bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf, a Traditional Chinese Edible Medicinal Herb, Promotes Neuronal Differentiation, and the Morphological Maturation of Newborn Neurons in Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells
Authors: Jiang Xia , Hu Zhaotun , Qiu Xiaoyan , Wu Liming , Zhou Rong , Yang Yaoyao , Xiang Xiaoliang
Published: November 2023

Neurogenesis in the adult brain comprises the entire set of events of neuronal development. It begins with the division of precursor cells to form a mature, integrated, and functioning neuronal network. Adult neurogenesis is believed to play an important role in animals’ cognitive abilities, including learning and memory. In the present study, significant neuronal differentiation-promoting activity of 80% (v/v) ethanol extract of P. cocos (EEPC) was found in Neuro-2a cells and mouse cortical neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs). Subsequently, a total of 97 compounds in EEPC were identified by UHPLC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS. Among them, four major compounds—Adenosine; Choline; Ethyl palmitoleate; and L-(-)-arabinitol—were further studied for their neuronal differentiation-promoting activity. Of which, choline has the most significant neuronal differentiation-promoting activity, indicating that choline, as the main bioactive compound in P. cocos, may have a positive effect on learning and memory functions. Compared with similar research literature, this is the first time that the neuronal differentiation-promoting effects of P. cocos extract have been studied.
Laser Ablation of Silicon Nanoparticles and Their Use in Charge-Coupled Devices for UV Light Sensing via Wavelength-Shifting Properties
Authors: Lazauskas Algirdas , Gimžauskaitė Dovilė , Ilickas Mindaugas , Marcinauskas Liutauras , Aikas Mindaugas , Abakevičienė Brigita , Volyniuk Dmytro
Published: November 2023

This study explores the controlled laser ablation and corresponding properties of silicon nanoparticles (Si NP) with potential applications in ultraviolet (UV) light sensing. The size distribution of Si NPs was manipulated by adjusting the laser scanning speed during laser ablation of a silicon target in a styrene solution. Characterization techniques, including transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence analysis, were employed to investigate the Si NP structural and photophysical properties. Si NP produced at a laser scanning speed of 3000 mm/s exhibited an average diameter of ~4 nm, polydispersity index of 0.811, and a hypsochromic shift in the Raman spectrum peak position. Under photoexcitation at 365 nm, these Si NPs emitted apparent white light, demonstrating their potential for optoelectronic applications. Photoluminescence analysis revealed biexponential decay behavior, suggesting multiple radiative recombination pathways within the nanoscale structure. Furthermore, a thin film containing Si NP was utilized as a passive filter for a 2nd generation CCD detector, expanding the functionality of the non-UV-sensitive detectors in optics, spectrometry, and sensor technologies.
Performance Analysis of Multi-Hop FSOC over Gamma-Gamma Turbulence and Random Fog with Generalized Pointing Errors
Authors: Chang Yidi , Liu Zhi , Yao Haifeng , Gao Shiming , Dong Keyan , Liu Shutong
Published: November 2023

The multi-hop amplify-and-forward free-space optical communication (FSOC) system is studied in random fog using the I-function, considering Gamma-Gamma atmospheric turbulence and Beckmann pointing error. Outage probability, average bit error rate and average ergodic channel capacity are obtained. Channel-state-information assisted relay performs better than fixed-gain relay under high transmitted power. Increasing the hop number significantly improves the performance. More hops are needed in medium fog than in light fog to achieve the same performance. In addition, on a single-hop link, the influence of fog channel on system performance is dominant, while atmospheric turbulence intensity, normalized jitter standard deviation and normalized boresight error have little effect on the system performance. However, on a multi-hop link, atmospheric turbulence intensity, normalized jitter standard deviation and normalized boresight error have serious effects on system performance. Compared with correcting the normalized boresight error, compensating the normalized jitter standard deviation greatly improves the multi-hop FSOC system performance. Furthermore, optimizing beam width can further improves the performance. To ensure good communication, the system should select a low-order modulation scheme.
Rotary Friction Welding of Dissimilar Polymer Rods Containing Metal Powder
Authors: Kuo Chil-Chyuan , Chen Hong-Wei , Huang Song-Hua
Published: November 2023

