bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Economic Valuation of Landscape in Marinas: Application to a Marina in Spanish Southern Mediterranean Coast (Granada, Spain)
Authors: Martín Ricardo , Yepes Víctor
Published: August 2022

Assigning a monetary value to a landscape improves its importance. It helps to realize the magnitude of the benefits that can be obtained and represents the basis for applying protection and improvement policies. As a case study, we considered Marina del Este, located on the Spanish Southern Mediterranean coast, characterized by the presence of protected natural areas of great value and a rugged coastline beautiful to sailors. This study applies the analytic multicriteria valuation method (AMUVAN) to estimate the landscape’s economic contribution. This method combines the analytic hierarchy process and discounted cash flow analysis. A total of 16 participants were considered, all with knowledge about the marina, which included areas of the marina management, management organizations with competencies in the marina environment, commercial operation, and university professors. They weighted the importance of landscape concerning the rest of the marina activities, use versus non-use values, and the components of the total economic value (TEV) of the landscape within marinas as a natural asset. Results expressed that the landscape may reach a value of around 16.3 million euros. It represents more than 3000% of the value of the marina’s profit and loss account. A detailed analysis of the components of the TEV makes it possible to propose strategies to improve the economic value of the landscape.
Land Use and Land Cover Change Dynamics and Perceived Drivers in Rangeland Areas in Central Uganda
Authors: Kuule Derick Ansyijar , Ssentongo Benard , Magaya Paul John , Mwesigwa Gordon Yofesi , Okurut Isaac Tom , Nyombi Kenneth , Egeru Anthony , Tabuti John Robert Stephen
Published: August 2022

Sustainable rangeland management requires understanding the nature of human-ecosystem interactions and local communities’ perspectives regarding evolving changes. This study integrated perceptions from the local community and remote sensing to characterize the extent and drivers of land use and land cover (LULC) changes in the rangelands of Nakasongola district in Central Uganda. The aim of the study was to determine the perceived drivers of land use and land cover change in of Nakasongola district in the Central Uganda district to support decision making for present and future rangeland management. Satellite imagery for 1985, 1995, 2005, 2015 and 2021 were obtained from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and analyzed to determine the LULC dynamics. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted to obtain perceived drivers of LULC. Results showed that by 1985 grassland covered 31.7%, wetlands 26.4%, woodland 11.5% and farmland 7.2% of the total land area. However, by 2021, farmland covered 35.8% of the total land area, wetland 21.6% and had reduced to grassland 18.5 percent. Future LULC projections using a Markov chain model showed that farmland cover will increase by 13.85% while grassland cover will further decline by 9.89% in 2040. Wood fuel extraction, subsistence farming, population growth and overgrazing were perceived as key drivers of LULC change. Both remote sensing techniques and local perceptions were in agreement with the identification of patterns and perceived drivers revealing the inherent value of tacit knowledge resident within the community. This knowledge in addition to remotely sensed information can thus be tapped by the decision leaders to better guide interventions aimed at securing better rangeland health and management.
Evolutionary Logic and Development Foresight of Environmental Collaborative Governance Policy in the Yangtze River Delta
Authors: Zhao Haixia , Gu Xiang , Yang Tengjie , Gu Binjie
Published: August 2022

The experience of environmental governance in the Yangtze River Delta has formed the practical paths of cross-administrative cooperation and eco-civilization adaptation to economic development. As a result of a scientific analysis of policy texts on collaborative environmental governance in this region, this paper explores differences and core concerns, uncovering the development vein and mapping out the internal logic in order to provide a reference example for multi-regional governance. The policy has shifted from decentralization to authority, from universality to precision, from sustainable development to a community of common ecological destiny, from authoritarianism to co-governance, and from institutional norms to propaganda and guidance. Since the beginning of the new century, the internal logic of environmental governance policy in the Yangtze River Delta has been in line with the trend of coordinated development. In the future, efforts should be made to deepen the trinity mechanism of decision making, implementation, and supervision. When making decisions, we should further emphasize the unified standard of centralized environmental management and adhere to precise pollution control. Implementation will gradually establish the three-dimensional coordination mechanism of region, function, and role; supervision will involve the platform “internet + environment”, and the assessment will involve “pressure mechanism + environment”.
Detection, Morphometric Analysis and Digital Surveying of Archaeological Mounds in Southern Iraq with CartoSat-1 and COSMO-SkyMed DEMs
Authors: Tapete Deodato , Cigna Francesca
Published: August 2022

