bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Tire Footprint in Soil Using an Innovative 3D Scanning Method
Authors: Ptak Weronika , Czarnecki Jarosław , Brennensthul Marek , Lejman Krzysztof , Małecka Agata
Published: February 2023

This paper presents the results of the measurement of tire footprints in soil. The research was conducted under laboratory conditions using soil-filled cases. The research objects were two tires: a radial tire and a bias-ply tire of the same size. The variable parameters were vertical load (7.8 kN, 15.7 kN, 23.5 kN) and inflation pressure (0.8 bar, 1.6 bar, 2.4 bar). Test benches with a mounted tire, a soil case, and a 3D scanner were used in the research. Using the test bench, a tire was loaded with each inflation pressure, and a tire footprint was generated in the soil. Then, a 3D scanner was used to scan the tire footprint, and the parameters of length, width, depth, and tire–soil contact area (as a spatial image) were evaluated using special software. Then, mathematical models were formulated (separately for each type of tire) to describe the tire–soil contact area of the tire footprint as a function of the vertical load and inflation pressure. It was found that the depth of the tire footprint is an important parameter that influences the tire–soil contact area value. However, it was also found that with the right combination of inflation pressure and vertical load, a longer and wider, but shallower, tire footprint can be generated, the contact area value of which is similar to that of a deeper footprint.
An Analysis of the Pass-Through of Exchange Rates in Forest Product Markets
Authors: Güney Selin , Riquelme Andrés , Goodwin Barry
Published: February 2023

This paper assesses the exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) for forest product prices (i.e., sawnwood, logs) by applying a two-regime Self-Exciting Threshold Autoregressive (SETAR) model. We incorporate autoregressive second-order dynamics in the regime equations. This leads to better forecasts, as integrating more lags helps capture the cumulative effects of the price dynamics. We examine sawnwood and log products traded in the United States, Malaysia (Southeast Asia) and Cameroon (West Africa). Our results illustrate the importance of applying the two-regime SETAR-type models to analyze the non-linear exchange rate pass-through for forest product markets. The impulse response analysis of each price pair supports the changing behavior of price ratios in various regimes. This may be regarded as another justification to apply models accounting for structural changes to investigate the exchange rate pass-through in a non-linear fashion. The aftershock adjustment process is similar, but the amplitude of the impact differs among markets. The results reveal potential arbitrage opportunities in the forestry industry.
Nitrogen Nutrition Differentially Affects Concentrations of Photosynthetic Pigments and Antioxidant Compounds in Mexican Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.)
Authors: Peralta-Sánchez María Guadalupe , Gómez-Merino Fernando C. , Tejeda-Sartorius Olga , Trejo-Téllez Libia I.
Published: February 2023

Nitrogen is a major plant macronutrient and its supply affects the entire metabolism of plants. This study evaluated the effect of different nitrogen concentrations in the nutrient solution: 0, 4.2, 8.4, and 12.6 mg L−1 Mexican marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) var. Inca plants in an open soilless culture system under greenhouse conditions on the concentration of chlorophylls, carotenoids, phenolics, and flavonoids derived from the secondary metabolism, as well as on the antioxidant activity in different tissues. With the 12.6 mg N L−1 dose, chlorophylls a, b, and total chlorophyll concentrations increased by 98.8, 11.9, and 56.6%, respectively. The highest concentrations of total carotenoids in flowers, 28–30%, were recorded in plants with doses of 8.4 mg N L−1. With doses of 12.6 mg N L−1, phenolic compounds and total flavonoids increased in leaves, but decreased in flowers. The low and medium N concentrations increased the antioxidant activity with respect to the control without N by 53% and 50.2%, respectively. We conclude that the applications of N in Tagetes erecta differentially affected the concentrations of photosynthetic pigments and biomolecules with antioxidant capacity, and that such effects were dependent on the doses of N tested and the plant organ evaluated.
Recognition and Positioning of Fresh Tea Buds Using YOLOv4-lighted + ICBAM Model and RGB-D Sensing
Authors: Guo Shudan , Yoon Seung-Chul , Li Lei , Wang Wei , Zhuang Hong , Wei Chaojie , Liu Yang , Li Yuwen
Published: February 2023