Three-dimensional printing is widely used for manufacturing a variety of functional components. However, the 3D printing machine substantially limits the size of the functional components. Rotary friction welding (RFW) is a possible solution to this problem. In addition, there is a notable scarcity of research directed toward the domain knowledge of RFW involving dissimilar polymer rods containing metal powder. In this study, two welding specimens fabricated by polylactic acid (PLA)-containing copper powder and PLA-containing aluminum powder were joined using a turning machine. After RFW, a bending test and a Shore A surface hardness test were performed to investigate the weld quality. It was found that the bending strength of the welded parts fabricated by RFW of PLA and PLA-containing Al powder rods can be enhanced by about 57.5% when the welded part is placed at 45 °C. Surface hardness test results showed that the surface hardness of the weld interface is better than that of the 3D printed parts, and the average surface hardness of the weld interface from RFW of PLA and PLA is the highest. The surface hardness of the weld joint is about 3% higher than that of the base material. The surface hardness of the heat-affected zone is about 3% lower than that of the base material. The average peak temperature of the welded joint is the highest in the RFW of PLA-containing Al powder and PLA-containing Al powder rods. The average peak temperature of the weld joint can be as high as 160 °C. The average peak temperature of the welded joint is the highest in the RFW of PLA-containing Cu powder and PLA-containing Cu powder rods. The average peak temperature of the welded joint can be as high as 144 °C. A technical database was built for the selection of ambient temperatures used for the RFW of dissimilar polymer rods containing metal powder and three base materials.
Optimization of Extrusion Conditions for an Extruded Food Enriched with Mango By-Products (Mangifera indica var. Tommy Atkins) via Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Medina-Rendon Esther , Beltran-Medina Elisa , Guatemala-Morales Guadalupe , Padilla-Camberos Eduardo , Corona-González Rosa , Mondragón-Cortez Pedro , Arriola-Guevara Enrique
Published: November 2023

Today, mango by-products are produced in significant amounts, posing an environmental problem. Their incorporation into food products offers a solution to this problem. An extruded food product formulated with the flours of white corn, mango peel, and mango kernel was developed. To obtain the desired quality regarding the physical and chemical characteristics of the extruded food product, an optimization study was carried out. Response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effect of the following extrusion process variables on the physical (expansion index (EI), hardness, water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI)) and chemical properties (total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity): the die temperature (DT, 100–130 °C), the feed moisture content (FMC, 17–21%), and the screw speed (SS, 80–120 rpm). Response surface and regression models were performed to determine the responses as a function of the process variables. Model optimization was carried out with an R2 of >0.60, maximizing the WAI and minimizing the hardness and the WSI. The optimal conditions were a DT of 120.66 °C, an FMC of 21.88%, and an SS of 66.36 rpm. The extruded product’s characteristics were an EI of 1.10, a hardness of 63.66 N, a WAI of 5.41 g/g, a WSI of 16.20%, a TPC of 3402 mg GAE/100 g sample, and an antioxidant capacity of 90.09 mg Etrolox/g (measured by DPPH) and 79.38 mg Etrolox/g (measured by ABTS); the overall desirability value was 0.870.
Radar-Based Particle Localization in Densely Packed Granular Assemblies
Authors: Schorlemer Jonas , Schenkel Francesca , Hilse Nikoline , Schulz Christian , Barowski Jan , Scherer Viktor , Rolfes Ilona
Published: November 2023

Particle tracking in densely packed granular assemblies is of great interest in mechanical process engineering. In this contribution, a radar-based system for particle localization as an initial step towards tracking is presented. This system comprises six transmitting and receiving antennas forming a “multiple-input multiple-output” setup positioned around a cuboidal reactor. The reactor is a standard batch grate system, which contains stationary spherical polyoxymethylene particles with a 10 mm diameter and a spherical steel tracer particle with a 20 mm diameter. The tracer is positioned at various locations at an optically transparent reactor wall. Electromagnetic waves must pass through the remaining three reactor walls to detect the tracer particle. Operating in the Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave mode within a 1.5 to 8.5 GHz frequency range, we compared radar-detected tracer positions with those from camera images. The results demonstrate a vertical localization accuracy with a standard deviation of σvert= 0.86 cm and a horizontal position accuracy with σhor= 0.17 cm. This study not only presents the achievements of radar-based particle localization but also delves into the potential and challenges of applying this technology to a specific measurement scenario within mechanical process engineering.
Finite Element Modeling and Optimization Analysis of Cutting Force in Powder Metallurgy Green Compacts
Authors: Yang Dayong , Zhang Yuchen , Wang Rui , Wei Furui , Zeng Lingxin , Liu Min
Published: November 2023

Powder metallurgy (PM) is a manufacturing technique that employs metal powder as the raw material, which is then molded and sintered to produce various products. PM green compacts are inherently weak, rendering them prone to damage during machining due to cutting forces, which also affect the quality of the machined surface. To study the impact of different machining variables on cutting force, a finite element simulation (FEM) was employed, focusing on cutting thickness, cutting speed, tool rake angle, and rounded edge radius. The results indicated that cutting thickness had a highly significant impact on cutting force, while the rounded-edge radius and cutting speed were also significant factors. The tool rake angle was found to have minimal effects. The optimal parameters for minimizing cutting force were identified: a cutting thickness of 0.20 mm, a cutting speed of 120 m/min, a tool rake angle of 0°, and a rounded-edge radius of 40 μm, which reduced the cutting force to 887.95 N.
Developing a Quality Control System in a Continuous Hot Air Heating Process in Surimi Seafood Processing Using Image Analysis and Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Yoon Won Byong , An Seohee , Oyinloye Timilehin Martins , Kim Jinho
Published: November 2023

