bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is Continuous Monitoring of Skin Surface Temperature a Reliable Proxy to Assess the Thermoregulatory Response in Endurance Horses During Field Exercise?
Authors: Verdegaal Elisabeth-Lidwien J. M. M. , Howarth Gordon S. , McWhorter Todd J. , Delesalle Catherine J. G.
Published: June 2022

Hyperthermia is a performance and welfare issue for exercising horses. The thermoregulatory stressors associated with exercise have typically been estimated by responses in the laboratory. However, monitoring surface skin temperature (Tsk) coincident with core temperature (Tc) has not previously been investigated in horses exercising in the field. We investigated the suitability of monitoring surface Tsk as a metric of the thermoregulatory response, and simultaneously investigated its relationship with Tc using gastrointestinal (GI) temperature. We evaluated Tsk in 13 endurance horses competing during four endurance rides over 40 km (n = 1) or a total of 80 km (n = 12) distance. Following each 40-km loop, the horses were rested for 60 min. Tsk and Tc were continuously recorded every 15 s by an infrared thermistor sensor located in a modified belt and by telemetric GI pill, respectively, and expressed as mean ± SD. The net area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to estimate the thermoregulatory response to the thermal load of Tsk over time (°C × minutes) using the trapezoidal method. The relationship between Tsk and Tc was assessed using scatterplots, paired t-test or generalized linear model ANOVA (delta Tsk) (n = 8). Ambient temperature ranged from 6.7°C to 18.4°C. No relationship was found between Tsk and Tc profiles during exercise and recovery periods, and no significant difference between delta Tsk results was detected when comparing exercise and rest. However, time to maximum Tsk (67 min) was significantly reduced compared to Tc (139 min) (p = 0.0004) with a significantly lesser maximum Tsk (30.3°C) than Tc (39°C) (p = 0.0002) during exercise. Net AUC Tsk was 1,164 ± 1,448 and −305 ± 388°C × minutes during periods of exercise and recovery, respectively. We conclude that Tsk monitoring does not provide a reliable proxy for the thermoregulatory response and horse welfare, most probably because many factors can modulate Tsk without directly affecting Tc. Those factors, such as weather conditions, applicable to all field studies can influence the results of Tsk in endurance horses. The study also reveals important inter-individual differences in Tsk and Tc time profiles, emphasizing the importance of an individualized model of temperature monitoring.
Clustering Algorithm with a Greedy Agglomerative Heuristic and Special Distance Measures
Authors: Shkaberina Guzel , Verenev Leonid , Tovbis Elena , Rezova Natalia , Kazakovtsev Lev
Published: June 2022

Automatic grouping (clustering) involves dividing a set of objects into subsets (groups) so that the objects from one subset are more similar to each other than to the objects from other subsets according to some criterion. Kohonen neural networks are a class of artificial neural networks, the main element of which is a layer of adaptive linear adders, operating on the principle of “winner takes all”. One of the advantages of Kohonen networks is their ability of online clustering. Greedy agglomerative procedures in clustering consistently improve the result in some neighborhood of a known solution, choosing as the next solution the option that provides the least increase in the objective function. Algorithms using the agglomerative greedy heuristics demonstrate precise and stable results for a k-means model. In our study, we propose a greedy agglomerative heuristic algorithm based on a Kohonen neural network with distance measure variations to cluster industrial products. Computational experiments demonstrate the comparative efficiency and accuracy of using the greedy agglomerative heuristic in the problem of grouping of industrial products into homogeneous production batches.
Capture Dynamics and Control of a Flexible Net for Space Debris Removal
Authors: Ru Man , Zhan Ying , Cheng Bin , Zhang Yu
Published: June 2022

Space debris severely threatens the safety of spacecraft in near-earth orbit. Dragging space debris into the atmosphere to burn is an effective way to remove it. In this paper, the authors focus on capturing irregular and rotating debris via a flexible net. The net capture dynamics, including the constitutive dynamics of the flexible net and the nonlinear contact dynamics with the debris, are established to simulate the movements of the flexible net. The debris dynamics, comprising translational and rotational dynamics, are constructed to simulate its motions throughout the whole process. In addition, an active control scheme is applied to designing the controllers of the flexible net. The presented method can be used to simulate the capture and post-capture process of irregular and rotating debris. Moreover, compared with the previous space debris capture mechanism, the presented flexible net can be opened or closed repeatedly; thus, the proposed flexible net has more potential to capture many pieces of debris in one mission. Numerical simulations show that the flexible net has an excellent capture capability with the presented control scheme. The flexible net can capture the debris rotating with an angular velocity of 6.28 rad/s. Moreover, the debris can be fully enveloped and further dragged away along the expected trajectory. The critical indicator results show that the wrapping of the debris is stable; thus, this method is feasible for future missions.
Farmers’ Perception of Climate Change and Climate-Smart Agriculture in Northern Benin, West Africa
Authors: Moutouama Fidèle T. , Tepa-Yotto Ghislain T. , Agboton Cyriaque , Gbaguidi Brice , Sekabira Haruna , Tamò Manuele
Published: June 2022

Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is an approach that identifies actions needed to transform and reorganize agricultural systems to effectively support agricultural development and ensure food security in the face of climate change. In this study, we assessed farmers’ perception of climate change, available CSA practices (CSAP) and the determinants of CSAP adoption in northern Benin. A list of CSAP was generated from a workshop with different stakeholders. Face-to-face interviews were then carried out with 368 farmers selected based on stratified random sampling in the study area. Binomial generalized mixed-effect models were run to analyze the relation between socio-demographic characteristics and the use of CSAP. CSAP were evaluated using a three-point Likert scale and the frequency of agreement with the statement that the selected practices meet the pillars of CSA. More than 60% of farmers had heard about climate change, and more than 80% had observed changes in temperature, rainfall amounts and distribution. Thirty-one CSAP were identified in the area, and only 11 were known by more than 50% of farmers. Out of the 12 selected CSAP for the assessment of adoption and evaluation, seven (7) were used by more than 50% of those who knew them. Farmers agreed with the statements that the evaluated practices improved farm productivity and adaptation to climate change but did not mitigate climate change. Ethnic group and education level were the two major factors that significantly determined the use of the evaluated CSAP.
Soil Management, Irrigation and Fertilisation Strategies for N2O Emissions Mitigation in Mediterranean Agricultural Systems
Authors: Carbonell-Bojollo Rosa M. , Veroz-González Óscar , González-Sánchez Emilio J. , Ordóñez-Fernández Rafaela , Moreno-García Manuel , Repullo-Ruibérriz de Torres Miguel A.
Published: June 2022

Feeding a growing population, which will reach 10 billion in 2050, is a major challenge. Another major challenge is to increase crops’ productivity in a sustainable way, as the increase in agricultural inputs may lead to greenhouse gas emissions, including N2O fertiliser. Several factors can influence N2O emissions such as irrigation, the soil management system, or the type of fertiliser used. The aim of this research is to study the impact of each above-mentioned factor on N2O emissions during three growing seasons in a maize field, considering three nitrogen fertilisers: urea (U), ammonium nitrate (AN), and a fertiliser with the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP); two irrigation strategies: on demand (100%) and deficit irrigation (75% of demand); and a comparison of two soil management systems: conventional tillage (T) systems and no-tillage (NT) system. The interactions among the three factors and their effects on emissions were analysed through a principal component analysis. Higher emissions were recorded in plots that received the highest irrigation dose. The most favourable management to reduce N2O emissions derived from agricultural activity for maize crops under a Mediterranean climate was the NT soil management, using a fertiliser with nitrification inhibitor and an irrigation dose of 75% of conventional irrigation.
Is Harvesting Cover Crops for Hay Profitable When Planting Corn and Soybean in Tennessee?
Authors: Duncan Hence , Eicher Jacob , Bracey Weston M. , Sykes Virginia R. , Boyer Christopher N. , Yin Frank , Bates Gary E. , Butler David M. , Willette Alison R.
Published: June 2022

Winter cover crops can improve the soil’s moisture-holding capacity, reduce soil water evaporation, and mitigate water-induced soil erosion; however, economic studies show mixed results on cover crop impacts on profits. One way to potentially increase the profits from planting cover crops is to harvest the cover crop for hay. The objective of this study was to determine the profitability of planting and harvesting cover crops when planting corn (Zea mays) or soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) as a cash crop. We determined the difference in net returns among 15 cover crop species when planted before corn and soybeans. We then calculated the breakeven hay price if the cover crop was harvested. Data were collected from an experiment in Tennessee, from 2017 to 2019, at two locations. There was no difference in net returns across cover crop treatments for both corn and soybeans, thus indicating that planting a cover crop does not reduce profits. The breakeven prices for harvesting cover crops suggest that this system would not likely be profitable for corn but might be profitable if planting soybeans, depending on labor availability and local demand for hay.
Title-Inflammatory Signaling Pathways in Allergic and Infection-Associated Lung Diseases
Authors: Upadhyay Mala , Nehme Antoine , Wasnik Samiksha
Published: June 2022

Lung inflammation can be caused by pathogen infection alone or by allergic disease, leading to pneumonitis. Most of the allergens (antigens) that cause allergic lung diseases, including asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), are derived from microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, but some inorganic materials, such as mercury, can also cause pneumonitis. Certain allergens, including food and pollen, can also cause acute allergic reactions and lead to lung inflammation in individuals predisposed to such reactions. Pattern recognition-associated and damage-associated signaling by these allergens can be critical in determining the type of hypersensitization and allergic disease, as well as the potential for fibrosis and irreversible lung damage. This review discusses the signs, symptoms, and etiology of allergic asthma, and HP. Furthermore, we review the immune response and signaling pathways involved in pneumonitis due to both microbial infection and allergic processes. We also discuss current and potential therapeutic interventions for infection-associated and allergic lung inflammation.
Diversity of Harbinger-like Transposons in Teleost Fish Genomes
Authors: Etchegaray Ema , Dechaud Corentin , Barbier Jérémy , Naville Magali , Volff Jean-Nicolas
Published: June 2022

