bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introducing zanadio—A Digitalized, Multimodal Program to Treat Obesity
Authors: Forkmann Katarina , Roth Lena , Mehl Nora
Published: August 2022

While the prevalence of overweight and obesity has been increasing annually, the accessibility of on-site treatment programs is not rising correspondingly. Digital, evidence-based obesity treatment programs could potentially alleviate this situation. The application zanadio has been developed to enable patients with obesity (BMI 30–45 kg/m2) to participate in a digital, multimodal weight reduction program based on current treatment guidelines. This article is divided into two parts: (I) it introduces zanadio, its aims and therapeutic concept, and (II) provides a first impression and demographic data on more than 11,000 patients from across the country who have used zanadio within the last 16 months, which demonstrates the demand for a digital obesity treatment. zanadio has the potential to partially close the current gap in obesity care. Future work should focus on identifying predictors of successful weight loss to further individualize digital obesity treatment, and an important next step would be to prevent obesity, i.e., to start the treatment at lower BMI levels, and to invent digital treatment programs for children and adolescents.
Monkeypox Clinical Features and Differential Diagnosis: First Case in Campania Region
Authors: Carannante Novella , Tiberio Claudia , Bellopede Raffaele , Liguori Michela , Di Martino Filomena , Maturo Nicola , Di Sarno Raffaele , Scarica Sabrina , Fusco Giovanna , Cardillo Lorena , de Martinis Claudio , Atripaldi Luigi , Perrella Alessandro
Published: August 2022

As of 15 June, there have been, globally, a total of 2103 laboratory-confirmed cases and one probable case of Monkeypox, including one death. We report two cases of vesicular infectious diseases, one of those is the first case of Monkeypox in the Campania Region. The report, therefore, highlights a recrudescent infection disease that could represent a challenge in differential diagnosis with other vesicular infectious diseases such as Varicella Zoster Virus, during a pandemic season that does not seem to end. Indeed, varicella should be carefullu considered in differential diagnosis according to its vesicular or pustular rash to have a prompt diagnosis and public health response in case of monkeypox infection.
Elevated IgG and IgM Autoantibodies to Advanced Glycation End Products of Vascular Elastin in Hypertensive Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Relevance to Disease Initiation and Progression
Authors: Kostov Krasimir , Blazhev Alexander
Published: August 2022

The increased glycation of elastin is an important factor in vascular changes in diabetes. Using the ELISA method, we determined serum levels of IgM and IgG autoantibodies to advanced glycation end products of vascular elastin (anti-AGE EL IgM and anti-AGE EL IgG) in 59 hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and 20 healthy controls. Serum levels of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and the C-reactive protein (CRP) were also determined. The levels of anti-AGE EL IgM antibodies in the T2D group were similar to those in the control group, while those of anti-AGE EL IgG antibodies were significantly higher (p = 0.017). Significant positive correlations were found between the levels of anti-AGE EL IgM antibodies and MMP-2 (r = 0.322; p = 0.013) and between the levels of anti-AGE EL IgG antibodies and CRP (r = 0.265; p = 0.042). Our study showed that elevated anti-AGE EL IgG antibody levels may be an indicator of the enhanced AGE-modification and inflammatory-mediated destruction of vascular elastin in hypertensive patients with T2D. Anti-AGE EL IgM antibodies may reflect changes in vascular MMP-2 activity, and their elevated levels may be a sign of early vascular damage.
Non-Cardiac Depolarization-Blocking Drugs Are Associated with Increased Risk of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in the Community
Authors: Eroglu Talip E. , Blom Marieke T. , Souverein Patrick C. , de Boer Anthonius , Tan Hanno L.
Published: August 2022

Depolarization-blocking drugs (DB drugs) used for cardiac disease increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmia (ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation [VT/VF]) and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in specific patient groups. However, it is unknown whether drugs for non-cardiac disease that block cardiac depolarization as the off-target effect increase the risk of OHCA on a population level. Therefore, we aimed to investigate OHCA risk of non-cardiac, DB drugs in the community. We conducted a population-based case-control study. We included OHCA cases from an emergency-medical-services-attended OHCA registry in the Netherlands (ARREST:2009–2018), and age/sex/OHCA-date matched non-OHCA controls. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (ORadj) of use of non-cardiac DB drugs for OHCA using conditional logistic regression. Stratified analyses were performed according to first-registered rhythm (VT/VF or non-VT/VF), sex, and age (≤50, 50–70, or ≥70 years). We included 5473 OHCA cases of whom 427 (7.8%) used non-cardiac, DB drugs and 21,866 non-OHCA controls of whom 835 (3.8%) used non-cardiac, DB drugs and found that non-cardiac, DB-drug use was associated with increased OHCA-risk when compared to no use (ORadj1.6[95%-CI:1.4–1.9]). Stratification by first-recorded rhythm revealed that this applied to OHCA with non-VT/VF (asystole) (ORadj2.5[95%-CI:2.1–3.0]) but not with VT/VF (ORadj1.0[95%-CI:0.8–1.2]; p-value interaction < 0.001). The risk was higher in women (ORadj1.8[95%-CI:1.5–2.2] than in men (ORadj1.5[95%-CI:1.2–1.8]; p-value interaction = 0.030) and at younger ages (ORadj≥70yrs1.4[95%-CI:1.2–1.7]; ORadj50–70yrs1.7[95%-CI:1.4–2.1]; ORadj≤50yrs3.2[95%-CI:2.1–5.0]; p-value interaction < 0.001). Use of non-cardiac, DB drugs is associated with increased OHCA risk. This increased risk occurred in patients in whom non-VT/VF was the first-registered rhythm, and it occurred in both sexes but more prominently among women and more strongly in younger patients (≤50 years).
Evaluation of Transdermal Transport and Concurrent Cutaneous Hydrolysis of Timolol Prodrug for the Treatment of Infantile Hemangiomas
Authors: Chang Shih-Jen , Wang Huiyuan , Chen Jialin , Chen Qianyi , Chang Lei , Huang Yongzhuo , Qiu Yajing , Lin Xiaoxi
Published: August 2022

