bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation and Performance Evaluation of a Temperature and Salt Resistant Hydrophobic Associative Weak Polymer Gel System
Authors: Zhi Jiqiang , Liu Yikun , Chen Jinfeng , Bo Lifeng , Qu Guohui , Jiang Nan , He Weizhong
Published: March 2023

We targeted high-temperature and highly saline old oil fields, whose environmental conditions could be attributed to the significantly high heterogeneity cause by long-term water flooding. The Huabei Oilfield was chosen as the research object. We developed a hydrophobic functional monomer–polymer with temperature and salt resistance by introducing the temperature-resistant and salt-resistant monomer NVP and a hydrophobic functional monomer into the main chain for copolymerization. We used a crosslinking agent with phenolic resin to prepare a weak gel system that showed temperature and salt resistance and investigated its temperature and salt resistance, infective property, plugging performance, liquid flow ability, micropore throat migration, and plugging characteristics. The results obtained using the infrared spectroscopy technique revealed the successful preparation of the phenolic resin crosslinker. The weak gel exhibited good temperature and salt resistance when the polymer concentration was 2000 mg/L, the cohesion ratio was 1:1.5, the additive concentration was 2000 mg/L, the reservoir temperature was 120 °C, and the injected water salinity was 40,300.86 mg/L. The average viscosity retention rate of the 90-day weak gel reached more than 80% and its microstructure was examined. The coreflow experiment results revealed that the weak gel system was characterized by good infectivity. After plugging the weak gel, the effect on the direction of the liquid flow was evident and the flow rate of the low permeability layer increased to a maximum of 48.63% under conditions of varying permeability levels. A significant improvement in the water absorption profile was achieved. The plugging was carried out through a sand-filling pipe under varying permeability conditions and the pressure measuring points in the sand-filling pipe were sucessfully pressurized. The migration ability of the weak gel was good and the blocking rate was >85%.
Fluorescent-Dye-Labeled Amino Acids for Real-Time Imaging in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Yuan Yao , Cao Fuxiang , Yuan Guangming
Published: March 2023

Amino acid is the main transport form of reduced nitrogen in plants. To investigate the uptake and source–sink translocation process of plants to help understand their physiological roles and transport mechanisms, we designed and synthesized three fluorescent-dye-labeled amino acids as tools to visualize amino acid transportation in Arabidopsis thaliana; these amino acids consist of amino acids linked to the fluorophore nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD) with excellent optical properties. Furthermore, we incubated Arabidopsis thaliana with these NBD fluorescent-dye-labeled amino acids for real-time imaging along with fluorescence enhancement for 24 h. The results showed that Arabidopsis thaliana could absorb them directly from the roots to the leaves. Therefore, our fluorescent-dye-labeled amino acids provide a de novo tool and strategy for visualizing amino acid absorption and transportation in plants.
Anticancer Properties of 3-Dietoxyphosphorylfuroquinoline-4,9-dione
Authors: Drogosz-Stachowicz Joanna , Gach-Janczak Katarzyna , Mirowski Marek , Pietrzak Jacek , Janecki Tomasz , Janecka Anna
Published: March 2023

Herein, the antitumor activity of a novel synthetic analog with 5,8-quinolinedione scaffold, diethyl (2-(2-chlorophenyl)-4,9-dioxo-4,9-dihydrofuro [3,2-g]quinolin-3-yl)phosphonate (AJ-418) was investigated on two breast cancer cell lines. This analog was selected from a small library of synthetic quinolinediones on the basis of its strong antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells and 4-5-fold lower cytotoxicity towards healthy MCF-10A cells. The morphology of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells treated with AJ-418 changed drastically, while non-tumorigenic MCF-10A cells remained unaffected. In MCF-7 cells, after 24 h incubation, the increased number of apoptotic cells coincided with a decrease in proliferation and cell viability. The 24 h treatment of MDA-MB-231 cells with the tested compound reduced their cell viability and proliferation rate; however, a significant pro-apoptotic effect was visible only after longer incubation times (48 h and 72 h). Then, the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of compound AJ-418 in C3H mice after subcutaneous administration was determined to be 160 mg/kg, showing that this analog was well tolerated and can be further evaluated to assess its potential therapeutic effect in tumor-bearing mice.
One-Pot Phosphonylation of Heteroaromatic Lithium Reagents: The Scope and Limitations of Its Use for the Synthesis of Heteroaromatic Phosphonates
Authors: Chmielewska Ewa , Miodowska Natalia , Dziuk Błażej , Psurski Mateusz , Kafarski Paweł
Published: March 2023

A one-pot lithiation–phosphonylation procedure was elaborated as a method to prepare heteroaromatic phosphonic acids. It relied on the direct lithiation of heteroaromatics followed by phosphonylation with diethyl chlorophosphite and then oxidation with hydrogen peroxide. This protocol provided the desired phosphonates with satisfactory yields. This procedure also had some limitations in its dependence on the accessibility and stability of the lithiated heterocyclic compounds. The same procedure could be applied to phosphonylation of aromatic compounds, which do not undergo direct lithiation and thus require the use of their bromides as substrates. The obtained compounds showed weak antiproliferative activity when tested on three cancer cell lines.
Visible Light-Induced Cascade Sulfonylation/Cyclization to Produce Quinoline-2,4-Diones under Metal-Free Conditions
Authors: Zhang Yan , Qiu Ge , Liu Fei , Zhao Dongyang , Tian Miao , Sun Kai
Published: March 2023

