bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Railway Bridge Geometry Assessment Supported by Cutting-Edge Reality Capture Technologies and 3D As-Designed Models
Authors: Cabral Rafael , Oliveira Rogério , Ribeiro Diogo , Rakoczy Anna M. , Santos Ricardo , Azenha Miguel , Correia José
Published: July 2023

Documentation of structural visual inspections is necessary for its monitoring, maintenance, and decision about its rehabilitation, and structural strengthening. In recent times, close-range photogrammetry (CRP) based on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) have greatly improved the survey phase. These technologies can be used independently or in combination to provide a 3D as-is image-based model of the railway bridge. In this study, TLS captured the side and bottom sections of the deck, while the CRP-based UAV captured the side and top sections of the deck, and the track. The combination of post-processing techniques enabled the merging of TLS and CRP models, resulting in the creation of an accurate 3D representation of the complete railway bridge deck. Additionally, a 3D as-designed model was developed based on the design plans of the bridge. The as-designed model is compared to the as-is model through a 3D digital registration. The comparison allows the detection of dimensional deviation and surface alignments. The results reveal slight deviations in the structural dimension with a global average value of 9 mm.
Research on the Visual Perception of Ship Engine Rooms Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Wang Yongkang , Zhang Jundong , Zhu Jinting , Ge Yuequn , Zhai Guanyu
Published: July 2023

In the intelligent engine room, the visual perception of ship engine room equipment is the premise of defect identification and the replacement of manual operation. This paper improves YOLOv5 for the problems of mutual occlusion of cabin equipment, an unbalanced number of different categories, and a large proportion of small targets. First, a coordinate attention (CA) mechanism is introduced into the backbone-extraction network to improve the ability of the network to extract main features. Secondly, this paper improves the neck network so that the network can learn a relatively important resolution for feature-fusion and enrich the semantic information between different layers. At the same time, this paper uses the Swin transformer as the prediction head (SPH). This enables the network to establish global connections in complex environments, which can improve detection accuracy. In order to solve the problem of cabin equipment covering each other, this paper replaces the original non-maxima suppression (NMS) with Soft-NMS. Finally, this paper uses the K-means algorithm based on the genetic algorithm to cluster new anchor boxes to match the dataset better. This paper is evaluated on the laboratory’s engine room equipment dataset (EMER) and the public dataset PASCAL VOC. Compared with YOLOv5m, the mAP of CBS-YOLOv5m increased by 3.34% and 1.8%, respectively.
The Role of the Internal Auditor in Strengthening the Governance of Economic Organizations Using the Three Lines of Defense Model
Authors: Tawfik Omar Ikbal , Durrah Omar , Aljawhar Karima Ali
Published: July 2023

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the impact of the three lines of defense (TLOD) in strengthening corporate governance in industrial companies in the Sultanate of Oman. Methodology: A questionnaire was used to collect data from industrial companies in the Sultanate of Oman. A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed; for the 159 valid questionnaires used for analysis, PLS-SEM was used in the data analysis. Results: The results showed a significant impact of the three variables (commitment of operational management to legal, regulatory, and ethical requirements; risk management, compliance, and quality functions; and the role of assertive internal auditing according to the third line of defense model) in strengthening corporate governance. Practical implications: The study indicates that the TLOD model plays a more decisive role in determining the strengthening of corporate governance, and therefore, the results of the study can help industrial companies to understand the role of the TLOD model in strengthening control procedures, risk management, and governance. Originality/value: The study constitutes a management strategy that assists organizations in diagnosing the degree of corporate compliance with the TLOD and identifying weaknesses in their procedures.
W-doped Lanthanum Molybdenum Oxide/Lithium-Sodium-Potassium Carbonate Composite Membranes for Carbon Dioxide Permeation
Authors: Medina Midilane S. , Carvalho Sabrina G. M. , Tabuti Francisco N. , Muccillo Eliana N. S. , Fonseca Fábio C. , Muccillo Reginaldo
Published: July 2023

Single-phase tungsten-doped lanthanum molybdenum oxide (La2MoWO9) ceramic powders were synthesized using the complex polymerization technique. Porous ceramic pellets were obtained by thermally removing graphite, which served as a pore former. The porous pellets were then impregnated with molten eutectic lithium-sodium-potassium carbonates. The energy dispersive X-ray analysis and scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) images of the external and fracture surfaces of the La2MoWO9-(Li,Na,K)2CO3 composite dual-phase membrane revealed the percolation of the carbonate mixture through the pores. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements conducted at temperatures below and above the melting point of the eutectic carbonate composition demonstrated the contributions of oxygen and carbonate ions to the ionic conductivity of the dual membrane. The electrical conductivity of the carbonate ions within the membrane was continuously monitored for over 1300 h with negligible degradation, implying that the membrane could be used for long-term monitoring of CO2 without aging effects. A comparison of FEG-SEM images taken before and after this endurance test suggested minimal fouling, indicating that the membrane could potentially replace similar zirconia- and ceria-based composite membranes.
Recovery of Zinc from Metallurgical Slag and Dust by Ammonium Acetate Using Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Zheng Xuemei , Li Jinjing , Ma Aiyuan , Liu Bingguo
Published: July 2023