In Near and Middle Eastern archaeology, satellite-derived digital elevation models (DEM) of medium spatial resolution (≥30 m) are mostly used to locate and map archaeological mounds (namely ‘tells’), whereas high resolution DEMs (≤10 m) are still poorly exploited. To fill this gap, the 5 m resolution CartoSat-1 Euro-Maps 3D Digital Surface Model (DSM) is assessed vs. the 30 m Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) global DEM, the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) World 3D–30 m (AW3D30) and a 10 m COSMO-SkyMed DEM, on a test area in Wasit, southern Iraq, where the high density of tells is yet to be exhaustively documented. A total of 344 sites was mapped, with one order of magnitude improvement compared to previous mapping exercises, existing databases and historical maps. The morphometric analysis not only highlights the reliability of CartoSat-1 DSM height and volume estimates, but also suggests that, in the test area, the volume of a tell can robustly be calculated based on the simple knowledge of its basal area, following a quadratic function. Morphology and elevation of at least 53% irregularly shaped tells were impacted by anthropogenic disturbances. Morphometric indices (e.g., Topographic Position Index, DEViation from mean elevation) are a viable automated method to ease tells detection. When integrated with other satellite datasets (e.g., CORONA, Google Earth, Sentinel-2 imagery), the CartoSat-1 DSM can unveil morphological changes and support condition assessment. In Wasit, agriculture and modern development are among the major threats for tells preservation, alongside looting.
Implications of Spatio-Temporal Land Use/Cover Changes for Ecosystem Services Supply in the Coastal Landscapes of Southwestern Ghana, West Africa
Authors: Kankam Stephen , Osman Adams , Inkoom Justice Nana , Fürst Christine
Published: August 2022

Land use/land cover change (LULCC) is an important driver of ecosystem changes in coastal areas. Despite being pervasive in coastal Ghana, LULCC has not been investigated to understand its effects on the potential for coastal landscapes to supply ecosystem services (ES). In this study, the impacts of LULCC on the potential supply of ES by coastal landscapes in Southwestern Ghana was assessed for the years 2008 and 2018 by using remote sensing and benefit transfer approaches. Based on available data, relevant provisioning and regulating ES were selected for the assessment while indicators to aid the quantification of the ES were obtained from literature. Supervised classification methods and maximum likelihood algorithms were used to prepare land use/land cover (LULC) maps and the derived LULC categories were assigned according to the descriptions of the Land Cover Classification System (LCCS). Potential supply of provisioning (food, fuelwood) and regulating (carbon storage) services was quantified and the spatial and temporal distributions of these ES illustrated using maps. The results show variations in food and fuelwood supply and carbon storage potentials over the study period and across different locations on the landscape. Potentials for fuelwood supply and carbon storage in mangrove forests indicated declining trends between 2008 and 2018. On the other hand, food-crop supply and carbon storage potential in rubber plantations depicted increasing patterns over the same period. Population, slope and elevation exhibited strong effects on LULC conversions to food crop and rubber plantations whereas these factors were less important determinants of mangrove forest conversions. The findings of the study have implications for identifying and addressing tradeoffs between land uses for agriculture, industrial development and conservation of critical coastal ES within the context of rapid land system transformations in the study region.
Analysis of the Spatiotemporal Variation of Landscape Patterns and Their Driving Factors in Inner Mongolia from 2000 to 2015
Authors: Li Mengyuan , Li Xiaobing , Liu Siyu , Lyu Xin , Dang Dongliang , Dou Huashun , Wang Kai
Published: August 2022

Understanding the spatiotemporal changes in landscape patterns and their driving factors in Inner Mongolia can benefit land use and ecological environment management in this region. This study used the county landscape index and multiple regression analysis to reveal the temporal and spatial evolutions of landscape patterns and their driving factors in Inner Mongolia from 2000 to 2015 with multitemporal land use data. The results showed that (1) grassland was the main landscape type in Inner Mongolia. Grassland and unused land decreased, and cropland expanded from 2000 to 2015. Grassland degradation has slowed since 2005. (2) At the class level, the dominance of grassland decreased, and the degree of landscape fragmentation of cropland, forestland, and grassland increased gradually. At the landscape level, the landscape shape was more complex, the landscape connectivity was worse, and the landscape diversity gradually enhanced. (3) This study revealed that climatic factors influenced the evolution of landscape patterns, and human activities were the key driving factors of landscape-level metrics. The results of this study provide scientific bases for land management strategies.
The Interaction and Its Evolution of the Urban Agricultural Multifunctionality and Carbon Effects in Guangzhou, China
Authors: Song Zuxuan , Yang Ren
Published: August 2022