A general visible light-induced sulfonylation/cyclization to produce quinoline-2,4-diones was achieved under photocatalyst-free conditions. The reactions were performed at room temperature, and various substituents (halogen, alkyl, aryl) and substituted products were obtained with 29 examples within 2 h. Large-scale synthesis and derivatization study via carbonyl reduction to produce easily modified hydroxyl groups and convenient N-Ts deprotection showed the potential utility of this strategy.
Enantioselective Synthesis of Atropisomers by Oxidative Aromatization with Central-to-Axial Conversion of Chirality
Authors: Lemaitre Clément , Perulli Stefania , Quinonero Ophélie , Bressy Cyril , Rodriguez Jean , Constantieux Thierry , García Mancheño Olga , Bugaut Xavier
Published: March 2023

Atropisomers are fascinating objects of study by themselves for chemists but also find applications in various sub-fields of applied chemistry. Obtaining them in enantiopure form is far from being a solved challenge, and the past decades has seen a surge of methodological developments in that direction. Among these strategies, oxidative aromatization with central-to-axial conversion of chirality has gained increasing popularity. It consists of the oxidation of a cyclic non-aromatic precursors into the corresponding aromatic atropisomers. This review proposes a critical analysis of this research field by delineating it and discussing its historical background and its present state of the art to draw potential future development directions.
Role of Honey as a Bifunctional Reducing and Capping/Stabilizing Agent: Application for Silver and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles
Authors: Bahari Norfarina , Hashim Norhashila , Abdan Khalina , Md Akim Abdah , Maringgal Bernard , Al-Shdifat Laith
Published: March 2023

The use of natural reducing and capping agents has gained importance as a way to synthesize nanoparticles (NPs) in an environmentally sustainable manner. Increasing numbers of studies have been published on the green synthesis of NPs using natural sources such as bacteria, fungi, and plants. In recent years, the use of honey in the synthesis of metal and metal oxide NPs has become a new and promising area of research. Honey acts as both a stabilizing and reducing agent in the NP synthesis process and serves as a precursor. This review focuses on the use of honey in the synthesis of silver NPs (Ag-NPs) and zinc oxide NPs (ZnO-NPs), emphasizing its role as a reducing and capping agent. Additionally, a comprehensive examination of the bio-based reducing and capping/stabilizing agents used in the honey-mediated biosynthesis mechanism is provided. Finally, the review looks forward to environmentally friendly methods for NP synthesis.
Role of Metabolic Adaptation of Streptococcus suis to Host Niches in Bacterial Fitness and Virulence
Authors: Dresen Muriel , Valentin-Weigand Peter , Berhanu Weldearegay Yenehiwot
Published: March 2023

Streptococcus suis, both a common colonizer of the porcine upper respiratory tract and an invasive pig pathogen, successfully adapts to different host environments encountered during infection. Whereas the initial infection mainly occurs via the respiratory tract, in a second step, the pathogen can breach the epithelial barrier and disseminate within the whole body. Thereby, the pathogen reaches other organs such as the heart, the joints, or the brain. In this review, we focus on the role of S. suis metabolism for adaptation to these different in vivo host niches to encounter changes in nutrient availability, host defense mechanisms and competing microbiota. Furthermore, we highlight the close link between S. suis metabolism and virulence. Mutants deficient in metabolic regulators often show an attenuation in infection experiments possibly due to downregulation of virulence factors, reduced resistance to nutritive or oxidative stress and to phagocytic activity. Finally, metabolic pathways as potential targets for new therapeutic strategies are discussed. As antimicrobial resistance in S. suis isolates has increased over the last years, the development of new antibiotics is of utmost importance to successfully fight infections in the future.
Establishing the Approach of Norm Balance toward Intention Prediction across Six Behaviors under the Theory of Planned Behavior
Authors: Liu Yifei , Farris Karen B. , Nayakankuppam Dhananjay , Doucette William R.
Published: March 2023

Background: An innovative approach of Norm Balance is proposed under the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). In this approach, the measurement score of subjective norm is weighted by the relative importance of others, and the measurement score of self-identity is weighted by the relative importance of self. The study objective was to examine the effect of Norm Balance to predict behavioral intentions in two groups of college students. Methods: Cross-sectional surveys were used in two studies. For 153 business undergraduates, Study 1 examined three common intentions: eating a low-fat diet, exercising regularly, and dressing business-like. For 176 PharmD students, Study 2 examined three pharmacy-related intentions: informing relatives about counterfeit medications, buying prescription medications online, and completing a pharmacy residency. The relative importance of others vs. self was measured by asking study subjects to allocate 10 points between important others and oneself. Two sets of regressions were conducted and compared across six intentions using the traditional model and the Norm Balance model. Results: The 12 regressions explained 59–77% of intention variance. The variance explained by the two models was similar. When subjective norm or self-identity was non-significant in the traditional model, the corresponding Norm Balance component was significant in the Norm Balance model, except for eating a low-fat diet. When both subjective norm and self-identity were significant in the traditional model, the two Norm Balance components were significant in the Norm Balance model with increased coefficients. Conclusions: The proposed approach of Norm Balance provides a different view about the significance and coefficients of subjective norm and self-identity toward intention prediction.
Design of Full Stokes Vector Polarimetry Based on Metasurfaces for Wide-Angle Incident Light
Authors: Liu Songjie , Zhang Zejun , Cheng Jingxuan , Wang Xiyin , Sun Shixiao , Xu Jing
Published: March 2023

