bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation and Capacitive Properties of Ni-Doped Zinc Cobaltate/Carbon Fiber Composite Porous Mesh Materials
Authors: Chen Donghua , Liu Yang , Wang Jun , Ma Tenghao , Zhi Hui , Xiao Wei , Wang Yabin , Wang Jing
Published: May 2024

Nickel-element-doped zinc cobaltate/carbon fiber composites (Ni-ZnCo2O4/CF) were prepared on carbon cloth (made of a combination of carbon fibers) conductive substrates using a simple ambient stirring method combined with heat treatment. Characterization tests of the materials revealed that the prepared products were porous Ni-ZnCo2O4/CF mesh structures. This porous network structure increases the surface area of the material and helps shorten the diffusion path of ions and electrons. The samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods to investigate the effect of Ni elemental doping on the stability of the materials. The results show that there are no other impurity peaks and no other impurity elements in the Ni-ZnCo2O4/CF electrode material, which indicates that the sample purity is high. Meanwhile, the electrochemical properties of Ni-ZnCo2O4/CF electrode materials were studied. Under the condition of 15 A·g−1, the specific capacitance of Ni-ZnCo2O4/CF electrode material is 1470 F·g−1, and after 100 cycles, its specific capacity reaches 1456 F·g−1, which is 99.0% of the specific capacity of 1470 F·g−1, indicating that the electrode material has good stability. In addition, we assembled asymmetric supercapacitors (Ni-ZnCo2O4/CF//CNTs) with Ni-ZnCo2O4/CF as the positive material and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the negative material. In the cyclic stability experiment of Ni-ZnCo2O4/CF/CNTs devices, when the current density was 1 A·g−1, the specific capacitance was 182 F·g−1. After 10,000 cyclic charge–discharge tests, the specific capacity became 167 F·g−1, which was basically unchanged compared with the initial specific capacity, reaching 91.8%. It shows that it has higher charge–discharge performance and higher cycle stability.
Selection of Crosslinking Agents for Acrylic Resin Used in External Coatings for Aluminum Packaging in the Beverage Industry
Authors: Santarelli Michelli , Bonse Baltus Cornelius , Rocha Poço Joao Guilherme
Published: May 2024

Paints and coatings are widely used in various applications such as walls, cars, packaging, and food products. The quality of food packaging is essential due to its direct or indirect contact with food. The demand for high-quality food packaging is increasing due to the higher production and consumption rates. However, containers used in the beverage industry often face problems like scratches and abrasions during transportation. This study aimed to investigate different formulations of external coatings for beverage cans to improve their physical resistance properties and prevent corrosion and surface damage problems. The study involved reacting an acrylic resin with six different amino resins, including methylated melamine, butylated melamine, glycoluril, methylated urea, butylated urea, and benzoguanamine, in various proportions. The results of 25 formulated samples were compared based on properties such as adhesion, durability, and chemical resistance. The outcomes of the study showed significant differences among the crosslinking agents. Among all the crosslinking agents, methylated melamine showed the most favorable results in the analyses, proving effective in almost all tests.
Preparation of a Consolidation Material of Organosilica-Modified Acrylate Emulsion for Earthen Sites and the Evaluation of Its Effectiveness
Authors: Du Xin , Wu Qian , Fu Gui , Ma Qingwen , Shen Guopeng , Li Hua
Published: May 2024

In this paper, a new consolidation material for earthen sites with silicone-modified acrylic emulsion was synthesized and applied to the consolidation test of soil samples of the site. The effectiveness was tested through the properties of soil samples on the changes in weight, color, permeability test, air permeability, hydrolysis resistance, water resistance, and salt resistance. The results show that the samples treated with the new material have an outstanding effect on hydrolysis resistance, water resistance, and salt resistance without the change in color and gas permeability. After being soaked in Na2SO4 and sodium chloride solution for half a month, the reinforced soil sample did not crack, and it could undergo 15 days of water resistance test and five cycles of sodium sulfate resistance.
Elasto-Plastic Analysis of Two-Way Reinforced Concrete Slabs Strengthened with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Laminates
Authors: Sharhan Zahraa Saleem , Movahedi Rad Majid
Published: May 2024

