bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Species-Specific Plant-Derived Nanoparticle Characteristics
Authors: Viršilė Akvilė , Samuolienė Giedrė , Laužikė Kristina , Šipailaitė Emilija , Balion Zbigniev , Jekabsone Aistė
Published: November 2022

Medicinal and agricultural plants contain numerous phytochemical compounds with pronounced biological effects on human health. They are known to encapsulate most of their characteristic bioactive compounds within membranous elements of intercellular communication known as exosomes. These nanovesicles serve as capsules protecting their biological activity and improving their penetration into the tissue. Therefore, the application of plant exosome preparations holds considerable potential for cosmetics and pharmacy, but the quality and consistency of plant material for exosome isolation is of critical importance. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate yield, size distribution patterns, and antioxidant properties between nanovesicle preparations of the following portfolio of medicinal plants: Kalanchoe daigremontiana, Artemisia absinthium, Hypericum perforatum, Silybum marianum, Chelidonium majus, and Scutellaria baicalensis. Results showed that nanoparticle yield, size distribution, and antioxidant activities were specific to plant species. Compared to other plants, nanoparticle preparations from Artemisia absinthium were distinguished by remarkably higher yield and concentration, while the highest antioxidant activity of plant-derived nanoparticle preparations per weight and per particle was determined to occur in Chelidonium majus and Hypericum perforatum samples. Results showed no significant correlation in DPPH (2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging activity and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) between plant material and nanoparticle preparations. More detailed biochemical analysis of exosome preparations is necessary to validate their biological activity and its relation to source plant cells.
Transcriptome and Regional Association Analyses Reveal the Effects of Oleosin Genes on the Accumulation of Oil Content in Brassica napus
Authors: Jia Yuan , Yao Min , He Xin , Xiong Xinghua , Guan Mei , Liu Zhongsong , Guan Chunyun , Qian Lunwen
Published: November 2022

Rapeseed stores lipids in the form of oil bodies. Oil bodies in the seeds of higher plants are surrounded by oleosins. Adjusting oleosin protein levels can prevent the fusion of oil bodies and maintain oil body size during seed development. However, oil contents are affected by many factors, and studies on the complex molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying the variations in seed oil contents of B. napus are limited. In this study, a total of 53 BnOLEO (B. napus oleosin) genes were identified in the genome of B. napus through a genome-wide analysis. The promoter sequences of oleosin genes consisted of various light-, hormone-, and stress-related cis-acting elements, along with transcription factor (TF) binding sites, for 25 TF families in 53 BnOLEO genes. The differentially expressed oleosin genes between two high- and two low-oil-content accessions were explored. BnOLEO3-C09, BnOLEO4-A02, BnOLEO4-A09, BnOLEO2-C04, BnOLEO1-C01, and BnOLEO7-A03 showed higher expressions in the high-oil-content accessions than in low-oil-content accessions, at 25, 35, and 45 days after pollination (DAP) in two different environments. A regional association analysis of 50 re-sequenced rapeseed accessions was used to further analyze these six BnOLEO genes, and it revealed that the nucleotide variations in the BnOLEO1-C01 and BnOLEO7-A03 gene regions were related to the phenotypic variations in seed oil content. Moreover, a co-expression network analysis revealed that the BnOLEO genes were directly linked to lipid/fatty acid metabolism, TF, lipid transport, and carbohydrate genes, thus forming a molecular network involved in seed oil accumulation. These favorable haplotypes can be utilized in molecular marker-assisted selection in order to further improve seed oil contents in rapeseed.
Genome-Wide Characterization, Identification and Expression Profile of MYB Transcription Factor Gene Family during Abiotic and Biotic Stresses in Mango (Mangifera indica)
Authors: Zhang He , Liu Zhixin , Luo Ruixiong , Sun Yu , Yang Cuifeng , Li Xi , Gao Aiping , Pu Jinji
Published: November 2022

Mango (Mangifera indica) is an economically important fruit tree, and is cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and dry-hot valley areas around the world. Mango fruits have high nutritional value, and are mainly consumed fresh and used for commercial purposes. Mango is affected by various environmental factors during its growth and development. The MYB transcription factors participates in various physiological activities of plants, such as phytohormone signal transduction and disease resistance. In this study, 54 MiMYB transcription factors were identified in the mango genome (371.6 Mb). A phylogenetic tree was drawn based on the amino acid sequences of 222 MYB proteins of mango and Arabidopsis. The phylogenetic tree showed that the members of the mango MYB gene family were divided into 7 group, including Groups 1, -3, -4, -5, -6, -8, and -9. Ka/Ks ratios generally indicated that the MiMYBs of mango were affected by negative or positive selection. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that the transcription levels of MiMYBs were different under abiotic and biotic stresses, including salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, and H2O2 treatments, and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Xanthomonas campestris pv. mangiferaeindicae infection, respectively. The transcript levels of MiMYB5, -35, -36, and -54 simultaneously responded positively to early treatments with salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, and H2O2. The transcript level of MiMYB54 was activated by pathogenic fungal and bacterial infection. These results are beneficial for future interested researchers aiming to understand the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of MiMYB genes.
Numerical Simulation of Rheological Models for Complex Fluids Using Hierarchical Grids
Authors: Castillo-Sánchez Hugo A. , de Souza Leandro F. , Castelo Antonio
Published: November 2022

