bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Location Adaptive Motion Recognition Based on Wi-Fi Feature Enhancement
Authors: Shi Wei , Duan Meichen , He Hui , Lin Liangliang , Yang Chen , Li Chenhao , Zhao Jizhong
Published: January 2023

Action recognition is essential in security monitoring, home care, and behavior analysis. Traditional solutions usually leverage particular devices, such as smart watches, infrared/visible cameras, etc. These methods may narrow the application areas due to the risk of privacy leakage, high equipment cost, and over/under-exposure. Using wireless signals for motion recognition can effectively avoid the above problems. However, the motion recognition technology based on Wi-Fi signals currently has some defects, such as low resolution caused by narrow signal bandwidth, poor environmental adaptability caused by the multi-path effect, etc., which make it hard for commercial applications. To solve the above problems, we first propose and implement a position adaptive motion recognition method based on Wi-Fi feature enhancement, which is composed of an enhanced Wi-Fi features module and an enhanced convolution Transformer network. Meanwhile, we improve the generalization ability in the signal processing stage to avoid building an extremely complex model and reduce the demand for system hardware. To verify the generalization of the method, we implement real-world experiments using 9300 network cards and the PicoScenes software platform for data acquisition and processing. By contrast with the baseline method using original channel state information(CSI) data, the average accuracy of our algorithm is improved by 14% in different positions and over 16% in different orientations. Meanwhile, our method has best performance with an accuracy of 90.33% compared with the existing models on public datasets WiAR and WiDAR.
Influence of Different Particle Size and Rock Block Proportion on Microbial-Solidified Soil–Rock Mixture
Authors: Sun Yongshuai , Tuo Ya , Lv Jianguo , Wang Guihe
Published: January 2023

This paper focuses on the influencing factors of MICP solidification of soil–rock mixture. After selecting the best soil–rock ratio through screening, the MICP process is tested from two aspects of rock content and particle size. The results show that the soil–rock mixture is not a uniform carrier of the medium, and the force on the surface of the sample is not uniform. With the increase in stress load, the stress–strain curve shows a sawtooth upward trend and peak value. The microbial cemented soil–rock mixture had a particle size of 0.2–0.4 cm and 0.4–0.6 cm under the rock block proportion of 50%. The unconfined compressive strength of the microbial cemented soil–rock mixture with a rock particle size of 0.6–0.9 cm reaches the highest at 60% rock block proportion. When the rock content is 20–50%, the unconfined compressive strength decreases with the increase in particle size. When the rock content is 60%, the value of unconfined compressive strength first decreases and then increases with the increase in particle size; both SEM and XRD test results proved that Sporosarcina pasteurii could effectively induce the formation of calcium carbonate and crystallizes at the pores of the particles to improve the mechanical properties of the soil.
Development of a Variable-Frequency Hammering Method Using Acoustic Features for Damage-Type Identification
Authors: Huang Xi , Huang Huang , Wu Zhishen
Published: January 2023

Hammer testing, a nondestructive testing method, has been demonstrated to provide information on structural damage. One of the biggest challenges with this testing method is the simultaneous identification of surface, internal, and composite damage (consisting of both surface and internal damage) in a complex environment, such as post-disaster. A method of identification based on variable-frequency hammering is proposed to solve this problem. The importance and feasibility of using variable-frequency impact hammers and the generated acoustic data to identify multiple types of damage in concrete structures are presented. First, a type of variable-frequency hammering acoustic feature was generated using acoustic feature extraction and selection based on the acoustic data obtained from variable-frequency hammering. Second, a damage recognition model was established using a support vector machine to identify four types of damage occurring simultaneously in the same concrete member specimens, including a type of composite damage with two types of damage occurring simultaneously within 20 mm. Finally, the feasibility of this variable-frequency hammering method was verified experimentally. This method exhibited good performance, with an accuracy of 97.8%; moreover, the method ensures that the feature dimensionality remains unchanged while increasing the effective information of the data.
Research on Tower Mechanical Fault Classification Method Based on Multiclass Central Segmentation Hyperplane Support Vector Machine Improvement Algorithm
Authors: Han Shunjie , Wang Heran , Hu Xueyan , Yang Huan , Wu Hanye
Published: January 2023

In this paper, a classification recognition algorithm for tower mechanical faults is proposed, and a multiclass central segmentation hyperplane support vector machine (CSH-SVM) is proposed to improve the existing multiclass support vector machine for problems in which a certain sample satisfies multiple hyperplanes at the same time. The tilt angle change and wind direction data were extracted using the tilt sensors and anemometers attached to the tower, and the temperature and humidity sensors, as well as real-time rainfall and water accumulation information, were combined to construct a sample of the original dataset during the operation of the tower. The unbalanced samples were improved using the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) algorithm to construct a balanced dataset suitable for machine learning and improve the prediction accuracy of machine learning. At the same time, the support vector machine hyperplane under the one-vs-all classification principle was additionally computed, and the new hyperplane was computed via the existing hyperplane not only to solve the classification problem of the transition area under the one-vs-all classification so that the samples located in this area no longer meet two hyperplane equations at the same time, but also to reduce the probability of incorrect classification to a certain extent. Through verification, CSH-SVM can classify 15 out of 77 misclassified samples into the correct category with slightly higher computational power than the traditional one-vs-all classification SVM, which can improve the classification prediction accuracy for unbalanced tower mechanical failure datasets and make an accurate judgment on the current state of the tower through the tower data as to when the tower may generate mechanical failure, thus reducing economic loss and personal safety threats.
Time-Series Prediction of Long-Term Sustainability of Grounds Improved by Chemical Grouting
Authors: Inazumi Shinya , Shakya Sudip , Chio Chifong , Kobayashi Hideki , Nontananandh Supakij
Published: January 2023

