bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intelligent Extraction of Terracing Using the ASPP ArrU-Net Deep Learning Model for Soil and Water Conservation on the Loess Plateau
Authors: Wang Yinan , Kong Xiangbing , Guo Kai , Zhao Chunjing , Zhao Jintao
Published: June 2023

The prevention and control of soil erosion through soil and water conservation measures is crucial. It is imperative to accurately and quickly extract information on these measures in order to understand how their configuration affects the runoff and sediment yield process. In this investigation, intelligent interpretation algorithms and deep learning semantic segmentation models pertinent to remote sensing imagery were examined and scrutinized. Our objective was to enhance interpretation accuracy and automation by employing an advanced deep learning-based semantic segmentation model for the astute interpretation of high-resolution remote sensing images. Subsequently, an intelligent interpretation algorithm model tailored was developed for terracing measures in high-resolution remote sensing imagery. Focusing on Fenxi County in Shanxi Province as the experimental target, in this research we conducted a comparative analysis between our proposed model and alternative models. The outcomes demonstrated that our refined algorithm model exhibited superior precision. Additionally, in this research we assessed the model’s generalization capability by utilizing Wafangdian City in Liaoning Province as another experimental target and performed a comparative analysis with human interpretation. The findings revealed that our model possesses enhanced generalization ability and can substantially augment interpretation efficiency.
Polyphenolic and Fruit Colorimetric Analysis of Hungarian Sour Cherry Genebank Accessions
Authors: Desiderio Francesco , Szilagyi Samuel , Békefi Zsuzsanna , Boronkay Gábor , Usenik Valentina , Milić Biserka , Mihali Cristina , Giurgiulescu Liviu
Published: June 2023

Sour cherry is one of the most important horticultural crops in the Hungarian market. Its flavour combination makes it ideal for fresh consumption as well as canned products. The Hungarian and European markets have requested for new varieties to be introduced, making the evaluation of breeding and prebreeding material a crucial point. A total of 30 sour cherry accessions from the genebank collection were investigated for their potential inclusion into the breeding program. The main aim of the study was to identify candidates for future breeding programs, selecting their colour profiling and total polyphenolic content (TPC). This study follows the antioxidant activity of cherry species by determining the total content in polyphenols. Polyphenols are found in higher concentration in cherries when compared to other plants and have been identified as free radical scavengers, which are useful to prevent the occurrence of several diseases. Furthermore, TPC has been observed as a contributor of bitterness, acidity, colour, flavour, odour, and oxidative stability. The accessions were evaluated for their colour, fruit weight, flavour profile, firmness, and TPC. Colorimetric data were compared among four methods to illustrate to the Hungarian breeders which of the available approaches is the most accurate for sour cherry breeding. Results suggested that several accessions appear relevant for the breeding program, such as ‘Pipacs 1′, ‘Bosnyák’, ‘Hortenzia Királynője’, and ‘Mogyoródi Kései’. The total polyphenolic content was highest in ‘Pipacs1′ and lowest in ‘Kántorjánosi 3′. ‘Pipacs 1′ and ‘Hortenzia Királynője’ had interestingly high acidity content and light to very light fruit colours. ‘Bosnyák’ had a deep and dark colour with high soluble sugar content. ‘Mogyoródi Kései’ appears to have the biggest fruit. All mentioned varieties will be included in future breeding programs.
New Insights into the Enhancement Effect of Exogenous Calcium on Biochar Stability during Its Aging in Farmland Soil
Authors: Nan Hongyan , Jiang Yunqiu , Zhou Weiqi , Zhao Ling , Yang Fan
Published: June 2023

Converting biowaste into biochar and incorporating it into soil is recognized as an effective method for carbon (C) sequestration. However, biochar inevitably undergoes an aging process in soil, which influences its stability, and ultimately threatens its carbon sequestration ability. This study selected CaCl2 as an exogenous additive of sewage sludge and bone dreg for producing Ca-rich biochars, and both surface C and bulk C stability in them were investigated under three aging processes (dry–wet aging, freeze–thaw aging, and natural aging in farmland soil). The results showed that the above three aging processes resulted in oxidized surface C in Ca-rich biochar decreasing by 10~23%, 28~41%, and 0~74%, respectively, compared with that in pristine biochar, while oxidized bulk C decreased by 6~10%, 0~1%, and 0~35%, respectively. This was attributed to the “protective effect” of Ca-containing crystals on the biochar surface, including CaO, Ca5(PO4)3Cl, Ca5(PO4)3(OH), Ca8H2(PO4)6·H2O, and Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, which intervened in the oxidation of C–C/C=C in biochar but also reduced the generation of a fragmented C structure. By comprehensively assessing surface C and bulk C stability under three aging processes, final C sequestration in Ca-rich biochar increased to 27~80%, compared to that in pristine biochar (23~74%). Therefore, Ca-rich biochar is more dominant than pristine biochar, considering C sequestration potential during long-term aging in soil.
A Novel Isolate of Bean Common Mosaic Virus Isolated from Crownvetch (Securigera varia L. Lassen)
Authors: Mihálik Daniel , Grešíková Simona , Hančinský Richard , Cejnar Pavel , Havrlentová Michaela , Kraic Ján
Published: June 2023

