bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Roles of TOPO Coordinating Solvent on Prepared Nano-Flower/Star and Nano-Rods Nickel Sulphides for Solar Cells Applications
Authors: Agoro Mojeed A. , Meyer Edson L.
Published: September 2022

The present study describes a cheap, safe, and stable chemical process for the formation of nickel sulphide (NiS) with the use of mixed and single molecular precursors. The production pathway is uncomplicated, energy-efficient, quick, and toxic-free, with large-scale commercialization potential. The obtained results show the effect of tri-N-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) as a coordinating solvent on the reaction chemistry, size distributions, morphology, and optical properties of both precursors. Ni[N,N-benz-N-p-anisldtc] as NiSa, Ni[N,N-benzldtc] as NiSb, and Ni[N-p-anisldtc] as NiSc thermally decompose in a single step at 333–334 °C. The X-ray diffraction peaks for NiSa, NiSb, and NiSc matched well with the cubic NiS nanoparticles and corresponded to planes of (111), (220), and (311). The extrapolated linear part from the Tauc plots reveals band gap values of 3.12 eV, 2.95 eV, and 2.5 eV, which confirms the three samples as potential materials for solar cell applications. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique affirmed the quantum dot size distribution at 19.69–28.19 nm for NISa, 9.08–16.63 nm for NISb, and 9.37–10.49 nm for NISc, respectively. NiSa and NiSc show a clearly distinguishable flower/star like morphology, while NiSb displays a compact nano-rod shape. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, very few studies have been reported on the flower/star like and nano-rod shapes, but none with the dithiocarbamate molecular precursor for NiS nanoparticles.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Mediated Deep Tumor Delivery of Gold Nanorod for Photothermal Therapy
Authors: Yun Wan Su , Shim Man Kyu , Lim Seungho , Song Sukyung , Kim Jinseong , Yang Suah , Hwang Hee Sook , Kim Mi Ra , Yoon Hong Yeol , Lim Dong-Kwon , Sun In-Cheol , Kim Kwangmeyung
Published: September 2022

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with various sizes and morphologies have been extensively investigated for effective photothermal therapy (PTT) against multiple cancer types. However, a highly dynamic and complex tumor microenvironment (TME) considerably reduces the efficacy of PTT by limiting deep tumor penetration of AuNPs. Herein, we propose a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-mediated deep tumor delivery of gold nanorod (AuNR) for a potent PTT. First, MSCs are treated with tetraacylated N-azidomannosamine (Ac4ManNAz) to introduce modifiable azide (N3) groups on the cell surface via metabolic glycoengineering. Then, AuNRs modified with bio-orthogonal click molecules of bicyclo[6.1.0]nonyne (AuNR@BCN) are chemically conjugated to the N3 groups on the MSC surface by copper-free click chemistry reaction, resulting in AuNR@MSCs. In cultured MSCs, the appropriate condition to incorporate the AuNR into the MSCs is optimized; in addition, the photothermal efficiency of AuNR-MSCs under light irradiation are assessed, showing efficient heat generation in vitro. In colon tumor-bearing mice, intravenously injected AuNR@MSCs efficiently accumulate within the tumor tissues by allowing deep tissue penetration owing to the tumor homing effect by natural tumor tropism of AuNR@MSCs. Upon localized light irradiation, the AuNR@MSCs significantly inhibit colon tumor growth by the enhanced photothermal effect compared to conventional AuNRs. Collectively, this study shows a promising approach of MSCs-mediated deep tumor delivery of AuNR for effective PTT.
Characterization of Cubic Zirconia as a Lens Material Suitable for Autonomous Driving
Authors: Lee Jae-Kun , Chung Sung Yun , Shin Eui Chul , Kim Jae Bum , Lee Jong-Kwon
Published: September 2022

As the development of autonomous driving technology is now in full swing, the demand for miniaturized optical modules mounted on various sensors has increased. Particularly, the optical lens used for such autonomous driving must demonstrate stable performance and durability despite rapid changes in the external environment. In this regard, cubic zirconia (CZ) can be used as an optical lens due to its high refractive index, which is above 2.1 in visible and near-infrared wavelengths, along with its chemical and mechanical durability. Thus, in this paper, we investigated the temperature-dependent physical properties of CZ fabricated by the skull melting method. The temperature coefficient of the refractive index (dn/dT) of the fabricated CZ plate in the temperature range of 25–100 °C decreased from 9.76 × 10−5/K to 7.00 × 10−5/K as the wavelength increased from 447.0 nm to 785.0 nm. The estimated Abbe number decreased from 33.98 at 25 °C to 33.12 at 100 °C, while the measured coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) was 9.91 × 10−6/K, which revealed that the dn/dT value of the CZ plate was more affected by the dispersion than by the CTE. In addition, the CZ samples with a high refractive index, coated with a dielectric multilayer showed a high average transmittance of 98.2% at the investigated wavelengths, making it suitable for miniaturization or wide-angle optical lens modules. To secure the durability required for automobile lenses, the variation in the surface profile of the CZ before and after the external impact was also analyzed, revealing much better performance than TAF glass. Therefore, the observed results demonstrate that the CZ material is suitable for use as an optical lens for autonomous vehicles.
Second-Harmonic Generation in Aggregates of Lithium Niobate Particles Formed upon Suspension Freezing
Authors: Matrokhin Anton A. , Shevchenko Mikhail A. , Umanskaya Sofia F. , Tareeva Maria V. , Kudryavtseva Anna D. , Tcherniega Nikolay V.
Published: September 2022

