bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping Mechanistic Pathways of Acute Oral Systemic Toxicity Using Chemical Structure and Bioactivity Measurements
Authors: Edwards Stephen W. , Nelms Mark , Hench Virginia K. , Ponder Jessica , Sullivan Kristie
Published: March 2022

Regulatory agencies around the world have committed to reducing or eliminating animal testing for establishing chemical safety. Adverse outcome pathways can facilitate replacement by providing a mechanistic framework for identifying the appropriate non-animal methods and connecting them to apical adverse outcomes. This study separated 11,992 chemicals with curated rat oral acute toxicity information into clusters of structurally similar compounds. Each cluster was then assigned one or more ToxCast/Tox21 assays by looking for the minimum number of assays required to record at least one positive hit call below cytotoxicity for all acutely toxic chemicals in the cluster. When structural information is used to select assays for testing, none of the chemicals required more than four assays and 98% required two assays or less. Both the structure-based clusters and activity from the associated assays were significantly associated with the GHS toxicity classification of the chemicals, which suggests that a combination of bioactivity and structural information could be as reproducible as traditional in vivo studies. Predictivity is improved when the in vitro assay directly corresponds to the mechanism of toxicity, but many indirect assays showed promise as well. Given the lower cost of in vitro testing, a small assay battery including both general cytotoxicity assays and two or more orthogonal assays targeting the toxicological mechanism could be used to improve performance further. This approach illustrates the promise of combining existing in silico approaches, such as the Collaborative Acute Toxicity Modeling Suite (CATMoS), with structure-based bioactivity information as part of an efficient tiered testing strategy that can reduce or eliminate animal testing for acute oral toxicity.
The Association Between Quarantine Duration and Psychological Outcomes, Social Distancing, and Vaccination Intention During the Second Outbreak of COVID-19 in China
Authors: Chen Lele , Wang Dingding , Xia Yuxin , Zhou Renlai
Published: March 2022

Objectives: To examine the association between quarantine duration and psychological outcomes, social distancing, as well as vaccination intention during the second outbreak of COVID-19 in China.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in January 2021. Participants were invited to complete the measurement of quarantine duration, social distancing, psychological distress, wellbeing (WHO-5), and vaccination intention. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression were performed to examine the relationship between quarantine duration and psychological distress, wellbeing, social distancing, and vaccination intention.

Results: Of the 944 participants, 17.2% of the participants experienced quarantine. Quarantine for 1–7 days increased the social distancing (β = 2.61 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.90–3.33) and vaccination intention (OR = 2.16 95% CI 1.22–3.82). Quarantine for >7 days was associated with the increased social distancing (β = 3.00 95% CI 2.37–3.64) and psychological distress (β = 1.03 95% CI 0.22–1.86), and decreased wellbeing (β = 1.27 95% CI 0.29–2.26).

Conclusion: Longer quarantine duration showed increased social distancing, increased psychological distress, and decreased wellbeing. Quarantine for 1–7 days was associated with increased vaccination intention.
How can National Government Policies Improve Food Environments in the Netherlands?
Authors: Djojosoeparto Sanne K. , Kamphuis Carlijn B. M. , Vandevijvere Stefanie , Poelman Maartje P.
Published: March 2022

Objectives: Government policies are essential to create food environments that support healthy diets. The aims of this study were 1) to benchmark the implementation of Dutch government policies influencing food environments, and 2) to identify and prioritize actions to improve food environments in the Netherlands.

Methods: The Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) was applied. The Food-EPI includes 46 indicators of food environment policy and infrastructure support. Independent experts (n = 28) rated the extent of implementation on these indicators against international best practices, and formulated and prioritized policy and infrastructure support actions to improve food environments.

Results: Most policy indicators were rated as having a low (50%) or very low (41%) level of implementation. Most infrastructure support indicators were rated as having a fair (42%) or medium (42%) level of implementation. 18 policy and 11 infrastructure support actions were recommended by experts to improve food environments in the Netherlands.

Conclusion: There is large potential for the Dutch national government to strengthen its policy action and infrastructure support in order to improve the healthiness of food environments in the Netherlands.
A Standard-Free Calibration Transfer Strategy for a Discrimination Model of Apple Origins Based on Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Li Lisha , Li Bin , Jiang Xiaogang , Liu Yande
Published: March 2022