In the field of geotechnical engineering, the problems of liquefaction and land subsidence are of major concern. In order to mitigate or prevent damage from liquefaction, the chemical injection method is actively used as one of the countermeasures for ground improvement. However, a complete understanding of the long-term sustainability of improved grounds is still unavailable due to a lack of knowledge of the influencing parameters. Thus, the chances of chemical injection accidents cannot be ruled out. In this study, the compressive strength of improved grounds by the granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS), one of the grouting materials used in the chemical injection method, was evaluated and used for a time-series prediction of long-term sustainability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and validity of the prediction method by comparing the prediction results with the test results. The study was conducted for three different models, namely, the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model, the state-space representation (SSR) model, and the machine learning predictive (MLP) model. The MLP model produced the most reliable results for the prediction of long-term data when the input information was sufficient. However, when the input data were scarce, the SSR model produced more reliable results overall. Meanwhile, the ARIMA model generated the highest degree of errors, although it produced the best results compared to the other models depending on the criteria. It is advised that studies should be continued in order to identify the parameters that can affect the long-term sustainability of improved grounds and to simulate various other models to determine the best model to be used in all situations. However, this study can be used as a reference for the selection of the best prediction model for similar patterned input data, in which remarkable changes are observed only at the beginning and become negligible at the end.
Research on the Characteristics of Internet Public Opinion and Public Sentiment after the Sichuan Earthquake Based on the Perspective of Weibo
Authors: He Weiming , Yuan Qinglu , Li Nan
Published: January 2023

In this paper, based on Sina Weibo data, a natural language processing (NLP) analysis method was used to analyze the temporal and spatial sequence characteristics of people’s attention and the characteristics of text content with the help of microblogs posted by people within 6 days after the 2022 Lushan M6.1, Maerkang M5.8 and Luding M6.8 earthquakes. Moreover, the same analysis method was used on the content of comments on microblogs posted by official media outlets within 6 days after the earthquakes to analyze the changes in people’s sentiments and the differences in the sentiments in various regions, and the influencing factors were also analyzed. The results of this research show the following: In terms of the spatial and temporal distributions, people’s attention was affected by the earthquakes themselves and their social impacts, and the first 2 h was often a period of an outbreak of attention, with the publishing areas mainly concentrated in Sichuan and Guangdong. In terms of people’s sentiments, the overall microblogging sentiment of the three earthquakes was positive, and the sentiment value of the people in Sichuan was generally low compared with that of the people in the other regions. Not only was the fluctuation in sentiment affected by the influence of the region, but it was also positively related to the sentiment of official microblogs. The results of this research provide reference for guiding people’s sentiments after earthquakes in the new media era.
An HMM-Based Approach for Cross-Harmonization of Jazz Standards
Authors: Kaliakatsos-Papakostas Maximos , Velenis Konstantinos , Pasias Leandros , Alexandraki Chrisoula , Cambouropoulos Emilios
Published: January 2023

This paper presents a methodology for generating cross-harmonizations of jazz standards, i.e., for harmonizing the melody of a jazz standard (Song A) with the harmonic context of another (Song B). Specifically, the melody of Song A, along with the chords that start and end its sections (chord constraints), are used as a basis for generating new harmonizations with chords and chord transitions taken from Song B. This task involves potential incompatibilities between the components drawn from the two songs that take part in the cross-harmonization. In order to tackle such incompatibilities, two methods are introduced that are integrated in the Hidden Markov Model and the Viterbi algorithm. First, a rudimentary approach to chord grouping is presented that allows interchangeable utilization of chords belonging to the same group, depending on melody compatibility. Then, a “supporting” harmonic space of chords and probabilities is employed, which is learned from the entire dataset of the available jazz standards; this space provides local solutions when there are insurmountable conflicts between the melody and constraints of Song A and the harmonic context of Song B. Statistical and expert evaluation allow an analysis of the methodology, providing valuable insight about future steps.
A Comparative Assessment of JVM Frameworks to Develop Microservices
Authors: Wyciślik Łukasz , Latusik Łukasz , Kamińska Anna Małgorzata
Published: January 2023