Polarization measurement plays an important role in optical detection, communication, and imaging systems. Compact polarimetry with a wide angle of incident light will break the restrictions of the limited incident angle and improve its practicality. In this paper, a full Stokes vector polarimetry with a wide incident angle of ±20°, based on a two-dimensional metasurface, is proposed. According to the simulation results, the maximum measurement error of the Stokes vector at 20° oblique incidence is 0.09. The light transmittance of the proposed structure is higher than 83%. Moreover, the tilt angle of the incident light can be determined with a calculation error lower than 0.5°, according to the focusing position of the transmitted light on the focal plane. The operating wavelength of the proposed polarimetry is set to 530 nm of green light, which makes it a potential application in visible light communication and underwater optical systems.
Optical Design of a Slitless Astronomical Spectrograph with a Composite Holographic Grism
Authors: Muslimov Eduard , Akhmetov Damir , Kharitonov Danila , Ibatullin Erik , Pavlycheva Nadezhda , Sasyuk Vyacheslav , Golovkin Sergey
Published: March 2023

In the present work, we consider an optical design of a slitless spectrograph for an existing 0.5 m-class telescope. This design concept has a number of advantages such as compact size, simplicity, and simultaneous coverage of a large field of view. A challenge with this design is correcting aberrations caused by placing a dispersing element in a converging beam. To overcome this issue, we propose to use a composite grism, which represents a combination of a prism and a volume-phase holographic grating, the latter which is split into zones with independently optimized parameters. We demonstrate two designs of such a grism. In both designs, the spectrograph operates in the range of 450–950 nm in an F/6.8 beam and covers a field of view of 35.6′ × 7.2′. Through advanced modeling, it is shown that a composite grism having four rectangular zones with different thickness and index modulation depth of the hologram and recorded with an auxiliary deformable mirror decreases the astigmatic elongation by a factor of 85, increases the spectral resolving power by 4.4 times, and reaches R1389 while increasing the average diffraction efficiency by a factor of 1.31. If we reduce the number of zones to only two, replace the deformable mirror with two static corrector plates, and fix the hologram thickness, the corresponding performance gains still remain high: the astigmatism is reduced by a factor of 61, the spectral resolving power is up to 1.7 times higher, reaching R1067, and the efficiency is increased by a factor of 1.27. This shows that the proposed design allows the construction of a simple and compact instrument, providing high performance over the entire field of view and spectral range.
Fine Mapping of the Affecting Tillering and Plant Height Gene CHA-1 in Rice
Authors: Chen Tengkui , Xiao Wuming , Huang Cuihong , Zhou Danhua , Liu Yongzhu , Guo Tao , Chen Zhiqiang , Wang Hui
Published: March 2023

The plant architecture of rice is an important factor affecting yield. Strigolactones (SLs) are newly discovered carotenoid-derived plant hormones that play an important role in rice plant architecture. In this study, a high-tillering dwarf mutant, CHA-1, was identified by spatial mutagenesis. CHA-1 was located in the region of 31.52–31.55 MB on chromosome 1 by map-based cloning. Compared with the wild-type THZ, the CHA-1 mutant showed that ACCAC replaced TGGT in the coding region of the candidate gene LOC_Os01g54810, leading to premature termination of expression. Genetic complementation experiments proved that LOC_Os01g54810 was CHA-1, which encodes a putative member of Class III lipase. Expression analysis showed that CHA-1 was constitutively expressed in various organs of rice. Compared with those in THZ, the expression levels of the D17 and D10 genes were significantly downregulated in the CHA-1 mutant. In addition, the concentrations of ent-2′-epi-5-deoxystrigol (epi-5DS) in the root exudates of the CHA-1 mutant was significantly reduced compared with that of THZ, and exogenous application of GR24 inhibited the tillering of the CHA-1 mutant. These results suggest that CHA-1 influences rice architecture by affecting SL biosynthesis.
Application of Seaweed Generates Changes in the Substrate and Stimulates the Growth of Tomato Plants
Authors: Espinosa-Antón Adrian Alejandro , Zamora-Natera Juan Francisco , Zarazúa-Villaseñor Patricia , Santacruz-Ruvalcaba Fernando , Sánchez-Hernández Carla Vanessa , Águila Alcántara Edith , Torres-Morán Martha Isabel , Velasco-Ramírez Ana Paulina , Hernández-Herrera Rosalba Mireya
Published: March 2023

Ulva ohnoi is a cosmopolitan green seaweed with commercial potential given the biomass that may be generated. We evaluated the effects of substrate changes induced by U. ohnoi application on the vegetative response of tomato plants under greenhouse conditions. First, the decomposition dynamics and N release of the dry seaweed biomass were studied using the litterbag method. Subsequently, we evaluated the effect of seaweed powder (SP) or seaweed extract (SE) applications on substrate and plant growth. Additionally, the growth parameters responses evaluated were related to the changes in substrate properties associated with each treatment. The results showed that the dry seaweed biomass has a rapid rate of degradation (k = 0.07 day−1) and N release (k = 0.024 day−1). The SP application improved the physicochemical and biological characteristics of the substrate by increasing the availability of minerals, the fungi:bacteria ratio, and the growth morphophysiological parameters (length, area, dry and fresh weight), chlorophyll and mineral content. In contrast, SE treatment showed a positive effect on the root, mineral content, and soil microbes. This study highlights the agricultural potential of U. ohnoi powder as an alternative supplement that supports nutrition and promotes the vegetative growth of plants cultivated in soilless horticultural systems.
Investigating the Effect of Bi2MoO6/g-C3N4 Ratio on Photocatalytic Degradation of Sulfadiazine under Visible Light
Authors: Li Ke , Chen Miaomiao , Chen Lei , Zhao Songying , Xue Wencong , Han Yanchao
Published: March 2023