The nondestructive discrimination model based on near-infrared is usually established by detected spectra and chemometric methods. However, the inherent differences between instruments prevent the model from being used universally, and calibration transfer is often used to solve these problems. Standard-sample calibration transfer requires additional standard samples to build a mathematical mapping between instruments. Thus, standard-free calibration transfer is a research hotspot in this field. Based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), the new combined strategy of wavelength selection and standard-free calibration transfer was proposed to transfer the model between two portable near-infrared spectrometers. Three transfer learning (TL) algorithms—transferred component analysis (TCA), balanced distribution adaptation (BDA), and manifold embedded distribution alignment (MEDA)—were applied to achieve standard-free calibration transfer. Moreover, this paper presents a relative error analysis (REA) method to select wavelength. To select the optimal model, the parameters of accuracy, precision, and recall were examined to evaluate the discriminatory capacities of each model. The findings show that the MEDA-REA model is capable of higher prediction accuracy (accuracy = 94.54%) than the other transferring models (TCA, BDA, MEDA, TCA-REA, and BDA-REA), and it is demonstrated that the new strategy has good transmission performance. Moreover, REA shows the potential to filter wavebands for calibration transfer and simplify the transferable model.
Stabilization of Lead-Contaminated Mine Soil Using Natural Waste Materials
Authors: Moon Deok Hyun , Koutsospyros Agamemnon
Published: March 2022

Stabilization was applied as a remediation option for immobilizing lead (Pb) in contaminated mine soil. Four types of waste materials were used as stabilizing agents, namely waste oyster shells (WOS), calcined oyster shells (COS), natural starfish (NSF), and spent-coffee-grounds-derived biochar (SCGB). The Pb-contaminated mine soil was treated with the stabilizing agents ranging from 0 to 10 wt% and a curing period of 28 days. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) was employed for evaluating the effectiveness of the remedial process. The Pb immobilization mechanism in the treated mine soil was investigated using scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) analyses. The obtained results showed that the TCLP Pb levels decreased as the stabilizing agent dosage increased. The WOS and COS stabilizing agents immobilized Pb effectively in the contaminated mine soil. Application dosages of 4 wt% and 2 wt% for WOS and COS, respectively, were sufficient for compliance with the TCLP regulatory level of 5 mg/L. For the NSF and SCGB treatments, 4 wt% and 10 wt%, respectively, were necessary to meet the TCLP regulatory limit. The effectiveness of Pb immobilization was found to increase in the following order: SCGB < NSF < WOS < COS. The chemical fraction analyses showed that the lower F2 (weak acid soluble) fraction and higher F3 (reducible) and F4 (oxidizable) fractions were most likely associated with the high level of Pb immobilization. Moreover, the SEM-EDX analysis results showed that the most effective Pb immobilization could be strongly associated with the pozzolanic reaction products.
Investigation on the Bending Behavior of Tea Stalks Based on Non-Prismatic Beam with Virtual Internodes
Authors: Wu Wenchao , Hu Yongguang , Jiang Zehui
Published: March 2022

The study aims to fully explicate the bending behavior of tea stalks under the condition of large deflection, which is crucial to improve the working performance of mechanized harvesting equipment. The mechanical model of the stalk was assumed to be a non-prismatic beam with virtual internodes that could differ from actual internodes. With the model, the stalk can be freely divided into multiple virtual internodes, whose flexural rigidities can be determined by solving an optimization problem, and deflection curves can be predicted after determining the positions of virtual nodes under given loads. Moreover, a novel method was proposed to obtain the deflection curve of the stalk based on the techniques of binocular vision and non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) curve fitting. The results show that R-squared values of fitted 2nd-degree NURBS curves of bending shape of tea stalks range from 0.9576 to 0.9964, with an average of 0.9797. The results indicate that flexural rigidity decreases from the bottom to the top of the tea stalk, and the deflection curve could be predicted more precisely with the model of piecewise flexural rigidities than that of average flexural rigidity. The study could be applied to the optimization design of the cutter and adaptive adjustment techniques of operational parameters for tea picking machines.
Improving Rural Livelihood through the Cultivation of Indigenous Fruits and Vegetables: Evidence from Ondo State, Nigeria
Authors: Olowo Similoluwa Felicia , Omotayo Abiodun Olusola , Lawal Ibraheem Oduola , Aremu Adeyemi Oladapo
Published: March 2022

The potential value of the efficient utilization of rural lands to cultivate indigenous fruits and vegetables to improve the livelihood of farming households cannot be overemphasized. Using primary data from 400 randomly selected rural farming households in Ondo State, Nigeria, this study applied probit regression, principal component analysis (PCA), and propensity score matching (PSM) models to investigate the factors that determine the decisions of households to utilize their lands to cultivate indigenous fruits and vegetables. The impact of their cultivation on the livelihood of the participants was assessed, and the result revealed that they were profitable (NGN19,187.8/USD 42.60/Ha; Nigerian Naira = NGN, USD = United States Dollar). The farmers who cultivated indigenous fruits and vegetables (n = 277) made an additional 29.40% average total farm revenue than those (n = 123) who did not. Based on the probit regression analysis, factors such as educational attainment, access to government subsidies, and knowledge of the nutritional benefit of the indigenous fruits and vegetables influenced the decision of farmers to cultivate indigenous fruits and vegetables. The PSM model established that the cultivation of indigenous plants increased farm revenue and livelihood outcomes by NGN17,604.85 and NGN2265.00, respectively. In this context, the cultivation of indigenous fruits and vegetables in the selected rural communities is important for improving the livelihoods of households and suggests the need to rethink the present dominant policy narrative that neglects these indigenous plants. A concerted effort needs to focus on increasing their productivity and commercialization as a primary pathway to improve rural livelihood and transformation.
Multidimensional Analysis of Diversity in Genotypes of Winter Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.)
Authors: Bocianowski Jan , Liersch Alina
Published: March 2022

