bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recent Advances in Wayside Railway Wheel Flat Detection Techniques: A Review
Authors: Fu Wenjie , He Qixin , Feng Qibo , Li Jiakun , Zheng Fajia , Zhang Bin
Published: April 2023

Wheel flats are amongst the most common local surface defect in railway wheels, which can result in repetitive high wheel–rail contact forces and thus lead to rapid deterioration and possible failure of wheels and rails if not detected at an early stage. The timely and accurate detection of wheel flats is of great significance to ensure the safety of train operation and reduce maintenance costs. In recent years, with the increase of train speed and load capacity, wheel flat detection is facing greater challenges. This paper focuses on the review of wheel flat detection techniques and flat signal processing methods based on wayside deployment in recent years. Commonly used wheel flat detection methods, including sound-based methods, image-based methods, and stress-based methods are introduced and summarized. The advantages and disadvantages of these methods are discussed and concluded. In addition, the flat signal processing methods corresponding to different wheel flat detection techniques are also summarized and discussed. According to the review, we believe that the development direction of the wheel flat detection system is gradually moving towards device simplification, multi-sensor fusion, high algorithm accuracy, and operational intelligence. With continuous development of machine learning algorithms and constant perfection of railway databases, wheel flat detection based on machine learning algorithms will be the development trend in the future.
A Fast and Low-Power Detection System for the Missing Pin Chip Based on YOLOv4-Tiny Algorithm
Authors: Chen Shiyi , Lai Wugang , Ye Junjie , Ma Yingjie
Published: April 2023

In the current chip quality detection industry, detecting missing pins in chips is a critical task, but current methods often rely on inefficient manual screening or machine vision algorithms deployed in power-hungry computers that can only identify one chip at a time. To address this issue, we propose a fast and low-power multi-object detection system based on the YOLOv4-tiny algorithm and a small-size AXU2CGB platform that utilizes a low-power FPGA for hardware acceleration. By adopting loop tiling to cache feature map blocks, designing an FPGA accelerator structure with two-layer ping-pong optimization as well as multiplex parallel convolution kernels, enhancing the dataset, and optimizing network parameters, we achieve a 0.468 s per-image detection speed, 3.52 W power consumption, 89.33% mean average precision (mAP), and 100% missing pin recognition rate regardless of the number of missing pins. Our system reduces detection time by 73.27% and power consumption by 23.08% compared to a CPU, while delivering a more balanced boost in performance compared to other solutions.
Low-Cost Internet-of-Things Water-Quality Monitoring System for Rural Areas
Authors: Bogdan Razvan , Paliuc Camelia , Crisan-Vida Mihaela , Nimara Sergiu , Barmayoun Darius
Published: April 2023

Water is a vital source for life and natural environments. This is the reason why water sources should be constantly monitored in order to detect any pollutants that might jeopardize the quality of water. This paper presents a low-cost internet-of-things system that is capable of measuring and reporting the quality of different water sources. It comprises the following components: Arduino UNO board, Bluetooth module BT04, temperature sensor DS18B20, pH sensor—SEN0161, TDS sensor—SEN0244, turbidity sensor—SKU SEN0189. The system will be controlled and managed from a mobile application, which will monitor the actual status of water sources. We propose to monitor and evaluate the quality of water from five different water sources in a rural settlement. The results show that most of the water sources we have monitored are proper for consumption, with a single exception where the TDS values are not within proper limits, as they outperform the maximum accepted value of 500 ppm.
Base of Support, Step Length and Stride Width Estimation during Walking Using an Inertial and Infrared Wearable System
Authors: Rossanigo Rachele , Caruso Marco , Bertuletti Stefano , Deriu Franca , Knaflitz Marco , Della Croce Ugo , Cereatti Andrea
Published: April 2023

The analysis of the stability of human gait may be effectively performed when estimates of the base of support are available. The base of support area is defined by the relative position of the feet when they are in contact with the ground and it is closely related to additional parameters such as step length and stride width. These parameters may be determined in the laboratory using either a stereophotogrammetric system or an instrumented mat. Unfortunately, their estimation in the real world is still an unaccomplished goal. This study aims at proposing a novel, compact wearable system, including a magneto-inertial measurement unit and two time-of-flight proximity sensors, suitable for the estimation of the base of support parameters. The wearable system was tested and validated on thirteen healthy adults walking at three self-selected speeds (slow, comfortable, and fast). Results were compared with the concurrent stereophotogrammetric data, used as the gold standard. The root mean square errors for the step length, stride width and base of support area varied from slow to high speed between 10–46 mm, 14–18 mm, and 39–52 cm2, respectively. The mean overlap of the base of support area as obtained with the wearable system and with the stereophotogrammetric system ranged between 70% and 89%. Thus, this study suggested that the proposed wearable solution is a valid tool for the estimation of the base of support parameters out of the laboratory.
Equivalent Electromechanical Model for Quartz Tuning Fork Used in Atomic Force Microscopy
Authors: Lin Rui , Qian Jianqiang , Li Yingzi , Cheng Peng , Wang Cheng , Li Lei , Gao Xiaodong , Sun Wendong
Published: April 2023