In this work, we implement models that are able to describe complex rheological behaviour (such as shear-banding and elastoviscoplasticity) in the HiGTree/HiGFlow system, which is a recently developed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software that can simulate Newtonian, Generalised-Newtonian and viscoelastic flows using finite differences in hierarchical grids. The system uses a moving least squares (MLS) meshless interpolation technique, allowing for more complex mesh configurations while still keeping the overall order of accuracy. The selected models are the Vasquez-Cook-McKinley (VCM) model for shear-banding micellar solutions and the Saramito model for viscoelastic fluids with yield stress. Development of solvers and numerical simulations of inertial flows of these models in 2D channels and planar-contraction 4:1 are carried out in the HiGTree/HiGFlow system. Our results are compared with those predicted by two other methodologies: the OpenFOAM-based software RheoTool that uses the Finite-Volume-Method and an in-house code that uses the Vorticity-Velocity-Formulation (VVF). We found an excellent agreement between the numerical results obtained by these three different methods. A mesh convergence analysis using uniform and refined meshes is also carried out, where we show that great convergence results in tree-based grids are obtained thanks to the finite difference method and the meshless interpolation scheme used by the HiGFlow software. More importantly, we show that our methodology implemented in the HiGTreee/HiGFlow system can successfully reproduce rheological behaviour of high interest by the rheology community, such as non-monotonic flow curves of micellar solutions and plug-flow velocity profiles of yield-stress viscoelastic fluids.
Comprehensive Analysis of the Influence of Expanded Vermiculite on the Foaming Process and Selected Properties of Composite Rigid Polyurethane Foams
Authors: Barczewski Mateusz , Kurańska Maria , Sałasińska Kamila , Aniśko Joanna , Szulc Joanna , Szafraniak-Wiza Izabela , Prociak Aleksander , Polaczek Krzysztof , Uram Katarzyna , Surmacz Karolina , Piasecki Adam
Published: November 2022

This article presents the results of research on obtaining new polyurethane (PUR) foams modified with thermally expanded vermiculite. The filler was added in amount of 3 wt.% up to 15 wt.%. The additionally applied procedure of immersion the non-organic filler in H2O2 was performed to increase the exfoliation effect of thermally treated mineral and additional oxidation the surfaces. The effect of fillers on foaming process, cell structure, thermal insulation, apparent density, compressive strength, thermal properties, and flammability are assessed. The foaming process of PUR foams modified with vermiculite was comparable for all systems, regardless of the content of the filler. A slight increase in reactivity was observed, confirmed by a faster decrease in dielectric polarization for the system with modified vermiculite by H2O2. The modification of the reference system with the vermiculite increased the content of closed cells from 76% to 91% for the foams with the highest vermiculite content. Coefficient of thermal conductivity of reference foam and foams modified with vermiculite was in the range 24–26 mW/mK. The use of vermiculite up to 15 wt.% did not influence significantly on mechanical properties and flammability, which from an economic point of view is important because it is possible to reduce the cost of materials by introducing a cheap filler without deteriorating their properties.
Novel Features of Cellulose-Based Films as Sustainable Alternatives for Food Packaging
Authors: Romão Sofia , Bettencourt Ana , Ribeiro Isabel A. C.
Published: November 2022

Packaging plays an important role in food quality and safety, especially regarding waste and spoilage reduction. The main drawback is that the packaging industry is among the ones that is highly dependent on plastic usage. New alternatives to conventional plastic packaging such as biopolymers-based type are mandatory. Examples are cellulose films and its derivatives. These are among the most used options in the food packaging due to their unique characteristics, such as biocompatibility, environmental sustainability, low price, mechanical properties, and biodegradability. Emerging concepts such as active and intelligent packaging provides new solutions for an extending shelf-life, and it fights some limitations of cellulose films and improves the properties of the packaging. This article reviews the available cellulose polymers and derivatives that are used as sustainable alternatives for food packaging regarding their properties, characteristics, and functionalization towards active properties enhancement. In this way, several types of films that are prepared with cellulose and their derivatives, incorporating antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds, are herein described, and discussed.
Dynamic Behavior of Thermally Affected Injection-Molded High-Density Polyethylene Parts Modified by Accelerated Electrons
Authors: Mizera Ales , Krstulovic-Opara Lovre , Krempl Nina , Karhankova Michaela , Manas Miroslav , Sanek Lubomir , Stoklasek Pavel , Grebo Alen
Published: November 2022

