bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on the Spatiotemporal Evolution of the Patterns of Expressed Inferiority in Different Groups of Occupations and Education Stages
Authors: Kuai Xi , Li Lin , Liu Yu
Published: November 2022

Inferiority is a complex emotion of helplessness and self-deprecation. A lack of timely and effective treatment may cause serious consequences to people who experience inferiority. People with different occupational and educational backgrounds display different patterns of inferiority. Due to privacy issues, individuals who experience inferiority are often reluctant to seek face-to-face help. However, they often spontaneously share their feelings on social media, so social media can provide a large number of data on inferiority. Based on the data from Sina Weibo, the largest social media in China, this study explores the groups that are most affected by inferiority and reveals the spatiotemporal patterns of inferiority groups with different occupational and educational backgrounds based on the data from Sina Weibo, the largest social media in China. In this study, the Weibo data on inferiority-related topics published in 288 Chinese cities from 2012 to 2017 were collected, and the geospatial locations of the posts were extracted. The spatial variation of inferiority was analyzed, and the influence of the inferiority of people in different occupations and at education stages was examined. The results show that science and technology personnel, college students, and manufacturing workers are the groups most strongly affected by inferiority, and the expressed inferiority in the three groups show significant spatiotemporal non-stationarity. Excessive evaluation pressure increases the rate of inferiority among researchers and technicians, and inferiority among college students is increasing every year. In most areas in China, the increase in the density of manufacturing employees increases the risk of inferiority among these individuals. The findings of this study can help relevant organizations to better understand the regional distribution of inferiority and provide references for these organizations to develop regional treatment interventions for inferiority.
Quercus robur Older Bark—A Source of Polyphenolic Extracts with Biological Activities
Authors: Ștefănescu Ruxandra , Ciurea Cristina Nicoleta , Mare Anca Delia , Man Adrian , Nisca Adrian , Nicolescu Alexandru , Mocan Andrei , Babotă Mihai , Coman Năstaca-Alina , Tanase Corneliu
Published: November 2022

Processing wood leads to the accumulation of considerable amounts of forest waste, such as branches, leaves and especially bark. These byproducts can be exploited for their high content of biomolecules. Our aim was to histo-anatomically and phytochemically characterize the older oak bark and evaluate the potential biological activities. After the histo-anatomical characterization and processing the plant material, the aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts were obtained using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). After the quantification of the total polyphenol content (TPC) and the total tannins content (TTC), the bark extracts were evaluated for antioxidant, antimicrobial and enzyme inhibitory activity. In the transverse section, the rhytidome (the succession of periderms) and the dead secondary phloem can be observed. The results of the polyphenol content of the oak bark extracts show that the hydroethanolic oak bark obtained using MAE has the highest absolute value of the TPC (347.74 mg/g). In comparison with the extracts obtained using UAE, the bark extracts obtained using MAE showed a significantly higher TPC. The greatest antioxidant and antibacterial activity were also recorded for the tested extracts. For gram-positive bacteria, the MBC values ranged from 0.3 (S. aureus) to 5 mg/mL and the oak bark extract obtained using MAE showed good activity against C. krusei (MIC—2.5 mg/mL). Among the assayed enzyme inhibitory activities, the extracts showed a significant antidiabetic effect in vitro with the highest activity corresponding to an IC50 of 3.88 µg/mL. The older oak bark represents a potential source of compounds with antibacterial, antioxidant or antidiabetic activity, which can be exploited through the biorefining processes.
Non-Probabilistic Uncertainty Quantification of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Laminate Based on Micro- and Macro-Mechanical Analysis
Authors: Hu Juxi , Wang Lei , Wang Xiaojun
Published: November 2022

In this paper, the main aim is to study and predict macro elastic mechanical parameters of fiber-reinforced composite laminates by combining micro-mechanical analysis models and the non-probabilistic set theory. It deals with uncertain input parameters existing in quantification models as interval variables. Here, several kinds of micro-mechanical mathematical models are introduced, and the parameter vertex solution theorem and the Monte Carlo simulation method can be used to perform uncertainty quantification of macro elastic properties for composites. In order to take the correlations between macro elastic properties into consideration, the obtained limited sample points or experimental data are utilized on the basis of the grey mathematical modeling theory, where correlated uncertain macro parameters can be treated as a closed and bounded convex polyhedral model. It can give out a clear analytical description for feasible domains of correlated macro elastic properties in the process of uncertainty quantification. Finally, two numerical examples are carried out to account for the validity and feasibility of the proposed quantification method. The results show that the proposed method can become a powerful and meaningful supplement for uncertainty quantification of composite laminates and provide data support for further uncertainty propagation analysis.
The Use of Virtual Reality in Training Paramedics for a Mass Casualty Incident
Authors: Lochmannová Alena , Šimon Michal , Hořejší Petr , Bárdy Marek , Reichertová Stanislava , Gillernová Klára
Published: November 2022