Quartz tuning forks (QTFs) are self-sensing and possess a high quality factor, allowing them to be used as probes for atomic force microscopes (AFMs) for which they offer nano-scale resolution of sample images. Since recent work has revealed that utilizing higher-order modes of QTFs can offer better resolution of AFM images and more information on samples, it is necessary to understand the relationship between the vibration characteristics of the first two symmetric eigenmodes of quartz-based probes. In this paper, a model that combines the mechanical and electrical characteristics of the first two symmetric eigenmodes of a QTF is presented. Firstly, the relationships between the resonant frequency, amplitude, and quality factor between the first two symmetric eigenmodes are theoretically derived. Then, a finite element analysis is conducted to estimate the dynamic behaviors of the analyzed QTF. Finally, experimental tests are executed to verify the validity of the proposed model. The results indicate that the proposed model can accurately describe the dynamic properties of a QTF in the first two symmetric eigenmodes either under electrical or mechanical excitation, which will provide a reference for the description of the relationship between the electrical and mechanical responses of the QTF probe in the first two symmetric eigenmodes as well as the optimization of higher modal responses of the QTF sensor.
Electrical Interference Simulation and Prediction Model for Acoustoelectric Logging Detector
Authors: Chen Hongzhi , Lu Junqiang , Ju Xiaodong , Men Baiyong , Qiao Wenxiao
Published: April 2023

Acoustic logging instruments generate high voltages in the order of thousands of volts. Electrical interferences are thus induced by high-voltage pulses that affect the logging tool and make it inoperable owing to damaged components in severe cases. High-voltage pulses from the acoustoelectric logging detector interfere with the electrode measurement loop through capacitive coupling, which has seriously affected the acoustoelectric signal measurements. In this paper, we simulate high voltage pulses, capacitive coupling and electrode measurement loops based on qualitative analysis of the causes of electrical interference. Based on the structure of the acoustoelectric logging detector and the logging environment, an electrical interference simulation and prediction model was developed to quantify the characteristics of the electrical interference signal.
An Automatic Calibration Method for Kappa Angle Based on a Binocular Gaze Constraint
Authors: Liu Jiahui , Chi Jiannan , Sun Hang
Published: April 2023

Kappa-angle calibration shows its importance in gaze tracking due to the special structure of the eyeball. In a 3D gaze-tracking system, after the optical axis of the eyeball is reconstructed, the kappa angle is needed to convert the optical axis of the eyeball to the real gaze direction. At present, most of the kappa-angle-calibration methods use explicit user calibration. Before eye-gaze tracking, the user needs to look at some pre-defined calibration points on the screen, thereby providing some corresponding optical and visual axes of the eyeball with which to calculate the kappa angle. Especially when multi-point user calibration is required, the calibration process is relatively complicated. In this paper, a method that can automatically calibrate the kappa angle during screen browsing is proposed. Based on the 3D corneal centers and optical axes of both eyes, the optimal objective function of the kappa angle is established according to the coplanar constraint of the visual axes of the left and right eyes, and the differential evolution algorithm is used to iterate through kappa angles according to the theoretical angular constraint of the kappa angle. The experiments show that the proposed method can make the gaze accuracy reach 1.3° in the horizontal plane and 1.34° in the vertical plane, both of which are within the acceptable margins of gaze-estimation error. The demonstration of explicit kappa-angle calibration is of great significance to the realization of the instant use of gaze-tracking systems.
Coverage and Lifetime Optimization by Self-Optimizing Sensor Networks
Authors: Seredyński Franciszek , Kulpa Tomasz , Hoffmann Rolf , Désérable Dominique
Published: April 2023

We propose an approach to self-optimizing wireless sensor networks (WSNs) which are able to find, in a fully distributed way, a solution to a coverage and lifetime optimization problem. The proposed approach is based on three components: (a) a multi-agent, social-like interpreted system, where the modeling of agents, discrete space, and time is provided by a 2-dimensional second-order cellular automata, (b) the interaction between agents is described in terms of the spatial prisoner’s dilemma game, and (c) a local evolutionary mechanism of competition between agents exists. Nodes of a WSN graph created for a given deployment of WSN in the monitored area are considered agents of a multi-agent system that collectively make decisions to turn on or turn off their batteries. Agents are controlled by cellular automata (CA)-based players participating in a variant of the spatial prisoner’s dilemma iterated game. We propose for players participating in this game a local payoff function that incorporates issues of area coverage and sensors energy spending. Rewards obtained by agent players depend not only on their personal decisions but also on their neighbor’s decisions. Agents act in such a way to maximize their own rewards, which results in achieving by them a solution corresponding to the Nash equilibrium point. We show that the system is self-optimizing, i.e., can optimize in a distributed way global criteria related to WSN and not known for agents, provide a balance between requested coverage and spending energy, and result in expanding the WSN lifetime. The solutions proposed by the multi-agent system fulfill the Pareto optimality principles, and the desired quality of solutions can be controlled by user-defined parameters. The proposed approach is validated by a number of experimental results.
Automatic Hybrid Access Control in SCADA-Enabled IIoT Networks Using Machine Learning
Authors: Usman Muhammad , Sarfraz Muhammad Shahzad , Habib Usman , Aftab Muhammad Umar , Javed Saleha
Published: April 2023