Infantile hemangiomas (IH) leave sequelae after involution. Topical application of timolol maleate (TM) is the mainstream treatment for superficial lesions but is limited by its low penetrable properties. We aimed to develop a superior skin permeation drug while maintaining the therapeutic properties of timolol. We predict that this drug will promote the involution of thick and deep IH lesions and avoid sequelae. We chemically modified drug structure to prepare butyryl timolol maleate (BT) prodrug and conducted in vitro and in vivo toxicity evaluations of BT with rat dorsal skin and normal skin cells. Skin permeation and absorption comparisons of TM and BT were conducted using rat and porcine skin models. Conversion efficiency of BT to timolol was also tested on human skin ex vivo. BT did not cause skin irritation on rat dorsal skin and exhibited low cytotoxicity overall. BT exhibited superior skin permeation ability compared with that of TM, whilst maintaining a low systemic absorbance. Further, BT was converted to timolol in human skin in a time-dependent manner. Noticeably, timolol accumulation in the skin from BT was higher than that from TM. Finally, BT demonstrated similar biocompatibility with TM in the IH tumor. BT enhances local delivery of timolol and its skin permeation. Using BT, we could eliminate thicker IH lesions that are prone to leave sequelae, and potentially help young children avoid dermal sequelae, disfigurement, and concomitant therapy.
Distribution and Climatic Adaptation of Wild Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Populations in Mexico
Authors: Ramírez-Ojeda Gabriela , Rodríguez-Pérez Juan Enrique , Rodríguez-Guzmán Eduardo , Sahagún-Castellanos Jaime , Chávez-Servia José Luis , Peralta Iris E. , Barrera-Guzmán Luis Ángel
Published: August 2022

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a vegetable with worldwide importance. Its wild or close related species are reservoirs of genes with potential use for the generation of varieties tolerant or resistant to specific biotic and abiotic factors. The objective was to determine the geographic distribution, ecological descriptors, and patterns of diversity and adaptation of 1296 accessions of native tomato from Mexico. An environmental information system was created with 21 climatic variables with a 1 km2 spatial resolution. Using multivariate techniques (Principal Component Analysis, PCA; Cluster Analysis, CA) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the most relevant variables for accession distribution were identified, as well as the groups formed according to the environmental similarity among these. PCA determined that with the first three PCs (Principal Components), it is possible to explain 84.1% of the total variation. The most relevant information corresponded to seasonal variables of temperature and precipitation. CA revealed five statistically significant clusters. Ecological descriptors were determined and described by classifying accessions in Physiographic Provinces. Temperate climates were the most frequent among tomato accessions. Finally, the potential distribution was determined with the Maxent model with 10 replicates by cross-validation, identifying areas with a high probability of tomato presence. These results constitute a reliable source of useful information for planning accession sites collection and identifying accessions that are vulnerable or susceptible to conservation programs.
Expression and Functional Analyses of the WIP Gene Family in Arabidopsis
Authors: Diaz-Ramirez David , Diaz-Garcia Ury Sarai , Magdaleno-Garcia Guadalupe , Huep Gunnar , Appelhagen Ingo , Sagasser Martin , Marsch-Martinez Nayelli
Published: August 2022

The WIP family of transcription factors comprises the A1d subgroup of C2H2 zinc finger proteins. This family has six members in Arabidopsis thaliana and most of the known functions have been described by analyzing single knockout mutants. However, it has been shown that WIP2 and its closest paralogs WIP4 and WIP5 have a redundant and essential function in root meristems. It is likely that these and other WIP genes perform more, still unknown, functions. To obtain hints about these other functions, the expression of the six WIP genes was explored. Moreover, phenotypic ana-lyses of overexpressors and wip mutants revealed functions in modulating organ and cell size, stomatal density, and vasculature development.
Aqueous Adsorptive Removal of Bisphenol A Using Tripartite Magnetic Montmorillonite Composites
Authors: Okon Okon E. , Inam Edu J. , Offiong Nnanake-Abasi O. , Akpabio Ukana D.
Published: August 2022