This paper presents the design of a virtual reality learning module inspired by the exercises of healthcare professionals and its limitations as a result of action research carried out by the authors’ collective. The module is implemented on a car crash scenario as a emergency event. Virtual reality training is presented here as an important supplement to traditional paramedic training with the potential to reduce costs and make paramedic training more effective as part of their refresher training for their job roles. Real-time training and its limitations are described, especially regarding patient triage, this aspect being considered as one of the key aspects in the context of virtual reality. Furthermore, the results of a questionnaire survey among the mannequins and interviews with the trainees are presented, while the virtual reality environment of the module was designed to be intuitive for each student with the possibility of self-service without major demands on the logistical organization of the staff for the updating training. The authors relied on an expert group of multi-disciplinary experts for development. The outcome of the action research and the data collected by it is a fully prepared module for teaching selected skills in reflection of the situational context of a traffic accident with mass casualties. In the context of the presented module, measurements are being prepared to compare selected variables between real training and virtual reality training with the same scenario on student paramedics and professional paramedics.
Generalized Replay Spoofing Countermeasure Based on Combining Local Subclassification Models
Authors: Altuwayjiri Sarah Mohammed , Bchir Ouiem , Ismail Mohamed Maher Ben
Published: November 2022

Automatic speaker verification (ASV) systems play a prominent role in the security field due to the usability of voice biometrics compared to alternative biometric authentication modalities. Nevertheless, ASV systems are susceptible to malicious voice spoofing attacks. In response to such threats, countermeasures have been devised to prevent breaches and ensure the safety of user data by categorizing utterances as either genuine or spoofed. In this paper, we propose a new voice spoofing countermeasure that seeks to improve the generalization of supervised learning models. This is accomplished by alleviating the problem of intraclass variance. Specifically, the proposed approach addresses the generalization challenge by splitting the classification problem into a set of local subproblems in order to lessen the supervised learning task. The system outperformed existing state-of-the-art approaches with an EER of 0.097% on the ASVspoof challenge corpora related to replaying spoofing attacks.
Composition Component Influence on Concrete Properties with the Additive of Rubber Tree Seed Shells
Authors: Beskopylny Alexey N. , Shcherban’ Evgenii M. , Stel’makh Sergey A. , Meskhi Besarion , Shilov Alexandr A. , Varavka Valery , Evtushenko Alexandr , Özkılıç Yasin Onuralp , Aksoylu Ceyhun , Karalar Memduh
Published: November 2022

The growth in the volume of modern construction and the manufacture of reinforced concrete structures (RCSs) presents the goal of reducing the cost of building materials without compromising structures and opens questions about the use of environmentally friendly natural raw materials as a local or full replacement of traditional mineral components. This can also solve the actual problem of disposal of unclaimed agricultural waste, the features of which may be of interest to the construction industry. This research aimed to analyze the influence of preparation factors on concrete features with partial substitution of coarse aggregate (CA) with rubber tree (RT) seed shells and to determine the optimal composition that can make it possible to attain concrete with improved strength features. CA was replaced by volume with RT seed shells in an amount from 2% to 16% in 2% increments. Scanning electronic microscopy was employed to investigate the structure of the obtained concrete examples. The maximum increase in strength features was observed when replacing coarse filler with 4% RT seed shell by volume and amounted to, for compressive and axial compressive strength (CS) and tensile and axial tensile strength (TS) in twisting, 6% and 8%, respectively. The decrease in strain features under axial compression and under axial tension was 6% and 5%, respectively. The modulus of elasticity increased to 7%. The microstructure of hardened concrete samples with partial replacement of CA with RT seed shells in the amount of 2%, 4% and 6% was the densest with the least amount of pores and microcracks in comparison with the structure of the sample of the control composition, as well as samples with the replacement of CA with RT seed shells in an amount of more than 6%. The expedient effective replacement of CA with RT shells led to a reduction in battered stone of up to 8%.
Analytical Study of a Circular Thin Plate Contacting with an Elastic Sphere
Authors: Han Wei , Yang Yanjie , Huang Yiyong , Xiong Dan , Chen Xiaoqian
Published: November 2022

The problem that is addressed here is that of a circular thin plate clamped peripherally with frictionless contact to an elastic sphere. A complete and effective solution to this problem is developed to describe the relationship between the contact force and the relative penetration. Analysis of the contact stress and surface displacements of the plate and the sphere is carried out. Comparison of the results with the Hertz theory indicates that the former predicts relative penetration with more accuracy, which indicates that the Hertz theory is not applicable to the elastic sphere in contact with the circular thin plate with a large deformation. In addition, the results of the theoretical model show good agreement with the ANSYS simulation results.
Curve of Spee and Second Mandibular Premolar Agenesis—Present Knowledge and Future Perspectives
Authors: Schieffer Lisa , Klawitter Tiziana , Ulmer Hanno , Nemec Michael , Schenz-Spisic Natalie , Crismani Adriano G.
Published: November 2022