The recent advancements in the Internet of Things have made it converge towards critical infrastructure automation, opening a new paradigm referred to as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). In the IIoT, different connected devices can send huge amounts of data to other devices back and forth for a better decision-making process. In such use cases, the role of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) has been studied by many researchers in recent years for robust supervisory control management. Nevertheless, for better sustainability of these applications, reliable data exchange is crucial in this domain. To ensure the privacy and integrity of the data shared between the connected devices, access control can be used as the front-line security mechanism for these systems. However, the role engineering and assignment propagation in access control is still a tedious process as its manually performed by network administrators. In this study, we explored the potential of supervised machine learning to automate role engineering for fine-grained access control in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) settings. We propose a mapping framework to employ a fine-tuned multilayer feedforward artificial neural network (ANN) and extreme learning machine (ELM) for role engineering in the SCADA-enabled IIoT environment to ensure privacy and user access rights to resources. For the application of machine learning, a thorough comparison between these two algorithms is also presented in terms of their effectiveness and performance. Extensive experiments demonstrated the significant performance of the proposed scheme, which is promising for future research to automate the role assignment in the IIoT domain.
GNSS Data/Pilot Combining with Extended Integrations for Carrier Tracking
Authors: Borio Daniele
Published: April 2023

Modern Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals are usually made of two components: a pilot and a data channel. The former is adopted to extend the integration time and improve receiver sensitivity, whereas the latter is used for data dissemination. Combining the two channels allows one to fully exploit the transmitted power and further improve receiver performance. The presence of data symbols in the data channel, however, limits the integration time in the combining process. When a pure data channel is considered, the integration time can be extended using a squaring operation, which removes the data symbols without affecting phase information. In this paper, Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimation is used to derive the optimal data-pilot combining strategy and extend the integration time beyond the data symbol duration. In this way, a generalized correlator is obtained as the linear combination of the pilot and data components. The data component is multiplied by a non-linear term, which compensates for the presence of data bits. Under weak signal conditions, this multiplication leads to a form of squaring, which generalizes the squaring correlator used in data-only processing. The weights of the combination depend on the signal amplitude and noise variance that need to be estimated. The ML solution is integrated into a Phase Lock Loop (PLL) and used to process GNSS signals with data and pilot components. The proposed algorithm and its performance are characterized from a theoretical point of view, using semi-analytic simulations and through the processing of GNSS signals generated using a hardware simulator. The derived method is compared with other data/pilot combining strategies with extended integrations showing the advantages and drawbacks of the different approaches.
Group-Connected Impedance Network of RIS-Assisted Rate-Splitting Multiple Access in MU-MIMO Wireless Communication Systems
Authors: Kim Min-A , Yoo Seung-Geun , Kim Hyoung-Do , Shin Kyeung-Ho , You Young-Hwan , Song Hyoung-Kyu
Published: April 2023

The reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) and rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA) are considered as promising technologies for the beyond Fifth-Generation (B5G) and Sixth-Generation (6G) wireless systems by controlling the propagation environment, which attenuates the transmitted signal, and by managing the interference by splitting the user message into common and private messages. Because conventional RIS elements have each impedance connected to the ground, the sum-rate performance improvement of the RIS is limited. Therefore, the new RISs, which have impedance elements connected to each other, have been proposed recently. To be more adaptive to each channel, the optimization of the grouping of the RIS elements is required. Furthermore, since the solution of the optimal rate-splitting (RS) power-splitting ratio is complex, the value should be simply optimized to be more practical in the wireless system. In this paper, the grouping scheme of the RIS elements according to the user scheduling and the solution of the RS power-splitting ratio based on fractional programming (FP) are proposed. The simulation results showed that the proposed RIS-assisted RSMA system achieved a high sum-rate performance compared to the conventional RIS-assisted spatial-division multiple access (SDMA) system. Therefore, the proposed scheme can perform adaptively for the channel and has a flexible interference management. Furthermore, it can be a more suitable technique for B5G and 6G.
Investigation of Silicon Core-Based Fiber Bragg Grating for Simultaneous Detection of Temperature and Refractive Index
Authors: Yu Yi-Lin , Hong Yu-Hua , Chen Yu-Hsuan , Kishikawa Hiroki , Oguchi Kimio
Published: April 2023