This study explores a technique for enhancing the punching strength of reinforced concrete (RC) flat slabs, namely carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). Four large-scale RC flat slabs were fabricated, to assess the efficacy of this strengthening method. One slab served as a reference and the three other specimens were strengthened with CFRP, as a method of external strengthening. These slabs, featuring identical overall dimensions and flexural steel reinforcement, underwent testing until failure, under the influence of concentrated patch loads. A concrete plastic damage constitutive model (CDP) was developed and employed to examine the strength of two-way RC slabs. Additionally, to enhance the strength of existing RC slabs, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips are affixed to the tension surface of the sections. The research begins with the calibration of a numerical model, based on data from laboratory tests. The objective of this study is to constrain the plastic behavior of two-way RC slabs reinforced with CFRP, with a focus on establishing an optimal elasto-plastic analysis, aimed at controlling concrete damage plasticity using CFRP, and employing a plastic limit load multiplier. Subsequently, a series of numerical simulations, incorporating different variables, are conducted to investigate shear behavior. The numerical results indicate that an increase in the strengthening ratio has a significant impact on shear strength. Finite element simulations are carried out using Abaqus CAE®/2018.
Effect of Fermentation and Extraction Techniques on the Physicochemical Composition of Copoazú Butter (Theobroma grandiflorum) as an Ingredient for the Cosmetic Industry
Authors: Orduz-Díaz Luisa L. , Lozano-Garzón Kimberly , Quintero-Mendoza Willian , Díaz Raquel , Cardona-Jaramillo Juliana E. C. , Carrillo Marcela P. , Guerrero Diana Carolina , Hernández Maria Soledad
Published: May 2024

The Copoazú is a Theobroma species of Amazonian origin, and its derived products have a high content of lipids valuable for both the cosmetic and food industries. The composition of the butter extracted from its seeds can vary depending on the postharvest process and the diverse extraction techniques employed. In this study, the composition of this butter processed with and without seed fermentation was analyzed using two extraction techniques: expeller pressing and hydraulic pressing. Parameters such as lipid profile, quality indexes, melting point, and the content of phytosterols and glyceric compounds were compared with a highly sought-after commercial raw material assessed through standardized volumetric and spectroscopic methodologies. The results showed that non-fermentation and cold-pressing conditions preserved the properties of the butter. This analysis is the first step in a standardized process for developing high-quality cosmetic ingredients derived from Copoazú butter.
Critical Risk Assessment, Diagnosis, and Survival Analysis of Breast Cancer
Authors: Manir Shamiha Binta , Deshpande Priya
Published: May 2024

Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer in women. Risk factor assessment can aid in directing counseling regarding risk reduction and breast cancer surveillance. This research aims to (1) investigate the relationship between various risk factors and breast cancer incidence using the BCSC (Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium) Risk Factor Dataset and create a prediction model for assessing the risk of developing breast cancer; (2) diagnose breast cancer using the Breast Cancer Wisconsin diagnostic dataset; and (3) analyze breast cancer survivability using the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) Breast Cancer Dataset. Applying resampling techniques on the training dataset before using various machine learning techniques can affect the performance of the classifiers. The three breast cancer datasets were examined using a variety of pre-processing approaches and classification models to assess their performance in terms of accuracy, precision, F-1 scores, etc. The PCA (principal component analysis) and resampling strategies produced remarkable results. For the BCSC Dataset, the Random Forest algorithm exhibited the best performance out of the applied classifiers, with an accuracy of 87.53%. Out of the different resampling techniques applied to the training dataset for training the Random Forest classifier, the Tomek Link exhibited the best test accuracy, at 87.47%. We compared all the models used with previously used techniques. After applying the resampling techniques, the accuracy scores of the test data decreased even if the training data accuracy increased. For the Breast Cancer Wisconsin diagnostic dataset, the K-Nearest Neighbor algorithm had the best accuracy with the original dataset test set, at 94.71%, and the PCA dataset test set exhibited 95.29% accuracy for detecting breast cancer. Using the SEER Dataset, this study also explores survival analysis, employing supervised and unsupervised learning approaches to offer insights into the variables affecting breast cancer survivability. This study emphasizes the significance of individualized approaches in the management and treatment of breast cancer by incorporating phenotypic variations and recognizing the heterogeneity of the disease. Through data-driven insights and advanced machine learning, this study contributes significantly to the ongoing efforts in breast cancer research, diagnostics, and personalized medicine.
Comparing Visual and Software-Based Quantitative Assessment Scores of Lungs’ Parenchymal Involvement Quantification in COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Nicolò Marco , Adraman Altin , Risoli Camilla , Menta Anna , Renda Francesco , Tadiello Michele , Palmieri Sara , Lechiara Marco , Colombi Davide , Grazioli Luigi , Natale Matteo Pio , Scardino Matteo , Demeco Andrea , Foresti Ruben , Montanari Attilio , Barbato Luca , Santarelli Mirko , Martini Chiara
Published: May 2024