To overcome the low recognition accuracy, slow speed, and difficulty in locating the picking points of tea buds, this paper is concerned with the development of a deep learning method, based on the You Only Look Once Version 4 (YOLOv4) object detection algorithm, for the detection of tea buds and their picking points with tea-picking machines. The segmentation method, based on color and depth data from a stereo vision camera, is proposed to detect the shapes of tea buds in 2D and 3D spaces more accurately than using 2D images. The YOLOv4 deep learning model for object detection was modified to obtain a lightweight model with a shorter inference time, called YOLOv4-lighted. Then, Squeeze-and-Excitation Networks (SENet), Efficient Channel Attention (ECA), Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM), and improved CBAM (ICBAM) were added to the output layer of the feature extraction network, for improving the detection accuracy of tea features. Finally, the Path Aggregation Network (PANet) in the neck network was simplified to the Feature Pyramid Network (FPN). The light-weighted YOLOv4 with ICBAM, called YOLOv4-lighted + ICBAM, was determined as the optimal recognition model for the detection of tea buds in terms of accuracy (94.19%), recall (93.50%), F1 score (0.94), and average precision (97.29%). Compared with the baseline YOLOv4 model, the size of the YOLOv4-lighted + ICBAM model decreased by 75.18%, and the frame rate increased by 7.21%. In addition, the method for predicting the picking point of each detected tea bud was developed by segmentation of the tea buds in each detected bounding box, with filtering of each segment based on its depth from the camera. The test results showed that the average positioning success rate and the average positioning time were 87.10% and 0.12 s, respectively. In conclusion, the recognition and positioning method proposed in this paper provides a theoretical basis and method for the automatic picking of tea buds.
Studies on the Physical Changes in Corn Seeds during Hybrid Drying (Convection and Microwave)
Authors: Cârlescu Petru Marian , Băetu Mihai-Marius , Roșca Radu , Țenu Ioan
Published: February 2023

Hybrid seed drying technology, based on convection and microwave drying, is a modern method, and the research on the physical changes in cereal seed resulting from hybrid drying is still in its infancy. The aim of the present paper is to study the uniformity of the drying process by examining the physical changes occurring in corn seeds. An innovative drying equipment, combining convective and microwave drying, was used to dry corn seeds (variety DKC5068). The convective drying was performed during the pneumatic transport of the seeds, using hot air at a maximum temperature of 50 °C; the microwave-based drying was performed using 2.45 GHz microwaves. Thus, the seeds were volumetrically heated at a temperature which does not exceed 44 °C. The physical changes in corn seeds were measured in terms of moisture, volume, cracking and color. The results regarding the moisture and volume changes in the seeds during the drying process proved that moist seeds are more homogeneous than dry seeds. The change in volume also changed the stiffness of the seeds, which showed greater homogeneity after drying compared to wet seeds. Hybrid drying led to an average shrinkage of 8.76% compared with the original seed volume, while the percentage of seeds showing cracks after drying increased by 22%. Generally, the drying process also led to color changes, but in the case of hybrid drying the results were inconclusive. Hybrid drying of corn seeds requires a shorter time and does not significantly influence physical characteristics, compared to other drying technologies.
An Infrared Temperature Correction Method for the Skin Temperature of Pigs in Infrared Images
Authors: Wang Xiaoshuai , Hu Feiyue , Yang Ruimin , Wang Kaiying
Published: February 2023

Accurately measuring the skin temperature of pigs is essential to large-scale pig farming for health monitoring, as well as disease detection and prevention. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a promising technology for the non-invasive measuring of pig skin temperature. However, the distance and angle of view of measurement greatly affect the accuracy of IRT-measured temperature. To improve the accuracy of the measurement, this study starts with evaluating the effects of four parameters on the measurement of skin temperature: horizontal distance, camera height, pig height, and angle of view between the object and the IRT camera. It follows by proposing a mathematical model describing the relationship between the real skin temperature and the four parameters through means of response surface methodology. A correction algorithm is then developed based on the mathematical model to improve the measuring accuracy. In order to evaluate the performance of the correction algorithm, the measured skin temperatures before and after correction are compared with the actual ones. The comparison was carried out in an experimental pig farm with 25 randomly selected pigs. The results show that the mean relative error before the correction was −4.64% and the mean relative error after the correction was −0.70%. This study demonstrates that the new infrared temperature correction method is effective and can benefit skin temperature monitoring for commercial pig farms.
Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectral Inversion of Soil Available Potassium Content Based on Different Dimensionality Reduction Algorithms
Authors: Wang Weiyan , Zhang Yungui , Li Zhihong , Liu Qingli , Feng Wenqiang , Chen Yulan , Jiang Hong , Liang Hui , Chang Naijie
Published: February 2023

Estimating the available potassium (AK) in soil can help improve field management and crop production. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is one of the most promising techniques for the fast and real-time analysis of soil AK content. However, the successful estimation of soil AK content by FTIR depends on the proper selection of appropriate spectral dimensionality reduction techniques. To magnify the subtle spectral signals concerning AK content and improve the understanding of the characteristic FTIR wavelengths of AK content, a total of 145 soil samples were collected in an agricultural site located in the southwest part of Sichuan, China, and three typical spectral dimensionality reduction methods—the successive projections algorithm (SPA), simulated annealing algorithm (SA) and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS)—were adopted to select the appropriate spectral variable. Then, partial least squares regression (PLSR) was utilized to establish AK inversion models by incorporating the optimal set of spectral variables extracted by different dimensionality reduction algorithms. The accuracy of each inversion model was tested based on the coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute value error (MAE), and the contribution of the inversion model variables was explored. The results show that: (1) The application of spectral dimensionality reduction is a useful technique for isolating specific components of multicomponent spectra, and as such is a powerful tool to improve and expand the predicted potential of the spectroscopy of soil AK content. Compared with the SA and CARS algorithms, the SPA was more suitable for soil AK content inversion. (2) The inversion model results showed that the characteristic wavelengths were mainly around 777 nm, 1315 nm, 1375 nm, 1635 nm, 1730 nm and 3568–3990 nm. (3) Comparing the performances of different inversion models, the SPA–PLSR model (R2= 0.49, RMSE = 22.80, MAE = 16.82) was superior to the SA–PLSR and CARS–PLSR models, which has certain guiding significance for the rapid detection of soil AK content.
Recent Trends of Antibiotic Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Causing Clinical Mastitis in Dairy Herds in Abruzzo and Molise Regions, Italy
Authors: Rossi Franca , Del Matto Ilaria , Saletti Maria Antonietta , Ricchiuti Luciano , Tucci Patrizia , Marino Lucio
Published: February 2023