The effect of genotype, environment (year, location) and their interaction on seed yield and important breeding traits of 25 genotypes of winter oilseed rape were investigated under field conditions in Greater Poland. Multi-environmental field experiments were conducted in a randomized block design with four replications during three growing seasons in two locations. Five traits, such as the beginning of flowering, seed yield and its structure, the length of siliques, the number of seeds per silique and the weight of 1000 seeds were recorded. The tested Brassica genotypes showed significant differences in terms of yield and other investigated traits across harvesting years and growing locations. Analysis of variance indicated that the main effects of genotypes, locations and years as well as all interactions were significant for all traits of study. The correlation coefficient between the investigated traits displayed strong negative relationships between seed yield and the beginning of flowering (except E2). The use of multivariate statistical methods in this study allowed for the simultaneous characterization of 25 tested genotypes in terms of several traits. Visualization of the experimental results and finally the distribution of Brassica genotypes in space of two first canonical variates showed a variation between the cultivars, double low, resynthesized and lines with changed fatty acid content in terms of yield and its components, as well as the beginning of flowering.
Assessing the Response of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Xynisteri to Different Irrigation Regimes and Its Comparison to cvs. Maratheftiko, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc
Authors: Copper Alexander W. , Koundouras Stefanos , Bastian Susan E. P. , Johnson Trent E. , Collins Cassandra
Published: March 2022

The world’s changing climate is placing great pressure on the resources for sustainable viticulture. With this, it has become necessary to investigate grape varieties that are well adapted to hot climates. This study investigated whether two Cypriot varieties (Xynisteri and Maratheftiko) responded differently to Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc grown under different irrigation regimes (full, 50% and 25%). Irrigation trials were established in Cyprus in 2019 and in Australia in 2020/2021. Vine growth and physiology and fruit composition (field trial only) measurements were recorded. The trial in Cyprus in 2019 demonstrated that for all three irrigation regimes, Xynisteri had higher stem water potential, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll and greater biomass than Sauvignon Blanc under all irrigation regimes. In 2020/2021, Xynisteri had a greater biomass than Maratheftiko and Sauvignon Blanc, with Shiraz having the lowest. Under reduced irrigation, Xynisteri and Maratheftiko had higher stem water potential, stomatal conductance and chlorophyll content than Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc. These results indicate that Xynisteri in particular may possess better cultivar-specific growth traits than Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc when grown under the same environmental conditions and in turn may be a more appropriate choice in areas where water is limited.
Mitigation of Calcium-Related Disorders in Soilless Production Systems
Authors: Birlanga Virginia , Acosta-Motos José Ramón , Pérez-Pérez José Manuel
Published: March 2022

In the current scenario of human-driven climate change, extreme weather events will likely affect agricultural production worldwide. Soilless production systems have recently arisen as a solution to optimize the use of natural resources, such as water and soil, and hence will contribute to reducing the environmental impact of agriculture. However, nutritional imbalance due to adverse environmental factors, such as drought, high temperatures, and salinity, might produce calcium-related physiological disorders during plant growth, such as blossom-end rot (BER) in fruits and tipburn (TB) in leaves, which are a serious problem in crop production. Here, we discuss the different agronomic, physiological, and genetic factors that favor the induction of BER in tomato and TB in lettuce and anticipate the use of an integration of breeding and technological approaches to alleviate nutritional disorders in soilless production systems.
The Utilization of Phosphogypsum as a Sustainable Phosphate-Based Fertilizer by Aspergillus niger
Authors: Tian Da , Xia Jingjing , Zhou Ningning , Xu Meiyue , Li Xiang , Zhang Liangliang , Du Shuhua , Gao Hongjian
Published: March 2022

Phosphogypsum (PG) is a by-product of the phosphorus (P) chemical industry, and usually contains ~2% residual phosphate. The P in PG would cause P pollution in the environment by the way of long-term stacking. Phosphate-solubilizing fungi (PSF) can effectively promote the release of P from insoluble phosphate. The aim of this study was to investigate the P release capacity between tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and PG by Aspergillus niger (ANG) via flask experiment. At the same time, the application of PG fertilizer (PGF) in soil was also performed. The dry biomass of ANG between TCP and PG treatment reached the maximum value of 0.71 and 0.38 g, respectively, after five days of incubation. The maximum P concentrations released from PG and TCP by ANG is five and seven days, i.e., 128 and 1103 mg/L, respectively. PG has a similar P release ratio compared with TCP by ANG, i.e., 52% vs. 55%. In the soil incubation experiment, PGF can significantly increase the soil available P content and continuously maintain the high concentration (17.2 mg/kg) after four weeks of incubation. The utilization of PG by ANG via the PGF is a feasible pathway to increase the soil P content, especially for the sustainable use of phosphate resources.
Molecular Biomarkers of Adult Human and Dog Stress during Canine-Assisted Interventions: A Systematic Scoping Review
Authors: Gandenberger Jaci , Flynn Erin , Moratto Em , Wendt Ashley , Morris Kevin N.
Published: March 2022