In this article, we theoretically designed and simulated a silicon core fiber for the simultaneous detection of temperature and refractive index. We first discussed the parameters of the silicon core fiber for near single-mode operation. Second, we designed and simulated a silicon core-based fiber Bragg grating and applied it for simultaneous sensing of temperature and environmental refractive index. The sensitivities for the temperature and refractive index were 80.5 pm/°C and 208.76 dB/RIU, respectively, within a temperature range of 0 to 50 °C and a refractive index range of 1.0 to 1.4. The proposed fiber sensor head can provide a method with simple structure and high sensitivity for various sensing targets.
Low-Cost Electronics for Automatic Classification and Permittivity Estimation of Glycerin Solutions Using a Dielectric Resonator Sensor and Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Monteagudo Honrubia Miguel , Matanza Domingo Javier , Herraiz-Martínez Francisco Javier , Giannetti Romano
Published: April 2023

Glycerin is a versatile organic molecule widely used in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries, but it also has a central role in biodiesel refining. This research proposes a dielectric resonator (DR) sensor with a small cavity to classify glycerin solutions. A commercial VNA and a novel low-cost portable electronic reader were tested and compared to evaluate the sensor performance. Within a relative permittivity range of 1 to 78.3, measurements of air and nine distinct glycerin concentrations were taken. Both devices achieved excellent accuracy (98–100%) using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). In addition, permittivity estimation using Support Vector Regressor (SVR) achieved low RMSE values, around 0.6 for the VNA dataset and between 1.2 for the electronic reader. These findings prove that low-cost electronics can match the results of commercial instrumentation using machine learning techniques.
SVR-Net: A Sparse Voxelized Recurrent Network for Robust Monocular SLAM with Direct TSDF Mapping
Authors: Lang Rongling , Fan Ya , Chang Qing
Published: April 2023

Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) plays a fundamental role in downstream tasks including navigation and planning. However, monocular visual SLAM faces challenges in robust pose estimation and map construction. This study proposes a monocular SLAM system based on a sparse voxelized recurrent network, SVR-Net. It extracts voxel features from a pair of frames for correlation and recursively matches them to estimate pose and dense map. The sparse voxelized structure is designed to reduce memory occupation of voxel features. Meanwhile, gated recurrent units are incorporated to iteratively search for optimal matches on correlation maps, thereby enhancing the robustness of the system. Additionally, Gauss–Newton updates are embedded in iterations to impose geometrical constraints, which ensure accurate pose estimation. After end-to-end training on ScanNet, SVR-Net is evaluated on TUM-RGBD and successfully estimates poses on all nine scenes, while traditional ORB-SLAM fails on most of them. Furthermore, absolute trajectory error (ATE) results demonstrate that the tracking accuracy is comparable to that of DeepV2D. Unlike most previous monocular SLAM systems, SVR-Net directly estimates dense TSDF maps suitable for downstream tasks with high efficiency of data exploitation. This study contributes to the development of robust monocular visual SLAM systems and direct TSDF mapping.
Enhancing Evanescent Wave Coupling of Near-Surface Waveguides with Plasmonic Nanoparticles
Authors: Lapointe Jerome , Grégoire Alexandre , Bérubé Jean-Philippe , Vallée Réal
Published: April 2023

Evanescent field excitation is a powerful means to achieve a high surface-to-bulk signal ratio for bioimaging and sensing applications. However, standard evanescent wave techniques such as TIRF and SNOM require complex microscopy setups. Additionally, the precise positioning of the source relative to the analytes of interest is required, as the evanescent wave is critically distance-dependent. In this work, we present a detailed investigation of evanescent field excitation of near-surface waveguides written using femtosecond laser in glass. We studied the waveguide-to-surface distance and refractive index change to attain a high coupling efficiency between evanescent waves and organic fluorophores. First, our study demonstrated a reduction in sensing efficiency for waveguides written at their minimum distance to the surface without ablation as the refractive index contrast of the waveguide increased. While this result was anticipated, it had not been previously demonstrated in the literature. Moreover, we found that fluorescence excitation by waveguides can be enhanced using plasmonic silver nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were also organized in linear assemblies, perpendicular to the waveguide, with a wrinkled PDMS stamp technique, which resulted in an excitation enhancement of over 20 times compared to the setup without nanoparticles.
Dynamic Compensation of a Piezoelectric Accelerometer Obtained through a General Probabilistic Approach
Authors: Crenna Francesco , Rossi Giovanni Battista , Berardengo Marta
Published: April 2023

Dynamic compensation is the (partial) correction of the measurement signals for the effects due to bandwidth limitations of measurement systems and constitutes a research topic in dynamic measurement. The dynamic compensation of an accelerometer is here considered, as obtained by a method that directly comes from a general probabilistic model of the measurement process. Although the application of the method is simple, the analytical development of the corresponding compensation filter is quite complex and had been previously developed only for first-order systems, whilst here a second-order system is considered, thus moving from a scalar to a vector problem. The effectiveness of the method has been tested both through simulation and by a dedicated experiment. Both tests have shown the capability of the method of significantly improve the performance of the measurement system when dynamic effects are more prevalent than additive observation noise.
Effects and Externalities of Smart Governance
Authors: Popova Yelena , Popovs Sergejs
Published: April 2023

