bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carbon Tube-Based Cathode for Li-CO2 Batteries: A Review
Authors: Mao Deyu , He Zirui , Lu Wanni , Zhu Qiancheng
Published: June 2022

Metal–air batteries are considered the research, development, and application direction of electrochemical devices in the future because of their high theoretical energy density. Among them, lithium–carbon dioxide (Li–CO2) batteries can capture, fix, and transform the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide while storing energy efficiently, which is an effective technique to achieve “carbon neutrality”. However, the current research on this battery system is still in the initial stage, the selection of key materials such as electrodes and electrolytes still need to be optimized, and the actual reaction path needs to be studied. Carbon tube-based composites have been widely used in this energy storage system due to their excellent electrical conductivity and ability to construct unique spatial structures containing various catalyst loads. In this review, the basic principle of Li–CO2 batteries and the research progress of carbon tube-based composite cathode materials were introduced, the preparation and evaluation strategies together with the existing problems were described, and the future development direction of carbon tube-based materials in Li–CO2 batteries was proposed.
Back Interface Passivation for Efficient Low-Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells and Photodetectors
Authors: Lu Jiayu , Wang Huayang , Fan Tingbing , Ma Dong , Wang Changlei , Wu Shaolong , Li Xiaofeng
Published: June 2022

Low-bandgap (Eg~1.25 eV) mixed tin-lead (Sn-Pb) perovskites are promising candidates for efficient solar cells and self-powered photodetectors; however, they suffer from huge amounts of defects due to the unintentional p-type self-doping. In this work, the synergistic effects of maltol and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) were achieved to improve the performance of low-bandgap perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and unbiased perovskite photodetectors (PPDs) by passivating the defects and tuning charge transfer dynamics. Maltol eliminated the Sn-related traps in perovskite films through a strong metal chelating effect, whereas PCBM elevated the built-in electric potential and thus improved voltage through the spike energy alignment. Combining both advantages of maltol and PCBM, high-quality perovskite films were obtained, enabling low-bandgap PSCs with the best efficiency of 20.62%. Moreover, the optimized PSCs were further applied as self-powered PPDs in a visible light communication system with a response time of 0.736 μs, presenting a satisfactory audio transmission capability.
Bifidobacterium adolescentis Is Effective in Relieving Type 2 Diabetes and May Be Related to Its Dominant Core Genome and Gut Microbiota Modulation Capacity
Authors: Qian Xin , Si Qian , Lin Guopeng , Zhu Minmin , Lu Jingyu , Zhang Hao , Wang Gang , Chen Wei
Published: June 2022

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing globally. Probiotics have been shown to be an effective intervention for diabetes. This study focused on the relieving effects and possible mechanisms of 16 strains of two dominant Bifidobacterium species (B. bifidum and B. adolescentis, which exist in the human gut at different life stages) on type 2 diabetes (T2D). The results indicated that more B. adolescentis strains appeared to be superior in alleviating T2D symptoms than B. bifidum strains. This effect was closely related to the ability of B. adolescentis to restore the homeostasis of the gut microbiota, increase the abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing flora, and alleviate inflammation in mice with T2D. In addition, compared with B. bifidum, B. adolescentis had a higher number of core genes, and these genes were more evolutionarily stable, including unique environmental tolerance, carbon and nitrogen utilization genes, and a blood sugar regulation gene, glgP. This may be one of the reasons why B. adolescentis is more likely to colonize in the adult gut and show a superior ability to relieve T2D. This study provides insights into future studies aimed at investigating probiotics for the treatment of metabolic diseases.
Effectiveness and Safety of Probiotics for Patients with Constipation-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 10 Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Shang Xue , E Fen-Fen , Guo Kang-Le , Li Yan-Fei , Zhao Hong-Lin , Wang Yan , Chen Nan , Nian Tao , Yang Chao-Qun , Yang Ke-Hu , Li Xiu-Xia
Published: June 2022

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of probiotics in the treatment of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C), we searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing probiotic care versus placebos for patients with IBS-C in five comprehensive databases (March 2022). The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool. RevMan 5.3 was used to perform a meta-analysis on stool consistency, abdominal pain, bloating, quality of life (QoL), fecal Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus counts, and adverse events. The GRADE approach was used to evaluate the certainty of the evidence. Ten RCTs involving 757 patients were included. Only three studies were rated as having a low risk of bias. The meta-analysis results show that, compared to the placebo, probiotics significantly improved stool consistency (MD = 0.72, 95% CI (0.18, 1.26), p < 0.05, low quality) and increased the number of fecal Bifidobacteria (MD = 1.75, 95% CI (1.51, 2.00), p < 0.05, low quality) and Lactobacillus (MD = 1.69, 95% CI (1.48, 1.89), p < 0.05, low quality), while no significant differences were found in abdominal pain scores, bloating scores, QoL scores, or the incidence of adverse events (p > 0.05). The low-to-very low certainty evidence suggests that probiotics might improve the stool consistency of patients with IBS-C and increase the number of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in feces with good safety. However, more high-quality studies with large samples are needed to verify the findings.
A Pilot Study on Donor Human Milk Microbiota: A Comparison with Preterm Human Milk Microbiota and the Effect of Pasteurization
Authors: Beghetti Isadora , Barone Monica , De Fazio Luigia , Laderchi Eleonora , Biagi Elena , Turroni Silvia , Brigidi Patrizia , Pession Andrea , Corvaglia Luigi , Aceti Arianna
Published: June 2022

