bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Image correlation technique for strain measurement of polycrystalline microstructures
Authors: Hafiz Youssef A. F. , Stachurski Zbigniew , Kalyanasundaram Shankar
Published: October 2022

An image processing technique is proposed to measure the deformation of polycrystalline materials based on correlating the grains in reference and deformed SEM images. The advantage of this technique compared to the conventional subset‐based Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is that it can be applied when speckle patterning is not efficient or when studying boundary‐related mechanics is the objective. The technique is based on correlating grains by defining their boundaries rather than just subsets of image pixels. It reveals the anisotropy inherent in the polycrystals since it allows the analysis to specify each grain separately without averaging the results. The technique is applied by detecting the approximate grain boundaries edges and then refining their location with high accuracy. The correlation is performed between points calculated from each grain in the reference and deformed images as a Point Set Registration (PSR) problem. Finally, the displacements and strains are calculated from the resulting transformation matrix. A benchmark problem was developed to discuss the error over a strain range of 0.02 to 0.2 and showed that the resulting strains are reasonably accurate. Also, an in situ experiment was conducted to demonstrate the implementation of the technique using a specimen with fine‐grained Zirconia polycrystals. The technique successfully revealed the crack tip plastic zone, and strain mismatch between grains.
Transfusion therapy of neonatal and paediatric patients: They are not just little adults
Authors: Gammon Richard R. , Al‐Mozain Nour , Auron Moises , Bocquet Christopher , Clem Sam , Gupta Gaurav K. , Hensch Lisa , Klein Norma , Lea Nicole C. , Mandal Saikat , Pelletier Peter , Resheidat Ashraf , (Yossi)Schwartz Joseph
Published: October 2022

Patient blood management (PBM) strategies are needed in the neonate and paediatric population, given that haemoglobin thresholds used are often higher than recommended by evidence, with exposure of children to potential complications without meaningful benefit. A literature review was performed on the following topics: evidence‐based transfusions of blood components and pharmaceutical agents. Other topics reviewed included perioperative coagulation assessment and perioperative PBM. The Transfusion and Anaemia Expertise Initiative (TAXI) consortium published a consensus statement addressing haemoglobin (Hb) transfusion threshold in multiple subsets of patients. A multicentre trial (PlaNeT‐2) reported a higher risk of bleeding and death or serious new bleeding among infants who received platelet transfusion at a higher (50 000/μl) compared to a lower (25 000/μl) threshold. Recent data support the use of a restrictive transfusion threshold of 25 000/μl for prophylactic platelet transfusions in preterm neonates. The TAXI‐CAB consortium mentioned that in critically ill paediatric patients undergoing invasive procedures outside of the operating room, platelet transfusion might be considered when the platelet count is less than or equal to 20 000/μl and there is no benefit of platelet transfusion when the platelet count is more than 50 000/μl. There are limited controlled studies in paediatric and neonatal population regarding plasma transfusion. Blood conservation strategies to minimise allogenic blood exposure are essential to positive patient outcomes neonatal and paediatric transfusion practices have changed significantly in recent years since randomised controlled trials were published to guide practice. Additional studies are needed in order to provide practice change recommendations.
Mitochondrial gene rearrangements suggest a new genus in the subfamily Cantharinae (Coleoptera)
Authors: Yang Yuxia , Kang Ya , Tong Junbo , Ge Xueying , Yang Xingke , Liu Haoyu
Published: October 2022

The Cephalomalthinus semifumatus species group, referred to as the “semifumatus” group henceforth, is interesting because of its heterogeneous morphology resembling either Cephalomalthinus Pic, 1921 or Rhagonycha Eschscholtz, 1830. To elucidate its phylogenetic status, mitochondrial genomes of four species of the “semifumatus” group, 11 Cephalomalthinus species, and 11 Rhagonycha species were sequenced and examined. All analysed mitogenomes were similar with respect to genome size, nucleotide composition, and AT content. Surprisingly, a rearrangement of the trnW‐trnC and trnY genes was detected in the “semifumatus” group, presumably caused by tandem duplication and random loss events. Furthermore, genetic distance analyses showed that the proximity of the “semifumatus” group to Cephalomalthinus and to Rhagonycha was comparable to that between the latter two. Moreover, the produced phylogeny strongly supported the monophyly of the “semifumatus” group, and molecular clock analyses dated its divergence from Cephalomalthinus to 32.52 Ma. Thus, the new genus Amphimorphus gen. nov. is suggested to comprise the “semifumatus” group, in which the observed gene rearrangement was a synapomorphy. Moreover, morphological evidence regarding the unique structure of the aedeagus supported this separation. These results indicate that mitochondrial gene rearrangement provide important phylogenetic implications for revising Cephalomalthinus, a speciose genus that is puzzling in the morphology‐based taxonomy.
A Real-Time Output–Loss Method for Monitoring Heat Rate for Coal-Fired Power Plants
Authors: Staller Joseph M. , Craven Robert P. M. , Idem Stephen , Munukutla Sastry , Kirkpatrick Keith , Benton Dudley , Eisenstadt Susan , Kopperstad Karsten , Leedy Seth , McHale Joe , Licata Anthony , Andrei Dan
Published: October 2022