Bean common mosaic virus from the genus Potyvirus has a wide range of hosts and a very negative impact on cultivated crops from the genus Phaseolus. The risk of viral infection of economically important crops increases even if the carriers of the virus are related plant species growing on agroecological interfaces. Such plant species have emerged as new hosts for BCMV, usually harboring novel genetic variants of the virus. A novel genetic variant of BCMV was isolated from a symptomatic crownvetch plant, where the presence of this virus was confirmed via Western blot analysis and via amino acid identities in peptide fragments of CI, HC-pro, and CP proteins using the nanoLC-ESI-Q-TOF. The novel BCMV SVK isolate differed from the most genetically similar one in 0.91% of nucleotides and 1.55% of amino acids. The highest number of amino acid substitutions (8.8% of amino acids) was in the P1 protein, followed by CP (2.44% of amino acids). Minor substitutions were in Hc-pro, CI, and Nib proteins. The symptomatic crownvetch plant was confirmed as a new host and carrier of the novel BCMV isolate.
Research Progress in Crop Root Biology and Nitrogen Uptake and Use, with Emphasis on Cereal Crops
Authors: Wang Runnan , Sun Changhui , Cai Shuo , Liu Fangping , Xie Hengwang , Xiong Qiangqiang
Published: June 2023

The biological characteristics of crop roots are closely related to the efficient utilization of nitrogen and have become a research hotspot in agricultural cultivation and breeding in recent years. The root system and root microbiota play a crucial role in both the basic and the plastic growth and development of plants in response to external environmental changes. Nitrogen is an indispensable nutrient element for crop growth, and the efficient utilization of nitrogen is the key to achieving the high yield and quality of crops and establishing environmentally friendly agricultural production. The nitrogen absorbed and utilized by rice mainly enters the aboveground part of the plant through the root system from within the soil. This process is explored from the perspective of root biology (root morphology, physiological and biochemical characteristics, root growth and development process and regulation, rhizosphere microorganisms, and their symbiotic systems), which is in line with the directions of “less investment, increased production, environmental protection, and sustainable development” in China. Based on the research status in this field at present, this article explored the interaction mechanism between crop root biology and nitrogen absorption and utilization, and looks forward to the future research directions for root biology. This study provides a theoretical basis for reducing nitrogen fertilizer application, optimizing nitrogen-efficient cultivation management techniques, and selecting nitrogen-efficient varieties.
A CRISPR/Cas9-Based Study of CgloRPCYG, a Gene That Regulates Pathogenicity, Conidial Yield, and Germination in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Authors: Zhang He , Xia Yu-Qi , Xia Yang , Zhang Meng-Ting , Ye Zi , Sun Rui-Qing , Liu Xiao-Mei , Pu Jin-Ji
Published: June 2023

The filamentous fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is the causative agent of one of the most serious diseases that damage plant fruit. In this study, we discovered and experimentally characterized a new gene in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides named CgloRPCYG. The CRISPR/Cas9 knockout mutant and complementary strain of CgloRPCYG were then obtained by polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated protoplast transformation to determine the related phenotypes. Compared with the wild-type strain and complementary mutant, the pathogenicity of the CRISPR/Cas9 knockout mutant was significantly decreased, the conidial yield was significantly reduced, and conidial germination was significantly delayed. These data indicate that CgloRPCYG contributes to pathogenicity, conidial yield, and germination in C. gloeosporioides. The successful application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in C. gloeosporioides also confirms its utility in filamentous fungi for fundamental research and practical application. Furthermore, CgloRPCYG is a potential target gene for use in the development of plant protection technologies, such as spray-induced gene silencing, with the aim of controlling plant anthracnose disease caused by C. gloeosporioides.
Knowledge of Cover Crop Seed Traits and Treatments to Enhance Weed Suppression: A Narrative Review
Authors: Nosratti Iraj , Korres Nicholas E. , Cordeau Stéphane
Published: June 2023

Cover crops, as either a living plant or mulch, can suppress weeds by reducing weed germination, emergence and growth, either through direct competition for resources, allelopathy, or by providing a physical barrier to emergence. Farmers implementing conservation agriculture, organic farming, or agroecological principles are increasingly adopting cover crops as part of their farming strategy. However, cover crop adoption remains limited by poor and/or unstable establishment in dry conditions, the weediness of cover crop volunteers as subsequent cash crops, and seed costs. This study is the first to review the scientific literature on seed traits of cover crops to identify the key biotic and abiotic factors influencing germination and early establishment (density, biomass, cover). Knowledge about seed traits would be helpful in choosing suitable cover crop species and/or mixtures adapted to specific environments. Such information is crucial to improve cover crops’ establishment and growth and the provision of ecosystem services, while allowing farmers to save seeds and therefore money. We discuss how to improve cover crop establishment by seed priming and coating, and appropriate seed sowing patterns and depth. Here, three cover crop families, namely, Poaceae, Brassicaceae, and Fabaceae, were examined in terms of seed traits and response to environmental conditions. The review showed that seed traits related to germination are crucial as they affect the germination timing and establishment of the cover crop, and consequently soil coverage uniformity, factors that directly relate to their suppressive effect on weeds. Poaceae and Brassicaceae exhibit a higher germination percentage than Fabaceae under water deficit conditions. The seed dormancy of some Fabaceae species/cultivars limits their agricultural use as cover crops because the domestication of some wild ecotypes is not complete. Understanding the genetic and environmental regulation of seed dormancy is necessary. The appropriate selection of cover crop cultivars is crucial to improve cover crop establishment and provide multiple ecosystem services, including weed suppression, particularly in a climate change context.
Health Treatment Cost of Holsteins in Eight High-Performance Herds
Authors: Donnelly Michael R. , Hazel Amy R. , Hansen Leslie B. , Heins Bradley J.
Published: June 2023