(1) Background: Computed tomography (CT) plays a paramount role in the characterization and follow-up of COVID-19. Several score systems have been implemented to properly assess the lung parenchyma involved in patients suffering from SARS-CoV-2 infection, such as the visual quantitative assessment score (VQAS) and software-based quantitative assessment score (SBQAS) to help in managing patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study aims to investigate and compare the diagnostic accuracy of the VQAS and SBQAS with two different types of software based on artificial intelligence (AI) in patients affected by SARS-CoV-2. (2) Methods: This is a retrospective study; a total of 90 patients were enrolled with the following criteria: patients’ age more than 18 years old, positive test for COVID-19 and unenhanced chest CT scan obtained between March and June 2021. The VQAS was independently assessed, and the SBQAS was performed with two different artificial intelligence-driven software programs (Icolung and CT-COPD). The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) statistical index and Bland–Altman Plot were employed. (3) Results: The agreement scores between radiologists (R1 and R2) for the VQAS of the lung parenchyma involved in the CT images were good (ICC = 0.871). The agreement score between the two software types for the SBQAS was moderate (ICC = 0.584). The accordance between Icolung and the median of the visual evaluations (Median R1–R2) was good (ICC = 0.885). The correspondence between CT-COPD and the median of the VQAS (Median R1–R2) was moderate (ICC = 0.622). (4) Conclusions: This study showed moderate and good agreement upon the VQAS and the SBQAS; enhancing this approach as a valuable tool to manage COVID-19 patients and the combination of AI tools with physician expertise can lead to the most accurate diagnosis and treatment plans for patients.
Association of Calf Circumference with Clinical and Biochemical Markers in Older Adults with COVID-19 Admitted at Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Araújo Vanessa A. , Souza Jefferson S. , Giglio Bruna M. , Lobo Patrícia C. B. , Pimentel Gustavo D.
Published: May 2024

Background: COVID-19 is an infectious disease characterized by a severe catabolic and inflammatory state, leading to loss of muscle mass. The assessment of muscle mass can be useful to identify nutritional risk and assist in early management, especially in older adults who have high nutritional risks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of calf circumference (CC) with clinical and biochemical markers and mortality in older adults with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in a public hospital. CC was adjusted for body mass index (BMI), reducing 3, 7, or 12 cm for a BMI of 25–29.9, 30–39.9, and ≥40 kg/m2, respectively, and classified as reduced when <33 cm for women and <34 cm for men. Pearson’s correlation between BMI and CC was performed to assess the association between variables. Regression analysis was adjusted for sex, age, and BMI variables. Cox regression was used to assess survival related to CC. Results: A total of 208 older adults diagnosed with COVID-19 admitted to ICU were included, of which 84% (n = 176) were classified as having reduced CC. These patients were older, with lower BMI, higher nutritional risk, malnourished, and higher concentration of urea and urea–creatinine ratio (UCR) compared with the group with normal CC. There was an association between edematous patients at nutritional risk and malnourished with reduced CC in the Cox regression, either adjusted or not for confounding. Conclusions: CC was not associated with severity, biochemical markers, or mortality in older adults with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU, but it was associated with moderately malnourished patients assessed by subjective global assessment (SGA).
Full-Mouth Rehabilitation of a 15-Year-Old Girl Affected by a Rare Hypoparathyroidism (Glial Cell Missing Homolog 2 Mutation): A 3-Year Follow-Up
Authors: Flottes Yohann , Valleron Eléonore , Gogly Bruno , Wulfman Claudine , Dursun Elisabeth
Published: May 2024

Objective: Familial isolated hypoparathyroidism is a rare genetic disorder due to no or low production of the parathyroid hormone, disturbing calcium and phosphate regulation. The resulting hypocalcemia may lead to dental abnormalities, such as enamel hypoplasia. The aim of this paper was to describe the full-mouth rehabilitation of a 15-year-old girl with chronic hypocalcemia due to a rare congenital hypoparathyroidism. Clinical considerations: In this patient, in the young adult dentition, conservative care was preferred. Onlays or stainless-steel crowns were performed on the posterior teeth, and direct or indirect (overlays and veneerlays) were performed on the maxillary premolars, canines, and incisors, using a digital wax-up. The mandibular incisors were bleached. The treatment clearly improved the patient’s oral quality of life, with fewer sensitivities, better chewing, and aesthetic satisfaction. The difficulties were the regular monitoring and the limited compliance of the patient. Conclusion: Despite no clinical feedback in the literature, generalized hypomineralized/hypoplastic teeth due to hypoparathyroidism in a young patient can be treated as amelogenesis imperfecta (generalized enamel defects) with a conservative approach for medium-term satisfactory results. Highlights: This study provides new insights into the management of enamel hypoplasia caused by familial isolated hypoparathyroidism, helping to improve patient outcomes in similar cases.
Dynamics Event-Triggered-Based Time-Varying Bearing Formation Control for UAVs
Authors: Ding Can , Zhang Zhe , Zhang Jing
Published: May 2024

This article addresses the leader-follower formation maneuver control problem of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), taking into account the time-varying velocity and time-varying relative bearing. An event-triggered bearing-based distributed velocity observer was designed, using only the desired position and velocity of the leaders. Furthermore, a dynamic event-triggered mechanism was introduced to reduce continuous communication between UAVs, thus effectively saving communication bandwidth and resources. Building on this, a bearing-only formation maneuver control strategy was proposed, integrating the event-triggered velocity observer with the backstepping control approach. To conclude, numerical simulations have been conducted to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in accomplishing formation maneuver control objectives, including translation, scaling, and rotation control. Furthermore, the advantages of the dynamic event-triggering strategy have been demonstrated through comparative simulations with traditional event-triggering strategies. Additionally, the effectiveness of the proposed observer and controller has been demonstrated by a comprehensive hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) simulation example.
Parental Responses to Online Sexual Grooming Events Experienced by Their Teenage Children
Authors: Dolev-Cohen Michal , Yosef Tamar , Meiselles Michala
Published: May 2024

