bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disentangling Relationships among the Alpine Species of Luzula Sect. Luzula (Juncaceae) in the Eastern Alps
Authors: Pungaršek Špela , Dolenc Koce Jasna , Bačič Martina , Barfuss Michael H. J. , Schönswetter Peter , Frajman Božo
Published: February 2023

Polyploidisation, agmatoploidy and symploidy have driven the diversification of Luzula sect. Luzula. Several morphologically very similar species with different karyotypes have evolved, but their evolutionary origins and relationships are unknown. In this study, we used a combination of relative genome size and karyotype estimations as well amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting to investigate the relationships among predominately (sub)alpine Luzula alpina, L. exspectata, L multiflora and L. sudetica in the Eastern Alps, including also some samples of L. campestris and L. taurica as outgroup. Our study revealed common co-occurrence of two or three different ploidies (di-, tetra- and hexaploids) at the same localities, and thus also common co-occurrence of different species, of which L. sudetica was morphologically, ecologically and genetically most divergent. Whereas agmatoploid L. exspectata likely originated only once from the Balkan L. taurica, and hexaploid L. multiflora once from tetraploid L. multiflora, the AFLP data suggest multiple origins of tetraploid L. multiflora, from which partly agmatoploid individuals of L. alpina likely originated recurrently by partial fragmentation of the chromosomes. In contrast to common recurrent formation of polyploids in flowering plants, populations of agmatoploids resulting by fission of complete chromosome sets appear to have single origins, whereas partial agmatoploids are formed recurrently. Whether this is a general pattern in Luzula sect. Luzula, and whether segregation of ecological niches supports the frequent co-occurrence of closely related cytotypes in mixed populations, remains the subject of ongoing research.
Infiltration and Water Use Efficiency of Maize Fields with Drip Irrigation and Biodegradable Mulches in the West Liaohe Plain, China
Authors: Feng Yayang , Shi Haibin , Jia Yanhui , Miao Qingfeng , Jia Qiong , Wang Ning
Published: February 2023

Biodegradable mulches have the same temperature- and moisture-preservation effects as ordinary plastic mulches before degradation. After degradation, rainwater enters the soil through the damaged parts, improving precipitation utilization. Under drip irrigation with mulching, this study explores precipitation utilization of biodegradable mulches under different precipitation intensities and the effects of different biodegradable mulches on the yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of spring maize in the West Liaohe Plain, China. In this paper, in situ field observation experiments were conducted for three consecutive years from 2016 to 2018. Three types of white degradable mulch films were set up, with induction periods of 60 d (WM60), 80 d (WM80), and 100 d (WM100). Three types of black degradable mulch films were also used, with induction periods of 60 d (BM60), 80 d (BM80), and 100 d (BM100). Precipitation utilization, yield, and WUE under biodegradable mulches were studied, with ordinary plastic mulches (PM) and bare land (CK) set as controls. The results showed that as precipitation increased, the effective infiltration of precipitation decreased first and then increased. When precipitation reached 89.21 mm, plastic film mulching no longer affected precipitation utilization. Under the same precipitation intensity, the precipitation effective infiltration ratio increased as the damage to the biodegradable film increased. Still, the intensity of this increase gradually decreased as the damage increased. The highest yield and WUE were observed for the degradable mulch film with an induction period of 60 days in years with normal rainfall and for the degradable mulch film with an induction period of 100 days in dry years. In the West Liaohe Plain, maize planted under film receives drip irrigation. We recommend that growers select a degradable mulch film with a degradation rate of 36.64% and an induction period of approximately 60 days in years with normal rainfall, and a degradable mulch film with an induction period of 100 days in dry years.
Synthesis and Design of Hybrid Metalloporphyrin Polymers Based on Palladium (II) and Copper (II) Cations and Axial Complexes of Pyridyl-Substituted Sn(IV)Porphyrins with Octopamine
Authors: Likhonina Anastasia E. , Mamardashvili Galina M. , Khodov Ilya A. , Mamardashvili Nugzar Z.
Published: February 2023

Supramolecular metalloporphyrin polymers formed by binding tetrapyrrolic macrocycle peripheral nitrogen atoms to Pd(II) cations and Sn(IV)porphyrins extra-ligands reaction centers to Cu(II) cations were obtained and identified. The structure and the formation mechanism of obtained hydrophobic Sn(IV)-porphyrin oligomers and polymers in solution were established, and their resistance to UV radiation and changes in solution temperature was studied. It was shown that the investigated polyporphyrin nanostructures are porous materials with predominance cylindrical mesopores. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to geometrically optimize the experimentally obtained supramolecular porphyrin polymers. The sizes of unit cells in porphyrin tubular structures were determined and coincided with the experimental data. The results obtained can be used to create highly porous materials for separation, storage, transportation, and controlled release of substrates of different nature, including highly volatile, explosive, and toxic gases.
Response Surface Methodology (RSM) Approach to Optimization of Coagulation-Flocculation of Aquaculture Wastewater Treatment Using Chitosan from Carapace of Giant Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii
Authors: Iber Benedict Terkula , Torsabo Donald , Chik Che Engku Noramalina Che Engku , Wahab Fachrul , Sheikh Abdullah Siti Rozaimah , Abu Hassan Hassimi , Kasan Nor Azman
Published: February 2023

