bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Topographic Effect on Habitat Quality in Mountainous Area Using InVEST Model
Authors: Xiang Qing , Kan Aike , Yu Xiaoxiang , Liu Fei , Huang Hong , Li Wei , Gao Rong
Published: January 2023

The topographic differentiation patterns of changes in habitat quality are of great significance for the scientific formulation of environmental protection policies in mountainous areas. Here, the distribution, changing trends, and the effects of the topographic gradient on habitat quality were studied using the InVEST model, the topographic distribution index, and the Mann–Kendall test. The results showed that at p < 0.05 (Z = 1.67), the habitat quality from 2000 to 2020 showed three types of trends (significant decline, non-significant change, and significant increase), accounting for 22.2%, 41.8%, and 36% of the changes, respectively. Because of the livelihood structure of the local residents and geological disasters in high-elevation areas, this terrain was the predominant area showing a significant decline in habitat quality. Thanks to the consolidation of projects for the protection of natural forest resources, the return of farmland to forest, and the implementation of projects for protecting the natural forest, the low-lying topography was the predominant area showing a significant increase in habitat quality. The middle topographic position was the predominant area showing no significant changes in habitat quality. Based on the results of the analysis, ecological management and protection measures for high-, medium-, and low-elevation areas were suggested.
Impact of Land Property Rights Security Cognition on Farmland Quality Protection: Evidence from Chinese Farmers
Authors: Zhou Laiyou , Lu Hua , Zou Jinlang
Published: January 2023

The stability or security of property rights plays an important role in stimulating the investment of economic entities, which can prevent or alleviate the degradation of land resources and improve the efficiency of agricultural management. This paper focuses on the perspective of land property rights security awareness, analyzes its impact on farmers’ cultivated land quality protection behavior, and, on the basis of a theoretical analysis framework linking the two, uses farmer survey data from southern Jiangxi Province and the probit model to empirically analyze the impact of farmers’ land property rights security awareness on their cultivated land quality protection behavior. The results show that the improvement in farmers’ awareness of land property rights security could significantly improve their probability of applying farmyard manure. This conclusion is proven to be robust by means of a replacement model and adjustment variables. Moreover, it is found that the influence of land property rights security cognition on farmyard manure application differs among farmers by age, degree of part-time work and land scale. Finally, we can draw inspiration for improving the effective implementation of public policies and increasing the publicity of legal knowledge of land property rights to improve farmers’ awareness and consideration of land property rights security.
Waste Management and Territorial Impact in the Canary Islands
Authors: Santamarta Juan C. , Miklin Luka , Gomes-Nadal Cynthia Olivia , Rodríguez-Alcántara Joselin S. , Rodríguez-Martín Jesica , Cruz-Pérez Noelia
Published: January 2023

Insularity presents several challenges in the development of Europe’s outermost regions. In the case of the Canary Islands, one of these challenges is waste management, which faces a series of difficulties inherent to territorial disparities, including land use and availability, a high percentage of protection, a large number of annual tourists and a high level of product imports. The archipelago is made up of eight islands, and waste management is significantly different in the two capitals, Tenerife and Gran Canaria, and the rest of the smaller islands. European targets for adequate waste management have not been achieved in those areas. As an example, only 16% of the collected waste is recycled currently, mainly due to a lack of infrastructure and a lack of agility on the part of the corresponding institutions. There is also pressure exerted on this sector by tourism, which accounts for approximately 40% of employment in two of the islands. As a general conclusion, valorized waste management is proposed, where the use of by-products, such as biogas or compost is implemented in sectors where they can be used, i.e., as electricity, potentially of 19 GWh/year, and agricultural supply, thus promoting recycling and the circular economy in the Canary Islands.
Therapeutic Strategies against Biofilm Infections
Authors: Mishra Sonal , Gupta Amit , Upadhye Vijay , Singh Suresh C. , Sinha Rajeshwar P. , Häder Donat-P.
Published: January 2023

A biofilm is an aggregation of surface-associated microbial cells that is confined in an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix. Infections caused by microbes that form biofilms are linked to a variety of animals, including insects and humans. Antibiotics and other antimicrobials can be used to remove or eradicate biofilms in order to treat infections. However, due to biofilm resistance to antibiotics and antimicrobials, clinical observations and experimental research clearly demonstrates that antibiotic and antimicrobial therapies alone are frequently insufficient to completely eradicate biofilm infections. Therefore, it becomes crucial and urgent for clinicians to properly treat biofilm infections with currently available antimicrobials and analyze the results. Numerous biofilm-fighting strategies have been developed as a result of advancements in nanoparticle synthesis with an emphasis on metal oxide np. This review focuses on several therapeutic strategies that are currently being used and also those that could be developed in the future. These strategies aim to address important structural and functional aspects of microbial biofilms as well as biofilms’ mechanisms for drug resistance, including the EPS matrix, quorum sensing (QS), and dormant cell targeting. The NPs have demonstrated significant efficacy against bacterial biofilms in a variety of bacterial species. To overcome resistance, treatments such as nanotechnology, quorum sensing, and photodynamic therapy could be used.
Mediterranean Diet, Ketogenic Diet or MIND Diet for Aging Populations with Cognitive Decline: A Systematic Review
Authors: Devranis Paschalis , Vassilopoulou Εmilia , Tsironis Vasileios , Sotiriadis Panagiotis Marios , Chourdakis Michail , Aivaliotis Michalis , Tsolaki Magdalini
Published: January 2023