This paper demonstrates a significant increase in the efficiency of second-harmonic generation in a suspension of lithium niobate (LiNbO3) particles during freezing at nano and picosecond pum pulse durations. The amplification is caused by the formation of close-packed structures during the solidification process. The energy dependences of the second-harmonic generation, the angular distributions of the scattering intensity, conversion coefficients and the scattering regime in a suspension and in other lithium niobate particle-based samples are studied. This effect can be used for phase transition sensing in a medium, visualization of the particle organization process in ice-templating, and significantly increasing the efficiency of other nonlinear effects in particle matter.
Laguerre-Gaussian Beams with an Increased Dark Area and Autofocusing
Authors: Kotlyar Victor V. , Abramochkin Eugeny G. , Kovalev Alexey A. , Savelyeva Alexandra A.
Published: September 2022

We introduce and investigate a novel Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beam, different from the conventional modal LG beams, which conserve the transverse intensity structure (up to scale) on propagation. The proposed beam does not conserve its structure on free space propagation but possesses some interesting properties. This beam is Fourier-invariant, and it has an increased dark area both in the initial (waist) plane and in the far field. Thus, without changing the topological charge of the beam, varying the radial (lower) index of the associated Laguerre polynomial allows increasing or decreasing the effective diameter of the central dark spot in the intensity pattern. In addition, the beam is autofocusing, i.e., the intensity distribution at the Rayleigh distance from the waist has a shape of the light ring (at any value of the radial index) with the minimal diameter and with the maximal on-ring intensity. Such a beam can be adopted for microparticle manipulation. Increasing the dark area in the focus of a high-aperture spherical lens allows the simultaneous trapping of several absorbing microparticles into this dark area.
Fiber-Optic Axial-Strain Sensor with Sensitivity Enhancement and Temperature Compensation
Authors: Yang Xiaotong , Liu Chuanxu , Yang Jiuru , Sun Dexue , Ran Lingling
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we report a tapered thin-core fiber based in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometer to improve the response of axial-strain. With the varied diameters of taper waist, the light field distributions are studied by beam propagation method, and the structures are fabricated by arc-discharged lateral offset splicing and tapering techniques. The comprehensive tests are then conducted and compared in terms of axial-strain and temperature. The experimental results show that, by reducing the diameter of taper waist, more than 400% enhancement of wavelength sensitivity can be gained, and the maximum reaches 4.07 pm/µε with the measured error of 3.6%. Moreover, owing to high consistency of temperature response, the near-zero crosstalk is presented by differential compensation method. Furthermore, owing to the merit of high repeatability and stability, our sensor is very practical and promising in the high-precision measurement and engineering monitoring.
Diversity and Genetic Structure of Scarlet Plume (Euphorbia fulgens), an Endemic Plant of Mexico
Authors: Pérez-Nicolás Mónica , Ramírez-Corona Fabiola , Colinas-León Teresa , Peña-Ortega Gisela , Ontiveros-Capurata Ronald Ernesto , Alia-Tejacal Iran , González-Andrés Fernando
Published: September 2022

Euphorbia fulgens is an ornamental species cultivated in Europe and endemic to Mexico; its ecological, genetic, and evolutionary aspects are not known. The objectives of this study were to determine its distribution, describe the places it inhabits, and analyze the diversity and genetic structures of wild populations of E. fulgens. A bibliographic review of the herbarium specimens and a field evaluation were carried out to develop a potential distribution map based on a multi-criteria analysis of the climatic and topographic variables. Three populations (forty-five individuals) from pine–oak and cloud forests located in the Southern Sierra of Oaxaca were analyzed using ten microsatellite loci. The analysis was conducted using Arlequin v. 3.5, Mega v. 10, and Structure v. 2.3 programs. Eight loci were polymorphic, and a total of thirty-eight alleles were obtained. The average number of alleles per polymorphic locus was 4.6. The average heterozygosity of the three populations was high (Ho = 0.5483), and genetic differentiation between populations were low, with a high genetic flow, suggesting that it could be an ancestral population that became fragmented and was just beginning to differentiate genetically. The information generated on this restricted distribution species can be used in conservation programs pertaining to human activities that endanger the habitats where it is found.
A Field Collection of Indigenous Grapevines as a Valuable Repository for Applied Research
Authors: Shecori Shani , Kher Mafatlal , Tyagi Kamal , Lerno Larry , Netzer Yishai , Lichter Amnon , Ebeler Susan , Drori Elyashiv
Published: September 2022