The major sources of waste from aquaculture operations emanates from fish or shellfish processing and wastewater generation. A simple technique called coagulation/flocculation utilizes biowaste from aquaculture to produce chitosan coagulant for wastewater treatment. A chemical method was applied in the present study for chitin and chitosan extraction from carapace of Macrobrachium rosenbergii and subsequent application for removal of turbidity and salinity from shrimp aquaculture wastewater. Box-Behnken in RSM was used to determine the optimum operating conditions of chitosan dosage, pH, and settling time, after which quadratic models were developed and validated. Results show that 80 g of raw powder carapace yielded chitin and chitosan of 23.79% and 20.21%, respectively. The low moisture (0.38%) and ash (12.58%) content were an indication of good quality chitosan, while other properties such as water-binding capacity (WBC), fat-binding capacity (FBC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) confirmed the structure and the α-group, as well as the rough morphology of chitosan. In addition, the high solubility (71.23%) and DDA (85.20%) suggested good coagulant potentials. It was recorded in this study that 87.67% turbidity was successfully removed at 20 mg/L of chitosan dosage and 6.25 pH after 30 min settling time, while 21.43% salinity was removed at 5 mg/L of chitosan dosage, 7.5 pH, and 30 min settling time. Therefore, the process conditions adopted in this study yielded chitosan of good quality, suitable as biopolymer coagulant for aquaculture wastewater treatment.
Effect of Low-Thermal Treatment on the Particle Size Distribution in Wood Dust after Milling
Authors: Júda Martin , Sydor Maciej , Rogoziński Tomasz , Kučerka Martin , Pędzik Marta , Kminiak Richard
Published: February 2023

The thermal treatment of wood can improve the appearance of the wood product’s surface, its dimensional stability, and resistance to fungal attacks. However, the heat treatment changes the technological properties of wood, making it a new engineering material. This work investigates the effect of the low-thermal treatment of birch wood (Betula pendula Roth.), European beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.), and alder wood (Alnus glutinosa L.) on the fine dust particles creation during woodworking. The samples of thermally treated wood with temperatures commonly used for the change of wood colour (105, 125, and 135 °C) were compared with reference samples made of natural wood. All 12 variants of the tested woods were milled using the 5-axis CNC machining center (20 mm diamond cutter, rotational speed 18,000 rev·min−1, the depth of cut 3 mm, feed rates of 2, 4 and 6 m∙min−1). A sieving analysis method allowed measuring the dust particle size distributions in all dust samples. The experiment’s result analysis points out that wood type, thermal treatment, and feed rate meaningfully affect the size distribution of dust particles. Compared to birch wood and beech wood, the milling of alder wood samples created a much higher content of the finest dust particles, with particle sizes smaller than 0.032 mm. Increased temperatures in thermal treatment increase the share of fine dust particles with sizes smaller than 0.125 mm, compared to wood in its natural state. Milling with a lower feed rate (2 m·min−1) creates finer dust than processing with higher feed rates (4 and 6 m·min−1). Generally, the milling of alder in a natural or thermally treated state is a source of fine dust particles, particularly at low feed speed-rate milling, compared to birch and beech wood. In general, these results indicate that the low temperature thermal treatment parameters attribute new technological properties to all thermally modified types of wood tested.
Stimuli-Responsive and Antibacterial Cellulose-Chitosan Hydrogels Containing Polydiacetylene Nanosheets
Authors: Madivoli Edwin Shigwenya , Schwarte Justine Veronique , Kareru Patrick Gachoki , Gachanja Anthony Ngure , Fromm Katharina M.
Published: February 2023

Herein, we report a stimuli-responsive hydrogel with inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli prepared by chemical crosslinking of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCs) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC). The hydrogels were prepared by esterification of chitosan (Cs) with monochloroacetic acid to produce CMCs which were then chemically crosslinked to HEC using citric acid as the crosslinking agent. To impart a stimuli responsiveness property to the hydrogels, polydiacetylene-zinc oxide (PDA-ZnO) nanosheets were synthesized in situ during the crosslinking reaction followed by photopolymerization of the resultant composite. To achieve this, ZnO was anchored on carboxylic groups in 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA) layers to restrict the movement of the alkyl portion of PCDA during crosslinking CMCs and HEC hydrogels. This was followed by irradiating the composite with UV radiation to photopolymerize the PCDA to PDA within the hydrogel matrix so as to impart thermal and pH responsiveness to the hydrogel. From the results obtained, the prepared hydrogel had a pH-dependent swelling capacity as it absorbed more water in acidic media as compared to basic media. The incorporation of PDA-ZnO resulted in a thermochromic composite responsive to pH evidenced by a visible colour transition from pale purple to pale pink. Upon swelling, PDA-ZnO-CMCs-HEC hydrogels had significant inhibitory activity against E. coli attributed to the slow release of the ZnO nanoparticles as compared to CMCs-HEC hydrogels. In conclusion, the developed hydrogel was found to have stimuli-responsive properties and inhibitory activity against E. coli attributed to zinc nanoparticles.
A Decolonial Perspective on the Practice of Unveiling Tombstones in Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches in South Africa
Authors: Kgatle Mookgo Solomon , Mashau Thinandavha Derrick
Published: February 2023