With the ever-increasing wide spread of the Internet, the number of web services, web applications, and IoT devices is growing every year. This brings a number of challenges, both in terms of network bandwidth and the ability to scale individual computing nodes, whether they are large systems running in computing clouds or smaller IoT devices running closer to their data sources (so-called edge computing). In both cases, the way to cope with handling large numbers of users/requests is horizontal scaling, the implementation of which today is using the concept of microservices. However, the concept itself is not enough—we need ready-made application frameworks that allow us to easily implement and deploy efficient services. In the case of the Java ecosystem, which is one of the most mature platforms for enterprise-class software development, several frameworks dedicated to the development of microservices have been engineered recently. These tools support system developers in implementing communication, computation, and data storage mechanisms. However, so far, there is a lack of comparative analysis of individual solutions in the scholarly discourse to assess their performance and production maturity, so the authors in this article try to fill this gap. Based on synthetic tests developed by the authors, the most promising frameworks (Spring Boot, Micronaut, Quarkus) were analyzed both in terms of computational, compilation, or deployment performance. The results obtained can help system architects make rational and evidence-driven choices of system architecture and technology stacks.
Effects of Metal Concentration, pH, and Temperature on the Chlorophyll Derivative Content, Green Colour, and Antioxidant Activity of Amaranth (Amaranthus viridis) Purees
Authors: Mohd Amin Siti Faridah , Karim Roselina , Yusof Yus Aniza , Muhammad Kharidah
Published: January 2023

The thermal process of green amaranth leads to the partial or complete degradation of chlorophyll pigments and loss of green colour due to the formation of chlorophyll derivatives. This study aimed to evaluate a stabilisation process utilising metal ions to obtain a stable green colour of metal-chlorophyll derivative complexes. In this study, the effects of CuSO4 (0–240 ppm), ZnCl2 (0–1800 ppm) ions, pH (4–9), and temperature (60–100 °C) on green amaranth purees with a constant time of 15 min were investigated. In tapered leaf amaranths, the sample depicted higher contents of chlorophyll a (0.33 mg/g), chlorophyll b (0.34 mg/g), and total chlorophyll (0.68 mg/g) than round leaf amaranths (chlorophyll a = 0.28 mg/g, chlorophyll b = 0.29 mg/g, and total chlorophyll = 0.58 mg/g). A higher chlorophyll derivative content (0.62 mg/g), DPPH scavenging activity (93 mM TE/g), and FRAP value (54 mM TE/g) of Cu-amaranth purees were successfully achieved using 210 ppm of CuSO4 after heating at pH 6 and 80 °C. Zn-amaranth purees were produced using 1500 ppm of ZnCl2 at pH 8 and 90 °C for 15 min with chlorophyll derivative content of 0.39 mg/g, DPPH scavenging activity of 79 mM TE/g, and FRAP value of 57 mM TE/g. In HPLC chromatograms, two major peaks were identified as chlorophylls a and b in fresh amaranths. Nevertheless, these two peaks disappeared in Cu- and Zn-amaranth purees, presumably due to the formation of metallo-chlorophyll derivatives.
An Improved Approach to Detection of Rice Leaf Disease with GAN-Based Data Augmentation Pipeline
Authors: Haruna Yunusa , Qin Shiyin , Mbyamm Kiki Mesmin J.
Published: January 2023

The lack of large balanced datasets in the agricultural field is a glaring problem for researchers and developers to design and train optimal deep learning models. This paper shows that using synthetic data augmentation outperforms the standard methods on object detection models and can be crucially important when datasets are few or imbalanced. The purpose of this study was to synthesize rice leaf disease data using a Style-Generative Adversarial Network Adaptive Discriminator Augmentation (SG2-ADA) and the variance of the Laplacian filter to improve the performance of Faster-Region-Based Convolutional Neural Network (faster-RCNN) and Single Shot Detector (SSD) in detecting the major diseases affecting rice. We collected a few unbalanced raw samples of rice leaf diseases images grouped into four diseases namely; bacterial blight (BB), tungro (TG), brown-spot (BS), and rice-blast (RB) with 1584, 1308, 1440, and 1600 images, respectively. We then train StyleGAN2-ADA for 250 epochs whilst using the variance of the Laplacian filter to discard blurry and poorly generated images. The synthesized images were used for augmenting faster-RCNN and SSD models in detecting rice leaf diseases. The StyleGAN2-ADA model achieved a Fréchet Inception Distance (FID) score of 26.67, Kernel Inception Distance (KID) score of 0.08, Precision of 0.49, and Recall of 0.14. In addition, we attained a mean average precision (mAP) of 0.93 and 0.91 for faster-RCNN and SSD, respectively. The learning curves of loss over 250 epochs are 0.03 and 0.04 for Faster-RCNN and SSD, respectively. In comparison to the standard data augmentation, we achieved a t-test p-value of 9.1×10−4 and 8.3×10−5. Hence, the proposed data augmentation pipeline to improve faster-RCNN and SSD models in detecting rice leaf diseases is significant. Our data augmentation approach is helpful to researchers and developers that are faced with the problem of fewer imbalanced datasets and can also be adopted by other fields faced with the same problems.
Welcome to the New Journal: Arthropoda
Authors: De Grave Sammy
Published: January 2023