Health treatments of Holstein cows (n = 2214) were recorded by the owners of eight high-performance dairy herds in Minnesota. Cows calved from March 2008 to October 2015, and 14 types of health treatments were uniformly defined across the herds. Specific types of health treatment were subsequently assigned a cost based on the mean veterinary cost obtained from the veterinary clinics that serviced the eight herds. A fixed labor cost for time (USD 18/h) associated with specific types of health treatment was determined based on interviews with the herd owners and was added to the veterinary cost. Health treatment cost was then partitioned into five health categories: mastitis (including mastitis diagnostic test), reproduction (cystic ovary, retained placenta, and metritis), lameness (hoof treatments), metabolic (milk fever, displaced abomasum, ketosis, and digestive), and miscellaneous (respiratory, injury, and other). Lactations of cows were divided into six intervals that corresponded with stage of lactation based on days in milk. The first interval of lactation was 30 days in length, followed by four intervals of 60 days each, and the final interval started on day 271 and had variable length because it continued to the end of lactation and included the dry period. Health treatment cost was summed within each interval of lactation and subsequently across lactations by parity. Statistical analysis by parity included the fixed effects of herd, interval, and the interaction of herd and interval, with interval regarded as a repeated measure of cows. Health treatment cost was highest during the first interval for all five parities of cows and ranged from USD 22.87 for first parity to USD 38.50 for fifth parity. Reproduction treatment cost was about one-half of the total health treatment cost during the first interval in all five parities. Metabolic treatment cost during the first interval ranged from USD 3.92 (in first parity) to USD 12.34 (in third parity). Compared to the other health categories, mastitis treatment cost was most evenly distributed across intervals of lactation in all parities. Lameness treatment cost was highest during mid- or late-lactation across parities and reflected the time when cows received routine hoof trimming. Additionally, treatment cost across health categories was summed across intervals of lactation for each cow, and the total health cost of cows varied substantially from herd to herd and ranged from USD 23.38 to USD 74.60 for first parity and usually increased with parity.
Extraction, Isolation, Characterization, and Bioactivity of Polypropionates and Related Polyketide Metabolites from the Caribbean Region
Authors: Rodríguez-Berríos Raúl R. , Ríos-Delgado Agnes M. , Perdomo-Lizardo Amanda P. , Cardona-Rivera Andrés E. , Vidal-Rosado Ángel G. , Narváez-Lozano Guillermo A. , Nieves-Quiñones Iván A. , Rodríguez-Vargas Jeremy A. , Álamo-Diverse Keiry Y. , Lebrón-Acosta Naiara , Medina-Berríos Nataniel , Rivera-Lugo Patricia S. , Avellanet-Crespo Yeriel A. , Ortiz-Colón Yermarie W.
Published: June 2023

The Caribbean region is a hotspot of biodiversity (i.e., algae, sponges, corals, mollusks, microorganisms, cyanobacteria, and dinoflagellates) that produces secondary metabolites such as polyketides and polypropionates. Polyketides are a diverse class of natural products synthesized by organisms through a biosynthetic pathway catalyzed by polyketide synthase (PKS). This group of compounds is subdivided into fatty acids, aromatics, and polypropionates such as macrolides, and linear and cyclic polyethers. Researchers have studied the Caribbean region to find natural products and focused on isolation, purification, structural characterization, synthesis, and conducting biological assays against parasites, cancer, fungi, and bacteria. These studies have been summarized in this review, including research from 1981 to 2020. This review includes about 90 compounds isolated in the Caribbean that meet the structural properties of polyketides. Out of 90 compounds presented, 73 have the absolute stereochemical configuration, and 82 have shown biological activity. We expect to motivate the researchers to continue exploring the Caribbean region’s marine environments to discover and investigate new polyketide and polypropionate natural products.
Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Preventive Measures against Healthcare-Associated Infections from Antibiotic-Resistant ESKAPEE Pathogens: A Two-Center, Natural Quasi-Experimental Study in Greece
Authors: Bolikas Emmanouil , Astrinaki Eirini , Panagiotaki Evangelia , Vitsaxaki Efsevia , Saplamidou Stamatina , Drositis Ioannis , Stafylaki Dimitra , Chamilos Georgios , Gikas Achilleas , Kofteridis Diamantis P. , Kritsotakis Evangelos I.
Published: June 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented stress on healthcare systems worldwide, forming settings of concern for increasing antimicrobial resistance. We investigated the impact of SARS-CoV-2 preventive measures against healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) from antibiotic-resistant bacteria in two tertiary-care hospitals. We compared infection rates between March 2019 and February 2020 (pre-intervention period) and March 2020 and February 2021 (COVID-19 intervention period) from drug-resistant ESKAPEE bacteria (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; vancomycin-resistant Enterococci; carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter species and Escherichia coli). Over 24 months, 586 drug-resistant ESKAPEE HAIs occurred in 439 patients (0.3% of 179,629 inpatients) with a mean age of 63 years, with 43% being treated in intensive care units (ICUs), and having a 45% inpatient mortality rate. Interrupted time series analysis revealed increasing infection rates before the intervention that were sharply interrupted by abrupt drops for most pathogens and henceforth remained stable in the ICUs but progressively increased in ordinary wards. In the ICUs, the pooled infection rate was 44% lower over the intervention period compared to the pre-intervention period (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.56, 95%CI 0.41–0.75, p < 0.001). Pooled infection rates in the wards were slightly higher over the COVID-19 period (IRR 1.12, 95%CI 0.87–1.45, p = 0.368). The findings confirmed the ancillary beneficial impact of the enhanced bundle of transmission-based precautions adopted against SARS-CoV-2 in rapidly constraining antimicrobial-resistant HAIs in two Greek hospitals.
Bacteriophage–Antibiotic Combination Therapy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Santamaría-Corral Guillermo , Senhaji-Kacha Abrar , Broncano-Lavado Antonio , Esteban Jaime , García-Quintanilla Meritxell
Published: June 2023