(1) Background: Compelling evidence shows that dietary patterns can slow the rate of cognitive decline, suggesting diet is a promising preventive measure against dementia. (2) Objective: This systematic review summarizes the evidence of three dietary patterns, the Mediterranean diet, the ketogenic diet and the MIND diet, for the prevention of cognitive decline. (3) Methods: A systematic search was conducted in major electronic databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect and Web of Science) up until 31 January 2022, using the key search terms “Mediterranean diet”, “ketogenic diet”, “MIND diet”, “dementia”, “cognition” and “aging”. A statistical analysis was performed using RoB 2 and the Jadad scale to assess the risk of bias and methodological quality in randomized controlled trials. (4) Results: Only RCTs were included in this study; there were eleven studies (n = 2609 participants) of the Mediterranean diet, seven studies (n = 313) of the ketogenic diet and one study (n = 37) of the MIND diet. The participants’ cognitive statuses were normal in seven studies, ten studies included patients with mild cognitive impairments and two studies included Alzheimer’s disease patients. (5) Conclusion: All three dietary interventions have been shown to slow the rate of cognitive decline in the included studies. The Mediterranean diet was shown to be beneficial for global cognition after 10 weeks of adherence, the ketogenic diet had a beneficial effect for patients with diabetes mellitus and improved verbal recognition, while the MIND diet showed benefits in obese patients, improving working memory, verbal recognition, memory and attention.
Generation of Asynaptic Mutants in Potato by Disrupting StDMC1 Gene Using RNA Interference Approach
Authors: Kumar Ashwani , Siddappa Sundaresha , Bhardwaj Vinay , Dalamu  , Singh Baljeet , Sharma Neha , Dipta Bhawna , Kumar Vinod , Goutam Umesh , Sood Salej
Published: January 2023

Fixing the genomic composition and multiplication through true potato seed (TPS) is an important challenge in autotetraploid potato. Disrupted meiotic cDNA (DMC1) is a meiotic gene that plays a central role in DNA recombination through crossing over in meiosis. Using the Arabidopsis DMC1 (AtDMC1) gene sequence, we retrieved Solanum tuberosum DMC1(StDMC1) from the diploid potato genome, and subsequently, sense and antisense regions of the StDMC1 gene were amplified in potato cv. Kufri Jyoti. The sense and antisense fragments were confirmed by Sanger-sequencing and cloned in the pRI101 vector. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the RNAi construct resulted in 44% transformation efficiency, and a total of 137 mutant lines were obtained. These mutant lines were further validated through pollen viability testing, and selected lines were used for gene expression analysis. The acetocarmine-based pollen staining showed reduced pollen viability ranging from 14 to 21% in four DMC1 mutant lines (DMC4-37, DMC4-41, DMC6-20, and DMC6-21), as compared to the Kufri Jyoti control plants, which on average exhibited 78% pollen viability. The phenotypic data was supported by the reduced expression of the StDMC1 gene in these four mutant lines compared to the control Kufri Jyoti. The results confirmed the generation of StDMC1 knockdown lines. This is the first report of StDMC1 mutant line generation in tetraploid potatoes and will be a step forward in generating non-recombinant mutants through sexual reproduction in potatoes.
A Rare Gastric Subepithelial Lesion Removed through Submucosal Tunneling Endoscopic Resection: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Chien Mu-Ming , Lin Yun-Ho , Chang Chun-Chao , Chien Hsi-Yuan
Published: January 2023

Gastric subepithelial lesions are common. However, their diagnosis and management can pose a challenge. Herein, we present the case of a 49-year-old man who was incidentally discovered to have a gastric subepithelial lesion that increased in size during follow-up. Submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection was performed, and the tumor was successfully removed en bloc. The pathological and immunohistochemical findings were consistent with a gastric globus tumor. Although rare, glomus tumors should be considered when gastric subepithelial lesions are discovered. Resection with an endoscopic technique can be used to preserve the stomach and can be considered an alternative to surgical removal. However, such procedures should only be performed by experienced therapeutic endoscopists.
Review: The Key Factors to Melanomagenesis
Authors: (Jitian) Mihulecea Cristina-Raluca , Rotaru Maria
Published: January 2023

Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer that develops from the malignant transformation of the melanocytes located in the basal layer of the epidermis (cutaneous melanoma). Melanocytes may also be found in the meninges, eyes, ears, gastrointestinal tract, genito-urinary system, or other mucosal surfaces (mucosal melanoma). Melanoma is caused by an uncontrolled proliferation of melanocytes, that at first may form a benign lesion (nevogenesis), but in time, it may transition to melanoma, determining what it is named, melanomagenesis. Some tumors may appear spontaneously (de novo melanoma) or on preexisting lesions (nevus-associated melanoma). The exact cause of melanoma may not be fully understood yet, but there are some factors that initiate and promote this malignant process. This study aims to provide a summary of the latest articles regarding the key factors that may lead to melanomagenesis. The secondary objectives are to reveal the relationship between nevi and melanoma, to understand the cause of “de novo” and “nevus-associated melanoma” and highlight the differences between these subtypes.
Is the 4C Score Still a Valid Item to Predict In-Hospital Mortality in People with SARS-CoV-2 Infections in the Omicron Variant Era?
Authors: De Vito Andrea , Colpani Agnese , Saderi Laura , Puci Mariangela , Zauli Beatrice , Meloni Maria Chiara , Fois Marco , Bitti Alessandra , Di Castri Cosimo , Fiore Vito , Maida Ivana , Babudieri Sergio , Sotgiu Giovanni , Madeddu Giordano
Published: January 2023

Since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several scores have been proposed to identify infected individuals at a higher risk of progression and death. The most famous is the 4C score. However, it was developed in early 2020. Our study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the 4C score during the wave in which the Omicron variant was prevalent. An observational study was conducted at an Italian University Hospital between 1 January and 31 July 2022. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the ability of the 4C score to predict mortality. Overall, 1186 people were recruited, of which 160 (13.5%) died. According to the 4C score, 177 (11.6%) were classified as having a low risk of mortality, 302 (25.5%) were intermediate, 596 (50.3%) were high, and 151 (12.7%) were very high. The ROC curve of the 4C score showed an AUC (95% CI) value of 0.78 (0.74–0.82). At the criterion value of > 10, the sensitivity was 76.2% and the specificity was 62.67%. Similar to previous studies, the 4C mortality score performed well in our sample, and it is still a useful tool for clinicians to identify patients with a high risk of progression. However, clinicians must be aware that the mortality rate reported in the original studies was higher than that observed in our study.
Effects of Temperature, pH, and NaCl Concentration on Biomass and Bioactive Compound Production by Synechocystis salina
Authors: Assunção Joana , Amaro Helena M. , Tavares Tânia , Malcata F. Xavier , Guedes A. Catarina
Published: January 2023

Synechocystis salina is a cyanobacterium that has biotechnological potential thanks to its ability to synthesize several bioactive compounds of interest. Therefore, this study aimed to find optimal conditions, in terms of temperature (15–25 °C), pH (6.5–9.5), and NaCl concentration (10–40 g·L−1), using as objective functions the productivities of biomass, total carotenoids, total PBPs, phycocyanin (PC), allophycocyanin (APC), phycoerythrin (PE), and antioxidants (AOXs) capacity of Synechocystis salina (S. salina) strain LEGE 06155, based in factorial design resorting to Box-Behnken. The model predicted higher biomass productivities under a temperature of 25 °C, a pH of 7.5, and low NaCl concentrations (10 g·L−1). Maximum productivities in terms of bioactive compounds were attained at lower NaCl concentrations (10 g·L−1) (except for PE), with the best temperature and pH in terms of carotenoids and total and individual PBPs ranging from 23–25 °C to 7.5–9.5, respectively. PE was the only pigment for which the best productivity was reached at a lower temperature (15 °C) and pH (6.5) and a higher concentration of NaCl (≈25 g·L−1). AOX productivities, determined in both ethanolic and aqueous extracts, were positively influenced by lower temperatures (15–19 °C) and higher salinities (≈15–25 g·L−1). However, ethanolic AOXs were better recovered at a higher pH (pH ≈ 9.5), while aqueous AOXs were favored by a pH of 8. The model showed that biomass production can be enhanced by 175% (compared to non-optimized conditions), total carotenoids by 91%, PC by 13%, APC by 50%, PE by 130%, and total PBPs by 39%; for AOX productivities, only water extracts exhibited a (marginal) improvement of 1.4%. This study provided insightful information for the eventual upgrading of Synechocystis salina biomass in the biotechnological market.
2,4-Diamino-5-(5-hydroxy-1-phenyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-5H-chromeno[2,3-b]pyridine-3-carbonitrile
Authors: Ryzhkova Yuliya E. , Ryzhkov Fedor V. , Maslov Oleg I. , Elinson Michail N.
Published: January 2023

5H-Chromeno[2,3-b]pyridines are important compounds with industrial, biological, and medicinal properties. In this short note, the multicomponent reaction of salicylaldehyde, malononitrile dimer, and 2-phenyl-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2,4-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one in dimethyl sulfoxide at ambient temperature was investigated to give 2,4-diamino-5-(5-hydroxy-1-phenyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-5H-chromeno[2,3-b]pyridine-3-carbonitrile with good yield. The structure of the previously unknown chromeno[2,3-b]pyridine derivative was confirmed by elemental analysis, mass, nuclear magnetic resonance, and infrared spectroscopy data. The ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) properties were also assessed.
Effects of Moisture and Stone Content on the Shear Strength Characteristics of Soil-Rock Mixture
Authors: Zhang Yu , Lu Junyuan , Han Wei , Xiong Yawen , Qian Jinsong
Published: January 2023