Metallurgical slag and dust (MSD) are abundant Zn-containing secondary resources that can partially alleviate the shortage of zinc minerals, with hazardous characteristics and a high recycling value. In this work, the process conditions of recycling Zn from MSD materials leaching by ammonium acetate (NH3-CH3COONH4-H2O) were optimised using response surface methodology (RSM). The influences of liquid/solid ratio, stirring speed, leaching time, total ammonia concentration, and the interactions between these variables on the Zn effective extraction rate during the ammonium acetate leaching process were investigated. Additionally, the predicted regression equation between the Zn effective extraction rate and the four affecting factors was established, and the optimal process parameters were determined with a stirring speed of 345 r/min, leaching temperature of 25 °C, [NH3]/[NH4]+ of 1:1, total ammonia concentration of 4.8 mol/L, liquid/solid ratio of 4.3:1, and leaching time of 46 min. The Zn effective extraction rates predicted by the proposed model and the measured values were 85.25% and 84.67%, respectively, with a relative error of 0.58% between the two values, indicating the accuracy and reliability of the proposed model. XRD and SEM-EDS analysis results showed that Zn2SiO4, ZnS, and ZnFe2O4 were among the main factors affecting the low extraction rate of zinc from metallurgical slag dust. This work established a new technology prototype for the effective and clean extraction of zinc resources, which can provide new routes to effectively utilise Zn-containing MSD materials and lay a foundation for developing other novel techniques for recycling Zn from Zn-containing secondary resources.
Spent Coffee Grounds Derived Carbon Loading C, N Doped TiO2 for Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Dyes
Authors: Jin Yanling , Wang Jiayi , Gao Xin , Ren Fang , Chen Zhengyan , Sun Zhenfeng , Ren Penggang
Published: July 2023

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an ideal photocatalyst candidate due to its high activity, low toxicity and cost, and high chemical stability. However, its practical application in photocatalysis is seriously hindered by the wide band gap energy of TiO2 and the prone recombination of electron-hole pairs. In this study, C, N doped TiO2 were supported on spent coffee grounds-derived carbon (ACG) via in situ formation, which was denoted as C, N–TiO2@ACG. The obtained C, N–TiO2@ACG exhibits increased light absorption efficiency with the band gap energy decreasing from 3.31 eV of TiO2 to 2.34 eV, a higher specific surface area of 145.8 m2/g, and reduced recombination rates attributed to the synergistic effect of a spent coffee grounds-derived carbon substrate and C, N doping. Consequently, the optimal 1:1 C, N–TiO2@ACG delivers considerable photocatalytic activity with degradation efficiencies for methylene blue (MB) reaching 96.9% within 45 min, as well as a high reaction rate of 0.06348 min−1, approximately 4.66 times that of TiO2 (0.01361 min−1). Furthermore, it also demonstrated greatly enhanced photocatalytic efficiency towards methyl orange (MO) in the presence of MB compared with a single MO solution. This work provides a feasible and universal strategy of synchronous introducing nonmetal doping and biomass-derived carbon substrates to promote the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 for the degradation of organic dyes.
Characterization Results of Solution Sets Associated with Multiple-Objective Fractional Optimal Control Problems
Authors: Treanţă Savin , Saeed Tareq
Published: July 2023

This paper investigates some duality results of a mixed type for a class of multiple objective fractional optimal control problems. More precisely, by considering the Wolfe- and Mond–Weir-type dualities, we formulate a robust mixed-type dual problem and, under suitable convexity assumptions of the involved functionals, we establish some equivalence results between the solution sets of the considered models. Essentially, we investigate robust weak, robust strong, and robust strict converse-type duality results. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, robust duality results for such problems are new in the specialized literature.
Analysis of Judiciary Expenditure and Productivity Using Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Vasconcelos Fernando Freire , Sátiro Renato Máximo , Fávero Luiz Paulo Lopes , Bortoloto Gabriela Troyano , Corrêa Hamilton Luiz
Published: July 2023

Maintaining the judiciary requires a high level of budgetary expenditure, but the specifics of this relationship have not yet been fully explored. While several studies have examined the impact of spending on the judiciary through measures related to productivity and performance, none have used machine learning techniques. This study examines the productivity of the court system based on expenditures and other variables using machine learning techniques. In the clustering process Brazilian courts are ranked according to their productivity, while in the neural network step it is verified which characteristics are most relevant at the budgetary level related to judicial productivity for each cluster formed in the first step. The final neural network model supports the results of Pearson’s parametric correlation test, which found no significant correlation between expenditure and productivity. The findings from this study demonstrate the importance of understanding that increasing public budget expenditures alone is not sufficient to improve the efficiency of the judicial system. Instead, other administrative measures are necessary to meet the demands of the Brazilian judiciary and improve service delivery rates. These results offer important theoretical and managerial contributions to the field.
Variations in Microcirculatory and Hemodynamic Parameters during Oncological Demolitive–Reconstructive Head and Neck Surgery: A Protocol for an Observational Study
Authors: Adembri Chiara , Ungar Andrea , Cappellini Iacopo , Romano Salvatore Mario
Published: July 2023