Tombstone, the practice of demarcating a grave and unveiling it in some instances, has been common since ancient times. The practice is related to marking the grave in order to remember its geographical location, and subsequently for future generations to identify with it. This practice is very common in a South African context, especially in African traditional religion (ATR). In addition, they would have other ceremonies to revisit the grave and/or the tombstone of their loved one as a way of remembering them. However, some Pentecostal and Charismatic churches prohibit this practice as ancestral worship. This article argues that the erection and unveiling of tombstones does not necessarily need to be understood as ancestral worship. A distinction needs to be made between ancestral worship and ancestral commemoration in an African context. The conclusion is that when the practice of unveiling tombstones is carried out as a way of remembering and showing respect to our ancestors, but not worshiping and revering them, this practice should be supported by Christians from Pentecostal and Charismatic churches as well. There is therefore a need, from a decolonial perspective, to use the missional hermeneutics of discernment and naked truth to provide a proper biblical and acceptable Christian practice of the unveiling of the tombstone in the South African context.
Pakistan, Pan-Islamism, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
Authors: Ahmed Zahid Shahab , Akbarzadeh Shahram
Published: February 2023

Pan-Islamism had resonated strongly with Muslim political leaders of the Indian sub-continent, including those inspired by Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī, credited with coining the term. These political leaders included prominent members of the All-India Muslim League, who were at the forefront of the Indian Muslims’ struggle for a separate homeland that led to the creation of Pakistan in 1947. It is therefore no surprise that Islam and pan-Islamism became key features of the new state of Pakistan; however, domestic and geopolitical realities demanded a different approach to addressing the country’s key national interests, i.e., security through economic development. This article analyzes Pakistan’s policy on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to understand how far Islamabad has advanced its national interests through the OIC. Based on the interviews of elites and key opinionmakers in Islamabad, this paper argues that pan-Islamist ideals in Pakistan’s foreign policy were confronted by reality soon after Pakistan’s creation. The geopolitical realities of India have kept security concerns paramount and all-consuming. Consequently, pan-Islamism has been pragmatically used by Pakistan, especially within the OIC, for not just ideological reasons but also for material and diplomatic gains.
A Multi-Resolution Approach to Point Cloud Registration without Control Points
Authors: Bash Eleanor A. , Wecker Lakin , Rahman Mir Mustafizur , Dow Christine F. , McDermid Greg , Samavati Faramarz F. , Whitehead Ken , Moorman Brian J. , Medrzycka Dorota , Copland Luke
Published: February 2023

Terrestrial photographic imagery combined with structure-from-motion (SfM) provides a relatively easy-to-implement method for monitoring environmental systems, even in remote and rough terrain. However, the collection of in-situ positioning data and the identification of control points required for georeferencing in SfM processing is the primary roadblock to using SfM in difficult-to-access locations; it is also the primary bottleneck for using SfM in a time series. We describe a novel, computationally efficient, and semi-automated approach for georeferencing unreferenced point clouds (UPC) derived from terrestrial overlapping photos to a reference dataset (e.g., DEM or aerial point cloud; hereafter RPC) in order to address this problem. The approach utilizes a Discrete Global Grid System (DGGS), which allows us to capitalize on easily collected rough information about camera deployment to coarsely register the UPC using the RPC. The DGGS also provides a hierarchical set of grids which supports a hierarchical modified iterative closest point algorithm with natural correspondence between the UPC and RPC. The approach requires minimal interaction in a user-friendly interface, while allowing for user adjustment of parameters and inspection of results. We illustrate the approach with two case studies: a close-range (<1 km) vertical glacier calving front reconstructed from two cameras at Fountain Glacier, Nunavut and a long-range (>3 km) scene of relatively flat glacier ice reconstructed from four cameras overlooking Nàłùdäy (Lowell Glacier), Yukon, Canada. We assessed the accuracy of the georeferencing by comparing the UPC to the RPC, as well as surveyed control points; the consistency of the registration was assessed using the difference between successive registered surfaces in the time series. The accuracy of the registration is roughly equal to the ground sampling distance and is consistent across time steps. These results demonstrate the promise of the approach for easy-to-implement georeferencing of point clouds from terrestrial imagery with acceptable accuracy, opening the door for new possibilities in remote monitoring for change-detection, such as monitoring calving rates, glacier surges, or other seasonal changes at remote field locations.
An Integrated GNSS/MEMS Accelerometer System for Dynamic Structural Response Monitoring under Thunder Loading
Authors: Wang Jian , Liu Xu , Liu Fei , Chen Cai , Tang Yuyang
Published: February 2023