Soil-rock mixture is a commonly used geotechnical material used in many construction projects, such as slopes, tunnels, and dams. The shear strength of soil-rock mixture is its key property and is affected by many factors. This study aimed to investigate the shear strength characteristics of soil-rock mixture and the influences of moisture and stone content on shear strength parameters. Soil-rock mixture samples with four different stone and moisture contents were fabricated and tested using a large-scale direct shear test apparatus under four vertical pressures. The results demonstrated that the shear properties of the soil-rock mixture showed significant Mohr Coulomb failure criteria for all stone contents. As the moisture content increased, the shear strength of the soil-rock mixture first increased by 10~18% and then decreased after w = 12% to the residue value. The change in cohesion and internal friction angle of soil-rock mixture with different moisture contents shared a similar trend. For w < 12%, the cohesion and internal friction angle increased with moisture content, and for w > 12%, the two indexes obviously decreased. As the stone content increased from 30% to 60%, the shear strength of the soil-rock mixture increased by 82~174%. The internal friction angle increased linearly with stone content, while the cohesion of the mixture first increased and then decreased after the stone content reached 50%. The results can help in the designation and application of soil-rock mixture.
Potential of Biochar from Wood Gasification to Retain Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
Authors: Carnimeo Claudia , Colatorti Nicola , D’Orazio Valeria , Trotti Pasquale , Loffredo Elisabetta
Published: January 2023

In this study, a biochar obtained from poplar wood gasification at a temperature of 850 °C was used to adsorb the xenoestrogens 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and bisphenol A (BPA) and the herbicide metribuzin from water. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were employed to investigate the surface micromorphology and functional groups composition of biochar, respectively. The study of sorption kinetics showed that all compounds achieved the steady state in less than 2 h, according to a pseudo-second order model, which denoted the formation of strong bonds (chemisorption) between biochar and the compounds. Adsorption isotherms data were described by the Henry, Freundlich, Langmuir and Temkin equations. At temperatures of 10 and 30 °C, the equilibrium data of the compounds were generally better described by the Freundlich model, although, in some cases, high correlation coefficients (r ≥ 0.98) were obtained for more than one model. Freundlich constants, KF, for OP, BPA and metribuzin were, respectively, 218, 138 and 4 L g−1 at 10 °C and 295, 243 and 225 L g−1 at 30 °C, indicating a general increase of adsorption at higher temperature. Desorption of all compounds, especially OP and BPA, from biochar was slow and very scarce, denoting an irreversible and hysteretic process. Comparing the results of this study with those reported in the literature, we can conclude that the present biochar has a surprising ability to retain organic compounds almost permanently, thus behaving as an excellent low-cost biosorbent.
A Robust Strontium Coordination Polymer with Selective and Sensitive Fluorescence Sensing Ability for Fe3+ Ions
Authors: Li Zi-Wei , Tan Bin , Wu Zhao-Feng , Huang Xiao-Ying
Published: January 2023

Exploration of sensitive and selective fluorescence sensors towards toxic metal species is of great importance to solve metal pollution issues. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) strontium coordination polymer of Sr2(tcbpe) (H4tcbpe = 1,1,2,2-tetrakis(4-(4-carboxy-phenyl)phenyl)ethene) has been synthesized and developed as a fluorescent sensor to Fe3+ ions. Sr2(tcbpe) shows a mechanochromic fluorescence with emission shifting from blue of the pristine to green after being ground. Notably, based on a fluorescence quenching mechanism, Sr2(tcbpe) displays a sensitive and selective fluorescent sensing behavior to Fe3+ ions with a detection limit of 0.14 mM. Moreover, Sr2(tcbpe) exhibits high tolerance to water in a wide pH range (pH = 3–13), demonstrating that Sr2(tcbpe) is a potential fluorescent sensor of Fe3+ in water.
Inhomogeneous Microstructure Evolution of 6061 Aluminum Alloyat High Rotating Speed Submerged Friction Stir Processing
Authors: Peng Yuchen , Xie Zonghua , Su Changchao , Zhong Yuefang , Tao Zushan , Zhuang Dongyang , Zeng Jiahui , Tang Hongqun , Xu Zhengbing
Published: January 2023

An inhomogeneous microstructure induced by high rotating speed submerged friction stir processing (HRS-SFSP) on 6061 aluminum alloy was researched in detail.The microstructures of the aluminum alloy processing zone were characterized by electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) qualitatively and quantitatively.The results show that the recrystallization proportion in the inhomogeneous structure of the processing zone is 14.3%, 37.8% and 35.9%, respectively. Different degrees of grain deformation can affect the dislocation and lead to the formation of a plastic–elastic interface. At the same time, the second-phase particles in the processing zone were inhomogeneity and relatively, which further promotes the plastic–elastic interface effect. The plastic–elastic interface can significantly improve the strength of aluminum alloy, whileat the same time, rely on recrystallized grains to provide enough plasticity. When the rotation speed was 3600 r/min, the strength and ductility of the aluminum alloy after HRS-SFSP were increased by 48.7% and 10.2% respectively compared with that of BM. In all, the plastic–elastic interface can be formed by using high rotating speed submerged friction stir processing, and the strength-ductility synergy of aluminum alloy can be realized at the plastic–elastic interface.
Ensemble Machine-Learning-Based Prediction Models for the Compressive Strength of Recycled Powder Mortar
Authors: Fei Zhengyu , Liang Shixue , Cai Yiqing , Shen Yuanxie
Published: January 2023