The dual identity of carbon sources and carbon sinks makes agriculture the focus of carbon neutralization-related research. Compared with traditional rural agriculture and urban industrial production, urban agriculture has its own particularities. It is of positive practical significance to explore the interaction and its evolution process between urban agricultural multifunctionality and carbon effects in seeking solutions to alleviate carbon pressure. Based on the changes in agricultural carbon emissions and carbon sequestration in Guangzhou from 2002 to 2020, we used the Granger causality analysis method to investigate the interaction between urban agricultural multifunctionality and carbon effects and then used the grey association model to analyse the evolution process of associative degrees between the two and divide the agricultural development stages. Finally, according to the practicalities of Guangzhou, we analyzed carbon effects generated in the multifunctional transformation of urban agriculture and put forward corresponding policy suggestions on how to solve the problem of excessive carbon dioxide emissions through agriculture in metropolitan areas. The results show that from 2002 to 2020 in Guangzhou, urban agricultural production decreased, the economic and social function increased, and the ecological function climbed and then declined. The carbon sequestration of urban agriculture in Guangzhou was approximately four times more than the carbon emissions. Carbon emissions experienced a process of first decreasing, then increasing, then remaining constant, and finally decreasing, while carbon sequestration first decreased and then increased. Second, the carbon emissions of urban agriculture in Guangzhou have a causal relationship with the production, social, and ecological functions. Carbon emissions are the Granger cause of the economic function but not the opposite. The carbon sequestration of urban agriculture in Guangzhou has a causal relationship with production and economic functions. Carbon sequestration is the Granger cause of the ecological function but not the opposite. There is no Granger causal relationship between carbon sequestration and the social function. Third, from 2002 to 2020, the interactive development process of urban agricultural multifunctionality and carbon effects in Guangzhou can be divided into three stages: production function oriented (2002–2006), economic and social function enhanced and production function weakened (2007–2015) and the economic and social function exceeded the production function (2016–2020). Fourth, the multifunctional transformation of urban agriculture has brought about carbon effects of reducing emissions and increasing sequestration. There is a long time lag between multifunctional transformation and carbon effects of urban agriculture.
Variation in the Mercury Concentrations and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Pristine and Managed Hemiboreal Peatlands
Authors: Bārdule Arta , Gerra-Inohosa Linda , Kļaviņš Ivars , Kļaviņa Zane , Bitenieks Krišs , Butlers Aldis , Lazdiņš Andis , Lībiete Zane
Published: August 2022

We assessed total mercury (THg) concentrations and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in pristine and managed hemiboreal peatlands in Latvia, aiming to identify environmental factors that potentially affect their variation. The THg concentrations in soil ranged from <1 µg kg−1 to 194.4 µg kg−1. No significant differences between THg concentrations in disturbed and undisturbed peatlands were found, however, the upper soil layer in the disturbed sites had significantly higher THg concentration. During May–August, the mean CO2 emissions (autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration) from the soil ranged from 20.1 ± 5.0 to 104.6 ± 22.7 mg CO2-C m−2 h−1, N2O emissions ranged from −0.97 to 13.4 ± 11.6 µg N2O-N m−2 h−1, but the highest spatial variation was found for mean CH4 emissions—ranging from 30.8 ± 0.7 to 3448.9 ± 1087.8 µg CH4-C m−2 h−1. No significant differences in CO2 and N2O emissions between disturbed and undisturbed peatlands were observed, but CH4 emissions from undisturbed peatlands were significantly higher. Complex impacts of environmental factors on the variation of THg concentrations and GHG emissions were identified, important for peatland management to minimize the adverse effects of changes in the biogeochemical cycle of the biophilic elements of soil organic matter and contaminants, such as Hg.
An Assessment of the Rational Range of Eco-Compensation Standards: A Case Study in the Nujiang Prefecture, Southwestern China
Authors: Xiao Weidong , Qu Liquan , Li Kai , Guo Chuanxu , Li Jie
Published: August 2022

Eco-compensation is an effective means of coordinating ecological protection and economic development, and the assessment of its standards is core content in the study of eco-compensation projects. To improve the operability of eco-compensation standards, taking Nujiang Prefecture as the study area, we combine the equivalent factor method and water footprint method to evaluate the ecosystem-service-value (ESV) spillover and use the market comparison method to calculate the opportunity cost. The final eco-compensation upper and lower limits model is constructed on the basis of the ESV spillover and opportunity cost. The results show the following: (1) the ecological protection of Nujiang Prefecture has been effective, based on the stabilization of its ESV after an initial increase. The main types of ecosystem services provided are regulation and provision services. Gongshan County makes the most significant contribution to the total ESV. (2) The ratio of the ESV self-consumption in Nujiang Prefecture shows a trend of first rising and then falling. This is mainly explained through the reduction in the use of industrial and agricultural water. After deducting self-consumption through the water footprint method, it can be observed that there is ecological spillover in Nujiang Prefecture. (3) The opportunity cost in Nujiang Prefecture increases yearly from 2005 to 2020 owing to ecological protection policies. Combined with the ESV spillover, it is determined that the rational range of the eco-compensation standard is between CNY 6.17 × 102 million and 120.01 × 102 million in 2005, between CNY 10.02 × 102 million and 128.25 × 102 million in 2010, between CNY 30.34 × 102 million and 197.12 × 102 million in 2015, and between CNY 41.97 × 102 million and 227.52 × 102 million in 2020. The current study can offer decision makers a more flexible eco-compensation standard while coordinating the contradiction between regional ecological protection and economic development.
Thyroid Carcinoma Showing Thymus-like Differentiation (CASTLE): A Case Report
Authors: Stanciu Mihaela , Ristea Ruxandra Paula , Popescu Mihaela , Vasile Corina Maria , Popa Florina Ligia
Published: August 2022