The adsorption of bisphenol A into untreated montmorillonite clay, doped titanium composite and cationic polymer modified tripartite magnetic montmorillonite composite was investigated under different conditions. The magnetic property of the modified adsorbent was ascertained by action of external magnetic field on the materials when dispersed in aqueous media. The XRD results for the unmodified and modified adsorbents showed that interlayer spacing of the clay material increases due to intercalation of the precursor molecules. The textural properties of the adsorbents from BET analysis showed that pore size and specific surface area of the tripartite magnetic composite was calculated to be 288.08 m2/g while that of the unmodified clay was 90.39 m2/g. The TGA results showed the tripartite magnetic composite was more stable with the lowest percentage mass loss compared to the unmodified montmorillonite. The tripartite magnetic composite showed higher adsorption capacity. Adsorption was best described by the Freundlich isotherm model, which confirmed that the adsorption process was multilayer coverage unto the uneven surface of the adsorbents. Kinetic treatment of the adsorption data confirmed the the process followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and predominantly chemisorption process. The standard Gibb’s free energy computed for the adsorbents showed that the adsorption processes were favourably spontaneous with highly negative energy values of −336.70, −533.76 and −1438.38 KJ/mol, respectively, for the unmodified montmorillonite, doped titanium composite and the tripartite magnetic composite. It was observed that the addition of cationic aromatic moiety to the clay material increased pollutant-adsorbent interactions and improved adsorption capacity for micro-pollutants in a simulated industrial effluent.
Determination of Physio-Chemical Parameters and Water Quality Index (Wqi) of Kundapura Taluk, Udupi District, Karnataka, India
Authors: Poojashree B. P. , Peladdy B. , Kaveri H. , Akkivalli P. , Swathi L. A.
Published: August 2022

The determination of various physio-chemical parameters and water quality index of Kundapura Taluk uses nine parameters: pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total hardness, alkalinity, acidity, chlorides, dissolved oxygen and chemical oxygen demand, measured in 40 places. The weighted arithmetic water quality index (WAWQI) method is used for the calculation of water quality index. The present study area is Kundapura Taluk in Udupi district, Karnataka located between a 74°34′40.0″ E to 75°4′57.35″ E longitude, and a 13°59′33.26″ N to 13°28′40.82″ N latitude. According to post-summer values of pH, places such as MITK, Margoli and Kodi have high pH, and Kumbashi and Amavasyebailu have low pH. Places such as Margoli, Beejadi, Senapura, Kollur and Kodi show higher E.C, and Amparu shows a lower value of E.C. Alkaline water balances the pH of the body, and we found higher alkalinity in Kodi, Beejadi, Marvanthe and lower alkalinity in Yedthare, Mullikatte and Trasi. All water samples with higher COD content were found post-summer which diminishes the amount of D.O content in water. Pre-summer and post-summer values shows numerous changes in values. In the post-summer, water level decreases mechanically due to increases in water extraction: it causes a cone of depression at ground water level, creating a saltwater intrusion in which water loses its quality, thus pre-treatment is additional, post-summer.
Synthesis of Amidoxime Adsorbent by Radiation-Induced Grafting of Acrylonitrile/Acrylic Acid on Polyethylene Film and Its Application in Pb Removal
Authors: Khedr Rania Fekry
Published: August 2022

In the aquatic environment, heavy metals such as lead ions Pb (II) are of particular importance. These are due to Pb (II) being toxic at concentrations over 0.01 mg/L, when taken continuously over an extended length of time. Organs including the heart, gut, and kidneys are seriously harmed by Pb (II) intoxication. The neurological, reproductive, and bone systems are also affected. The removal of Pb (II) from aquatic environments is, therefore, crucial. Low density Polyethylene (LDPE) is grafted by radiation with Acrylonitrile and acrylic acid (PE-g-AN/AAc) for the adsorption of Pb (II). Factors that control the grafting process for optimum conditions, such as the effect of solvents, the air atmosphere, inhibitors, comonomer concentration, and composition and irradiation dose, are studied to obtain a high grafting yield without homopolymer formation and a higher water uptake. The results showed that the addition of 2.5% by wt% ferric chloride salt effectively inhibits homoploymerization of a mixture of 30% methanol and 70% H2O used as a solvent in nitrogen. The highest graft yield obtained was 320% at a 25 kGy radiation dose with an 80/20 monomer composition and 60% comonomer concentration. The resulting composite films were characterized by XRD to analyze the dispersion properties of the material, SEM for the surface morphology, FTIR analysis for the functional groups, TGA, DSC for the thermal stability and elongation, and tensile strength for the mechanical properties. The uptake of Pb (II) from lead nitrate aqueous solution by (PE-g-AN/AAc) was observed under different conditions of the degree of grafting, contact time, metal ion concentration, and pH. The results obtained suggest LDPE-g-p (AN/AAc) as a superabsorbent for the Pb (II) ion’s removal from an aqueous solution.
Research on Technology of Medicinal Functional Food
Authors: Zhuang Haining , Chen Xingyu , Feng Tao
Published: August 2022