This paper describes a real-time performance monitoring method based on PTC 4-2013 for determining instantaneous heat rates for coal-fired power plants. The calculation protocol uses a modified output–loss approach applied to a control volume that closely conforms to the boiler. The largest energy balance term is the heat transfer rate to the steam, which is known accurately in real-time when the plant employs properly calibrated instrumentation. The first-law energy balance also requires a balanced combustion equation which depends on coal composition, which is not known in real-time. A periodic or alert-driven calibration utilizes an ultimate analysis of a carefully collected coal sample and historic plant data obtained during the collection time of the coal sample. This is used to calculate correction factors for the coal mass flowrate, air preheater leakage, and CO2 and SO2 concentrations at the economizer exit derived from continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS) measurements performed at that location. The iterative calculations required to determine the coal composition in real-time are presented. The real-time performance algorithm exhibited significant sensitivity associated with measurements of the steam heat transfer rate, which was the dominant term in the overall boiler energy balance. Other input parameters generally yielded a much lower influence on calculated heat rate. It was concluded that for optimal accuracy of the output–loss method the steam and coal mass flowrates must be measured as accurately as possible.
Propulsion Cost Changes of Ultra-Lightweight Manual Wheelchairs After One Year of Simulated Use
Authors: Misch Jacob , Sprigle Stephen
Published: October 2022

Manual wheelchairs are available with folding or rigid frames to meet the preferences and needs of individual users. Folding styles are commonly regarded as more portable and storable, whereas rigid frames are commonly regarded as more efficient for frequently daily use. To date, there are no studies directly comparing the performances of the frame types. Furthermore, while differences have been reported in the longevity of the frame types, no efforts have been made to relate this durability back to the real-world performance of the frames. This study investigated the propulsion efficiencies of four folding and two rigid ultra-lightweight frames equipped with identical drive tires and casters. A robotic wheelchair tester was used to measure the propulsion costs of each chair over two surfaces: concrete and carpet. A motorized carousel was used to drive the chairs 511 km around a circular track to simulate one year of use for each wheelchair. After simulated use, five of the six wheelchairs showed no decrease in propulsion effort, indicating that the frames were able to withstand the stresses of simulated use without a detrimental impact on performance. In the unused “new” condition, rigid chairs were found to have superior (>5%) performance over folding frames on concrete and carpet, and in the “worn” condition rigid chairs had superior performance over folding chairs on concrete but were comparable on the carpeted surface.
Revisiting evolution equations for generalised parton distributions
Authors: Bertone Valerio , Dutrieux Hervé , Mezrag Cédric , Morgado José M. , Moutarde Hervé
Published: October 2022

We revisit the evolution of generalised parton distributions (GPDs) in momentum space. We formulate the evolution kernels at one loop in perturbative quantum chromodynamics (pQCD) in a form that is suitable for numerical implementation and that allows for an accurate study of their properties. This leads to the first open-source implementation of GPD evolution equations able to cover the entire kinematic region and allowing for heavy-quark-threshold crossings. The numerical implementation of the GPD evolution equations is publicly accessible through the evolution library and is available within the framework. Our formulation makes use of the operator definition of GPDs in light-cone gauge renormalised in the $$\overline{\text{ MS }}$$

MS

¯

scheme. For the sake of clarity, we recompute the evolution kernels at one loop in pQCD, confirming previous calculations. We obtain general conditions on the evolution kernels derived from the GPD sum rules and show that our formulation obeys these conditions. We analytically show that our calculation reproduces the DGLAP and the ERBL equations in the appropriate limits and that it guarantees the continuity of GPDs. We numerically check that the evolved GPDs fulfil DGLAP and ERBL limits, continuity, and polynomiality. We benchmark our numerical implementation against analytical evolution in conformal space. Finally, we perform a numerical comparison to an existing implementation of GPD evolution, finding general good agreement on the kinematic region accessible to the latter. This work provides a pedagogical description of GPD evolution equations which benefits from a renewed interest as future colliders, such as the electron-ion colliders in the United States and in China, are being designed. It also paves the way for the extension of GPD evolution codes to higher accuracies in pQCD desirable for precision phenomenology at these facilities.
Some 3-dimensional maximally symmetric solutions of Einstein-aether theory
Authors: Ma Wen-Xuan , Shi Yang , Wang Towe
Published: October 2022

Working in isotropic coordinates, we get some maximally symmetric nonrotating solutions of the Einstein-aether theory in $$2+1$$

2
+
1

dimensions, all in analytical forms. Curvature singularities are not found in the Ricci and Kretschmann scalars, while conical singularities are avoidable by fixing some integration constants. In Schwarzschild type coordinates, most line elements become the metric of a black hole or a massive particle in the $$2+1$$