Background: We investigated the relationship between the mandibular Curve of Spee (COS) and a persisting primary second mandibular molar (ppM2) due to an agenesis of the second mandibular premolar, using a digital software technique. Methods: Digital dental casts were obtained from 200 patients at the Department of Orthodontics in Innsbruck and Vienna, Austria. Patients (age-, gender-, and malocclusion-matched) were equally divided into two groups (n = 100) according to the existence of a ppM2. COS depth, overjet, overbite, and angle-classification were measured digitally using the OnyxCeph3TM (version 3.2.147) software. ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to analyze relationships. For statistical analyses, p < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant, p < 0.01 as highly significant. Results were visualized with box plots and bar charts. Results: The deepest COS was present in patients with a ppM2. Furthermore, a positive correlation was shown between COS depth and angle-class II, between COS depth and age, as well as between COS depth and overbite. No gender differences could be observed. Conclusions: In our study population the COS depth was dependent on whether there is a ppM2 due to an agenesis of a second mandibular premolar or not, as well as on the malocclusion in sagittal direction.
Application of Prospect Theory in the Context of Predictive Maintenance Optimization Based on Risk Assessment
Authors: Louhichi Rim , Pelletan Jacques , Sallak Mohamed
Published: November 2022

The optimization of predictive maintenance relies mainly on the reduction of costs and risks, which can be of various types. The evaluation of risks cannot be realized independently of the psychology state and cognitive knowledge of the decision maker. In this article, we demonstrate this through the proposal of a methodology that tackles both optimization of maintenance and estimation of failure risks at the same time. The methodology takes as input the remaining useful life of the system at instant t and determines the optimal inspection step and the threshold of remaining useful life for predictive maintenance. The originality of the methodology consists of using a theory inspired by behavioral economics called prospect theory. Prospect theory allows modeling the outcome of a decision making by considering several aspects related to the decision maker, mainly loss aversion and a tendency to overestimate events with low probability of occurrence but with high economic losses. A case study was then developed where both cases were considered: with prospect theory and without prospect theory. A sensitivity analysis of the results under variation of some input parameters was carried out in a final step to confirm the consistency of the results and show the interest of prospect theory.
Phytochemicals from Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Spreng Show Potent Inhibitory Activity against B-Raf, EGFR, K-Ras, and PI3K of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Targets
Authors: Nath Rajat , Singha Shreeta , Nath Deepa , Das Gitishree , Patra Jayanta , Talukdar Anupam
Published: November 2022

The major cause of death around the world is cardiovascular disease, while cancer ranks second. Lung cancer stands out as a major cause of concern because it accounts for 12% of all cancer cases and is the leading cause of cancer-related death. Since prehistoric times, humans have relied on plants as a reliable resource for all three of these essentials: food, livestock, and healthcare. When it comes to treating human illness, plants have been relied on extensively. Researchers are becoming increasingly intrigued by the prospect of deciphering plant chemistry. The Alliaceae plant family has yielded many novel phytochemicals. To identify a potent phytocompound against lung cancer from the plant Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Spreng, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were performed. Before that, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and DDPH free radicals scavenging activity were determined in order to select the best plant extract. Four targets for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were retrieved in mutated form by literature mining to carry out this work. EGFR and B-Raf were selected as cell proliferating proteins and K-Ras and PI3K were selected as antiapoptotic proteins. Molecular docking was performed against these targets with the 94 phytocompounds present in Allium tuberosum, which were identified by GC-MS and LC-MS. Chemical absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) profiling was also conducted with the nine best-screened compounds. Americine, an alkaloid from this plant, showed inhibitory activity against all four selected targets and was bound more strongly than their respective positive controls in docking studies amongst all other phytocompounds. The ADMET study also confirmed the drug-like candidature of the compound. This study reveals the alternative therapeutic potential of americine against NSCLC by promoting apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation.
Influence of Wake Sweeping Frequency on the Unsteady Flow Characteristics of an Integrated Aggressive Interturbine Duct
Authors: Lei Zhijun , Sun Shuang , Li Gang , Liu Hongrui , Ouyang Xiaoqing , Zhang Yanfeng , Lu Xingen , Xu Gang , Zhu Junqiang
Published: November 2022

A dynamic simulation was launched to research the influence of high-pressure turbine (HPT) rotor wake passing frequency on the flow mechanism in an integrated aggressive interturbine duct (AITD). Sweeping rods were adopted to replace the HPT rotors to decouple the influence of its wake from those of other secondary flows. The diameter of the rods (d/s, nondimensionalized by the pitch (s) of the integrated struts at midspan) was 0.10, and their reduced frequency (f) ranged from 0.49 to 1.61. The k–ω SST turbulence model and γ–θ transition model were adopted for the turbulence closure. A 6.3-million-node structured grid was used to meet the grid dependency. Along with increasing f, the intensified circumferential motion of the wake (1) enhances the wake vortex stretching and exhaustion near the hub; (2) promotes the radial inclination of wakes and elongates and narrows the wake vortex band, resulting in increased spacing between the adjacent wake vortices and the weakened vortex interaction. In the high-f cases, the enhanced turbulence intensity in the interval between the adjacent wakes could suppress the separation bubble on LPT-GV in advance, but the elongated and narrowed wake vortices resulted in a substantial reduction in the radial extent and duration of their suppression on the separation bubble. Therefore, the influence of f on the integrated AITD and its parts was bidirectional, and adjusting the sweeping frequency to balance its positive and negative effects could minimize the total loss in the integrated AITD.
Communication Method Using Cellular and D2D Communication for Reverse Auction-Based Mobile Crowdsensing
Authors: Matsuda Tetsushi , Inada Toru , Ishihara Susumu
Published: November 2022