Particle coating is one of the oldest pharmaceutical processes that is still in existence. It is the process of applying a thin polymer-based film to a particle or granule containing the active pharmaceutical ingredient. The widely used methods for particle coating are sugar coating, film coating, and enteric coating and the techniques are pan coating, fluidized bed coating, and compression coating. Sugar coating was the earlier coating method, and it was gradually replaced by film coating because it required skilled manipulation. With the technology developing, enteric coating draws more attention. Pan coating is the most classic coating technique, which is applied to sugar coating, film coating and enteric coating. Fluid bed coating is used for a mixture of multiple materials and medicines and keeps the bioavailability high. Compression coating can avoid the harmful effects of moisture and high temperature, while it requires highly accurate machinery.
Numerical Investigation and Optimization of the Flow Characteristics of Bend Pipe with Different Bending Angles
Authors: Zhang Jianyi , Wang Dongrui , Wang Weiwei , Zhu Zuchao
Published: August 2022

The bend pipe with a circular section, which is widely used in hydropower, chemical industry and other fields, is a common form in pipeline systems. However, secondary flow occurs when the fluid flows through the bend pipe, thereby affecting the stability of the pipeline system. Different bending angles have various effects. Therefore, this paper establishes 3D models of a circular bend pipe with different bending angles. The influence of bending angle on flow field distribution and downstream flow is analyzed numerically. The larger the bending angle is, the more obvious the flow distribution and even the unevenness at the elbow will be, hence resulting in poor stability. The distance required to restore flow uniformity also increases. The pressure energy loss of the bend pipe with different bending angles is investigated. Results show that with the increase in bending angle, the global pressure loss presents a trend of “increase-decrease-increase.” The closer the bending angle is to 90°, the greater the influence of centrifugal force is on the flow, and the more obvious the secondary flow phenomenon will be. Aiming at the nonuniformity phenomenon, the structure optimization of a 90° bend pipe with the greatest influence is conducted. The improvement of the flow characteristics of bend pipe with different thick-diameter ratio and length-diameter ratio is compared. The deflector with a certain thickness can enhance the uniformity, safety and useful life of the bend pipe. The sharp-end length can improve the velocity uniformity to a certain extent but has minimal influence on flow characteristics compared with the thick-diameter ratio. This paper aims to study and improve the flow performance of a multi-structure bend pipe to make it suitable for more complex conditions.
Techno-Economic Evaluation of Phosphorous Recovery in Soybean Biodiesel Process
Authors: Juneja Ankita , Kurambhatti Chinmay , Kumar Deepak , Singh Vijay
Published: August 2022

The over-enrichment of phosphorus in waste streams can lead to eutrophication and oxygen limitations for aquatic life. To understand the release of phosphorus from a soybean processing facility, it is imperative to track the flow of phosphorus in different streams during the processing of soybeans. The objective of the study is to develop process simulation models to study the flow of phosphorus in the soy-biodiesel process and evaluate strategies to mitigate phosphorus release by recovering phosphorous from soapstock and wastewater. Since most of the P is found in soybean meal, the processing of which releases phosphorus, a third case of lecithin recovery was also studied to reduce the amount of phosphorous in soybean meal. It was observed that phosphorus can be economically recovered from the soapstock, as well as the wastewater stream, with an estimated operating cost of USD 1.65 and 3.62 per kg of phosphorous recovered, respectively. The phosphorus recovered from both streams can be potentially applied as fertilizer to more than 13,000 acres of corn or 96,000 acres of soybean, respectively. The lecithin recovery case was found to have the highest revenue, and it led to a 54% reduction in phosphorous during soybean meal processing.
Relationship between Fungal Communities and Volatile Flavor Components during the Traditional Chinese Fermentation of Capsicum annuum L. Var. Dactylus M
Authors: Ma Ding , Li Yong , Wang Jiaqi , Pan Lina , Kang Wenli , Wang Zengguang , Wu Zhongkun , Dai Zhiyong , Deng Fangming , Zhao Lingyan
Published: August 2022

Microbial diversity and dynamic changes play an important role in the production of fermented peppers. In this study, the relationship between fungal communities and the volatile flavor compounds of traditional Chinese fermented peppers was investigated by high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that Hanseniaspora was a dominant fungus during the whole fermentation course and accounted for 82.22% of the fungal community on average (ranging from 50.44% to 98.15%). Bidirectional orthogonal partial least squares (O2PLS) analysis between fungal community and volatile flavor compounds showed that Pichia, Hanseniaspora, Cryptococcus, Debarvomvces, and Trichosporon were closely correlated with the concentrations of the volatile flavor components such as α-terpineol, trans-3-tetradecene, 4-methylpentyl 3-methylbutanoate, and 11 other volatile flavor compounds. This study elucidated the dynamics of fungal communities and volatile flavor compounds during pepper fermentation and the correlation between them. Our analysis of the relationships between fungal communities and volatile flavor compounds advanced our understanding of the formation mechanism of volatile flavor compounds in fermented peppers.
CFD Modelling of Calcination in a Rotary Lime Kiln
Authors: Ryan Jarod , Bussmann Markus , DeMartini Nikolai
Published: August 2022