Polyethylenes are the most widely used polymers and are gaining more and more interest due to their easy processability, relatively good mechanical properties and excellent chemical resistance. The disadvantage is their low temperature stability, which excludes particular high-density polyethylenes (HDPEs) for use in engineering applications where the temperature exceeds 100 °C for a long time. One of the possibilities of improving the temperature stability of HDPE is a modification by accelerated electrons when HDPE is cross-linked by this process and it is no longer possible to process it like a classic thermoplastic, e.g., by injection technology. The HDPE modified in this way was thermally stressed five times at temperatures of 110 and 160 °C, and then the dynamic tensile behavior was determined. The deformation and surface temperature of the specimens were recorded by a high-speed infrared camera. Furthermore, two thermal methods of specimen evaluation were used: differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The result of the measurement is that the modification of HDPE by accelerated electrons had a positive effect on the dynamic tensile behavior of these materials.
Advances in Sustainable Polymeric Materials
Authors: Cazan Cristina
Published: November 2022

Sustainable polymeric materials are materials of great technological importance and are specially created to meet unique demands regarding: mechanical resistance and rigidity; corrosion resistance; resistance to the action of chemical agents; low weight; dimensional stability; resistance to variable stress, shock and wear; insulating properties; and aesthetics [...]
A Novel Method to Formulate Pigmented Powder Coatings by Ultrafine Powders
Authors: Li Lang , Xu Liyi , Yang Marshall Shuai , Huang Jinbao , Zhang Hui , Zhu Jesse
Published: November 2022

Powder coatings are a green alternative to conventional solvent-borne liquid coatings, but they have the intrinsic drawback of color-matching and adjustment in production with the conventional extrusion process. In this study, an industrially applicable approach to formulate color powder coatings utilizing ultrafine powders, i.e., a powdery blending and pressing method, was invented. This novel method was validated by comparing samples prepared by the Method 1 conventional extrusion method with an extra ultramarine pigment at 3%; Method 2 powdery blending and pressing of the original coatings and the same coating with 6% ultramarine pigment utilizing regular (coarse) powder coatings; and Method 3 utilizing ultrafine powder coatings for the two coatings with the same formulations as Method 2. The coating powders were prepared to have similar particle sizes and particle size distributions, with three commonly used coating binders, namely polyester-epoxy hybrid, polyester/TGIC (triglycidyl isocyanurate), and polyurethane (PU). The powders prepared by Methods 1 and 3 had similar flow abilities in terms of angle of repose (AOR) and avalanche angle (AVA). The performance of the new coatings by Method 3 was close to or better than the ones prepared by Method 1 in terms of the specular gloss, DOI (distinctness-of-image), reflection haze and color values, being superior to Method 2. The coatings via ultrafine powders also exhibited a comparable ultramarine particle distribution in the coating cross-sections as the conventional ones, whereas the ones via regular powders had an inferior pigment dispersion. The new method can greatly enhance the production efficiency and reduce the cost of powder coatings with compound colors, especially for small batch manufacturing.
3D Printing of PLA/Magnetic Ferrite Composites: Effect of Filler Particles on Magnetic Properties of Filament
Authors: Amirov Abdulkarim , Omelyanchik Alexander , Murzin Dmitry , Kolesnikova Valeria , Vorontsov Stanislav , Musov Ismel , Musov Khasan , Khashirova Svetlana , Rodionova Valeria
Published: November 2022

Three-dimensional printing is one of the most promising areas of additive manufacturing with a constantly growing range of applications. One of the current tasks is the development of new functional materials that would allow the manufacture of objects with defined magnetic, electrical, and other properties. In this work, composite magnetic filaments for 3D printing with tunable magnetic properties were produced from polylactic acid thermoplastic polymer with the addition of magnetic ferrite particles of different size and chemical composition. The used magnetic particles were cobalt ferrite CoFe2O4 nanoparticles, a mixture of CoFe2O4 and zinc-substituted cobalt ferrite Zn0.3Co0.7Fe2O4 nanoparticles (~20 nm), and barium hexaferrite BaFe12O19 microparticles (<40 µm). The maximum coercivity field HC = 1.6 ± 0.1 kOe was found for the filament sample with the inclusion of 5 wt.% barium hexaferrite microparticles, and the minimum HC was for a filament with a mixture of cobalt and zinc–cobalt spinel ferrites. Capabilities of the FDM 3D printing method to produce parts having simple (ring) and complex geometric shapes (honeycomb structures) with the magnetic composite filament were demonstrated.
Dynamic Cooperation of the O2O Supply Chain Based on Time Delays and Bidirectional Free-Riding
Authors: Zheng Jing , Xu Qi
Published: November 2022

