez resided in New York during the decade of the 1980s and returned to Madrid to witness the changes that this city was undergoing: from being the epicenter of a dictatorship to a democratic city. Her vision of both places is clearly reflected in two of her films: Sublet (1992) and El Calentito (2005). The protagonists profiled by Chus Gutiérrez in these films are young women who move through complex metropolitan spaces at a critical moment of their lives. Cities become another character, illustrating, pushing, or limiting their course; spaces in which the protagonists accept their differences and begin the search for their individual and collective identity.
Evaluation of Rain Estimates from Several Ground-Based Radar Networks and Satellite Products for Two Cases Observed over France in 2022
Authors: Causse Antoine , Planche Céline , Buisson Emmanuel , Baray Jean-Luc
Published: November 2023

The recent development of satellite products for observing precipitation based on different technologies (microwaves, infrared, etc.) allows for near-real-time meteorological studies. The purpose of this article is to evaluate 11 satellite products (GHE, PDIR, IMERG-Early v6, IMERG-Late v6, CMORPH v0.x, CMORPH-RT v0.x, GSMaP-NRT v7, GSMaP-NRT-GC v7, GSMaP-NOW v7, GSMaP-NOW-GC v7, and DATABOURG) currently available and compare them to 2 ground-based radar networks (PANTHERE and OPERA) and the French rain-gauge network RADOME. Two case studies of intense precipitation over France (22 to 25 April 2022 and 24 to 29 June 2022) were selected. The radar estimations are closer to the RADOME observations than the satellite-based estimations, which tend to globally underestimate the precipitation amounts over the areas of interest while OPERA tends to strongly overestimate precipitation amounts during the June case study. The PANTHERE radar product and the carrier-to-noise product DATABOURG shows promising results. Near-real-time satellite products tend to have closer precipitation amounts to the reference dataset than satellite products with a shorter latency. The use of these datasets for nowcasting developments is plausible but further analyses must be conducted beforehand.
Investment Evaluation of CCUS Retrofitting for Coal-to-Liquid Industry in China
Authors: Dai Min , Xie Jingjing , Li Xiaoyu , Gao Xu
Published: November 2023

Coal-to-oil (CTL) combined with carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) can significantly reduce the CO2 emissions generated in the production process to achieve clean coal utilization. Taking CTL enterprises as sources and deep saline aquifers and oil fields as sinks, this paper establishes a source–sink matching model, which is combined with a trinomial tree real-option model of carbon price fluctuation, and evaluates the investment decisions of CTL. The results show that 36 pipelines with an average transportation distance of 319.13 km and predominantly small diameters must be constructed for CO2 capture and storage combined with enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Under the current carbon price, 83.33% of enterprises can invest immediately when adopting EOR; when utilizing storage in a deep saline aquifer (DSF), even with a 50% subsidy and a decrease in costs due to the learning rate, enterprises still need to execute the deferred option investment. Government subsidies and technological advances can greatly increase the value of investment. The critical carbon price of CTL-CCUS projects is sensitive to government subsidies, technological advances, and CO2 transportation distances. Therefore, China should reasonably guide the development of the carbon market and give play to the role of the carbon market in emission reduction incentives. In addition, the Chinese government can provide direct financial support for the CTL-CCUS project to increase the enthusiasm of CTL enterprises for CCUS transformation and promote technological progress.
Decomposition of Fuzzy Relations: An Application to the Definition, Construction and Analysis of Fuzzy Preferences
Authors: Campión María Jesús , Induráin Esteban , Raventós-Pujol Armajac
Published: November 2023

In this article, we go deeper into the study of some types of decompositions defined by triangular norms and conorms. We work in the spirit of the classical Arrovian models in the fuzzy setting and their possible extensions. This allows us to achieve characterizations of existence and uniqueness for such decompositions. We provide rules to obtain them under some specific conditions. We conclude by applying the results achieved to the study of fuzzy preferences.
Semi-Conformally Flat Singly Warped Product Manifolds and Applications
Authors: Shenawy Samesh , Rabie Alaa , De Uday Chand , Mantica Carlo , Bin Turki Nasser
Published: November 2023

This paper investigates singly warped product manifolds admitting semi-conformal curvature tensors. The form of the Riemann tensor and Ricci tensor of the base and fiber manifolds of a semi-conformally flat singly warped product manifold are provided. It is demonstrated that the fiber manifold of a semi-conformally flat warped product manifold has a constant curvature. Sufficient requirements on the warping function to ensure that the base manifold is a quasi-Einstein or an Einstein manifold are provided.
The Influence of Testing Conditions on State of Health Estimations of Electric Vehicle Lithium-Ion Batteries Using an Incremental Capacity Analysis
Authors: Gismero Alejandro , Dubarry Matthieu , Guo Jia , Stroe Daniel-Ioan , Schaltz Erik
Published: November 2023

The increasing growth of the second-hand electric vehicle market demands reliable methods for evaluating the state of health of deployed electric vehicle batteries. Among these methods, incremental capacity analysis is a commonly used technique for state of health evaluation via the quantification of degradation modes. While the optimal conditions for its application typically involve low currents and a controlled temperature, this cannot be easily applied to deployed batteries. It is therefore essential to understand the impact of varying charging rates and temperatures on the accuracy of the analysis. In this study, the characteristics and behavior of incremental capacity features for seven electric vehicle batteries tested under different calendar aging conditions were investigated. The results show that accurate state of health estimations under different test conditions could be obtained using specific electrochemical features.
Electrospun Si and Si/C Fiber Anodes for Li-Ion Batteries
Authors: Mondal Abhishek N. , Wycisk Ryszard , Waugh John , Pintauro Peter N.
Published: November 2023

Due to structural changes in silicon during lithiation/delithiation, most Li-ion battery anodes containing silicon show rapid gravimetric capacity fade upon charge/discharge cycling. Herein, we report on a new Si powder anode in the form of electrospun fibers with only poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) binder and no electrically conductive carbon. The performance of this anode was contrasted to a fiber mat composed of Si powder, PAA binder, and a small amount of carbon powder. Fiber mat electrodes were evaluated in half-cells with a Li metal counter/reference electrode. Without the addition of conductive carbon, a stable capacity of about 1500 mAh/g (normalized to the total weight of the anode) was obtained at 1C for 50 charge/discharge cycles when the areal loading of silicon was 0.30 mgSi/cm2, whereas a capacity of 800 mAh/g was obtained when the Si loading was increased to ~1.0 mgSi/cm2. On a Si weight basis, these capacities correspond to >3500 mAh/gSi. The capacities were significantly higher than those found with a slurry-cast powdered Si anode with PAA binder. There was no change in fiber anode performance (gravimetric capacity and constant capacity with cycling) when a small amount of electrically conductive carbon was added to the electrospun fiber anodes when the Si loading was ≤1.0 mgSi/cm2.