Online sexual grooming (a manipulative process in which the perpetrator locates a young person and creates an abusive relationship with the child that involves sexual exploitation) poses significant challenges to parents. This study examined how parents of adolescent victims of online sexual grooming experienced guiding their children through the event. This qualitative study, conducted in Israel, was based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 parents who guided their adolescents who had been subjected to online sexual grooming. Results indicate that the parents reported a spectrum of emotions, from insecurity and guilt to a sense of control and satisfaction in managing the situation. Also, the reluctance of some parents to engage with the education system indicates potential trust issues. The study demonstrates the urgent need for targeted interventions to equip parents and educational professionals with the necessary knowledge for prevention and effective response to online sexual grooming. Implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed.
A 5K Efficient Low-Light Enhancement Model by Estimating Increment between Dark Image and Transmission Map Based on Local Maximum Color Value Prior
Authors: Deng Qikang , Choo Dongwon , Ji Hyochul , Lee Dohoon
Published: May 2024

Low-light enhancement (LLE) has seen significant advancements over decades, leading to substantial improvements in image quality that even surpass ground truth. However, these advancements have come with a downside as the models grew in size and complexity, losing their lightweight and real-time capabilities crucial for applications like surveillance, autonomous driving, smartphones, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). To address this challenge, we propose an exceptionally lightweight model with just around 5K parameters, which is capable of delivering high-quality LLE results. Our method focuses on estimating the incremental changes from dark images to transmission maps based on the low maximum color value prior, and we introduce a novel three-channel transmission map to capture more details and information compared to the traditional one-channel transmission map. This innovative design allows for more effective matching of incremental estimation results, enabling distinct transmission adjustments to be applied to the R, G, and B channels of the image. This streamlined approach ensures that our model remains lightweight, making it suitable for deployment on low-performance devices without compromising real-time performance. Our experiments confirm the effectiveness of our model, achieving high-quality LLE comparable to the IAT (local) model. Impressively, our model achieves this level of performance while utilizing only 0.512 GFLOPs and 4.7K parameters, representing just 39.1% of the GFLOPs and 23.5% of the parameters used by the IAT (local) model.
CogCol: Code Graph-Based Contrastive Learning Model for Code Summarization
Authors: Shi Yucen , Yin Ying , Yu Mingqian , Chu Liangyu
Published: May 2024

Summarizing source code by natural language aims to help developers better understand existing code, making software development more efficient. Since source code is highly structured, recent research uses code structure information like Abstract Semantic Tree (AST) to enhance the structure understanding rather than a normal translation task. However, AST can only represent the syntactic relationship of code snippets, which can not reflect high-level relationships like control and data dependency in the program dependency graph. Moreover, researchers treat the AST as the unique structure information of one code snippet corresponding to one summarization. It will be easily affected by simple perturbations as it lacks the understanding of code with similar structure. To handle the above problems, we build CogCol, a Code graph-based Contrastive learning model. CogCol is a Transformer-based model that converts code graphs into unique sequences to enhance the model’s structure learning. In detail, CogCol uses supervised contrastive learning by building several kinds of code graphs as positive samples to enhance the structural representation of code snippets and generalizability. Moreover, experiments on the widely used open-source dataset show that CogCol can significantly improve the state-of-the-art code summarization models under Meteor, BLEU, and ROUGE.
Comparative Analysis of Thermal Properties in Molybdenum Substrate to Silicon and Glass for a System-on-Foil Integration
Authors: Huang Tzu-Jung , Kiebala Tobias , Suflita Paul , Moore Chad , Housser Graeme , McMahon Shane , Puchades Ivan
Published: May 2024

Advanced electronics technology is moving towards smaller footprints and higher computational power. In order to achieve this, advanced packaging techniques are currently being considered, including organic, glass, and semiconductor-based substrates that allow for 2.5D or 3D integration of chips and devices. Metal-core substrates are a new alternative with similar properties to those of semiconductor-based substrates but with the added benefits of higher flexibility and metal ductility. This work comprehensively compares the thermal properties of a novel metal-based substrate, molybdenum, and silicon and fused silica glass substrates in the context of system-on-foil (SoF) integration. A simple electronic technique is used to simulate the heat generated by a typical CPU and to measure the heat dissipation properties of the substrates. The results indicate that molybdenum and silicon are able to effectively dissipate a continuous power density of 2.3 W/mm2 as the surface temperature only increases by ~15 °C. In contrast, the surface temperature of fused silica glass substrates increases by >140 °C for the same applied power. These simple techniques and measurements were validated with infrared camera measurements as well as through finite element analysis via COMSOL simulation. The results validate the use of molybdenum as an advanced packaging substrate and can be used to characterize new substrates and approaches for advanced packaging.
Design and Development of Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Intelligence on the Robotarium Platform for Embedded System Applications
Authors: Canese Lorenzo , Cardarilli Gian Carlo , Dehghan Pir Mohammad Mahdi , Di Nunzio Luca , Spanò Sergio
Published: May 2024