A 2D axisymmetric computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, coupled to a 1D bed model, has been developed to capture the key processes that occur within rotary lime kilns. The model simulates the calcination reaction using a shrinking core model, and predicts the start of calcination and the degree of calcination at the end of the kiln. The model simulates heat transfer due to radiation, convection and conduction between the gas, wall, chains, and bed. The 2D gas and 1D bed models are coupled by mass and heat sinks to simulate heat transfer, evaporation, and the calcination reaction. The model is used to simulate two industrial kilns, one wet and one dry. The steady-state simulation results are compared to mill data, and good agreement is found. A sensitivity analysis is also presented, to obtain insight on how operating conditions and model variables impact the calcination location and degree of calcination.
Hybrid Memetic Algorithm to Solve Multiobjective Distributed Fuzzy Flexible Job Shop Scheduling Problem with Transfer
Authors: Yang Jinfeng , Xu Hua
Published: August 2022

Most studies on distributed flexible job shop scheduling problem (DFJSP) assume that both processing time and transmission time are crisp values. However, due to the complexity of the factory processing environment, the processing information is uncertain. Therefore, we consider the uncertainty of processing environment, and for the first time propose a multiobjective distributed fuzzy flexible job shop scheduling problem with transfer (MO-DFFJSPT). To solve the MO-DFFJSPT, a hybrid decomposition variable neighborhood memetic algorithm (HDVMA) is proposed with the objectives of minimizing the makespan, maximum factory load, and total workload. In the proposed HDVMA, the well-designed encoding/decoding method and four initialization rules are used to generate the initial population, and several effective evolutionary operators are designed to update populations. Additionally, a weight vector is introduced to design high quality individual selection rules and acceptance criteria. Then, three excellent local search operators are designed for variable neighborhood search (VNS) to enhance its exploitation capability. Finally, a Taguchi experiment is designed to adjust the important parameters. Fifteen benchmarks are constructed, and the HDVMA is compared with four other famous algorithms on three metrics. The experimental results show that HDVMA is superior to the other four algorithms in terms of convergence and uniformity of non-dominated solution set distribution.
Challenges and Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health: A Systematic Review
Authors: Rabiu Abubakar Abdullahi , Tor Maryam Abba , Ogidigo Joyce , Sani Ibrahim Haruna , Rowaiye Adekunle Babajide , Ramalan Mansur Aliyu , Najib Sani Yahaya , Danbala Ahmed , Adamu Fatima , Abdullah Adnan , Irfan Mohammed , Kumar Santosh , Etando Ayukafangha , Rahman Sayeeda , Sinha Susmita , Haque Mainul
Published: August 2022

The measures put in place to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 infection, such as quarantine, self-isolation, and lockdown, were supportive but have significantly affected the mental wellbeing of individuals. The primary goal of this study was to review the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. An intensive literature search was conducted using PsycINFO, PsyciatryOnline, PubMed, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. Articles published between January 2020 and June 2022 were retrieved and appraised. Reviews and retrospective studies were excluded. One hundred and twenty-two (122) relevant articles that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were finally selected. A high prevalence of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorders was reported. Alcohol and substance abuse, domestic violence, stigmatization, and suicidal tendencies have all been identified as direct consequences of lockdown. The eminent risk factors for mental health disorders identified during COVID-19 include fear of infection, history of mental illness, poor financial status, female gender, and alcohol drinking. The protective factors for mental health include higher income levels, public awareness, psychological counseling, social and government support. Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a number of mental disorders in addition to economic hardship. This strongly suggests the need to monitor the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.
Expanding the Equilibrium Solubility and Dissolution Thermodynamics of Benzoic Acid in Aqueous Alcoholic Mixtures
Authors: Akay Sema , Kayan Berkant , Peña M. Ángeles , Jouyban Abolghasem , Martínez Fleming , Acree William E.
Published: August 2022

The equilibrium solubility of benzoic acid in water and ethanol, as well as in nine {ethanol (1) + water (2)} mixtures, was determined from T = (293.15 to 323.15) K. Benzoic acid mole fraction solubility in these aqueous-ethanolic mixtures was adequately correlated with some well-known correlation/prediction models, obtaining mean percentage deviations of 2.2 to 7.6%. Apparent thermodynamic quantities, namely, Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy, for the dissolution, mixing and solvation processes, were computed by means of the van ’t Hoff and Gibbs equations. The enthalpy–entropy compensation plot of apparent enthalpy vs. apparent Gibbs energy of dissolution was not linear, indicating enthalpy and entropy mechanisms for transfer. Ultimately, by using the inverse Kirkwood–Buff integrals, it is observed that benzoic acid is preferentially solvated by water molecules in water-rich mixtures but preferentially solvated by ethanol molecules in those {ethanol (1) + water (2)} mixtures of 0.24 < x1 < 1.00.
The Challenge of Biblical Textual Criticism: The Case of the Dutch Edition of the Septuagint (1709)
Authors: Catană-Spenchiu Ana , Răchită Constantin
Published: August 2022