The grapevine is an economically important plant, with a historical connection to the development of human culture. Currently, over 6000 accessions are known as individual grapevine varieties, some of which are important to national heritage, valuable for current viticultural practices, and as genetic resources to maintain plasticity under changing climatic conditions, environmental sustainability, and market demands. Recently, the diversity of cultivated grapevines has declined significantly, due to the increased focus of global wine industries on a few major cultivars. Moreover, due to biotic and abiotic stresses, the wild V. vinifera germplasm’s genetic diversity has declined, with some varieties on the verge of extinction. Vitis germplasm conservation can be achieved via either in situ (e.g., protected areas) or Ex situ (e.g., field collections, seed banks, and tissue culture collections) methods. This study aims to highlight the importance of Vitis field bank collections. We demonstrate the research done in the Israeli indigenous Vitis vinifera collection. The multi-layer analysis of the varieties enabled the identification of drought stress-resistant varieties, and suggested a mechanism for this resistance through noting the dramatic phenological differences in foliage development between resistant and sensitive varieties. In addition, we show a general characterization of the varieties via major grape characteristics, including bunch and berry shape, as well as their possible utilization based on their aromatic and phenolic profiles.
A Mechanism Assessment and Differences of Cadmium Adsorption on Raw and Alkali-Modified Agricultural Waste
Authors: Simić Marija , Petrović Jelena , Šoštarić Tatjana , Ercegović Marija , Milojković Jelena , Lopičić Zorica , Kojić Marija
Published: September 2022

In this study, raw corn silk was considered for the removal of cadmium ions from aqueous solutions. In order to improve adsorption characteristics, the KOH treatment was applied as a route to obtain modified materials. Both materials before and after metal adsorption were characterized by pHPZC, SEM-EDX and FTIR analysis. SEM images and FTIR spectra revealed that alkali modification caused some structural changes that could improve the adsorption properties of the investigated material. The experimental results and the ion-exchange study revealed that the biosorption process of cadmium ions on to raw and modified corn silk was caused predominantly by the ion-exchange mechanism, followed by chemisorption. The kinetic parameters implied that there are three stages in the biosorption process. In addition, the cadmium adsorption on both materials is very fast and is followed by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The experimental results were fitted by two and three parameter isotherm models, while the Sips isotherm model best describes the biosorption process on both materials. According to the Sips isotherm model, the maximum adsorption capacity of cadmium adsorbed on modified materials was 49.06 mg g−1, which is 2.23 times greater in comparison to the raw material (21.96 mg g−1). Furthermore, the mechanisms of cadmium adsorption onto the investigated materials are summarized in order to better understand the modification influence on the adsorption properties of corn silk. In order to examine reusability of the investigated material, diluted nitric acid was used for regeneration. A desorption study was performed in three adsorption-desorption cycles. A high desorption efficiency (˃85%) indicated that MCS after Cd adsorption can be efficiently recovered and reused for a new adsorption cycle.
Low-Carbon Collaboration in the Supply Chain under Digital Transformation: An Evolutionary Game-Theoretic Analysis
Authors: Li Gang , Yu Hu , Lu Mengyu
Published: September 2022

In the face of the challenges posed by the need to drastically decrease carbon emissions, all agents in the supply chain need to strengthen low-carbon collaboration with the support of digital transformation. This study sets up a low-carbon collaboration evolutionary game model of the supply chain based on benefit sharing by introducing digital transformation. The equilibrium-point stability of the supply chain is then analyzed under two separate conditions—i.e., less and more government rewards and punishments compared to supply-chain agents’ strategic risk cost. Furthermore, based on the evolutionary game model, this study draws the system dynamics (SD) flow diagram to analyze the research problem quantitatively. The main results show that: (1) low-carbon benefit-driven effects promotes collaboration benefit sharing, thereby increasing the probability of low-carbon collaboration; (2) digital transformation is an essential regulator of low-carbon collaboration in the supply chain and can amplify the low-carbon benefit-driven effect; (3) collaboration benefit sharing can perfectly coordinate the vertical supply chain under low-carbon collaboration; and (4) government support and management are critical links in the low-carbon collaboration formation path of the supply chain. This research provides theoretical support for low-carbon collaboration in the supply chain under digital transformation.
Recent Advances in the Bioconversion of Waste Straw Biomass with Steam Explosion Technique: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Zhang Baige , Li Hongzhao , Chen Limei , Fu Tianhong , Tang Bingbing , Hao Yongzhou , Li Jing , Li Zheng , Zhang Bangxi , Chen Qing , Nie Chengrong , You Zi-Yi , Guan Chung-Yu , Peng Yutao
Published: September 2022