Phage therapy is an alternative therapy that is being used as the last resource against infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria after the failure of standard treatments. Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause pneumonia, septicemia, urinary tract, and surgery site infections mainly in immunocompromised people, although it can cause infections in many different patient profiles. Cystic fibrosis patients are particularly vulnerable. In vitro and in vivo studies of phage therapy against P. aeruginosa include both bacteriophages alone and combined with antibiotics. However, the former is the most promising strategy utilized in clinical infections. This review summarizes the recent studies of phage-antibiotic combinations, highlighting the synergistic effects of in vitro and in vivo experiments and successful treatments in patients.
Potential Therapeutic Functions of PU-91 and Quercetin in Personalized Cybrids Derived from Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Keratoconus, and Glaucoma
Authors: Salimiaghdam Nasim , Singh Lata , Singh Mithalesh , Chwa Marilyn , Atilano Shari , Mohtashami Zahra , Nesburn Anthony , Kuppermann Baruch , Kenney M.
Published: June 2023

The aim of this study is to investigate the therapeutic potential of higher doses of PU-91, quercetin, or in combination on transmitochondrial cybrid cell lines with various mtDNA haplogroups derived from patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma (Glc), keratoconus (KC), and normal (NL) individuals. Cybrids were treated with PU-91 (P) (200 µM) alone, quercetin (Q) (20 µM) alone, or a combination of PU-91 and quercetin (P+Q) for 48 h. Cellular metabolism and the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by MTT and H2DCFDA assays, respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to measure the expression levels of genes associated with mitochondrial biogenesis, antioxidant enzymes, inflammation, apoptosis, and senescence pathways. PU-91(P) (i) improves cellular metabolism in AMD cybrids, (ii) decreases ROS production in AMD cybrids, and (iii) downregulates the expression of LMNB1 in AMD cybrids. Combination treatment of PU-91 plus quercetin (P+Q) (i) improves cellular metabolism in AMD, (ii) induces higher expression levels of TFAM, SOD2, IL6, and BAX in AMD cybrids, and (iii) upregulates CDKN1A genes expression in all disease cybrids. Our study demonstrated that the P+Q combination improves cellular metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis in AMD cybrids, but senescence is greatly exacerbated in all cybrids regardless of disease type by the P+Q combined treatment.
Study on the Cause of Hypoxia in the Corner of Return Air of Shallow Buried Flammable Coal Seam Group Mining Face and the Coordinated Prevention and Control of Coal Spontaneous Combustion
Authors: Chen Hui , Shao Hao , Jiang Shuguang , Huang Chenglin , Liu Guozhong , Li Shangguo
Published: June 2023

Coal is the main energy source in China, and spontaneous combustion of coal is one of the main disasters in coal mines. Fully mechanized caving top coal mining technology is widely used in coal mines. Under the comprehensive action of multiple factors, gas generated by coal oxidation and low oxygen gas in goaf is easy to rush to working face, resulting in lower oxygen concentration in upper corner and exceeding harmful gas concentration. It seriously threatens the health of underground workers and the normal operation of production. If the oxygen concentration in the upper corner is changed, it is bound to cause the change of the oxygen concentration in the goaf and aggravate the threat of spontaneous combustion of coal in the goaf. In order to solve the double threat of low oxygen in upper corner and coal spontaneous combustion in goaf, based on Coulomb model, this paper uses command flow to conduct numerical simulation tests on the failure law of overlying strata, and obtains the influence of mining of the lower 1 coal seam and the lower 5 coal seam on the overlying strata subsidence and surface penetration. Based on the comprehensive consideration of atmospheric pressure, ore pressure activity, external air leakage and other factors, the mixed model of the source and emission of low oxygen gas in goaf was established, and the formation mechanism of low oxygen problem in the corner of return air of working face was defined. The use of pressure air belt to deal with low oxygen in return air corner is proposed creatively. The comprehensive fire prevention measures such as corner plugging, nitrogen injection and grouting are used to inhibit the oxidation of the left coal and the influx of low oxygen gas to the corner in the goaf, so as to achieve the goal of collaborative prevention and control of low oxygen in the corner of return air and coal spontaneous combustion. The research results have important reference significance for the mine with the risk of spontaneous combustion or the problem of low oxygen in the return air corner.
Research on Tracking Control of Urban Rail Trains Based on Improved Disturbance Observer
Authors: Zhou Yanli , Zhang Jianping , Yang Hui
Published: June 2023