Human milk (HM) is the best feeding option for preterm infants; however, when mother’s own milk (MOM) is not available, pasteurized donor human milk (DHM) is the best alternative. In this study, we profiled DHM microbiota (19 samples) using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and compared its compositional features with the MOM microbiota (14 samples) from mothers who delivered prematurely (PT-MOM). As a secondary study aim, we assessed the specific effect of pasteurization on the characteristics of the DHM microbiota. DHM showed significantly higher alpha diversity and significant segregation from PT-MOM. Compositionally, the PT-MOM microbiota had a significantly higher proportion of Staphylococcus than DHM, with Streptococcus tending to be and Pseudomonas being significantly overrepresented in DHM compared with the PT-MOM samples. Furthermore, pasteurization affected the HM microbiota structure, with a trend towards greater biodiversity and some compositional differences following pasteurization. This pilot study provided further evidence on the HM microbial ecosystem, demonstrating that the DHM microbiota differs from the PT-MOM microbiota, possibly due to inherent differences between HM donors and mothers delivering prematurely, and that pasteurization per se impacts the HM microbiota. Knowledge about HM microbiota needs to be acquired by investigating the effect of DHM processing to develop strategies aimed at improving DHM quality while guaranteeing its microbiological safety.
Clinical and Metabolomic Effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Pediococcus acidilactici in Fructose Intolerant Patients
Authors: Portincasa Piero , Celano Giuseppe , Serale Nadia , Vitellio Paola , Calabrese Francesco Maria , Chira Alexandra , David Liliana , Dumitrascu Dan L. , De Angelis Maria
Published: June 2022

Fructose intolerance (FI) is a widespread non-genetic condition in which the incomplete absorption of fructose leads to gastro-intestinal disorders. The crucial role of microbial dysbiosis on the onset of these intolerance symptoms together with their persistence under free fructose diets are driving the scientific community towards the use of probiotics as a novel therapeutic approach. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of FI in a cohort composed of Romanian adults with Functional Grastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs) and the effectiveness of treatment based on the probiotic formulation EQBIOTA® (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CECT 7484 and 7485 and Pediococcus acidilactici CECT 7483). We evaluated the impact of a 30-day treatment both on FI subjects and healthy volunteers. The gastrointestinal symptoms and fecal volatile metabolome were evaluated. A statistically significant improvement of symptoms (i.e., bloating, and abdominal pain) was reported in FI patient after treatment. On the other hand, at the baseline, the content of volatile metabolites was heterogeneously distributed between the two study arms, whereas the treatment led differences to decrease. From our analysis, how some metabolomics compounds were correlated with the improvement and worsening of clinical symptoms clearly emerged. Preliminary observations suggested how the improvement of gastrointestinal symptoms could be induced by the increase of anti-inflammatory and protective substrates. A deeper investigation in a larger patient cohort subjected to a prolonged treatment would allow a more comprehensive evaluation of the probiotic treatment effects.
Control Scheme of Phase-Shifter for Photon Energy Scan
Authors: Kim Gyujin , Yang Haeryong , Shim Chi Hyun , Nam Inhyuk , Cho Myung Hoon , Heo Hoon , Kim Changbum , Min Chang-Ki , Kang Heung-Sik
Published: June 2022

Variable gap undulator widely used in X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) enables the photon energy scan by changing its gap. A phase-shifter should be incorporated to compensate for the phase mismatch between the electron bunches and X-ray pulses arising while those traverse the drift space between undulator segments. The uncertainties in both the undulator parameter and the drift space distance introduce an error in calculating the optimum gap distance of the phase-shifter for the different undulator K. The phase-shifter gap needs to be set where the error is within the tolerable range. The control scheme we propose can maintain full FEL intensity over the scanned photon energies.
Integrated Starches and Physicochemical Characterization of Sorghum Cultivars for an Efficient and Sustainable Intercropping Model
Authors: Soe Htet Maw Ni , Wang Honglu , Tian Lixin , Yadav Vivek , Samoon Hamz Ali , Feng Baili
Published: June 2022