As Editor-in-Chief, I am delighted to announce the launch of Arthropoda [...]
The Construction and Functional Technology of Scythian Greaves: A Recent Find from the Elite Kurgan 6 near the Village Vodoslavka, Southern Ukraine
Authors: Polin Sergei , Daragan Marina
Published: January 2023

In the North Pontic region, bronze greaves appeared among the Scythians and noble members of the tribal world of the eastern European steppe in the middle of the fifth century BC and were used until the end of the fourth. Both the “classic” full-length Greek greaves and greaves without knee pads were in use. Surviving greaves and fragments thereof from different Scythian burials allow for analysis of the peculiarities of their construction. A distinct feature of the greaves from the burial in Barrow 6 near the village Vodoslavka, Ukraine, is a series of large openings made on the inner side of both greaves, in the area where the muscles of the calves protrude most prominently. These holes are covered (both from the inside and from the outside) with sewn-on pads made of thick leather. Similar holes can also be seen on the greaves from Kerch in eastern Crimea and were likely cut to make these greaves more suited for horse riding. The greaves from Soboleva Mogyla were additionally modified for horse riding in that the parts that covered the knees were shortened and the side parts had deep cuts (more than a half-height) on the inside of the calf muscles. Thanks to this cut, the rider’s leg (around the medial gastrocnemius in particular) fitted snugly to the horse’s side.
Vertical Profile of Meteoric and Surface-Water Isotopes in Nepal Himalayas to Everest’s Summit
Authors: Yang Xiaoxin , Acharya Sunil , Yao Tandong
Published: January 2023

This study presents isotopic compositions and their vertical profile of meteoric and surface water samples collected in the Southern Himalaya since 2015, with elevations extending all the way up to Mt. Everest’s summit. The data covering a wide altitudinal ranges and rich water types are presented for the first time. The series of in situ samples up to 8848 m asl lead to the following discoveries: (1) the dominance of rainy-season precipitation to surface-water composition in the Southern Himalaya, (2) the high correlation and high similarity between meteoric and surface-snow isotopes, thus implying the representation of surface-snow isotopes to high-elevation climatology, (3) a significant altitude effect in river and ground water, with the higher altitudinal lapse rate in ground water δ18O highlighting strong local impacts on the vertical profile of surface-water isotopes, (4) different transitions suggested by the vertical profiles of δ18O variation in snow and ice in the Southern Himalaya, with the transition in snow δ18O at a vertical zone between 6030 and 6280 m asl, and that in ice at 5775 m asl, and (5) complex circulation processes on top of the Himalaya, featuring the interaction of large-scale circulation with local mountain valley circulation, katabatic wind, and sublimation in the extremely cold and high environment. They, thus, confirm the correlation between isotopes and altitudes in regions influenced by complex circulation patterns to clarify the altitude effect, and suggest the application of isotopic study/isotopic chemistry in geological study.
Experimental Study on the Characteristics of the Failure Strain Energy Density of Undisturbed Ice-Rich Frozen Clay
Authors: Du Haimin , Zhang Shujuan , Ma Wei , Mu Yanhu , Cheng Tao , Zhang Yunzhi
Published: January 2023

Using the triaxial shear or compressive strength as a single index of the resistance of frozen soils to failure does not always meet frozen soil engineering requirements for the comprehensive evaluation of the resistance. In this study, triaxial compression experiments were carried out on undisturbed ice-rich frozen clay samples with various levels of water content under different confining pressures to study the characteristics of the failure strain energy density of the samples. The results indicate that as the confining pressure increased, the failure strain energy density first increased and then decreased. The failure strain energy density reached a maximum at a critical confining pressure of 2.00 MPa for 13.25–25.76% water content and 1.00 MPa for 26.02–45.82% water content. The failure strain energy density increased as the water content increased at low confining pressures (0.05–0.50 MPa) but then declined slightly at intermediate confining pressures (1.00–2.00 MPa). At a high confined pressure of 3.00 MPa, the failure strain energy density decreased overall as the water content increased. There were similarities and differences between the change characteristics of the compressive strength and the failure strain energy density. The failure strain energy density can be used as a supplementary reference index of the resistance of frozen soils to damage. The variation characteristics of the failure strain energy density of undisturbed frozen clay are essentially consistent with those of remolded frozen sandy soils. However, there are also clear differences between the characteristics of the failure strain energy density of these two types of frozen soil.
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Atmosphere in 2022
Authors:   Atmosphere Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
Emissions and Control Assessment of Volatile Organic Compounds from a Typical Chemical Enterprise
Authors: Wang Lin , Lin Dong , Liu Rui , Li Jing , Xu Xiuyan
Published: January 2023