Harbinger elements are DNA transposons that are widespread from plants to vertebrates but absent from mammalian genomes. Among vertebrates, teleost fish are the clade presenting not only the largest number of species but also the highest diversity of transposable elements, both quantitatively and qualitatively, making them a very attractive group to investigate the evolution of mobile sequences. We studied Harbinger DNA transposons and the distantly related ISL2EU elements in fish, focusing on representative teleost species compared to the spotted gar, the coelacanth, the elephant shark and the amphioxus. We observed high variability in the genomic composition of Harbinger-like sequences in teleost fish, as they covered 0.002–0.14% of the genome, when present. While Harbinger transposons might have been present in a common ancestor of all the fish species studied here, with secondary loss in elephant shark, our results suggests that ISL2EU elements were gained by horizontal transfer at the base of teleost fish 200–300 million years ago, and that there was secondary loss in a common ancestor of pufferfishes and stickleback. Harbinger transposons code for a transposase and a Myb-like protein. We reconstructed and compared molecular phylogenies of both proteins to get insights into the evolution of Harbinger transposons in fish. Transposase and Myb-like protein phylogenies showed global congruent evolution, indicating unique origin of the association between both genes and suggesting rare recombination between transposon sublineages. Finally, we report one case of Harbinger horizontal transfer between divergent fish species and the transcriptional activity of both Harbinger and ISL2EU transposons in teleost fish. There was male-biased expression in the gonads of the medaka fish.
Antimicrobial Resistance Research Collaborations in Asia: Challenges and Opportunities to Equitable Partnerships
Authors: Shrestha Pami , He Shiying , Legido-Quigley Helena
Published: June 2022

Antimicrobial Resistance is recognized as a major threat to global health security. The WHO Southeast Asia region is dubbed a “global hub for AMR emergence”, as it runs the highest risk for AMR emergence among all WHO regions in Asia. Hence, there is a need for Asia-centric, collaborative AMR research aligned with the true needs and priorities of the region. This study aimed to identify and understand the challenges and opportunities for such collaborative endeavors to enhance equitable partnerships. This qualitative study adopted an interpretative approach involving a thematic analysis of 15 semi-structured interviews with AMR experts conducting research in the region. The study identified several factors influencing research collaborations, such as the multi-dimensional nature of AMR, limited or lack of funds, different AMR research priorities in Asian countries, absence of Asia-centric AMR leadership, lack of trust and, unequal power relationships between researchers, and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in research collaborations. It also identified some opportunities, such as the willingness of researchers to collaborate, the formation of a few networks, and the prioritization by many academics of the One Health paradigm for framing AMR research. Participants reported that the initiation of stronger cross-discipline and cross-country networks, the development of Asia-centric AMR leadership, flexible research agendas with shared priorities, transparent and transferable funds, and support to enhance research capacity in LMICs could assist in developing more equitable collaborative research in Asia.
Treatment of Pediatric Helicobacter pylori Infection
Authors: Lai Hung-Hsiang , Lai Ming-Wei
Published: June 2022