This research explores the use of Q-Learning for real-time swarm (Q-RTS) multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) algorithm for robotic applications. This study investigates the efficacy of Q-RTS in the reducing convergence time to a satisfactory movement policy through the successful implementation of four and eight trained agents. Q-RTS has been shown to significantly reduce search time in terms of training iterations, from almost a million iterations with one agent to 650,000 iterations with four agents and 500,000 iterations with eight agents. The scalability of the algorithm was addressed by testing it on several agents’ configurations. A central focus was placed on the design of a sophisticated reward function, considering various postures of the agents and their critical role in optimizing the Q-learning algorithm. Additionally, this study delved into the robustness of trained agents, revealing their ability to adapt to dynamic environmental changes. The findings have broad implications for improving the efficiency and adaptability of robotic systems in various applications such as IoT and embedded systems. The algorithm was tested and implemented using the Georgia Tech Robotarium platform, showing its feasibility for the above-mentioned applications.
Dual-Level Viewpoint-Learning for Cross-Domain Vehicle Re-Identification
Authors: Zhou Ruihua , Wang Qi , Cao Lei , Xu Jianqiang , Zhu Xiaogang , Xiong Xin , Zhang Huiqi , Zhong Yuling
Published: May 2024

The definition of vehicle viewpoint annotations is ambiguous due to human subjective judgment, which makes the cross-domain vehicle re-identification methods unable to learn the viewpoint invariance features during source domain pre-training. This will further lead to cross-view misalignment in downstream target domain tasks. To solve the above challenges, this paper presents a dual-level viewpoint-learning framework that contains an angle invariance pre-training method and a meta-orientation adaptation learning strategy. The dual-level viewpoint-annotation proposal is first designed to concretely redefine the vehicle viewpoint from two aspects (i.e., angle-level and orientation-level). An angle invariance pre-training method is then proposed to preserve identity similarity and difference across the cross-view; this consists of a part-level pyramidal network and an angle bias metric loss. Under the supervision of angle bias metric loss, the part-level pyramidal network, as the backbone, learns the subtle differences of vehicles from different angle-level viewpoints. Finally, a meta-orientation adaptation learning strategy is designed to extend the generalization ability of the re-identification model to the unseen orientation-level viewpoints. Simultaneously, the proposed meta-learning strategy enforces meta-orientation training and meta-orientation testing according to the orientation-level viewpoints in the target domain. Extensive experiments on public vehicle re-identification datasets demonstrate that the proposed method combines the redefined dual-level viewpoint-information and significantly outperforms other state-of-the-art methods in alleviating viewpoint variations.
Effects of RNA Interference with Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase Gene on Expression of Fatty Acid Metabolism-Related Genes in Macrobrachium rosenbergii under Cold Stress
Authors: Zhong Hua , Yao Xinyi , Tu Haihui , Xia Zhenglong , Cai Miaoying , Sheng Qiang , Yi Shaokui , Yang Guoliang , Tang Qiongying
Published: May 2024

Macrobrachium rosenbergii is a warm water species, and low temperature is a limiting factor for its growth and survival. In order to explore the role of the acetyl-CoA-carboxylase (ACC) gene in response to the cold stress of M. rosenbergii, we investigated the effects of RNA interference (RNAi) with the ACC gene on the expression of fatty acid metabolism-related genes and the mortality of M. rosenbergii under cold stress. The results showed that different siRNA sequences and different injection concentrations had different inhibiting effects on ACC gene expression, and siRNA-III with an injection concentration of 2.0 μg/g (siRNA/prawn body weight) had the best interference effect. With the optimal siRNA and the optimal concentration under cold stress, the expressions of three fatty acid metabolism-related genes, FabD, echA, and ACOT, were generally significantly down-regulated. Compared to negative (scrambled-siRNA) and blank (PBS) control groups, the expression of FabD in the interference group was extremely significantly down-regulated at 12 h in the hepatopancreas and at 18 h in the muscles and gills; EchA was highly significantly down-regulated at 6 and 12 h in the muscles and gills; and ACOT was extremely significantly down-regulated and kept declining in the gills. Within 6–18 h after injection under cold stress, the mortality rate of the siRNA interference group (75%) was much lower than that of the negative (95%) or blank control group (97.5%), and all prawns died after 24 h. In conclusion, RNA interference with the ACC gene inhibited the expression of some fatty acid metabolism-related genes, and could partly improve the tolerance of M. rosenbergii to cold stress, indicating that the ACC gene might play an important role in the response of M. rosenbergii to cold stress.
Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Grooves in Fe2O4/Water Nanofluid Pool Boiling
Authors: Rashid Marwa khaleel , Ali Bashar Mahmood , Zorah Mohammed , Al-Musawi Tariq J.
Published: May 2024