Sorghum has good adaptation to drought tolerance and can be successfully cultivated on marginal lands with low input cost. Starch is used in many foods and nonfood industrial applications and as a renewable energy resource. Sorghum starches with different amylose contents affect the different physicochemical properties. In this study, we isolated starches from six sorghum varieties (i.e., Jinza 34, Liaoza 19, Jinnuo 3, Jiza 127, Jiniang 2, and Jiaxian) and investigated them in terms of their chemical compositions and physicochemical properties. All the starch granules had regular polygonal round shapes and showed the characteristic “Maltese cross”. These six sorghum starches showed an A-type diffraction pattern. The highest amylose content of starch in Jinza 127 was 26.90%. Jiaxian had a higher water solubility at 30, 70, and 90 °C. From the flow cytometry analysis based on six sorghum starch granules, Liaoza 19 had a larger and more complex granules (particle percentage (P1) = 66.5%). The Jinza 34 starch had higher peak (4994.00 mPa∙s) and breakdown viscosity (4013.50 mPa∙s) and lower trough viscosity (973.50 mPa∙s). Jinnuo 3 had higher onset temperature, peak temperature, conclusion temperature, gelatinization enthalpy, and gelatinization range. The principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis based on classification of different sorghum starches showed that Jiniang 2 and Jinnuo 3 had similar physicochemical properties and most divergent starches, respectively. Our result provides useful information not only on the use of sorghum starches in food and non-food industries but for the great potential of sorghum-based intercropping systems in maintaining agricultural sustainability.
Preceding Phenological Events Rather than Climate Drive the Variations in Fruiting Phenology in the Desert Shrub Nitraria tangutorum
Authors: Bao Fang , Xin Zhiming , Liu Minghu , Li Jiazhu , Gao Ying , Lu Qi , Wu Bo
Published: June 2022

Fruit setting and ripening are crucial in the reproductive cycle of many desert plant species, but their response to precipitation changes is still unclear. To clarify the response patterns, a long-term in situ water addition experiment with five treatments, namely natural precipitation (control) plus an extra 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the local mean annual precipitation (145 mm), was conducted in a temperate desert in northwestern China. A whole series of fruiting events including the onset, peak, and end of fruit setting and the onset, peak, and end of fruit ripening of a locally dominant shrub, Nitraria tangutorum, were observed from 2012 to 2018. The results show that (1) water addition treatments had no significant effects on all six fruiting events in almost all years, and the occurrence time of almost all fruiting events remained relatively stable compared with leaf phenology and flowering phenology after the water addition treatments; (2) the occurrence times of all fruiting events were not correlated to the amounts of water added in the treatments; (3) there are significant inter-annual variations in each fruiting event. However, neither temperature nor precipitation play key roles, but the preceding flowering events drive their inter-annual variation.
A Small Gtp-Binding Protein GhROP3 Interacts with GhGGB Protein and Negatively Regulates Drought Tolerance in Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)
Authors: Hu Ziyao , Lei Jianfeng , Dai Peihong , Liu Chao , Wugalihan Abuduweili , Liu Xiaodong , Li Yue
Published: June 2022

As a plant-specific Rho-like small G protein, the ROP (Rho-related GTPase of plants) protein regulates the growth and development of plants and various stress responses in the form of molecular switches. Drought is a major abiotic stress that limits cotton yield and fiber quality. In this study, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) technology was used to analyze the biological function of GhROP3 in cotton drought stress tolerance. Meanwhile, we used yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays to examine the interaction between GhROP3 and GhGGB. GhROP3 has a high expression level in cotton true leaves and roots, and responds to drought, high salt, cold, heat stress, and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) and auxin (IAA) treatments. Silencing GhROP3 improved the drought tolerance of cotton. The water loss rates (WLR) of detached leaves significantly reduced in silenced plants. Also, the relative water content (RWC) and total contents of chlorophyll (Chl) and proline (Pro) of leaves after drought stress and the activities of three antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) significantly increased, whereas the contents of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) significantly reduced. In the leaves of silenced plants, the expression of genes related to ABA synthesis and its related pathway was significantly upregulated, and the expression of decomposition-related GhCYP707A gene and genes related to IAA synthesis and its related pathways was significantly downregulated. It indicated that GhROP3 was a negative regulator of cotton response to drought by participating in the negative regulation of the ABA signaling pathway and the positive regulation of the IAA signaling pathway. Yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays showed that the GhROP3 protein interacted with the GhGGB protein in vivo and in vitro. This study provided a theoretical basis for the in-depth investigation of the drought resistance–related molecular mechanism of the GhROP3 gene and the biological function of the GhGGB gene.
Amino Acids in Rice Grains and Their Regulation by Polyamines and Phytohormones
Authors: Yang Jianchang , Zhou Yujiao , Jiang Yi
Published: June 2022

Rice is one of the most important food crops in the world, and amino acids in rice grains are major nutrition sources for the people in countries where rice is the staple food. Phytohormones and plant growth regulators play vital roles in regulating the biosynthesis of amino acids in plants. This paper reviewed the content and compositions of amino acids and their distribution in different parts of ripe rice grains, and the biosynthesis and metabolism of amino acids and their regulation by polyamines (PAs) and phytohormones in filling grains, with a focus on the roles of higher PAs (spermidine and spermine), ethylene, and brassinosteroids (BRs) in this regulation. Recent studies have shown that higher PAs and BRs (24-epibrassinolide and 28-homobrassinolide) play positive roles in mediating the biosynthesis of amino acids in rice grains, mainly by enhancing the activities of the enzymes involved in amino acid biosynthesis and sucrose-to-starch conversion and maintaining redox homeostasis. In contrast, ethylene may impede amino acid biosynthesis by inhibiting the activities of the enzymes involved in amino acid biosynthesis and elevating reactive oxygen species. Further research is needed to unravel the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of the content and compositions of amino acids in the filling grain and their relationship with the content and compositions of amino acids in different parts of a ripe grain, to elucidate the cross-talk between or among phytohormones in mediating the anabolism of amino acids, and to establish the regulation techniques for promoting the biosynthesis of amino acids in rice grains.
Charge Transport and Glassy Dynamics in Blends Based on 1-Butyl-3-vinylbenzylimidazolium Bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide Ionic Liquid and the Corresponding Polymer
Authors: Hoffmann Maxi , Iacob Ciprian , Kaysan Gina , Simmler Mira , Nirschl Hermann , Guthausen Gisela , Wilhelm Manfred
Published: June 2022