Background and Objectives: Carcinoma showing thymus-like differentiation (CASTLE) is a low-grade thyroid carcinoma, with an indolent clinical course and usually a favorable prognosis. The clinical and imagistic features are not specific for CASTLE but similar to other malignant lesions of the thyroid. Definite diagnosis is based on an immunohistochemical examination, as this carcinoma shows positive CD5 immunoreactivity when compared to other aggressive thyroid carcinomas. Case presentation: The main focus of this study is to outline a rare case of CASTLE compressing the trachea in a 50-year-old female patient who was initially diagnosed with undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma, for which she underwent unsuccessful surgery, as well as postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy. After receiving a second medical opinion, the patient underwent a challenging radical resection consisting in total thyroidectomy and central neck dissection, with no local recurrence after 6 months and 2 years of follow-up and negative metastatic follow-up. The correct diagnosis has been established based on pathological and immunohistochemical examinations. Conclusions: In summary, the diagnosis of CASTLE is difficult and requires an experienced histological analysis and CD5 immunoreactivity. Lack of metastasis, complete removal of the tumor, and a low degree of tumor infiltration into nearby structures are all associated with better long-term survival.
Characteristic Sleep Patterns and Associated Obesity in Adolescents
Authors: Kwon Ahreum , Choi Youngha , Kim Sujin , Song Kyungchul , Suh Junghwan , Chae Hyun Wook , Kim Ho-Seong
Published: August 2022

Poor sleep adversely affects health and may cause obesity. Poor sleep includes short sleep duration, low quality of sleep, and sleep discrepancy. Although most studies have focused on the association between sleep duration and obesity, poor sleep is a significant risk factor for obesity. Adolescents have characteristic sleep patterns which correspond to poor sleep. Adolescents sleep late due to various biological and psychosocial factors; also, they wake up early to be on time for school. This causes them to sleep less. To make up for this sleep debt, adolescents sleep more on non-school days, which causes sleep discrepancies. Therefore, since adolescents have characteristic sleep patterns, an in-depth investigation is needed to identify whether poor sleep is a risk for obesity. This article presents an overview of the characteristic sleep patterns of adolescents, and reviews studies on the association of each sleep pattern with obesity.
Controllable and Uncontrollable Stress Differentially Impact Fear Conditioned Alterations in Sleep and Neuroimmune Signaling in Mice
Authors: Adkins Austin M. , Wellman Laurie L. , Sanford Larry D.
Published: August 2022

Stress induces neuroinflammation and disrupts sleep, which together can promote a number of stress-related disorders. Fear memories associated with stress can resurface and reproduce symptoms. Our previous studies have demonstrated sleep outcomes can be modified by stressor controllability following stress and fear memory recall. However, it is unknown how stressor controllability alters neuroinflammatory signaling and its association with sleep following fear memory recall. Mice were implanted with telemetry transmitters and experienced escapable or inescapable footshock and then were re-exposed to the shuttlebox context one week later. Gene expression was assessed with Nanostring® panels using RNA extracted from the basolateral amygdala and hippocampus. Freezing and temperature were examined as behavioral measures of fear. Increased sleep after escapable stress was associated with a down-regulation in neuro-inflammatory and neuro-degenerative related genes, while decreased sleep after inescapable stress was associated with an up-regulation in these genes. Behavioral measures of fear were virtually identical. Sleep and neuroimmune responses appear to be integrated during fear conditioning and reproduced by fear memory recall. The established roles of disrupted sleep and neuroinflammation in stress-related disorders indicate that these differences may serve as informative indices of how fear memory can lead to psychopathology.
Cross-Sectional Comparative Study on Central Sensitization-Psychosocial Associated Comorbidities and Psychological Characteristics in Breast Cancer Survivors with Nociceptive Pain and Pain with Neuropathic Features and without Pain
Authors: de la Rosa-Díaz Irene , Barrero-Santiago Laura , Acosta-Ramírez Paz , Martín-Peces-Barba Marina , Iglesias-Hernández Esther , Plisset Bastien , Lutinier Nicolás , Belzanne Margot , La Touche Roy , Grande-Alonso Mónica
Published: August 2022

The frequency of a high Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) total score and the prevalence of pain have already been established among breast cancer survivors (BCS). However, the psychological factors’ influence based on the clinical features of pain is still unknown, as well as BCS characteristics with no pain. Thus, our main aim was to evaluate the presence of a high CSI total score in BCS with pain and compare it with BCS without pain and to evaluate the influence of psychosocial factors. A cross-sectional comparative study was designed to compare BCS with nociceptive pain (n = 19), pain with neuropathic features (n = 19) or no pain (n = 19), classified by the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANSS). CSI, pain catastrophizing, fear of movement, anxiety and depression symptoms were analyzed and compared among the three groups. The CSI total score was higher in both BCS pain groups compared to BCS without pain, but there were no statistical differences between the pain groups. The same observation was made when comparing pain catastrophizing. The neuropathic feature group showed greater levels of fear of movement, anxiety and depression compared to the no pain group. Thus, CS-psychosocial associated comorbidities and pain-catastrophizing thoughts were more prevalent among BCS with pain, regardless of the clinical features of pain. BCS with neuropathic pain features showed greater psychological disturbances.
Photocatalytic and Antimicrobial Activities of Biosynthesized Silver Nanoparticles Using Cytobacillus firmus
Authors: Saied Ebrahim , Hashem Amr H. , Ali Omar M. , Selim Samy , Almuhayawi Mohammed S. , Elbahnasawy Mostafa A.
Published: August 2022