An overview of the main European biblical tradition of the Septuagint shows that much work has been carried out in this field of research. Prominent scholars investigated the Old Testament from a thematic diversity point of view, from the history of the text and its contextualization to a variety of translation topics. We investigate, in this article, a lesser-known edition of the Septuagint from the early 18th Century, edited by Lambert Bos and printed in Franeker. Lambert Bos’ biblical philology fits into the patterns of Dutch textual philology, consolidated in the 17th century and built on the solid foundations provided by the grammatical and lexical analysis of ancient texts. A deeper understanding of the issues raised by the texts’ transmission opens a new field of research which admits that a true appreciation of the texts’ content must be preceded by their recovery in as ‘authentic’ a form as possible. The present article aims to restore the image of a Dutch Hellenist of pre-modern philology, and to present important data on his key works, highlighting the defining characteristics of the Franeker edition (1709) of the Septuagint with an analysis from a modern perspective of the principles and methods he followed in the actual practice of biblical textual criticism.
Robust Classification via Support Vector Machines
Authors: Asimit Alexandru V. , Kyriakou Ioannis , Santoni Simone , Scognamiglio Salvatore , Zhu Rui
Published: August 2022

Classification models are very sensitive to data uncertainty, and finding robust classifiers that are less sensitive to data uncertainty has raised great interest in the machine learning literature. This paper aims to construct robust support vector machine classifiers under feature data uncertainty via two probabilistic arguments. The first classifier, Single Perturbation, reduces the local effect of data uncertainty with respect to one given feature and acts as a local test that could confirm or refute the presence of significant data uncertainty for that particular feature. The second classifier, Extreme Empirical Loss, aims to reduce the aggregate effect of data uncertainty with respect to all features, which is possible via a trade-off between the number of prediction model violations and the size of these violations. Both methodologies are computationally efficient and our extensive numerical investigation highlights the advantages and possible limitations of the two robust classifiers on synthetic and real-life insurance claims and mortgage lending data, but also the fairness of an automatized decision based on our classifier.
Mapping Seasonal Leaf Nutrients of Mangrove with Sentinel-2 Images and XGBoost Method
Authors: Miao Jing , Zhen Jianing , Wang Junjie , Zhao Demei , Jiang Xiapeng , Shen Zhen , Gao Changjun , Wu Guofeng
Published: August 2022

Monitoring the seasonal leaf nutrients of mangrove forests helps one to understand the dynamics of carbon (C) sequestration and to diagnose the availability and limitation of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). To date, very little attention has been paid to mapping the seasonal leaf C, N, and P of mangrove forests with remote sensing techniques. Based on Sentinel-2 images taken in spring, summer, and winter, this study aimed to compare three machine learning models (XGBoost, extreme gradient boosting; RF, random forest; LightGBM, light gradient boosting machine) in estimating the three leaf nutrients and further to apply the best-performing model to map the leaf nutrients of 15 seasons from 2017 to 2021. The results showed that there were significant differences in leaf nutrients (p < 0.05) across the three seasons. Among the three machine learning models, XGBoost with sensitive spectral features of Sentinel-2 images was optimal for estimating the leaf C (R2 = 0.655, 0.799, and 0.829 in spring, summer, and winter, respectively), N (R2 = 0.668, 0.743, and 0.704) and P (R2 = 0.539, 0.622, and 0.596) over the three seasons. Moreover, the red-edge (especially B6) and near-infrared bands (B8 and B8a) of Sentinel-2 images were efficient estimators of mangrove leaf nutrients. The information of species, elevation, and canopy structure (leaf area index [LAI] and canopy height) would be incorporated into the present model to improve the model accuracy and transferability in future studies.
Linear and Non-Linear Vegetation Trend Analysis throughout Iran Using Two Decades of MODIS NDVI Imagery
Authors: Ghorbanian Arsalan , Mohammadzadeh Ali , Jamali Sadegh
Published: August 2022

Vegetation is the main component of the terrestrial Earth, and it plays an imperative role in carbon cycle regulation and surface water/energy exchange/balance. The coupled effects of climate change and anthropogenic forcing have undoubtfully impacted the vegetation cover in linear/non-linear manners. Considering the essential benefits of vegetation to the environment, it is vital to investigate the vegetation dynamics through spatially and temporally consistent workflows. In this regard, remote sensing, especially Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), has offered a reliable data source for vegetation monitoring and trend analysis. In this paper, two decades (2000 to 2020) of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) NDVI datasets (MOD13Q1) were used for vegetation trend analysis throughout Iran. First, the per-pixel annual NDVI dataset was prepared using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) by averaging all available NDVI values within the growing season and was then fed into the PolyTrend algorithm for linear/non-linear trend identification. In total, nearly 14 million pixels (44% of Iran) were subjected to trend analysis, and the results indicated a higher rate of greening than browning across the country. Regarding the trend types, linear was the dominant trend type with 14%, followed by concealed (11%), cubic (8%), and quadratic (2%), while 9% of the vegetation area remained stable (no trend). Both positive and negative directions were observed in all trend types, with the slope magnitudes ranging between −0.048 and 0.047 (NDVI units) per year. Later, precipitation and land cover datasets were employed to further investigate the vegetation dynamics. The correlation coefficient between precipitation and vegetation (NDVI) was 0.54 based on all corresponding observations (n = 1785). The comparison between vegetation and precipitation trends revealed matched trend directions in 60% of cases, suggesting the potential impact of precipitation dynamics on vegetation covers. Further incorporation of land cover data showed that grassland areas experienced significant dynamics with the highest proportion compared to other vegetation land cover types. Moreover, forest and cropland had the highest positive and negative trend direction proportions. Finally, independent (from trend analysis) sources were used to examine the vegetation dynamics (greening/browning) from other perspectives, confirming Iran’s greening process and agreeing with the trend analysis results. It is believed that the results could support achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by serving as an initial stage study for establishing conservation and restoration practices.
LLAM-MDCNet for Detecting Remote Sensing Images of Dead Tree Clusters
Authors: Li Zongchen , Yang Ruoli , Cai Weiwei , Xue Yongfei , Hu Yaowen , Li Liujun
Published: August 2022