Advertising and service investment can enhance brand goodwill to increase the sales of branded goods. However, the impact of advertising and services on brand goodwill is not immediate but delayed. At the same time, due to the different service characteristics provided by various channels, the phenomenon of bidirectional free-riding occurs. Therefore, this paper studies the dynamic cooperation between service and advertising in the O2O (online to offline) supply chain dominated by brand owners and explores the impacts of advertising, service delay and service free-riding among channels on the dynamic cooperation decisions of the O2O supply chain. A differential game model between brands and retailers is constructed by incorporating the delay effect and the bidirectional free-riding phenomenon. The optimal advertising and service strategies and performance problems of O2O supply chain enterprises under a centralized decision, brand cost-sharing decision and bilateral cost-sharing decision are compared and analyzed. The influence of delay time, showrooming and webrooming effects on the profit of each firm is investigated by example. The results show that the service strategy, advertising strategy and brand goodwill of the O2O supply chain members are optimal under a centralized decision. Still, the supply chain profit is not necessarily optimal under the delay time, showrooming and webrooming effect coefficients. Bilateral cost-sharing contracts can achieve Pareto improvement of supply chain performance. Appropriate setting of a bilateral cost-sharing ratio can adjust the adverse effects of delay and bidirectional free-riding. The long-term strategies to deal with the delay and bidirectional free-riding phenomena are as follows: the bilateral cost-sharing contract can improve corporate profits. Setting the wholesale price, online direct-selling price and service-sharing ratio by brand owners can effectively promote retailers’ investment in service, achieving a win-win situation. Retailers maintain high pricing and service levels to enhance the brand premium ability of physical stores and achieve long-term development.
Methodical Approaches to Intercultural Education in Confessional Religious Education in the Republic of Croatia
Authors: Razum Ružica , Jurišić Marija
Published: November 2022

After many years of neglecting the religious dimension within intercultural education, today there is a broad consensus in Europe that religious education represents an important dimension in the intercultural education of young people. Awareness of the connection between intercultural and interreligious learning is becoming increasingly stronger and more present. One of the important questions related to intercultural education in general, and especially to the religious dimension of that education, relates to the qualification of the confessional religious education teachers with regard to the achievement of intercultural goals and especially the qualification to develop intercultural competence in students. This paper consists of two parts. The theoretical part elaborates on issues related to the development of intercultural competence in confessional religious education. The second part presents some of the results of the quantitative research (descriptive statistics methods were used), which was carried out in the Republic of Croatia and aimed to examine the attitudes and opinions of religious education teachers regarding the necessary intercultural competence for work in schools. The results have revealed that religious education teachers highly value the development of intercultural competence in students, as well as great motivation and openness of religious education teachers of confessional classes for the development of intercultural education. At the same time, they point to the relative scarcity of methods within religious teaching that promote intercultural and interreligious learning.
A Wittgensteinian Antitheodicy
Authors: Koistinen Timo
Published: November 2022

Contrary to the majority of contemporary analytic philosophers of religion, James Sterba argues in his book Is a Good God Logically Possible? (2019) that Alvin Plantinga with his famous free will defense has not succeeded in solving the logical problem of evil. However, Sterba is not alone in disputing this generally accepted view in analytic philosophy of religion. D. Z. Phillips (1934–2006) has argued that the logical problem of evil has not been solved and he further holds that it has not even got off the ground. The aim of this article is to explore Phillips’ criticism of the free-will defense and mainstream theodicies. His critique is relevant for Sterba’s atheistic stance because Phillips’ arguments are partly applicable to forms of philosophical atheism that share the same assumptions with philosophical theism. In the first part of the article, I will briefly describe the starting points of the best-known solutions to the problem of evil in analytic philosophy of religion and refer to some aspects of Sterba’s arguments. After that I will explore Phillips’ ethical and conceptual criticism against frameworks used in the discussion of theodicy. Finally, I will pay attention to Phillips’ Wittgensteinian view of the task and the aim of philosophy in order to clarify some problematic aspects of his thought.
Wire Harness Assembly Process Supported by a Collaborative Robot: A Case Study Focus on Ergonomics
Authors: Navas-Reascos Gabriel E. , Romero David , Rodriguez Ciro A. , Guedea Federico , Stahre Johan
Published: November 2022

Products and assets are becoming increasingly “smart”, e.g., mechatronic, electronic, or cyber-physical. In the lack of fully reliable wireless solutions, extensive wiring and wire bundling into wire harnesses are needed. This has manufacturing implications, leading to increasingly complex wire harness assembly processes, where numerous components, connectors, and cables are assembled, connecting critical and non-critical electric and electronic systems in smart products and assets. Thus, wire harnesses demand is rapidly rising in most industries, requiring human or robotic work. Often, required work tasks are repetitive and physically demanding, while still needing people for quality reasons. An attractive solution would therefore be humans collaborating with robots. Unfortunately, there are very few scientific studies on automation solutions using collaborative robots (cobots) for wire harness assembly process tasks to increase process productivity and improve work ergonomics. Furthermore, wire harness assembly process tasks are presently carried out 90% manually in this industry, causing serious ergonomic problems for assembly workers who perform such tasks daily. The challenge is reducing the ergonomic risks currently present in many established wire harness assembly processes while improving production time and quality. This paper presents an early prototype and simulation to integrate a cobot into a wire harness assembly process, primarily for work ergonomic improvements. The use of a cobot is specifically proposed to reduce ergonomic risks for wire harness assembly workers. Two methodologies: RULA and JSI were used to evaluate the ergonomics of the task of cable tie collocation. The real-world case study results illustrate the validation of a cobot which significantly reduced non-ergonomic postures in the task of placing cable ties in the wire harnesses assembly process studied. An ergonomic analysis without the cobot (the actual process) was conducted, based on RULA and JSI methodologies, presenting the highest possible scores in both evaluations, which calls for urgent changes in the current wire harness assembly process task studied. Then, the same analysis was performed with the cobot, obtaining significant reductions in the ergonomic risks of the task at hand to acceptable values.
Nonlinear Ship Wake Detection in SAR Images Based on Electromagnetic Scattering Model and YOLOv5
Authors: Wang Hui , Nie Ding , Zuo Yacong , Tang Lu , Zhang Min
Published: November 2022