Charge transport, diffusion properties, and glassy dynamics of blends of imidazolium-based ionic liquid (IL) and the corresponding polymer (polyIL) were examined by Pulsed-Field-Gradient Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (PFG-NMR) and rheology coupled with broadband dielectric spectroscopy (rheo-BDS). We found that the mechanical storage modulus (G′) increases with an increasing amount of polyIL and G′ is a factor of 10,000 higher for the polyIL compared to the monomer (GIL′= 7.5 Pa at 100 rad s−1 and 298 K). Furthermore, the ionic conductivity (σ0) of the IL is a factor 1000 higher than its value for the polymerized monomer with 3.4×10−4 S cm−1 at 298 K. Additionally, we found the Haven Ratio (HR) obtained through PFG-NMR and BDS measurements to be constant around a value of 1.4 for the IL and blends with 30 wt% and 70 wt% polyIL. These results show that blending of the components does not have a strong impact on the charge transport compared to the charge transport in the pure IL at room temperature, but blending results in substantial modifications of the mechanical properties. Furthermore, it is highlighted that the increase in σ0 might be attributed to the addition of a more mobile phase, which also possibly reduces ion-ion correlations in the polyIL.
One-Pot Synthesis of UPy-Functionalized Nanocellulose under Mechanochemical Synergy for High-Performance Epoxy Nanocomposites
Authors: Wang Hanchen , Wu Jiayin , Huang Biao , Lu Qi-Lin
Published: June 2022

The high strength, high specific surface area, excellent biocompatibility, and degradability of nanocellulose (NCC) make it a potential reinforcing phase for composite materials. However, the polyhydroxyl property of NCC renders it prone to self-aggregation and it has weak interfacial compatibility with non-polar substrates, limiting its enhancement performance for composite materials. Therefore, based on the high reactivity of NCC, the chemical modification of NCC to introduce functional groups is the basis for effectively reducing its self-aggregation, improving its interfacial compatibility with the polymer matrix, and creating nanocellulose-based functional materials. The existing functional modifications of NCC have limitations; they require cumbersome steps, generate low yields, and are environmentally unfriendly. Herein, ureido-pyrimidinone (UPy) was introduced to NCC through a sustainable and high-efficiency avenue formed by the mechanochemical synergy of microwaves and ultrasonication. The obtained UPy-modified nanocellulose (NCC-UPy) exhibited a rod-like shape, with a length of 200–300 nm and a width of 20–30 nm, which presented oriented and stable dispersion in an aqueous medium, and the zeta potential reached −40 mV. Moreover, NCC-UPy had good thermostability (>350 °C) and high crystallinity (82.5%) within the crystal type of cellulose I. Using the as-prepared NCC-UPy as a molecular bridge, it was organically combined with epoxy resin through multiple hydrogen bonds to construct a nanocomposite membrane with superior mechanical strength and thermal stability. The results revealed that NCC-UPy dispersed uniformly in the epoxy matrix without aggregating and that the interfacial compatibility was good, leading to an 87% increase in the tensile strength of the formed nanocomposite membrane when 0.5 wt.% NCC-UPy was loaded. It was proved that NCC-UPy had remarkable reinforcing potential and effective stress transfer capacity for composites. Consequently, this study may open the door to the development of a one-pot green approach for undertaking the functional modification of NCC, and it is of great significance for the development of NCC-based nanocomposites.
Determination of the Influence of Multiple Closed Recycling Loops on the Property Profile of Different Polyolefins
Authors: Langwieser Johanna , Schweighuber Andrea , Felgel-Farnholz Alexander , Marschik Christian , Buchberger Wolfgang , Fischer Joerg
Published: June 2022

In a circular economy, polymeric materials are used in multiple loops to manufacture products. Therefore, closed-loops are also envisaged for the mechanical recycling of plastics, in which plastic is used for products that are in turn collected and reprocessed again and again to make further products. However, this reprocessing involves degradation processes within the plastics, which become apparent through changes in the property profile of the material. In the present paper, the influence of multiple recycling loops on the material properties of four different polyolefins was analyzed. Two different closed-loop cycles with industrially sized processing machines were defined, and each polyolefin was processed and reprocessed within the predefined cycles. For the investigation of the effect of the respective loops, samples were taken after each loop. The samples were characterized by high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to a quadru-pole time-of-flight MS, high-temperature gel permeation chromatography, melt flow rate measurements, infrared spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis, and tensile tests. With increasing number of processing loops, the tested polyolefins showed continuous material degradation, which resulted in significant changes in the property profiles.
Synthesis and Thermal Analysis of Non-Covalent PS-b-SC-b-P2VP Triblock Terpolymers via Polylactide Stereocomplexation
Authors: Arkanji Ameen , Ladelta Viko , Ntetsikas Konstantinos , Hadjichristidis Nikos
Published: June 2022