2
+
1

-dimensional de Sitter or anti-de Sitter spacetime, but in some solutions the aether field cannot be written in closed forms.
Heavy + heavy and heavy + light pseudoscalar to vector semileptonic transitions
Authors: Xing Hui-Yu , Xu Zhen-Ni , Cui Zhu-Fang , Roberts Craig D. , Xu Chang
Published: October 2022

Using a symmetry-preserving regularisation of a vector$$\times $$×vector contact interaction (SCI), we complete a systematic treatment of twelve semileptonic transitions with vector meson final states:$$D\rightarrow \rho $$D→ρ,$$D_{(s)}\rightarrow K^*$$D(s)→K∗,$$D_s\rightarrow \phi $$Ds→ϕ,$$B\rightarrow \rho $$B→ρ,$$B_s\rightarrow K^*$$Bs→K∗,$$B_{(s)}\rightarrow D_{(s)}^*$$B(s)→D(s)∗,$$B_c \rightarrow B_{(s)}^*, J/\psi , D^*$$Bc→B(s)∗,J/ψ,D∗; and thereby finalise a unified analysis of semileptonic decays of heavy + heavy and heavy + light pseudoscalar mesons to both pseudoscalar and vector meson final states. The analysis is marked by algebraic simplicity, few parameters, and the ability to consistently describe systems from Nambu-Goldstone modes to heavy + heavy mesons. Regarding the behaviour of the transition form factors, the SCI results compare well wherever sound experimental or independent theory analyses are available; hence, the SCI branching fraction predictions should be a reasonable guide. Considering the ratios$$R(D_{(s)}^{(*)})$$R(D(s)(∗)),$$R(J/\psi )$$R(J/ψ),$$R(\eta _c)$$R(ηc), whose values are key tests of lepton universality in weak interactions, the SCI values agree with Standard Model predictions. The$$B_{(s)}\rightarrow D_{(s)}^*$$B(s)→D(s)∗transitions are used to predict the precursor functions that evolve into the universal Isgur–Wise function in the heavy-quark limit, with results that conform with those from other sources where such are available. The study also exposes effects on the transition form factors that flow from interference between emergent hadron mass from the strong interaction and Higgs boson couplings via current-quark masses, including flavour symmetry violation.
Light dark matter around 100 GeV from the inert doublet model
Authors: AbdusSalam Shehu , Kalhor Leila , Mohammadidoust Mohammad
Published: October 2022

We made global fits of the inert Higgs doublet model (IDM) in the light of collider and dark matter search limits and the requirement for a strongly first-order electroweak phase transition (EWPT). These show that there are still IDM parameter spaces compatible with the observational constraints considered. In particular, the data and theoretical requirements imposed favour the hypothesis for the existence of a scalar dark matter candidate around 100 GeV. This is mostly due to the pull towards lower masses by the EWPT constraint. The impact of electroweak precision measurements, the dark matter direct detection limits, and the condition for obtaining a strongly enough first-order EWPT, all have strong dependence, sometimes in opposing directions, on the mass splittings between the IDM scalars.
Preliminary Study on the Use of Fricke Gel Dosimeter for Verification of IMRT Beam Delivery
Authors: Uzorka Afam , Bale Jeffrey , Kibirige David
Published: October 2022

The goal of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is to deliver a uniform dose to the tumor with minimal margins around the target, in order to increase local control of the disease while reducing secondary effects. The research performed in this work has shown the potential usefulness of the Fricke-gel dosimeter as a quality assurance (QA) tool to verify IMRT treatments produced by inverse treatment planning. First, the 3D integrating Fricke-gel dosimeter was successfully compared to an accepted dosimetric tool. It was then used to measure relative 3D dose distributions of simple treatment plans with multiple square or rectangular fields and specific inverse-planned IMRT treatment plans. By combining the CT anatomical information and the plan contours with the gel-measured data, it was possible to display the contours on the measured dose and the measured isodose lines on the CT, in addition to measuring dose-volume histograms (DVH) for the plans. This demonstrated the usefulness of the gel dosimeter as a QA tool for IMRT and inverse planning.
Beyond the Parts: Learning Coarse-to-Fine Adaptive Alignment Representation for Person Search
Authors: Huang Wenxin , Jia Xuemei , Zhong Xian , Wang Xiao , Jiang Kui , Wang Zheng
Published: October 2022

Person search is a time-consuming computer vision task that entails locating and recognizing query people in scenic pictures. Body components are commonly mismatched during matching due to position variation, occlusions, and partially absent body parts, resulting in unsatisfactory person search results. Existing approaches for extracting local characteristics of the human body using keypoint information are unable to handle the search job when distinct body parts are misaligned, ignoring to exploit multiple granularities, which is crucial in the person search process. Moreover, the alignment learning methods learn body part features with fixed and equal weights, ignoring the beneficial contextual information, e.g., the umbrella carried by the pedestrian, which supplements compelling clues for identifying the person. In this paper, we propose a