Positive relationships, including those between humans and other animals, particularly dogs, may be a way to reduce stress in humans. However, research into this area is relatively new, and a comprehensive review of the impacts of these interactions on humans and dogs has not been conducted. A scoping review of the scientific literature was conducted to explore what is known about the impacts of canine-assisted interventions on molecular biomarkers (e.g., cortisol and oxytocin) and associated measures (e.g., heart rate and blood pressure) of human and canine stress. As reported across 27 identified studies, canine-assisted interventions have consistently been demonstrated to elicit positive changes in human stress markers, and typically do not cause negative impacts on the studied canine stress markers. However, results were inconsistent across measures of stress. For example, in humans, it was common for a study to show improvements to cortisol levels but no change to self-reported stress, or vice versa. Many of the reviewed studies also had significant methodological issues, such as not aligning the timing of sample collections to when the analyzed stress biomarkers could be expected to peak. More rigorous research should be conducted on the impacts of canine-assisted interventions on a wider range of stress biomarkers.
A Multi-Point Identification Approach for the Recognition of Individual Leopards (Panthera pardus kotiya)
Authors: Wattegedera Milinda , Silva Dushyantha , Sooriyabandara Chandana , Wimaladasa Prasantha , Siriwardena Raveendra , Piyasena Mevan , Marasinghe Ranjan M. S. L. R. P. , Hathurusinghe Bhagya M. , Nilanthi Rajapakse M. R. , Gunawardena Sadeepa , Peiris Heshan , Seneviratne Pasan , Sendanayake Pramod C. , Dushmantha Chathura , Chandrasena Sudantha , Gooneratne Sahan S. , Premaratne Pumudi , Wickremaratne Sandaru , Mahela Mindaka
Published: March 2022

Visual leopard identifications performed with camera traps using the capture–recapture method only consider areas of the skin that are visible to the equipment. The method presented here considered the spot or rosette formations of either the two flanks or the face, and the captured images were then compared and matched with available photographs. Leopards were classified as new individuals if no matches were found in the existing set of photos. It was previously assumed that an individual leopard’s spot or rosette pattern would not change. We established that the spot and rosette patterns change over time and that these changes are the result of injuries in certain cases. When compared to the original patterns, the number of spots may be lost or reduced, and some spots or patterns may change in terms of their prominence, shape, and size. We called these changes “obliterate changes” and “rejig changes”, respectively. The implementation of an earlier method resulted in a duplication of leopard counts, achieving an error rate of more than 15% in the population at Yala National Park. The same leopard could be misidentified and counted multiple times, causing overestimated populations. To address this issue, we created a new two-step methodology for identifying Sri Lankan leopards. The multi-point identification method requires the evaluation of at least 9–10 spot areas before a leopard can be identified. Moreover, the minimum leopard population at the YNP 1 comprises at least 77 leopards and has a density of 0.5461 leopards per km2.
Review and Comparison of Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Databases
Authors: Papp Márton , Solymosi Norbert
Published: March 2022

As the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance genes is increasing in microbes, we are facing the return of the pre-antibiotic era. Consecutively, the number of studies concerning antibiotic resistance and its spread in the environment is rapidly growing. Next generation sequencing technologies are widespread used in many areas of biological research and antibiotic resistance is no exception. For the rapid annotation of whole genome sequencing and metagenomic results considering antibiotic resistance, several tools and data resources were developed. These databases, however, can differ fundamentally in the number and type of genes and resistance determinants they comprise. Furthermore, the annotation structure and metadata stored in these resources can also contribute to their differences. Several previous reviews were published on the tools and databases of resistance gene annotation; however, to our knowledge, no previous review focused solely and in depth on the differences in the databases. In this review, we compare the most well-known and widely used antibiotic resistance gene databases based on their structure and content. We believe that this knowledge is fundamental for selecting the most appropriate database for a research question and for the development of new tools and resources of resistance gene annotation.
Dynamics of Submersion of a «Diving Buoy» with Account of Hull Compression and Depth-Wise Variation of Water Density
Authors: Rozhdestvensky Kirill
Published: March 2022