In this study, we systematically explored how changing groove surfaces of iron oxide/water nanofluid could affect the pool boiling heat transfer. We aimed to investigate the effect of three types of grooves, namely rectangular, circular, and triangular, on the boiling heat transfer. The goal was to improve heat transfer performance by consciously changing surface structure. Comparative analyses were conducted with deionized water to provide valuable insights. Notably, the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) exhibited a significant increase in the presence of grooves. For deionized water, the HTC rose by 91.7% and 48.7% on circular and rectangular grooved surfaces, respectively. Surprisingly, the triangular-grooved surface showed a decrease of 32.9% in HTC compared to the flat surface. On the other hand, the performance of the nanofluid displayed intriguing trends. The HTC for the nanofluid diminished by 89.2% and 22.3% on rectangular and triangular grooved surfaces, while the circular-grooved surface exhibited a notable 41.2% increase in HTC. These results underscore the complex interplay between groove geometry, fluid properties, and heat transfer enhancement in nanofluid-based boiling. Hence, we thoroughly examine the underlying mechanisms and elements influencing these observed patterns in this research. The results provide important insights for further developments in this area by shedding light on how surface changes and groove geometry may greatly affect heat transfer in nanofluid-based pool boiling systems.
Investigation into the Sensory Properties of Plant-Based Eggs, as Well as Acceptance, Emotional Response, and Use
Authors: Baxter Laura , Dolan Emily , Frampton Kaitlyn , Richelle Erin , Stright Allison , Ritchie Christopher , Moss Rachael , McSweeney Matthew B.
Published: May 2024

Consumers have become interested in plant-based alternatives to animal-based products. One of the under-studied alternatives is plant-based eggs (PBEs). This research investigated PBEs relative to conventional eggs and tofu scramble—another plant-based alternative. Firstly, participants (n = 93) completed a word association task asking them about PBEs. Participants then evaluated the different food samples using hedonic scales, check-all-that-apply (CATA), and temporal check-all-that-apply (TCATA), as well as identified their emotional response and proposed use for PBEs. Participants were interested in plant-based alternatives, including PBEs, but they were concerned about the sensory properties. When they evaluated the different samples, the flavour and texture of the PBEs were disliked in comparison to the eggs. This result may be due to the beany, bitterness, and off-flavour attributes associated with the PBEs. Participants also associated the PBEs with negative emotions. The liking of tofu scramble was not significantly different from the eggs, and the eggs and tofu scramble were mainly associated with positive emotions. During the TCATA evaluation, the participants focused on the flavour attributes of PBEs, while their evaluation of the eggs was dominated by the textural attributes. Whether following a plant-based diet or not, consumers are interested in PBEs, but the sensory properties of PBEs need to be improved before they are willing to adopt them into their diet. This study is one of the first to evaluate the sensory properties of PBEs, as well as consumers’ emotional response to them and their attitudes about PBEs.
On Numerical Simulations of Variable-Order Fractional Cable Equation Arising in Neuronal Dynamics
Authors: Salama Fouad Mohammad
Published: May 2024

In recent years, various complex systems and real-world phenomena have been shown to include memory and hereditary properties that change with respect to time, space, or other variables. Consequently, fractional partial differential equations containing variable-order fractional operators have been extensively resorted for modeling such phenomena accurately. In this paper, we consider the two-dimensional fractional cable equation with the Caputo variable-order fractional derivative in the time direction, which is preferable for describing neuronal dynamics in biological systems. A point-wise scheme, namely, the Crank–Nicolson finite difference method, along with a group-wise scheme referred to as the explicit decoupled group method are proposed to solve the problem under consideration. The stability and convergence analyses of the numerical schemes are provided with complete details. To demonstrate the validity of the proposed methods, numerical simulations with results represented in tabular and graphical forms are given. A quantitative analysis based on the CPU timing, iteration counting, and maximum absolute error indicates that the explicit decoupled group method is more efficient than the Crank–Nicolson finite difference scheme for solving the variable-order fractional equation.
Vector-Algebra Algorithms to Draw the Curve of Alignment, the Great Ellipse, the Normal Section, and the Loxodrome
Authors: Meyer Thomas H.
Published: May 2024

This paper recasts four geodetic curves—the great ellipse, the normal section, the loxodrome, and the curve of alignment—into a parametric form of vector-algebra formula. These formulas allow these curves to be drawn using simple, efficient, and robust algorithms. The curve of alignment, which seems to be quite obscure, ought not to be. Like the great ellipse and the loxodrome, and unlike the normal section, the curve of alignment from point A to point B (both on the same ellipsoid) is the same as the curve of alignment from point B to point A. The algorithm used to draw the curve of alignment is much simpler than any of the others and its shape is quite similar to that of the geodesic, which suggests it would be a practical surrogate when drawing these curves.
Application of Opuntia ficus-indica Mucilage and Aloe Gel-Based Edible Coating to Enhance Postharvest Quality and Microbiological Aspects of Fresh Figs (Ficus carica L.)
Authors: Sortino Giuseppe , Guccione Eugenia , Casales Fabrizio Giuseppe , de Chiara Maria Lucia Valeria , Passafiume Roberta , Gallotta Alessandra , Allegra Alessio
Published: May 2024