Urban rail transit trains operate in a complex and changing environment susceptible to uncertainties such as unknown disturbances or actuator faults. In order to ensure that the automatic train control (ATC) system can operate safely and control accurately even when the train is affected by uncertainties, the train is first subjected to force analysis, and a multiple point-mass model for the urban rail trains (URTs) is established. Secondly, an improved disturbance observer is proposed to estimate and attenuate the unknown disturbance online. The stability of the URTs system under the improved disturbance observer-based control (IDOBC) is demonstrated based on the linear matrix inequality and Lyapunov theorem. Finally, the Simulink platform is used to verify the target curves obtained after data optimization of the certain Nanchang Metro line for case verification. Compared to the traditional disturbance observer-based control (TDOBC) method, the train tracking error converges to near the zero region faster after being subjected to an external disturbance, and the mean absolute error (MAE) metric is smaller throughout the whole operation. The control strategy proposed in this paper has a more desirable control effect and can ensure the safer and more stable operation of the URTs.
Challenges and Opportunities for Conducting Dynamic Risk Assessments in Medical IoT
Authors: Czekster Ricardo M. , Grace Paul , Marcon César , Hessel Fabiano , Cazella Silvio C.
Published: June 2023

Modern medical devices connected to public and private networks require additional layers of communication and management to effectively and securely treat remote patients. Wearable medical devices, for example, can detect position, movement, and vital signs; such data help improve the quality of care for patients, even when they are not close to a medical doctor or caregiver. In healthcare environments, these devices are called Medical Internet-of-Things (MIoT), which have security as a critical requirement. To protect users, traditional risk assessment (RA) methods can be periodically carried out to identify potential security risks. However, such methods are not suitable to manage sophisticated cyber-attacks happening in near real-time. That is the reason why dynamic RA (DRA) approaches are emerging to tackle the inherent risks to patients employing MIoT as wearable devices. This paper presents a systematic literature review of RA in MIoT that analyses the current trends and existing approaches in this field. From our review, we first observe the significant ways to mitigate the impact of unauthorised intrusions and protect end-users from the leakage of personal data and ensure uninterrupted device usage. Second, we identify the important research directions for DRA that must address the challenges posed by dynamic infrastructures and uncertain attack surfaces in order to better protect users and thwart cyber-attacks before they harm personal (e.g., patients’ home) and institutional (e.g., hospital or health clinic) networks.
Analysis of Preprocessing Techniques for Missing Data in the Prediction of Sunflower Yield in Response to the Effects of Climate Change
Authors: Călin Alina Delia , Coroiu Adriana Mihaela , Mureşan Horea Bogdan
Published: June 2023

Machine learning is often used to predict crop yield based on the sowing date and weather parameters in non-irrigated crops. In the context of climate change, regression algorithms can help identify correlations and plan agricultural activities to maximise production. In the case of sunflower crops, we identified datasets that are not very large and have many missing values, generating a low-performance regression model. In this paper, our aim is to study and compare several approaches for missing-value imputation in order to improve our regression model. In our experiments, we compare nine imputation methods, using mean values, similar values, interpolation (linear, spline, pad), and prediction (linear regression, random forest, extreme gradient boosting regressor, and histogram gradient boosting regression). We also employ four unsupervised outlier removal algorithms and their influence on the regression model: isolation forest, minimum covariance determinant, local outlier factor and OneClass-SVM. After preprocessing, the obtained datasets are used to build regression models using the extreme gradient boosting regressor and histogram gradient boosting regression, and their performance is compared. The evaluation of the models shows an increased R2 from 0.723 when removing instances with missing data, to 0.938 for imputation using Random Forest prediction and OneClass-SVM-based outlier removal.
Robustness Optimization of Cloud Manufacturing Process under Various Resource Substitution Strategies
Authors: Zhang Xiaodong , Zheng Xin , Wang Yiqi
Published: June 2023