Dynamic response monitoring is of great significance for large engineering structural anomaly diagnosis and early warning. Although the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) has been widely used to measure the dynamic structural response, it has the limitation of a relatively low sampling rate. The micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer has a high sampling frequency, but it belongs to the approaches of acceleration measurements as the absolute position is unavailable. Hence, in this paper, an integrated vibration monitoring system that includes a GNSS receiver and 3-axis MEMS accelerometers was developed to obtain the dynamic responses under the thunder loading. First, a new denoising algorithm for thunderstorm-induced vibration data was proposed based on variational mode decomposition (VMD) and the characteristics of white noise, and the low-frequency disturbance was separated from the GNSS displacement time series. Then, a power spectral density (PSD) analysis using data collected by the integrated system was carried out to extract low/high natural frequencies. Finally, field monitoring data collected at Huanghuacheng, Hefangkou, and Qilianguan in Beijing’s Huairou District were used to validate the effectiveness of the integrated system and processing scheme. According to the results, the proposed integrated GNSS/MEMS accelerometer system can not only be used to detect thunder loading events, but also completely extract the natural frequency based on PSD analysis. The high natural frequencies detected from the accelerometer data of the four Great Wall monitoring stations excited by the thunderstorms are 42.12 Hz, 12.94 Hz, 12.58 Hz, and 5.95 Hz, respectively, while the low natural frequencies detected from the GNSS are 0.02 Hz, 0.019 Hz, 0.016 Hz, and 0.014 Hz, respectively. Moreover, thunderstorms can cause the Great Wall to vibrate with a maximum displacement of 14.3 cm.
Sensor Clustering Using a K-Means Algorithm in Combination with Optimized Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Trajectory in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Tran Thanh-Nam , Nguyen Thanh-Long , Hoang Vinh Truong , Voznak Miroslav
Published: February 2023

We examine a general wireless sensor network (WSN) model which incorporates a large number of sensors distributed over a large and complex geographical area. The study proposes solutions for a flexible deployment, low cost and high reliability in a wireless sensor network. To achieve these aims, we propose the application of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as a flying relay to receive and forward signals that employ nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) for a high spectral sharing efficiency. To obtain an optimal number of subclusters and optimal UAV positioning, we apply a sensor clustering method based on K-means unsupervised machine learning in combination with the gap statistic method. The study proposes an algorithm to optimize the trajectory of the UAV, i.e., the centroid-to-next-nearest-centroid (CNNC) path. Because a subcluster containing multiple sensors produces cochannel interference which affects the signal decoding performance at the UAV, we propose a diagonal matrix as a phase-shift framework at the UAV to separate and decode the messages received from the sensors. The study examines the outage probability performance of an individual WSN and provides results based on Monte Carlo simulations and analyses. The investigated results verified the benefits of the K-means algorithm in deploying the WSN.
Trajectory Planning of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Based on Gauss Pseudospectral Method
Authors: Gan Wenyang , Su Lixia , Chu Zhenzhong
Published: February 2023

This paper aims to address the obstacle avoidance problem of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in complex environments by proposing a trajectory planning method based on the Gauss pseudospectral method (GPM). According to the kinematics and dynamics constraints, and the obstacle avoidance requirement in AUV navigation, a multi-constraint trajectory planning model is established. The model takes energy consumption and sailing time as optimization objectives. The optimal control problem is transformed into a nonlinear programming problem by the GPM. The trajectory satisfying the optimization objective can be obtained by solving the problem with a sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm. For the optimization of calculation parameters, the cubic spline interpolation method is proposed to generate initial value. Finally, through comparison with the linear fitting method, the rapidity of the solution of the cubic spline interpolation method is verified. The simulation results show that the cubic spline interpolation method improves the operation performance by 49.35% compared with the linear fitting method, which verifies the effectiveness of the cubic spline interpolation method in solving the optimal control problem.
Intrusion Detection System for IoT: Analysis of PSD Robustness
Authors: Sanogo Lamoussa , Alata Eric , Takacs Alexandru , Dragomirescu Daniela
Published: February 2023

The security of internet of things (IoT) devices remains a major concern. These devices are very vulnerable because of some of their particularities (limited in both their memory and computing power, and available energy) that make it impossible to implement traditional security mechanisms. Consequently, researchers are looking for new security mechanisms adapted to these devices and the networks of which they are part. One of the most promising new approaches is fingerprinting, which aims to identify a given device by associating it with a unique signature built from its unique intrinsic characteristics, i.e., inherent imperfections, introduced by the manufacturing processes of its hardware. However, according to state-of-the-art studies, the main challenge that fingerprinting faces is the nonrelevance of the fingerprinting features extracted from hardware imperfections. Since these hardware imperfections can reflect on the RF signal for a wireless communicating device, in this study, we aim to investigate whether or not the power spectral density (PSD) of a device’s RF signal could be a relevant feature for its fingerprinting, knowing that a relevant fingerprinting feature should remain stable regardless of the environmental conditions, over time and under influence of any other parameters. Through experiments, we were able to identify limits and possibilities of power spectral density (PSD) as a fingerprinting feature.
Active Learning for Efficient Soil Monitoring in Large Terrain with Heterogeneous Sensor Network
Authors: Chen Hui , Wang Ju
Published: February 2023