Fig is a widespread crop in southern Italy, highly valued for its sweet flavor. However, its consumption as a fresh product is limited to three to four days after harvest because of its high susceptibility to quality loss and microbial contamination. The combined use of low temperature and a modified atmosphere is the traditional preservation method. However, several studies have shown that the use of Aloe arborescens or vera and O. ficus-indica (OFI) mucilage as an edible coating could reduce the microbial load and water loss, respectively. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effects of Aloe gel (AG) and O. ficus-indica mucilage (OM) on the quality and safety of two fig cultivars, ‘San Giovanni’ and ‘Melanzana’, during cold storage at 4 °C. The main results showed the effectiveness of edible coatings on both fig cultivars. An AG coating significantly reduced the microbial load, while the OM treatment showed the ability to preserve firmness and reduce weight loss. In addition, the combined OM + AG treatment showed the same effects as the individual coating formulations, also improving visual appearance. Thus, the use of the synergetic coating formulation could be a natural way to reduce the microbial load, extending fresh fig fruit’s shelf life.
The Optimum Substrate Moisture Level to Enhance the Growth and Quality of Arugula (Eruca sativa)
Authors: Lee Kiram , An Seong Kwang , Ku Kang-Mo , Kim Jongyun
Published: May 2024

Arugula (Eruca sativa Mill.) is a nutritious vegetable, commonly used in salads, known for its high glucosinolate content and various health benefits and flavors. However, arugulas may contain -excessive nitrate levels, potentially harmful to human health. We aimed to examine the effect of substrate moisture levels on the growth and quality of arugula under controlled irrigation conditions to investigate a proper irrigation practice for the quality production of arugula. The plants were cultivated using a sensor-based automated irrigation system to maintain the substrate volumetric water content (VWC) levels at 0.20, 0.30, 0.40, and 0.50 m3·m−3 over three weeks (vegetative stage). The treatment with VWC of 0.20 m3·m−3 resulted in reduced shoot growth, primarily attributed to drought-induced constraints on leaf expansion. Despite the initial reductions in stomatal conductance in arugulas subjected to lower VWC treatments, they eventually recovered and exhibited similar stomatal conductance levels across all VWC treatments 15 days after treatment, indicating acclimation to drought stress. The VWC treatment did not affect the nitrate and total glucosinolate contents of arugula, except for a decrease in glucoerucin content observed in the lowest VWC treatment. Maintaining a VWC level at 0.20 m3·m−3 could impair both the growth and quality of arugula due to severe drought conditions. Alternatively, maintaining the VWC at 0.30 m3·m−3 would ensure a high water use efficiency while securing the growth and quality of arugula.
Oil Palm Bunch Ripeness Classification and Plantation Verification Platform: Leveraging Deep Learning and Geospatial Analysis and Visualization
Authors: Puttinaovarat Supattra , Chai-Arayalert Supaporn , Saetang Wanida
Published: May 2024

Oil palm cultivation thrives as a prominent agricultural endeavor within the southern region of Thailand, where the country ranks third globally in production, following Malaysia and Indonesia. The assessment of oil palm bunch ripeness serves various purposes, notably in determining purchasing prices, pre-harvest evaluations, and evaluating the impacts of disasters or low market prices. Presently, two predominant methods are employed for this assessment, namely human evaluation, and machine learning for ripeness classification. Human assessment, while boasting high accuracy, necessitates the involvement of farmers or experts, resulting in prolonged processing times, especially when dealing with extensive datasets or dispersed fields. Conversely, machine learning, although capable of accurately classifying harvested oil palm bunches, faces limitations concerning its inability to process images of oil palm bunches on trees and the absence of a platform for on-tree ripeness classification. Considering these challenges, this study introduces the development of a classification platform leveraging machine learning (deep learning) in conjunction with geospatial analysis and visualization to ascertain the ripeness of oil palm bunches while they are still on the tree. The research outcomes demonstrate that oil palm bunch ripeness can be accurately and efficiently classified using a mobile device, achieving an impressive accuracy rate of 99.89% with a training dataset comprising 8779 images and a validation accuracy of 96.12% with 1160 images. Furthermore, the proposed platform facilitates the management and processing of spatial data by comparing coordinates derived from images with oil palm plantation data obtained through crowdsourcing and the analysis of cloud or satellite images of oil palm plantations. This comprehensive platform not only provides a robust model for ripeness assessment but also offers potential applications in government management contexts, particularly in scenarios necessitating real-time information on harvesting status and oil palm plantation conditions.
Clinical Outcomes and Failure Rate of Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Foveal Repair Were Comparable between Arthroscopic and Open Techniques
Authors: Lee Shin Woo , Hong Jung Jun , Sung Seung-Yong , Park Tae-Hoon , Kim Ji-Sup
Published: May 2024