Coarse-to-Fine Adaptive Alignment Representation (CFA
2
R)

network for learning multiple granular features in misaligned person search in the coarse-to-fine perspective. To exploit more beneficial body parts and related context of the cropped pedestrians, we design a
Part-Attentional Progressive Module (PAPM)
to guide the network to focus on informative body parts and positive accessorial regions. Besides, we propose a
Re-weighting Alignment Module (RAM)
shedding light on more contributive parts instead of treating them equally. Specifically, adaptive re-weighted but not fixed part features are reconstructed by Re-weighting Reconstruction module, considering that different parts serve unequally during image matching. Extensive experiments conducted on
CUHK-SYSU
and
PRW
datasets demonstrate competitive performance of our proposed method.
Nonsolvable Groups Whose Degrees of All Proper Subgroups Are the Direct Products of at Most Two Prime Numbers
Authors: Liu Shitian , Tang Xingzheng
Published: October 2022

Huppert and Manz have determined the nonsolvable groups whose character degrees are products of at most two prime numbers. In this paper, we change the condition from “degrees of a group are products of at most two prime divisors” to “degrees of all proper groups of a group are products of at most two prime divisors” and determine the structure of finite groups with such condition.
Collision Avoidance Method for Autonomous Ships Based on Modified Velocity Obstacle and Collision Risk Index
Authors: Zhang Ke , Huang Liwen , He Yixiong , Zhang Liang , Huang Weiguo , Xie Cheng , Hao Guozhu
Published: October 2022

A novel real-time collision avoidance method for autonomous ships based on modified velocity obstacle (VO) algorithm and grey cloud model is proposed. A typical VO algorithm is used to judge whether there is a collision risk for ships in the potential collision area (PCA). Then, in order to quantify the collision risk of ships in different encounter situations within the PCA and trigger a prompt warning of danger of collision, this study sets up a novel collision risk assessment method based on asymmetric grey cloud model (AGC). It can effectively consider the randomness, ambiguity, and incompleteness of the information in the ship collision risk evaluation process. Moreover, reachable collision-free velocity sets under different encounter situations and optimal steering angle model are constructed. A real-time collision avoidance method based on modified VO algorithm and manoeuvring motion characteristics of vessels is put forward. In this model, various constraints are considered including the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs), ship manoeuvrability, and ordinary practice of seaman. Finally, several case studies are carried out to verify the performance and reliability of the collision avoidance model. The results show that the proposed method can not only effectively identify and quantify the collision risk in real-time but also offer proper collision-free solutions for autonomous ships.
A Novel 5-Methylcytosine- and Immune-Related Prognostic Signature Is a Potential Marker of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Authors: Huang Tao , Zhou Hua-Fu
Published: October 2022

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common and highly lethal pulmonary interstitial lung disease. The current study is aimed at investigating reliable markers suitable for the treatment and identification of IPF. This study constructed the first 5-methylcytosine- (m5C-) and immune-related prognostic signature (m5CPS) based on coexpressed genes of m5C regulatory genes and immune-related genes. The m5CPS was established using the training cohort (

n
=
68

) and verified using the test (

n
=
44

) and validation (

n
=
64

) cohorts. The area under the curve (AUC) values were utilized to evaluate the accuracy of m5CPS in predicting the survival of IPF patients. The Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses were used to assess the prognostic effect of m5CPS. The AUC was utilized to evaluate the reliability of m5CPS in distinguishing IPF patients from healthy individuals. In terms of the results, m5CPS could predict the one-, three-, and five-year survival rates of IPF patients with high accuracy (

AUC
=
.803
–
.973

). In fact, m5CPS is not only an independent indicator of the poor prognosis of IPF patients (

hazard
 
ratio
>
1

;

p
<
.05

) but can also distinguish IPF patients from healthy individuals (

AUC
=
.862

). Also, m5CPS may affect the immune response and inflammatory response, and it was positively associated with the infiltration levels of active mast cells (

p
<
.05

). In sum, the current study establishes a novel m5CPS for IPF and reveals the role of m5CPS as a reliable marker for predicting the prognosis and disease status of IPF patients.
Research on Industrial Structure Transformation and Upgrading of Chinese Tourism Villages Based on Big Data Analysis
Authors: Chen Xiuling , Li Jie
Published: October 2022

With the rapid modernization of China’s economic development, especially urbanization, China’s rural economy is clearly lagging behind the overall development level of the Chinese economy, with low industrial efficiency, irrational industrial structure, and unbalanced industrial development. The development of rural tourism brings new opportunities for industrial integration and industrial transformation and upgrading in rural China. This study draws on a case study of Zhonghaoyu village in Shandong province, China, to summarize the important experience of the transformation and upgrading of the industrial structure of Chinese tourism villages by observing and analysing the changes in the industrial structure of Zhonghaoyu village before and during the development of rural tourism. Prior to the development of rural tourism, Zhonghaoyu Village was a mountainous village that relied almost entirely on farming. Through years of rural tourism development, the service industry in Zhonghoayu Village has grown, reflecting the driving effect of rural tourism, but the service industry is small and agriculture still dominates, and its role and position in the overall economic development of the village has not been highlighted. As the transformation of the shareholding system of rural tourism in Zhonghaoyu Village was completed, the original decentralized operation of farmers was replaced by corporate operation, and the service industry led by tourism was developed comprehensively and rapidly, and the development of rural tourism promoted the completion of the transformation and upgrading of the industrial structure of Zhonghaoyu Village.
Optimal Calculation Method of Mean Equivalent Diameter of Floc Particles Based on MCC
Authors: Liu Jun , Peng Siqi , Zhou Nan
Published: October 2022