Soils are a complex ecosystem that provides critical services, such as growing food, supplying antibiotics, filtering wastes, and maintaining biodiversity; hence monitoring soil health and domestication is required for sustainable human development. Low-cost and high-resolution soil monitoring systems are challenging to design and build. Compounded by the sheer size of the monitoring area of interest and the variety of biological, chemical, and physical parameters to monitor, naive approaches to adding or scheduling more sensors will suffer from cost and scalability problems. We investigate a multi-robot sensing system integrated with an active learning-based predictive modeling technique. Taking advantage of advances in machine learning, the predictive model allows us to interpolate and predict soil attributes of interest from the data collected by sensors and soil surveys. The system provides high-resolution prediction when the modeling output is calibrated with static land-based sensors. The active learning modeling technique allows our system to be adaptive in data collection strategy for time-varying data fields, utilizing aerial and land robots for new sensor data. We evaluated our approach using numerical experiments with a soil dataset focusing on heavy metal concentration in a flooded area. The experimental results demonstrate that our algorithms can reduce sensor deployment costs via optimized sensing locations and paths while providing high-fidelity data prediction and interpolation. More importantly, the results verify the adapting behavior of the system to the spatial and temporal variations of soil conditions.
Blockchain Orchestration and Transformation for Construction
Authors: Darabseh Mohammad , Poças Martins João
Published: February 2023

Blockchain-related studies that focus on solving AECO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operation) digital management environment issues, such as data protection and data ownership, show the projected benefits of Blockchain-based digital construction environments. However, adopting such technology will require a holistic approach to ensure it does not result in data redundancy, leading to digital system inefficiencies. This article studies the Blockchain construction synergies from the infrastructure point of view to understand its future in construction. The article visualises Blockchain infrastructure elements and fits them within the construction project’s digital environment. A novel framework for Blockchain orchestration and implementation and a blueprint for developing Blockchain applications for construction are presented. The proposed blueprint is then used to develop a Blockchain application using Hyperledger Firefly. The article builds on the previous literature and Blockchain applications on the Ethereum public Blockchain. The expected benefit of such a framework is providing a practical perspective on the implementation side of Blockchain in construction.
Effects of Upward Reflective Film Applied to Window Glass on Indoor and Outdoor Thermal Environments in a Mid-Latitude City
Authors: Kyogoku Sae , Takebayashi Hideki
Published: February 2023

The effect of upward reflective film applied to a window on the thermal environment inside and outside the window was investigated, considering the reflection and transmission characteristics depending on the angle of incident solar radiation. In terms of controlling the amount of solar radiation on a building’s windows, it is sufficient if the reflected solar radiation returns upward and does not need to be retroreflected in the azimuthal direction. Therefore, in this study, only the incident angle was considered and treated in two dimensions. The amount of incident solar radiation on the vertical façade is greater around 9:00 and around 16:00. Therefore, it is important to take measures in the morning for east-facing windows and in the afternoon for west-facing windows. The indoor MRT in front of upward reflective film is lower than in front of a transparent window due to lower transmittance. The outdoor MRT in front of upward reflective film is suppressed to the same level as in front of a transparent window, because the downward reflectance does not increase as much as in transparent windows. Upward reflective films applied to windows can improve the indoor thermal environment without worsening the outdoor thermal environment compared to thermal barrier films.
The Value of Traditional Fishing from the Perspective of Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of Seine Fishing in Ichinomiya-cho, Kujukuri-hama
Authors: Bai Lin , Han Yirui , Ikebe Konomi
Published: February 2023

In this study, the significance of the preservation of traditional fishing is investigated in depth. Further, the practical value of traditional fishing and its intrinsic and irreplaceable nature is examined. This was achieved by utilizing the practices of seine fishing that take place at Ichinomiya-cho, Kujukuri-hama, as a case study and also by clearly showing how the economic value of traditional fishing is derived and its fundamental nature. In addition, traditional fishing has a non-economic value in terms of nature conservation, local social maintenance, human relationship enhancement and local landscape formation. As such, the irreplaceable nature of traditional fishing in terms of work, culture and landscape is clarified in this study.
Effects of Freeze-Thaw Cycles on Permeability Behavior and Desiccation Cracking of Dalian Red Clay in China Considering Saline Intrusion
Authors: Chen Chen , Zhang Chaozhe , Liu Xiao , Pan Xiaona , Pan Yenan , Jia Pengjiao
Published: February 2023