This study aimed to investigate the recent trends of antibiotic resistance (AR) prevalence in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the milk of animals with clinical mastitis in areas of the Abruzzo and Molise regions in Central Italy. Fifty-four S. aureus isolates were obtained from routine testing for clinical mastitis agents carried out in the author institution in the years 2021 and 2022 and were analyzed for phenotypic resistance to eight antibiotics recommended for testing by European norms and belonging to the antibiotic classes used for mastitis treatment in milk-producing animals. Moreover, the presence of 14 transferable genetic determinants encoding resistance to the same antibiotics was analyzed using qPCR tests developed in this study. Phenotypic resistance to non-β-lactams was infrequent, with only one 2022 isolate resistant to clindamycin. However, resistance to the β-lactam cefoxitin at concentrations just above the threshold of 4 µg/mL was observed in 59.2% of isolates in both years, making these isolates classifiable as methicillin-resistant. The AR genotypes detected were the blaZ gene (50% of 2021 isolates and 44.4% of 2022 isolates), aphA3-blaZ- ermC/T (one 2021 isolate), aphA3-ant6-blaZ-ermC/T (one 2021 isolate), blaZ-ermB (one 2022 isolate) and mecA-mph (one 2022 isolate). An inquiry into the veterinarians who provided the samples, regarding the antimicrobials prescribed for mastitis treatment and criteria of usage, indicated a possible causal relation with the AR test results. The occurrence of AR genotypes did not increase in time, most probably reflecting how mastitis was treated and prevented in farms. However, the frequently observed cefoxitin resistance needs to be explained genotypically, further monitored and limited by modifying antibiotic usage practices. The identification of a mecA-positive isolate in 2022 suggests further investigation if this genotype is emerging locally.
Neuro-Nutraceutical Polyphenols: How Far Are We?
Authors: Gentile Maria Teresa , Camerino Iolanda , Ciarmiello Loredana , Woodrow Pasqualina , Muscariello Lidia , De Chiara Ida , Pacifico Severina
Published: February 2023

The brain, composed of billions of neurons, is a complex network of interacting dynamical systems controlling all body functions. Neurons are the building blocks of the nervous system and their impairment of their functions could result in neurodegenerative disorders. Accumulating evidence shows an increase of brain-affecting disorders, still today characterized by poor therapeutic options. There is a strong urgency to find new alternative strategies to prevent progressive neuronal loss. Polyphenols, a wide family of plant compounds with an equally wide range of biological activities, are suitable candidates to counteract chronic degenerative disease in the central nervous system. Herein, we will review their role in human healthcare and highlight their: antioxidant activities in reactive oxygen species-producing neurodegenerative pathologies; putative role as anti-acetylcholinesterase inhibitors; and protective activity in Alzheimer’s disease by preventing Aβ aggregation and tau hyperphosphorylation. Moreover, the pathology of these multifactorial diseases is also characterized by metal dyshomeostasis, specifically copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe), most important for cellular function. In this scenario, polyphenols’ action as natural chelators is also discussed. Furthermore, the critical importance of the role exerted by polyphenols on microbiota is assumed, since there is a growing body of evidence for the role of the intestinal microbiota in the gut–brain axis, giving new opportunities to study molecular mechanisms and to find novel strategies in neurological diseases.
Sexual Dimorphism in the Expression of Cardiac and Hippocampal Renin-Angiotensin and Kallikrein–Kinin Systems in Offspring from Mice Exposed to Alcohol during Gestation
Authors: da Silva Gabriel Almeida , Atum Allan Luís Barboza , de Matos Leonardo Paroche , Nasuk Guilherme Rabelo , de Jesus Bruna Calixto , Gouveia Telma Luciana Furtado , Baltatu Ovidiu Constantin , Zamuner Stella Regina , Silva Júnior José Antônio
Published: February 2023