The concept of a smart city is widely implemented all over the world, and this fact creates both possibilities and new challenges for all participants and stakeholders of the process. This study examines the implementation of smart governance in the context of smart cities. The goal of the research is to distinguish between the effects and externalities of the smart governance domain, both positive and negative ones; the effects and externalities are elicited from the outcomes of smart governance implementation revealed from a review of scientific publications devoted to the results, barriers, and facilitators of smart governance functioning. The publications were selected according to a systematic review methodology, then the selected articles were analyzed and the factors that foster the processes of smart governance implementation (facilitators) or vice versa hamper the acquisition of results (barriers), as well as the outcomes of smart governance, were extracted. The extracted factors were attributed to six areas: Information, Efficiency, Citizen-Centricity, Transparency, Digital Divide, and Regulation. Further, the outcomes of smart governance implementation were distinguished as effects and externalities, which were both positive and negative.
Consumers’ Behavioral Trends in the Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Sector amid a Global Pandemic: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Pretto Rachele , Huang Arthur , Ridderstaat Jorge , de La Mora Efren , Haney Adam
Published: April 2023

A global pandemic can provide new opportunities and challenges for the tourism industry. When most entertainment events and recreation activities were canceled or postponed during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, many operators introduced online offerings, such as virtual tours and streaming services. These factors, along with the public’s fear of catching the virus, have prompted significant changes in consumers’ spending behaviors within the tourism industry. This study interviewed 22 US-based consumers about their spending experiences in the arts, entertainment, and recreation sectors, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings indicate that the critical shaping factors of consumers’ behaviors in tourism include safety measures, social environment, consumers’ desire to resume enjoyment, and digital offerings. We further propose a revised theory of planned behavior that considers various external and contextual factors, based on the findings. The implications for managerial practice are also discussed.
Big Data Analytics and Firm Performance in the Hotel Sector
Authors: Carneiro Tiago , Picoto Winnie Ng , Pinto Inês
Published: April 2023

Big data (BD) analytics play a key role in helping hotel firms gain competitive advantages and achieve superior performance. The purpose of this study was to determine which factors encourage the use of big data analytics (BDA) by hotel firms and the impact of BDA on hotel firms’ performance. Understanding the impacts of big data analytics in the hotel sector is important to help hotel managers use big data for creating business value by increasing hotel performance. A research model was developed and tested with data collected through a questionnaire sent to hotel managers in a European country and analysed with PLS. The results indicate that organisational readiness and competitive pressure encourage the use of BDA through the mediating role of top management support. The findings also indicate that the use of BDA can create business value by increasing the main dimensions of hotel performance: financial performance, customer retention rate, and hotel reputation.
The Role of Vitamin E in Protecting against Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and the Neurotoxic Effects of Acute Paracetamol in Pregnant Female Rats
Authors: Hammad Alaa M. , Shawaqfeh Baraa , Hikmat Suhair , Al-Qirim Tariq , Hamadneh Lama , Al-Kouz Sameer , Awad Mariam M. , Hall Frank S.
Published: April 2023

Paracetamol (acetaminophen, APAP) is the most common non-prescription analgesic drug used during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of vitamin E on acute APAP toxicity in pregnant rats. Toxicity in the liver, kidney, and brain (hippocampus, cerebellum, and olfactory bulb) was examined. Twenty pregnant female Wistar rats at gestational day 18 were used. Pregnant rats were divided into four groups: Control, APAP, E + APAP, and APAP + E. The Control group was treated with 0.5 mL p.o. corn oil. The APAP group received 3000 mg/kg p.o. APAP. The E + APAP group received 300 mg/kg p.o. vitamin E one hour before 3000 mg/kg APAP. The APAP + E group received 3000 mg/kg paracetamol one hour before 300 mg/kg p.o. vitamin E. Twenty-four hours after the last treatment administration, rats were euthanized and blood, brain, liver, and kidney samples were collected. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine levels, uric acid (UA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels, as well as the relative mRNA expression of Cyp1a4, Cyp2d6, and Nat2, were determined. Acute APAP treatment upregulated ALT, AST, BUN, and creatinine levels. APAP treatment downregulated UA and SOD levels. APAP treatment upregulated the relative mRNA expression of Cyp1a4 and Cyp2d6, but downregulated Nat2 expression. Vitamin E treatment, either before or after APAP administration, attenuated the toxic effects of APAP. In conclusion, the results showed that an acute toxic APAP dose in late pregnancy can cause oxidative stress and dysregulation in Cyp isoform expression, and that vitamin E treatment attenuates these effects.
Acute Toxicity of the Dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae on Early Life Stages of Zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Authors: Yang Xiao , Yan Zhi , Chen Jingjing , Wang Derui , Li Ke
Published: April 2023