The demand for services that provide current sensing data (data) obtained at a specified location is expected to grow in the future. To realize such services with lower sensor installation and operation costs, we consider the use of a pull-type mobile crowdsensing with reverse auction (pull-type RevAuc) that determines the size of the incentive paid to mobile hosts that provide data. In a pull-type RevAuc, more cellular traffic between a server and mobile hosts can increase the service operation cost. In this paper, we propose a new communication method for the pull-type RevAuc that reduces cellular traffic between a server and mobile hosts by using device-to-device communication. Through simulations, we confirmed that the proposed method can reduce cellular traffic compared to the existing method for the pull-type RevAuc while selecting a successful bidder that can provide data at almost the same location for almost the same reward within almost the same amount of time as in the existing method.
Removal of 4-Ethylphenol and 4-Ethylguaiacol, from Wine-like Model Solutions, by Commercial Modified Activated Carbons Produced from Coconut Shell
Authors: Cansado Isabel Pestana da Paixão , Mourão Paulo Alexandre Mira , Morais Inês Dias , Peniche Victor , Janeirinho João
Published: November 2022

When present in high concentrations in red wine, 4-ethylphenol (4-EP) and 4-ethylguaiacol (4-EG) are responsible for the introduction of unpleasant aromas, which causes wine depreciation. The work presented concerns the performance of textural and chemical-modified activated carbons (ACs), produced from coconuts shells, in the treatment of spoiled wines. ACs were submitted to basic and acid treatment, by impregnation into solutions containing NaOH and HNO3, respectively. Modified ACs showed only a small, but noticeable, increase in apparent surface area and micropore volume when compared to the original AC. However, the surface chemistry underwent significant changes. The ability of modified ACs to remove 4-EP and 4-EG, which cause the off-flavor known as “Brett character”, from wine-like solutions has been successfully achieved. On the systems studied, 4-EG was retained in greater extension, but 4-EP was retained more strongly on the surface of the ACs. Ethanol was found to compete with 4-EP and 4-EG for the adsorptive centres. However, when 4-EP and 4-EG were present in the same solution, the addition of ethanol promoted a cooperative effect and favoured the adsorption of both compounds. It should be noted that the modified ACs were able to eliminate 4-EP and 4-EG to levels below their sensory perception thresholds referred for red wine.
Field Measurements and Analysis on Temperature, Relative Humidity, Airflow Rate and Oil Fume Emission Concentration in a Typical Campus Canteen Kitchen in Tianjin, China
Authors: Deng Na , Fan Mengke , Hao Ruisen , Zhang Awen , Li Yang
Published: November 2022

This study investigated the annual variation of the indoor thermal environment in a typical canteen kitchen and tried to evaluate the actual working status of the exhaust fume system. Parameters were measured in the canteen kitchen, including indoor environment (temperature, humidity, air velocity); outdoor environment (temperature; humidity); exhaust fume system (temperature, airflow rate, oil fume concentration, energy consumption), and makeup air system (temperature, humidity, air velocity) from April 2019 to January 2020. In addition, we also interviewed the chef’s thermal comfort in this kitchen. From the data available, we could find that 82.92% of the working hours in summer were above the acceptable range. Only 17.08% of the working hours were within the tolerance range (26–32 °C). The questionnaire results showed that 83.33% of chefs felt hot in summer. Most chefs’ wet sensations in the four seasons were neutral, and 91.6% of the chefs felt dissatisfied with the draft sensation. In addition, 88.33% of the chefs felt the fume overflowing from the exhaust hood. This may be because the exhaust fume system of the canteen kitchen was operated under the air velocity of 9.18 ± 1.6 m/s, and its exhaust airflow rate was 10,634.80 ± 189.30 m3/h, which is lower than the minimum exhaust airflow rate (12,312 m3/h). The measurement results indicated that the exhaust fume system could not remove the waste heat and fume pollutants effectively.
Comparison of Root Parallelism in Extraction Cases Treated with Clear Aligners vs. Fixed Appliances
Authors: Tao Tianjin , Liang Hengyan , Yan Xinyu , Fan Qi , Jiang Qingsong , Jian Fan , Long Hu , Lai Wenli
Published: November 2022