(1) Background: Oncological demolitive–reconstructive surgeries in the head and neck region cause significant stress on patients’ biohumoural, cardiac, and vascular systems, leading to disturbances in macrocirculatory and microcirculatory parameters. Traditional monitoring addresses the symptoms, but not the underlying cause. Microcirculatory assessments complement macrocirculatory monitoring, and bladder-catheter-based technology offers a better representation of central microcirculation. Flap reconstruction surgeries involve demolitive and reconstructive phases, requiring optimal tissue perfusion. The literature lacks a consensus on macro–microcirculation coupling, and there is no agreement on the use of vasopressors during head and neck surgeries. Evidence-based guidelines are lacking, resulting in variations in vasopressor administration. (2) Methods: This is a 12-month observational, prospective study conducted in a single center. It aims to evaluate the impact of macro–microcirculation coupling on clinical complications in head and neck surgery. All consecutive patients undergoing oncologic surgery requiring flap reconstruction and meeting the inclusion criteria will be enrolled. The study will utilize standard hemodynamic monitoring and bladder catheterization for measuring urine output and temperature. (3) Conclusions: The study aims to evaluate the coupling of macro- and microcirculation in head and neck surgeries, assess hemodynamic parameters and microcirculatory changes, and investigate their association with postoperative complications. The results can enhance patient care and surgical outcomes.
Numerical Simulation and Experimental Validation of the Flow-Induced Excitation Characteristics of a Four-Way Reversing Valve
Authors: Zhang Kepeng , Wu Dazhuan , Yuan Yadong , Zhu Jiafeng , Feng Zhongbo , Li Jianjun , Xuan Lihua , Xiong Yunjun
Published: July 2023

In order to improve the low efficiency and malfunction caused by the FWRV (four-way reversing valve) when the working mode of the heat pump air conditioning system changes in refrigeration and heating, it is of great significance to study the structure of the FWRV. In this paper, the control equation of the sliding block movement process is constructed to simulate the reversing process of the FWRV in fluid mechanics, and a detailed study is carried out from the sliding block speed, sliding block acceleration, sliding block force, refrigerant leakage, and other aspects. Some studies indicate that structural improvement in the slider could greatly enhance the working performance of the FWRV. Increasing the height of the slider not only improves the pressure relief ability of the FWRV and prevents the slider from being damaged by high-pressure gas impact but also reduces the leakage of refrigerant during the directional process; when reducing the length of the slider, although it improves the pressure relief capacity of the FWRV, it also increases the amount of refrigerant leakage. The research results provide a theoretical basis and direction for designers to improve the capability of the FWRV.
Stability Analysis of an Unstable Slope in Chongqing Based on Multiple Analysis Methods
Authors: Li Zheng , Wu Renjie , Hu Tao , Xiao Shilong , Zhang Luyu , Zhang Dengsui
Published: July 2023

The failure of an unstable slope has the characteristics of sudden disaster, rapid sliding speed, and a wide range of influence. This study selected an unstable slope in Chongqing as the evaluation object, divided it into the strong-deformation zone and weak-deformation zone, and analyzed its formation mechanism and deformation failure mode. Macroscopic qualitative analysis was processed by the geological exploration method, the slope stability and the sliding thrust were quantitatively analyzed by the limit equilibrium method, and the sensitivity analysis was calculated and conducted on its shear strength parameters by laboratory tests and a field large shear test. The historical formation process of the slope was deduced, and suggestions for the prevention and control of unstable slopes were proposed. Studies show that the deformation mechanism of an unstable slope is a push type, its deformation is mainly concentrated in the southern area of the rear edge, and the width of the slope ground tensile crack is 1~30 cm, with a visible depth of 3~30 mm and an extension of 3~12 m. The shear strength of potential sliding zone soil in the weak-deformation zone is: cpw = 35.70 kPa, φpw = 14.80°, and in the strong-deformation zone it is: cps = 32.54 kPa, φps = 13.54°. The results show that the formation of a steep cliff by the artificial mining of sandstone is the main cause of slope deformation, the action of groundwater is the main triggering factor for slope deformation, and the inclined rock mass at the front edge is the key block for the deformation. The strong-deformation zone of the slope is in an unstable state under rainstorm, and the weak-deformation zone of the slope is basically-stable under rainstorm. Unstable slopes are prone to slide during a rainstorm period, which threatens the lives and properties of the residents and road traffic safety around the slope. The research results provide an important theoretical basis and data support for the accurate judgment and stability analysis of instability failure modes and for the further effective prevention and control of unstable slopes.
Investigation of Oxygen Evolution Performance of Highly Efficient Water Electrolysis Catalyst: NiFe LDH/BPene
Authors: Wang Yaru , Wang Xiao , Min Yulin , Li Qiaoxia , Xu Qunjie
Published: July 2023