Dinoflagellates of the genus Amphidinium can produce a variety of polyketides, such as amphidinols (AMs), amphidinoketides, and amphidinin, that have hemolytic, cytotoxic, and fish mortality properties. AMs pose a significant threat to ecological function due to their membrane-disrupting and permeabilizing properties, as well as their hydrophobicity. Our research aims to investigate the disparate distribution of AMs between intracellular and extracellular environments, as well as the threat that AMs pose to aquatic organisms. As a result, AMs containing sulphate groups such as AM19 with lower bioactivity comprised the majority of A. carterae strain GY-H35, while AMs without sulphate groups such as AM18 with higher bioactivity displayed a higher proportion and hemolytic activity in the extracellular environment, suggesting that AMs may serve as allelochemicals. When the concentration of extracellular crude extracts of AMs reached 0.81 µg/mL in the solution, significant differences in zebrafish embryonic mortality and malformation were observed. Over 96 hpf, 0.25 μL/mL of AMs could cause significant pericardial edema, heart rate decrease, pectoral fin deformation, and spinal deformation in zebrafish larvae. Our findings emphasized the necessity of conducting systematic research on the differences between the intracellular and extracellular distribution of toxins to gain a more accurate understanding of their effects on humans and the environment.
Interpolation Formulas for Asymptotically Safe Cosmology
Authors: Nagy Sandor , Sailer Kornel
Published: April 2023

Simple interpolation formulas are proposed for the description of the renormalization group (RG) scale dependences of the gravitational couplings in the framework of the 2-parameters Einstein-Hilbert (EH) theory of gravity and applied to a simple, analytically solvable, spatially homogeneous and isotropic, spatially flat model universe. The analytical solution is found in two schemes incorporating different methods of the determination of the conversion rule k(t) of the RG scale k to the cosmological time t. In the case of the discussed model these schemes turn out to yield identical cosmological evolution. Explicit analytical formulas are found for the conversion rule k(t) as well as for the characteristic time scales tG and tΛ>tG corresponding to the dynamical energy scales kG and kΛ, respectively, arising form the RG analysis of the EH theory. It is shown that there exists a model-dependent time scale td (tG≤td<tΛ) at which the accelerating expansion changes to the decelerating one. It is shown that the evolution runs from a well-identified cosmological fixed point to another one. As a by-product we show that the entropy of the system decreases monotonically in the interval 0<t≤tΛ due to the quantum effects.
A SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Designed for Manufacturability Results in Unexpected Potency and Non-Waning Humoral Response
Authors: Campbell Elliot , Dobkin Julie , Osorio Louis J. , Kolloli Afsal , Ramasamy Santhamani , Kumar Ranjeet , Sant’Angelo Derek B. , Subbian Selvakumar , Denzin Lisa K. , Anderson Stephen
Published: April 2023

The rapid development of several highly efficacious SARS-CoV-2 vaccines was an unprecedented scientific achievement that saved millions of lives. However, now that SARS-CoV-2 is transitioning to the endemic stage, there exists an unmet need for new vaccines that provide durable immunity and protection against variants and can be more easily manufactured and distributed. Here, we describe a novel protein component vaccine candidate, MT-001, based on a fragment of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that encompasses the receptor binding domain (RBD). Mice and hamsters immunized with a prime-boost regimen of MT-001 demonstrated extremely high anti-spike IgG titers, and remarkably this humoral response did not appreciably wane for up to 12 months following vaccination. Further, virus neutralization titers, including titers against variants such as Delta and Omicron BA.1, remained high without the requirement for subsequent boosting. MT-001 was designed for manufacturability and ease of distribution, and we demonstrate that these attributes are not inconsistent with a highly immunogenic vaccine that confers durable and broad immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and its emerging variants. These properties suggest MT-001 could be a valuable new addition to the toolbox of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and other interventions to prevent infection and curtail additional morbidity and mortality from the ongoing worldwide pandemic.
Codzienność żon senatorów „nowej kreacji” w czasach stanisławowskich na kresach wschodnich Rzeczypospolitej – trzy mało znane białogłowy
Authors: Rolnik Dariusz
Published: April 2023

Artykuł przedstawia analizę życia codziennego trzech żon senatorów „nowej kreacji” w czasach stanisławowskich: Petroneli Jeleńskiej z Kościałkowskich kasztelanowej nowogródzkiej, Marianny Chmarowej z Woynów-Orańskich wojewodziny mińskiej i Izabeli Świeykowskiej z Dunin-Karwickich wojewodziny podolskiej. Na podstawie nowych źródeł archiwalnych pokazano, że życie żon nowych senatorów, pierwszych w rodzie, było tak samo trudne, jak ich mężów, a w pewnych okolicznościach nawet smutniejsze, jakby pozbawione bezpośredniej radości z udanych politycznych i ekonomicznych przedsięwzięć ich mężów. Zaangażowanie świadome w życie męża i uznanie jego celów za swoje – to chyba najważniejsze cechy żon senatorów, pierwszych w swych rodzinach, w czasach stanisławowskich.
Vincento Ignaco Marevičiaus „Abiejų lyčių edukacijos sistema“: apie natūralaus ugdymo adeptą Lietuvos Didžiojoje Kunigaikštystėje
Authors: Balaišytė Lina
Published: April 2023