In the process of orthodontic treatment, root parallelism is related to the relapse of extraction spaces, black triangles, and periodontal health. However, there are few studies on root parallelism in extraction cases with different types of appliances. The objective was to compare the root parallelism in extraction cases treated with clear aligners vs. those treated with fixed appliances by measuring the differences per extraction site and to access the root-movement control capacity of both orthodontic appliances. A retrospective study was conducted on cases in which the first premolars were extracted, treated by clear aligner appliance (“Invisalign” system, 28 patients) or fixed appliance (30 patients). The angulations of the tooth axis (canines, the second premolars, the first molars, and the second molars) were measured to analyze and compare the difference in root parallelism between the two orthodontic appliances. The percentage of root parallelism between the canine and second premolar in both groups had no significant difference. However, judging from the average angle difference value, the fixed appliance might have a greater range in root angulation adjustment than the aligner. In the angulation categories, the aligner mainly showed root apical divergence, while the fixed appliance mainly showed root apical convergence. The dental crown of the molars was mainly non-tipping in both groups, but it could be observed that the dental crown of the maxillary molars had a tendency toward mesial inclination. In conclusion, the same root parallelism and root inclination were obtained in tooth extraction cases whether treated by clear aligners or fixed appliances. This study provides clinicians with more information on the performance of clear aligners and fixed appliances.
A New Measure for Serious Games Evaluation: Gaming Educational Balanced (GEB) Model
Authors: Martinez Kim , Menéndez-Menéndez María Isabel , Bustillo Andres
Published: November 2022

Serious games have to meet certain characteristics relating to gameplay and educational content to be effective as educational tools. There are some models that evaluate these aspects, but they usually lack a good balance between both ludic and learning requirements, and provide no guide for the design of new games. This study develops the Gaming Educational Balanced (GEB) Model which addresses these two limitations. GEB is based on the Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics framework and the Four Pillars of Educational Games theory. This model defines a metric to evaluate serious games, which can also be followed to guide their subsequent development. This rubric is tested with three indie serious games developed using different genres to raise awareness of mental illnesses. This evaluation revealed two main issues: the three games returned good results for gameplay, but the application of educational content was deficient, due in all likelihood to the lack of expert educators participating in their development. A statistical and machine learning validation of the results is also performed to ensure that the GEB metric features are clearly explained and the players are able to evaluate them correctly. These results underline the usefulness of the new metric tool for identifying game design strengths and weaknesses. Future works will apply this metric to more serious games to further test its effectiveness and to guide the design of new serious games.
Probabilistic Model of Drying Process of Leek
Authors: Golisz Ewa , Wielewska Izabela , Roman Kamil , Kacprzak Marzena
Published: November 2022

Convective drying is the most common drying method, and mathematical modelling of the dewatering process is an essential part of it, playing an important role in the development and optimization of drying devices. Modelling of the leek drying process can be difficult as the specific structure of this vegetable, in which the slices of leek are delaminated into uneven single rings at different times during drying and the material surface changes more than in other vegetables. This study aimed at proposing a theoretical model for leek convective drying, based on the theoretical laws of heat and mass exchange, which should take into account the observed random process disturbances in the form of random coefficients of this model. The paper presents a non-linear model of water content changes with a random coefficient n. Values of the coefficient n, which were considered to be a random variable, were obtained using the Monte Carlo method, using the inversed distribution function as a probabilistic method. The non-linear model of water content changes when a random n coefficient gives a good approximation of the measurements of water content changes to approximately 1–2 kg H2O/kg d.m.
Fusion of Laser Scans and Image Data—RGB+D for Structural Health Monitoring of Engineering Structures
Authors: Peroš Josip , Paar Rinaldo , Divić Vladimir , Kovačić Boštjan
Published: November 2022

A novel method for structural health monitoring (SHM) by using RGB+D data has been recently proposed. RGB+D data are created by fusing image and laser scan data, where the D channel represents the distance, interpolated from laser scanner data. RGB channel represents image data obtained by an image sensor integrated in robotic total station (RTS) telescope, or on top of the telescope i.e., image assisted total station (IATS). Images can also be obtained by conventional cameras, or cameras integrated with RTS (different kind of prototypes). RGB+D image combines the advantages of the two measuring methods. Laser scans are used for distance changes in the line of sight and image data are used for displacements determination in two axes perpendicular to the viewing direction of the camera. Image feature detection and matching algorithms detect and match discrete points within RGB+D images obtained from different epochs. These way 3D coordinates of the points can be easily calculated from RGB+D images. In this study, the implementation of this method was proposed for measuring displacements and monitoring the behavior of structural elements under constant load in field conditions. For the precision analysis of the proposed method, displacements obtained from a numerical model in combination with measurements from a high precision linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) sensor was used as a reference for the analysis of determined displacements from RGB+D images. Based on the achieved results, we calculated that in this study, the precision of the image matching and fusion part of the RGB+D is ±1 mm while using the ORB algorithm. The ORB algorithm was determined as the optimal algorithm for this study, with good computing performance, lowest processing times and the highest number of usable features detected. The calculated achievable precision for determining height displacement while monitoring the behavior of structural element wooden beam under different loads is ±2.7 mm.
Dual Stimuli-Responsive Polysaccharide Hydrogels Manufactured by Radiation Technique
Authors: Wach Radoslaw A. , Palmeri Giorgia , Adamus-Wlodarczyk Agnieszka , Rokita Bozena , Olejnik Alicja K. , Dispenza Clelia , Ulanski Piotr
Published: November 2022