In this study, a series of Bi2MoO6/g-C3N4 composites were prepared through a wet-impregnation method, and their photocatalytic properties were investigated for the degradation of sulfadiazine (SDZ) under visible light irradiation. Physical and chemical characterizations were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-vis), and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). Compared to pure g-C3N4, the introduction of Bi2MoO6 significantly enhanced the visible light responsive photocatalytic activity, with the 1:32 Bi2MoO6/g-C3N4 composite exhibiting the highest photodegradation efficiency towards SDZ under visible light irradiation with a photocatalytic efficiency of 93.88% after 120 min of visible light irradiation. The improved photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the formation of a heterojunction between Bi2MoO6 and g-C3N4, which promotes the transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, thereby elevating its photocatalytic activity. The results suggest that Bi2MoO6/g-C3N4 composites have potential application for the degradation of sulfonamides in aquatic environments.
Intrusion Detection in Vehicle Controller Area Network (CAN) Bus Using Machine Learning: A Comparative Performance Study
Authors: Bari Bifta Sama , Yelamarthi Kumar , Ghafoor Sheikh
Published: March 2023

Electronic Control Units (ECUs) have been increasingly used in modern vehicles to control the operations of the vehicle, improve driving comfort, and safety. For the operation of the vehicle, these ECUs communicate using a Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol that has many security vulnerabilities. According to the report of Upstream 2022, more than 900 automotive cybersecurity incidents were reported in 2021 only. In addition to developing a more secure CAN protocol, intrusion detection can provide a path to mitigate cyberattacks on the vehicle. This paper proposes a machine learning-based intrusion detection system (IDS) using a Support Vector Machine (SVM), Decision Tree (DT), and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and investigates the effectiveness of the IDS using multiple real-world datasets. The novelty of our developed IDS is that it has been trained and tested on multiple vehicular datasets (Kia Soul and a Chevrolet Spark) to detect and classify intrusion. Our IDS has achieved accuracy up to 99.9% with a high true positive and a low false negative rate. Finally, the comparison of our performance evaluation outcomes demonstrates that the proposed IDS outperforms the existing works in terms of its liability and efficiency to detect cyber-attacks with a minimal error rate.
A Novel Optical Instrument for Measuring Mass Concentration and Particle Size in Real Time
Authors: Zhang Jingxiu , Zhang Zhiwei , Hou Longfei , Zhou Weihu
Published: March 2023

Particle mass and particulate size are two important parameters used to characterize the aerosol. Currently, there are a few methods for measuring particle mass concentration and particle size. However, the existing methods have their own shortcomings. In this article, we describe a novel laser scattering instrument that measures mass concentration and particle size in real time over a wide concentration range. This instrument combines laser scattering and time-of-flight aerodynamics in one optical device. There are two innovations in this paper: (1) Two APD detectors are used to receive scattered light. One receives forward-scattered light and the other receives side-scattered light. The advantage is that the sensitivity of the detector is increased greatly, and the ratio of forward and side scattering is used to further obtain the size and shape information of the particles. (2) In order to measure the high concentrations of aerosol, a high-speed ADC and FPGA is combined to achieve an anti-overlap algorithm objective. It has been verified by experiments that the anti-overlapping algorithm can effectively improve the applicability of the aerodynamic particle size spectrometer under high concentration conditions.
The Novel Digital Therapeutics Sensor and Algorithm for Pressure Ulcer Care Based on Tissue Impedance
Authors: Jung Tae-Mi , Jang Dae-Jin , Lee Jong-Ha
Published: March 2023

Visual diagnosis and rejuvenation are methods currently used to diagnose and treat pressure ulcers, respectively. However, the treatment process is difficult. We developed a biophotonic sensor to diagnose pressure ulcers and, subsequently, developed a pressure ulcer care device (PUCD.) We conducted animal and clinical trials to investigate the device’s effectiveness. We confirmed the accuracy of the pressure ulcer diagnosis algorithm to be 91% and we observed an 85% reduction in immune cells when using the PUCD to treat pressure ulcer-induced mice. Additionally, we compared the treatment group to the pressure ulcer induction group to assess the PUCD’s effectiveness in identifying immune cells through its nuclear shape. These results indicate a positive effect and suggest the use of PUCD as a recovery method for pressure ulcer diagnosis and treatment.
Modified ADRC Design of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Based on Improved Memetic Algorithm
Authors: Liu Gang , Xu Chuanfang , Wang Longda
Published: March 2023