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) impairs fetal development. Alcohol consumption was shown to modulate the renin–angiotensin system (RAS). This study aimed to analyze the effects of PAE on the expression of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) and kallikrein–kinin system (KKS) peptide systems in the hippocampus and heart of mice of both sexes. C57Bl/6 mice were exposed to alcohol during pregnancy at a concentration of 10% (v/v). On postnatal day 45 (PN45), mouse hippocampi and left ventricles (LV) were collected and processed for messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of components of the RAS and KKS. In PAE animals, more pronounced expression of AT1 and ACE mRNAs in males and a restored AT2 mRNA expression in females were observed in both tissues. In LV, increased AT2, ACE2, and B2 mRNA expressions were also observed in PAE females. Furthermore, high levels of H2O2 were observed in males from the PAE group in both tissues. Taken together, our results suggest that modulation of the expression of these peptidergic systems in PAE females may make them less susceptible to the effects of alcohol.
Sepsis-Induced Coagulopathy Phenotype Induced by Oxidized High-Density Lipoprotein Associated with Increased Mortality in Septic-Shock Patients
Authors: Prado Yolanda , Tapia Pablo , Eltit Felipe , Reyes-Martínez Cristian , Feijóo Carmen G. , Llancalahuen Felipe M. , Riedel Claudia A. , Cabello-Verrugio Claudio , Stehberg Jimmy , Simon Felipe
Published: February 2023

Sepsis syndrome is a highly lethal uncontrolled response to an infection, which is characterized by sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC). High-density lipoprotein (HDL) exhibits antithrombotic activity, regulating coagulation in vascular endothelial cells. Sepsis induces the release of several proinflammatory molecules, including reactive oxygen species, which lead to an increase in oxidative stress in blood vessels. Thus, circulating lipoproteins, such as HDL, are oxidized to oxHDL, which promotes hemostatic dysfunction, acquiring prothrombotic properties linked to the severity of organ failure in septic-shock patients (SSP). However, a rigorous and comprehensive investigation demonstrating that oxHDL is associated with a coagulopathy-associated deleterious outcome of SSP, has not been reported. Thus, we investigated the participation of plasma oxHDL in coagulopathy-associated sepsis pathogenesis and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanism. A prospective study was conducted on 42 patients admitted to intensive care units, (26 SSP and 16 non-SSP) and 39 healthy volunteers. We found that an increased plasma oxHDL level in SSP was associated with a prothrombotic phenotype, increased mortality and elevated risk of death, which predicts mortality in SSP. The underlying mechanism indicates that oxHDL triggers an endothelial protein expression reprogramming of coagulation factors and procoagulant adhesion proteins, to produce a prothrombotic environment, mainly mediated by the endothelial LOX-1 receptor. Our study demonstrates that an increased plasma oxHDL level is associated with coagulopathy in SSP through a mechanism involving the endothelial LOX-1 receptor and endothelial protein expression regulation. Therefore, the plasma oxHDL level plays a role in the molecular mechanism associated with increased mortality in SSP.
Paneth Cells and Lgr5+ Intestinal Stem Cells in Radiation Enteritis
Authors: Luvhengo Thifhelimbilu , Khan Uzayr , Marumo Thomas Kekgatleope
Published: February 2023

Cancer is the leading cause of death in adults and majority of cancers involve abdominal and pelvic organs. Radiotherapy is used in the management of around half of patients who have abdominal and pelvic malignancies and 70% of the treated patients will develop radiation enteritis. The onset of radiation enteritis may delay the completion of treatment or lead to life-threatening conditions such as bowel perforation or obstruction. High-dose ionizing radiation can affect all the layers of the small intestine leading to weakening of its structural integrity, dysbiosis, malabsorption, and derangement of the innate immunity. Advances in the management of cancer has not led to an improvement in the treatment of radiation enteritis as the available preventative or treatment options are still ineffective. Severe acute and chronic radiation enteritis result from the damage to the crypt-based intestinal stem cells and their derivatives, which include the Paneth cells. Paneth cells regulate the proliferation and differentiation of the intestinal stem cells. The other roles of the Paneth cells are protection and nourishment of the intestinal stem cells, and control of the gut microbiota. Paneth cells can also de-differentiate and replace irreversibly damaged intestinal stem cells. This article reviews the anatomy of the epithelium of the small intestine and the intestinal epithelial cells including the Paneth cells. The effect of ionizing radiation on the intestinal stem cells and its derivatives, and the knowledge can be used to develop effective treatment of radiation enteritis is discussed.
Appropriate Method to Estimate Farmland Drainage Coefficient in the Wanyan River Surface Waterlogged Area in Suibin County of the Sanjiang Plain, China
Authors: You Lijun , Wang Shaoli , Tao Yuan , Liu Yongji
Published: February 2023