In this study, the feasibility of classifying surimi gels during a continuous heating process using an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm on labeled images was investigated. Surimi paste with varying corn starch concentrations (0%, 5%, and 10%) and moisture content levels (78% and 80%) from Alaska pollock were analyzed for the subtle physical changes. Rheological characterization and K-means clustering analysis performed on entire images captured from different batches of heated surimi gel indicated a four-stage transformation from its initial state to gel formation with the temperature ranges spanning 25 to <40 °C, 40 to <50 °C, 50 to <55 °C, and 55 to 80 °C. Subsequently, a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model based on the temperature classification was designed to interpret and classify these images. A total of 1000 to 1200 images were used for the training, testing, and validation purposes in the ratio 7:1:2. The CNN architecture incorporated essential elements including an input layer, convolutional layers, rectified linear unit (ReLU) activation functions, normalization layers, and max-pooling layers. The CNN model achieved validation accuracy >92.67% for individual mixture composition, 94.53% for classifying surimi samples based on moisture content, and gelation level, and 89.73% for complex classifications involving moisture content, starch concentration, and gelation stages. Additionally, it exhibited high average precision, recall, and F1 scores (>0.92), indicating precision and sensitivity in identifying relevant instances. The success of CNN in non-destructively classifying surimi gels with different moisture and starch contents is demonstrated in this work.
The Vice of Social Comparison in Kierkegaard: Nature, Religious Moral Psychology, and Normativity
Authors: Kaftanski Wojciech
Published: November 2023

This paper argues for the thesis that social comparison is, for Kierkegaard, a vice. The first part of this article reconstructs Kierkegaard’s understanding of the nature of social comparison. Here, I bring attention to his anthropological but also political and sociological observations that pertain to social comparison and its links to modernity. The second part reconstructs the moral psychological account of social comparison in Kierkegaard, drawing on some of the available secondary literature. I complement Kierkegaard’s consideration of social comparison in relation to worry and humility with his account of the non-cognitive aspects of its operationality. The third part demonstrates that social comparison is a vice. Therein, drawing on the previous sections of this article, I identify Kierkegaard’s naturalistic argument engaged to present social comparison as a non-moral and non-religious vice (functionalism), pointing toward its intermeshing with the moral religious.
Caring for the Common Home and Calling for a Diverse Future: Pope Francis and Byung-Chul Han in Dialogue
Authors: Martins Adriana
Published: November 2023

The first few decades of the twenty-first century have posed various challenges to humankind such as the worldwide impact of the changing patterns of globalization processes, economic crises, the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the specter of deglobalization illustrate. The unknown and unpredictable future is a reason for utmost concern for the contemporary society that Byung-Chul Han characterizes as an “achievement society”—one that is dominated by “excessive positivity” and that has evolved into a “doping society”. This “palliative society” is such because it is unable to cope with pain, and it is marked by a kind of permanent analgesia that prevents urgent reforms from taking place. In this essay, I examine how Pope Francis’s encyclical letters Laudato Si’ (2015) and Fratelli Tutti (2020)—by calling for an integral ecology (which connects environmental, economic, political, social, cultural, and ethical issues), social friendship, solidarity, and the common good—instill hope in the burnout society that Han reflects upon, urge action toward, and encourage changes to overcome in the current environmental and human crisis, as well as to building a diverse future that is not palliative.
Design and Characterization of a Self-Aligning End-Effector Robot for Single-Joint Arm Movement Rehabilitation
Authors: Mathavan Jeyabalan Prem Kumar , Nehrujee Aravind , Elias Samuel , Magesh Kumar M. , Sujatha S. , Balasubramanian Sivakumar
Published: November 2023

Traditional end-effector robots for arm rehabilitation are usually attached at the hand, primarily focusing on coordinated multi-joint training. Therapy at an individual joint level of the arm for severely impaired stroke survivors is not always possible with existing end-effector robots. The Arm Rehabilitation Robot (AREBO)—an end-effector robot—was designed to provide both single and multi-joint assisted training while retaining the advantages of traditional end-effector robots, such as ease of use, compactness and portability, and potential cost-effectiveness (compared to exoskeletons). This work presents the design, optimization, and characterization of AREBO for training single-joint movements of the arm. AREBO has three actuated and three unactuated degrees of freedom, allowing it to apply forces in any arbitrary direction at its endpoint and self-align to arbitrary orientations within its workspace. AREBO’s link lengths were optimized to maximize its workspace and manipulability. AREBO provides single-joint training in both unassisted and adaptive weight support modes using a human arm model to estimate the human arm’s kinematics and dynamics without using additional sensors. The characterization of the robot’s controller and the algorithm for estimating the human arm parameters were performed using a two degrees of freedom mechatronic model of the human shoulder joint. The results demonstrate that (a) the movements of the human arm can be estimated using a model of the human arm and robot’s kinematics, (b) AREBO has similar transparency to that of existing arm therapy robots in the literature, and (c) the adaptive weight support mode control can adapt to different levels of impairment in the arm. This work demonstrates how an appropriately designed end-effector robot can be used for single-joint training, which can be easily extended to multi-joint training. Future work will focus on the evaluation of the system on patients with any neurological condition requiring arm training.
Lightweight Multi-Class Support Vector Machine-Based Medical Diagnosis System with Privacy Preservation
Authors: Abdelfattah Sherif , Baza Mohamed , Mahmoud Mohamed , Fouda Mostafa M. , Abualsaud Khalid , Yaacoub Elias , Alsabaan Maazen , Guizani Mohsen
Published: November 2023