Red clay with features of high liquid (plastic) limit, low permeability, medium-low compressibility and high strength is widely used in anti-seepage projects including roadbed, earth dam, tailings and landfill cover. This study investigates the hydraulic conductivity and propagation of desiccation cracks of compacted red clay in Dalian, China, considering the effect of freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles and saline intrusion. A series of compacted specimens were subjected to different F-T cycles at various controlled salt concentration of 0.2% and 4%. The surface cracking initiation and propagation process of compacted specimens under wetting-drying (W-D) cycles were monitored by Digital Image Correlation technique. The results indicated that permeability coefficient of compacted specimens increased significantly after the first F-T cycle regardless of specimens with variable dry density and salt concentration. The relationship between the number of F-D cycles and permeability coefficient can be expressed as the exponential function for Dalin red clay. Dry density and Saline inhibits the desiccation cracks of compacted specimens under W-D cycles. However, the F-T cycles have a modest promoting effect on crack propagation on the surface of saturated red clay. This study analyzes the underlying formation mechanisms of desiccation cracking-inducing geohazards and provides some guidance for the long-term performance of infrastructures upon saline intrusion and F-T cycles for red clay.
Effects of Different Land Use Types on Soil Surface Temperature in the Heihe River Basin
Authors: Yuan Guanghui , Zhang Yu , Li Erchen , Liu Yubao
Published: February 2023

The micrometeorological elements, radiation budget, and surface energy distribution at four sites with land cover types of vegetable, orchard, maize, and desert in the Heihe River basin (HRB) from June 2012 to September 2012 are compared to investigate the differences in the land–atmosphere interaction between different surface types and the biophysical effects of land use and land cover change on surface temperature. The desert site has the highest soil surface temperature during both daytime and nighttime. The strongest cooling effects of maize, orchard, and vegetable are −20.43, −19.35, and −16.42 K, respectively, during daytime, and the average cooling effects are −1.38, −2.52, and −0.93 K, respectively, at nighttime. The differences in the surface cooling effects of the non-desert sites relative to the desert are attributed to the differences in albedo and incoming shortwave radiation, emissivity and incoming longwave radiation, sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, and soil surface heat flux, according to the direct decomposed temperature metric theory. The radiation terms have negative feedbacks on the cooling effects in the non-desert sites. Latent heat flux plays a key role in the differences in the surface temperature among the four sites during both daytime and nighttime, and the soil surface heat flux is also a main factor at night.
Assessing the Economic Performance of Multipurpose Collaborative Robots toward Skillful and Sustainable Viticultural Practices
Authors: Tziolas Emmanouil , Karapatzak Eleftherios , Kalathas Ioannis , Karampatea Aikaterini , Grigoropoulos Antonios , Bajoub Aadil , Pachidis Theodore , Kaburlasos Vassilis G.
Published: February 2023

The increased cost of labor in modern viticulture stemming from the nature of operations that require physical strength and precision, coupled with labor shortages, poses a significant constraint in facilitating and scheduling seasonal activities. Therefore, autonomous collaborative robots present a potential solution for achieving sustainable development objectives and decreasing operational expenditures in agricultural operations. The current paper presents an economic assessment of collaborative robots (or cobots for short) in comparison to conventional labor for four different cultivars in Greece in a lifecycle costing methodological framework. The selected cultivars are Asyrtiko, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo, which are cultivated by two private wineries in the area of interest. All the relevant expenses of their annual production were distributed to agricultural operations, and eight scenarios were developed to compare conventional and cobot practices. The results indicate the great potential of cobots regarding specific viticultural operations such as weed control, pruning, herbiciding and topping. The adoption of cobots in these operations has the potential to contribute to sustainable agriculture by reducing labor costs and addressing labor shortages, while also increasing the efficiency and precision of these tasks. Nevertheless, the defoliation and tying operations appeared to be inefficient in most cases in comparison to conventional labor practices. Overall, the annual equivalent costs could be reduced by up to 11.53% using cobots, even though the projected lifetime of the cobots plays a significant role in the cost-effectiveness of autonomous robotic labor in viticulture. In conclusion, cobots could be instrumental in the Greek viticulture, integrating innovation and high-quality products toward sustainable agricultural development.
Pioneer Use of Pseudo Sub-Daily Timestep Model for Rainwater Harvesting Analysis: Acceptance over Hourly Model and Exploring Accuracy of Different Operating Algorithms
Authors: Imteaz Monzur A. , Ahmad Hassaan , Hossain Iqbal
Published: February 2023

This study investigates the effectiveness of a pseudo sub-daily timestep model, which uses 6-hourly variable demands and daily rainfall values split into four equal 6-hourly portions. To assess the achievements through such sub-daily model, simulations were conducted using 6-hourly YBS (yield before storage), 6-hourly YAS (yield after storage), daily YBS and daily YAS models using rainfall data from a station near Melbourne (Australia) city under different input conditions. Results from the developed models were compared with the results of an earlier developed hourly timestep model, which considered hourly rainfall data and hourly variable rainwater demands. From the results, it is found that the results of YAS models are more accurate compared to the results of YBS models. Considering only potential water savings, daily YAS model results are very similar to the 6-hourly YAS model results.
Rainfall Prediction Rate in Saudi Arabia Using Improved Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Baljon Mohammed , Sharma Sunil Kumar
Published: February 2023