Drainage coefficient has an important influence on the determination of the scale of drainage engineering and agricultural production. This paper calculated the drainage coefficient based on the calculation results of theoretical runoff using the empirical formula (QE) and the average draining method (QA), and discussed the drainage duration (TE) corresponding to the empirical formula and the area range (FA) corresponding to the average draining formula. The results showed that the observed runoff was less than the theoretical runoff. The design flow of the Wanyan River pumping station does not meet the drainage demand of the 5-year rainfall return period. For the 1-day rainfall with 3-year return period and 3-day rainfall, QE was higher than QA, and the design drainage duration was higher than TE, so it was safer to calculate the drainage coefficient using the empirical formula in the drainage engineering design. For 1-day rainfall greater than the 3-year return period, QA was higher than QE, and the design drainage duration was less than TE, and the results of the average draining formula were safer in the drainage engineering design. FA increased with the increase in rainfall duration and decreased with the increase in return period. When the rainfall duration and the drainage duration were long, the calculation results of the average draining formula were much smaller.
The Electric-Thermal Uneven Characteristics Simulation of Wide Mg Alloy Strip and Electroplastic Rolling Experiment
Authors: Liu Gengliang , Yang Lipo , Zhang Hailong
Published: February 2023

In order to solve the problem of wide magnesium strip uneven deformation in electroplastic rolling, an uneven field measurement device was designed. The device simulates the actual electro-thermal characteristics and provides as even and constant field conditions as possible for high-efficiency wide Mg strip rolling. Firstly, the effect of electrode position and distance on the electric field unevenness of magnesium strip is observed by setting the electric rolling condition, to provide the optimal electrical-thermal field quantity coupling conditions required by electric rolling. Secondly, in order to reveal the changing trend of the transient field in the actual rolling, the three-dimensional electric field of wide magnesium strip are simulated by the finite element method. The results show that the even temperature field and stable stress field required by the EPR of a wide Mg strip can be guaranteed to the greatest extent by setting electric field parameter Online. The case proves that the continuous EPR of Mg strip with a thickness of less than 0.13 mm without heat treatment can be realized by fine control of the EPR process.
Experimental Investigation on Single-Phase Immersion Cooling of a Lithium-Ion Pouch-Type Battery under Various Operating Conditions
Authors: Celen Ali
Published: February 2023

The selection of a battery thermal management technique is important to overcoming safety and performance problems by maintaining the temperature of batteries within a desired range. In this study, a LiFePO4 (LFP) pouch-type battery having a capacity of 20 Ah was experimentally cooled with both air and liquid (immersion cooling) techniques. Distilled water was selected as the immersion fluid in the experiments, and the impact of discharge rate (1–4C), immersion ratio (50–100%), and coolant fluid inlet temperature (15–25 °C) on the battery temperature were investigated during the discharge period. The experiments revealed that maximum temperatures were reached at approximately 45 °C and 33 °C for air and distilled water cooling techniques, respectively, at the discharge rate of 4C. The average and maximum battery surface temperatures can be reduced by 28% and 25%, respectively, with the implementation of the liquid immersion technique at the discharge rate of 4C compared to the air technique. Moreover, the experiments demonstrated that the maximum temperature difference could be lowered to 4 °C by means of 100% liquid immersion cooling at the highest discharge rate, where they are approximately 11 °C and 12 °C for air and 50% for immersion cooling, respectively. In addition, it was observed that the coolant fluid inlet temperature has a significant impact on battery temperature for %100 liquid immersion.
Effect of 12 Weeks of the Plyometric Training Program Model on Speed and Explosive Strength Abilities in Adolescents
Authors: Kryeziu Artan R. , Iseni Astrit , Teodor Dragos Florin , Croitoru Horia , Badau Dana
Published: February 2023

This study examined the effect of two different follow-ups of a plyometric program on improving speed and explosive strength. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify the 12-week effect of the plyometric program on the development of speed and explosive strength in adolescents. The research was conducted on a sample of 195 male adolescent participants aged 15 years ± 6 months, who were divided into two groups, the first group of the plyometric group (PG) 90 adolescents s participated in plyometric training sessions three times a week for 12 weeks, while the control group (CG) 105 adolescents only attended their regular lessons in Physical Education. Tests of study: sprint (S) 30 m speed; S80 m speed; S100 m speed; Standing long jump; Standing triple jump; Vertical Jump. The results presented between the measurement pre- and post-plyometric program in the group (PG) have resulted in favor of this group over the control group (CG), and it has also been identified that there are significant differences in the indicators of speed and explosive strength at the level (p < 0.05). In conclusion, a 12-week plyometric program has shown significant increases in speed and explosive strength indicators in teenagers, and the same model can be used in elite athletes.
Chemometrics and Spectroscopic Analyses of Peganum harmala Plant’s Seeds by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Authors: Alrebdi Tahani A. , Fayyaz Amir , Asghar Haroon , Kamal Asif , Iqbal Javed , Piracha Naveed K.
Published: February 2023