Waste straw biomass is an abundant renewable bioresource raw material on Earth. Its stubborn wooden cellulose structure limits straw lignocellulose bioconversion into value-added products (e.g., biofuel, chemicals, and agricultural products). Compared to physicochemical and other preprocessing techniques, the steam explosion method, as a kind of hydrothermal method, was considered as a practical, eco-friendly, and cost-effective method to overcome the above-mentioned barriers during straw lignocellulose bioconversion. Steam explosion pretreatment of straw lignocellulose can effectively improve the conversion efficiency of producing biofuels and value-added chemicals and is expected to replace fossil fuels and partially replace traditional chemical fertilizers. Although the principles of steam explosion destruction of lignocellulosic structures for bioconversion to liquid fuels and producing solid biofuel were well known, applications of steam explosion in productions of value-added chemicals, organic fertilizers, biogas, etc. were less identified. Therefore, this review provides insights into advanced methods of utilizing steam explosion for straw biomass conversion as well as their corresponding processes and mechanisms. Finally, the current limitations and prospects of straw biomass conversion with steam explosion technology were elucidated.
Comparison of Four Density-Based Semi-Empirical Models for the Solubility of Azo Disperse Dyes in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Yan Jun , Du Shuang , Du Hui , Zhang Huan , Jiao Andong , Li Hong , Du Bing , Gao Dawei , Wang Kaihua
Published: September 2022

Compared to traditional water dyeing, supercritical CO2 fluid waterless dyeing is more advanced concerning zero pollution, energy saving and emission reduction. The measurement of the solubility of disperse dyes in supercritical CO2 provides convenience and technological basis for the popularization and development of this technology. In the current work, the solubility of 2-[4-(2-Cyanoethylethylamino)phenyl]diazenyl-5-nitrobenzonitrile (C.I. Dispersed Red 73), 2,2′-[[4-[(4-Nitrophenyl)azo]phenyl]imino] bis-ethano (C.I. Dispersed Red 19) and 3,3′-[[4-[(4-nitrophenyl)azo]phenyl]imino] bispropiononitrile (C.I. Dispersed Orange S-RL) in supercritical CO2 was determined by flow-type supercritical fluid equipment at pressures ranging from 14 to 26 MPa and temperatures ranging from 343.15 to 403.15 K, and the solubility ranges were 1.96–19.78 × 10−6, 1.51–2.63 × 10−6 and 1.49–2.49 × 10−6 mol/mol, respectively. The increase in pressure P and temperature T has obvious effect on the increase in dye solubility. Dyes with high polarity have low solubility. Four density-based, semi-empirical models—the Chrastil, Mendez-Santiago–Teja, Kumar–Johnston and Bartle models—were employed to correlate and predict the solubility data obtained. The results showed that the relationship between the calculated and experimental values correlated best with the Kumar–Johnston model.
“Song of Life”: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Biographical Music Therapy in Palliative Care by the EMW-TOPSIS Method
Authors: Zhang Zhiyuan , Jiang Zhihao , Yin Biju , Chen Zhongxiang , Peng Xiaoyang
Published: September 2022

The “Song of Life (SOL)” is a kind of music therapy in palliative care for addressing emotional and existential needs in terminally ill patients nearing the end of life. Few previous studies focus on objective data analysis methods to validate the effectiveness of psychotherapy therapy for patients’ overall state. This article combines the entropy weighting method (EWM) and the technique for order preference by similarity to the ideal solution (TOPSIS) method to evaluate the effectiveness of SOL music therapy and the treatment satisfaction of the patients and family members. Firstly, the collaborative filtering algorithm (CFA) machine learning algorithm is used to predict the missing ratings a patient might have given to a variable. Secondly, the EWM determines the weights of quality of life, spiritual well-being, ego-integrity, overall quality of life, and momentary distress. Thirdly, the EWM method is applied for the TOPSIS evaluation model to evaluate the patient’s state pre- and post-intervention. Finally, we obtain the state change in patients and recognition based on the feedback questionnaire. The multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) comprehensive evaluation method objectively validated the overall effectiveness of SOL music therapy. Based on MCDM method, we provide a new approach for judging the overall effect of psychological intervention and accurately recommend psychotherapy that fits the symptoms of psychological disorders.
The COVID-19 Impact on Supply Chains, Focusing on the Automotive Segment during the Second and Third Wave of the Pandemic
Authors: Pató Beáta Sz. G. , Herczeg Márk , Csiszárik-Kocsir Ágnes
Published: September 2022

In the last few years, there have been several big changes in the automotive industry, and global automotive supply chains have faced many challenges, mainly due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The virus had several huge impacts on the global market, with different risk management approaches companies and global supply chains needed to adapt to the altered situation. During the second and third wave of the epidemic, several regions and countries were under lockdown for different intervals in order to stop the spread of the virus. Some countries entered lockdown for the first time, and many of them entered lockdown again, as when the first wave occurred. The economy of the Philippines is dependent on electronics-related industries, which faced extraordinary risks from different sources, and these industries suffered severe consequences because of COVID-19. Crucial automotive suppliers outsource their production facilities to the Philippines region, and the dominant semiconductor segments were heavily impaired due to the lockdowns. Electrification in the automotive industry and the spread of electric vehicles is becoming increasingly important due to rapid technological development. The economic shock caused by COVID-19 forced companies in this sector to diversify their supply chain activities in order to stay competitive, minimize the supply chain-related risks and to start recovery processes. The authors analysed the risks, position, opportunities, challenges, difficulties, reactions and solutions of a certain automotive supplier, which was heavily reliant on the Philippines, and Chinese suppliers.
Design of a Concentric Multi-Scale Zoom Optical System Based on Wide Object Distance and High-Precision Imaging
Authors: Zhang Kun , Qu Zheng , Li Jingchen , Wang Jian , Sun Si , Yang Fan
Published: September 2022