Machine learning, powered by cloud servers, has found application in medical diagnosis, enhancing the capabilities of smart healthcare services. Research literature demonstrates that the support vector machine (SVM) consistently demonstrates remarkable accuracy in medical diagnosis. Nonetheless, safeguarding patients’ health data privacy and preserving the intellectual property of diagnosis models is of paramount importance. This concern arises from the common practice of outsourcing these models to third-party cloud servers that may not be entirely trustworthy. Few studies in the literature have delved into addressing these issues within SVM-based diagnosis systems. These studies, however, typically demand substantial communication and computational resources and may fail to conceal classification results and protect model intellectual property. This paper aims to tackle these limitations within a multi-class SVM medical diagnosis system. To achieve this, we have introduced modifications to an inner product encryption cryptosystem and incorporated it into our medical diagnosis framework. Notably, our cryptosystem proves to be more efficient than the Paillier and multi-party computation cryptography methods employed in previous research. Although we focus on a medical application in this paper, our approach can also be used for other applications that need the evaluation of machine learning models in a privacy-preserving way such as electricity theft detection in the smart grid, electric vehicle charging coordination, and vehicular social networks. To assess the performance and security of our approach, we conducted comprehensive analyses and experiments. Our findings demonstrate that our proposed method successfully fulfills our security and privacy objectives while maintaining high classification accuracy and minimizing communication and computational overhead.
Research on an Intelligent Mining Complete System of a Fully Mechanized Mining Face in Thin Coal Seam
Authors: Ren Bo , Ding Ke , Wang Lianguo , Wang Shuai , Jiang Chongyang , Guo Jiaxing
Published: November 2023

The mining environment of thin coal seam working faces is generally harsh, the labor intensity is high, and the production efficiency is low. Previous studies have shown that thin coal seam mining finds it difficult to follow machines, does not have complete sets of equipment, has a low degree of automation, and has difficult system co-control, which easily causes production safety accidents. In order to effectively solve the problems existing in thin coal seam mining, Binhu Coal Mine has established intelligent fully mechanized mining and actively explored automatic coal cutting, automatic support following, and intelligent control. The combination of an SAC electro-hydraulic control system and SAP pumping station control system has been applied in 16,108 intelligent fully mechanized coal mining faces, which realizes the automatic following of underground support and the control of adjacent support, partition support, and group operation; the automatic coal cutting of the shearer is realized by editing the automatic coal-cutting state of the shearer and adjusting the automatic parameters. A centralized control center is set up, which realizes the remote control and one-button start–stop of working face equipment. Through a comparative analysis of 16,108 intelligent fully mechanized mining faces and traditional fully mechanized mining faces, it is found that intelligent fully mechanized mining faces have obvious advantages in terms of equipment maintenance, equipment operation mode, and working face efficiency, which improve the equipment and technical mining level of thin coal seam. The application of intelligent mining in Binhu Coal Mine has a great and far-reaching impact on the development of thin coal seam mining technology in China.
Estimation of Lower Limb Joint Angles and Joint Moments during Different Locomotive Activities Using the Inertial Measurement Units and a Hybrid Deep Learning Model
Authors: Wang Fanjie , Liang Wenqi , Afzal Hafiz Muhammad Rehan , Fan Ao , Li Wenjiong , Dai Xiaoqian , Liu Shujuan , Hu Yiwei , Li Zhili , Yang Pengfei
Published: November 2023

Using inertial measurement units (IMUs) to estimate lower limb joint kinematics and kinetics can provide valuable information for disease diagnosis and rehabilitation assessment. To estimate gait parameters using IMUs, model-based filtering approaches have been proposed, such as the Kalman filter and complementary filter. However, these methods require special calibration and alignment of IMUs. The development of deep learning algorithms has facilitated the application of IMUs in biomechanics as it does not require particular calibration and alignment procedures of IMUs in use. To estimate hip/knee/ankle joint angles and moments in the sagittal plane, a subject-independent temporal convolutional neural network-bidirectional long short-term memory network (TCN-BiLSTM) model was proposed using three IMUs. A public benchmark dataset containing the most representative locomotive activities in daily life was used to train and evaluate the TCN-BiLSTM model. The mean Pearson correlation coefficient of joint angles and moments estimated by the proposed model reached 0.92 and 0.87, respectively. This indicates that the TCN-BiLSTM model can effectively estimate joint angles and moments in multiple scenarios, demonstrating its potential for application in clinical and daily life scenarios.
Overview of Energy Systems in Africa: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Santos Michael M. , Vaz Ferreira Ana Teresa , Lanzinha João C. G.
Published: November 2023