The paper employs a simplified approach to modeling of dynamics of submersion of a «diving buoy» subject to a depth-wise water density gradient and experiencing compression of the hull due to action of pressure. The latter effect is accounted for through use of well-known boiler formulae of structural mechanics allowing to analyze behavior of hulls made of different materials. Operation of a piston type buoyancy engine is modeled both for a hypothetical case of instantaneous change of buoyancy and for more practical case of finite buoyancy variation. As the analysis includes both acceleration/deceleration and constant speed modes of motion it enables to evaluate full time of submersion to a design depth. Calculated are the vertical position and speed of the vehicle versus time. Due to the fact that during submersion the growth of density results in deceleration and hull compression causes acceleration, the equilibrium condition is formulated which can be seen as hanging mode in which the buoy performs damped oscillations around a depth of hanging with a frequency depending on rates of density and compression. It is shown that to provide constant speed for a general case of density variation one has to secure a corresponding volume variation of the vehicle or a corresponding increment/decrement of differential buoyancy. At the end of the paper estimates are presented showing how much additional buoyancy should be carried on board to keep constant speed of submersion and how much power is needed for corresponding buoyancy control for a given density profile.
Transient Differentiation Maximum Power Point Tracker (Td-MPPT) for Optimized Tracking under Very Fast-Changing Irradiance: A Theoretical Approach for Mobile PV Applications
Authors: Rico-Camacho Roberto I. , Ricalde Luis J. , Bassam Ali , Flota-Bañuelos Manuel I. , Alanis Alma Y.
Published: March 2022

This work presents an algorithm for Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) that measures transitory states to prevent drift issues and that can reduce steady-state oscillations. The traditional MPPT algorithms can become confused under very fast-changing irradiance and perform tracking in the wrong direction. Errors occur because these algorithms operate under the assumption that power changes in the system are triggered exclusively due to perturbations introduced by them. However, the power increase triggered by irradiance changes could be more significant than those caused by the perturbation effect. The proposed method modifies the Perturb and Observe algorithm (P&O) with an additional measurement stage performed close to the maximum overshoot peak after the perturbation stage. By comparing power changes between three measurement points, the algorithm can accurately identify whether the perturbation was made in the correct direction or not. Furthermore, the algorithm can use additional information to determine if the operating point after the perturbation stage is beyond the maximum power point (MPP) and perturb in the opposite direction for the next iteration. Thus, the proposed algorithm shows reduced steady-state oscillations and improved tracking under fast irradiance changes compared to conventional P&O and P&O with power differences (dP-P&O). The design is validated via simulations using fast-changing irradiance tests based on the standard EN 50530 accelerated by a factor of 100×. The proposed algorithm achieved 99.74% of global efficiency versus 97.4% of the classical P&O and 99.54% of the dP-P&O under the tested conditions.
RoiSeg: An Effective Moving Object Segmentation Approach Based on Region-of-Interest with Unsupervised Learning
Authors: Zhang Zeyang , Pei Zhongcai , Tang Zhiyong , Gu Fei
Published: March 2022

Traditional video object segmentation often has low detection speed and inaccurate results due to the jitter caused by the pan-and-tilt or hand-held devices. Deep neural network (DNN) has been widely adopted to address these problems; however, it relies on a large number of annotated data and high-performance computing units. Therefore, DNN is not suitable for some special scenarios (e.g., no prior knowledge or powerful computing ability). In this paper, we propose RoiSeg, an effective moving object segmentation approach based on Region-of-Interest (ROI), which utilizes unsupervised learning method to achieve automatic segmentation of moving objects. Specifically, we first hypothesize that the central n × n pixels of images act as the ROI to represent the features of the segmented moving object. Second, we pool the ROI to a central point of the foreground to simplify the segmentation problem into a classification problem based on ROI. Third but not the least, we implement a trajectory-based classifier and an online updating mechanism to address the classification problem and the compensation of class imbalance, respectively. We conduct extensive experiments to evaluate the performance of RoiSeg and the experimental results demonstrate that RoiSeg is more accurate and faster compared with other segmentation algorithms. Moreover, RoiSeg not only effectively handles ambient lighting changes, fog, salt and pepper noise, but also has a good ability to deal with camera jitter and windy scenes.
Energy Transition on Sifnos: An Approach to Economic and Social Transition and Development
Authors: Katsaprakakis Dimtris A. , Dakanali Eirini , Dimopoulos Apostolos , Gyllis Yiannis
Published: March 2022

This article aims to present the potential of energy transition in insular systems for social and economic transition and development, when planned and implemented appropriately, with the active involvement of local communities. To this end, the example of Sifnos Energy Community is examined and presented as a pilot case. It proves that energy transition, apart from its obvious energy conservation and climate necessity, can provide a strong contribution to the development of remote areas and the remedying of crucial issues, especially in insular communities, such as unemployment, low standards of living, isolation and energy supply security. Energy transition on Sifnos has been undertaken by the Sifnos Energy Community (SEC), with the target to achieve 100% energy independency through effective and rational projects. The major project is a centralized hybrid power plant consisting of a wind park and a pumped hydro storage system. It was designed to fully cover the current electricity demand and the anticipated forthcoming load due to the overall transition to e-mobility for the transportation sector on the island. Through the exploitation of the excess electricity production with the production of potable water and hydrogen, energy transition can facilitate the development of new professional activities on the island and reduce the local economy’s dependence on tourism. Additionally, a daily link to the neighboring larger Cyclades islands can be established with a hydrogen powered-passenger vessel, ensuring the secure and cheap overseas transportation connection of Sifnos throughout the whole year. The overall energy transition process is executed with the active involvement of the Sifnos citizens, ensuring wide public acceptance and the minimization of the projects’ impacts on the natural and human environment. At the same time, the anticipated benefits for the insular communities are maximized, highlighting the energy transition process on Sifnos as a new sustainable development pattern. For all this effort and the already achieved results, Sifnos has been declared as one of the six pilot islands of the European Community’s initiative “Clean Energy for EU Islands”.
Fixture Length and Primary Stability: An In Vitro Study on Polyurethane Foam
Authors: Petrini Morena , Tumedei Margherita , Cipollina Alessandro , D’Ercole Simonetta , Carmine Maria Stella Di , Piattelli Adriano , Re Marco , Iezzi Giovanna
Published: March 2022