Cloud manufacturing is characterized by large uncertainties and disturbances due to its networked, distributed, and loosely coupled features. To target the problem of frequent cloud resource node failure, this paper proposes (1) three resource substitution strategies based on node redundancy and (2) a new robustness analysis method for cloud manufacturing systems based on a combination of the complex network and multi-agent simulation. First, a multi-agent simulation model is constructed, and simulation evaluation indexes are designed to study the robustness of the dynamic cloud manufacturing process (CMP). Second, a complex network model of cloud manufacturing resources is established to analyze the static topological robustness of the cloud manufacturing network. Four types of node failure modes are defined, based on the initial and recomputed topologies. Further, three resource substitution strategies are proposed (i.e., internal replacement, external replacement, and internal–external integration replacement) to enable the normal operation of the system after resource node failure. Third, a case study is conducted for a cloud manufacturing project of a new energy vehicle. The results show that (1) the proposed robustness of service index is effective at describing the variations in CMP robustness, (2) the two node failure modes based on the recalculated topology are more destructive to the robustness of the CMP than the two based on the initial topology, and (3) under all four failure modes, all three resource substitution strategies can improve the robustness of the dynamic CMP to some extent, with the internal–external integration replacement strategy being most effective, followed by the external replacement strategy, and then the internal replacement strategy.
Influence of Preconditioning and Tunnel Support on Strain Burst Potential
Authors: Delonca Adeline , Gonzalez Francisco , Mendoza Victor , Ceron Andrea
Published: June 2023

Strain burst hazard is one of the main challenges that faces deep underground environments. To manage it, it is needed to assess its probability occurrence (or potential). Various methods have been proposed over the years to assess the phenomenon early on. However, due to uncertainties in rock mass properties and the physical processes of the phenomenon, mitigation measures are an additional important line of defense to ensure workplace safety. While work has been carried out to assess the rockburst hazard better and improve support systems, the effect of mitigation measures on strain burst hazard potential is unclear. This paper studies the influence of the implementation of shotcrete and rockbolts support and destress blasting in tunnels on strain burst potential, based on two-dimensional numerical models of circular tunnels. The results highlight that, as expected, the use of mitigation measures allows the strain burst occurrence to decrease. However, the strain burst hazard level does not decrease easily, even when using mitigation measures. In the case of serious overbreak hazards, only a combination of system support and destress blasting seems to have an impact on these events, and not for all the simulated cases.
ALReg: Registration of 3D Point Clouds Using Active Learning
Authors: Sahin Yusuf Huseyin , Karabacak Oguzhan , Kandemir Melih , Unal Gozde
Published: June 2023

After the success of deep learning in point cloud segmentation and classification tasks, it has also been adopted as common practice in point cloud registration applications. State-of-the-art point cloud registration methods generally deal with this problem as a regression task to find the underlying rotation and translation between two point clouds. However, given two point clouds, the transformation between them could be calculated using only definitive point subsets from each cloud. Furthermore, training time is still a major problem among the current registration networks, whereas using a selective approach to define the informative point subsets can lead to reduced network training times. To that end, we developed ALReg, an active learning procedure to select a limited subset of point clouds to train the network. Each of the point clouds in the training set is divided into superpoints (small pieces of each cloud) and the training process is started with a small amount of them. By actively selecting new superpoints and including them in the training process, only a prescribed amount of data is used, hence the time needed to converge drastically decreases. We used DeepBBS, FMR, and DCP methods as our baselines to prove our proposed ALReg method. We trained DeepBBS and DCP on the ModelNet40 dataset and FMR on the 7Scenes dataset. Using 25% of the training data for ModelNet and 4% for the 7Scenes, better or similar accuracy scores are obtained in less than 20% of their original training times. The trained models are also tested on the 3DMatch dataset and better results are obtained than the original FMR training procedure.
Adaptive Synchronization Sliding Mode Control for an Uncertain Dual-Arm Robot with Unknown Control Direction
Authors: Tran Duc Thien , Dao Hoang Vu , Ahn Kyoung Kwan
Published: June 2023

In this paper, an adaptive synchronization sliding mode control is proposed for a dual-arm robot against parameter variations, external disturbance, and unknown control directions. The proposed control is designed by using cross-coupling error and sliding mode control to guarantee the position synchronization of the dual-arm manipulator. The control objective of the proposed control is to synchronize the movement of both arms beside the trajectory tracking issue. In order to manage the lumped uncertainties caused by the parameter variations, external disturbance, and unknown control directions, an extended state observer is used in the proposed control. It enhances the stability of the controlled system against uncertainties. Additionally, a Nussbaum gain function is integrated into the control algorithm to deal with the issue of unknown control direction. Lyapunov stability theory is used to demonstrate the stability of the controlled system. Finally, some simulations are implemented in MATLAB Simulink with a dual 3-DOF manipulator system. The results of the proposed control are compared to other controllers to verify its effectiveness.
Characterization of Freisa Wines from Piedmont (Italy) by Aroma and Element Profile
Authors: Rabezzana Roberto , Malandrino Mery , Abollino Ornella , Bonometti Elisabetta , Giordana Alessia , Turco Francesca , Volpi Giorgio , Operti Lorenza
Published: June 2023