Emissions from the chemical industry are among the important sources of atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which face control challenges such as multiple emission sources, high emission intensity and complex pollutant types. In this study, a typical chemical enterprise is selected as the research object, and VOCs characteristics such as emission amount, concentration and composition are analyzed; end-pipe treatment of VOCs is evaluated and control suggestions are proposed. Results show that the annual emission amount of VOCs from organized stacks was 64.08 tons, accounting for 72% of total emissions. Cyclohexane and xylene were the major components during the emission. The filling process was the largest contributor in the case of unorganized emission. As far as end-pipe treatment was concerned, ultraviolet (UV) photolysis varied greatly between 12–80%, indicating unstable removal efficiency. Finally, several measures concerning whole-process control were suggested.
Spatiotemporal Patterns of Sea Ice Cover in the Marginal Seas of East Asia
Authors: Zhang Lei , Ren Guoyu , Xu Mei , Meng Fanchao , Liao Rongwei , Liu Duanyang , Wang Minyan , Jia Dan
Published: January 2023

Using multisource sea ice fusion data, the spatiotemporal characteristics of sea ice cover were analyzed for the marginal seas of East Asia for the period 2005–2021. The results show that there were obvious differences in the beginning and end dates of the sea ice in the different sea areas. The northern Sea of Japan had the longest ice period, and Laizhou Bay and Bohai Bay in the Bohai Sea had the shortest ice period. The time when the largest sea ice extent appeared was relatively stable and mostly concentrated in late January to mid-February. There were obvious spatial differences in the duration of the sea ice cover in the marginal seas of East Asia. The duration of the sea ice cover gradually decreased from high latitude to low latitude and from nearshore to open seas. The annual average duration of the sea ice cover was more than 100 days in most of the Sea of Japan and approximately 20 days in most of Laizhou Bay and Bohai Bay. The melting speed was significantly faster than the freezing speed in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea, resulting in asymmetric changes in the daily sea ice extent in the two seas. The increasing trends in the maximum sea ice extent and total sea ice extent were 0.912 × 105 km2/10 yr and 0.722 × 107 km2/10 yr, respectively, from 2005 to 2013, both of which passed the significance test at the 0.05 level.
Spatial-Temporal Seasonal Variability of Extreme Precipitation under Warming Climate in Pakistan
Authors: Abbas Sohail , Waseem Muhammad , Yaseen Muhammad , Latif Yasir , Leta Megersa Kebede , Khan Tallal Hassan , Muhammad Sher
Published: January 2023

Climate science has confirmed the alteration of the hydrological cycle attributed to global warming. This warming tendency affects the monsoon precipitation in Pakistan with an unprecedented intensity, causing severe flooding. Therefore, it is inevitable to observe the recent spring and summer monsoon changes in extreme precipitation throughout Pakistan. The present study examined 8 precipitation indices in the past 50-year period (1971–2020) (stretched to two data periods; 1971–1998 and 1999–2020) using Mann–Kendall and Sen’s method to investigate the direction and magnitude of the observed trends. Spring and summer wet days significantly increased in the central eastern (Kakul, Kotli, Jhelum) and western (Cherat, Chitral, Peshawar) regions in the 1st data period but significantly decreased in areas including the southern region in the 2nd data period. We further observed the high-intensity precipitation days (R10, R20) in the same seasons. The intensity of summer R20 was much stronger throughout Pakistan in the 1st data period which reduced significantly during the 2nd data period in northern and southern regions. We extended the circle of investigation to very heavy and extreme precipitation (R30 and R50). The intensity of R30 and R50 in summer followed the same pattern as observed for R10 and R20. However, R30 and R50 in pre-monsoon significantly increased in the northern, east-western, and south-eastern regions during the 2nd data period. Summer monsoon and westerly humid regions experienced a decreasing tendency of very heavy and severe precipitation in the 1st data period. Our results concluded that the most significant changes in precipitation extremes occurred with higher intensity and recurring frequency for all indices in spring and summer monsoon during the 2nd data period.
Perception of Air Pollution and the Evaluation of Local Governments’ Environmental Governance: An Empirical Study on China
Authors: Zhu Jie , Lu Chuntian , Wei Zihao
Published: January 2023

In China, blue sky defense is a crucial part of ecological environment governance. Objective environmental governance performance needs to be perceived by the public to more truly affect the public’s evaluation of the government’s environmental governance. This paper focuses on the public’s subjective perception of air pollution and evaluation of the local government’s environmental governance. Based on the Chinese General Social Survey data, the matched economic indicators, and air pollution data, we conduct a diachronic study on the public’s evaluation of local governments’ environmental protection work, and we analyze the relationship between the subjective perception of air pollution, the objective air pollution data, and the evaluation of local governments’ environmental protection work. The results showed the following: (1) People’s evaluation of local governments’ environmental protection work significantly improved from 2013 to 2021. The objective indicator improved, while the subjective perception declined. (2) The subjective perception of air pollution has a significant negative impact on the evaluation of local governments’ environmental protection work and needs to be better considered to improve air quality. At the same time, the effect of the objective indicator is insignificant.
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Audiology Research in 2022
Authors:   Audiology Research Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
Queueing System with Two Phases of Service and Service Rate Degradation
Authors: Fedorova Ekaterina , Lapatin Ivan , Lizyura Olga , Moiseev Alexander , Nazarov Anatoly , Paul Svetlana
Published: January 2023