The article discusses the system of children’s education presented in Proiekt nieuskuteczniony prozą i wierszem (1788; The Unfulfilled Project in Prose and Verse) by Wincenty Ignacy Marewicz (1755–1822). The article examines how the writer, who came from the petty nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, adapted the new ideas of pedagogy that were spreading in Europe in the second half of the eighteenth century. An attempt is made to discern what was typical in W. I. Marewicz’s work and what individual nuances were given to it by a particular personality. In the work discussed, the author’s pedagogical views are presented in the chapter “Systema Edukacyi dla Płci oboiey” (A System of Education for Both Sexes). The writer sets out his system like a narrative to his future wife about
how he would bring up their future children. It is noteworthy that although the access to the works of Western pedagogical theorists was limited, the system of children’s education described by W. I. Marewicz was close to the model of natural education developed by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. W. I. Marewicz based his work on the postulate that the child’s great teacher is nature. At the same time, we can observe that W. I. Marewicz adapted the system of natural education by using his own life experience and taking into account the realities of his own country.
The educational system described by W. I. Marewicz is aimed at the upbringing of a decent citizen. It is based on the attitudes that the writer used to declare in his patriotic works: work for the good of society, obedience to the king, respect for religion, the striving for the unity of the nation, and hatred of outsiders who undermine the state.
Klauzūros ir neturto problema Kauno bernardinių vienuolyne
Authors: Kamuntavičienė Vaida
Published: April 2023

The Council of Trent established that all convents had to adhere to strict enclosure. Western historiography notes that this Tridentine decree met with resistance in many countries and was only partially implemented. The article deals with the case of the Bernardine convent in Kaunas, which existed from the end of the sixteenth century until 1864. The Bernadine nuns of Kaunas followed the Rule of the Third Order of St Francis, which was adapted for the Bernardine monasteries of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and printed in 1740. It placed great emphasis on enclosure, poverty, and communality and foresaw severe physical punishment for transgressions. In practical life, however, this did not stop the development of distinctive customs in the Bernardine convent of Kaunas. Occasional visitations (1767, 1781) or the nuns’ letters to the bishop showed that the convent was in violation of enclosure and poverty and that there was no fence separating the enclosed part of the nuns’ living quarters from the folwark. The Bernadine nuns of Kaunas had their own understanding of enclosure and poverty: they interacted
with the servants (even male servants), maids, residents, and pupils, who lived on the territory of the convent. In this way, the nuns were not detached from the worldly affairs, but communality was endangered. Although enclosure was observed formally and the Bernadine nuns of Kaunas did not appear in public, only they knew what went on behind the high walls of the convent. The Church hierarchy tried to change this, but the results of the reforms were only partial
and temporary. The Bernardine convent of Kaunas attracted women of all back-
grounds, especially the relatives of the nuns; here they found shelter from various
life situations and became involved in the spiritual life of the convent. On the other
hand, they often distracted and divided the community, and the funds allocated
for the nuns’ needs were used for their upkeep.
Poles apart? From Wrestling and Mallkhāmb to Pole Yoga
Authors:   Nanzan University, McCartney Patrick
Published: April 2023

Mallkhāmb (malla-khāmba, “wrestler-pole”) is today popularly referred to as “Pole Yoga” and it is recognised as the so-called “Authentic Indian Sport.” However, its history is confusing to trace. Some speculate that the source of pole yoga is neither the Marathi mallkhāmb nor the similar Sanskrit mallastambha, or neither stambha-śrama (“pole-exercise”). Rather, myths of Śiva’s stambha are imagined across dissonant and dislocated biographies, which appear to be poles apart and appear to represent an ever-increasing historical polarity. The aim of this chapter is to provide clarity about, and if possible pin, mallkhāmb’s connections to haṭhayoga’s suite of āsanas (“postures”). This thorough analysis of mallkhāmb’s primary textual sources is based on a close reading of the Mallapurāṇa and Mānasollāsa, through which it is determined that the wrestler’s āsana has very little, if anything at all, to do with the contemporaneous concept of āsana as stretching. Instead, it serves as an integral part of a wrestler’s path towards defeating his opponent.
An exploration into the personal and professional impact of the Bachelor of Applied Management on a small business owner
Authors:   , Ellis Kylie
Published: April 2023

Introduction: The research focused on exploring the experience of our small business owner graduates who acquired a Bachelor of Applied Management through an independent learning pathway (ILP), which is a work-based learning qualification at Otago Polytechnic/Te Pūkenga. Graduates anecdotally report the process as transformational by enhancing their personal and professional selves. However, the impact of the learning process still requires investigation. Gaining an insight into these variables benefitted Otago Polytechnic and future learners. Methodology / Methods: The research methodology applied a qualitative approach utilising Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), and the data collection used semi-structured interviews undertaken either face-to-face or via phone. Nine graduates were interviewed. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim then analysed for emerging themes by the researcher. Results: The themes identified challenges small business owners face, such as feeling isolated and the effects of workplace stressors on their mental health and well-being. Sustaining self and business was a sub-theme, the participants recognising that a more holistic approach to business was required for long-term business viability. As a result, the participants prioritise self-care practices to benefit their well-being and employees, enabling them to sustain the "whole business". Reflective practice was identified as the tool to analyse, evaluate and lay to rest experiences of significant impact. The tools gained were described as having the ability to "self-counsel" to manage their well-being. Last, small business owners identified an amplification of their leadership capability, which enabled them to increase their effectiveness, thus, increasing the efficiency of their business. Conclusion: The findings had implications for the facilitators of work-based qualifications, identifying strategies and tools that enrich the facilitator/learner relationship. Finally, there is evidence of the value our small business owners gained from working through an ILP rather than a traditionally taught program. The research provides evidence of the efficacy of ILP delivery through the College of Work-based learning and offers benefits to a wider sector within the business community. This research validates independent learning pathways' and encourages innovative education delivery across Te Pūkenga and other higher education institutions.
Tu casa no es mi casa: caracterizando dos formas de organización social en la Segunda Edad del Hierro del Noroeste Ibérico, España (IV-I a.C.). Una aproximación desde el registro doméstico
Authors: Nión-Álvarez Samuel
Published: April 2023