Recycled powder (RP) serves as a potential and prospective substitute for cementitious materials in concrete. The compressive strength of RP mortar is a pivotal factor affecting the mechanical properties of RP concrete. The application of machine learning (ML) approaches in the engineering problems, particularly for predicting the mechanical properties of construction materials, leads to high prediction accuracy and low experimental costs. In this study, 204 groups of RP mortar compression experimental data are collected from the literature to establish a dataset for ML, including 163 groups in the training set and 41 groups in the test set. Four ensemble ML models, namely eXtreme Gradient-Boosting (XGBoost), Random Forest (RF), Light Gradient-Boosting Machine (LightGBM) and Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost), were selected to predict the compressive strength of RP mortar. The comparative results demonstrate that XGBoost has the highest prediction accuracy when the a10-index, MAE, RMSE and R2 of the training set are 0.926, 1.596, 2.155 and 0.950 and the a10-index, MAE, RMSE and R2 of the test set are 0.659, 3.182, 4.285 and 0.842, respectively. SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) is adopted to interpret the prediction process of XGBoost and explain the influence of influencing factors on the compressive strength of RP mortar. According to the importance of influencing factors, the order is the mass replacement rate of RP, the size of RP, the kind of RP and the water binder ratio of RP. The compressive strength of RP mortar decreases with the increase in the RP mass replacement rate. The compressive strength of RBP mortar is slightly higher than that of RCP mortar. Machine learning technologies will benefit the construction industry by facilitating the rapid and cost-effective evaluation of RP material properties.
Development of a Novel Tape-Casting Multi-Slurry 3D Printing Technology to Fabricate the Ceramic/Metal Part
Authors: Jiang Cho-Pei , Romario Yulius Shan , Toyserkani Ehsan
Published: January 2023

Printing ceramic/metal parts increases the number of applications in additive manufacturing technology, but printing different materials on the same object with different mechanical properties will increase the difficulty of printing. Multi-material additive manufacturing technology is a solution. This study develops a novel tape-casting 3D printing technology that uses bottom-up photopolymerization to fabricate the green body for low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) that consist of ceramic and copper. The composition of ceramic and copper slurries is optimized to allow printing without delamination and sintering without cracks. Unlike traditional tape-casting processing, the proposed method deposits two slurries on demand on a transparent film, scrapes it flat, then photopolymerization is induced using a liquid crystal displayer to project the layer pattern beneath the film. The experimental results show that both slurries have good bonding strength, with a weight ratio of powder to resin of 70:30, and print a U-shaped copper volume as a circuit within the LTCC green body. A three-stage sintering parameter is derived using thermogravimetric analysis to ensure good mechanical properties for the sintered part. The SEM images show that the ceramic/copper interface of the LTCC sintered part is well-bonded. The average hardness and flexural strength of the sintered ceramic are 537.1 HV and 126.61 MPa, respectively. Volume shrinkage for the LTCC slurry is 67.97%, which is comparable to the value for a copper slurry of 68.85%. The electrical resistance of the printed copper circuit is 0.175 Ω, which is slightly greater than the theoretical value, hence it has good electrical conductivity. The proposed tape-casting 3D printer is used to print an LTCC benchmark. The sintered benchmark part is validated for the application in the LTCC application.
Influence of Basalt Aggregate Crushing Technology on Its Geometrical Properties—Preliminary Studies
Authors: Duchnowska Magdalena , Strzałkowski Paweł , Bakalarz Alicja , Kaźmierczak Urszula , Köken Ekin , Karwowski Piotr , Wolny Michał , Stępień Tomasz
Published: January 2023

The use of mineral aggregates is related to the increasing demand in construction, railway and road infrastructures. However, mineral aggregates can appear to be of variable quality, directly affecting their suitability for respective earthwork applications. Since the production of mineral aggregates should ensure the standardized, high-quality requirements of the final product, rock-crushing mechanisms should be investigated in a detailed manner. In this context, the aim of the present study is to evaluate and analyze the geometric parameters of basalt aggregates as a result of several rock comminution processes. Basalt aggregates from two deposits in Poland were used in the study. The samples are differentiated regarding both lithological variances, mineral composition as well as the host rock’s tuff content. The rock comminution processes were conducted using two types of crushers, namely the laboratory-scale jaw and cone crushers. The feed for crushing was designed based on the original geometric grain composition and the separated feed in the form of flaky and non-flaky particles. The crushability test results demonstrated that the interparticle compression in the jaw crusher resulted in finer products compared to the one in the cone crusher. It was also observed that the flakiness and shape indexes decreased after crushing, both in the feed with the original geometric composition of the grains and those with flaky and non-flaky particles. Nevertheless, a higher flakiness index was obtained after the crushing of non-flaky particles and a lower one after the crushing of flaky particles. The flakiness index for grains below 16 mm after the crushing process was less than 10%, which indicates a more favorable result compared to the original feed. In addition, it was shown that flaky and non-cubical particles were accumulated in the finest (below 8 mm) and coarsest (above 20 mm) fractions in jaw and cone crushing processes, receiving flakiness and shape indexes ranging up to 80–100%. Finally, it was also observed that the lithological variances of the feed material have a significant impact on the particle size distribution of the product. More profoundly, basalt aggregates with a higher tuff content and weathering degree have a higher degree of crushing. The present study, in this context, provides accurate and satisfying information on understanding the crushing mechanisms of two important crushing equipment as well as their rock-crusher interactions.
Anomalies of Brillouin Light Scattering in Selected Perovskite Relaxor Ferroelectric Crystals
Authors: Sivasubramanian Venkatasubramanian , Ganesamoorthy Sarveswaran , Kojima Seiji
Published: January 2023