(1) Background: Recently, novel dental implants that are characterized by different levels of surface roughness in the distinct parts of the fixture’s body have been introduced in the market. These surface characteristics could affect the primary stability of the implants. The aim of this in vitro study was to compare the primary stability of short and long implants, characterized by multiscale surface roughness, inserted on polyurethane blocks. The secondary aim was to understand if the implant length could be a crucial factor in the decision-making in immediate or rather than delayed loading protocol in the different bone densities. (2) Methods: A total of 20 cylindrical dental implants with a diameter of 5.0 mm were tested for the lengths 6.0 mm (short implants) versus 13.0 mm (long implants) on two different solid rigid polyurethane blocks (20 and 30 PCF). The primary stability was evaluated by measuring the insertion torque value (ITV), the removal torque (RTV), and the resonance frequency analysis RFA. (3) Results: The values of ITV, RTV, and RFA showed the same trend in all measurements. Long implants showed a significantly higher primary stability on 30 PCF blocks that present mechanical properties similar to high-density bone. On the contrary, no relevant differences were found on 20 PCF blocks, which mimic trabecular bone density. (4) Conclusions: The impact of fixture length on the primary stability of implants with multiscale surface roughness is significant in 30 PCF polyurethane corresponding to higher bone density, but not in lower ones.
Deep Sentiment Analysis Using CNN-LSTM Architecture of English and Roman Urdu Text Shared in Social Media
Authors: Khan Lal , Amjad Ammar , Afaq Kanwar Muhammad , Chang Hsien-Tsung
Published: March 2022

Sentiment analysis (SA) has been an active research subject in the domain of natural language processing due to its important functions in interpreting people’s perspectives and drawing successful opinion-based judgments. On social media, Roman Urdu is one of the most extensively utilized dialects. Sentiment analysis of Roman Urdu is difficult due to its morphological complexities and varied dialects. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the performance of various word embeddings for Roman Urdu and English dialects using the CNN-LSTM architecture with traditional machine learning classifiers. We introduce a novel deep learning architecture for Roman Urdu and English dialect SA based on two layers: LSTM for long-term dependency preservation and a one-layer CNN model for local feature extraction. To obtain the final classification, the feature maps learned by CNN and LSTM are fed to several machine learning classifiers. Various word embedding models support this concept. Extensive tests on four corpora show that the proposed model performs exceptionally well in Roman Urdu and English text sentiment classification, with an accuracy of 0.904, 0.841, 0.740, and 0.748 against MDPI, RUSA, RUSA-19, and UCL datasets, respectively. The results show that the SVM classifier and the Word2Vec CBOW (Continuous Bag of Words) model are more beneficial options for Roman Urdu sentiment analysis, but that BERT word embedding, two-layer LSTM, and SVM as a classifier function are more suitable options for English language sentiment analysis. The suggested model outperforms existing well-known advanced models on relevant corpora, improving the accuracy by up to 5%.
Experimental Study of Wave-Induced Response of Piles in Seabed with Various Permeability
Authors: Huang Ting , Tian Yinghui , Dai Guoliang , Jiao Ao
Published: March 2022

Subjected to continuous wave loading, the responses of pile foundations and seabed develop gradually, severely affecting the serviceability of piled structures. This paper presents the results of a series of flume experiments on pile foundations in fine sandy and silty seabed under regular wave loading. Pile-head displacement and pore water pressure were measured and the effects of pile diameter, cross-section, pile stiffness and wave height were investigated. The experimental results indicate that the pore pressure in fine sandy seabed varied only slightly even under 640 s of wave loading but showed an increase of 15.7–25.9% around a pile. In silty seabed with much lower permeability, pore pressure accumulated quickly due to piles and oscillated impressively at the depth of soil liquefaction. Based on the comparison between the calculated and measured pile-head displacement, we found that the response of smaller-diameter piles in lower-permeability seabed was much more easily magnified by the induced pore pressure. Increasing the pile diameter and attaching fins could lead to a smaller response of piles. Wave height was a major factor in the experiments that affected the development of response.
Inline Optical Coherence Tomography for Multidirectional Process Monitoring in a Coaxial LMD-w Process
Authors: Stehmar Charlotte , Gipperich Marius , Kogel-Hollacher Markus , Velazquez Iturbide Alfredo , Schmitt Robert H.
Published: March 2022