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a crucial role in hydrogen production through water electrolysis. However, the high overpotential and sluggish kinetics of the OER pose significant challenges. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have been widely used as highly active electrocatalysts to tackle these issues. To further enhance the catalytic activity of LDHs and optimize their composition and morphology, the rational design of highly efficient electrocatalysts is desirable. Considering the flexibility of heterogeneous structures in terms of their electronic structure and surface chemistry, this study employs a simple and effective hydrothermal synthesis method. By leveraging van der Waals (vdW) interactions, a heterostructure is constructed between nickel-iron bimetallic hydroxide (NiFe LDH) nanosheets and black phosphorene (BPene). The OER electrochemical test results demonstrate the superior electrocatalytic properties of the NiFe LDH/BPene heterostructure. The heterostructure exhibits remarkably low overpotential (180 mV) and Tafel slope (72.36 mV dec−1) at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. Furthermore, the stability test conducted for 30,000 s showed a current retention rate exceeding 93.00%. This work provides new perspectives into the electronic structure regulation of 2D heterostructures and highlights new avenues for tuning the electrocatalytic adsorption of emerging phosphorus-based materials.
Special Issue “Actuarial Mathematics and Risk Management”
Authors: Olivieri Annamaria
Published: July 2023

Among the most important implementations of the principles of enterprise risk management (ERM), the risk management process (RMP) involves various quantitative phases, usually encompassed under the label of quantitative risk management (QRM) [...]
Integer Arithmetic Algorithm for Fundamental Frequency Identification of Oceanic Currents
Authors: Montiel-Caminos Juan , Hernandez-Gonzalez Nieves G. , Sosa Javier , Montiel-Nelson Juan A.
Published: July 2023

Underwater sensor networks play a crucial role in collecting valuable data to monitor offshore aquaculture infrastructures. The number of deployed devices not only impacts the bandwidth for a highly constrained communication environment, but also the cost of the sensor network. On the other hand, industrial and literature current meters work as raw data loggers, and most of the calculations to determine the fundamental frequencies are performed offline on a desktop computer or in the cloud. Belonging to the edge computing research area, this paper presents an algorithm to extract the fundamental frequencies of water currents in an underwater sensor network deployed in offshore aquaculture infrastructures. The target sensor node is based on a commercial ultra-low-power microcontroller. The proposed fundamental frequency identification algorithm only requires the use of an integer arithmetic unit. Our approach exploits the mathematical properties of the finite impulse response (FIR) filtering in the integer domain. The design and implementation of the presented algorithm are discussed in detail in terms of FIR tuning/coefficient selection, memory usage and variable domain for its mathematical formulation aimed at reducing the computational effort required. The approach is validated using a shallow water current model and real-world raw data from an offshore aquaculture infrastructure. The extracted frequencies have a maximum error below a 4%.
An Interdigital Microwave Sensor Based on Differential Structure for Dielectric Constant Characteristics Measurement
Authors: Tang Xiaocong , Gao Zhiqiang , Wei Jie , Li Zheyi , Yi Yang , Yang Fan , Muhammad Azeem , Wang Cong
Published: July 2023

In this work, a microwave resonator sensor with a unique configuration consisting of three resonators and two feedlines is proposed. This novel design aims to improve the performance and functionality of microwave resonator sensors for various applications. The frequency response of the sensor to materials with different dielectric constants is simulated. The results show that the most sensitive region of the sensor is located on the first interdigital structure, and placing the materials in other regions would enhance the linear correlation of its frequency response. The sensor also exhibits the ability to distinguish whether the same material has defects and the ability to qualitatively detect subtle changes in dielectric constant. Finally, the proposed sensor is fabricated and measured under the condition consistent with the simulation environment. The measured results are basically consistent with the simulation results, which confirms the potential of this sensor in detecting dielectric constants and resolving materials with defects, and the response of the sensor to the materials under test demonstrates its potential in measuring different thicknesses and loss tangents.
Fire Detection in Ship Engine Rooms Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Zhu Jinting , Zhang Jundong , Wang Yongkang , Ge Yuequn , Zhang Ziwei , Zhang Shihan
Published: July 2023

Ship fires are one of the main factors that endanger the safety of ships; because the ship is far away from land, the fire can be difficult to extinguish and could often cause huge losses. The engine room has many pieces of equipment and is the principal place of fire; however, due to its complex internal environment, it can bring many difficulties to the task of fire detection. The traditional detection methods have their own limitations, but fire detection using deep learning technology has the characteristics of high detection speed and accuracy. In this paper, we improve the YOLOv7-tiny model to enhance its detection performance. Firstly, partial convolution (PConv) and coordinate attention (CA) mechanisms are introduced into the model to improve its detection speed and feature extraction ability. Then, SIoU is used as a loss function to accelerate the model’s convergence and improve accuracy. Finally, the experimental results on the dataset of the ship engine room fire made by us shows that the mAP@0.5 of the improved model is increased by 2.6%, and the speed is increased by 10 fps, which can meet the needs of engine room fire detection.
Beyond the Clinic: Maximum Free-Living Stepping as a Potential Measure of Physical Performance
Authors: Speirs Craig , Dunlop Mark D. , Roper Marc , Granat Malcolm
Published: July 2023