The main purpose of this study was to characterize Freisa red wines from Piedmont (northern Italy) according to their volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and elemental composition. Moreover, the authors investigated whether it was possible to distinguish among the five different DOCs produced in Piedmont on the basis of these chemical parameters. The VOCs profile of Freisa wines was very similar, and the most abundant species detected were isoamyl alcohol, phenylethyl alcohol, ethyl octanoate, and diethyl succinate. Conversely, elemental composition allowed us to partially distinguish one Freisa DOC with respect to the others. Multivariate statistical analysis applied to elemental composition revealed differences among Freisa wines and other red wines from different regions of Italy. In particular, Freisa wines featured higher concentrations of Cr and Ni metals, which are strongly correlated with the composition of the soil of Piedmont. These two elements are hence good candidates as chemical markers for Freisa wines from Piedmont.
Pilot Study of Diet Supplemented with Sold-Out Substrate of Pleurotus ostreatus in the Feeding of Backyard Broilers
Authors: Romero-Arenas Omar , Martínez Carrera Maribel , Landeta-Cortés Gerardo , Rodríguez-Hernández Victor , Villa-Ruano Nemesio , Rivera Antonio
Published: June 2023

There are several by-products obtained in agricultural systems that can contribute to small-scale production systems within backyards, in this sense, the production of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) has been integrated into the rural family economy in Mexico. After harvesting the fruiting bodies, the remainder is known as sold-out substrate, this by-product has been destined for other agricultural uses such as: medium for seedlings, vermiculture or fertilizer; however, there are studies where it has been used in the diet of bovine cattle. In this study, the effects of sold-out substrate (corn stubble) of P. ostreatus in the diet of broilers with different percentages of protein, on feed conversion ratio, carcass yield, and broiler meat quality were evaluated. A total of 120 broilers Ross 308 were randomly assigned in 12 pens with concrete floor and curly shaving with an area of 3 m2. During the initial period (1 to 28 days), all broilers were fed commercial feed® mixture. On day 29, the broilers were weighed and divided into four treatment groups and fed diets with different percentages of protein until the end of the experiment. Feed conversion ratio was significantly higher in treatment control (TC) compared to the other treatments; however, the performance parameters were not affected by the diet supplemented with sold-out substrate, likewise, the color and quality of the meat were in a normal range (48 < L* < 51) and with a good amount of crude protein. Sold-out substrate of P. ostreatus from corn stubble presented a high mineral content of Mg, Na, K, Fe, Cu, and Mn suitable to be considered in diets for feeding backyard broilers.
A Lightweight Multi-View Learning Approach for Phishing Attack Detection Using Transformer with Mixture of Experts
Authors: Wang Yanbin , Ma Wenrui , Xu Haitao , Liu Yiwei , Yin Peng
Published: June 2023

Phishing poses a significant threat to the financial and privacy security of internet users and often serves as the starting point for cyberattacks. Many machine-learning-based methods for detecting phishing websites rely on URL analysis, offering simplicity and efficiency. However, these approaches are not always effective due to the following reasons: (1) highly concealed phishing websites may employ tactics such as masquerading URL addresses to deceive machine learning models, and (2) phishing attackers frequently change their phishing website URLs to evade detection. In this study, we propose a robust, multi-view Transformer model with an expert-mixture mechanism for accurate phishing website detection utilizing website URLs, attributes, content, and behavioral information. Specifically, we first adapted a pretrained language model for URL representation learning by applying adversarial post-training learning in order to extract semantic information from URLs. Next, we captured the attribute, content, and behavioral features of the websites and encoded them as vectors, which, alongside the URL embeddings, constitute the website’s multi-view information. Subsequently, we introduced a mixture-of-experts mechanism into the Transformer network to learn knowledge from different views and adaptively fuse information from various views. The proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art approaches in evaluations of real phishing websites, demonstrating greater performance with less label dependency. Furthermore, we show the superior robustness and enhanced adaptability of the proposed method to unseen samples and data drift in more challenging experimental settings.
Enhanced Evaluation Model Based on Classification Selection Applied to Value Evaluation of Waste Household Appliances
Authors: Chen Yi-Zhan , Huang Yi , Huang Chen-Ye , Li Peng-Fei , Huang Xin-Lin
Published: June 2023

In the process of recycling, dismantling, and reusing household appliances, implementing extended producer responsibility (EPR) has become increasingly important. Designing a reasonable pricing mechanism for waste household appliance recycling is critical for the implementation of EPR. To address the problem of labor-intensive and experience-dependent traditional manual methods for assessing the value of waste household appliances, in this paper, we propose an evaluation method based on the subtractive clustering method and an adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (SCM–ANFIS), which outperforms traditional neural networks such as LSTM, BP neural network, random forest and Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy neural network (T–S FNN). Moreover, in this paper, we combine the five aforementioned algorithms to design a combination evaluation model based on maximum ratio combination (CEM–MRC), which can achieve a performance improvement of 0.1% in terms of mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) compared to the suboptimal BP neural network. Furthermore, an enhanced evaluation model based on classification selection (EEM–CS) is designed to automatically select the evaluation results between the optimal SCM–ANFIS and the suboptimal CEM–MRC, resulting in a 0.73% reduction in MAPE compared to the optimal SCM–ANFIS and a 1.42% reduction compared to the suboptimal CEM–MRC. In this paper, we also validate the performance of the proposed algorithms using a dataset of waste television recycling, which demonstrates the high accuracy of the proposed value assessment mechanisms achieved without human intervention and a significant improvement in evaluation accuracy as compared to conventional neural-network-based algorithms.
Exploring the Performance and Mass-Transfer Characteristics of Porous Zinc Anodes for Membraneless Hybrid-Flow Batteries
Authors: Tang Lina , Dai Shuyang , Leung Puiki , Mohamed Mohd Rusllim , Zeng Yikai , Zhu Xun , Flox Cristina , Shah Akeel A. , Liao Qiang
Published: June 2023