In this paper, a novel modified auto disturbance rejection control (ADRC) design of a permanent magnet synchronous motor based on the improved memetic algorithm (IMA) is proposed. Firstly, there is an obvious system ripple caused by the defect that the optimal control function used in traditional ADRC cannot be differentiable and smooth at the segment point; aiming at weakening the system ripple effectively, the proposed method constructs a novel differentiable and smooth optimal control function to modify the ADRC design. Furthermore, aiming at improving the integration parameters optimization effect effectively, a novel improved memetic algorithm is proposed for obtaining the optimal parameters of ADRC. Specifically, an IMA with high-quality balance based on an adaptive nonlinear decreasing strategy for the convergence factor, Gaussian mutation mechanism, improved learning mechanism with the high-quality balance between competitive and opposition-based learning (OBL) and an elite set maintenance mechanism based on fusion distance is proposed so that these strategies can improve the optimization precision by a large margin. Finally, the experiment results of the PMSM speed control practical cases show that the ADRC based on IMA has an apparent better optimization effect than that of fuzzy PI, traditional ADRC based on the genetic algorithm and an improved ADRC based on improved moth–flame optimization.
Optimized Design of Distributed Quasi-Cyclic LDPC Coded Spatial Modulation
Authors: Zhao Chunli , Yang Fengfan , Waweru Daniel Kariuki , Chen Chen , Xu Hongjun
Published: March 2023

We propose a distributed quasi-cyclic low-density parity-check (QC-LDPC) coded spatial modulation (D-QC-LDPCC-SM) scheme with source, relay and destination nodes. At the source and relay, two distinct QC-LDPC codes are used. The relay chooses partial source information bits for further encoding, and a distributed code corresponding to each selection is generated at the destination. To construct the best code, the optimal information bit selection algorithm by exhaustive search in the relay is proposed. However, the exhaustive-based search algorithm has large complexity for QC-LDPC codes with long block length. Then, we develop another low-complexity information bit selection algorithm by partial search. Moreover, the iterative decoding algorithm based on the three-layer Tanner graph is proposed at the destination to carry out joint decoding for the received signal. The recently developed polar-coded cooperative SM (PCC-SM) scheme does not adopt a better encoding method at the relay, which motivates us to compare it with the proposed D-QC-LDPCC-SM scheme. Simulations exhibit that the proposed exhaustive-based and partial-based search algorithms outperform the random selection approach by 1 and 1.2 dB, respectively. Because the proposed D-QC-LDPCC-SM system uses the optimized algorithm to select the information bits for further encoding, it outperforms the PCC-SM scheme by 3.1 dB.
Aluminum Thin Film Nanostructure Traces in Pediatric EEG Net for MRI and CT Artifact Reduction
Authors: Jeong Hongbae , Ntolkeras Georgios , Warbrick Tracy , Jaschke Manfred , Gupta Rajiv , Lev Michael H. , Peters Jurriaan M. , Grant Patricia Ellen , Bonmassar Giorgio
Published: March 2023

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring are essential in the clinical management of neonatal seizures. EEG electrodes, however, can significantly degrade the image quality of both MRI and CT due to substantial metallic artifacts and distortions. Thus, we developed a novel thin film trace EEG net (“NeoNet”) for improved MRI and CT image quality without compromising the EEG signal quality. The aluminum thin film traces were fabricated with an ultra-high-aspect ratio (up to 17,000:1, with dimensions 30 nm × 50.8 cm × 100 µm), resulting in a low density for reducing CT artifacts and a low conductivity for reducing MRI artifacts. We also used numerical simulation to investigate the effects of EEG nets on the B1 transmit field distortion in 3 T MRI. Specifically, the simulations predicted a 65% and 138% B1 transmit field distortion higher for the commercially available copper-based EEG net (“CuNet”, with and without current limiting resistors, respectively) than with NeoNet. Additionally, two board-certified neuroradiologists, blinded to the presence or absence of NeoNet, compared the image quality of MRI images obtained in an adult and two children with and without the NeoNet device and found no significant difference in the degree of artifact or image distortion. Additionally, the use of NeoNet did not cause either: (i) CT scan artifacts or (ii) impact the quality of EEG recording. Finally, MRI safety testing confirmed a maximum temperature rise associated with the NeoNet device in a child head-phantom to be 0.84 °C after 30 min of high-power scanning, which is within the acceptance criteria for the temperature for 1 h of normal operating mode scanning as per the FDA guidelines. Therefore, the proposed NeoNet device has the potential to allow for concurrent EEG acquisition and MRI or CT scanning without significant image artifacts, facilitating clinical care and EEG/fMRI pediatric research.
Polarized Object Surface Reconstruction Algorithm Based on RU-GAN Network
Authors: Yang Xu , Cheng Cai , Duan Jin , Hao You-Fei , Zhu Yong , Zhang Hao
Published: March 2023

There are six possible solutions for the surface normal vectors obtained from polarization information during 3D reconstruction. To resolve the ambiguity of surface normal vectors, scholars have introduced additional information, such as shading information. However, this makes the 3D reconstruction task too burdensome. Therefore, in order to make the 3D reconstruction more generally applicable, this paper proposes a complete framework to reconstruct the surface of an object using only polarized images. To solve the ambiguity problem of surface normal vectors, a jump-compensated U-shaped generative adversarial network (RU-Gan) based on jump compensation is designed for fusing six surface normal vectors. Among them, jump compensation is proposed in the encoder and decoder parts, and the content loss function is reconstructed, among other approaches. For the problem that the reflective region of the original image will cause the estimated normal vector to deviate from the true normal vector, a specular reflection model is proposed to optimize the dataset, thus reducing the reflective region. Experiments show that the estimated normal vector obtained in this paper improves the accuracy by about 20° compared with the previous conventional work, and improves the accuracy by about 1.5° compared with the recent neural network model, which means the neural network model proposed in this paper is more suitable for the normal vector estimation task. Furthermore, the object surface reconstruction framework proposed in this paper has the characteristics of simple implementation conditions and high accuracy of reconstructed texture.
Vehicle Instance Segmentation Polygonal Dataset for a Private Surveillance System
Authors: Ottakath Najmath , Al-Maadeed Somaya
Published: March 2023