Africa has abundant solar resources but only 2% of its current capacity is generated from renewable sources. Photovoltaics (PV) offer sustainable, decentralized electricity access to meet development needs. This review synthesizes the recent literature on PV in Africa, with a focus on Mozambique. The 10 most cited studies highlight the optimization of technical components, such as storage and bifacial modules, and challenges in integrating large-scale PV. Case studies demonstrated Mozambique’s potential for PV applications in water heating, irrigation, and rural electrification. These benefits include reduced emissions and energy access. However, barriers, such as high costs, lack of infrastructure, and training, exist. While solar cookers are insufficient, thermal systems have unrealized potential. Mozambique’s urban and rural electrification rates are 57% and 13%, respectively, despite its energy resources. Targeted policies, financing, and community engagement are essential for promoting adoption. While PV can sustainably expand electricity access, coordinated efforts must address costs, infrastructure, maintenance, and social factors for successful implementation. Mozambique has immense solar potential, but strategic planning and support are critical to unlocking these benefits. This review provides insights into optimizing PV systems and policy frameworks for a clean and inclusive energy production future in Africa, to synthesize the 10 most cited studies on photovoltaic solar energy in Africa, and to deeply reflect upon the current energy needs in Mozambique, the benefits of employing PV and solar thermal systems, and the challenges of implementing such systems within the Mozambican context.
Periodized Aerobic Training between Thresholds Improves Submaximal Cardiorespiratory Parameters in Octogenarians
Authors: Cofre-Bolados Cristian , Vidal Félix , Gutiérrez Espinoza Héctor , Betancourt-Peters Ignacio , Orihuela Pedro A. , Izquierdo Mikel
Published: November 2023

Background and Aims: The worldwide aging population is expanding, with more individuals living into their 80s. Physiological functions decline gradually with age, compounded by sedentary lifestyles. Incorporating physical activity into daily routine is crucial for maintaining independence. This study aimed to assess a periodized high-intensity aerobic training program (PEZO-BT) in octogenarians, focusing on submaximal ergospirometry effects. Methods: A total of 48 non-frail octogenarian subjects (12 females, 36 males) were randomized into control and intervention groups. All subjects underwent submaximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing with gas analysis at baseline, stopping after the respiratory compensation point (RCP). Our intervention group completed a 14-week PEZO-BT aerobic training program. The outcomes were oxygen consumption at first ventilatory threshold (VO2AT), ventilatory efficiency slope (VE/VCO2), oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES), cardiorespiratory optimal point (COP), oxygen pulse change (ΔVO2/HR) from anaerobic threshold (AT) to respiratory compensation point (RCP), and power output at anaerobic threshold (POAT). Results: Mixed ANOVA examined time and treatment effects. If significance emerged, post hoc t-tests were used to compare significances between groups. The homogeneity of variance was assessed using Levene’s test. Chi-square tests compared ergospirometry criteria and ventilatory performance within groups. The mean differences at post intervention were significant in VO2AT (p < 0.001), VE/VCO2 (p < 0.001), ΔVO2/HR (p < 0.05), and POAT (p < 0.001), while OUES and COP were not significant (p > 0.05). However, clinical effects were observed in the entire intervention group. Conclusions: Training improved exercise capacity and workload. Overall, this periodic aerobic and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program yielded significant improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in previously untrained octogenarians with and without comorbidities. The findings suggest implications for promoting long-term healthy aging.
Fog Water Collection for Local Greenhouse Vegetable Production in the Atacama Desert
Authors: Albornoz Francisco , del Río Camilo , Carter Virginia , Escobar Rodrigo , Vásquez Lucas
Published: November 2023

Agricultural production in the Atacama Desert is restricted by extreme aridity and poor soil quality. Between 18° S and 30° S, low stratocumulus clouds regularly cover the southeastern Pacific Ocean reaching the Coastal Cordillera. Thus, marine fog is constantly present in the coastal areas of the desert. Fog can be harvested using fog collectors. However, limited information is available with regards to the variability of fog presence throughout the year and along the coast of the desert. Combining fog water harvest with hydroponic production under greenhouse facilities presents an alternative for sustainable and local fresh food production. In this article, we analyze the potential of fog water collection in two sites (Alto Patache and Falda Verde) distant by about 1000 km within the Atacama Desert. Additionally, in both locations, the environmental conditions within greenhouse structures, the potential energy requirement for environmental conditioning (including the energy production from photovoltaic panels) and the water requirements of vegetable crops under greenhouse conditions were modeled. The annual average of fog water collection registered was 2.9 and 3.3 L per day per m2 in Alto Patache and Falda Verde, respectively. During the most demanding season for crop evapotranspiration, 2.13 m2 of fog collectors can supply the water required for 1 m2 of greenhouse crops. The energy required for water and air pumps in the hydroponic systems can be supplied with photovoltaic systems including eight PV modules and a battery storage capacity of 9.4 kWh. In conclusion, the present study sheds light on the possibilities of massive water collection from fog to be used in local and sustainable food production in the Atacama Desert.
Expert-Based Assessment of the Potential of Agroforestry Systems in Plain Regions across Bihor County, Western Romania
Authors: Budău Ruben , Apăfăian Andrei , Caradaică Mihail , Bratu Iulian A. , Timofte Claudia S. C. , Enescu Cristian M.
Published: November 2023