The toxicity of the ecosystem has increased recently as a result of the increased industrial wastewater loaded with organic contaminants, including methylene blue (MB), which exerts serious damage to the environment. Thus, the present work aims to green the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and to evaluate their degradability of notorious MB dye, as well as their antimicrobial activities. Ag-NPs were synthesized by Cytobacillus firmus extract fully characterized by UV-vis, TEM, DLS, XRD, and FTIR. Ag-NPs showed good antibacterial and antifungal activities against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Enterococcus feacalis ATCC 29212, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, and Candida albicans ATCC 90028. Moreover, Ag-NPs exhibited a high biodegradability level (98%) of MB dye after 8 h of co-incubation in the presence of sunlight. Additionally, the phytotoxicity of treated MB dye-contaminated water sample showed good germination of Vicia faba as compared with non-treated MB dye-contaminated solution. In conclusion, the herein biosynthesized Ag-NPs demonstrated its feasibility of the purification of contaminated water from microbes and methylene blue dye and the probability of reusing purified water for agricultural purposes.
Flammulina filiformis Pkac Gene Complementing in Neurospora crassa Mutant Reveals Its Function in Mycelial Growth and Abiotic Stress Response
Authors: Yang Yayong , Xie Bin , Jing Zhuohan , Lu Yuanping , Ye Jun , Chen Yizhao , Liu Fang , Li Shaojie , Xie Baogui , Tao Yongxin
Published: August 2022

Flammulina filiformis is a popular edible mushroom that easily suffers from heat and oxidative stresses. The cyclic adenylate-dependent protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA) pathway is the main signaling pathway in response to environmental stress, and the PKAC is the terminal catalytic subunit of this pathway. In this study, the Pkac gene was identified in F. filiformis, which was highly conserved in basidiomycetes and ascomycetes. The transcription analysis showed that the Pkac gene was involved in the mycelial growth and the fruiting body development of fungi. In Neurospora crassa, the Pkac gene deletion (ΔPkac) resulted in the slower growth of the mycelia. We complemented the F. filiformis FfPkac to N. crassa ΔPkac mutant to obtain the CPkac strain. The mycelial growth in the CPkac strain was restored to the same level as the WT strain. In addition, the FfPkac gene showed significantly up-regulated expression under heat and oxidative stresses. By analyzing the differentially expressed genes of ΔPkac and Cpkac with WT, respectively, seven downstream genes regulated by Pkac were identified and may be related to mycelial growth. They were mainly focused on microbial metabolism in diverse environments, mitochondrial biogenesis, protein translation and nucleocytoplasmic transport. RT-qPCR results confirmed that the expression patterns of these seven genes were consistent with FfPkac under heat and oxidative stresses. The results revealed the conserved functions of PKAC in filamentous fungi and its regulatory mechanism in response to heat and oxidative stresses.
Nonlinear Vibration Induced by Friction in a Ball Joint System
Authors: Kang Jaeyoung
Published: August 2022

In this paper, the nonlinear oscillations induced by friction in a ball-on-socket system are investigated. The nonlinear time response was obtained by solving the differential equations of the friction-noise model of the finite element ball with multiple modes. The different patterns of motion were analyzed via the bifurcation diagram, Poincare map, and recurrence plot. The Lyapunov exponents of the discontinuous system with distributed contact were calculated using the Muller method. From the analysis, it is shown that a friction-noise of a ball joint can retain periodic, quasi-periodic, or chaotic oscillations with respect to tilted contact.
Near-Net Forging of Titanium and Titanium Alloys with Low Friction and Low Work Hardening by Using Carbon-Supersaturated SKD11 Dies
Authors: Aizawa Tatsuhiko , Funazuka Tatsuya , Shiratori Tomomi
Published: August 2022

A new near-net forging procedure of titanium and titanium alloys was proposed by using a carbon-supersaturated punch and die. Due to the in situ formation of carbon-based tribofilm on the contact interface between the dies and work materials, a low frictional state was sustained through the forging process even in a high reduction in thickness. The work hardening was suppressed during forging; an additional annealing process was unnecessary through the whole process of near-net forging. Pure titanium and β-phase titanium alloy wires were utilized to describe their galling-free forging behavior when increasing the reduction in thickness. Wires with a diameter of 3 mm were upset in a single-shot forging. The reduction in thickness reached 58% when upsetting the pure titanium wire and 45% when upsetting the β-phase titanium alloys, without lubricating materials or oils at room temperature. The friction coefficient on the contact interface was estimated to be 0.05 by inverse analysis. The work-hardening behavior was described by the hardness mapping on the work cross section. The formation of carbon tribofilms was explained by microstructural analysis, element mapping, and Raman spectroscopy. This tribofilm was formed from the isolated carbon solute from the carbon-supersaturated punch and die to sustain the in situ solid lubrication on the contact interface.
Measuring the Frictional Behavior and Adhesion of PET Bottles
Authors: Georgiou Emmanuel P. , Drees Dirk , Lopes Lais M. , Gerlach Christian
Published: August 2022