In the present work, the rapid identification of elements and their relative chemical composition in various Peganum harmala seed samples were investigated using a calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy technique (CF-LIBS). A pulsed Nd:YAG laser-source with a 5 ns pulse-duration, and 10 Hz pulse repetition rates providing 400 and 200 mJ energy at 1064 and 532 nm wavelength, respectively, was focused on the Peganum harmala seed samples for ablation. A LIBS 2000+ spectrometer within the wavelength range (200 to 720 nm), emission-spectra were recorded. The measured spectra of the Peganum harmala sample gives spectral lines of Carbon (C), Magnesium (Mg), Lithium (Li), Sodium (Na), Calcium (Ca), Silicon (Si), Iron (Fe), Strontium (Sr), Copper (Cu), Potassium (K), and Lead (Pb). A CF-LIBS technique has been employed for the compositional study of the elements exist in the Peganum harmala seed samples. The measured results demonstrate that C, Mg, and Ca are found to be major elements in the Peganum harmala seed samples with compositions of ~36.64%, ~24.09%, and ~19.03%, respectively. Along with the major elements, the elements including Li, Na, Si, K, Fe, and Sr were identified as minor elements with compositions of ~2.87%, ~2.33%, ~3.72%, ~7.17%, ~2.83%, and ~1.14%, respectively. Besides Cu (~8.07 μg/g), and Pb (~1.10 μg/g) elements were observed as trace elements exist in the Peganum harmala seed samples. Furthermore, the electron number density including the plasma excitation-temperature were calculated using the stark-broadening line profile method and the Saha–Boltzmann plot method, respectively. The plasma parameters versus laser-irradiance and the distance from the sample were further investigated. Moreover, a principal component analysis (PCA) method was also utilized to the spectral data obtained by using LIBS to discriminate various seed samples with four classes, namely, α, β, γ, and Δ. Three principal-components (PCs) calculated from eigenvalues of score matrix described 87.6%, 4.6%, and 2.5% of total variance for PC1, PC2, and PC3, respectively. The LIBS spectral data variance covered by the initial 3 PCS was found as ~94.7% of total variance. The PCA results have successfully demonstrated the different classes of the Peganum harmala seed samples based on the different doping compositional ratios of the Zn element. This study confirmed the feasibility and ability of LIBS and PCA for the rapid analysis of Peganum harmala seed samples. Finally, the results achieved using CF-LIBS were incorporated with those obtained from the XRF and EDX analytical techniques.
Deep Machine Learning for Path Length Characterization Using Acoustic Diffraction
Authors: Jarreau Brittney Erin , Yoshida Sanichiro
Published: February 2023

Many fields now perform non-destructive testing using acoustic signals for the detection of objects or features of interest. This detection requires the decision of an experienced technician, which varies from technician to technician. This evaluation becomes even more challenging as the object decreases in size. In this paper, we assess the use of both traditional signal-processing machine learning algorithms, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), as well as Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architectures to approximate acoustic anomalies with an eye toward micro-scale applications such as application to biofilms. The probing signal is generated using a continuous sound wave emitted at controlled frequencies of 1 and 5 MHz through metallic specimens of varying heights each containing an anomaly in the form of a hole. Data are collected as the transmitted signal is sampled at several locations as the wave travels through the specimen. We have developed both a CNN and an LSTM architecture for frequency-domain feature detection and approximation. The CNN models, one for phase and one for amplitude data, take short-distance Fourier transforms (SDFTs) representing the change in the signal over multiple observation points as input. The LSTM model takes the change in phase or amplitude points at each lateral location as a comma-separated value (CSV) input. The models analyze the frequency and spatial changes experienced by each specimen and produce an estimation of the acoustic path length of the anomaly in radians. The models are evaluated using mean-square error and the R-square statistic. All models perform with a fairly high R-square score, the amplitude CNN and LSTM models achieving upwards of a 99% fit and the phase CNN achieving a 97% fit on average for the predicted values. With the performance of these models, we demonstrate that utilizing the transfer function phase and amplitude data to analyze acoustic diffraction patterns leads to the ability to extract, with great precision, features in the input signal that describe the nature of the anomaly.
Effect of Electric Ducted Fans Structural Arrangement on Their Performance Characteristics
Authors: Urban Daniel , Kusmirek Stanislav , Socha Vladimir , Hanakova Lenka , Hylmar Karel , Kraus Jakub
Published: February 2023

With the expanding electrification in all sectors of transport, it is necessary to look for new efficient solutions for propulsion systems for use in air transport. One of the approaches can be the use of electric ducted fans (EDFs), especially in, but not limited to, the case of unmanned aerial vehicles with vertical takeoff and landing. This concept has been known for several decades but has been used very little and therefore has been almost unexplored. This opens up opportunities for investigating the performance characteristics, electrical consumption or efficient thrust vectoring of EDFs with respect to their design and operational use. The presented study therefore deals with the influence of the EDF design change on its performance characteristics. These design changes mainly concerned the geometry of the cowling, i.e., reduction and increase of outlet cross section, and arrangement of fans, i.e., one- and two-rotor specification. The comparison was based on measuring of vertical thrust and power consumption during static testing. The results showed that the increasing outlet is the most suitable construction for the generation of vertical thrust during static testing, considering the specifically used EDF construction arrangement. Based on the findings, it can also be concluded that EDFs are a suitable option for use in unmanned aircraft as a competition to other propulsion systems.
A Multi-Granularity Word Fusion Method for Chinese NER
Authors: Liu Tong , Gao Jian , Ni Weijian , Zeng Qingtian
Published: February 2023