Measures of physical performance captured within a clinical setting are commonly used as a surrogate for underlying health or disease risk within an individual. By measuring physical behaviour within a free-living setting, we may be able to better quantify physical performance. In our study, we outline an approach to measure maximum free-living step count using a body-worn sensor as an indicator of physical performance. We then use this approach to characterise the maximum step count over a range of window durations within a population of older adults to identify a preferred duration over which to measure the maximum step count. We found that while almost all individuals (97%) undertook at least one instance of continuous stepping longer than two minutes, a sizeable minority of individuals (31%) had no periods of continuous stepping longer than six minutes. We suggest that the maximum step count measured over a six-minute period may be too sensitive to the adults’ lack of opportunity to undertake prolonged periods of stepping, and a two-minute window could provide a more representative measure of physical performance.
A Novel Optimized iBeacon Localization Algorithm Modeling
Authors: Yu Zhengyu , Chu Liu , Shi Jiajia
Published: July 2023

The conventional methods for indoor localization rely on technologies such as RADAR, ultrasonic, laser range localization, beacon technology, and others. Developers in the industry have started utilizing these localization techniques in iBeacon systems that use Bluetooth sensors to measure the object’s location. The iBeacon-based system is appealing due to its low cost, ease of setup, signaling, and maintenance; however, with current technology, it is challenging to achieve high accuracy in indoor object localization or tracking. Furthermore, iBeacons’ accuracy is unsatisfactory, and they are vulnerable to other radio signal interference and environmental noise. In order to address those challenges, our study focuses on the development of error modeling algorithms for signal calibration, uncertainty reduction, and interfered noise elimination. The new error modeling is developed on the Curve Fitted Kalman Filter (CFKF) algorithms. The reliability, accuracy, and feasibility of the CFKF algorithms are tested in the experiments. The results significantly show the improvement of the accuracy and precision with this novel approach for iBeacon localization.
Alignment Integration Network for Salient Object Detection and Its Application for Optical Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Zhang Xiaoning , Yu Yi , Wang Yuqing , Chen Xiaolin , Wang Chenglong
Published: July 2023

Salient object detection has made substantial progress due to the exploitation of multi-level convolutional features. The key point is how to combine these convolutional features effectively and efficiently. Due to the step by step down-sampling operations in almost all CNNs, multi-level features usually have different scales. Methods based on fully convolutional networks directly apply bilinear up-sampling to low-resolution deep features and then combine them with high-resolution shallow features by addition or concatenation, which neglects the compatibility of features, resulting in misalignment problems. In this paper, to solve the problem, we propose an alignment integration network (ALNet), which aligns adjacent level features progressively to generate powerful combinations. To capture long-range dependencies for high-level integrated features as well as maintain high computational efficiency, a strip attention module (SAM) is introduced into the alignment integration procedures. Benefiting from SAM, multi-level semantics can be selectively propagated to predict precise salient objects. Furthermore, although integrating multi-level convolutional features can alleviate the blur boundary problem to a certain extent, it is still unsatisfactory for the restoration of a real object boundary. Therefore, we design a simple but effective boundary enhancement module (BEM) to guide the network focus on boundaries and other error-prone parts. Based on BEM, an attention weighted loss is proposed to boost the network to generate sharper object boundaries. Experimental results on five benchmark datasets demonstrate that the proposed method can achieve state-of-the-art performance on salient object detection. Moreover, we extend the experiments on the remote sensing datasets, and the results further prove the universality and scalability of ALNet.
Clinical Gait Analysis: Characterizing Normal Gait and Pathological Deviations Due to Neurological Diseases
Authors: Hermez Lorenzo , Halimi Abdelghani , Houmani Nesma , Garcia-Salicetti Sonia , Galarraga Omar , Vigneron Vincent
Published: July 2023

This study addresses the characterization of normal gait and pathological deviations induced by neurological diseases, considering knee angular kinematics in the sagittal plane. We propose an unsupervised approach based on Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) to identify different normal gait profiles (NGPs) corresponding to real cycles representing the overall behavior of healthy subjects, instead of considering an average reference, as done in the literature. The obtained NGPs are then used to measure the deviations of pathological gait cycles from normal gait with DTW. Hierarchical Clustering is applied to stratify deviations into clusters. Results show that three NGPs are necessary to finely characterize the heterogeneity of normal gait and accurately quantify pathological deviations. In particular, we automatically identify which lower limb is affected for Hemiplegic patients and characterize the severity of motor impairment for Paraplegic patients. Concerning Tetraplegic patients, different profiles appear in terms of impairment severity. These promising results are obtained by considering the raw description of gait signals. Indeed, we have shown that normalizing signals removes the temporal properties of signals, inducing a loss of dynamic information that is crucial for accurately measuring pathological deviations. Our methodology could be exploited to quantify the impact of therapies on gait rehabilitation.
Adaptive Algorithms for Batteryless LoRa-Based Sensors
Authors: Giuliano Fabrizio , Pagano Antonino , Croce Daniele , Vitale Gianpaolo , Tinnirello Ilenia
Published: July 2023