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), due to its excellent physical and chemical properties, has become a widely used packaging material for liquids across many consumer market segments. However, one of the most common problems met in bottle manufacturing is the pile-up of bottles during conveying, due to static electrification caused by localized friction. To minimize such phenomena, a thin lubricant layer is applied onto the bottles. The absence of a thin lubricant layer increases the risk of localized sticking phenomena and pileups. In this work, an attempt is made to study the frictional behavior of commercially available PET bottles, with and without lubrication by using a high precision and light load technique. By analyzing the complete tribological pattern of the tangential force and not just averaged values, localized sticking events can be identified. In addition, by performing indentation-retraction measurements the electrostatic forces in a bottle-to-bottle contact can be measured. By combining light load friction and adhesion methods, a better understanding of PET sticking phenomena can be achieved which then can be translated in optimizing (minimizing) the amount of lubricant to be used.
Comprehensive Analysis of Influencing Factors of AC Copper Loss for High-Speed Permanent Magnet Machine with Round Copper Wire Windings
Authors: Du Guanghui , Ye Weilin , Zhang Yufeng , Wang Lu , Pu Tao
Published: August 2022

AC copper loss from stator winding is one of the main losses of the high-speed permanent magnet machines (HSPMMs) and directly affects the performance of the machines. AC copper losses are influenced by many factors, including the frequency, conductor diameter, temperature performance, etc. These factors cause the AC losses to increase significantly at high frequencies due to the skin effect and proximity effect. In this paper, a comprehensive analysis of the AC copper losses of HSPMMs with round copper wire windings is presented. Firstly, the structure and parameters of a 60 kW, 30,000 rpm high-speed permanent magnet machine are provided. Then, based on this parameter, a 2D-finite element model (2D-FEM) is established to obtain the AC copper loss. Through the eddy-current field analysis, the current density distribution of the stator winding and the variation trends of AC copper losses under different frequencies are observed. In addition, by comparing the winding current density distribution and the AC copper loss value under different conditions, the influencing factors of AC winding losses are comprehensively analyzed, including the frequency, conductor diameter, number of conductors per slot, notch height of the stator slot, and working temperature. Finally, four stator coil cases are manufactured, which have different conductor diameters and wire strands. The AC losses of the four cases at different frequencies are tested, and the theoretical results are verified by measuring the AC/DC loss ratios (kac) of different conductor cases at various frequencies.
The Role of Instant Centers in Kinematics and Dynamics of Planar Mechanisms: Review of LaMaViP’s Contributions
Authors: Di Gregorio Raffaele
Published: August 2022

Theoretical kinematics and dynamics is one of the research fields where LaMaViP (Laboratory of Mechatronics and Virtual Prototyping) operates, which is the lab leaded by the author at the University of Ferrara. In the last two decades, this research activity at LaMaViP has produced, among others, many novel results that highlight how instant centers’ (ICs) locations condition the kinetostatic and dynamic behaviors of planar mechanisms, and that provide tools suitable for design purposes. This paper reviews/summarizes the tools devised at LaMaViP for PM analysis and synthesis through ICs, and shows that they are a complete set of tools, which make the full description of PMs’ kinematics and dynamics possible, and that the new IC features, identified while setting up these tools, are relevant in machine design.
Optimization of Shearer Drum Based on Multi-Objective Bat Algorithm with Grid (MOBA/G)
Authors: Duan Mingyu , Huang Qibai , Xu Ren , Wang Chenlin , Xu Jing
Published: August 2022

The shearer drum undertakes the main function of coal falling and loading, and picks distributed on it have a great impact on the performance of the drum. However, few studies have optimized the pick and drum at the same time. In this paper, parameters of pick and drum are considered as design variables, and the response functions of design variables are established based on the central composite experiment method. The optimal structural and working parameters of the pick and the drum of MG500/1130-WD shearer are obtained by using the multi-objective bat algorithm and multi-objective bat algorithm with grid, respectively. Comparing results of the two algorithms, the multi-objective bat algorithm with grid is more effective in improving the comprehensive performance of the drum. According to the optimized design variables, a coal mining test is carried out to verify the optimization effect of the algorithm. The result provides some theoretical references for the design and production of the drum and has some engineering application value.
Analysis of Load Loss Characteristics of FeCo Alloy High Speed Permanent Magnet Motor
Authors: Tao Dajun , Li Guifen , Hou Peng , Hu Gang
Published: August 2022