Compositionally disordered perovskite compounds have been one of the exotic topics of research during the past several years. Colossal piezoelectric and electrostrictive effects have been observed in disordered perovskite ferroelectric materials. The key ingredient in the physical behavior of disordered perovskites is the nucleation and growth of the local dipolar regions called polar nanoregions (PNRs). PNRs begin to nucleate far above the temperature of the dielectric maximum Tm and exhibit varied relaxation behavior with temperature. The evidence for the existence of various stages in the relaxation dynamics of PNRs was revealed through the study of the temperature evolution of optical phonons by Raman scattering. The quasi-static regime of PNRs is characterized by the strong coupling between the local polarization and strain with the local structural phase transition and the critical slowing of the relaxation time. Strong anomalies in the frequency and the width of the acoustic phonons, and emergence of the central peak in the quasi-static region of the relaxation dynamics of PNRs have been observed through Brillouin scattering studies. In this review, we discuss the anomalies observed in Brillouin scattering in selected disordered perovskite ferroelectrics crystals such as Pb(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O3, Pb(Sc1/2Ta1/2)O3, 0.65PIN-0.35PT and Sr0.97Ca0.03TiO3 to understand dynamical behavior of PNRs.
Buckling Analysis of CNT-Reinforced Polymer Composite Beam Using Experimental and Analytical Methods
Authors: Madenci Emrah , Özkılıç Yasin , Aksoylu Ceyhun , Asyraf Muhammad , Syamsir Agusril , Supian Abu , Mamaev Nicolay
Published: January 2023

The aim of this article was to investigate the effect of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the buckling behavior of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The materials used included three layers: carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), epoxy and CNTs. A set of mechanical tests, such as compression and buckling tests, was performed, and also analytical solutions were developed. Damage analysis was also carried out by controlling the damage initiation and crack progression on the composite samples. Experimental results revealed that using 0.3% with CNT additives enhanced the buckling performance of the composite. Finally, the average load-carrying capacity for the clamped–clamped boundary condition was 268% higher in the CNT samples and 282% higher in the NEAT samples compared to the simple–simple condition.
Characterization of Base Oil Effects on Aged Asphalt Binders Considering Bicycle Road
Authors: Yun Jihyeon , Choi Hyun Joon , Na Il-Ho , Kim Hyun Hwan
Published: January 2023

Demand for various bicycles and sharing systems has constantly been growing worldwide as they improve the quality of life and promote eco-friendly transportation. Accordingly, it is inevitable that bicycle roads should be expanded. As bicycle roads have a relatively lower load applied than automobile roads, adopting a design method that uses a high reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) content can be beneficial. However, much uncertainty still exists about the relation between the mixing method and application in field sites, without appropriately considering the quality control of the rejuvenator. Therefore, this study aims to demonstrate the effect of base oil as a rejuvenator on aged binders, considering the use of a high RAP content for bicycle roads. To prepare the aged binder, a rolling thin-film oven (RTFO) and pressure aging vessel (PAV) were used to imitate the life cycle of asphalt pavement from production to service life, and then three contents of aged binder (0%, 50%, and 100%) were added and mixed with fresh PG 64-22 base binder. Finally, each type of prepared aged asphalt binder was blended with three different base oil contents (0%, 5%, and 10%). The results indicated that (1) the addition of base oil effectively decreased the viscosity of aged binders, (2) aged binders containing base oil showed less G*/sin δ compared to originally aged binders, and (3) the application of base oil improves the cracking properties of the aged binder by decreasing stiffness. In conclusion, the most striking observation from the data analysis from the Superpave test and statistical results was the effect of reducing the asphaltene portion based on the use of base oil in the aged binder. Therefore, using base oil in RAP can enable the application of a high RAP content to the bicycle road.
Influence of Long-Period Stacked Ordered Phases on Inductive Impedance of Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr-Ag Alloys
Authors: Xu Shiyuan , Liu Chuming , Gao Yonghao , Jiang Shunong , Wan Yingchun , Chen Zhiyong
Published: January 2023