This paper describes the results of the radiation-induced crosslinking of polysaccharides modified with hydroxypropyl and carboxymethyl functional groups, hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), respectively, without and with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) as a crosslinking agent, to obtain dual stimuli-responsive hydrogels. The gels were characterized in terms of water uptake and gel fraction, parameters that mainly depend on the HPC–CMC compositions, but also on the macromer crosslinker content and the absorbed dose. The swelling of hydrogels is controlled by both the temperature, due to the amphiphilic character of HPC and pH, due to the anionic functional groups of CMC. In spite of a similar degree of substitution in both cellulose derivatives, 1.4 for HPC and 1.2 for CMC, the pH response of hydrogels with an equal content of both polysaccharides is considerably higher—a reduction in swelling of up to 95% with a decrease in the pH to 2 was recorded—than the response to thermal-stimulus—wherein a reduction in swelling of less than 70% with an increasing in temperature to 55 °C was found. These biopolymers-based hydrogels of specific, stimuli-responsive swelling properties are anticipated in applications where a combination of two stimuli is essential and biodegradation may be required.
DACSR: Decoupled-Aggregated End-to-End Calibrated Sequential Recommendation
Authors: Chen Jiayi , Wu Wen , Shi Liye , Ji Yu , Hu Wenxin , Chen Xi , Zheng Wei , He Liang
Published: November 2022

Sequential recommendations have made great strides in accurately predicting the future behavior of users. However, seeking accuracy alone may bring side effects such as unfair and overspecialized recommendation results. In this work, we focus on the calibrated recommendations for sequential recommendation, which is connected to both fairness and diversity. On the one hand, it aims to provide fairer recommendations whose preference distributions are consistent with users’ historical behaviors. On the other hand, it can improve the diversity of recommendations to a certain degree. But existing methods for calibration have mainly relied on the post-processing on the candidate lists, which require more computation time in generating recommendations. In addition, they fail to establish the relationship between accuracy and calibration, leading to the limitation of accuracy. To handle these problems, we propose an end-to-end framework to provide both accurate and calibrated recommendations for sequential recommendation. We design an objective function to calibrate the interests between recommendation lists and historical behaviors. We also provide distribution modification approaches to improve the diversity and mitigate the effect of imbalanced interests. In addition, we design a decoupled-aggregated model to improve the recommendation. The framework assigns two objectives to two individual sequence encoders, and aggregates the outputs by extracting useful information. Experiments on benchmark datasets validate the effectiveness of our proposed model.
Coordinated Control of Active Suspension and DYC for Four-Wheel Independent Drive Electric Vehicles Based on Stability
Authors: Hu Jianjun , Liu Yihang , Xiao Feng , Lin Zhiqiang , Deng Chenghao
Published: November 2022

Active suspension control and direct yaw-moment control (DYC) are widely used in the vehicle control field. To solve the coupling between those two controllers, a coordinated control of active suspension and DYC is proposed to further improve the vehicle roll and yaw stability. To enhance the adaptive ability of the active suspension, a proportional integral control optimized by the genetic fuzzy algorithm is introduced. DYC is proposed based on the sliding mode control. To restrain the chattering, the parameters of the sliding mode control is optimized by a genetic algorithm. Finally, a coordinated controller is presented based on the adaptive distribution of the anti-roll torque in the front and rear suspension. The simulation results show that the proposed active suspension and DYC can greatly improve the roll and yaw stability, respectively. The expected vehicle status can be well tracked. In addition, the coordinated control is compared by simply using two independent controllers under a different tire–road friction coefficient and different steering maneuver. The results show that the coordinated control has an even better performance under each working condition.
Analysis and Design of Tunable THz 1-D Leaky-Wave Antennas Based on Nematic Liquid Crystals
Authors: Fuscaldo Walter , Zografopoulos Dimitrios C. , Imperato Francesca , Burghignoli Paolo , Beccherelli Romeo , Galli Alessandro
Published: November 2022

The tunable properties of nematic liquid crystals (NLC) are here exploited in a peculiar leaky waveguide with artificial magnetic conductors as the lateral walls, a bottom metal ground plane, and a homogenized metasurface on top to obtain dynamic beamsteering at a fixed terahertz frequency. The waveguide consists of an NLC cell sandwiched between two dielectric layers. The proposed antenna system works on its transverse-magnetic leaky mode and is capable of radiating a beam that scans either by frequency or by changing the bias voltage applied across the NLC cell. The design parameters are optimized through a rigorous modal analysis of the structure, and the radiation performance is validated through full-wave simulations. The results are promising for the realization of next-generation tunable terahertz leaky-wave antennas.
MRI Assessment of the Bi-Leaflet Mechanical Heart Valve: Investigating the EOA Using the Acoustic Source Term Method
Authors: Evin Morgane , Joannic David , Monnet Aurélien , Fletcher David F. , Grieve Stuart M. , Fontaine Jean-François , Lalande Alain
Published: November 2022