Vehicle identification and re-identification is an essential tool for traffic surveillance. However, with cameras at every corner of the street, there is a requirement for private surveillance. Automated surveillance can be achieved through computer vision tasks such as segmentation of the vehicle, classification of the make and model of the vehicle and license plate detection. To achieve a unique representation of every vehicle on the road with just the region of interest extracted, instance segmentation is applied. With the frontal part of the vehicle segmented for privacy, the vehicle make is identified along with the license plate. To achieve this, a dataset is annotated with a polygonal bounding box of its frontal region and license plate localization. State-of-the-art methods, maskRCNN, is utilized to identify the best performing model. Further, data augmentation using multiple techniques is evaluated for better generalization of the dataset. The results showed improved classification as well as a high mAP for the dataset when compared to previous approaches on the same dataset. A classification accuracy of 99.2% was obtained and segmentation was achieved with a high mAP of 99.67%. Data augmentation approaches were employed to balance and generalize the dataset of which the mosaic-tiled approach produced higher accuracy.
Recognition of Abnormal-Laying Hens Based on Fast Continuous Wavelet and Deep Learning Using Hyperspectral Images
Authors: Qin Xing , Lai Chenxiao , Pan Zejun , Pan Mingzhong , Xiang Yun , Wang Yikun
Published: March 2023

The egg production of laying hens is crucial to breeding enterprises in the laying hen breeding industry. However, there is currently no systematic or accurate method to identify low-egg-production-laying hens in commercial farms, and the majority of these hens are identified by breeders based on their experience. In order to address this issue, we propose a method that is widely applicable and highly precise. First, breeders themselves separate low-egg-production-laying hens and normal-laying hens. Then, under a halogen lamp, hyperspectral images of the two different types of hens are captured via hyperspectral imaging equipment. The vertex component analysis (VCA) algorithm is used to extract the cockscomb end member spectrum to obtain the cockscomb spectral feature curves of low-egg-production-laying hens and normal ones. Next, fast continuous wavelet transform (FCWT) is employed to analyze the data of the feature curves in order to obtain the two-dimensional spectral feature image dataset. Finally, referring to the two-dimensional spectral image dataset of the low-egg-production-laying hens and normal ones, we developed a deep learning model based on a convolutional neural network (CNN). When we tested the model’s accuracy by using the prepared dataset, we found that it was 0.975 percent accurate. This outcome demonstrates our identification method, which combines hyperspectral imaging technology, an FCWT data analysis method, and a CNN deep learning model, and is highly effective and precise in laying-hen breeding plants. Furthermore, the attempt to use FCWT for the analysis and processing of hyperspectral data will have a significant impact on the research and application of hyperspectral technology in other fields due to its high efficiency and resolution characteristics for data signal analysis and processing.
Novel Fault Diagnosis of a Conveyor Belt Mis-Tracking via Motor Current Signature Analysis
Authors: Farhat Mohamed Habib , Gelman Len , Abdullahi Abdulmumeen Onimisi , Ball Andrew , Conaghan Gerard , Kluis Winston
Published: March 2023

For the first time ever worldwide, this paper proposes, investigates, and validates, by multiple experiments, a new online automatic diagnostic technology for the belt mis-tracking of belt conveyor systems based on motor current signature analysis (MCSA). Three diagnostic technologies were investigated, experimentally evaluated, and compared for conveyor belt mis-tracking diagnosis. The proposed technologies are based on three higher-order spectral diagnostic features: bicoherence, tricoherence, and the cross-correlation of spectral moduli of order 3 (CCSM3). The investigation of the proposed technologies via comprehensive experiments has shown that technology based on the CCSM3 is highly effective for diagnosing a conveyor belt mis-tracking via MCSA.
Increasing Vehicular Visible Light Communications Range Based on LED Current Overdriving and Variable Pulse Position Modulation: Concept and Experimental Validation
Authors: Beguni Cătălin , Căilean Alin-Mihai , Avătămăniței Sebastian-Andrei , Potorac Alin-Dan , Zadobrischi Eduard , Dimian Mihai
Published: March 2023