To effectively balance the trade-off between a large field of view (FOV) and high resolution of an optical system, as well as to solve the problem of image stitching misalignment after focusing, firstly, this paper conducts a theoretical analysis of the design principle of the concentric multi-scale optical system and the causes of image stitching misalignment after focusing. Secondly, the design idea of using a combination structure of a two-layer front concentric imaging group and an image-space telecentric relay imaging array and then a joint full-motion zoom relay imaging system is proposed. Finally, an image-space telecentric two-step zoom concentric multi-scale optical system with a 7 × 7 relay imaging array is designed. The FOV of this optical system is 60° × 45°; the focal lengths are 50 mm and 100 mm for the center channel and 50 mm for the other channels. This concentric multi-scale zoom system has the advantages of both high-precision imaging stitching with a wide object distance and high-resolution imaging, which makes up for the defects of the conventional concentric multi-scale optical system, making it a promising application in the fields of aviation and security.
Performance Analysis of Active Structural Acoustic Control Applied to a Washing Machine
Authors: Wrona Stanislaw
Published: September 2022

Great efforts are undertaken by scientists and manufacturers to reduce noise generated by devices present in the human environment. This task is particularly difficult in the case of low-frequency noise; however, active noise reduction methods can be a solution to such problems. The purpose of this article is to present the active noise-controlling casing method applied to a washing machine, whose noise generated during the spinning process is to be reduced. The paper presents a set of experimental measurements and analyses. It also provides hardware and software configuration details. The employed active control system can efficiently reduce noise, even by 16 dBA in the low-frequency range up to 300 Hz, which is an important step towards making the technology ready for manufacturing. The conclusions drawn are valid for different active noise-control applications, considering a variety of devices.
Application of Spectral Entropy in Haul Truck Joint Damage Detection
Authors: Stefaniak Paweł , Koperska Wioletta , Skoczylas Artur , Stachowiak Maria
Published: September 2022

Early detection of machine failures is often beneficial, both financially and in terms of worker safety. The article presents the problem of frequently damaged joints in haul trucks, which are a real threat to the health and life of drivers. It was decided to investigate the problem in terms of dynamic overloads using two NGIMU inertial sensors and placing them in two places on the machine in close proximity to a joint. The data were captured during the standard operation of various machines in several mining departments, which allowed for the detection of a variety of factors influencing vibration. A hypothesis was developed that any changes in the joint would cause a change in the characteristics of vibrations, which were measured using the spectral entropy of vertical vibrations. Analyses have shown that there is a relationship between the change in spectral entropy difference (between the front and back of the vehicle) and joint events: nut tightening, nut replacement, and even joint fracture and replacement. The presented results offer the potential to create a tool for joint diagnostics and the early detection of damage or backlash.
Metrological Evaluation of the Demosaicking Effect on Colour Digital Image Correlation with Application in Monitoring of Paintings
Authors: Papanikolaou Athanasia , Garbat Piotr , Kujawinska Malgorzata
Published: September 2022

A modified 3D colour digital image correlation method (3D cDIC) is proposed for efficient displacement measurements of colour objects with natural texture. The method is using a separate analysis of correlation coefficient (sigma) value in the RGB channels of CCD cameras by utilising local information from the channel with the minimum sigma. In this way, merged U, V and W displacement maps are generated based on the local correlation quality. As the proposed method applies to colour filter array cameras, the images in RGB channels have to undergo a demosaicking procedure which directly influences the accuracy of displacement measurements. In the paper, the best performing demosaicking methods are selected. The metrological analysis of their influence on the results of canvas paintings investigations obtained by unmodified and modified 3D cDIC processing is presented.
Power Tower Inspection Simultaneous Localization and Mapping: A Monocular Semantic Positioning Approach for UAV Transmission Tower Inspection
Authors: Liu Zhiying , Miao Xiren , Xie Zhiqiang , Jiang Hao , Chen Jing
Published: September 2022