In order to study the change law of loss and efficiency of high-speed permanent magnet motor (HSPMM) under load after using FeCo_B800 alloy material instead of silicon steel sheet DW310_35 material to make iron core, two FeCo_B800 stator materials with the same structure and size parameters were developed. HSPMM and HSPMM of silicon steel DW310_35 stator material. The loss and efficiency characteristics of the two motors under the same operating conditions were tested by the experimental method, and the losses of the two motors at different load rates were compared and analyzed by means of the finite element method. The research results show that at light load, the FeCo_B800 motor stator core loss is lower than the DW310_35 silicon steel sheet motor, and the efficiency advantage is very obvious; however, with the increase of the load rate, the FeCo_B800 motor stator core is seriously saturated, resulting in the distortion of the winding magnetomotive force waveform. The loss caused by the harmonics of the winding magnetomotive force is higher than that of the DW310_35 silicon steel sheet motor, and the efficiency advantage of the FeCo-B800 motor gradually decreases with the increase of the load rate.
Transmission Parameter Design and Characteristic Analysis of Three-Row Parallel Planetary Gear HMCVT
Authors: Zhou Huadong , Wang Lin , Lu Zhixiong , Qian Jin , Zhang Haijun , Zhao Yirong , Cheng Zhun , Wang Xingwei
Published: August 2022

A three-planetary-row linkage HMCVT scheme is designed for the operation requirements of low speed and high torque of tractors. The HM1 section adopts hydraulic mechanical power to begin its operations so that the tractor can obtain a greater transmission ratio at a low speed. The HM2 and HM3 sections adopt an “equal ratio” design so that the system has a better speed-regulation performance. The clutches controlling forward and backward movements are placed on the output shaft so that the forward and backward sections have a wider speed range. The stepless speed-regulation characteristics and torque characteristics of HMCVT are analyzed, and they can meet the kinematic and dynamic requirements. The transmission ratios of the three sections are as follows: HM1 section, 14-1.85; HM2 section, 1.85-1.04; HM3 section, 1.04-0.6. The corresponding tractor speed ranges are as follows: HM1 section, 0.2–14 km/h; HM2 section, 14–26 km/h; HM3 section, 32–46 km/h. According to energy conservation, the transmission efficiency of the system is analyzed in combination with the power flow characteristics; the highest transmission efficiencies are as follows: HM1 section, 0.85; HM2 section, 0.88; HM3 section, 0.92. When the system has cycle power, the overall transmission efficiency of the system is low and is greatly affected by the change in displacement ratio; when the system does not have cycle power, the transmission efficiency is less affected by the displacement ratio.
Smart Manufacturing—Theories, Methods, and Applications
Authors: Bi Zhuming , Xu Lida , Ouyang Puren
Published: August 2022

Smart manufacturing (SM) distinguishes itself from other system paradigms by introducing ‘smartness’ as a measure to a manufacturing system; however, researchers in different domains have different expectations of system smartness from their own perspectives [...]
A Novel MSFED Feature for the Intelligent Fault Diagnosis of Rotating Machines
Authors: Zhou Qi , Zhang Xuyan , Wu Chaoqun
Published: August 2022

The vibration energy distribution pattern usually changes with the rotating machine’s health state and is a good indicator for intelligent fault diagnosis (IFD). The existing initial features such as RMS are less effective in revealing the vibration energy distribution pattern, and the frequency spectrum cannot provide a rich and hierarchical description of the vibration energy distribution pattern. Addressing this issue, we proposed a multi-scale frequency energy distribution (MSFED) feature for the IFD of rotating machines. The MSFED feature can reveal the vibration energy distribution patterns in the frequency domain in a multi-scale manner, and its one-dimensional vector and two-dimensional map formats make it usable for most IFD models. Experimental validation on the gearbox and bearing datasets verified that the MSFED feature achieved the highest diagnostic accuracy among commonly used initial features, in typical fault diagnosis scenarios except for the variable-load scenario. Furthermore, the separability and transferability of the MSFED feature were evaluated by distance-based metrics, and the results were in agreement with the features’ diagnostic performance. This work provides an important reference for the IFD of rotating machines, not only proposing a novel MSFED feature but also opening a new avenue for model-independent methods of the initial quality evaluation.
A Mathematical Study of the (3+1)-D Variable Coefficients Generalized Shallow Water Wave Equation with Its Application in the Interaction between the Lump and Soliton Solutions
Authors: Li Ruijuan , İlhan Onur Alp , Manafian Jalil , Mahmoud Khaled H. , Abotaleb Mostafa , Kadi Ammar
Published: August 2022

In this paper, the Hirota bilinear method, which is an important scheme, is used. The equation of the shallow water wave in oceanography and atmospheric science is extended to (3+1) dimensions, which is a well-known equation. A lot of classes of rational solutions by selecting the interaction between a lump and one- or two-soliton solutions are obtained. The bilinear form is considered in terms of Hirota derivatives. Accordingly, the logarithm algorithm to obtain the exact solutions of a (3+1)-dimensional variable-coefficient (VC) generalized shallow water wave equation is utilized. The analytical treatment of extended homoclinic breather wave solutions is studied and plotted in three forms 3D, 2D, and density plots. Using suitable mathematical assumptions, the established solutions are included in view of a combination of two periodic and two solitons in terms of two trigonometric and two hyperbolic functions for the governing equation. Maple software for computing the complicated calculations of nonlinear algebra equations is used. The effect of the free parameters on the behavior of acquired figures to a few obtained solutions for two nonlinear rational exact cases was also discussed.
Thumbnail Secret Image Sharing in Cloud Storage
Authors: Yu Yongqiang , Yan Xuehu , Wang Shudong , Wang Xianhui , Lu Huan
Published: August 2022