Agroforestry systems are gaining increasing attention worldwide due to their several benefits both for landowners and also for the environment. Even though Romania has a great potential for adopting these systems on a large scale, only a few examples exist. The aim of this research was to highlight the main agroforestry systems that could be introduced in plain regions across Bihor County, Western Romania. A selection of the most suitable woody species and cereals was carried, based on available data and information. In order to select the most suitable combination, a set of eight criteria was considered and an Analytical Hierarchy Process Analysis was performed, with the aid of the Expert Choice Desktop (v. 11.5.1683) software package. The combinations that had the black locust as the main tree species scored better in comparison with the ones that had pedunculate oak as a main species. This research should be regarded as a first and important step in the analysis of several combinations of agroforestry systems that could be implemented across plain regions of Bihor County. Lastly, this proposed model could be replicated in similar studies aimed at selecting the most suitable agroforestry systems for certain sites. Future research should also consider criteria that account for various aspects, including the functional relationships of these future green spaces with nearby areas.
Coupling Coordination and Spatiotemporal Evolution of Low-Carbon Logistics, Industrial Agglomeration, and Regional Economy in the Yangtze River Economic Belt
Authors: Huang Yixuan , Liu Mingfei
Published: November 2023

The logistics industry plays a crucial role in the global economy, but also poses significant challenges to the economy, society, and environment due to increasing carbon emissions. Therefore, coordinated development between the logistics industry and regional economy has become a strategic choice for achieving sustainable development. Taking the Yangtze River Economic Belt as an example, this study constructs an evaluation index system of “low-carbon logistics–industrial agglomeration–regional economy” to explore the coupling coordination relationship and spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of the three systems from 2006 to 2020. Furthermore, it analyzes the spatial correlation features and evolutionary trends of the coordinated development among the three systems. The results indicate that during the study period, the coupling coordination degree among the three systems in the Yangtze River Economic Belt showed a fluctuating upward trend but with a relatively low level of coordination. There were significant regional differences, presenting a stepped distribution pattern of “high in the east and low in the west.” The coordinated development among the three systems exhibited a significant positive spatial correlation, with “H–H” and “L–L” agglomerations being dominant. The spatial distribution of coupling coordination degree remained relatively stable, with the overall center of gravity located in the southeast of Hubei Province. The spatial evolution pattern showed a distinct “northeast–southwest” direction. Finally, suggestions for the coordinated and sustainable development of the three systems are put forward.
Have Chest Imaging Habits Changed in the Emergency Department after the Pandemic?
Authors: Arıkan Cüneyt , Bora Ejder Saylav , Kanter Efe , Karaarslan Fatma Nur
Published: November 2023

The rate of patients undergoing tomography in the emergency department has increased in the last two decades. In the last few years, there has been a more significant increase due to the effects of the pandemic. This study aimed to determine the rate of patients who underwent chest imaging in the emergency department, the preferred imaging method, and the demographic characteristics of the patients undergoing imaging during the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic periods. This retrospective cross-sectional study included patients admitted to the emergency department between January 2019 and March 2023. The number of female, male, and total emergency admissions, the rate of patients who underwent chest X-ray (CXR) and chest computed tomography (CCT), and the age and gender distribution of the cases who underwent chest imaging were compared according to the pre-pandemic (January 2019–February 2020), pandemic (March 2020–March 2022), and post-pandemic (April 2022–March 2023) periods. Total emergency admissions were similar in the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic periods (pre-pandemic period: 21,984 ± 2087; post-pandemic period: 22,732 ± 1701). Compared to the pre-pandemic period, the CCT rate increased (pre-pandemic period: 4.9 ± 0.9, post-pandemic period: 7.46 ± 1.2), and the CXR rate decreased (pre-pandemic period: 16.6 ± 1.7%, post-pandemic period: 13.3 ± 1.9%) in the post-pandemic period (p < 0.001). The mean age of patients who underwent chest imaging (CXR; Pre-pandemic period: 56.6 ± 1.1 years; post-pandemic period: 53.3 ± 5.6 years. CCT; Pre-pandemic period: 68.5 ± 1.7 years; post-pandemic period: 61 ± 4.0 years) in the post-pandemic period was lower than in the pre-pandemic period (p < 0.001). Chest imaging preferences in the emergency department have changed during the post-pandemic period. In the post-pandemic period, while younger patients underwent chest imaging in the emergency department, CCT was preferred, and the rate of CXR decreased. It is alarming for public health that patients are exposed to higher doses of radiation at a younger age.
SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a-Mediated NF-κB Activation Is Not Dependent on TRAF-Binding Sequence
Authors: Busscher Brianna M. , Befekadu Henock B. , Liu Zhonghua , Xiao Tsan Sam
Published: November 2023