Due to its unique advantages, the integration of Visible Light Communications (VLC) in vehicle safety applications has become a major research topic. Nevertheless, as this is an emergent technology, several challenges must be addressed. One of the most important of these challenges is oriented toward increasing vehicular VLC systems’ communication range. In this context, this article proposes a novel approach that provides a significant communication distance enhancement. Different from most existing works on this topic, which are based on refining the VLC receiver, this new article is focused on improving the VLC system based on the benefits that can be achieved through the VLC transmitter. The concept is based on Light-Emitting Diode (LED) current overdriving and a modified Variable Pulse Position Modulation (VPPM). Therefore, LED current overdriving provides the VLC receiver higher instantaneous received optical power and improved Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), whereas the use of the VPPM ensures that the VLC transmitter respects eye regulation norms and offers LED protection against overheating. The concept has been experimentally tested in laboratory conditions. The experimental results confirmed the viability of the concept, showing an increase of the communication range by up to 370%, while maintaining the same overall optical irradiance at the VLC transmitter level. Therefore, this new approach has the potential to enable vehicular VLC ranges that cover the requirements of communication-based vehicle safety applications. To the best of our knowledge, this concept has not been previously exploited in vehicular VLC applications.
Partial mesorectal excision can be a primary option for middle rectal cancer: a propensity score–matched retrospective analysis
Authors: Kim Ee Jin , Kim Chan Wook , Lee Jong Lyul , Yoon Yong Sik , Park In Ja , Lim Seok-Byung , Yu Chang Sik , Kim Jin Cheon
Published: March 2023

Purpose: Although partial mesorectal excision (PME) and total mesorectal excision (TME) is primarily indicated for the upper and lower rectal cancer, respectively, few studies have evaluated whether PME or TME is more optimal for middle rectal cancer.Methods: This study included 671 patients with middle and upper rectal cancer who underwent robot-assisted PME or TME. The 2 groups were optimized by propensity score matching of sex, age, clinical stage, tumor location, and neoadjuvant treatment.Results: Complete mesorectal excision was achieved in 617 of 671 patients (92.0%), without showing a difference between the PME and TME groups. Local recurrence rate (5.3% vs. 4.3%, P>0.999) and systemic recurrence rate (8.5% vs. 16.0%, P=0.181) also did not differ between the 2 groups, in patients with middle and upper rectal cancer. The 5-year disease-free survival (81.4% vs. 74.0%, P=0.537) and overall survival (88.0% vs. 81.1%, P=0.847) also did not differ between the PME and TME groups, confined to middle rectal cancer. Moreover, 5-year recurrence and survival rates were not affected by distal resection margins of 2 cm (P=0.112) to 4 cm (P>0.999), regardless of pathological stages. Postoperative complication rate was higher in the TME than in the PME group (21.4% vs. 14.5%, P=0.027). Incontinence was independently associated with TME (odds ratio [OR], 2.009; 95% confidence interval, 1.015–3.975; P=0.045), along with older age (OR, 4.366, P<0.001) and prolonged operation time (OR, 2.196; P=0.500).Conclusion: PME can be primarily recommended for patients with middle rectal cancer with lower margin of >5 cm from the anal verge.
Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activity of Lentinus fasciatus
Authors: Naskar Arghya , Dasgupta Adhiraj , Acharya Krishnendu
Published: March 2023

The genus Lentinus is one of the most studied and medicinally significant groups among mushrooms. Lentinus fasciatus is a considerably understudied species and a methanolic formulation was evaluated for its medicinal potential. Phytochemical analysis unveiled the presence of a high amount of phenolic substances in the methanolic extract of the basidiocarps of L. fasciatus. The extracted fraction showed notable scavenging properties in in-vitro antioxidant property estimation assays. In the ABTS and DPPH assay, respectively, the EC50 values were 332.12 and 180.78 μg/mL. The mushroom extract was also screened for cytotoxic activity against the human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7). The biocidal activity against cancer cells is further proven by the low LD50 value of 246 g/mL in the WST-1 experiment. The background mechanism behind the cytotoxicity was predicted to be mediated by the apoptotic pathways.
Phytochemical Screening and in vitro Anti-urolithiatic Activity of Fruit-seed Extracts of Melia azedarach
Authors: Latif Abida , Azhar Faiza , Rafay Muhammad Zohaib , Iqbal Ahsan , Anwar Iman
Published: March 2023

Melia azedarach L. has been utilized in traditional systems of medicine for the treatment of various diseases including urolithiasis. The study aimed to perform phytochemical studies and anti-urolithiatic potential of fruit-seed extracts of Melia azedarach. Sequential extraction was performed using chloroform, methanol and water. The extracts of the plant were then subjected to quantitative tests for phytochemical analysis. An anti-urolithiatic activity was investigated via in vitro nucleation and aggregation assay using spectrophotometer. The preliminary phytochemical analysis showed the presence of proteins (31.97 ± 0.56%), lipids (2.95 ± 0.03%) and carbohydrates (64.90 ± 0.56%). The chloroform extract contained the maximum quantity of polyphenols (77.65 ± 0.53 mg/g) and flavonoids (74.71 ± 0.67 mg/g). At a concentration of 5 mg/ml, the chloroform extract exhibited the maximum inhibitory activity in both aggregation and nucleation assay (55.85 ± 1.43%; 56.42 ± 4.49%) respectively. All extracts showed substantial anti-urolithiatic activity by inhibiting the crystallization of calcium oxalate. Due to presence of primary and secondary metabolites, the plant could serve as a source of useful drugs.
DEVELOPMENT AND MODELING OF THE ANTENNA SYSTEM THE DIRECTION FINDER UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE
Authors: Boiko Juliy , Polikarovskykh Oleksiy , Tkachuk Vitalii
Published: March 2023