Helicobacter pylori infection can cause gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcers, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, gastric cancer, and extra-gastrointestinal manifestations. Ideal treatment should be guided by antibiotic susceptibility testing. However, this is not feasible in many regions, so the treatment generally relies on clinical experience and regional culture sensitivity profiles. We aimed to integrate the treatment of pediatric H. pylori infection through a systematic literature review. Databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Scholar were searched using terms containing (Helicobacter OR Helicobacter pylori OR H. pylori) AND (child OR pediatric) for all relevant manuscripts and guidelines, published from January 2011 to December 2021. The eradication rate for pediatric H. pylori infection was not satisfactory using triple therapy, sequential therapy, concomitant therapy, bismuth-based quadruple therapy, or adjuvant therapy with probiotics as the first-line therapy. Most therapies could not achieve the recommended eradication rate of >90%, which may be attributed to varying regional antibiotic resistance and possible poor children’s compliance. More studies are required to establish a best practice for pediatric H. pylori infection treatment.
Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Nannochloropsis oculata with Ethanol and Betaine: 1,2-Propanediol Eutectic Solvent for Antioxidant Pigment-Rich Extracts Retaining Nutritious the Residual Biomass
Authors: Gkioni Maria D. , Andriopoulos Vasilis , Koutra Eleni , Hatziantoniou Sophia , Kornaros Michael , Lamari Fotini N.
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study was the development of an efficient “green” extraction method of Nannochloropsis oculata to produce antioxidant extracts and nutritious residual biomass. Twenty-one extraction methods were evaluated by measuring the reactivity with the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent: ultrasonication or maceration at different temperatures with different organic solvents, extraction at different pH values, enzyme-assisted extraction, encapsulation with β-cyclodextrin, and the use of natural deep eutectic solvents. Ultrasound-assisted extraction with ethanol or betaine: 1,2-propanediol in a molar ratio of 2:5 (BP) had optimal extractive capacity. Both extracts were evaluated with antioxidant assays and the ethanol extract exhibited significantly higher (at least twofold) values. The determination of carotenoids by LC-MS and HPLC-DAD revealed the dominance of violaxanthin and antheraxanthin and their fourfold higher concentrations in the ethanol extract. The 1H-NMR characterization of the ethanol extract confirmed the results of the colorimetric and chromatographic assays. The microalgal biomass was characterized before and after the extraction in terms of humidity, ash, carbohydrates, proteins, chlorophyll-a, carotenoids, and lipids; the identity and content of the latter were determined with gas chromatography. BP caused a smaller depletion of the lipids from the biomass compared to ethanol, but proteins, carbohydrates, and ash were at a higher content in the biomass obtained after ethanol extraction, whereas the biomass was dry and easy to handle. Although further optimization may take place for the scale-up of those procedures, our study paves the way for a green strategy for the valorization of microalgae in cosmetics without generating waste, since the remaining biomass can be used for aquafeed.
Traffic Capacity Assessment of the Selected Track Section on the Slovak Railways Network after the Implementation of ETCS L3 Based on Signaling Principle
Authors: Dedík Milan , Štefancová Vladimíra , Gašparík Jozef , Ľupták Vladimír , Vojtek Martin
Published: June 2022

In the field of railway operation, it is essential to establish uniform conditions for interconnectivity requirements and compatibility of equipment in the Pan-European railway area to ensure effective interoperability. It also includes, for example, the introduction of a control system with modern and advanced interlocking systems (safety devices). The European Train Control System (ETCS) is a single European train protection system that will increase safety in rail transport. Nevertheless, this system may have an impact on the throughput on those railway lines where it is applied. The main research objective is to determine the impacts and effects of the configuration of track signaling equipment on the operational management of traffic and especially on the creation of a traffic plan. The optimization of transport processes on the railway infrastructure means creating the conditions for achieving higher throughput performance, especially including a higher number of train paths into the train traffic diagram. This paper examines and compares the impacts of ETCS and its levels (in particular ETCS L3) on the practical throughput of the selected national infrastructure manager. A heuristic procedure is used with the application of the analytical methodology of the Railways of the Slovak Republic (ŽSR), which uses the principles of mathematical statistics and probability. Significant comparative indicators are occupancy times and the degree of utilization of practical throughput. These are used in investment decisions in the modernization of line sections to achieve interoperability of the railway system.
Flavour Generation during Lactic Acid Fermentation of Brassica Vegetables—Literature Review
Authors: Wieczorek Martyna Natalia , Drabińska Natalia
Published: June 2022

Fermentation is a method of food preservation that has been used for centuries. Lactic acid fermentation, apart from extending the shelf-life of vegetables, affects significantly the flavour of food products. In this review, the formation of flavour, including both taste and aroma, in fermented Brassica vegetables is summarized. The flavour-active compounds are generated in various metabolic pathways from many precursors present in raw materials used for fermentation. In Brassica vegetables, a unique group of chemicals, namely glucosinolates, is present, which significantly influence the flavour of fermented products. In this summary, we took a closer look at the flavour of two of the most commonly eaten worldwide fermented Brassica products, which are sauerkraut and kimchi. Finally, the needs and directions for future studies were addressed.
Web XR User Interface Research: Design 3D Layout Framework in Static Websites
Authors: Xing Yongkang , Shell Jethro , Fahy Conor , Xie Tiande , Kwan Ho Yan , Xie Wenqiang
Published: June 2022

Advances in digital interactive technologies have created a range of innovative products and services for the well-being of society. Extended Reality (XR) technology has shown enormous potential in the educational, commercial, and medical fields. Considering the potential of XR, we analyzed the use of XR technology for the improvement of web service user experiences. The paper discusses Web Extended Reality (XR) and its current circumstances. The study also discusses the advantages of web componentization and the Page Builder System, which is a famous framework for web componentization. Furthermore, the study analyzes the characteristics of XR. The research designs the Web XR User Interface framework with XR characteristics and componentization design. A 3D UI framework is proposed for providing an immersive, explorative, and readable user experience. The framework covers three aspects, including main content, a scrollbar, and navigation. In order to evaluate the performance efficiency of the framework, a proof-of-concept prototype was developed to examine the concept. We conducted a user study with 60 participants to evaluate the reading performance. Compared with the traditional web layout, the experimental results showed that the framework can improve the user experience in static websites. The paper indicates possible future views based on the experimental study.
Research Progress in the Early Warning of Chicken Diseases by Monitoring Clinical Symptoms
Authors: He Pengguang , Chen Zhonghao , Yu Hongwei , Hayat Khawar , He Yefan , Pan Jinming , Lin Hongjian
Published: June 2022