Background: This work aims at defining the Effective Orifice Area (EOA) derived from the acoustic source term (AST) method from 4D Phase-Contrast MRI data to provide a reference for the assessment of MRI valvular prostheses as part of a comprehensive cardiac exam. Methods: Three different Bileaflet Mechanical Heart Valves (BMHV) and a dysfunctional BMHV were tested in-vitro using 4D Phase-Contrast MRI and a numerical design of the experimental study was performed, including the influence of internal diameter, stroke volume, and heart rate. The EOA AST was computed based on the MRI 4D Phase-Contrast acquisition. Results: EOAAST values vary by 15 mm from the BMHV center and should be computed between 8 to 10 mm after the metallic “blurring” artefact (ranging from 18.9 to 23.4 mm from the BMHV). EOAAST values were found to be lower compared with numerical results in the appropriate plane. Detection of the BMHV dysfunction by continuity equation computed from 4D flow acquisition is limited based on EOAAST computations, while EOAc and velocities after the valves could more directly highlight a blocked leaflet. Conclusion: This multi-disciplinary study demonstrates the suitability of the EOA AST method to assess BMHV function using MRI. Translation to the clinic is feasible using an optimized 2D Phase-Contrast flow stack or a 4D Phase-Contrast minimal volume based on the recommendations provided.
Comparative Study of Heavy Metals in Selected Medicinal Plants and Extracts, Using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence
Authors: Sánchez-Lara Fernando , Manzanares-Acuña Eduardo , Badillo-Almaraz Valentín , Gutiérrez-Hernández Rosalinda , García-Aguirre Karol Karla , Vargas-Díaz María Elena , Hernández-Rangel Álvaro Omar , Hernández-Sánchez Karla Mariela , Escobar-León Martha Celia
Published: November 2022

The use of plants has grown constantly worldwide, being a rich source of compounds that serve as established treatments for various diseases and conditions. This paper discusses the elemental composition and the level of environmental risk of heavy metals of selected medicinal plants. The extracts are investigated by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence, a non-destructive, fast, multi-element, highly accurate and environmentally friendly analysis compared to other elementary detection methods. The studied plants Croton dioicus and Phoradendron villosum are native to Mexico. Both showed high levels of Cu and Ni, while their extracts present levels within the permissible range.
An Improved Artificial Ecosystem Algorithm for Economic Dispatch with Combined Heat and Power Units
Authors: Mahdy Araby , El-Sehiemy Ragab , Shaheen Abdullah , Ginidi Ahmed , Elbarbary Zakaria M. S.
Published: November 2022

The most effective use of numerous Combined Heat and Power Units (CHPUs) is a challenging issue that requires strong approaches to handle the Economic Dispatch (ED) with CHPUs. It aims at minimizing the fuel costs by managing the Power-Only Units (POUs), CHPUs, and Heat-Only Units (HOUs). The transmission losses are also integrated, which increases the non-convexity of the ED problem. This paper proposes a Modified Artificial Ecosystem Algorithm (MAEA) motivated by three energy transfer processes in an ecosystem: production, consumption, and decomposition. The MAEA incorporates a Fitness Distance Balance Model (FDBM) with the basic AEA to improve the quality of the solution in non-linear and multivariate optimization environments. The FDBM is a selection approach meant to find individuals which will provide the most to the searching pathways within a population as part of a reliable and productive approach. Consequently, the diversity and intensification processes are carried out in a balanced manner. The basic AEA and the proposed MAEA are performed, in a comparative manner considering the 7-unit and 48-unit test systems. According to numerical data, the proposed MAEA shows a robustness improvement of 97.31% and 96.63% for the 7-unit system and 46.03% and 60.57% for the 48-unit system, with and without the power losses, respectively. On the side of convergence, based on the average statistics, the proposed MAEA shows a considerable improvement of 47% and 43% of the total number of iterations for the 7-unit system and 13% and 20% of the total number of iterations for the 48-unit system, with and without the power losses, respectively. Thus, the suggested MAEA provides significant improvements in the robustness and convergence properties. The proposed MAEA also provides superior performance compared with different reported results, which indicates a promising solution methodology based on the proposed MAEA.
Advanced Dynamic Thermal Vibration of Laminated FGM Plates with Simply Homogeneous Equation by Using TSDT and Nonlinear Varied Shear Coefficient
Authors: Hong Chih-Chiang
Published: November 2022

The effects of advanced nonlinear varied shear coefficient and third-order shear deformation theory (TSDT) on the dynamic responses of thick functionally graded material (FGM) plates under thermal vibration are investigated. The nonlinear coefficient of the displacement field of TSDT is used to obtain the expression of advanced varied shear coefficient for the thick FGM plates. The dynamic displacements, shear rotations and stresses in numerical results under sinusoidal applied heat loads are obtained and investigated. Two parametric effects of environment temperature and FGM power law index on the dynamic responses of thermal stress and center deflection of thick FGM plates are also investigated. The transient responses of center deflection are found for the cases of simply homogeneous equation and fully homogeneous equation. Also, the transient responses of center deflection are found for cases of nonlinear and linear varied-modified coefficient of shear correction.
Identifying Spatial–Temporal Characteristics and Significant Factors of Bus Bunching Based on an eGA and DT Model
Authors: Yan Min , Xie Binglei , Xu Gangyan
Published: November 2022