Ambient energy-powered sensors are becoming increasingly crucial for the sustainability of the Internet-of-Things (IoT). In particular, batteryless sensors are a cost-effective solution that require no battery maintenance, last longer and have greater weatherproofing properties due to the lack of a battery access panel. In this work, we study adaptive transmission algorithms to improve the performance of batteryless IoT sensors based on the LoRa protocol. First, we characterize the device power consumption during sensor measurement and/or transmission events. Then, we consider different scenarios and dynamically tune the most critical network parameters, such as inter-packet transmission time, data redundancy and packet size, to optimize the operation of the device. We design appropriate capacity-based storage, considering a renewable energy source (e.g., photovoltaic panel), and we analyze the probability of energy failures by exploiting both theoretical models and real energy traces. The results can be used as feedback to re-design the device to have an appropriate amount energy storage and meet certain reliability constraints. Finally, a cost analysis is also provided for the energy characteristics of our system, taking into account the dimensioning of both the capacitor and solar panel.
The Promising Potential of Reverse Vaccinology-Based Next-Generation Vaccine Development over Conventional Vaccines against Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Authors: Khalid Kanwal , Poh Chit Laa
Published: July 2023

The clinical use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, leading to the current antibiotic resistance crisis. To address this issue, next-generation vaccines are being developed to prevent antimicrobial resistance caused by MDR bacteria. Traditional vaccine platforms, such as inactivated vaccines (IVs) and live attenuated vaccines (LAVs), were effective in preventing bacterial infections. However, they have shown reduced efficacy against emerging antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including MDR M. tuberculosis. Additionally, the large-scale production of LAVs and IVs requires the growth of live pathogenic microorganisms. A more promising approach for the accelerated development of vaccines against antibiotic-resistant bacteria involves the use of in silico immunoinformatics techniques and reverse vaccinology. The bioinformatics approach can identify highly conserved antigenic targets capable of providing broader protection against emerging drug-resistant bacteria. Multi-epitope vaccines, such as recombinant protein-, DNA-, or mRNA-based vaccines, which incorporate several antigenic targets, offer the potential for accelerated development timelines. This review evaluates the potential of next-generation vaccine development based on the reverse vaccinology approach and highlights the development of safe and immunogenic vaccines through relevant examples from successful preclinical and clinical studies.
Missing topics for the newly established general practice-focused curriculum for medical students in Hessia/Germany: a mixed-methods approach
Authors: Kronemann Bibiane , Teichert Elisabeth , Michiels-Corsten Matthias
Published: July 2023

Background

Since autumn 2022, 6.5% of the newly assigned medical students in Hessia, Germany (Universities of Marburg, Frankfurt, and Gießen) receive admission to medical studies under the condition to pursue their future careers in the field of general practice in a rural area. Students are bound by contract to work in general practice for at least 10 years and will receive special extracurricular training during their studies at the university. Nationally, this system is without comparison.

Aim

To optimise the special extracurricular training, we explore what topics need to be taught, or added to normal teaching, to best prepare the future GPs for their work in primary care. Furthermore, we enquire into methods to train the needed skills.

Method

We follow a mixed-methods approach. First, we have interviewed ten outpatient specialists in daily contact with general practice: namely specialists for orthopedy, urology, ophthalmology, and surgery. Furthermore, we conducted ten interviews with newly qualified as well as experienced GPs. Second, we performed three group interviews with medical students in higher semesters and three with GPs in training. Between these four groups similarities and differences will be analysed. We further plan a quantitative survey that will be given to 50 students and about 50 GP trainees allowing for validation and prioritising of our results.

Results

We will present our preliminary results divided into three sectors: which topics, methods, and competences should be taught.

Conclusion

We have mainly found similarities on the three main factors in all interviewed groups, yet different perspectives result in varying prioritisations.
Effects of dihydroquercetin, 1-aryltetrahydroisoquinoline, and conjugate on the functional condition mitochondrial membrane of the rat liver
Authors: Ernazarov Zafarjon , Pozilov Mamurjon K. , Asrarov Muzaffar I. , Zhurakulov Sherzod N.
Published: July 2023

Abstract
In the current research paper, the flavonoid dihydroquercetin, 1-(2´-bromine-4´,5´-dimethoxyphenyl)-6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (F-18) and 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-6-(1-(2´-bromine-4´, 5´-dimethoxyphenyl)-6,7-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline-2 (1N)-il) methyl-3. The effects of 5,7-trigidroxychroman-4-on (DHQ-11) conjugate on rat liver mitochondrial calcium megachannels and on lipid peroxidation (LPO) induced using Fe2+/citrate were investigated in vitro experiments. White male rats weighing 180-200 grams were used in the experiments. It was found that the DHQ-11 conjugate was identified to have an inhibitory effect on rat liver mitochondria to calcium megachannels and peroxidation of lipids induced by Fe2+/citrate. The inhibitory properties of DHQ-11 conjugate on hepatic mitochondrial calcium megachannels and mitochondrial membrane lipid peroxidation were identified as active against dihydroquercetin and the F-18 isoquinoline alkaloid.
The Residue of Palm Oil from Frying Acarajé and Circular Economy
Authors: Edna Maria Nunes  , Valdir Silva da Conceição  , Dayana Ferraz Silva  , Angela Machado Rocha  , Neila de Paula Pereira  , Valdir Silva da Conceição Júnior
Published: July 2023