Named entity recognition (NER) plays a crucial role in many downstream natural language processing (NLP) tasks. It is challenging for Chinese NER because of certain features of Chinese. Recently, large-scaled pre-training language models have been used in Chinese NER. However, since some of the pre-training language models do not use word information or just employ word information of single granularity, the semantic information in sentences could not be fully captured, which affects these models’ performance. To fully take advantage of word information and obtain richer semantic information, we propose a multi-granularity word fusion method for Chinese NER. We introduce multi-granularity word information into our model. To make full use of the information, we classify the information into three kinds: strong information, moderate information, and weak information. These kinds of information are encoded by encoders and then integrated with each other through the strong-weak feedback attention mechanism. Specifically, we apply two separate attention networks to word embeddings and N-grams embeddings. Then, the outputs are fused into another attention. In these three attentions, character embeddings are used to be the query of attentions. We call the results the multi-granularity word information. To combine character information and multi-granularity word information, we introduce two fusion strategies for better performance. The process makes our model obtain rich semantic information and reduces word segmentation errors and noise in an explicit way. We design experiments to get our model’s best performance by comparing some components. Ablation study is used to verify the effectiveness of each module. The final experiments are conducted on four Chinese NER benchmark datasets and the F1 scores are 81.51% for Ontonotes4.0, 95.47% for MSRA, 95.87% for Resume, and 69.41% for Weibo. The best improvement achieved by the proposed method is 1.37%. Experimental results show that our method outperforms most baselines and achieves the state-of-the-art method in performance.
Utilization of Merge-Sorting Method to Improve Stitching Efficiency in Multi-Scene Image Stitching
Authors: Liu Wei , Zhang Kunhao , Zhang Yan , He Jian , Sun Bo
Published: February 2023

Aiming at the problem of single stitching scenes (ordered or disordered images), which are time-consuming and involve complex computation during the image stitching, a multi-scene image stitching method based on merge sorting is proposed called merge-sorting image stitching (MSIS). We established an image stitching model based on merge sorting, directly stitching the matched images without traversing all the images and sorting them. Compared with the traditional method, this method significantly reduces the computational time taken matching irrelevant image pairs and improves the efficiency of image registration and stitching. The experimental results show that, compared with the binary tree-based model, our method reduces the time required to complete image stitching by about 10% and the distortion of the stitched images.
Research of Tri-State Optical Signal Detectors for Ternary Optical Computers
Authors: Wang Shuxin , Jiang Jiabao , Wang Zhehe , Zhang Honghong , Ouyang Shan
Published: February 2023

A tri-state optical signal detector (TOD) is designed in this article to improve the accuracy and stability of decoding results of the ternary optical computer (TOC). The TOD consists of three modules: a light-sensing module, a voltage divider module, and a data latching and conversion module. First, a voltage divider circuit with adjustable resistors is used to achieve parallel optical–electrical signal conversion for each LCD pixel on a photosensitive sensor plus a latch structure. Second, the problem of the parallel storage of data after photoelectric conversion is solved. Third, a transcoding circuit from the output signal of the TOD to the input signal of the tri-state optical encoder (TOE) is given. The experimental results show that the tri-state optical signal detector designed in this paper is effective and feasible.
Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Multi-Criteria Clustering and Optimal Bio-Inspired Algorithm for Energy-Efficient Routing
Authors: Vellaichamy Jeevanantham , Basheer Shakila , Bai Prabin Selvestar Mercy , Khan Mudassir , Kumar Mathivanan Sandeep , Jayagopal Prabhu , Babu Jyothi Chinna
Published: February 2023

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are used for recording the information from the physical surroundings and transmitting the gathered records to a principal location via extensively disbursed sensor nodes. The proliferation of sensor devices and advances in size, deployment costs, and user-friendly interfaces have spawned numerous WSN applications. The WSN should use a routing protocol to send information to the sink over a low-cost link. One of the foremost vital problems is the restricted energy of the sensing element and, therefore, the high energy is consumed throughout the time. An energy-efficient routing may increase the lifetime by consuming less energy. Taking this into consideration, this paper provides a multi-criteria clustering and optimal bio-inspired routing algorithmic rule to reinforce network lifetime, to increase the operational time of WSN-based applications and make robust clusters. Clustering is a good methodology of information aggregation that increases the lifetime by group formation. Multi-criteria clustering is used to select the optimal cluster head (CH). After proper selection of the CH, moth flame and salp swarm optimization algorithms are combined to analyze the quality route for transmitting information from the CH to the sink and expand the steadiness of the network. The proposed method is analyzed and contrasted with previous techniques, with parameters such as energy consumption, throughput, end-to-end delay, latency, lifetime, and packet delivery rate. Consumption of energy is minimized by up to 18.6% and network life is increased up to 6% longer compared to other routing protocols.
Researching and Predicting the Flow Distribution of Herschel-Bulkley Fluids in Compact Parallel Channels
Authors: Wang Zedong , Wu Shixiong , Liu Yaping , Zhang Jinyu , Chen Yuanfen , Qin Zhipeng , Su Jian , Sun Cuimin , You Hui
Published: February 2023