Realizing autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection is of great significance for power line maintenance. This paper introduces a scheme of using the structure of a tower to realize visual geographical positioning of UAV for tower inspection and presents a monocular semantic simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) framework termed PTI-SLAM (power tower inspection SLAM) to cope with the challenge of a tower inspection scene. The proposed scheme utilizes prior knowledge of tower component geolocation and regards geographical positioning as the estimation of transformation between SLAM and the geographic coordinates. To accomplish the robust positioning and semi-dense semantic mapping with limited computing power, PTI-SLAM combines the feature-based SLAM method with a fusion-based direct method and conveys a loosely coupled architecture of a semantic task and a SLAM task. The fusion-based direct method is specially designed to overcome the fragility of the direct method against adverse conditions concerning the inspection scene. Experiment results show that PTI-SLAM inherits the robustness advantage of the feature-based method and the semi-dense mapping ability of the direct method and achieves decimeter-level real-time positioning in the airborne system. The experiment concerning geographical positioning indicates more competitive accuracy compared to the previous visual approach and artificial UAV operating, demonstrating the potential of PTI-SLAM.
Singular Nuclei Segmentation for Automatic HER2 Quantification Using CISH Whole Slide Images
Authors: Hossain Md Shakhawat , Syeed M. M. Mahbubul , Fatema Kaniz , Hossain Md Sakir , Uddin Mohammad Faisal
Published: September 2022

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) quantification is performed routinely for all breast cancer patients to determine their suitability for HER2-targeted therapy. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) are the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved tests for HER2 quantification in which at least 20 cancer-affected singular nuclei are quantified for HER2 grading. CISH is more advantageous than FISH for cost, time and practical usability. In clinical practice, nuclei suitable for HER2 quantification are selected manually by pathologists which is time-consuming and laborious. Previously, a method was proposed for automatic HER2 quantification using a support vector machine (SVM) to detect suitable singular nuclei from CISH slides. However, the SVM-based method occasionally failed to detect singular nuclei resulting in inaccurate results. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a robust nuclei detection method for reliable automatic HER2 quantification. In this paper, we propose a robust U-net-based singular nuclei detection method with complementary color correction and deconvolution adapted for accurate HER2 grading using CISH whole slide images (WSIs). The efficacy of the proposed method was demonstrated for automatic HER2 quantification during a comparison with the SVM-based approach.
Gait-ViT: Gait Recognition with Vision Transformer
Authors: Mogan Jashila Nair , Lee Chin Poo , Lim Kian Ming , Muthu Kalaiarasi Sonai
Published: September 2022

Identifying an individual based on their physical/behavioral characteristics is known as biometric recognition. Gait is one of the most reliable biometrics due to its advantages, such as being perceivable at a long distance and difficult to replicate. The existing works mostly leverage Convolutional Neural Networks for gait recognition. The Convolutional Neural Networks perform well in image recognition tasks; however, they lack the attention mechanism to emphasize more on the significant regions of the image. The attention mechanism encodes information in the image patches, which facilitates the model to learn the substantial features in the specific regions. In light of this, this work employs the Vision Transformer (ViT) with an attention mechanism for gait recognition, referred to as Gait-ViT. In the proposed Gait-ViT, the gait energy image is first obtained by averaging the series of images over the gait cycle. The images are then split into patches and transformed into sequences by flattening and patch embedding. Position embedding, along with patch embedding, are applied on the sequence of patches to restore the positional information of the patches. Subsequently, the sequence of vectors is fed to the Transformer encoder to produce the final gait representation. As for the classification, the first element of the sequence is sent to the multi-layer perceptron to predict the class label. The proposed method obtained 99.93% on CASIA-B, 100% on OU-ISIR D and 99.51% on OU-LP, which exhibit the ability of the Vision Transformer model to outperform the state-of-the-art methods.
Toward Mental Effort Measurement Using Electrodermal Activity Features
Authors: Romine William , Schroeder Noah , Banerjee Tanvi , Graft Josephine
Published: September 2022

The ability to monitor mental effort during a task using a wearable sensor may improve productivity for both work and study. The use of the electrodermal activity (EDA) signal for tracking mental effort is an emerging area of research. Through analysis of over 92 h of data collected with the Empatica E4 on a single participant across 91 different activities, we report on the efficacy of using EDA features getting at signal intensity, signal dispersion, and peak intensity for prediction of the participant’s self-reported mental effort. We implemented the logistic regression algorithm as an interpretable machine learning approach and found that features related to signal intensity and peak intensity were most useful for the prediction of whether the participant was in a self-reported high mental effort state; increased signal and peak intensity were indicative of high mental effort. When cross-validated by activity moderate predictive efficacy was achieved (AUC = 0.63, F1 = 0.63, precision = 0.64, recall = 0.63) which was significantly stronger than using the model bias alone. Predicting mental effort using physiological data is a complex problem, and our findings add to research from other contexts showing that EDA may be a promising physiological indicator to use for sensor-based self-monitoring of mental effort throughout the day. Integration of other physiological features related to heart rate, respiration, and circulation may be necessary to obtain more accurate predictions.
A High-Accuracy, High Anti-Noise, Unbiased Frequency Estimator Based on Three CZT Coefficients for Deep Space Exploration Mission
Authors: Lu Weitao , Chen Lue , Wang Zhen , Cao Jianfeng , Ren Tianpeng
Published: September 2022