A circular economy is a concept that decouples economic growth from the unbridled use of natural resources, reducing negative impacts on nature and promoting the reuse and valorization of waste and by-products within the scope of sustainable development. The palm oil residue from the acarajé frying can be transformed into other products, avoiding its disposal in nature. This topic has few studies and works. The present article presents the relationship between the circular economy and the reuse of waste in producing another good related to palm oil and acarajé. The method used was bibliographic, descriptive, and exploratory research. Reusing waste aligns with the circular economy, reducing disposal and environmental damage.
Stand Alone or Continue to Support: Exploring the Need for Post Incubation Services for New and Growing Enterprises.
Authors: Adair Miriam , Kenny Breda , McGuirk Helen
Published: July 2023

Public support for entrepreneurship varies across countries and depends on issues such as sector, regional location and stage of the start-up. In making it easier for people to set up a business, many countries provide access to finance, training and advice. Business incubation (BI) centres are one such model of support for entrepreneurship. The current research provides some preliminary insights into the extent of the demand for post-incubation services in supporting new ventures to thrive and survive. Employing a unique data set based on information gathered from business incubation centre managers, current and alumni clients, we adopted an exploratory research method to contribute to knowledge on potential demand for post-incubation services in supporting new ventures to grow and scale beyond the on-site incubation phase. The findings contribute to the literature for and need to provide tailored services in the post-incubation phase. A gap that emerged from this research is the transition phase from graduating from a formal programme the next stage of business development, often without the continued business development support and government funding provision. Additional supports or scaffolding in this pre-revenue phase is sought by firms.
Comparative study of the quality of screening of donated blood for the presence of molecular markers of viral infections
Authors: Misko O. N. , Tikhomirov D. S. , Soldatova T. A. , Aguralieva R. M. , Kudinova E. V. , Makedonskaya O. G. , Vorobyova K. V. , Bochkova G. D. , Zubareva L. M. , Salimov E. L. , Moor Ju. V. , Abakarov R. R. , Gulyaeva A. A. , Tupoleva T. A. , Gaponova T. V. , Parovichnikova E. N.
Published: July 2023

Introduction. Transfusions of donor blood components are indispensable in providing medical care for a large number of conditions and diseases. Therefore, the issue of improving the quality and safety of transfusions is relevant for healthcare worldwide.

Aim — to assess the quality of donor blood screening for HIV, HBV and HCV by PCR in several Russian blood banks.

Methods: PCR, CLIA and ELISA.

Results. A study was conducted to assess the quality of molecular screening of donated blood in medical organizations, which was carried out in two stages. Two different kits of control samples for each project stage were created and delivered to the project participants (blood banks). Each kit contained samples with or without HBV DNA / HIV RNA / HCV RNA. The first stage’s kit contained 40 samples, the second one — 10 samples. Thus, project participants performed 13 series of test runs (520 tests) on the first stage and 8 series of runs (80 tests) on the second one. The number kits copies sent to one participant was determined by the participant’s laboratory equipment. Participants who used the Cobas performed 330 tests, of which 255 were incorrect. Participants using the Procleix performed 40 tests, and 29 tests gave a false result. 140 samples were tested by AmpliSens, and results in 86 cases were incorrect. One participant used Vector-Best test kits and performed 40 tests, 16 of which returned incorrect. In total, 355  samples containing HBV DNA, 121  samples containing HCV RNA, and 82  samples containing HIV RNA were provided to project participants. HBV DNA was detected in 191 (53.8 %) of 355 samples, HCV RNA was detected in 119 (98.3 %) of 121 samples, and HIV RNA was detected in 76 (92.7 %) of 82 samples.

Conclusion. The proportion of inconsistencies in the results increased depending on the decrease in the concentration of the marker being determined. Participants demonstrated the best performance results if they were using branded equipment. Such participants received the least inconsistencies. The biggest issue concerned HBV DNA detection due to a lower viremia of this pathogen. All samples with low HBV DNA levels contained anti-HBc, which indicates potential latent HBV. Therefore, it is appropriate to include anti-HBc in the routine screening of donated blood.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTS FOR CORROSION PROTECTION
Authors:   All-Russian Research Institute for Use of Machinery and Petroleum Products in Agriculture, Knyazeva Larisa , Kur`yato Nikolay ,   All-Russian Research Institute for the Use of Machinery and Petroleum Products in Agriculture, Dorokhov Andrey ,   All-Russian Research Institute for the Use of Machinery and Petroleum Products in Agriculture, Bryksina Viktoriya ,   Tambov State University named after G.R. Derzhavin
Published: July 2023