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Excessive inflammation is a hallmark of severe COVID-19, and several proteins encoded in the SARS-CoV-2 genome are capable of stimulating inflammatory pathways. Among these, the accessory protein open reading frame 3a (ORF3a) has been implicated in COVID-19 pathology. Here we investigated the roles of ORF3a in binding to TNF receptor-associated factor (TRAF) proteins and inducing nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation. X-ray crystallography and a fluorescence polarization assay revealed low-affinity binding between an ORF3a N-terminal peptide and TRAFs, and a dual-luciferase assay demonstrated NF-κB activation by ORF3a. Nonetheless, mutation of the N-terminal TRAF-binding sequence PIQAS in ORF3a did not significantly diminish NF-κB activation in our assay. Our results thus suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 protein may activate NF-κB through alternative mechanisms.
Diesel Particle Filter Requirements for Euro 7 Technology Continuously Regenerating Heavy-Duty Applications
Authors: Mamakos Athanasios , Rose Dominik , Melas Anastasios , Gioria Roberto , Suarez-Bertoa Ricardo , Giechaskiel Barouch
Published: November 2023

The upcoming Euro 7 regulation for Heavy-Duty (HD) vehicles is calling for a further tightening of the Solid Particle Number (SPN) emissions by means of both lowering the applicable limits and shifting the lowest detectable size from 23 nm (SPN23) to 10 nm (SPN10). A late-technology diesel HD truck was tested on a chassis dynamometer in order to assess the necessary particle filtration requirements for a continuously regenerating system. The study showed that passive regeneration under real-world operating conditions can lead to a significant release of SPN10 particles from the current technology Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) when soot-loaded, even exceeding the currently applicable emission limits. The actual emissions during passive regeneration and following the clean-up of the DPF exceeded the proposed Euro 7 limits by more than an order of magnitude. A prototype DPF, exhibiting a 99% filtration efficiency when clean, was shown to effectively control SPN10 emissions under both operating conditions. The shift to SPN10 also necessitates control of nanoparticles forming inside the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system, which for the tested truck exceeded the proposed (hot) limit by up to 56%. A dedicated particle filter specifically designed to capture these particles was also evaluated, showing a better than 60% efficiency. The key message of this study is that SPN emissions can be kept at low levels under all conditions.
Effect of Sampling Method on Detection of the Equine Uterine Microbiome during Estrus
Authors: Heil B. A. , van Heule M. , Thompson S. K. , Kearns T. A. , Oberhaus E. L. , King G. , Daels P. , Dini P. , Sones J. L.
Published: November 2023

Bacterial endometritis is among the most common causes of subfertility in mares. It has a major economic impact on the equine breeding industry. The sensitivity of detecting uterine microbes using culture-based methods, irrespective of the sample collection method, double-guarded endometrial swab, endometrial biopsy, or uterine low-volume lavage (LVL), is low. Therefore, equine bacterial endometritis often goes undiagnosed. Sixteen individual mares were enrolled, and an endometrial sample was obtained using each method from all mares. After trimming, quality control and decontamination, 3824 amplicon sequence variants were detected in the dataset. We found using 16S rRNA sequencing that the equine uterus harbors a distinct resident microbiome during estrus. All three sampling methods used yielded similar results in composition as well as relative abundance at phyla (Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidota) and genus (Klebsiella, Mycoplasma, and Aeromonas) levels. A significant difference was found in alpha diversity (Chao1) between LVL and endometrial biopsy, suggesting that LVL is superior at detecting the low-abundant (rare) taxa. These new data could pave the way for innovative treatment methods for endometrial disease and subfertility in mares. This, in turn, could lead to more judicious antimicrobial use in the equine breeding industry.
Economic Aspects of Bovine Ephemeral Fever (BEF) Outbreaks in Dairy Cattle Herds
Authors: Lavon Yaniv , Ezra Ephraim , Friedgut Orly , Behar Adi
Published: November 2023

Bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) transmitted by blood-feeding insects (mosquitoes and Culicoides biting midges). While the dispersal of arboviral diseases such as bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) into naive areas is often the result of globalization and animal movement, the endemization and local outbreaks of these diseases are mainly influenced by environmental changes. Climate change affects the activity, distribution, dynamics, and life cycles of these vectors (arthropods), the replication of viruses within their vectors, and weakens animal’s immune systems. Although BEF does not currently occur in the Americas and Europe (other than in the western regions of Turkey), the risk of BEFV emergence, spread, and endemization in Europe is real. Over the past two decades, arboviruses such as the bluetongue virus (BTV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV) have emerged in Europe without warning and caused significant losses to the dairy and meat industries. Since the European cattle population has never been exposed to BEFV, the economic losses to dairy and beef production in this continent due to the reduction in milk production, loss of valuable cows, and abortion, should BEF emerge, would probably be considerable. Moreover, arboviruses can also cause substantial financial damage due to restrictions on animal trade and transportation, like the current EHDV-8 outbreak in the Mediterranean basin. In this study, we used national data stored in the Israeli herd book to examine the economic aspects of BEF outbreaks in affected dairy cattle farms countrywide. Our results demonstrate that BEF outbreaks can have immediate and delayed effects, causing severe economic losses due to culling (loss of valuable cows) and a reduction in milk production that affects dairy farm income for months after clinical diagnosis. To our knowledge, this is the first extensive study on the impact of a BEF outbreak at a population level, enabling to conduct accurate risk assessments in future cases of BEFV emergence and re-emergence.
Evaluation of Extreme Climate Indices over the Three Northeastern Provinces of China Based on CMIP6 Models Outputs
Authors: Xiao Heng , Zhuo Yue , Pang Kaiwen , Sun Hong , An Zhijia , Zhang Xiuyu
Published: November 2023