El siguiente trabajo propone una aproximación a las formas sociales de la Edad del Hierro del Noroeste de la península ibérica desde el estudio de su ámbito doméstico. Se expone una revisión arqueológica de las estrategias de estructuración del espacio doméstico, con el objetivo de analizar las dinámicas sociales en las que se inserta. Se plantea un análisis de distintas características de los espacios domésticos, explorando distintas perspectivas fundamentadas en el análisis social a través del estudio del área de habitación y las relaciones intrafamiliares, identificando su estructuración interna, morfología, registro arqueológico o integración en la planificación constructiva del poblado. Atendiendo al actual estado de la investigación de Edad del Hierro del Noroeste, estos datos se emplean para contrastar la existencia de dos dinámicas sociales aparentemente divergentes identificadas en el área de estudio elegida. En consecuencia, los resultados se articulan en estas dos regiones, con el objetivo de verificar hasta qué punto tienen su reflejo en la estructuración del espacio doméstico. Finalmente, los resultados serán sintetizados, con el objetivo de definir algunas de las principales características de cada espacio doméstico, además de evaluar su valor como elemento representativo de las dinámicas sociales del territorio.
Uso do SIG na delimitação e mapeamento das áreas de preservação permanente do rio Poti (Teresina/PI) / Use of Gis on the delimitation and mapping of permanent preservative areas of the Poti river (Teresina/PI)
Authors: Mendes Iarla Leticia Felipe , Reis Filho Antônio Aderson dos , Espindola Giovana Mira de
Published: April 2023

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo a delimitação e o mapeamento das Áreas de Preservação Permanente do Rio Poti em área urbana de Teresina/PI, delimitadas a partir no Novo Código Florestal Brasileiro, assim como analisar a ocorrência de uso e ocupação inadequada destas áreas utilizando imagens do satélite RapidEye do ano de 2014 que manuseadas no SIG Spring possibilitaram de forma eficaz a geração da composição colorida, a classificação supervisionada, a geração do mapa temático com todas as classes de interesse englobadas por massa d’água, áreas remanescentes de vegetação, campos, solo exposto e áreas intensamente edificadas, e o cálculo da área de cada classe. A análise dos dados ressaltou como o conflito entre o uso do solo e o crescimento urbano merece ser estudado, tornando a presente pesquisa de grande relevância no auxílio do planejamento urbano e no conhecimento da atual situação do local, destacando o uso do SIG como alternativa mais viável e ágil, compondo um importante conjunto de ferramentas aplicáveis ao planejamento geográfico para a obtenção de dados a serem utilizados no planejamento e zoneamento, tanto em âmbito regional quanto municipal.
Procedimentos e normas para a infraestrutura de dados espaciais / Procedures and rules for space data infrastructure
Authors: Moreira Tays de Sousa , Filho Antônio Aderson dos Reis , Pitombeira Kalima Mendes
Published: April 2023

O presente trabalho se propõe a mostrar uma compreensão de como funciona uma Infraestrutura de Dados Espaciais (IDE), as principais diretrizes, bem como os tipos de IDEs existentes, abordando os modelos de padrões e metadados mais utilizados para a produção e disponibilização de dados geoespaciais em uma plataforma acessível, visando a diminuição do gasto de verba aplicada repetidamente na obtenção de dados já existentes. Para esse fim, foi realizada uma análise mais aprofundada sobre o planejamento da Infraestrutura Nacional de Dados Espaciais (INDE) brasileira, ressaltando as equipes técnicas responsáveis pela idealização do projeto, a disponibilização dos dados na plataforma INDE por meio do Diretório Brasileiro de Dados Geoespaciais, do Portal de Dados Geoespaciais e a arquitetura dos padrões de interoperabilidade do governo. Desse modo, a referente pesquisa foi elaborada com base no Decreto n° 6.666/08, o Plano de Ação e Implementação da INDE, e materiais disponíveis virtualmente. Por fim, concluiu-se que a implantação de uma IDE tende a agregar mais elementos para aumentar a interatividade entre o usuário e a informação geográfica, tornando-a acessível para todos os setores da sociedade.