Traditional wake detection methods have been successfully applied to the detection of a simple linear ship wake. However, they cannot effectively detect nonlinear wake and weak wake under high sea state conditions, whereas the deep-learning-based detection method could play to its strengths in this respect. Due to the lack of sufficient measured SAR images of ship wake to meet the training requirement for deep learning method, this paper explores the method to detect the nonlinear ship wake by combining electromagnetic scattering model with deep learning technique. The composite scene model of the sea surface and its wake is established first, then the facet scattering distribution of the ship wake and the sea background is analyzed with the help of the electromagnetic scattering model, and the simulation of the wake SAR images under the sea background is finally accomplished based on the modulation model. Combined with the simulation results and measured wake SAR images, the sample database is constructed. The You Only Look Once Version five algorithm (YOLOv5) based on deep learning techniques is applied to detect the wake target in complex conditions such as different sea states, multiple targets, curvilinear wakes, and weak wakes. The result show that the YOLOv5 leads to an obvious higher detection efficiency with satisfactory accuracy. Moreover, the comparison between YOLOv5 and the traditional Radon transform method for detecting nonlinear wakes in a strong noise background shows that the proposed method is better than the traditional object detection model. Thus, the proposed scheme would be a practical tool to deal with the detection of nonlinear ship wake and weak wake in complex scenarios, which will be helpful to the further remote sensing investigation of the ship.
A Polygonal Terrain on Southern Martian Polar Cap: Implications for Its Formation Mechanism
Authors: Zhang Lei , Lu Yang , Zhang Jinhai
Published: November 2022

Polygonal terrains on a Martian southern polar cap have been observed in high-resolution images by the Mars Orbiter Camera. However, their formation mechanism is enigmatic due to the lack of constraints from their geometric and physical properties. Here we proposed a series of recognition procedures on an image of polygonal terrain located at Australe Scopuli taken by a High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment. Then, we quantitatively analyzed the areas, orientations and polygon edge densities (~0.10 to ~0.06 in different subregions) of the polygonal terrain. Based on the recognition results, three elevation-related subregions can be distinguished according to the distributions of polygon size and orientation. The two side subregions distribute relatively small and relatively large polygons, respectively. The middle subregion can be regarded as an intermediate zone along the slope (~1°). The intermediate zone is squeezed by the surrounding polygons, indicating a possible uplift or subsidence on previous or present Mars. This paper found a possible formation mechanism of the polygonal terrain located at the south pole of Mars, suggesting that polar-ice-cap polygons are formed during the process of lateral sliding gravity-driven plastic creep and the deformation of ice, with the polygon boundaries being reshaped during the alignment at high slopes and partially compressed at low slopes. These properties and possible formation mechanisms could provide more constraints on understanding ancient and/or present climates on Mars.
Semantic Segmentation and 3D Reconstruction of Concrete Cracks
Authors: Shokri Parnia , Shahbazi Mozhdeh , Nielsen John
Published: November 2022

Damage assessment of concrete structures is necessary to prevent disasters and ensure the safety of infrastructure such as buildings, sidewalks, dams, and bridges. Cracks are among the most prominent damage types in such structures. In this paper, a solution is proposed for identifying and modeling cracks in concrete structures using a stereo camera. First, crack pixels are identified using deep learning-based semantic segmentation networks trained on a custom dataset. Various techniques for improving the accuracy of these networks are implemented and evaluated. Second, modifications are applied to the stereo camera’s calibration model to ensure accurate estimation of the systematic errors and the orientations of the cameras. Finally, two 3D reconstruction methods are proposed, one of which is based on detecting the dominant structural plane surrounding the crack, while the second method focuses on stereo inference. The experiments performed on close-range images of complex and challenging scenes show that structural cracks can be identified with a precision of 96% and recall of 85%. In addition, an accurate 3D replica of cracks can be produced with an accuracy higher than 1 mm, from which the cracks’ size and other geometric features can be deduced.
Cryogenic Refocusing of an Ultrawide FOV Long-Wave Infrared Imaging Spectrometer in a Geostationary Orbit
Authors: Han Yanxue , Zheng Yuquan , Lin Chao , Ji Zhenhua , Xue Hao , Li Chengliang , Zhang Jialun , Shi Yi , Gao Quyouyang
Published: November 2022