Clusters of dead trees are forest fires-prone. To maintain ecological balance and realize its protection, timely detection of dead trees in forest remote sensing images using existing computer vision methods is of great significance. Remote sensing images captured by Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) typically have several issues, e.g., mixed distribution of adjacent but different tree classes, interference of redundant information, and high differences in scales of dead tree clusters, making the detection of dead tree clusters much more challenging. Therefore, based on the Multipath dense composite network (MDCN), an object detection method called LLAM-MDCNet is proposed in this paper. First, a feature extraction network called Multipath dense composite network is designed. The network’s multipath structure can substantially increase the extraction of underlying and semantic features to enhance its extraction capability for rich-information regions. Following that, in the row, column, and diagonal directions, the Longitude Latitude Attention Mechanism (LLAM) is presented and incorporated into the feature extraction network. The multi-directional LLAM facilitates the suppression of irrelevant and redundant information and improves the representation of high-level semantic feature information. Lastly, an AugFPN is employed for down-sampling, yielding a more comprehensive representation of image features with the combination of low-level texture features and high-level semantic information. Consequently, the network’s detection effect for dead tree cluster targets with high-scale differences is improved. Furthermore, we make the collected high-quality aerial dead tree cluster dataset containing 19,517 images shot by drones publicly available for other researchers to improve the work in this paper. Our proposed method achieved 87.25% mAP with an FPS of 66 on our dataset, demonstrating the effectiveness of the LLAM-MDCNet for detecting dead tree cluster targets in forest remote sensing images.
Study on Sensitivity of Observation Error Statistics of Doppler Radars to the Radar forward Operator in Convective-Scale Data Assimilation
Authors: Zeng Yuefei , Li Hong , Feng Yuxuan , Blahak Ulrich , de Lozar Alberto , Luo Jingyao , Min Jinzhong
Published: August 2022

In the present work, we investigate the impacts on the observation error (OE) statistics due to different types of errors in the forward operator (FE) for both radar reflectivity and radial wind data, in the context of convective-scale data assimilation in the summertime. A series of sensitivity experiments were conducted with the Efficient Modular VOlume RADar Operator (EMVORADO), using the operational data assimilation system of the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD, German Weather Service). The investigated FEs are versatile, including errors caused by neglecting the terminal fall speed of hydrometeor, the reflectivity weighting, and the beam broadening and attenuation effects, as well as errors caused by different scattering schemes and formulations for melting particles. For reflectivity, it is found that accounting for the beam broadening effect evidently reduces the standard deviations, especially at higher altitudes. However, it does not shorten the horizontal or along-beam correlation length scales. In comparison between the Rayleigh and the Mie schemes (with specific configurations), the former one results in much smaller standard deviations for heights up to 4 km, and aloft, slightly larger standard deviations. Imposing the attenuation to the Mie scheme slightly reduces the standard deviations at lower altitudes; however, it largely increases the standard deviations at higher altitudes and it also leads to longer correlation length scales. For radial wind, positive impacts of considering the beam broadening effect on standard deviations and neutral impacts on correlations are observed. For both reflectivity and radial wind, taking the terminal fall speed of hydrometeor and the reflectivity weighting into account does not make remarkable differences in the estimated OE statistics.
Distinct Peaks of UV-Absorbing Compounds in CDOM and Particulate Absorption Spectra of Near-Surface Great Barrier Reef Coastal Waters, Associated with the Presence of Trichodesmium spp. (NE Australia)
Authors: Clementson Lesley A. , Oubelkheir Kadija , Ford Phillip W. , Blondeau-Patissier David
Published: August 2022