Bus bunching is a common phenomenon caused by irregular bus headway, which increases the passenger waiting time, makes the passenger capacity uneven, and severely reduces the reliability of bus service. This paper clarified the process of bus bunching formation, analyzed the variation characteristics of bus bunching in a single day, in different types of periods, and at different bus stops, then concluded twelve potential factors. A hybrid model integrating a genetic algorithm with elitist preservation strategy (eGA) and decision tree (DT) was proposed. The eGA part constructs the model framework and transforms the factor identification into a problem of selecting the fittest individual from the population, while the DT part evaluates the fitness. Model verification and comparison were conducted based on real automatic vehicle location (AVL) data in Shenzhen, China. The results showed that the proposed eGA–DT model outperformed other frequently used single DT and extra tree (ET) models with at least a 20% reduction in MAE under different bus routes, periods, and bus stops. Six factors, including the sequence of the bus stop, the headway and dwell time at the previous bus stop, the travel time between bus stops, etc., were identified to have a significant effect on bus bunching, which is of great value for feature selection to improve the accuracy and efficiency of bus bunching prediction and real-time bus dispatching.
Life Cycle Assessment of Laser-Induced Maize Production: Adoption of Sustainable Agriculture Practices
Authors: Hanafiah Marlia M. , Hasan Mohammed , K. Razman Khalisah , Harun Siti N. , Sakawi Zaini
Published: November 2022

Conventional farming practices can provide higher agricultural yields through the extensive use of fertilizers, pesticides, and other inputs. These practices have been associated with severe environmental effects, such as eutrophication, acidification, etc. Laser technology, among many other techniques, could be a viable option for environmental reduction if incorporated into agricultural production systems. However, the environmental performance of using lasers in agriculture practices needs to be investigated in order to provide sustainable management of the agriculture sector. Therefore, in this study, the life cycle assessment (LCA) of laser-induced maize production in bio-stimulated seeds was compared to conventional farming practices using the software SimaPro ver. 9.0. The study emphasized human toxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity, and marine ecotoxicity due to their significant contributions. The results demonstrated that laser technology was an environmentally friendly system for treating maize seeds before sowing. The study further identified the mineral fertilization process as the most critical threat to the environment. Based on normalization, maize production process-related toxicity accounts for the highest environmental impacts of 8.2 and 7.3 kg 1,4-DCB/ton of grain produced by conventional practices and laser maize production, respectively, on the general environmental profile. At the endpoint level, the irradiated maize seeds performed better than their non-irradiated counterpart impacting human health at 5.46 × 10−3 DALY, ecosystems at 1.86 × 10−5 species⋅year, and resources at 60.74 USD 2013. Soil management was also identified as the conventional maize production process with the most significant environmental impacts. The greatest observed impacts were on marine ecotoxicity (19.23 kg 1,4-DCB) and freshwater ecotoxicity (12.94 kg 1,4-DCB) per ton of grain produced. The evaluation of potential human toxicity concluded that zinc contributed more than 90% in ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) and benzene contributed approximately 22% in CML 2000. The study concluded that improved environmental performance was obtained for laser-induced maize production compared to conventional farming practices. The LCA can provide information to policymakers and government agencies about shifting to more sustainable agricultural practices in arid regions, such as Iraq, prone to drought linked to water availability and soil salinity.
Two-Dimensional Beam Steering Based on Compact Programmable Coding Metasurface
Authors: Yang Fei , Xu Fan , Liu Chenxi , Yang Xinyu , Wang Ziqiang , Wu Junwei , Fu Xiaojian
Published: November 2022

A programmable coding metasurface provides unprecedented flexibility to manipulate electromagnetic waves dynamically. By controlling the peculiarity of subwavelength artificial atoms, devices with metasurfaces perform various functionalities. In this paper, a compact programmable coding metasurface with PIN diodes is proposed to realize the beam steering in the Ka band. The phase distribution on the metasurface can be actively controlled by switching the states of each meta-atom. By tuning the phase gradient along the metasurface plane, the reflective beam can scan all directions in the upper half-plane. In addition, the compact metasurface is easier to integrate, which could expand the fields of applications. The full-wave simulation results show that the radiation direction of the main lobe is consistent with the theoretical calculation results, and the maximum steering angle of simulation is 60°. As experimental verification, a prototype was processed and the functionality of beam steering in the xoz plane and in the yoz plane was tested. Experimental results show that the designed metasurface can achieve beam steering in both planes, and the maximum scan angle is 45° in the xoz plane. The proposed metasurface opens a new way of beam steering in half space, which may have potential applications in sensing and wireless communications in millimeter waves.