Within additive manufacturing, process stability is still an unsolved challenge. Process instabilities result from the complexity of laser deposition processes and the dependence of the quality of the workpiece on a variety of factors in the process. Because a stable process is dependent on many different factors, permanent precise inline monitoring is required. The suitability of the optical coherence tomography (OCT) measuring system integrated into a wire-based laser metal deposition (LMD-w) process for the task of process control results from its high resolution and high measuring speed, and from coaxial integration into the laser process, which allows for a spatially and temporally resolved representation of the weld bead topography during the process. To realize this, a spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT) system was developed and integrated into the beam path of the process laser. With the aid of suitable optics, circular scanning was realized, which allows for the 3D depth information to be displayed independently of the direction of movement of the processing head and the centrally running wire. OCT makes it possible to detect the process-typical topography deviations caused by process variations and thus paves the way for adaptive process control that could make additive laser processes more reproducible and precise in the future.
Joining of Fibre-Reinforced Thermoplastic Polymer Composites by Friction Stir Welding—A Review
Authors: Pereira Miguel A. R. , Galvão Ivan , Costa José Domingos , Amaro Ana M. , Leal Rui M.
Published: March 2022

The objective of the current work is to show the potential of the friction stir welding (FSW) and its variants to join fibre-reinforced thermoplastic polymer (FRTP) composites. To accomplish that, the FSW technique and two other important variants, the friction stir spot welding (FSSW) and the refill friction stir spot welding (RFSSW), are presented and explained in a brief but complete way. Since the joining of FRTP composites by FSSW has not yet been demonstrated, the literature review will be focused on the FSW and RFSSW techniques. In each review, the welding conditions and parameters studied by the different authors are presented and discussed, as well as the most important conclusions taken from them. About FSW, it can be concluded that the rotational speed and the welding speed have great influence on heat generation, mixture quality, and fibre fragmentation degree, while the tilt angle only has residual influence on the process. The reduction of internal and external defects can be achieved by adjusting axial force and plunge depth. Threaded or grooved conical pins achieved better results than other geometries. Stationary shoulder tools showed better performance than conventional tools. Regarding the RFSSW, it has not yet been possible to deepen conclusions about most of the welding parameters, but its feasibility is demonstrated.
Dynamic Virtual Energy Storage System Operation Strategy for Smart Energy Communities
Authors: Oh Eunsung , Son Sung-Yong
Published: March 2022

The concept of a virtual energy storage system (VESS) is based on the sharing of a large energy storage system by multiple units; however, the capacity allocation for each unit limits the operation performance of the VESS. This study proposes an operation strategy of a dynamic VESS for smart energy communities. The proposed VESS operation strategy considers the usage-limited constraint rather than the capacity allocation constraint and it guarantees the usage of VESS resources of each participant for an operation period. Therefore, the degrees of freedom for VESS operation can be increased at each operation time. The dynamic VESS operation problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear problem that could be solved optimally by applying gradient methods and dual decomposition. The dataset of a VESS in Korea is used for simulation. The simulation results demonstrate that, when the proposed operation strategy is used, the cost efficiency achieved is more than twice that achieved when the existing VESS operation strategy is used. Furthermore, the proposed strategy accurately reflects the characteristics of the participants; thus, more units can participate in the VESS operation service. The proposed VESS operation can improve the system performance of the utility grid and increase the net benefit of the participants.
Studies Regarding the Antibacterial Effect of Plant Extracts Obtained from Epilobium parviflorum Schreb
Authors: Șachir Erdogan Elvis , Pușcașu Cristina Gabriela , Caraiane Aureliana , Raftu Gheorghe , Badea Florin Ciprian , Mociu Mihaela , Albu Claudia Maria , Sachelarie Liliana , Hurjui Loredana Liliana , Bartok-Nicolae Cristina
Published: March 2022

The present study was carried out to develop an experimental endodontic irrigant solution based on plant extracts obtained from Epilobium parviflorum Schreb. that largely replenish the properties of the usual antiseptics used in dentistry. Background: This study investigated the phytochemical contents of plant extracts obtained from Epilobium parviflorum Schreb. and their potential antibacterial activity. Methods: Identification and quantification of biologically active compounds were made by UV field photo spectrometry, adapting the Folin-Ciocalteu test method. Antibacterial activity was tested on pathological bacterial cultures collected from tooth with endodontic infections using a modified Kirby-Bauer diffuse metric method. Results: Polyphenols and flavonoids were present in all plant extracts; the hydroalcoholic extract had the highest amount of polyphenols—17.44 pyrogallol equivalent (Eq Pir)/mL and flavonoids—3.13 quercetin equivalent (Eq Qr)/mL. Plant extracts had antibacterial activity among the tested bacterial species with the following inhibition diameter: White Staphylococcus (16.5 mm), Streptococcus mitis (25 mm), Streptococcus sanguis (27 mm), Enterococcus faecalis (10 mm). Conclusions: All plant extracts contain polyphenols and flavonoids; the antibacterial activity was in direct ratio with the amount of the bioactive compounds.
Typology of Pure Deodar Forests Driven by Vegetation–Environment Relations in Manoor Valley, Northwestern Himalaya
Authors: Rahman Inayat Ur , Afzal Aftab , Iqbal Zafar , Calixto Eduardo Soares , Alkahtani Jawaher , Alwahibi Mona S. , Ali Niaz , Kausar Rukhsana , Khan Uzma , Bussmann Rainer W.
Published: March 2022