In the process of water treatment, coagulation is an important process to remove minerals and organic particles from raw water, which has typical time delay and nonlinearity. The effect of coagulation directly affects the turbidity of the effluent. According to the good correlation between the mean equivalent diameter of floc particles and the turbidity of effluent water, the image processing method is used to preprocess the floc image, the parameters of floc particles are quantitatively analyzed, and the mean equivalent diameter of floc particles is obtained, which is used as one of the bases for the control of coagulant dosage. However, no matter whether the coagulation process in actual situations interferes with the outside world or not, the equivalent diameters of floc particles after coagulation may have abnormal and invalid values, which may lead to a problem that there is a large difference between the mean equivalent diameter of floc particles calculated by a least square method and the mean valid equivalent diameter of floc particles. In response to this problem, this article proposes an optimal calculation method of the mean equivalent diameter of floc particles based on the maximum correntropy criterion (MCC) to reduce the negative impact of the abnormal and invalid equivalent diameters of floc particles on the mean equivalent diameter and provide an important reference data for the precise dosing control of coagulants. Finally, the feasibility of the theoretical results is verified by several numerical experiments.
The Significance of Intracranial Pressure Monitoring for Reducing Mortality in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Han Nianchen , Yang Fan , Zhang Xianghe
Published: October 2022

Background. Despite guidelines provided by the Brain Trauma Foundation (BTF) for treating patients with TBI, including advice to monitor intracranial pressure (ICP), the clinical application of ICP monitoring is far from universal. This laxity has been attributed to the relationship between mortality in TBI patients and ICP monitoring. Objective. This systematic review and meta-analysis was aimed at determining the effect of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring on the mortality of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Method. A systematic search for articles was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Control Trials (CENTRAL), and APA PsycNet for articles published from 1 January 2000 to 1 August 2022. Manager 5.4 was used to carry out statistical analysis. Results. Article search yielded 1421 articles, but only 23 cohort studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The total number of study participants is 80,058. Seventeen studies reported unadjusted odds ratios (OR), and only 8 reported the adjusted odds ratio (OR). Nine out of seventeen studies reported an unadjusted OR of less than 1, and five out of eight studies reported an adjusted OR of less than 1. From this paper’s analysis, the OR for in-hospital mortality was 1.01 [95% CI, 0.80, 1.28], with a

p

value of 0.92. OR for ICU mortality was 0.84 [95% CI, 0.52, 1.35], with a

p

value of 0.47. Conclusion. But due to conflicting results, as evident above, it is unsatisfyingly challenging to draw any substantial conclusions from them. This paper thus calls for more research on this particular paper.
Optimization of Concentrated Sulphuric Acid Hydrolysis of Gadam Sorghum Stalks Found in Kenya for Fermentable Sugar Production
Authors: Ngigi Wiseman , Siagi Zachary , Kumar Anil , Arowo Moses
Published: October 2022

Gadam sorghum stalks are agricultural residues which can be hydrolyzed into fermentable sugars that can be used to produce bioethanol which is a renewable source of energy. In order to produce bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass such as Gadam sorghum stalks, several processes including hydrolysis are involved. However, the use of lignocellulosic biomass for bioethanol production is hindered by the low yield of fermentable sugars obtained during hydrolysis. The lack of sufficient information on optimal conditions governing hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass leads to inefficient process which hinders the economic viability of large-scale bioethanol production. The objective of this study was to optimize reaction conditions involved in concentrated sulphuric acid hydrolysis of Gadam sorghum stalks. During hydrolysis, the conditions that were varied included temperature (40°C–80°C), time (30-90 minutes), and concentration of acid (30%-70%,w/w). Central composite rotatable design was used to optimize and establish optimum level of hydrolysis conditions. Response surface methodology and analysis of variance were used to interprete the results. The results of hydrolysis revealed that the highest yield of glucose was 87.54% (w/w) which was realized at 60°C hydrolysis temperature, 60 minutes hydrolysis period, and 50% (w/w) concentration of sulphuric acid. In addition, the lowest glucose yield was 45.59% (w/w) which was realized at 60°C hydrolysis temperature, 60 minutes hydrolysis period, and 16.36% (w/w) sulphuric acid concentration. Concentrated sulphuric acid hydrolysis of Gadam sorghum stalks results in high yield of fermentable sugars. These results reveal that Gadam sorghum stalks are viable substrates for the production of fermentable sugars.
Regeneration of Natural Forests in the Hindu Kush Range: A Case Study of Quercus baloot Plants in Sheshikoh Oak Forests, District Chitral, Pakistan
Authors: Ahmad Zahid , Ali Zulfiqar , Ghani Fazal , Khalid Shah
Published: October 2022