Imaging spectrometers in a geostationary orbit have unique advantages for various applications ranging from atmospheric to ocean remote sensing. To increase remote sensing range, we developed an ultrawide FOV LWIR imaging spectrometer. We compared several spectrometers and picked the “Offner + center single prism” form, which can simplify the system structure and increase cryogenic adaptability, making it ideal for ultrawide FOV designs. However, to reduce background radiation in LWIR bands, the imaging spectrometer was cooled to 123 K, causing the image plane to deviate from the focal plane. Therefore, we propose a cryogenic refocusing method based on an inclined slit in this paper that employs the full width half maximum (FWHM) of the spectral response function (SRF) as the refocusing evaluation function. By analyzing the effect of deviation on FWHM, the refocusing principle is well explained. The slit is tilted to find the minimal function value, so the deviation amount is calculated using differences in FOVs corresponding to the minimum FWHM at different temperatures. Experiments show that the FWHM is nearly 2.1 pixels after refocusing and that the actual spectral resolution is within 120 nm after spectral calibration. The method reduced the design time and provided references for optical systems experiencing refocusing issues in remote sensing imaging.
Multi-Scale Validation and Uncertainty Analysis of GEOV3 and MuSyQ FVC Products: A Case Study of an Alpine Grassland Ecosystem
Authors: Chen Jianjun , Huang Renjie , Yang Yanping , Feng Zihao , You Haotian , Han Xiaowen , Yi Shuhua , Qin Yu , Wang Zhiwei , Zhou Guoqing
Published: November 2022

Fractional vegetation cover (FVC) products provide essential data support for ecological environmental monitoring and simulation studies. However, the lack of validation efforts of FVC products limits their applications. Based on Sentinel-2 data and intensive multi-scale measured FVC data, the accuracies of two FVC products (GEOV3 and MuSyQ) in alpine grassland ecosystems were validated through direct validation and multi-scale validation. Based on the heterogeneity of the underlying surface (HUS) of the monitoring plots, the impact of the HUS of the monitoring plots on the product validation was analyzed. The results showed that: (1) the measured data directly validated that the GEOV3 FVC product performed better than the MuSyQ FVC product; (2) the multi-scale validation method based on high-resolution reference FVC map of Sentienl-2 satellite images validated the accuracy of these two FVC products, which was higher than the accuracy directly validated by FVC measured data, leading to overestimation of the validation results; and (3) the HUS of the monitored plots has a significant impact on the FVC product validation. By quantifying the HUS of the monitored plots and removing the heterogeneous monitoring plots, the uncertainty of the validation results can be reduced. It is necessary to consider the impact of validation methods and the HUS on the validation results in future product validation.
Multi-Horizon Predictive Soil Mapping of Historical Soil Properties Using Remote Sensing Imagery
Authors: Sorenson Preston T. , Kiss Jeremy , Bedard-Haughn Angela K. , Shirtliffe Steve
Published: November 2022

There is increasing demand for more detailed soil maps to support fine-scale land use planning, soil carbon management, and precision agriculture in Saskatchewan. Predictive soil mapping that incorporates a combination of environmental covariates provides a cost-effective tool for generating finer resolution soil maps. This study focused on mapping soil properties for multiple soil horizons in Saskatchewan using historical legacy soil data in combination with remote sensing band indices, bare soil composite imagery, climate data, and terrain attributes. Mapped soil properties included soil organic carbon content (SOC), total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity (CEC), electrical conductivity (EC), inorganic carbon (IOC), sand and clay content, and total profile soil organic carbon stocks. For each of these soil properties, a recursive feature elimination was undertaken to reduce the number of features in the overall model. This process involved iteratively removing features such that random forest out-of-bag error was minimized. Final random forest models were built for each property and evaluated using an independent test dataset. Overall, predictive models were successful for SOC (R2 = 0.71), total nitrogen (R2 = 0.65), CEC (R2 = 0.46), sand content (R2 = 0.44) and clay content (R2 = 0.55). The methods used in this study enable mapping of a greater geographic region of Saskatchewan compared to those previously established that relied solely on bare soil composite imagery.
Thailand’s Sex Entertainment: Alienated Labor and the Construction of Intimacy
Authors: Lemberger Petra , Waters Tony
Published: November 2022