Every farmer requires access to rainfall prediction (RP) to continue their exploration of harvest yield. The proper use of water assets, the successful collection of water, and the successful pre-growth of water construction all depend on an accurate assessment of rainfall. The prediction of heavy rain and the provision of information regarding natural catastrophes are two of the most challenging factors in this regard. In the twentieth century, RP was the most methodically and technically complicated issue worldwide. Weather prediction may be used to calculate and analyse the behaviour of weather with unique features and to determine rainfall patterns at an exact locale. To this end, a variety of methodologies have been used to determine the rainfall intensity in Saudi Arabia. The classification methods of data mining (DM) approaches that estimate rainfall both numerically and categorically can be used to achieve RP. This study, which used DM approaches, achieved greater accuracy in RP than conventional statistical methods. This study was conducted to test the efficacy of several machine learning (ML) approaches for forecasting rainfall, utilising southern Saudi Arabia’s historical weather data obtained from the live database that comprises various meteorological data variables. Accurate crop yield predictions are crucial and would undoubtedly assist farmers. While engineers have developed analysis systems whose performance relies on several connected factors, these methods are seldom used despite their potential for precise crop yield forecasts. For this reason, agricultural forecasting should make use of these methods. The impact of drought on crop yield can be difficult to forecast and there is a need for careful preparation regarding crop choice, planting window, harvest motive, and storage space. In this study, the relevant characteristics required to predict precipitation were identified and the ML approach utilised is an innovative classification method that can be used determine whether the predicted rainfall will be regular or heavy. The outcomes of several different methodologies, including accuracy, error, recall, F-measure, RMSE, and MAE, are used to evaluate the performance metrics. Based on this evaluation, it is determined that DT provides the highest level of accuracy. The accuracy of the Function Fitting Artificial Neural Network classifier (FFANN) is 96.1%, which is higher than that of any of the other classifiers currently used in the rainfall database.
Experimental Evaluation of Tubular Flocculator Implemented in the Field for Drinking Water Supply: Application in the Developing World
Authors: García-Ávila Fernando , Méndez-Heredia Angel , Trelles-Agurto Alex , Sánchez-Cordero Esteban , Alfaro-Paredes Emigdio Antonio , Criollo-Illescas Freddy , Tonon-Ordoñez María D. , Heredia-Cabrera Gina
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a large-scale Horizontal Tubular Flocculator (HTF) as an easy-to-implement technology for potable water provision compared to the efficiency of a traditional baffle flocculator. The HTF was built with a 4-inch diameter PVC pipe and coupled to a sedimentation and filtration process. Experimental tests were performed using lengths of 68.4 m and 97.6 m for the HTF. These lengths were combined with raw water flow rates of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, and 2 L/s and five turbidity ranges <10 NTU, 10–20 NTU, 21–50 NTU, 51–100 NTU, >100 NTU, giving a total of 100 tests for one year. Jar tests were performed to determine the optimal dose of aluminum sulfate used as a coagulant. Hydraulic characteristics such as time of retention (TR) and velocity gradient (G) were evaluated; likewise, plug flow, dead volume, and short-circuit ratios were determined by tracer tests using the Wolf–Resnick model. The average results determined a removal of 98.8% of turbidity and 99.93% of color. The TR varied between 4.62 and 36.97 min and G varied between 6.15 and 109.62 s−1. The results showed that HTF can be useful as a flocculation unit in a purification system.
Clinical and pharmacological characteristics of local anesthetics in dental practice
Authors:   Kazan State Medical Academy — Branch Campus of the FSAEI CPE Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Kazan, Abdullina A. A. , Zvegintseva A. A. ,   Kazan State Medical Academy — Branch Campus of the FSAEI CPE Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Kazan; SAHI Republican Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan; SAHI Kazan City Clinical Hospital No. 7, Kazan, Maksimov M. L. ,   Kazan State Medical Academy — Branch Campus of the FSAEI CPE Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Kazan; SAHI Republican Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan; FSAEI CPE Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Moscow; FSAEI HE Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Moscow
Published: February 2023

Numerous studies have indicated that the problem of pain relief at a dental appointment is extremely relevant, since the number of patients with multiple carious lesions and their complications is quite high. This paper reviews the literature on the use of anesthetics in the dental practice in order to provide painless qualified comprehensive dental care. Purpose: to analyze the literature data in order to identify the effectiveness of various anesthetics during dental procedures. Search strategy: The study analyzed full-text publications in English and Russian, which are devoted to the most commonly used anesthetics in the Russian Federation. Results and conclusions: Modern types of anesthetics and methods of pain relief at a dental appointment were studied, their pharmacological properties were compared, and more effective anesthetics were identified: for topical anesthesia — bumecaine, for infiltration anesthesia — articaine as less toxic and not causing allergic reactions.
On the convergence of some quasi-Newton iterates studied by I. Păvăloiu
Authors: Cătinaş Emil
Published: February 2023