Regeneration of oak (Quercus baloot Griff.) forests is an issue of concern in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in general and Sheshikoh Valley of District Chitral in particular. The oak forests cover has been continuously deteriorated and depleted due to uncontrolled grazing, low moisture content of soil, and overusage of the plant as fuelwood and are hence the major contributors toward the failure of oak regeneration. The present study was aimed to asses’ different treatments and their impacts on the growth and regeneration of oak forests. This study was conducted in oak forests of Sheshikoh Valley, Chitral, where four plots of 2-acres each were established. Each plot was treated with separate treatment, that is, fencing, mixed treatment (fencing and fertile soil), fencing and trench treatment, and control plot and their regeneration capacity was studied and compared with each other. The data was collected in March and September between 2011 and 2015. The result showed that the number of plants in the first plot (fencing) were 23, with an average height of 43 inches and a diameter of 11.7 mm. In the second plot (fencing and fertile soil), 40 plants grew with an average height of 42 inches and a diameter of 10 mm, whereas in the third plot (fencing and trench), 45 plants developed with an average height of 48 inches and a diameter of 13 mm. However, the fourth plot (nontreated plants) showed poor germination with 8 plants, with an average height of 8.5 inches, and the diameter of plants was 3.7 mm. Therefore, the survival rate of plants in the first, second, and fourth plots remained unsatisfactory at the end of the research. In conclusion, the third treatment (fencing and trench) was the best suitable practice to stabilize oak forests in their natural zones.
The Antiplasmodial Potential of Medicinal Plants Used in the Cameroonian Pharmacopoeia: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Tepa Arnaud Gabin N. , Ambassa Panthaleon , Ayong Lawrence S. , Biapa Nya Prosper Cabral , Pieme Constant Anatole
Published: October 2022

Malaria is a real public health problem. It is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. Research in herbal medicine has so far shown that the use of plants against malaria is not to be neglected. This review aims to highlight the antiplasmodial potential of Cameroonian plants. In order to achieve this objective, we conducted a bibliographic search in April 2022 using the PubMed search engine. This research included both the published and unpublished studies. A narrative approach was used to describe the antiplasmodial potential of the various species of plants investigated. Quantitative data were analyzed using R studio 4.1.1 software and random effects model was used to estimate the effect size. The research of the antiplasmodial activity of Cameroonian plants dates back to 2000. This area of research has since provided extensive data to indicate the antiplasmodial potential of several plants, most of which originate from the central region. Despite the heterogeneity observed between the different plant families studied in Cameroon for their in vitro antiplasmodial effect, there is strong evidence that 17 active compounds from these plants would be ideal candidates for the synthesis of new antimalarial drugs. The Dacryodes edulis species could be considered as the best natural alternative in the treatment of uncomplicated malaria according to its properties. It is clear that the traditional Cameroonian pharmacopoeia has many species that contain compounds with antiplasmodial activity. More studies need to be conducted to explore the multitude of unexplored plants that are used in traditional medicine. These studies should take into account the nature of the cell model used for cytotoxicity assessment.
Experimental Study on the Effect of Initial Water Content and Temperature Gradient on Soil Column Segregation Frost Heave
Authors: Zhang Dong , Wang Meng , Li Xiao-kang , Liu A-qiang
Published: October 2022

A series of freezing experiments were carried out on the Qinghai silty clay using a one-dimensional soil column particle image velocimetry (PIV) system. The effects of the initial water content and temperature gradient on the frost heave of the soil column were analysed. The experimental results show that the total volumetric water content after the Qinghai silty clay freezing is much greater than the initial water content before freezing, and the total volumetric water content at the segregated layer reaches the maximum value. The average unfrozen water content firstly increases sharply with time and then decreases slowly. The obvious horizontal layered segregation cracks filled with unsaturated needle-columnar ice lenses have occurred above the soil column frozen fringe. The thickness of segregated ice is about 43% of the total frost heave. There is a small frost heave in the frozen fringe and a small compression deformation amount in the unfrozen zone. Under the same temperature gradient conditions, the soil column with the low initial water content has a smaller frozen depth, larger total volumetric water content, more water intake, smaller segregated ice thickness, and less total frost heave amount than that of the soil column with the high initial water content. Under the same initial water content conditions, the soil column with a large temperature gradient has a greater frozen depth, consistent total volumetric water content, larger segregated ice thickness, and greater total frost heave amount than that of the soil column with a small temperature gradient.
A Blockchain-Based Personal Health Record System for Emergency Situation
Authors: Liu Yuan , Du Yan , Zhang Yanan , Li Yuan , Cyril Leung , Miao Chunyan , Tan Qingfeng , Tian Zhihong
Published: October 2022