Promising research from Thailand already highlights women in the sexual entertainment industry as being active participants in both intimate relationships and commercial transactions simultaneously. Notably, they are neither victims nor alienated laborers, as some activist narratives assert. Women working in Thailand’s sex entertainment industry consistently adapt working cultures to modernity’s demand to reduce sex to a commercial transaction while often seeking emotional engagement. One result is that new forms of intimacy emerged, taking on new cultural meanings. The profoundly felt need to care for and take care of someone else [dulae (Thai: ดูแล)], seen as a form of “intimacy”, is, in fact, deeply rooted in the Thai social context. We reframe the literature about sex work in Thailand by assuming that intimacy is key to understanding how “sex work” arose and is sustained there. Focusing on intimacy distances research about sex work away from western assumptions about the commodification and alienation of labor. This gives a more holistic understanding of the complexity of overlapping and intersecting dimensions of the work women perform in sex entertainment. “Intimacy” ties together the issues of money, labor, and a need to care for someone and be taken care of. This thread links women with their customers, families, and themselves.
Short-Term Effects of Land-Based Versus Water-Based Resistance Training Protocols on Post-Exercise Hypotension in Normotensive Men: A Crossover Study
Authors: David Gabriela Barreto , Schaun Gustavo Zaccaria , Mendes Amanda Ricardo , Nunes Gabriela Neves , Bocalini Danilo Sales , Pinto Stephanie Santana , Alberton Cristine Lima
Published: November 2022

Considering that water immersion may acutely reduce blood pressure (BP) and that exercise may elicit positive post-exercise hypotension (PEH) responses, we aimed to analyze the presence of PEH in normotensive individuals and compare its magnitude between two resistance training sessions performed in aquatic or land environments. Ten physically active men (23.2 ± 3.1 years) performed the two training protocols in a randomized, counterbalanced fashion. BP measurements were performed for 30 min (at 5 min intervals) both prior to (resting) and after each of the protocols. No differences were observed between protocols at baseline (p > 0.05). Only the water-based resistance training protocol resulted in a systolic BP reduction from 10 to 20 min post-exercise (all p < 0.05) compared to baseline. Compared to the land-based session, systolic BP was lower in the water-based protocol from 10 to 25 min post-exercise (all p < 0.05). On the other hand, diastolic BP showed a similar PEH effect between water and land-based protocols for the entire 30 min post-session period (all p < 0.001). Our results suggest that water-based resistance training holds the potential as a nonpharmacological strategy to lower BP levels following exercise.
Updating Mothers within an Hour of Newborn’s Admission to Neonatal ICU
Authors: Manzar Shabih
Published: November 2022

Background: Patient satisfaction is tightly linked with healthcare quality and high-value care. Timely communication is important in attaining patient satisfaction. The aim of the study was to provide all delivering mothers an update within an hour of their newborn’s admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: An educational module was developed with a PowerPoint presentation on the role of a timely update. The team, consisting of the neonatal nurse practitioners (NNP) and residents, were provided access to the presentation. After completing the presentation, they completed a questionnaire showing understanding. The principal investigator met with the mother after admissions to assess if she was updated within an hour of the admission of her baby to the NICU. Results: A total of 22 mothers participated in the study. Thirty-six percent of the mothers were updated within an hour of admission of their neonates to the NICU. The average time taken from admission to updating mothers was 5.75 ± 6.7 h. All mothers were satisfied with the explanation of the NICU staff. Conclusions: We noted a 100% satisfaction rate; however, we observed a low percentage of communication with the mother. The study provided the baseline data for the next PDSA cycle.
A New Predictive Algorithm for Time Series Forecasting Based on Machine Learning Techniques: Evidence for Decision Making in Agriculture and Tourism Sectors
Authors: Borrero Juan D. , Mariscal Jesús , Vargas-Sánchez Alfonso
Published: November 2022

Accurate time series prediction techniques are becoming fundamental to modern decision support systems. As massive data processing develops in its practicality, machine learning (ML) techniques applied to time series can automate and improve prediction models. The radical novelty of this paper is the development of a hybrid model that combines a new approach to the classical Kalman filter with machine learning techniques, i.e., support vector regression (SVR) and nonlinear autoregressive (NAR) neural networks, to improve the performance of existing predictive models. The proposed hybrid model uses, on the one hand, an improved Kalman filter method that eliminates the convergence problems of time series data with large error variance and, on the other hand, an ML algorithm as a correction factor to predict the model error. The results reveal that our hybrid models obtain accurate predictions, substantially reducing the root mean square and absolute mean errors compared to the classical and alternative Kalman filter models and achieving a goodness of fit greater than 0.95. Furthermore, the generalization of this algorithm was confirmed by its validation in two different scenarios.
A Weibull-Beta Prime Distribution to Model COVID-19 Data with the Presence of Covariates and Censored Data
Authors: Biazatti Elisângela C. , Cordeiro Gauss M. , Rodrigues Gabriela M. , Ortega Edwin M. M. , de Santana Luís H.
Published: November 2022

Motivated by the recent popularization of the beta prime distribution, a more flexible generalization is presented to fit symmetrical or asymmetrical and bimodal data, and a non-monotonic failure rate. Thus, the Weibull-beta prime distribution is defined, and some of its structural properties are obtained. The parameters are estimated by maximum likelihood, and a new regression model is proposed. Some simulations reveal that the estimators are consistent, and applications to censored COVID-19 data show the adequacy of the models.
Determinants of the Intention to Use MOOCs as a Complementary Tool: An Observational Study of Ecuadorian Teachers
Authors: Yamba-Yugsi Marco , Atiaja Lourdes Atiaja , Luján-Mora Sergio , Eguia-Gomez Jose Luis
Published: November 2022