Deep space exploration navigation requires high accuracy of the Doppler measurement, which is equivalent to a frequency estimation problem. Because of the fence effect and spectrum leakage, the frequency estimation performances, which is based on the FFT spectrum methods, are significantly affected by the signal frequency. In this paper, we propose a novel method that utilizes the mathematical relation of the three Chirp-Z Transform (CZT) coefficients around the peak spectral line. The realization, unbiased performance, and algorithm parameter setting rule of the proposed method are described and analyzed in detail. The Monte Carlo simulation results show that the proposed method has a better anti-noise and unbiased performance compared with some traditional estimator methods. Furthermore, the proposed method is utilized to process the raw data of MEX and Tianwen-1 satellites received by Chinese Deep Space Stations (CDSS). The results show that the Doppler estimation accuracy of MEX and Tianwen-1 are both about 3 millihertz (mHz) in 1-s integration, which is consistent with that of ESA/EVN/CDSN and a little better than that of the Chinese VLBI network (CVN). Generally, this proposed method can be effectively utilized to support Chinese future deep space navigation missions and radio science experiments.
Simplifying the Experimental Detection of the Vortex Topological Charge Based on the Simultaneous Astigmatic Transformation of Several Types and Levels in the Same Focal Plane
Authors: Khorin Pavel A. , Khonina Svetlana N. , Porfirev Alexey P. , Kazanskiy Nikolay L.
Published: September 2022

It is known that the astigmatic transformation can be used to analyze the topological charge of a vortex beam, which can be implemented by using various optical methods. In this case, in order to form an astigmatic beam pattern suitable for the clear detection of a topological charge, an optical adjustment is often required (changing the lens tilt and/or the detection distance). In this article, we propose to use multi-channel diffractive optical elements (DOEs) for the simultaneous implementation of the astigmatic transformations of various types and levels. Such multi-channel DOEs make it possible to insert several types of astigmatic aberrations of different levels into the analyzed vortex beam simultaneously, and to form a set of aberration-transformed beam patterns in different diffraction orders in one detection plane. The proposed approach greatly simplifies the analysis of the characteristics of a vortex beam based on measurements in the single plane without additional adjustments. In this article, a detailed study of the effect of various types of astigmatic aberrations based on a numerical simulation and experiments was carried out, which confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Activity-Free User Identification Using Wearables Based on Vision Techniques
Authors: Sanchez Guinea Alejandro , Heinrich Simon , Mühlhäuser Max
Published: September 2022

In order to achieve the promise of smart spaces where the environment acts to fulfill the needs of users in an unobtrusive and personalized manner, it is necessary to provide means for a seamless and continuous identification of users to know who indeed is interacting with the system and to whom the smart services are to be provided. In this paper, we propose a new approach capable of performing activity-free identification of users based on hand and arm motion patterns obtained from an wrist-worn inertial measurement unit (IMU). Our approach is not constrained to particular types of movements, gestures, or activities, thus, allowing users to perform freely and unconstrained their daily routine while the user identification takes place. We evaluate our approach based on IMU data collected from 23 people performing their daily routines unconstrained. Our results indicate that our approach is able to perform activity-free user identification with an accuracy of 0.9485 for 23 users without requiring any direct input or specific action from users. Furthermore, our evaluation provides evidence regarding the robustness of our approach in various different configurations.
Navigation Path Based Universal Mobile Manipulator Integrated Controller (NUMMIC)
Authors: Kim Taehyeon , Kim Myunghyun , Yang Sungwoo , Kim Donghan
Published: September 2022

As the demand for service robots increases, a mobile manipulator robot which can perform various tasks in a dynamic environment attracts great attention. There are some controllers that control mobile platform and manipulator arm simultaneously for efficient performance, but most of them are difficult to apply universally since they are based on only one mobile manipulator model. This lack of versatility can be a big problem because most mobile manipulator robots are made by connecting a mobile platform and manipulator from different companies. To overcome this problem, this paper proposes a simultaneous controller which can be applied not only to one model but also to various types of mobile manipulator robots. The proposed controller has three main characteristics, which are as follows: (1) establishing a pose that motion planning can be carried out in any position, avoiding obstacles and stopping in a stable manner at the target coordinates, (2) preventing the robot from collision with surrounding obstacles while driving, (3) defining a safety area where the manipulator does not hit the obstacles while driving and executing the manipulation accordingly. Our controller is fully compatible with Robot Operating System (ROS) and has been used successfully with three different types of mobile manipulator robots. In addition, we conduct motion planning experiments on five targets, each in two simulation worlds, and two motion planning scenarios using real robots in real-world environments. The result shows a significant improvement in time compared to existing control methods in various types of mobile manipulator and demonstrates that the controller works successfully in the real environment. The proposed controller is available on GitHub.
Electronic Tunability and Cancellation of Serial Losses in Wire Coils
Authors: Sotner Roman , Jerabek Jan , Polak Ladislav , Theumer Radek , Langhammer Lukas
Published: September 2022