Background: This study compared clinical outcomes between arthroscopic and open repair of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) foveal tears in chronic distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) instability patients. Methods: A total of 79 patients who had gone through foveal repair of TFCC using arthroscopic technique (n = 35) or open technique (n = 44) between 2016 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain, active range of motion (ROM), grip strength, Mayo Modified Wrist Score (MMWS), Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire score, and Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) score at 2-4-6-12-24 months postoperatively were compared between two groups. Results: Two years after the operation, clinical parameters (VAS, MMWS, DASH, and PRWE), grip strength, and ROM showed significant advancement in the two groups in comparison to their values measured preoperatively (p < 0.001). Nonetheless, we could not identify any statistically significant differences in the above clinical factors between the two groups. The arthroscopic group showed a better flexion–extension arc at 2 months and supination–pronation arc at 2 and 4 months than the open group (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups at 2 years postoperatively. Ten patients (12.6%) had recurrent instability (three in the arthroscopic group and seven in the open group, p = 0.499). Similarly, both groups showed no significant difference in the return to work period. Conclusions: Arthroscopic foveal repair of TFCC provided similarly favorable outcomes and early recovery of pain and ROM compared to open repair.
Bacterial Community Characteristics and Roles in Nitrogen Transformation in Industrial Farming Systems of Litopenaeus vannamei
Authors: Shan Hongwei , Du Yulong , Li Tao , Wang Fang , Li Hongyu , Wang Haitao
Published: May 2024

Industrial farming is one of the main farming systems used for L. vannamei, and it is also the main direction of development in the future. To investigate the role of the bacterial community in nitrogen transformation in industrial L. vannamei farming systems, we studied the concentration of nitrogen compounds, the bacterial community using 16S rRNA sequencing, and nitrogen cycling genes’ abundance using absolute quantitative PCR in aquaculture water (using seawater (WD) and groundwater mixed with seawater (CY)) and analyzed the correlations between them using a person analysis. The results showed that the bacterial α-diversity index (ACE, Shannon, and Sobs) significantly changed during culture in WD but not in CY. Bacterial community species composition analysis and linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe analysis) revealed that Cyanobiaceae and Microbacteriaceae were the dominant bacteria and biomarkers in WD. Vibrionaceae, Ateromonadaceae, Microbacteriaceae, Saprospiraceae, and Cryomorphaceae were the dominant bacteria and biomarkers in CY. A functional annotation of procaryotic taxa (FAPROTAX) analysis revealed that the bacterial community in WD exhibited a greater phototrophic activity at early culture stages, while at the same stage, CY exhibited strong nitrate reduction. A correlation analysis of nitrogen cycling genes and environmental factors revealed that napA, narG, ureC, amoA, and nirK were significantly correlated with the concentrations of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), nitrite (NO2−-N), nitrate (NO3−-N), and total nitrogen (TN) in WD. In CY, amoA was positively correlated and napA and nirK were negatively correlated with TAN and TN concentrations. A correlation analysis between bacterial abundance and environmental factors revealed that Flavobacteriaceae, Saprospiraceae, Cryomorphaceae, Cyanobiaceae, Halieaceae, and Cyclobacteriaceae were significantly correlated with the concentrations of TAN and NO2−-N. The above results indicated that the bacterial community in industrial shrimp farming systems changed under different conditions, with consequent changes in the abundance of genes being involved in the nitrogen cycle and in this biogeochemical process in the water. Our study facilitates further understanding of microbes and their functions in nitrogen cycling in industrial shrimp farming systems.
A Review on Underwater Collection and Transportation Equipment of Polymetallic Nodules in Deep-Sea Mining
Authors: Zhang Xiuzhan , Zuo Yuhang , Wei Jiakang , Sha Fei , Yuan Zhenqin , Liu Xuelin , Xi Mingshuai , Xu Jingze
Published: May 2024

In response to the anticipated scarcity of terrestrial land resources in the coming years, the acquisition of marine mineral resources is imperative. This paper mainly summarizes the development of underwater collection and transportation equipment of polymetallic nodules in deep-sea mining. Firstly, the collection equipment is reviewed. The deep-sea mining vehicle (DSMV), as the key equipment of the collection equipment, mainly includes the collecting device and the walking device. The micro and macro properties of sediments have a great influence on the collection efficiency of mining vehicles. For the collecting device, the optimization of the jet head structure and the solid–liquid two-phase flow transport of the hose are discussed. The structure of the walking device restricts mining efficiency. The optimization of the geometric structure is studied, and the geometric passability and lightweight design of the walking device are discussed. Secondly, the core of transportation equipment is the lifting device composed of a riser and lifting pump. In order to explore the key factors affecting mineral transport, the lifting device is summarized, and the design optimization of the lifting pump and the factors affecting the stability of the riser are discussed. Then, the relationship between each device is discussed, and the overall coupling of the device is summarized. Finally, the existing problems and future research focus are summarized.