In this paper, the influence of long-period stacked ordered (LPSO) phases on the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of a Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr-Ag alloy in 0.9 wt.% NaCl was investigated. The Mg-6Gd-3Y-1Zn-0.5Zr-0.3Ag (wt.%) alloy samples with and without LPSO phases in the grain interior (HOMO and LPSO, respectively) were prepared using different heat treatments. The EIS results showed that both the HOMO and LPSO samples’ Nyquist diagrams contained two inductive loops. However, in the Nyquist plots of the LPSO samples, the inductive loops at 1.71–0.67 Hz appeared in the first quadrant rather than the fourth quadrant. Analysis of the fitting parameters illustrated that the abnormal shape of the inductive loops is related to greater values of the surface film capacitance Cf and double layer capacitance Cdl in the LPSO samples. Further investigations through corrosion morphology observation indicated that the greater values of Cf and Cdl in the LPSO samples resulted from the existence of intragranular LPSO phases that created more film-free areas. The above results show that a better understanding of the relationship between the inductive impedance and corrosion morphology of a Mg-6Gd-3Y-1Zn-0.5Zr-0.3Ag alloy in 0.9 wt.% NaCl solution was attained.
Lean Manufacturing in Industry 4.0: A Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing System
Authors: Rahardjo Benedictus , Wang Fu-Kwun , Yeh Ruey-Huei , Chen Yu-Ping
Published: January 2023

Background: Exploring the impact of combining Industry 4.0 technologies and Lean Manufacturing tools on organizational performance has been a popular topic in recent years. Design/Methodology/Approach: We propose a novel Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing System (SSMS) to provide management insights related to social impact, economic performance, and environmental impact. Some tools called Dynamic Lean 4.0 tools, such as Sustainable Value Steam Mapping (VSM), Extended Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED), and Digital Poka-Yoke, are presented as outputs of synergistic relationships that optimize production processes. Originality/Research gap: There are few studies on the application of SSMS. This work presents a case study, aiming to fill this gap. A case study of vacuum degassing equipment fabrication is presented to demonstrate the improvement of utilizing the Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) method with Digital Poka-Yoke. Key statistical results: The implementation of this project increased the process capability index, Cpk, from 1.278 to 2. Practical Implications: It was concluded that the company successfully implemented a smart and sustainable manufacturing system, and created a safer working environment and new job opportunities, while increasing production yield from 99.44% to 100%, improving worker utilization, and directly saving NT$68,000. Limitations of the investigation: This paper is the use of a single case study. More applications of Dynamic Lean 4.0 tools in SSMS should be explored.
Designing the Architecture of a Convolutional Neural Network Automatically for Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis
Authors: Saeed Fahman , Hussain Muhammad , Aboalsamh Hatim A. , Al Adel Fadwa , Al Owaifeer Adi Mohammed
Published: January 2023

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness in middle-aged diabetic patients. Regular screening for DR using fundus imaging aids in detecting complications and delays the progression of the disease. Because manual screening takes time and is subjective, deep learning has been used to help graders. Pre-trained or brute force CNN models are used in existing DR grading CNN-based approaches that are not suited to fundus image complexity. To solve this problem, we present a method for automatically customizing CNN models based on fundus image lesions. It uses k-medoid clustering, principal component analysis (PCA), and inter-class and intra-class variations to determine the CNN model’s depth and width. The designed models are lightweight, adapted to the internal structures of fundus images, and encode the discriminative patterns of DR lesions. The technique is validated on a local dataset from King Saud University Medical City, Saudi Arabia, and two challenging Kaggle datasets: EyePACS and APTOS2019. The auto-designed models outperform well-known pre-trained CNN models such as ResNet152, DenseNet121, and ResNeSt50, as well as Google’s AutoML and Auto-Keras models based on neural architecture search (NAS). The proposed method outperforms current CNN-based DR screening methods. The proposed method can be used in various clinical settings to screen for DR and refer patients to ophthalmologists for further evaluation and treatment.
Algorithm Applied to SDG13: A Case Study of Ibero-American Countries
Authors: Barcellos-Paula Luciano , Gil-Lafuente Anna María , Castro-Rezende Aline
Published: January 2023

Scientific studies confirm the existence of a crisis caused by climate change, in which global causes produce local effects. Despite climate agreements, greenhouse gas emissions continue to fall short of targets to limit global warming. There is still a need for comparable data for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13—Climate Action. The motivation of the research is to provide data for decision-making and to propose solutions to address the climate crisis. The article aims to propose a Fuzzy Logic algorithm to evaluate the SDG13 indicators and to deepen the discussion on climate change. The research is applied explanatory with a combined approach (quantitative-qualitative) through modeling, simulation, and case studies. As a result, the OWA operator ranks 10 Ibero-American countries to SDG13, indicating Colombia, Peru, and Cuba in the first positions. The main contributions are the reduction of identified knowledge gaps and proposals for action for policy and decision-makers. A limitation of this study would be the number of participating countries. The authors indicate future lines of research.
Study of COVID-19 Epidemic Control Capability and Emergency Management Strategy Based on Optimized SEIR Model
Authors: Wang Weibin , Xia Zeyu
Published: January 2023