Global animal protein consumption has been steadily increasing as a result of population growth and the increasing demand for nutritious diets. The poultry industry provides a large portion of meat and eggs for human consumption. The early detection and warning of poultry infectious diseases play a critical role in the poultry breeding and production systems, improving animal welfare and reducing losses. However, inadequate methods for the early detection and prevention of infectious diseases in poultry farms sometimes fail to prevent decreased productivity and even widespread mortality. The health status of poultry is often reflected by its individual physiological, physical and behavioral clinical symptoms, such as higher body temperature resulting from fever, abnormal vocalization caused by respiratory disease and abnormal behaviors due to pathogenic infection. Therefore, the use of technologies for symptom detection can monitor the health status of broilers and laying hens in a continuous, noninvasive and automated way, and potentially assist in the early warning decision-making process. This review summarized recent literature on poultry disease detection and highlighted clinical symptom-monitoring technologies for sick poultry. The review concluded that current technologies are already showing their superiority to manual inspection, but the clinical symptom-based monitoring systems have not been fully utilized for on-farm early detection.
An Adaptive and Bounded Controller for Formation Control of Multi-Agent Systems with Communication Break
Authors: Xiong Zhigang , Liu Zhong , Luo Yasong , Xia Jiawei
Published: June 2022

Aiming at maneuvering, input saturation, and communication interference in the controller design for formation control multi-agent systems, a novel nonlinear bounded controller is proposed. Based on coordinates transformation, reference information is processed, and nonlinear effects of maneuvering are analyzed. Then a nonlinear controller is established with graph theory, consensus algorithm, and Lyapunov method, which guarantee the stability of the controller. For input saturation avoidance, adaptive parameters are put forward with the Lyapunov function. Considering the communication breaks, various conditions of the sensing graph are discussed for stable formation control, and a dynamic programming regulator is proposed for unknown position reference needed for formation keeping. Comparison with the traditional consensus method is provided in numerical simulation to verify the stability and feasibility of the proposed strategy.
Automatic Classification of 15 Leads ECG Signal of Myocardial Infarction Using One Dimension Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Mirza Ahmad Haidar , Nurmaini Siti , Partan Radiyati Umi
Published: June 2022

Impaired blood flow caused by coronary artery occlusion due to thrombus can cause damage to the heart muscle which is often called Myocardial Infarction (MI). To avoid the complexity of MI diseases such as heart failure or arrhythmias that can cause death, it is necessary to diagnose and detect them early. An electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is a diagnostic medium that can be used to detect acute MI. Diagnostics with the help of data science is very useful in detecting MI in ECG signals. The purpose of study is to propose an automatic classification framework for Myocardial Infarction (MI) with 15 lead ECG signals consisting of 12 standard leads and 3 Frank leads. This research contributes to the improvement of classification performance for 10 MI classes and normal classes. The PTB dataset trained with the proposed 1D-CNN architecture was able to produce average accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision and F1-score of 99.98%, 99.91%, 99.99%, 99.91, and 99.91%. From the evaluation results, it can be concluded that the proposed 1D-CNN architecture is able to provide excellent performance in detecting MI attacks.
Fractional-Order PIλDμ Controller Using Adaptive Neural Fuzzy Model for Course Control of Underactuated Ships
Authors: Li Guangyu , Chen Baojie , Chen Huayue , Deng Wu
Published: June 2022

For the uncertainty caused by the time-varying modeling parameters with the sailing speed in the course control of underactuated ships, a novel identification method based on an adaptive neural fuzzy model (ANFM) is proposed to approximate the inverse dynamic characteristics of the ship in this paper. This model adjusts both its own structure and parameters as it learns, and is able to automatically partition the input space, determine the number of membership functions and the number of fuzzy rules. The trained ANFM is used as an inverse controller, in parallel with a fractional-order PIλDμ controller for the course control of underactuated ships. Meanwhile, the sine wave curve and the sawtooth wave curve are considered as the input learning samples of ANFM, respectively, and the inverse dynamics simulation experiments of the ship are carried out. Two different ANFM structures are obtained, which are connected in parallel with the fractional-order PIλDμ controller respectively to control the course of ship. The simulation results show that the proposed method can effectively overcome the influence of uncertainty of ship modeling parameters, track the desired course quickly and effectively, and has a good control effect. Finally, comparative experiments of four different controllers are carried out, and the results show that the FO PIλDμ controller using ANFM has the advantages of small overshoot, short adjustment time, and precise control.
Mission-Oriented Real-Time Health Assessments of Microsatellite Swarm Orbits
Authors: Kang Guohua , Yuan Xinyu , Wu Junfeng , Yang Zhenghao
Published: June 2022