In the paper, a queueing system with an unlimited number of servers and two phases of service with degradation in the service rate is studied. The problem of service rate degradation emerges in cloud nodes, where there is contention for hardware resources including computational resources such as CPU cores. In a node, we have a limited number of CPU cores that should execute potentially an unlimited number of processes (requests) in parallel. In our model, the term “server” means a process allocated in the node for execution. So, the number of “servers” is unlimited but their individual performances decrease because CPUs should switch between them during the execution. We consider processes executed in the node with two phases of life cycle that reflects periods with different activity of a process; e.g., in the first phase, the process may require intensive usage of CPU cores but low usage in the second one. Our model distinguishes the phases using different service parameters for them as well as different influence on the service rate degradation in the node. In the paper, two analytical methods are proposed: exact solving of the system of the local balance equation and the asymptotic analysis of the global balance equations. Formulas for the stationary probability distribution of the number of customers in the phases are obtained for both cases. Several numerical examples are provided that illustrate some properties and applicability of the obtained results.
Some Local Fractional Inequalities Involving Fractal Sets via Generalized Exponential (s,m)-Convexity
Authors: Saleh Wedad , Kılıçman Adem
Published: January 2023

Research in this paper aims to explore the concept of generalized exponentially (s,m)-convex functions, and to determine some properties of these functions. In addition, we look at some interactions between generalized exponentially (s,m)-convex functions and local fractional integrals. The properties of the generalized new special cases of (s,m)-convex functions, s-convex functions, and also generalized m-convex functions are impressive. We derive some inequalities of Hadamard’s type for generalized exponentially (s,m)-convex functions, and give applications in probability density functions and generalized special methods to attest to the applicability and efficiency of the method under consideration.
Fixed Point Theorems for Mann’s Iteration Scheme in Convex Gb-Metric Spaces with an Application
Authors: Ji Dong , Li Chaobo , Cui Yunan
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we present a series of fixed point results for Mann’s iteration scheme in the framework of Gb-metric spaces. First, we introduce the concept of convex Gb-metric space by means of a convex structure and Mann’s iteration algorithm is extended to this space. Furthermore, using Mann’s iteration scheme, we prove some fixed point results for several mappings satisfying various suitable conditions on complete convex Gb-metric spaces. Some examples supporting our main results are also presented. We also discuss the well-posedness of the fixed point problems and the P property for given mappings. Moreover, as an application, we apply our main result to prove the existence of the solutions to integral equations.
Safety Assessment of High Dynamic Pre-Loaded Lithium Ion Pouch Cells
Authors: Ellersdorfer Christian , Höschele Patrick , Heider Eva , Kovachev Georgi , Gstrein Gregor
Published: January 2023

The knowledge of the influence of high dynamic loads on the electrical and mechanical behavior of lithium-ion cells is of high importance to ensure a safe use of batteries over the lifetime in electric vehicles. For the first time, the behavior of six commercial Li-Ion pouch cells after a constrained short-time acceleration (300 g over 6 ms) with a resulting cell surface pressure of 9.37 MPa was investigated. At this load, two out of six cells suffered from an internal short circuit, showing several damaged separator layers across the thickness in the area of the cell tabs. For the cells that remained intact, a range of measurement techniques (e.g., inner resistance measurement, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), or thermal imaging) was used to reveal changes in the electrical property resulting from the load. The cells without short circuit show an increase of internal resistance (average of 0.89%) after the dynamic pre-load. The electric circuit model based on the EIS measurement indicates a decrease of the resistance R1 up to 30.8%. Additionally, mechanical properties of the cells in an abuse test subsequent to the dynamic pre-load were significantly influenced. The pre-loaded cell could sustain an 18% higher intrusion depth before electrical failure occurred as compared to a fresh cell in an indentation test. The results of this study revealed that a high acceleration pulse under realistic boundary conditions can lead to critical changes in a battery cell’s properties and needs to be taken into account for future safety assessments.
Federated Learning to Safeguard Patients Data: A Medical Image Retrieval Case
Authors: Singh Gurtaj , Violi Vincenzo , Fisichella Marco
Published: January 2023