The current research was carried out to characterize the phytosociology of the forests of one of Pakistan’s most valuable tree species (Deodar) across its native range. In this context, our main hypothesis was that, along the altitudinal gradient, we would find different plant communities that would be driven by different environmental variables (climatic, edaphic, and physiographic). Therefore, to assess the vegetation structure of the pure Deodar forests of the unexplored Manoor Valley (Northwestern Himalaya), Pakistan, frequent field visits were carried out during different seasons of 2015–2018. Ecological methods: Line transects sampling (23 stands) and phytosociological attributes were evaluated in relation to geographical and environmental variables. Various statistical software applications (i.e., PCORD, RStudio 4.0, and R 3.6.1) were used to examine all of the gathered data of plant species and environmental variables. A total of three different plant communities (Cedrus–Isodon–Cynodon, Cedrus–Cynodon–Dryopteris, and Sambucus–Cedrus–Desmodium) were identified by grouping 162 species and 23 stands in pure Deodar forests under the influence of geographic, slope, edaphic, and climatic variables, ranging from 1580.8 to 2373.8 m. The altitude (1936–2373 m), slope angle (25–85°), sandy (29–48%) and loamy soil texture, wind speed (1.45 ms−1), and temperature (25.8 °C) all had a strong influence on the Sambucus–Cedrus–Desmodium community. In contrast with this, the Cedrus–Cynodon–Dryopteris community showed a positively significant relationship with the northeastern slope, silty (32–58%) and sandy (15.8–55%) loamy soil texture, and barometric pressure (814.3 pa). Nonetheless, the Cedrus–Isodon–Cynodon community revealed a significant positive association with the northeastern to southwestern slope, pH (6.3), wet bulb (19.7), and dew point (17.7). We found significant differences (p < 0.001) among the three communities found in the pure Deodar forests in the four diversity indexes. The Sambucus–Cedrus–Desmodium community has the maximum number of plants (129 species), Shannon’s diversity (H’ = 3.7), and Simpson’s dominance (0.98) values among the recorded communities. The Pielou’s evenness index value was led by the Cedrus–Isodon–Cynodon community (0.97). Beta diversity showed a dissimilarity lower than 50% among the three communities. Simple term effects in the canonical correspondence analysis model revealed significant (p < 0.05) differences in altitude, slope angle, slope (southeastern), and wind speed variables. The present investigation sheds light on vegetation pattern and species contribution as a function of environmental gradients and provides a baseline for future studies.
Recursive Optimal Finite Impulse Response Filter and Its Application to Adaptive Estimation
Authors: Kwon Bokyu , Kim Sang-il
Published: March 2022

In this paper, the recursive form of an optimal finite impulse response filter is proposed for discrete time-varying state-space models. The recursive form of the finite impulse response filter is derived by employing finite horizon Kalman filtering with optimally estimated initial conditions. The horizon initial state and its error covariance on the horizon are optimally estimated by using recent finite measurements, in the sense of maximum likelihood estimation, then initiating the finite horizon Kalman filter. The optimality and unbiasedness of the proposed filter are proved by comparison with the conventional optimal finite impulse response filter in batch form. Moreover, an adaptive FIR filter is also proposed by applying the adaptive estimation scheme to the proposed recursive optimal FIR filter as its application. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithms, a computer simulation is performed to compare the conventional Kalman filter and adaptive Kalman filters for the gas turbine aircraft engine model.
The Edge of Heaven: Revelations 12:7-9 and the Fall of the Rebel Angels in Anglo-Norman Apocalypse Illustration
Authors: Eszenyi Edina
Published: March 2022

The article examines the War in Heaven scene depicting the Fall of the Rebel Angels in the 1200s Anglo-Norman group of illustrated Apocalypse manuscripts, key in the development of Apocalypse illustration as far as quality, quantity, and art historical heritage are concerned. The iconography of the crucial War in Heaven scene shows a variety in the manuscript group; the compositions, divided into three well-defined groups at Satan’s pivotal moment of defeat, are depicted in three principal compositional types: one manuscript group focuses on the narrative of the battle, the second fuses the battle and its victorious result, and the third type focuses on the victory itself. The article establishes further subgroups on the basis of compositional similarities, and results occasionally strengthen or weaken existing theories about the traditional grouping of the manuscripts. The highlighted iconographical similarities provide new material for the reconsideration of the manuscripts’ artistic relations and dating.