Real-time health assessments are of great importance for the safe and stable operation of in-orbit swarms. To solve the problems of existing real-time health assessments of microsatellite swarms, such as the difficulty of selecting a multisource and assessment calculation normalization, this paper proposes a real-time health assessment method applicable to mission-oriented swarms. The method divides the microsatellite swarm into three levels: single satellite, intersatellite communication link and swarm effectiveness, which establish a multilevel index system by adopting the reliability evaluation based on random failure and failure by loss, a health evaluation based on natural connectivity, and a real-time dynamic analysis based on swarm topology. For the swarm effectiveness during the mission, the multilevel index and the entropy weight method are used to construct the effectiveness evaluation model of the whole swarm, and the health state evaluation of the swarm is realized based on the variable weight principle. The simulation results show that this method can quantify the health state of the microsatellite swarm in real-time, and it can predict the health state after the fault without maintenance.
Study on the Effect of Different Transcranial Pulse Current Stimulation Intervention Programs for Eliminating Physical Fatigue
Authors: Wu Qingchang , Fang Guoliang , Zhao Jiexiu , Liu Jian
Published: June 2022

Previous studies have reported the effect of transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) on eliminating cognitive fatigue, but there is little research on optimizing the intervention program of tPCS. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of different tPCS intervention programs on the elimination of physical fatigue in college athletes. Accordingly, 40 healthy college athletes were randomly divided into two groups of 20, denoted as A and B. Both groups exercised on treadmills. There were 15 subjects in group A who met the criteria of moderate physical fatigue, and 15 subjects in group B who met the criteria of severe physical fatigue. The subjects in each group were intervened with five different intervention programs of tPCS (intervention programs I, II, III, IV and V). The heart rate variability (HRV) and concentrations of oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) were measured before and after each intervention to judge the elimination effects of different intervention programs on different degrees of physical fatigue; the measurement indicators of the HRV include RMSSD, SDNN, HF and LF. The results indicated that tPCS intervention can eliminate both moderate and severe physical fatigue. Programs II, III, and IV had a significant effect on eliminating the moderate physical fatigue of athletes (p < 0.05), among which program II, with a stimulation time of 30 min and a stimulation intensity of sensory intensity, had the best effect. Programs I, II, III, and IV all had significant effects on eliminating the severe physical fatigue of athletes (p < 0.05), among which program I, with a stimulation time of 30 min and a stimulation intensity of sensory intensity + 0.2 mA, had the best effect. We conclude that different tPCS intervention programs can have different effects on the elimination of physical fatigue. The effects of the five intervention programs on the elimination of physical fatigue in athletes are as follows: program II is most suitable for moderate physical fatigue, and program I is most suitable for severe physical fatigue.
Low-Cost RSAC and Adsorption Characteristics in the Removal of Copper Ions from Wastewater
Authors: Liu Yan , Chen Qin , Singh Rajendra Prasad
Published: June 2022

Adsorption is a typical method for treating copper-containing wastewater. Fly ash and steel slag both have a good adsorption performance, and activated clay is added in this study, too. In this study, the performance of residue and soil adsorption composite (RSAC) particles for copper ion adsorption was discussed through the substrate ratio and the influence mechanism, to achieve the win–win effect of industrial waste reuse and copper ion wastewater treatment. The results indicated that adsorption time, dosage, initial copper ion concentration, coexisting ions, and temperature showed different effects on the adsorption, respectively. Additionally, the adsorption kinetic study showed the removal of copper ions by adsorption of RSAC particles was in accordance with quasi-primary kinetic model and quasi-secondary kinetic model. The adsorption thermodynamics study shows the adsorption process of ΔG0 < 0, ΔH0 > 0 and ΔS0 > 0, indicating that the process of copper ion adsorption by RSAC particles was spontaneous, heat-absorbing, and entropy-increasing. The research demonstrates that RSAC particles have a certain adsorption capacity for copper ion.
The Response of Runoff Pollution Control to Initial Runoff Volume Capture in Sponge City Construction Using SWMM
Authors: Si Shuai , Li Junqi , Jiang Yucheng , Wang Yuzhen , Liu Lian
Published: June 2022