New technological advances and globalization have undoubtedly given rise to new forms of learning. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which are a kind of evolution on e-learning, have the endorsement of prestigious universities around the world, and are transforming the traditional teaching–learning process. In Ecuador, these online courses are based on the Basic General Education system and are neither popular among students nor widely used by teachers in their teaching method, thus, this teaching system is not considered as an official qualification. The inclusion of this tool in the Ecuadorian educational system as a learning resource would expand access to equal opportunities to students and teachers from all over the country. Therefore, our proposal is to use the MOOCs as a source with all the instructional contents of the subject and as classwork based on the flipped-classroom method. In this way, such resources can be an aid to traditional high school classes, and the average grade achieved by students through this platform, as well as the student’s participation, may be part of the formal evaluation system in any institution. With the purpose of measuring the level of confidence in online education and the usage of MOOCs as a tool for teachers’ work, a descriptive and analytical approach has been taken in this study. A quantitative survey was administered to 696 Basic General Education teachers who took used this type of course. The results of this investigation show that 93.9% of the teachers trust the online education; 89% are ready to use MOOCs as a teaching–learning resource and 79% would use MOOCs as part of the final grade. These data prove that MOOCs could be a complementary tool for Basic General Education in Ecuador, so they could contribute to improve learning outcomes and the development of traditional education.
Study on the Resistance of ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ Grapevine with Different Rootstocks to Colomerus vitis
Authors: Shi Wenchao , He Wang , Zhang Zhijun , Sun Junli , Zhu Chunmei , Liu Zhiyu , Xu Yeqing , Zhao Baolong
Published: November 2022

In recent years, Colomerus vitis has caused serious economic losses due to reduced grape production in Xinjiang (northwest China). Several rootstock varieties have been reported to improve the resistance of Cabernet Sauvignon to Colomerus vitis. This study explored the influence of Cabernet Sauvignon with different rootstocks on the resistance to Colomerus vitis. In particular, Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Sauvignon (CS/CS) was selected as the control, and Cabernet Sauvignon grafted with five resistant rootstocks (3309C, 1103P, 140R, SO4, and 5C) was employed as the treatment. The infestation rate and injury index of Colomerus vitis to grapevines was investigated, and insect-resistant types of grapevines with different rootstocks were determined. The resveratrol (Res) content, the gene expression of resveratrol synthase (RS), and the activities of peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the leaves of each rootstock grapevine were measured. The activity of the four enzymes and the content of Res were negatively correlated with the injury index. The results revealed the ability of the rootstock to improve the resistance of grapevines to Colomerus vitis by increasing the enzyme activity or Res content. In particular, 140R, SO4, and 5C rootstocks can be employed as rootstocks of the ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grapevine with resistance to Colomerus vitis. The contents of Res and the four resistance enzymes studied here can be used as indexes to evaluate the insect resistance of rootstock–scion combinations.
Improvement of Negative Emotion Recognition in Visible Images Enhanced by Thermal Imaging
Authors: Lee Ji-Min , An Young-Eun , Bak EunSang , Pan Sungbum
Published: November 2022

Facial expressions help in understanding the intentions of others as they are an essential means of communication, revealing human emotions. Recently, thermal imaging has been playing a complementary role in emotion recognition and is considered an alternative to overcome the drawbacks of visible imaging. Notably, a relatively severe recognition error of fear among negative emotions frequently occurs in visible imaging. This study aims to improve the recognition performance of fear by using the visible and thermal images acquired simultaneously. When fear was not recognized in a visible image, we analyzed the causes of misrecognition. We thus found the condition of replacing the image with a thermal image. It improved emotion recognition performance by 4.54% on average, compared to the performance of using only visible images. Finally, we confirmed that the thermal image effectively compensated for the visible image’s shortcomings.
CFD Analysis of a Small-Scale Solar Chimney Exposed to Ambient Crosswind
Authors: Maia Cristiana Brasil , Castro Silva Janaína de Oliveira
Published: November 2022

Solar chimneys are devices that use solar energy to generate a hot airflow that can be used for power production, the drying of agricultural products, and/or water desalination. The performance of a small-scale solar chimney is studied numerically. The computational domain includes the solar chimney, the ground, and the atmosphere. The turbulent airflow is simulated using the commercial CFD code Ansys Fluent. The only boundary conditions required for the simulation are the wind speed, the ambient temperature, and the absorbed energy from the ground, determined by an energy balance in the system. The system was simulated for one day in the summer in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The ambient crosswind plays an important role in the velocity and temperature. The velocity inside the solar chimney increased with the wind speed, increasing the heat transfer and decreasing the airflow temperature. When the wind speed increased from 0 to 10 m/s, the outlet velocity increased from 1 to 4 m/s, and the outlet temperature decreased from 313 to 304 K.