This study evaluates the performance of Global Climate Models (GCMs) in simulating extreme climate in three northeastern provinces of China (TNPC). A total of 23 GCMs from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) were selected and compared with observations from 1961 to 2010, using the 12 extreme climate indices defined by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indicators. The Interannual Variability Skill Score (IVS), Taylor diagrams and Taylor Skill Scores (S) were used as evaluation tools to compare the outputs of these 23 GCMs with the observations. The results show that the monthly minimum of daily minimum temperature (TNn) is overestimated in 55.7% of the regional grids, while the percentage of time when the daily minimum temperature is below the 10th percentile (TN10p) and the monthly mean difference between the daily maximum and minimum temperatures (DTR) are underestimated in more than 95% of the regional grids. The monthly maximum value of the daily maximum temperature (TXx) and the annual count when there are at least six consecutive days of the minimum temperature below the 10th percentile (CSDI) have relatively low regional spatial biases of 1.17 °C and 1.91 d, respectively. However, the regional spatial bias of annual count when the daily minimum temperature is below 0 °C (FD) is relatively high at 9 d. The GCMs can efficiently capture temporal variations in CSDI and TN10p (IVS < 0.5), as well as the spatial patterns of TNn and FD (S > 0.8). For the extreme precipitation indices, GCMs overestimate the annual total precipitation from days greater than the 95th percentile (R95p) and the annual count when precipitation is greater than or equal to 10 mm (R10 mm) in more than 90% of the regional grids. The maximum number of consecutive days when precipitation is below 1 mm (CDD) and the ratio of annual total precipitation to the number of wet days (greater than or equal to 1 mm) (SDII) are underestimated in more than 80% and 54% of the regional grids, respectively. The regional spatial bias of the monthly maximum consecutive 5-day precipitation (RX5day) is relatively small at 10.66%. GCMs are able to better capture temporal variations in the monthly maximum 1-day precipitation (RX1day) and SDII (IVS < 0.6), as well as spatial patterns in R95p and R10mm (S > 0.7). The findings of this study can provide a reference that can inform climate hazard risk management and mitigation strategies for the TNPC.
High-Order Boussinesq Equations for Water Wave Propagation in Porous Media
Authors: Wang Ping , Liu Zhongbo , Fang Kezhao , Sun Jiawen , Gou Daxun
Published: November 2023

To accurately capture wave dynamics in porous media, the higher-order Boussinesq-type equations for wave propagation in deep water are derived in this paper. Starting with the Laplace equations combined with the linear and nonlinear resistance force of the dynamic conditions on the free surface, the governing equations were formulated using various independent velocity variables, such as the depth-averaged velocity and the velocity at the still water level and at an arbitrary vertical position in the water column. The derived equations were then improved, and theoretical analyses were carried out to investigate the linear performances with respect to phase celerity and damping rate. It is shown that Boussinesq-type models with Padé [4, 4] dispersion can be applied in deep water. A numerical implementation for one-dimensional equations expressed with free surface elevation and depth-averaged velocity is presented. Solitary wave propagation in porous media was simulated, and the computed results were found to be generally in good agreement with the measurements.
Phototactic Behavioral Responses of Mesozooplankton in the Barents Sea as an Indicator of Anthropogenic Impact
Authors: Dyomin Victor , Morgalev Yuri , Morgalev Sergey , Davydova Alexandra , Kondratova Oksana , Morgaleva Tamara , Polovtsev Igor
Published: November 2023

The behavioral responses of autochthonous organisms have recently been used for a system to monitor the state of fresh and sea waters for bioindication. The advantage of using the behavioral responses of mesozooplankton is determined by the higher sensitivity of such responses compared with changes in the composition of biota or the death of organisms. Earlier, we developed and tested in laboratory conditions and in freshwater reservoirs a submersible digital holographic camera as part of a hydrobiological probe, which allows one to determine the dimensions, shape and recognition of plankters in situ, as well as define the concentration of plankters in the working volume and perform photostimulation with attractive radiation with different levels of illuminance. This paper presents the data obtained during the expedition to the Barents Sea. The variability with regard to the immersion depth of the phototropic response and the interspecific and intraspecific diversity was determined. It was shown that within the framework of natural variability in natural factors (temperature, salinity, hydrostatic pressure, oxygen content, illumination) there are no reliable changes in the indicator response, unlike changes in the concentration of plankton associated with tidal currents. The anthropogenic distortion of water quality was modeled by introducing a saturated salt solution dropwise. There were no significant changes in the intraspecific and interspecific diversity index during the external impact, and the rhythms of tidal changes in the concentration of plankters were suppressed. The fact of increased phototropic sensitivity in crustaceans with a size of less than 120 μm was found. It was established that the most essential marker of the alternating factor was the suppression of the phototropic response. The identified patterns of behavioral responses of autochthonous zooplankton make it possible to create a network of continuous control over the environmental health of water bodies subject to increased anthropogenic impact (oil production zones beyond the Arctic Circle, estuaries and deltas of rivers carrying industrial waste).