Polylactides (PLAs) are thermoplastic materials known for their wide range of applications. Moreover, the equimolar mixtures of poly(L-Lactide) (PLLA) and poly(D-Lactide) (PDLA) can form stereocomplexes (SCs), which leads to the formation of new non-covalent complex macromolecular architectures. In this work, we report the synthesis and characterization of non-covalent triblock terpolymers of polystyrene-b-stereocomplex PLA-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-SC-b-P2VP). Well-defined ω-hydroxy-PS and P2VP were synthesized by “living” anionic polymerization high-vacuum techniques with sec-BuLi as initiator, followed by termination with ethylene oxide. The resulting PS-OH and P2VP-OH were used as macroinitiators for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of DLA and LLA with Sn(Oct)2 as a catalyst to afford PS-b-PDLA and P2VP-b-PLLA, respectively. SC formation was achieved by mixing PS-b-PDLA and P2VP-b-PLLA chloroform solutions containing equimolar PLAs segments, followed by precipitation into n-hexane. The molecular characteristics of the resulting block copolymers (BCPs) were determined by 1H NMR, size exclusion chromatography, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The formation of PS-b-SC-b-P2VP and the effect of molecular weight variation of PLA blocks on the resulting polymers, were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction, and circular dichroism spectroscopies.
A Comprehensive Assessment of Climate Change and Coastal Inundation through Satellite-Derived Datasets: A Case Study of Sabang Island, Indonesia
Authors: Kantamaneni Komali , Christie David , Lyddon Charlotte E. , Huang Peng , Nizar Muhammad , Balasubramani Karuppusamy , Ravichandran Venkatesh , Prasad Kumar Arun , Pushparaj Robert Ramesh Babu , Robins Peter , Panneer Sigamani
Published: June 2022

Climate-change-induced hazards are negatively affecting the small islands across Indonesia. Sabang Island is one of the most vulnerable small islands due to the rising sea levels and increasing coastal inundation which threaten the low-lying coastal areas with and without coastal defences. However, there is still a lack of studies concerning the long-term trends in climatic variables and, consequently, sea level changes in the region. Accordingly, the current study attempts to comprehensively assess sea level changes and coastal inundation through satellite-derived datasets and model-based products around Sabang Island, Indonesia. The findings of the study show that the temperature (both minimum and maximum) and rainfall of the island are increasing by ~0.01 °C and ~11.5 mm per year, respectively. The trends of temperature and rainfall are closely associated with vegetative growth; an upward trend in the dense forest is noticed through the enhanced vegetation index (EVI). The trend analysis of satellite altimeter datasets shows that the sea level is increasing at a rate of 6.6 mm/year. The DEM-based modelling shows that sea level rise poses the greatest threat to coastal habitations and has significantly increased in recent years, accentuated by urbanisation. The GIS-based model results predict that about half of the coastal settlements (2.5 sq km) will be submerged completely within the next 30 years, provided the same sea level rise continues. The risk of coastal inundation is particularly severe in Sabang, the largest town on the island. The results allow regional, sub-regional, and local comparisons that can assess variations in climate change, sea level rise, coastal inundation, and associated vulnerabilities.
A Low-Grade Road Extraction Method Using SDG-DenseNet Based on the Fusion of Optical and SAR Images at Decision Level
Authors: Zhang Jinglin , Li Yuxia , Si Yu , Peng Bo , Xiao Fanghong , Luo Shiyu , He Lei
Published: June 2022

Low-grade roads have complex features such as geometry, reflection spectrum, and spatial topology in remotely sensing optical images due to the different materials of those roads and also because they are easily obscured by vegetation or buildings, which leads to the low accuracy of low-grade road extraction from remote sensing images. To address this problem, this paper proposes a novel deep learning network referred to as SDG-DenseNet as well as a fusion method of optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data on decision level to extract low-grade roads. On one hand, in order to enlarge the receptive field and ensemble multi-scale features in commonly used deep learning networks, we develop SDG-DenseNet in terms of three modules: stem block, D-Dense block, and GIRM module, in which the Stem block applies two consecutive small-sized convolution kernels instead of the large-sized convolution kernel, the D-Dense block applies three consecutive dilated convolutions after the initial Dense block, and Global Information Recovery Module (GIRM) combines the ideas of dilated convolution and attention mechanism. On the other hand, considering the penetrating capacity and oblique observation of SAR, which can obtain information from those low-grade roads obscured by vegetation or buildings in optical images, we integrate the extracted road result from SAR images into that from optical images at decision level to enhance the extraction accuracy. The experimental result shows that the proposed SDG-DenseNet attains higher IoU and F1 scores than other network models applied to low-grade road extraction from optical images. Furthermore, it verifies that the decision-level fusion of road binary maps from SAR and optical images can further significantly improve the F1, COR, and COM scores.
Automated Dimension Estimation of Steel Pipes Stacked at Construction Sites Using Euclidean Distances Calculated by Overlapping Segmentation
Authors: Shin Yoon-Soo , Kim Junhee
Published: June 2022