The article is devoted to the design the proposed construction of the antenna system for the direction-finding complex of the UAV. The experimental part is represented by the results of mathematical modeling the behavior of the antenna in different parts the operating frequency range. The effectiveness of the adopted design solutions was evaluated in comparison with analogues of leading companies in the world. Based on the results of the research, the areas of application the antenna as part of the built-in functional mobile UAV direction finding systems were determined.
DEVELOPMENT OF A MODIFIED METHOD OF NETWORK TRAFFIC FORMING
Authors: Kozlovskiy Valeriy , Yakymchuk Natalia , Selepyna Yosyp , Moroz Serhii , Tkachuk Anatolii
Published: March 2023

Based on the analysis of the statistical characteristics of heterogeneous network traffic of "Quadruple Play" mobile subscribers, it is shown that it cannot be represented by Poisson or Erlang distributions. It is shown that for such similar traffic, the rate of growth of the required buffer volume increases as the Hurst parameter increases. A method of adaptive traffic formation using the control of the length of intervals of the intensity of the arrival of data packets has been developed. Congestion management is carried out by changing the frequency of the marker generator (GM) on the basis of the results of forecasting the required bandwidth of the system and the required buffer size. The shaper adapts to changes in the length and instantaneous intensity of packet input in real-time.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF VARIOUS MODELS OF EQUIVALENT PLASTIC STRAIN TO FRACTURE
Authors: Mykhalevych Volodymyr , Dobraniuk Yurii , Matviichuk Victor , Kraievskyi Volodymyr , Тiutiunnyk Oksana , Smailova Saule , Kozbakova Ainur
Published: March 2023

For more then half a centre just the same approach to the simulation of the ductile crack formation was developed independently by the scientific communities of foreign and native researchers. The importance at these studies drastically increased. A set of the characteristics, according to which it is recommendly to perform the detail comparison of the existing fracture models is developed. The examples of the analysis of a number of the most popular models by means of obtaining and study their analytical expressions regarding the conditions of the plane state are given. The generalized relations of the know models and a number of separate relations are obtained.
Study of some heamatological parameters of infected pigeons Columba livia and coots Fulica atra infected with Hadjelia truncata nematods
Authors: Abd-Alhadi Lamis , Al-Awady Haitham
Published: March 2023

This study was conducted in Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf province, from the beginning of September/ 2019 until January 2020, to identify the effect of the nematode Hadjelia truncata, on some heamatological parameters of two types of birds, coot Fulica atra and pigeon Columba livia. Samples of worms, isolated from birds’ gizzards were sent to the Natural History Museum in Baghdad, as they are being studied for the first time, for the purpose of diagnosing samples, while traditional methods were adopted to detect heamatological parameters, for both infected and uninfected birds in order to make comparisons between them, where diagnostics revealed the Infection of Columba livia and Fulica atra with Hadjelia truncata. For both types, the results showed a clear decrease in hemoglobin (Hb), and the volume of packed blood cells (PCV) compared to the control groups, where the values ​​were (8.5 g/ml) and (25.6%) in Fulica atra, respectively, while they were in Columba livia (15.6 g/ml) and (36.6%), respectively. The increase was clear and noticeable for the WBC numbers of both Fulica atra and Columba livia, as they were (31.9 × 109/ L) and (1.0 × 109/ L) respectively. For the biochemical indicators, the results showed a decrease in the glucose concentration ratios for Fulica atra by (61mg/dl), and an increase for Columba livia by (162 mg/dl). The results of the affected birds of both types were in agreement, in the high blood cholesterol concentration, as the Fulica atra recorded (338 mg/dl), while the Columba livia recorded (233 mg/dl), and the proportions of Ca + 2 and the AST enzyme were also in agreement in terms of decrease for both the two birds were the values ​​(11.4 mg/dl) and (15 U/L) for the Fulica atra, respectively, and (8.5 mg/dl) and (19.2 U/L) for the Columba livia, respectively. The results differed in protein and bilirubin concentrations, which showed an increase in Fulica atra by (5.7 IU/L) and (0.8 mg/dl), respectively, and a decrease in Columba livia, which recorded (3.0 IU/L) and (0.5 mg/dl), respectively.
The Influence of Personnel Quality and Workload on Work Productivity
Authors: Prihatmoko Dwi Angga , Sadhana Kridawati , Widjajani Roos
Published: March 2023

Work productivity is a link between output, namely work results and the time needed to complete work in accordance with the main tasks and functions of employees. An organization will only be able to develop if the work productivity of personnel increases. In the activities carried out in the 4th Air Squadron, work productivity is a part that gets attention in implementing activities to achieve the objectives of missions and operations. With an adequate number of personnel, the existing personnel will be able to carry out their duties optimally to fulfill the functions and objectives of implementing the 4th Air Squadron Operation. The research purpose is to analyze the effect of the quality of personnel partially on the work productivity of the 4th Air Squadron Pilot Corps, the effect of workload partially on the work productivity of the 4th Air Squadron Aviation Corps, the effect of the quality of personnel and workload simultaneously on the work productivity of the 4th Air Squadron Pilot Corps. Research sites were conducted at the 4th Air Squadron Pilot Corps, Indonesia. The research results show that the quality of personnel has a positive influence but is not significant by 12.1%. Workload has a positive but insignificant effect on work productivity of 8.3%. Simultaneously it can be concluded that the variable quality of personnel and workload has a positive effect of 1.1% and does not have a significant enough effect on work productivity. The influencing factors are the uniform quality of personnel and the development of personnel which impacts the ability to cope with heavy workloads.