Due to insufficient epidemic detection and control, untimely government interventions, and high epidemic prevention costs in the early stages of the epidemic outbreak, the spread of the epidemic may become out of control and pose a great threat to human society. This paper optimized and improved the traditional Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Removed (SEIR) model for investigating epidemic control and public health emergency management. Using the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak as an example, this paper simulates and analyzes the development of an epidemic outbreak during various periods with the optimized SEIR model, to explore the emergency control capacity of conventional medical control measures, such as large-scale outbreak testing capacity, hospital admission capacity, or daily protection of key personnel, and analyze the government’s emergency management strategies to achieve low-cost epidemic control. The model developed in this study and the results of its analysis demonstrate the differences in outbreak emergency control capacity under different conditions and different implementation strategies. A low-cost local outbreak emergency management strategy and the timing of the government’s resumption of work and school are discussed on this basis.
Research on Service-Driven Benign Market with Platform Subsidy Strategy
Authors: Liu Shuilin , Lin Xudong , Huang Xiaoli , Luo Hanyang , Yu Sumin
Published: January 2023

The benign consumption of two-sided markets and the quality improvement of the supply side is the core of the sustainable development of platform ecology. This paper discusses how the platform uses personalized service values to influence the decision making of manufacturers and consumers, thus improving the health development of the platform ecosystem. By constructing the vertical differentiation model, we find that, different from the unified pricing strategy in the benchmark market, manufacturers in the platform market can implement personalized pricing, according to the different types of consumers’ quality preferences. When the platform service value is less than the product cost difference between manufacturers, low-quality manufacturers may benefit from the platform. Meanwhile, when the platform service value is greater than the product cost difference between manufacturers, the lemon market may appear and platforms should set the differentiated subsidy strategy according to the type of market consumers; this is a dominant strategy. In addition, when the number of consumers with low-quality demand in the market is large, the platform’s subsidies for high-quality products to consumers will guide consumers to buy high-quality products; this will not only promote the development of the benign market, but also improve the platform’s revenue. Finally, the sensitivity analysis shows that the platform service value has a U-shaped impact on the platform revenue and an inverted U-shaped impact on the manufacturers’ revenues.
An Adaptive in Space, Stabilized Finite Element Method via Residual Minimization for Linear and Nonlinear Unsteady Advection–Diffusion–Reaction Equations
Authors: Giraldo Juan F. , Calo Victor M.
Published: January 2023

We construct a stabilized finite element method for linear and nonlinear unsteady advection–diffusion–reaction equations using the method of lines. We propose a residual minimization strategy that uses an ad-hoc modified discrete system that couples a time-marching schema and a semi-discrete discontinuous Galerkin formulation in space. This combination delivers a stable continuous solution and an on-the-fly error estimate that robustly guides adaptivity at every discrete time. We show the performance of advection-dominated problems to demonstrate stability in the solution and efficiency in the adaptivity strategy. We also present the method’s robustness in the nonlinear Bratu equation in two dimensions.
Global Stability of Multi-Strain SEIR Epidemic Model with Vaccination Strategy
Authors: Yaagoub Zakaria , Allali Karam
Published: January 2023

A three-strain SEIR epidemic model with a vaccination strategy is suggested and studied in this work. This model is represented by a system of nine nonlinear ordinary differential equations that describe the interaction between susceptible individuals, strain-1-vaccinated individuals, strain-1-exposed individuals, strain-2-exposed individuals, strain-3-exposed individuals, strain-1-infected individuals, strain-2-infected individuals, strain-3-infected individuals, and recovered individuals. We start our analysis of this model by establishing the existence, positivity, and boundedness of all the solutions. In order to show global stability, the model has five equilibrium points: The first one stands for the disease-free equilibrium, the second stands for the strain-1 endemic equilibrium, the third one describes the strain-2 equilibrium, the fourth one represents the strain-3 equilibrium point, and the last one is called the total endemic equilibrium. We establish the global stability of each equilibrium point using some suitable Lyapunov function. This stability depends on the strain-1 reproduction number R01, the strain-2 basic reproduction number R02, and the strain-3 reproduction number R03. Numerical simulations are given to confirm our theoretical results. It is shown that in order to eradicate the infection, the basic reproduction numbers of all the strains must be less than unity.
The Hypervolume Newton Method for Constrained Multi-Objective Optimization Problems
Authors: Wang Hao , Emmerich Michael , Deutz André , Hernández Víctor Adrián Sosa , Schütze Oliver
Published: January 2023

Recently, the Hypervolume Newton Method (HVN) has been proposed as a fast and precise indicator-based method for solving unconstrained bi-objective optimization problems with objective functions. The HVN is defined on the space of (vectorized) fixed cardinality sets of decision space vectors for a given multi-objective optimization problem (MOP) and seeks to maximize the hypervolume indicator adopting the Newton–Raphson method for deterministic numerical optimization. To extend its scope to non-convex optimization problems, the HVN method was hybridized with a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA), which resulted in a competitive solver for continuous unconstrained bi-objective optimization problems. In this paper, we extend the HVN to constrained MOPs with in principle any number of objectives. Similar to the original variant, the first- and second-order derivatives of the involved functions have to be given either analytically or numerically. We demonstrate the applicability of the extended HVN on a set of challenging benchmark problems and show that the new method can be readily applied to solve equality constraints with high precision and to some extent also inequalities. We finally use HVN as a local search engine within an MOEA and show the benefit of this hybrid method on several benchmark problems.