Healthcare data are distributed and confidential, making it difficult to use centralized automatic diagnostic techniques. For example, different hospitals hold the electronic health records (EHRs) of different patient populations; however, transferring this data between hospitals is difficult due to the sensitive nature of the information. This presents a significant obstacle to the development of efficient and generalizable analytical methods that require a large amount of diverse Big Data. Federated learning allows multiple institutions to work together to develop a machine learning algorithm without sharing their data. We conducted a systematic study to analyze the current state of FL in the healthcare industry and explore both the limitations of this technology and its potential. Organizations share the parameters of their models with each other. This allows them to reap the benefits of a model developed with a richer data set while protecting the confidentiality of their data. Standard methods for large-scale machine learning, distributed optimization, and privacy-friendly data analytics need to be fundamentally rethought to address the new problems posed by training on diverse networks that may contain large amounts of data. In this article, we discuss the particular qualities and difficulties of federated learning, provide a comprehensive overview of current approaches, and outline several directions for future work that are relevant to a variety of research communities. These issues are important to many different research communities.
pH-Selective Reactions to Selectively Reduce Cancer Cell Proliferation: Effect of CaS Nanostructures in Human Skin Melanoma and Benign Fibroblasts
Authors: Rodríguez Martínez Olga M. , Narváez Ramos Michelle A. , Soto Acevedo Angeliz A. , Colón Colón Carolina C. , Malavé Ramos Darlene , Castro Rivera Coral , Castro Rosario Miguel E.
Published: January 2023

An acidic extracellular pH value (pHe) is characteristic of many cancers, in contrast to the physiologic pHe found in most benign cells. This difference in pH offers a unique opportunity to design and engineer chemicals that can be employed for pH-selective reactions in the extracellular fluid of cancer cells. The viability of human skin melanoma and corresponding fibroblasts exposed to CaS dispersions is reported. The viability of melanoma cells decreases with CaS dispersion concentration and reaches 57% at 3%, a value easily distinguishable from melanoma control experiments. In contrast, the viability of benign fibroblasts remains nearly constant within experimental error over the range of dispersion concentrations studied. The CaS dispersions facilitate vinculin delocalization in the cytoplasmic fluid, a result consistent with improved focal adhesion kinase (FAK) regulation in melanoma cells. Thermodynamic considerations are consistent with the formation of H2S from CaS in the presence of protons. The thermodynamic prediction is verified in independent experiments with solid CaS and acidic aqueous solutions. The amount of H2S formed decreases with pH. An activation energy for the process of (30 ± 10) kJ/mol in the temperature range of 280 to 330 K is estimated from initial rate measurements as a function of temperature. The total Gibbs energy minimization approach was employed to establish the distribution of sulfides—including H2S in the gas and aqueous phases—from the dissociation of CaS as a function of pH to mimic physiologically relevant pH values. Theoretical calculations suggest that partially protonated CaS in solution can be stable until the sulfur atom bonds to two hydrogen atoms, resulting in the formation of Ca2+ and H2S, which can be solvated and/or released to the gas phase. Our results are consistent with a model in which CaS is dissociated in the extracellular fluid of melanoma cells selectively. The results are discussed in the context of the potential biomedical applications of CaS dispersions in cancer therapies.
An Alternating Magnetic Field-Controlled Drug Delivery System Based on 4,4′-Azobis (4-cyanovaleric Acid)-Functioned Fe3O4@Chitosan Nanoparticles
Authors: Yin Wang , Nziengui Raby Randy , Li Yuankai , Li Zuojun , Sun Mengqing , Huang Zhi
Published: January 2023

Herein, we designed chitosan–coated Fe3O4 nanocomposites for the control release of drugs by an alternating magnetic field (AMF). The chitosan-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@CS) were prepared by a alkaline co-precipitation method, and then, the model drug toluidine blue (TB) was covalently grafted onto the surface of the nanocomposite by a two-step amide reaction with the thermosensitive molecule 4,4′-azobis (4-cyanovaleric acid) (ACVA) as the linker group. The prepared nanocomposites were superparamagnetic and showed high magnetization saturation (about 54.0 emu g−1). In vitro hydrothermal release studies showed that most parts of the TB would be effectively enclosed within the nanocarriers at lower ambient temperatures (23 or 37 °C) due to the molecular bonding of ACVA. The results of kinetic fitting of hydrothermal release data showed that TB released from nanoparticles followed first-order kinetics (R2 > 0.99) and the Korsemeyer–Peppas model (R2 > 0.99, n < 0.5). Most importantly, a single magnetron release experiment demonstrated an approximately linear relationship between the cumulative release of the drug and the duration of action of AMF (R2 = 0.9712). Moreover, the increase in the cumulative release of the drug can be controlled by controlling the switch of the AMF generation device. Therefore, the ACVA-modified Fe3O4@CS nanocarrier designed in this study is a promising model for drug delivery that enables the control of drug release dose by AMF.
Precise Printing of Microfiber Scaffold with Gelatin Methacryloyl (GelMA)/Polyethylene Oxide (PEO) Bioink
Authors: Li Haibing , Zhou Ruijian , Shu Qiang , Xie Mingjun , He Yong
Published: January 2023