Source facilities can manage stormwater runoff pollutants while also limiting runoff volume in China’s sponge city construction. However, there is no apparent link between source volume control and runoff pollution reduction. This research uses SWMM to develop a model based on the basic data of a city’s catchment zone in northern China in order to statistically examine the response relationship between the initial runoff volume capture of sponge city construction and the reduction effect of stormwater runoff pollution. Based on the dimensionless constant of the runoff pollution control curve, we suggested a novel approach for evaluating runoff pollution control effectiveness. This method was used to examine the response relationship between runoff volume control and runoff pollution control in three typical initial runoff volume capture facilities in the study area, namely bioretention, permeable pavement, rain barrels, and terminal storage tanks, under various design rainfall conditions. The dimensionless constant (Dc) has good practical application value and can quantitatively quantify the control effect of various facilities on stormwater runoff pollution. The Dc value of the source facilities is higher than that of the terminal control facilities, indicating that the source facilities have a higher ability to reduce rainwater runoff pollution than the terminal facilities, particularly the infiltration facilities. The research ideas and evaluation methods proposed in this paper provide an alternative approach for selecting and optimizing facilities during the planning and designing stages of sponge city construction, which can also be used in the monitoring and evaluation stage after completion to carry out a more effective evaluation of sponge facilities’ effects.
Grouting Effect Detection within the Floor of a Coal Seam Using 3D Electric Resistivity Tomography (ERT) with Arbitrary Electrode Positions
Authors: Pang Chuming , Gao Weifu , Wu Pengzheng , Wang Lidong
Published: June 2022

To prevent the occurrence of water inrush from the working face floor, explorations of water-rich floors are necessary. For a working face with a regular shape, a water-rich floor can be detected by laying electrodes and cables around the working face. However, the rectangular working face develops an irregular shape, and the exploration of water in irregular working faces is a difficulty in the study of 3D electric resistivity tomography (ERT). In this paper, an unconventional dipole–dipole array is used for data acquisition and the potential of a non-grid point electrode is replaced by the potential of the surrounding electrode, which identifies a water-rich floor using 3D ERT with arbitrary electrode positions. Taking the 8826 irregular working face of the Baizhuang coal mine as an example, the working face is explored by 3D ERT, the anomalous area is delineated, and targeted grouting is carried out in the anomalous area. After grouting, the grouting effect is detected by 3D ERT, and the safe mining of the working face is ensured. The results show that grouting effect detection within the floor of a coal seam using 3D electric resistivity tomography (ERT) with arbitrary electrode positions could be applied to solving the problem of water-rich exploration of floors in irregular working faces.
Multi-Sensor Optimal Motion Planning for Radiological Contamination Surveys by Using Prediction-Difference Maps
Authors: Shin Tony H. , Wakeford Daniel T. , Nowicki Suzanne F.
Published: June 2022

Distributed and networked mobile sensor platforms using unmanned aerial and/or ground vehicles to survey areas of interest offer a safer and more efficient method for radiological contamination mapping; however, most applications rely on uniformly sweeping of the area in a raster-type motion without utilizing the information available in a dynamic sense. We have developed a fully autonomous optimal motion planning procedure for networks with two or more mobile sensors. The procedure utilizes well-established concepts of Gaussian processes in combination with control laws based on centroidal Voronoi tessellations to achieve optimal next-iteration sensor movements. A new method of informing optimal motion planning is proposed, whereby the absolute difference between the prior and current full-map prediction, referred to as the prediction-difference map, is used as the spatial density function within each Voronoi cell, providing immediate and iterative feedback for dynamic use of available information. The Gaussian process regression model used to estimate the contamination in unvisited locations also provides prediction uncertainties, and can be used as a quantitative metric to assess the confidence in the calculated contamination map; these estimates and prediction uncertainties are unavailable for standard uniform survey routines as they can only produce maps in the vicinity of observed locations. We present through simulation the achievable performance gains from using this new method by directly comparing to a uniform survey method. Results show that using the prediction-difference maps to inform motion planning procedures offers a faster rate of producing an accurate and convergent map relative to a uniform survey route.
Nonlinear Solid–Fluid Coupled Seismic Response Analysis of Layered Liquefiable Deposit
Authors: Shen Yiyao , Zhong Zilan , Li Liyun , Du Xiuli
Published: June 2022

A seismic response analysis of layered, liquefiable sites plays an important role in the seismic design of both aboveground and underground structures. This study presents a detailed dynamic site response analysis procedure with advanced nonlinear soil constitutive models for non-liquefiable and liquefiable soils in the OpenSees computational platform. The stress ratio controlled, bounding surface plasticity constitutive model, PM4Sand, is used to simulate the nonlinear response of the liquefiable soil layers subjected to two seismic ground motions with different characteristics. The nonlinear hysteretic behavior of the non-liquefiable soil under earthquake excitations is captured by the Pressure Independent Multi Yield kinematic plasticity model with a von Mises multi-yield surface. The soil elements are modelled utilizing the solid–fluid fully coupled plane-strain u-p elements. The seismic response of the layered liquefiable site in terms of the development of excess pore water pressure, acceleration, ground surface settlement, and stress–strain and effective stress path time histories under two representative earthquake excitations are investigated in this study. The numerical results indicate that both the characteristics of ground motions and the site profile have a significant influence on the dynamic response of the layered liquefiable site. Under the same intensity of ground motion, the loose sand layer with a 35% relative density is more prone to liquefaction and contractive deformation, which causes irreversible residual deformation and vertical settlement. The saturated soil layer can effectively filter the high-frequency components and amplify the low-frequency components of ground motions. Moreover, the liquified site produces a 40% post-earthquake consolidation settlement after the excess pore pressure dissipation.
Optimization Design of RC Elevated Water Tanks under Seismic Loads
Authors: Martínez-Martín Francisco J. , Yepes Víctor , González-Vidosa Fernando , Hospitaler Antonio , Alcalá Julián
Published: June 2022