A personal health record (PHR) system stores personal health-related information, which can assist physicians in quickly forming appropriate treatment plans in emergency situations. Because a PHR contains lots of sensitive information, the patients are only willing to share their records with authorized doctors with their permission. There are three main challenging issues: (1) it is costly to store and maintain the growing PHRs data; (2) the existing PHR systems still face the privacy leakage risk during data transmission and access control processes; and (3) the response speed cannot meet the need in an emergency situation, especially when the patients are unconscious. In this paper, based on the permissioned blockchain Hyperledger Fabric, we propose a PHR management system preserving patients’ privacy and also supporting emergency access. In the system, we use reencryption technology and the anonymous identity mapping mechanism to protect patient privacy and use smart contracts to define access control strategies in an emergency situation. Furthermore, we use a quick response code and bloom filter to optimize system performance. The security analysis and experimental results show that our proposed framework guarantees the privacy of patient data from multiple aspects while improving the efficiency with which doctors can obtain PHR information.
Cumulative Risk Assessment of Dietary Exposure to Pesticide Residues in Brown Rice (Oryza sativa L.) from the Three Main Rice-Growing Regions in China during 2016–2020
Authors: Cao Zhenzhen , Zheng Xiaolong , Guan Meiyan , Zhang Wanyue , Lin Xiaoyan , Zhao Xiaohua , Chen Mingxue
Published: October 2022

The residual levels of 25 monitored pesticides in 6,229 brown rice samples obtained from the 17 provinces of the three main rice-growing regions in China during 2016–2020 were analyzed, and the cumulative risks of chronic and acute exposure to pesticides for the Chinese population were assessed. The QuEChERS extraction coupled with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for simultaneous determination of 25 pesticide residues in brown rice was developed and validated with good accuracy and precision (recoveries of 70%–120% and RSD ≤20%). The overall detection rate and over the maximum residue limit (MRL) rate of pesticides in brown rice decreased from 39.15% and 3.59% in 2016 to 34.11% and 1.53% in 2020, respectively. The Yangtze River basin had a higher detection rate and over MRL rate (43.14% and 2.88%, respectively) compared with the Southeast Coastal region (37.28% and 2.77%) and the Northeast Plain (11.28% and 0.17%). Isoprothiolane (13.57%) and carbendazim (8.32%) were the most frequently detected in rice samples. Pesticide residues exceeding the MRLs were found most often in triazophos (0.75%) and isocarbophos (0.51%). The risk ranking of pesticide residues based on the ranking matrix showed that carbofuran, methamidophos, and isocarbophos had the highest residual risk scores of 25.09, 25.01, and 25.00, respectively. 17.7% of rice samples contained two or more pesticide residues. The cumulative risk assessments based on the relative potency factor (RPF) approach revealed that the cumulative risks of chronic and acute dietary exposure to organophosphorus, neonicotinoid insecticides, and triazole fungicides from rice ranged from 7.43 × 10−4 to 3.36 × 10−2, which were not considered of health concern. The study provides national-scale information on the contamination levels and health risks of pesticide residues in rice, which can help develop continuous monitoring programs for pesticide residue contamination in rice in China.
An Intelligent Harris Hawks Optimization Based Cluster Optimization Scheme for VANETs
Authors: Husnain Ghassan , Anwar Shahzad , Shahzad Fahim , Sikander Gulbadan , Tariq Rehan , Bakhtyar Maheen , Lim Sangsoon
Published: October 2022

In recent years, intelligent vehicles with cutting-edge vehicular applications have grown in popularity, enabling the growth of Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs). Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs) are a network of vehicles that share and analyze real-time data and require a well-organized and efficient data delivery method. The stability of clusters and dynamic topology change in VANETs are the major issues in finding an optimal route amongst the vehicles. The cooperative approach and surprise pounce chasing technique of Harris Hawks in nature serve as the main sources of inspiration for Harris Hawks Optimization. In this technique, several hawks work together to attack a victim from various angles to surprise it. Due to the unpredictable nature of situations and the prey’s fleeing movements, Harris Hawks can exhibit a variety of intelligent strategies. This study proposes a novel route clustering optimization technique that takes into account communication range, the number of nodes, velocity, orientations, and grid size. To create and evaluate ideal cluster head (CH), the proposed method is based on Harris Hawks Intelligent Optimization Algorithm for route Clustering (iCHHO) which finds optimal and reliable routes amongst the vehicles. Other state-of-the-art methods, such as the Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm (GOA), Gray Wolf Optimization (GWO), and Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOACNET), are utilized to evaluate and validate the proposed method. Our findings show that the developed method outperforms other current methods in terms of number of clusters, variable communication ranges, network size, and the number of vehicles. Furthermore, the statistical analysis concludes that the proposed method improves cluster optimization by 79% and increases cluster stability by an adjusted

R

-squared of 91.22.
Architectural Interior Design and Space Layout Optimization Method Based on VR and 5G Technology
Authors: Wu Yang
Published: October 2022