There is growing interest in multi-nozzle array printing, as it has the potential to increase productivity and produce more intricate products. However, a key challenge is ensuring consistent flow across each outlet. In the heat exchangers, achieving uniform distribution of flow in parallel channels is a classic goal. To address this issue in multi-nozzle array direct printing technology, high-viscosity slurry fluids can be utilized in place of water, and the structure of compact parallel channels can be employed. This study experimentally and numerically investigated the flow distribution law of Herschel-Bulkley fluids (high-viscosity slurry fluids) entering each manifold of the compact parallel channels, which contained a single circular inlet and multiple outlets. The research identified two types of factors that impact the non-uniformity flow coefficient (Φ), which reflects the uniformity of flow distribution in each channel of the structure: entrance and exit conditions (V, P1, P2) that have a negligible effect on Φ, and structural dimensions (D, S, L, N, A, d) that are the primary influence factors. By analyzing the experimental results, a prediction model was derived that could accurately calculate Φ (error < 0.05) based on three structural dimensions: A, S, and L. Through proper design of these structural dimensions, a consistent flow rate of each channel of the parallel channels can be ensured.
Reference Standard for Digital Infrared Thermography of the Surface Temperature of the Lower Limbs
Authors: Zhang Ho Yeol , Son Seong , Yoo Byung Rhae , Youk Tae-Mi
Published: February 2023

Digital infrared thermographic imaging (DITI) is a supplementary diagnostic technique to visualize the surface temperature of the human body. However, there is currently no reference standard for the lower limbs for accurate diagnosis. In this study, we performed DITI on the lower limbs of 905 healthy Korean volunteers (411 males and 494 females aged between 20 and 69 years) to obtain reference standard data. Thermography was conducted on the front, back, lateral sides, and sole area, and 188 regions of interest (ROIs) were analyzed. Additionally, subgroup analysis was conducted according to the proximity of ROIs, sex, and age groups. The mean temperatures of ROIs ranged from 24.60 ± 5.06 to 28.75 ± 5.76 °C and the absolute value of the temperature difference between both sides reached up to 1.06 ± 2.75 °C. According to subgroup analysis, the sole area had a significantly lower temperature than any other areas, men had higher temperatures than women, and the elderly had higher temperatures than the young adults except for the 20s age group (p < 0.001, respectively). This result could be used as a foundation for the establishment of a reference standard for DITI. Practical patient DITI can be accurately interpreted using these data, and it can serve as a basis for further scientific research.
Towards an Understanding of Large-Scale Biodiversity Patterns on Land and in the Sea
Authors: Beaugrand Grégory
Published: February 2023

This review presents a recent theory named ‘macroecological theory on the arrangement of life’ (METAL). This theory is based on the concept of the ecological niche and shows that the niche-environment (including climate) interaction is fundamental to explain many phenomena observed in nature from the individual to the community level (e.g., phenology, biogeographical shifts, and community arrangement and reorganisation, gradual or abrupt). The application of the theory in climate change biology as well as individual and species ecology has been presented elsewhere. In this review, I show how METAL explains why there are more species at low than high latitudes, why the peak of biodiversity is located at mid-latitudes in the oceanic domain and at the equator in the terrestrial domain, and finally why there are more terrestrial than marine species, despite the fact that biodiversity has emerged in the oceans. I postulate that the arrangement of planetary biodiversity is mathematically constrained, a constraint we previously called ‘the great chessboard of life’, which determines the maximum number of species that may colonise a given region or domain. This theory also makes it possible to reconstruct past biodiversity and understand how biodiversity could be reorganised in the context of anthropogenic climate change.
Movements of a Specialist Butterfly in Relation to Mowing Management of Its Habitat Patches
Authors: Popović Miloš , Nowicki Piotr
Published: February 2023

Over the centuries, mowing and grazing have been crucial for sustaining populations of grassland insects and their overall diversity in Europe. While long-term positive effects of mowing have been studied in more detail, little is known about the direct impacts of mowing on adult butterflies. Here, we explore how different habitat management (mown, recovered after mowing and unmown) affects movements and population estimates of the endangered specialist butterfly Phengaris teleius. The results showed higher dispersal probability from mown (22%) and recovered meadows (16%) than from the unmown ones (9%). However, mowing shortened the average dispersal distances (mown = 102 m, recovered = 198 m, unmown = 246 m) and reduced butterfly population size. In contrast, a larger area of the habitat patches promoted long-distance dispersal and sustained larger populations. We hypothesise that mowing caused depletion of resources and triggered dispersal of poorly adapted individuals. This behaviour is maladaptive and could lead to higher dispersal-related mortality; thus, mowing should be avoided before and during the butterfly flight period. This study suggests that the species’ persistence in a fragmented landscape depends on large, unmown and interconnected habitats that support more viable populations, promote long-distance dispersal, and enable (re)colonisation of vacant patches.