Distinct absorption peaks, with maxima at around 328 nm and a shoulder at 360 nm, were observed in the UV region of the absorption spectra for both the particulate and dissolved fractions of water samples collected in Keppel Bay (NE Australia) during the presence of sporadic Trichodesmium colonies. The largest absorption coefficients for these peaks were observed in samples collected in the near-surface waters (top 2–3 cm). Values approximately 3.5–6 times greater for aCDOM(328) and 13–36 times greater for ap(328) were observed in the near-surface samples compared to those collected from the top 20 cm of the water column at the same sites. Similar UV-absorption peaks observed in other studies have been attributed to the presence of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs). Increased UV absorption can affect both the magnitude of the absorption coefficients in the blue end of the visible region and the spectral slope of the exponential model commonly used to describe the CDOM absorption coefficient. This, in turn, can significantly affect the accuracy of satellite retrieved estimates of ocean colour products related to CDOM and particulate absorption coefficients. In tropical waters where Trichodesmium blooms are prevalent, regional ocean colour algorithms need to be developed using in situ bio-optical measurements from both the UV and visible regions of the spectra.
An HBIM Methodology for the Accurate and Georeferenced Reconstruction of Urban Contexts Surveyed by UAV: The Case of the Castle of Charles V
Authors: Sanseverino Anna , Messina Barbara , Limongiello Marco , Guida Caterina Gabriella
Published: August 2022

The potentialities of the use of the UAV survey as a base for the generation of the context mesh are illustrated through the experiments on the case study, the Crotone Fortress, proposing a systematic general methodology and two procedural workflows for the importation of the triangulated model, maintaining its real geographical coordinates, in the Autodesk Revit environment through a Dynamo Visual Programming script [VPL]. First, the texturisation of the mesh of the urban context was experimented with, using the real-sized photogrammetric orthoimage as Revit material; therefore, the reproduction of the discretised detailed areas of the urban context was tested. They were imported via Dynamo by reading the coordinates of the vertices of every single face that constitutes the triangulated model and associating to each of them the corresponding real colorimetric data. Starting from the georeferenced context of the photogrammetric mesh, nine federated BIM models were produced: the general context models, the detailed models and the architectural model of the fortress.
Mutual Guidance Meets Supervised Contrastive Learning: Vehicle Detection in Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Lê Hoàng-Ân , Zhang Heng , Pham Minh-Tan , Lefèvre Sébastien
Published: August 2022

Vehicle detection is an important but challenging problem in Earth observation due to the intricately small sizes and varied appearances of the objects of interest. In this paper, we use these issues to our advantage by considering them results of latent image augmentation. In particular, we propose using supervised contrastive loss in combination with a mutual guidance matching process to helps learn stronger object representations and tackles the misalignment of localization and classification in object detection. Extensive experiments are performed to understand the combination of the two strategies and show the benefits for vehicle detection on aerial and satellite images, achieving performance on par with state-of-the-art methods designed for small and very small object detection. As the proposed method is domain-agnostic, it might also be used for visual representation learning in generic computer vision problems.
An Adaptive Calibration Algorithm Based on RSSI and LDPLM for Indoor Ranging and Positioning
Authors: Yang Jingmin , Deng Shanghui , Lin Minmin , Xu Li
Published: August 2022

The positioning algorithm based on received signal strength indication (RSSI) and the logarithmic distance path loss model (LDPLM) is widely used in indoor positioning scenarios due to its convenient detection and low costs. However, the classic LDPLM with fixed coefficients and fixed error estimation usually reduces the ranging accuracy, but it is rarely studied in previous literature. This study proposes an adaptive calibration ranging algorithm based on LDPLM, which consists of two parts: coefficient adaptive algorithm and error correction algorithm. The coefficient adaptive algorithm is derived by utilizing the error theory and the least squares method. The error correction algorithm is defined as the linear regression equation, in which coefficients are determined by the least squares method. In addition, to reduce the influence of RSSI’s fluctuation on ranging accuracy, we propose a simple but effective filtering algorithm based on Gaussian. The experimental results show that compared with the classic LDPLM and polynomial fitting model, the ranging accuracy of the proposed algorithm is improved by 58% and 51%, respectively, and the positioning cumulative prediction error of the proposed model is reduced by 69% and 80%, respectively.
Conductivity Classification of Multi-Shape Nonmagnetic Metal Considering Spatial Position Drift Effect with a Triple-Coil Electromagnetic Sensor
Authors: Wang Dong , Zhang Zhijie , Yin Wuliang , Chen Haoze , Ma Huidong , Zhou Guangyu , Zhang Yuchen
Published: August 2022

The primary step in metal recovery is metal classification. During eddy current testing (ECT), the shape of the sample can have an impact on the measurement results. To classify nonmagnetic metals in three shapes—planar, cylindrical, and spherical—a triple-coil electromagnetic sensor that operates as two coil pairs is used, and the difference in the phase tangent of the impedance change of the two coil pairs is used as a feature for the classification. The effect of spatial position drift between the sensor and the sample divided into lift-off vertically and horizontal drift horizontally on this feature is considered. Experimental results prove that there is a linear relationship between the feature and lift-off regardless of the metal shape, whereas horizontal drift has no effect on this feature. In addition, the slope of the curve between the feature and the lift-off is different for different shapes. Finally, a classification method eliminating the effect of lift-off variation has been constructed, and the classification accuracy of Cu-Al-Zn-Ti metals reached 96.3%, 96.3%, 92.6%, and 100%, respectively, with an overall correct classification rate of 96.3%.