With the continuous optimization of the living environment, people’s requirements for its comfort and cultural taste are also constantly improving, and their understanding and requirements for the appearance and style of the building and the layout of the building space have been further deepened, thus forming a situation of diversification and diversification of the style and form of the architectural appearance and interior design. There are a lot of layout problems in modern engineering and real life, and the indoor space layout is a very important branch. The indoor space layout focuses on the indoor scenes that people rely on for production and life. At the same time, indoor scene models are gradually applied to more and more fields. The urgent need for indoor scene modeling has also led to relevant research on indoor space layout. Because of its wide application prospects and great commercial value, indoor space layout has become an important research topic in the field of computer graphics and computer vision. As the computer-aided design is widely used in the field of intelligent design, indoor space layout has also become an important research field. Focusing on the automatic design and optimization of indoor space layout, this paper proposes an optimization method based on design constraints for the automatic generation of a layout plan based on the given layout boundary or layout space. The room units in the interior space layout are represented by polygons composed of multiple rectangles, and the constraints and rules in the layout design are transformed into constraints on related rectangles. Experimental results show that our scene redirection method is effective. Comparing with the results of uniform scaling further proves the effectiveness of our redirection algorithm.
Factors Affecting User Retention of Mobile Mutual Fund Investment Applications: Evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Hadi Putra Panca O. , Nugroho Sendhy , Hidayanto Achmad Nizar
Published: October 2022

Mutual fund is one of the most popular investment programs, especially among small investors. Currently, many mobile-based applications are available, facilitating the buying and selling of mutual funds. This number of choices creates competition between application developers, pressuring them to find ways to maintain user loyalty by increasing user retention rates. However, only a few studies have currently discussed user retention in mutual fund investment applications. Furthermore, previous studies never examined the quality factor of the application but instead focused more on other factors outside the application. This study analyzed the factors influencing user retention on mutual fund investment applications in Indonesia from the application’s quality and usability aspects. This study was based on the expectation-confirmation model (ECM) as the underlying theory. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire resulting in 414 responses, which were then processed and analyzed using the covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) technique. The results of this study indicate that three variables can directly affect user retention in mutual fund investment applications: satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and perceived enjoyment. The satisfaction variable had the most significant influence of these three variables. Several factors influenced satisfaction: perceived usefulness, enjoyment, ease of use, trust, confirmation, prompt response, and security.
Pipeline Optimization for an Economical Microsprinkler Irrigation System Based on a Hybrid Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Liu Ying
Published: October 2022

The pipeline combination scheme is optimized to reduce the cost of irrigation units in an economical microsprinkler system. With the standard number of segments of branch and capillary pipes as the decision variables, the lowest pipe cost per unit irrigation area as the objective function, the maximum pressure difference allowed in the system, the minimum number of pipes in the network, and the shape of the irrigation area as constraints, a hybrid genetic algorithm is used to calculate the minimum cost per unit area of the pipe and the corresponding optimal combination of pipelines. The results show that when the irrigation area is a rectangular plot of 30 m × 22 m, the lowest cost of pipeline per unit area, 5192.7 RMB/hm2, is achieved when the capillary pipes are laid bidirectionally along the length of the plot. The cost of bidirectional laying of capillary pipes is less than that of unidirectional laying, and the cost of capillary pipe laid along the length direction of the plot saves 2.3% compared with that of capillary pipe laid along the width direction of the plot. The most extended length of capillary pipe on one side is 103.65 m. Compared with the cost obtained by farmers based on experience, the pipeline cost per hectare was 1.04%∼13.6% lower. It is recommended that farmers lay capillary pipes bidirectionally along the length of the plot and choose branch pipes with smaller diameters to help reduce the cost of the pipe unit area of the irrigation system.
Wearable BLE Wireless Sensor Based on U-Shaped EBG Monopole Antenna
Authors: Le Minh Thuy , Tran Thu Phuong , Nguyen Quoc Cuong
Published: October 2022

In this paper, a compact wearable U-shaped monopole antenna operating at 2.4 GHz frequency band is proposed for Medical Body Area Network applications. The antenna has a compact size of

0.37
λ
×
0.31
λ

, covering a band from 2.14 GHz to 3.03 GHz with a gain of 2.3 dBi at 2.45 GHz, and an efficiency of 93% in free space. In addition, an Electromagnetic Band Gap (EBG) metamaterial is utilized to isolate the integrated antenna on the circuit and the body, reducing the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). In consequence, an integrated circuit employing the EBG ground plane provides a safe value of SAR (0.68 W/kg) when it is attached to a human arm followed by a 74% reduction of SAR value compared to the circuit without EBG (2.57 W/kg). Furthermore, the on-body efficiency of the EBG-based antenna is improved from 54% to 73.68%. Finally, experimental results of a wearable heart rate and blood oxygen level BLE sensor based on the proposed U-shaped EBG monopole antenna exhibit an average power consumption of 108 mW, a sensitivity of -74 dBm, and a maximum Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transmission distance with a mobile phone of 16 m in the complex environment.