Zinc-based hybrid-flow batteries are considered as a promising alternative to conventional electrochemical energy-storage systems for medium- to large-scale applications due to their high energy densities, safety, and abundance. However, the performance of these batteries has been limited by issues such as dendritic growth and passivation of zinc anodes during charge–discharge cycling. To address this challenge, a variety of two- and three-dimensional zinc anodes have been investigated. While two-dimensional zinc anodes have been extensively studied, there has been limited investigation into three-dimensional zinc anodes for hybrid-flow batteries. This study highlights the potential of three-dimensional zinc anodes to mitigate overpotentials and improve the mass transport of active species to promote negative electrode reactions. The performance of a membraneless flow battery based on low-cost zinc and organic quinone was herein evaluated using experimental and numerical approaches. Specifically, the use of zinc fiber was shown to yield an average coulombic efficiency of approximately 90% and an average voltage efficiency of approximately 82% over the course of 100 cycles at a current density of 30 mA cm−2. These results indicate the viability of using zinc fiber anodes to improve the performance of existing hybrid-flow batteries.
In Vitro Antioxidant and Antitrypanosomal Activities of Extract and Fractions of Terminalia catappa
Authors: Araújo Sandra Alves de , Lima Aldilene da Silva , Rocha Cláudia Quintino da , Previtalli-Silva Henrique , Hardoim Daiana de Jesus , Taniwaki Noemi Nosomi , Calabrese Kátia da Silva , Almeida-Souza Fernando , Abreu-Silva Ana Lucia
Published: June 2023

Chagas disease is a severe infectious and parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi and considered a public health problem. Chemotherapeutics are still the main means of control and treatment of the disease, however with some limitations. As an alternative treatment, plants have been pointed out due to their proven pharmacological properties. Many studies carried out with Terminalia catappa have shown several biological activities, but its effect against T. cruzi is still unknown. The objective of this work is to evaluate the therapeutic potential of extracts and fractions obtained from T. catappa on the parasite T. cruzi, in addition to analyzing its antioxidant activity. T. catappa ethyl acetate fraction were produced and submitted the chemical characterization by Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). From all T. catappa extracts and fractions evaluated, the ethyl acetate and the aqueous fraction displayed the best antioxidant activity by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method (IC50 of 7.77 ± 1.61 and 5.26 ± 1.26 µg/mL respectively), and by ferric ion reducing (FRAP) method (687.61 ± 0.26 and 1009.32 ± 0.13 µM of Trolox equivalent/mg extract, respectively). The ethyl acetate fraction showed remarkable T. cruzi inhibitory activity with IC50 of 8.86 ± 1.13, 24.91 ± 1.15 and 85.01 ± 1.21 µg/mL against epimastigotes, trypomastigotes and intracellular amastigotes, respectively, and showed no cytotoxicity for Vero cells (CC50 > 1000 µg/mL). The treatment of epimastigotes with the ethyl acetate fraction led to drastic ultrastructural changes such as the loss of cytoplasm organelles, cell disorganization, nucleus damage and the loss of integrity of the parasite. This effect could be due to secondary compounds present in this extract, such as luteolin, kaempferol, quercetin, ellagic acid and derivatives. The ethyl acetate fraction obtained from T. catappa leaves can be an effective alternative in the treatment and control of Chagas disease, and material for further investigations.
The Interplay between Atherosclerosis and Cancer: Breast Cancer Cells Increase the Expression of Endothelial Cell Adhesion Markers
Authors: Scalia Alessandro , Doumani Lesly , Kindt Nadège , Journé Fabrice , Trelcat Anne , Carlier Stéphane
Published: June 2023

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death worldwide, closely followed by cancer. To investigate the impact of breast cancer cell lines (SKBR3, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231) on endothelial cell adhesion, a blended medium containing 30% breast-cancer-conditioned medium was prepared. This medium was then exposed to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and monocytes (THP-1) for 48 h. Homemade oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) were optionally added to the blended medium. Immunofluorescence was performed to assess the expression of E-selectin, connexin-43, and ICAM-1 on HUVECs, as well as LOX-1, CD36, and CD162 on THP-1. Additionally, unoxidized LDL was exposed to the three breast cancer cell lines for 48 h, and the formation of oxLDL was quantified. Our results revealed an upregulation of all six adhesion markers involved in the initiation of atherosclerosis when HUVECs and THP-1 were exposed to the breast-cancer-conditioned medium. Furthermore, this expression was further increased by exposure to oxLDL. We also observed a significant elevation in oxLDL levels when LDL was exposed to breast cancer cells. In conclusion, our findings successfully demonstrate an increased LDL oxidation in the presence of breast cancer cells, accompanied by an augmented expression of receptors involved in atherosclerosis initiation. These findings shed new light on the clinically observed interplay between atherosclerosis and cancer.