Pipes are construction materials for water and sewage, air conditioning, firefighting, and gas facilities at construction sites. The quantification and identification of pipes stacked at construction sites are indispensable and, thus, are directly related to efficient process management. In this study, an automated CNN-based technique for estimating the diameter and thickness of the pipe in an image is proposed. The proposed method infers the thickness of the pipe through the difference by segmentation, by overlapping the inside and outside circles for a single pipe. When multiple pipes are included in the image, the inside and outside circles for the identical pipe are matched through the spatial Euclidean distance. The CNN models are trained using pipe images of various sizes to segment the pipe circles. An error of less than 7.8% for the outer diameter and 15% for the thickness is verified through execution with a series of 50 testing pipe images.
Performance Analysis of Dual-Hop Hybrid RF-UOWC NOMA Systems
Authors: Samir Ahmed , Elsayed Mohamed , El-Banna Ahmad A. Aziz , Shafique Ansari Imran , Rabie Khaled , ElHalawany Basem M.
Published: June 2022

The hybrid combination between underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC) and radio frequency (RF) is a vital demand for enabling communication through the air–water boundary. On the other hand, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is a key technology for enhancing system performance in terms of spectral efficiency. In this paper, we propose a downlink NOMA-based dual-hop hybrid RF-UOWC with decode and forward (DF) relaying. The UOWC channels are characterized by exponential-generalized Gamma (EGG) fading, while the RF channel is characterized by Rayleigh fading. Exact closed-form expressions of outage probabilities and approximated closed-form expressions of ergodic capacities are derived, for each NOMA individual user and the overall system as well, under the practical assumption of imperfect successive interference cancellation (SIC). These expressions are then verified via Monte-Carlo simulation for various underwater scenarios. To gain more insight into the system performance, we analyzed the asymptotic outage probabilities and the diversity order. Moreover, we formulated and solved a power allocation optimization problem to obtain an outage-optimal performance. For the sake of comparison and to highlight the achievable gain, the system performance is compared against a benchmark orthogonal multiple access (OMA)-based system.
An On-Film AMC Antenna Insert-Molded in Earbuds with Enhancement in In-Ear and In Situ Received-Signal Sensing
Authors: Seo Yejune , Moon Inyeol , Cho Junghyun , Lee Yejin , Jang Jiyeon , Shohei Morimoto , Toshifumi Kurosaki , Kahng Sungtek
Published: June 2022

In this paper, a novel thin and flexible antenna is proposed for earbuds to gain an improvement in their wireless signal-sensing capability as a film-based artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) structure. As antenna designs for earbuds face challenges of being embedded beneath the top cover of the earbud, conformal to curved surfaces, and very close to metallic ground and touch-panel parts, as well as scarce degrees of freedom from feeding conditions and functional degradation by human tissue, unlike conventional techniques such as quasi quarter-wavelength radiators on LDS and epoxy molding compounds (relatively thick and pricy), an antenna of a metal pattern on a film is made with another film layer as the AMC to mitigate problems of the antenna in a small and curved space of an insert-molded wireless device. The antenna was designed, fabricated, and embedded in earbud mockups to work for the 2.4 GHz Bluetooth RF link, and its functions were verified by RF and antenna measurement, showing that it could overcome the limitations in impedance matching with only lumped elements and poor radiation by the ordinary schemes. The input reflection coefficient and antenna efficiency were 10 dB and 9% better than other methods. In particular, the on-film AMC antenna (OFAA) presents robustness against deterioration by the human tissue, when it is placed in the ear phantom at the workbench and implemented in an in situ test using a large zorb ball mimicking a realistic sensing environment. This yielded an RSSI enhancement of 20–30 dB.
Finite-Time Asynchronous Event-Triggered Formation of UAVs with Semi-Markov-Type Topologies
Authors: Ma Chao , Zheng Suiwu , Xu Tao , Ji Yidao
Published: June 2022

In this paper, the finite-time formation problem of UAVs is investigated with consideration of semi-Markov-type switching topologies. More precisely, finite-time passivity performance is adopted to overcome the dynamical effect of disturbances. Furthermore, an asynchronous event-triggered communication scheme is proposed for more efficient information exchanges. The mode-dependent formation controllers are designed in terms of the Lyapunov–Krasovskii method, such that the configuration formation can be accomplished. Finally, simulation results are given to demonstrate the validity of the proposed formation approach.
Model Analysis and Experimental Investigation of Soft Pneumatic Manipulator for Fruit Grasping
Authors: Zhu Yinlong , Feng Kai , Hua Chao , Wang Xu , Hu Zhiqiang , Wang Huaming , Su Haijun
Published: June 2022