This paper deals with the seismic column design of 35 elevated RC water storage tanks. Tanks comprise a top conic trunk reservoir, a column with variable hollow square cross-sections, and a shallow foundation on a sand layer. The five-column heights considered are 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 m. The five tanks are subjected to seven degrees of seismic loading characterized by the reference peak ground acceleration in Eurocode 8. The elevated tanks are designed against the full prescriptions of Eurocode 2, Eurocode 8, and the Spaniard Structural Code of Practice. This includes variable loads for seismicity, wind, snow, etc., together with the action of self-weight and dead loads. The optimization design method considered is a variant of the old bachelor algorithm, an adaptive threshold acceptance method with a neighborhood move based on the mutation operator from genetic algorithms. Column results show the high nonlinearity of the problem since the horizontal seismic forces depend on the rigidity and height of the columns. The main features of the optimized tanks give guidance for the practical design of this kind of elevated RC water tank.
An Application of Android Sensors and Google Earth in Pavement Maintenance Management Systems for Developing Countries
Authors: Al-Mansour Abdullah I. , Al-Qaili Abdulraaof H.
Published: June 2022

Governments and road agencies face the challenging task of maintaining roads. One of the reasons this is challenging is that the maintenance process requires utilizing a substantial amount of road network condition data. There are many approaches for measuring road surface conditions which are very costly and time-consuming, as well as requiring skillful operators. Developing countries have limited budgets for planning and monitoring road maintenance. This research aims to establish a low-cost pavement maintenance management system for intermediate and small cities in developing countries. The system utilizes low-cost sensors embedded in smartphones that can be used to measure road surface conditions. Google Earth is then used to present maintenance data, select a maintenance strategy, and view the maintenance output information. Road Lab Pro, an android application, is used to collect the data and estimate the surface condition of roads by using accelerometers, gyroscopes, and a GPS. The road network is divided into segments and the road surface conditions are estimated for each segment using the smartphone application and a suspension vehicle. The required maintenance activities for these segments are then established. A priority index is determined for each segment to decide which segments should be maintained with the available budget. This effort allows us to investigate the feasibility of assessing road surface roughness using a smartphone to determine the presence of road distresses and the overall road condition, which is taken into account when making maintenance decisions. The application of this system reveals that these new technologies can provide cost-effective, easy-handling, and efficient ways for a road agency to perform good maintenance planning.
Identification of Reference Buildings in Mediterranean Countries: The HAPPEN Project Approach
Authors: Rosales Manuel , Efthymiou Chrysanthi , Barmparesos Nikolaos , Tasios Panagiotis , Salmerón Lissén José Manuel , Assimakopoulos Margarita Niki
Published: June 2022

This study’s scope is to collect and analyze all the needed information related to the residential building stocks in Mediterranean countries, especially those that participated in the framework of the HAPPEN project (Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, and France). A specific procedure was followed in order to conduct a coordinated evaluation of the residential building stock. The most important variables for a statistical examination of the building stock are outlined, as well as an approach for establishing reference buildings. National data for the seven participating nations were collected and evaluated using the prescribed methodology. The research findings identify six distinct reference buildings in each nation. More specifically, the most representative buildings were distinguished through a cross-country comparison of the obtained data, after classifying the buildings into different classes to which the same approach for deep renovation/refurbishment can be applied.
A Method for Detecting Dynamic Objects Using 2D LiDAR Based on Scan Matching
Authors: Mihálik Michal , Hruboš Marian , Vestenický Peter , Holečko Peter , Nemec Dušan , Malobický Branislav , Mihálik Ján
Published: June 2022

The autonomous movement of the mobile robotic system is a complex problem. If there are dynamic objects in the space when performing this task, the complexity of the solution increases. To avoid collisions, it is necessary to implement a suitable detection algorithm and adjust the trajectory of the robotic system. This work deals with the design of a method for the detection of dynamic objects; based on the outputs of this method, the moving trajectory of the robotic system is modified. The method is based on the SegMatch algorithm, which is based on the scan matching, while the main sensor of the environment is a 2D LiDAR. This method is successfully implemented in an autonomous mobile robotic system, the aim of which is to perform active simultaneous localization and mapping. The result is a collision-free transition through a mapped environment. Matlab is used as the main software tool.