In recent years, the amount of data has increased explosively, which has spawned the large-scale development of cloud storage. Increasingly, individuals and enterprises store images in cloud space. The storage security of the cloud is generally guaranteed by encryption, but this can no longer meet the needs of image management and protection. In order to realize the management and loss tolerance of images, this paper proposes a thumbnail secret image sharing method. The proposed scheme combines the advantages of thumbnail-preserving encryption (TPE) and secret image sharing (SIS) with different meaningful shadows. Thumbnails can realize the visual management of stored images, and secret image sharing can realize the perfect security of stored images. The proposed scheme realizes the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of images, which are three elements of information security. Compared with TPE, our scheme not only realizes the visual management of images but also achieves loss tolerance and perfect security. Compared with SIS with different meaningful shadows, our scheme will greatly improve the sharing efficiency and reduce the consumption of computing resources. In this paper, the theoretical analysis and security proof of the proposed scheme are presented. In addition, we also conduct sufficient experiments and comparative explanations.
Comparative Analysis of Different Iterative Methods for Solving Current–Voltage Characteristics of Double and Triple Diode Models of Solar Cells
Authors: Ćalasan Martin , Al-Dhaifallah Mujahed , Ali Ziad M. , Abdel Aleem Shady H. E.
Published: August 2022

The current–voltage characteristics of the double diode and triple diode models of solar cells are highly nonlinear functions, for which there is no analytical solution. Hence, an iterative approach for calculating the current as a function of voltage is required to estimate the parameters of these models, regardless of the approach (metaheuristic, hybrid, etc.) used. In this regard, this paper investigates the performance of four standard iterative methods (Newton, modified Newton, Secant, and Regula Falsi) and one advanced iterative method based on the Lambert W function. The comparison was performed in terms of the required number of iterations for calculating the current as a function of voltage with reasonable accuracy. Impact of the initial conditions on these methods’ performance and the time consumed was also investigated. Tests were performed for different parameters of the well-known RTC France solar cell and Photowatt-PWP module used in many research works for the triple and double diode models. The advanced iterative method based on the Lambert W function is almost independent of the initial conditions and more efficient and precise than the other iterative methods investigated in this work.
Characterizations of Continuous Fractional Bessel Wavelet Transforms
Authors: Srivastava Hari M. , Mishra Kush Kumar , Upadhyay Santosh K.
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we present a systematic study of the various characteristics and properties of some continuous and discrete fractional Bessel wavelet transforms. The method is based upon the theory of the fractional Hankel transform.
Generalized Approach to Differentiability
Authors: Koceić-Bilan Nikola , Braić Snježana
Published: August 2022

In the traditional approach to differentiability, found in almost all university textbooks, this notion is considered only for interior points of the domain of function or for functions with an open domain. This approach leads to the fact that differentiability has usually been considered only for functions with an open domain in Rn, which severely limits the possibility of applying the potential techniques and tools of differential calculus to a broader class of functions. Although there is a great need for generalization of the notion of differentiability of a function in various problems of mathematical analysis and other mathematical branches, the notion of differentiability of a function at the non-interior points of its domain has almost not been considered or successfully defined. In this paper, we have generalized the differentiability of scalar and vector functions of several variables by defining it at non-interior points of the domain of the function, which include not only boundary points but also all points at which the notion of linearization is meaningful (points admitting nbd rays). This generalization allows applications in all areas where standard differentiability can be applied. With this generalized approach to differentiability, some unexpected phenomena may occur, such as a function discontinuity at a point where a function is differentiable, the non-uniqueness of differentials… However, if one reduces this theory only to points with some special properties (points admitting a linearization space with dimension equal to the dimension of the ambient Euclidean space of the domain and admitting a raylike neighborhood, which includes the interior points of a domain), then all properties and theorems belonging to the known theory of differentiability remain valid in this extended theory. For generalized differentiability, the corresponding calculus (differentiation techniques) is also provided by matrices—representatives of differentials at points. In this calculus the role of partial derivatives (which in general cannot exist for differentiable functions at some points) is taken by directional derivatives.
A Topological Machine Learning Pipeline for Classification
Authors: Conti Francesco , Moroni Davide , Pascali Maria Antonietta
Published: August 2022

In this work, we develop a pipeline that associates Persistence Diagrams to digital data via the most appropriate filtration for the type of data considered. Using a grid search approach, this pipeline determines optimal representation methods and parameters. The development of such a topological pipeline for Machine Learning involves two crucial steps that strongly affect its performance: firstly, digital data must be represented as an algebraic object with a proper associated filtration in order to compute its topological summary, the Persistence Diagram. Secondly, the persistence diagram must be transformed with suitable representation methods in order to be introduced in a Machine Learning algorithm. We assess the performance of our pipeline, and in parallel, we compare the different representation methods on popular benchmark datasets. This work is a first step toward both an easy and ready-to-use pipeline for data classification using persistent homology and Machine Learning, and to understand the theoretical reasons why, given a dataset and a task to be performed, a pair (filtration, topological representation) is better than another.