With the superior ductility and flexibility brought by compliant bodies, soft manipulators provide a nondestructive manner to grasp delicate objects, which has been developing gradually as a rising focus of soft robots. However, the unexpected phenomenon caused by environmental effects, leading to high internal nonlinearity and unpredictable deformation, makes it challenging to design, model, and control soft manipulators. In this paper, we designed a soft pneumatically actuated manipulator consisting of four soft actuators, as well as a flange, and investigated the influence of structural parameters on the output characteristics of the manipulator through finite element analysis (FEA). To enhance the bending deformation of the soft actuator, annular rings were employed on the soft actuator. A mathematical model for the bending deformation of air cavities was established to explore the relationship between the driving pressure and the bending angle based on the Yeoh strain energy function. Moreover, an end-output force model was established to depict the variation of the force output with the bending angle of the soft actuator, which was then experimentally validated by adopting the manufactured manipulator. The soft actuator studied in this paper can bend from 0° to 110° under an applied pressure of 0–60 kPa, and the maximum grasping load of the soft manipulator is 5.8 N. Finally, practical tests were conducted to assess the adaptability of the soft manipulator when grasping delicate fruits, such as apples, pears, tomatoes, and mangoes, demonstrating its broad application prospects in nondestructive fruit harvesting.
Kinematic Analysis of Exoskeleton-Assisted Community Ambulation: An Observational Study in Outdoor Real-Life Scenarios
Authors: Goffredo Michela , Romano Paola , Infarinato Francesco , Cioeta Matteo , Franceschini Marco , Galafate Daniele , Iacopini Rebecca , Pournajaf Sanaz , Ottaviani Marco
Published: June 2022

(1) Background: In neurorehabilitation, Wearable Powered Exoskeletons (WPEs) enable intensive gait training even in individuals who are unable to maintain an upright position. The importance of WPEs is not only related to their impact on walking recovery, but also to the possibility of using them as assistive technology; however, WPE-assisted community ambulation has rarely been studied in terms of walking performance in real-life scenarios. (2) Methods: This study proposes the integration of an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) system to analyze gait kinematics during real-life outdoor scenarios (regular, irregular terrains, and slopes) by comparing the ecological gait (no-WPE condition) and WPE-assisted gait in five able-bodied volunteers. The temporal parameters of gait and joint angles were calculated from data collected by a network of seven IMUs. (3) Results: The results showed that the WPE-assisted gait had less knee flexion in the stance phase and greater hip flexion in the swing phase. The different scenarios did not change the human–exoskeleton interaction: only the low-speed WPE-assisted gait was characterized by a longer double support phase. (4) Conclusions: The proposed IMU-based gait assessment protocol enabled quantification of the human–exoskeleton interaction in terms of gait kinematics and paved the way for the study of WPE-assisted community ambulation in stroke patients.
Power Optimization Model for Energy Sustainability in 6G Wireless Networks
Authors: Taneja Ashu , Saluja Nitin , Taneja Neeti , Alqahtani Ali , Elmagzoub M. A. , Shaikh Asadullah , Koundal Deepika
Published: June 2022

Internet-of-Things (IoT) networks are witnessing a rapid proliferation of connected devices and mobile terminals each day. The wireless information flow between these massive battery-powered devices has a huge energy burden and will lead to an energy crisis in the near future; thus, there is an urgent search for sustainable energy networks. To offer a sustainable energy solution in order to meet the energy demands of these massive IoT networks, this paper presents a dynamic practical model that enables the efficient management of power resources. Two user-scheduling algorithms, namely, minimum distance scheduling (MDS) and maximum channel gain scheduling (MCS), are proposed; when these algorithms were used alongside a power optimization, they led to improved network efficiency. Further, the network’s performance was measured with parametric variations in the number of access points (APs); the deployment of APs and AP configuration is carried out for different precoding schemes. The impact of spatial correlation and the access to perfect channel state information (CSI) on the spectral efficiency of the system was also evaluated. In the end, the study compares the performance of different power-allocation methods and suggests that the power allocated to a particular user node by an AP can be controlled using the proposed algorithms. It is observed that, as compared to the MDS algorithm, the MCS algorithm results in better spectral efficiency for all the users with fractional power allocation. In addition, each AP assigns a maximum power of 141.7 mW to a user with strong channel conditions with the AP, and a minimum power of 3.1882 mW to the user with the worst channel conditions using centralized PMMSE precoding.
Neuroeconomics in Cooperatives: Hierarchy of Emotional Patterns in the Collective Decision-Making Process for Sustainable Development
Authors: Zúñiga Aguilar Isaac
Published: June 2022