This work presents a novel methodology to adjust the inductance of real coils (electronically) and to cancel out serial losses (up to tens or even hundreds of Ohms in practice) electronically. This is important in various fields of electromagnetic sensors (inductive sensors), energy harvesting, measurement and especially in the instrumentation of various devices. State-of-the-art methods do not solve the problem of cancellation of real serial resistance, which is the most important parasitic feature in low- and middle-frequency bands. In this case, the employment of serial negative resistance is not possible due to stability issues. To solve this issue, two solutions allowing the cancellation of serial resistance by the value of the passive element and an electronically adjustable parameter are introduced. The operational ranges are between 0.1 and 1 mH and 0.1 and 10 mH, valid in bandwidths from hundreds of Hz up to hundreds of kHz. The proposed concepts are experimentally tested in two applications: an electronically tunable oscillator of LC type and an electronically tunable band-pass RLC filter. The presented methodology offers significant improvements in the process of circuit design employing inductors and can be beneficially used for on-chip design, where serial resistance issues can be very significant.
Development and Applications of Compton Camera—A Review
Authors: Parajuli Raj Kumar , Sakai Makoto , Parajuli Ramila , Tashiro Mutsumi
Published: September 2022

The history of Compton cameras began with the detection of radiation sources originally for applications in astronomy. A Compton camera is a promising γ-ray detector that operates in the wide energy range of a few tens of keV to MeV. The γ-ray detection method of a Compton camera is based on Compton scattering kinematics, which is used to determine the direction and energy of the γ-rays without using a mechanical collimator. Although the Compton camera was originally designed for astrophysical applications, it was later applied in medical imaging as well. Moreover, its application in environmental radiation measurements is also under study. Although a few review papers regarding Compton cameras have been published, they either focus very specifically on the detectors used in such cameras or the particular applications of Compton cameras. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review the features and types of Compton cameras and introduce their applications, associated imaging algorithms, improvement scopes, and their future aspects.
Locating and Imaging Fiber Breaks in CFRP Using Guided Wave Tomography and Eddy Current Testing
Authors: Pasadas Dario J. , Barzegar Mohsen , Ribeiro Artur L. , Ramos Helena G.
Published: September 2022

In this paper, guided Lamb wave tomography and eddy current testing (ECT) techniques were combined to locate and evaluate fiber breaks in carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) structures. Guided wave testing (GWT) and computed tomography (CT) imaging were employed to quickly locate fiber breaks in the CFRP plate. From B-scans performed along two different fiber orientations (0 and 90 degrees), parallel-beam projections of different features were extracted from the guided wave signals, using signal-processing techniques (such as wavelet and Hilbert transforms) and statistical functions (such as skewness and kurtosis). The parallel-beam projections of each individual feature were used as input in computed tomography imaging reconstruction to approximately estimate the location of fiber breaks. From the obtained reconstructed images, image-fusion techniques were applied to get complementary information from multiple source images into one single image. After locating the fiber breaks, C-scans were performed in the vicinity of the damage, using an ECT probe with double excitation configuration to evaluate the condition of the fiber break.
ParcEMon: IoT Platform for Real-Time Parcel Level Last-Mile Delivery Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting and Management
Authors: Yavari Ali , Bagha Hamid , Korala Harindu , Mirza Irfan , Dia Hussein , Scifleet Paul , Sargent Jason , Shafiei Mahnaz
Published: September 2022

Transport is Australia’s third-largest source of greenhouse gases accounting for around 17% of emissions. In recent times, and particularly as a result of the global pandemic, the rapid growth within the e-commerce sector has contributed to last-mile delivery becoming one of the main emission sources. Delivery vehicles operating at the last-mile travel long routes to deliver to customers an array of consignment parcels in varying numbers and weights, and therefore these vehicles play a major role in increasing emissions and air pollutants. The work reported in this paper aims to address these challenges by developing an IoT platform to measure and report on real-world last-mile delivery emissions. Such evaluations help to understand the factors contributing to freight emissions so that appropriate mitigation measures are implemented. Unlike previous research that was completed in controlled laboratory settings, the data collected in this research were from a delivery vehicle under real-world traffic and driving conditions. The IoT platform was tested to provide contextualised reporting by taking into account three main contexts including vehicle, environment and driving behaviours. This approach to data collection enabled the analysis of parcel level emissions and correlation of the vehicle characteristics, road conditions, ambient temperature and other environmental factors and driving behaviour that have an impact on emissions. The raw data collected from the sensors were analysed in real-time in the IoT platform, and the results showed a trade-off between parcel weight and total distance travelled which must be considered when selecting the best delivery order for reducing emissions. Overall, the study demonstrated the feasibility of the IoT platform in collecting the desired levels of data and providing detailed analysis of emissions at the parcel level. This type of micro-level understanding provides an important knowledge base for the enhancement of delivery processes and reduction of last-mile delivery emissions.