The use of cheap, environmentally friendly natural products is especially important for the anti-corrosion protection of agricultural machinery and equipment. The studies were carried out on samples of carbon steel St3.Coatings from sunflower and rapeseed oils and their sediments; birch tar and its emulsion prepared with a homogenizer; decoctions of bifungin, black and green tea, coffee, oak bark, potato and beet peels, orange and banana peel, bay leaf, onion peel, field honey, sugar, currant berries, dried garlic, tobacco, black and red pepper, seasonings hops-suneli, celandine were studied. Gravimetric studies in a G-4 thermal moisture chamber, in a 0.5 M NaCl solution, in decoctions of natural products were used to assess the protective properties of natural products. in 0.5 M NaCl solution and 5-9% - in thermomoisture chamber G-4. The application of vegetable oils on a wet surface practically does not affect their protective effectiveness, and application on a rusty one (preliminarily oxidized for 1 month) leads to a significant decrease in the protective effectiveness of coatings: by 33 and 42% for sunflower and rapeseed oils, by 23 and 40% for their sludge, respectively. Sediments of vegetable oils completely protect the steel surface when tested in a saline solution for 3 months, in a G-4 thermal moisture chamber for 40 days, and in full-scale bench tests for a year. The tar emulsion protects the steel surface well enough in a saline solution. Ecologically safe decoctions of common natural products, such as bay leaf, black coffee, orange peel, dried garlic, ground black pepper can be recommended for effective protection of carbon steel from atmospheric corrosion for a short period.
ASSESSMENT OF THE BEARING CAPACITY OF THE SOIL WHEN WATERING DM «KUBAN-LK1» ON SLOPING AREAS
Authors:   All-Russian Research Institute of Irrigation Systems and Agricultural Water Supply «Raduga», Ryazantsev Anatoly , Zazulya Alexander ,   All-Russian Research Institute for Use of Machinery and Petroleum Products in Agriculture, Evseev Evgeny ,   State Social and Humanitarian University, Antipov Alexey ,   State Social and Humanitarian University
Published: July 2023

The issues of ensuring sufficient support-coupling properties of the Kuban-LK1 widesprinkler sprinkling machine (SM) for working on difficult terrain areas by increasing the bearing capacity of the soil surface are considered. It is noted that with increased rain intensity and, accordingly, increased puddle formation in the zone of movement of running systems, intensive rutting is observed, leading to a bend in the water supply pipeline and, ultimately, to the operation of the protection system. This drawback has a negative impact on the shift time utilization rate and, consequently, on the overall performance of the SM. A progressive decrease in the intensity of the SM water supply is proposed to be used to eliminate it, which will lead to an increase in the bearing properties of the soil. It was determined that when working on slopes, the rain intensity at the end of the SM is 0.4 mm/min. It has been experimentally established that a decrease in the intensity of rain can be achieved by reducing the consumption of sprinklers, as well as by increasing the spray area of the jet. Installation of control devices is proposed to reduce the intensity to 0.3 mm/min. But it has been established that further regulation of rain intensity values is limited by the maximum allowable length of the decrease in the irrigation radius by sprinklers. The installation of stubble-type spreaders for spraying the jet of sprinklers is proposed to reduce the intensity of rain to 0.2 mm/min. An analysis of the experimental data on the dependence of the soil bearing capacity on the intensity of rain and the magnitude of surface runoff showed that with a progressive decrease in the intensity of rain, control devices and dividers provide an increase in the bearing capacity of the soil from 43–47 kPa without control devices to 72–82 kPa with them. Ultimately, the provision of sufficient support properties makes it possible to achieve productive operation of the Kuban-LK1 DM on slope areas.
LOOSENING THE SOIL BEFORE THE WORK OF BEET HARVESTERS
Authors:   Michurinsky State Agrarian University, Mikheyev Nikol , Kozyukov Artem ,   Michurinsky State Agrarian University
Published: July 2023

Sugar beet is an important industrial crop, which, in addition to sugar, contains vitamins, organic acids, microelements, fiber, fructose, etc. Processed products such as pulp and molasses are widely used in animal husbandry. An analysis of long-term observations showed that in dry years, with a decrease in soil moisture by 3-8%, its hardness increases to 47%. At the same time, the shift output of combines decreases, and the average specific fuel consumption per hectare increases and there is an increased wear of the digging working bodies. We studied the effect of loosening the soil before the operation of beet harvesters on the force of extracting root crops, increasing the productivity of combines and reducing specific fuel consumption. In a search experiment to identify the ability of a needle disk to loosen the soil layer and possibly reduce its ability to hold root crops, a prototype soil cultivator was developed. In order to identify the most efficient operation of the ripper, the number of teeth (needles) was changed: 8 - 10 - 12 and the depth of the teeth from 5 to 15 cm in increments of 5 cm. extraction force. During the search experiment, indicators characterizing the physical and mechanical properties of the soil were taken. An analysis of the working bodies of soil rippers was carried out and a model sample of a needle disc ripper was developed. The conducted field tests have shown a decrease in the force of retaining root crops by the soil after the passage of the developed cultivator, which in turn can help reduce the resistance to the work of diggers and, as a result, increase the efficiency of beet harvesters.