The goal of this study is to determine the level of adaptation of agro-industrial cooperatives of small producers of alternative crops, and it considers the hierarchy of patterns to evaluate their systemic responses to accelerated change following the COVID-19 pandemic by evaluating the risk of their structures adapting to the digital environment. With a total of (n = 90) volunteer responders, the study is experimental, transactional, descriptive, and correlational, with a control group (CENFROCAFE) and an experimental group (ACEPAT) (24 producer partners, 14 producer managers, and 7 employees for each cooperative). In Step 1 (SOFT aspect), it measures the organizational memory (OM) of Y0 = 0.32 in the (control group) and Y1 = 0.59 in the (experimental group) by measuring hidden plots in the formal and informal interrelations of its members with the correlation of the holistic competencies of innovation. In Stage 2 (HARD aspect), the impact of the digital operational risk (DOR) is measured in the adaptation of the organization structure, which results in the control group with a Digital Operational Risk (DOR) = (3.4), which is “High” and greater than the experimental group with DOR = (3.3), which is “Moderate”. In conclusion, Hypothesis 1 is met with a greater adaptation of the experimental group, greater organizational memory, and lower digital operational risk, which reflects that the memory of the organization would reflect the temporal memories of the human brains of its members, and that, in the same way, its behavior could be predicted linearly.
ANÁLISIS EPISTEMOLÓGICO DE LA IDENTIDAD DEL SUJETO METAINFORMACIONAL
Authors: Villegas-Soto Francisco Javier , Altamirano-Santiago Mijael , De Hoyos-Bermea Adalberto
Published: June 2022

El desarrollo tecnológico ha dado como resultado la comunicación de distintos signos a través de la historia del ser humano. Sin duda, el momento más significativo se lleva a cabo en la modernidad, al establecer una ruptura decisiva con el objeto, ubicándolo como el producto de la razón pensado por el sujeto. Estamos ciertos que este cambio se ha reflejado en el interior, intencionalidad e identidad de este último. En este orden de ideas, el problema detectado en este artículo es la forma en que el objeto desaparece dentro de los procesos virtuales y se sustituye por el lenguaje inmerso en interpretaciones que llevan a la generación de un proceso metainformacional inundado de anonimato e incertidumbre, situación que impacta en la construcción de identidad del sujeto. Se detecta que dentro de estos procesos metainformacionales, el sujeto es atado a la representación y establece una dinámica cíclica que proyecta su identidad, dando como resultado un proceso de sometimiento al signo que el mismo individuo ha codificado a través de sus intereses y la forma de acercarse a su realidad. Este artículo explora este proceso de sometimiento, utilizando la metáfora de Ixión y Néfele, la cual describe adecuadamente el comportamiento de la identidad metainformacional.
Pathologic findings of acantholytic squamous cell carcinoma coexisting with cutaneous cryptococcosis in a Houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata)
Authors: KHEIRANDISH Reza , ALIDADI Soodeh , AZİZİ Shahrzad , AZAMI Atena
Published: June 2022

A 2-year-old Asian Houbara bustard was presented with a solitary well-defined, firm cutaneous mass on the hock region. Grossly, the mass protruded from the surface was located on the hairless and unpigmented areas of the right hock joint with ulceration and dried hemorrhagic foci. On microscopic examination, ulceration, hemorrhage, as well as hyperkeratosis were observed. Large round, oval to polygonal neoplastic cells extended into the dermis were arranged to form cords, trabeculae, islands or glandular-like structures without keratin pearls. These pseudoglandular structures were composed of pseudolumina containing acantholytic and detached tumor cells. Necrosis of the neoplastic cells was accompanied by infiltration of inflammatory cells particularly heterophils. Unlike pleomorphic tumor cells, mitosis count was almost frequent. No evidence of other abnormalities and tumor metastasis was found. These gross and microscopic features appeared to be suggestive of a rare histologic variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), acantholytic SCC.
Factors influencing symptom appraisal and help-seeking of older adults with possible cancer: a mixed-methods systematic review
Authors: Jones Daniel , Di Martino Erica , Bradley Stephen H , Essang Blessing , Hemphill Scott , Wright Judy M , Renzi Cristina , Surr Claire , Clegg Andrew , Neal Richard
Published: June 2022

Background

The cancer burden falls predominantly on older (≥65 years) adults. Prompt presentation to primary care with cancer symptoms could result in earlier diagnosis. However, patient symptom appraisal and help-seeking decisions involving cancer symptoms are complex and may be further complicated in older adults.

Aim

To explore the effect of older age on patients’ appraisal of possible cancer symptoms and their decision to seek help for these symptoms.

Design and setting

Mixed-methods systematic review.

Method

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Web of Science Core Collection, ASSIA, the ISRCTN registry, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence were searched for studies on symptom appraisal and help-seeking decisions for cancer symptoms by adults aged ≥65 years. Studies were analysed using thematic synthesis and according to the Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis guidelines.

Results

Eighty studies were included with a total of 32 995 participants. Studies suggested a possible association between increasing age and prolonged symptom appraisal interval. Reduced knowledge of cancer symptoms and differences in symptom interpretation may contribute to this prolonged interval. In contrast, in the current study a possible association was found between increasing age and prompt help-seeking. Themes affecting help-seeking in older adults included the influence of family and carers, competing priorities, fear, embarrassment, fatalism, comorbidities, a desire to avoid doctors, a perceived need to not waste doctors’ time, and patient self-management of symptoms.

Conclusion

This review suggests that increasing age is associated with delayed cancer symptom appraisal. When symptoms are recognised as potentially serious, increasing age was associated with prompt help-seeking although other factors could prolong this. Policymakers, charities, and GPs should aim to ensure older adults are able to recognise potential symptoms of cancer and seek help promptly.