Gelatin methacryloyl scaffolds with microscale fiber structures own great significance because they can effectively mimic the extracellular matrix environment. Compared with extruding bioprinting, electrospinning technology is more suitable for establishing accurate hydrogel microfibers. However, electrospinning accurate gelatin methacryloyl microfiber remains a big challenge restricted by its bad spinnability. In this paper, polyethylene oxide, which owns promising spinnability, is added into gelatin methacryloyl hydrogel precursor to improve the spinnability of gelatin methacryloyl bioink. A three-dimensional motion platform for electrospinning is designed and built and the spinning process of microfibers under far-electric-field and near-electric-field conditions is systematically studied, respectively. As a result, scaffolds consisted of unordered and ordered microfibers are successfully fabricated under far-electric-field and near-electric field, respectively. In vitro culture experiments of human umbilical vein endothelial cells are carried out using the prepared gelatin methacryloyl microfiber scaffolds. The results show that the cells can easily attach to the microfibers and grow well. Moreover, the gelatin methacryloyl/ polyethylene oxide microfiber scaffold was directly spun on the polycaprolactone mesh scaffold printed by fused modeling printing method. The results showed that the macroscopic ordered and microscopic disordered microfiber scaffold could be successfully established, which could lead to directed cell growth. We believe that this method can effectively solve the problem of hydrogel spinnability and be a powerful tool for various biomedical engineering methods in the future.
Is the Cooling Vest an Ergogenic Tool for Physically Active Individuals? Assessment of Perceptual Response, Thermo-Physiological Behavior, and Sports Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Fernández-Lázaro Diego , García Juan F. , Corchete Luis Antonio , Del Valle Soto Miguel , Santamaría Gema , Seco-Calvo Jesús
Published: January 2023

Exercise capacity is limited by environmental heat stress because thermoregulatory systems are altered and cannot prevent the elevation of body temperature due to a complex interplay of physiological, physical, and perceptual alterations. Cooling is an effective strategy to attenuate the temperature rise. Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the PEDro scale for assessing methodological quality, we systematically reviewed studies indexed in Medline, Web of Science, EMBASE, Science Direct, Sportdiscus, and Scopus, to evaluate the effects of the cooling vest (CVs) on perceptual response, physiological behavior, and sports performance in adult physical activity practitioners under heat stress conditions. Among the 711 studies identified in the search, 10 studies for the systematic review and eight for the meta-analysis met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Overall, the use of CVs showed improvements in certain sports performance indicators, being significant (p < 0.05) in test time and substantial in peak power that could be influenced directly by the significant reduction (p < 0.05) in skin temperature and indirectly by the significant improvement (p < 0.05) in thermal and exertional perceptual responses, without the involvement of core temperature. In conclusion, the use of CVs is a cooling technique that influences perceptual response, thermo-physiological behavior, and sports performance. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the relevance of its application to CVs.
Role of Macrofaunal Communities in the Vistula River Plume, the Baltic Sea—Bioturbation and Bioirrigation Potential
Authors: Miernik Natalia Anna , Janas Urszula , Kendzierska Halina
Published: January 2023

Macrozoobenthos plays a key role in the transformation of inputs from rivers to the sea, such as nutrients, organic matter, or pollutants, and influences biogeochemical processes in the sediments through bioturbation and bioirrigation activity. The purpose of our study was to determine the structure of benthic communities, their bioturbation (BPC) and bioirrigation potential (IPC), and the vertical distribution of macrofauna in the Gulf of Gdańsk. The study revealed changes in the structure of benthic communities and, consequently, in the bioturbation and bioirrigation potential in the study area. Despite the presence of diverse and rich communities in the coastal zone, BPC and IPC values, although high, were formed by a few species. Both indices were formed mainly by the clam Macoma balthica and polychaetes, although the proportion of polychaetes in IPC was higher than in BPC. In the deepest zones, the communities became poorer until they eventually disappeared, along with all macrofaunal functions. Both indices changed similarly with distance from the Vistula River mouth, and there was a very strong correlation between them. We also demonstrated that the highest diversity of the macrofauna was observed in the upper first cm of the sediment, but the highest biomass was observed in deeper layers—at a depth of up to 6 cm, and single individuals occurred even below 10 cm.
The Synucleins and the Astrocyte
Authors: Myers Abigail J. , Brahimi Ayat , Jenkins Imani J. , Koob Andrew O.
Published: January 2023

Synucleins consist of three proteins exclusively expressed in vertebrates. α-Synuclein (αS) has been identified as the main proteinaceous aggregate in Lewy bodies, a pathological hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases. Less is understood about β-synuclein (βS) and γ-synuclein (γS), although it is known βS can interact with αS in vivo to inhibit aggregation. Likewise, both γS and βS can inhibit αS’s propensity to aggregate in vitro. In the central nervous system, βS and αS, and to a lesser extent γS, are highly expressed in the neural presynaptic terminal, although they are not strictly located there, and emerging data have shown a more complex expression profile. Synapse loss and astrocyte atrophy are early aspects of degenerative diseases of the brain and correlate with disease progression. Synucleins appear to be involved in synaptic transmission, and astrocytes coordinate and organize synaptic function, with excess αS degraded by astrocytes and microglia adjacent to the synapse. βS and γS have also been observed in the astrocyte and may provide beneficial roles. The astrocytic responsibility for degradation of αS as well as emerging evidence on possible astrocytic functions of βS and γS, warrant closer inspection on astrocyte–synuclein interactions at the synapse.