In a paper from 1986, Păvăloiu \cite{Pavaloiu 1986} has considered the fixed point problem (in Banach space setting)\[x=\lambda D\left( x\right) +y, \qquad \lambda\in {\mathbb R},\]written in the form \(x -\lambda D\left( x\right) -y\) and solved by the quasi-Newton iterates\[x_{n+1}=x_{n}-A\left( x_{n}\right) \left[ x_{n}-\lambda D\left(x_{n}\right) -y\right] ,\qquad n=0,1,\ldots\]Semilocal convergence results were obtained, ensuring linear convergence of these iterates as well as for those resulting from a special instance of \(A(x),\) when given by a certain approximation of the inverse of the Jacobian of \(x-\lambda D\left( x\right) -y:\)\[x_{n+1}=x_{n}-[1+\lambda D^\prime\left( x_{n}\right)] \left[x_{n}+\lambda D\left( x_{n}\right) -y\right] ,\qquad n=0,1,\ldots\]In this note, we analyze the local convergence of those iterates, and, using the Ostrowski local attraction theorem, we give some sufficient conditions such that the iterates converge locally both linearly and with higher convergence orders.
On \(\alpha\)-convex sequences of higher order
Authors: Krasniqi Xhevat Z.
Published: February 2023

Many important applications of the class of convex sequences came across in several branches of mathematics as well as their generalizations. In this paper, we have introduced a new class of convex sequences, the class of \(\alpha\)-convex sequences of higher order. In addition, the characterizations of sequences belonging to this class have been shown.
Rural electrification in the brazilian Amazon- scenario of non-interconnected system
Authors: Alves Kariston Dias , Albiero Daniel , Els Rudi Henri Van , Santos Artur Vitório Andrade , Luna José Diogo Forte de Oliveira
Published: February 2023

This article presents an overview of electrification in Brazil, especially the Amazon region, showing the challenges encountered in this part of the country, which for the most part remain with cities as isolated systems because it is not connected to the national interconnected electrical grid. The article contextualizes the entire joint effort between the government and the private sector, as well as presenting the actions that are currently being adopted to promote rural electrification in the region.
Mortalidade por Câncer no sudoeste da Bahia (Brasil) uma região exposta a radiação natural elevada
Authors: Serrano Cyllara Guadalupe Tavares , Rêgo Marco Antônio Vasconcelos
Published: February 2023

O trabalho descreve a mortalidade por diversas neoplasias e câncer em regiões afetadas por mineração de urânio: Caetité, Livramento de Nossa Senhora e Lagoa Real, em comparação com a Região Sudoeste da Bahia e da Bahia como um todo, nos anos de 1980 a 2012. Método: Estudo ecológico de serie temporal, fruto da dissertação de Mestrado. Calculou-se a mortalidade proporcional e as taxas de mortalidade por câncer. Para a análise da tendência temporal, utilizou-se a razão de incidência média anual via regressão de Poisson, com a avaliação de superdispersão. Resultados: Houve um aumento das taxas de mortalidade por neoplasias em geral. Aumentos médios anuais foi observado em Caetité e na região Sudoeste para todos os cânceres em conjunto, cânceres gastrointestinais e leucemias, em comparação com o observado para a Bahia como um todo. Para a mortalidade proporcional, houve aumento no câncer de cólon, reto e ânus e leucemias em Caetité; próstata e pulmão em Livramento de Nossa Senhora; e de estômago e ósseos em Lagoa Real. Conclusão: Houve a tendência de aumento das taxas de mortalidade por neoplasias e alguns tipos de câncer. Recomenda-se medição da radiação ambiental e implantação de um registro de câncer de base populacional.
Biomarcadores bioquímicos e hematológicos no diagnóstico e prognóstico da Sepse
Authors: Neto José Araújo de Oliveira , Santos Raphael Lima Roque , Cruz Matheus Vinicius de Almeida , Silva Marcus Vinicius Cardoso Matos , Silva Carlos Danilo Cardoso Matos
Published: February 2023

Sepse é uma condição sistêmica que gera resposta inflamatória exacerbada nos pacientes, e mesmo com os avanços na saúde, ela ainda é uma das principais causas de internação e mortalidade em UTIs. O presente artigo tem como objetivo verificar a aplicabilidade dos principais marcadores dentro do manuseio clinico, identificar alterações dos biomarcadores ligados à sepse e correlacionar os marcadores bioquímicos e hematológicos durante o curso clinico da sepse auxiliando no diagnóstico e prognóstico. Para compor este estudo foi utilizado como base metodológica pesquisas bibliográficas, descritivas e qualitativas dos últimos 5 anos, utilizando os descritores "biomarkers", “sepsis” e “diagnosis” nas bases de dados do PubMed e LLILACS. A Proteína C Reativa (PCR) e Procalcitonina (PCT) vem sendo amplamente utilizada, assim como a razão neutrófilo/ linfócito e contagem de RDW, MDW e plaquetas. Foi observado marcadores com papeis importantes nas fases da doença, como a PCR encontra-se na fase aguda e a PCT que está relacionada com a eficácia dos antibióticos. Relação neutrófilo/linfócito com o MDW geram reações pró inflamatórias e o RDW sugeriu um mau prognóstico.