bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Near‐Atomic Scale Characterization of Mn‐Gradient in Reverted Austenite in Hot‐Rolled Medium‐Mn Steels
Authors: Shen Xiao , Qiao Hanmeng , Song Wenwen , Bleck Wolfgang
Published: June 2023

Herein, the Fe–5Mn–2Al–0.1C (wt%) and micro‐alloyed Fe–5Mn–2Al–0.1C–0.1Nb–0.2V (wt%) medium Mn steels are processed by a novel flash‐austenite‐reverse‐transformation (ART) annealing. The core–shell Mn‐gradient in austenite is observed and compositionally characterized at near‐atomic scale by using atom probe tomography. Compared with the conventional ART annealing, flash‐ART process doubled the austenite fraction in both materials, based on electron backscattering diffraction measurement. The rapid austenite reversion in flash‐ART annealed MMnS is attributed to the negligible partitioning local equilibrium controlled austenite kinetics at the flash temperature. The formation of core–shell Mn‐gradient is due to the different austenite growth kinetics and interface mobilities. Microalloying elements are found to form nano‐carbides, which leads to decelerating austenite reversion because of depleted carbon content in the initial martensitic microstructure, and retarding austenite growth according to pinning effect.
Directional Sulfur Removal from Ladle Furnace Slag by Electric Field Strengthening Treatment
Authors: Xia Wen-zhi , Wu Ting , Lei Jie , Zhang Chen , Bao Guang-da , Wang Hai-chuan
Published: June 2023

To develop a better understanding of the resource recycling of ladle furnace slag (LFS) in steel enterprises, electric field strengthening by direct current (DC) is tested as an effective method for sulfur removal from slag. Herein, sulfur removal from CaO–SiO2–Al2O3–MgO–CaF2–S (CSMAFS) slag with 4–12 wt% MgO under 0–6 V is observed at 1773 K, and the mechanism resulting from the electric field on sulfur migration is analyzed. It was concluded that with voltage increases in the range of 0–4 V, the slag network structure depolymerizes, and the melting temperature decreases, which are beneficial to sulfur migration. Mg2+, Ca2+, and other cations in the slag (cathode) are reduced, and S2−migrates to the molten steel (anode) to maintain electrochemical balance. However, sulfur migration reveals an opposite trend when the voltage is 6 V because the electric field force generated at 6 V is not sufficient to resist the combined forces of charge resistance and slag diffusion resistance.
Influence of Transformation Temperature on the High‐Cycle Fatigue Performance of Carbide‐Bearing and Carbide‐Free Bainite
Authors: Gulbay Oguz , Ackermann Marc , Gramlich Alexander , Durmaz Ali Riza , Steinbach Ingo , Krupp Ulrich
Published: June 2023

This study investigates the high‐cycle‐fatigue (HCF) behavior of carbide‐bearing bainite (CBB) and carbide‐free bainite (CFB) fabricated at different transformation temperatures. The fatigue limit of each material is determined via staircase method using a 1 kHz resonant testing machine. A new load increase test is proposed as an efficient alternative to estimate the fatigue limit in HCF regimes. The assessment of the fatigue behavior is accompanied by data‐driven microstructural analyses via state‐of‐the‐art computer vision tools. The analyses reveal that the finer carbide distribution, which is obtained at lower transformation temperature, enhances the overall performance of CBB. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measurements of CFB before and after tensile testing evidence the transformation of retained austenite (RA) to martensite during deformation. The finer film‐like and stable RAs, which are promoted via reduction in transformation temperature, enhance the HCF properties by absorbing the energy required for fatigue crack propagation through improved transformation‐induced plasticity. However, blocky unstable RA and/or martensite‐austenite (MA) islands at prior austenite grain boundaries deteriorate the HCF properties of high‐temperature CFB. Furthermore, unindexed regions in EBSD maps are effectively used to differentiate the MA islands of CFB, as validated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and deep learning‐based MA island segmentation.
Evaluation of wet tensile shear strength and surface properties of finger-jointed acetylated beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) laminated veneer lumber
Authors: Slabohm Maik , Stolze Hannes , Militz Holger
Published: June 2023

Experiments on finger-jointing acetylated beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) laminated veneer lumber (LVL) have been made. The specimens were examined on its wet tensile shear strength (TSS) using three adhesives, including phenol resorcinol formaldehyde (PRF), one-component polyurethane (PUR) (without primer), and melamine urea formaldehyde (MUF). Contact angles (CA) of uncured and drop-applied MUF, PRF, and PUR adhesives on freshly cut finger-joints were evaluated. Surface roughness was measured using a laser-scanning-microscope (LSM). Results showed that PRF bonded acetylated specimens had highest wet TSS, followed by specimens with PUR bonding. MUF performed poorly, which was most likely caused by its inadequate water resistance and changes in chemical reactions due to remaining acetic acid. Acetylated finger-joints had a topography similar to untreated joints. Moreover, CA were just barely lower for MUF and PRF on acetylated wood than on untreated references.
Emotional and behavioral outcomes among youths with mental disorders during the first Covid lockdown and school closures in England: a large clinical population study using health care record integrated surveys
Authors: Parlatini V. , Frangou L. , Zhang S. , Epstein S. , Morris A. , Grant C. , Zalewski L. , Jewell A. , Velupillai S. , Simonoff E. , Downs J.
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Emotional and behavioral problems in children and young people (CYP) have increased over the pandemic. Those with pre-existing mental disorders are more vulnerable but have been understudied. We investigated emotional and behavioral outcomes in this population; differences across diagnostic groups; and social, educational, and clinical determinants.

Methods

We invited 5386 caregivers and CYP (aged 5–17) under child mental health services pre-pandemic to complete an online survey on CYP’s emotional/behavioral symptoms and pandemic-related circumstances, and integrated responses with clinicodemographic information extracted from electronic health records. We compared four parent-rated outcomes (total emotional/behavioral scores and emotional/behavioral changes as compared to before the pandemic) across the three most common diagnostic groups in our population (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and emotional disorders (EmD)). We then estimated the association of clinicodemographic and pandemic-related characteristics with emotional/behavioral outcomes.

Results

A total of 1741 parents (32.3%) completed the survey. Parents of CYP with ADHD or ASD reported more behavioral difficulties (t(591) = 5.618 (0.001); t(663) = 6.527 (0.001)); greater emotional deterioration (t(591) = 2.592 (0.009); t(664) = 4.670 (< 0.001); and greater behavioral deterioration (t(594) = 4.529 (< 0.001); t(664) = 5.082 (< 0.001)) as compared to the EmD group. Those with ASD and EmD showed more emotional difficulties than ADHD (t(891) = − 4.431 (< 0.001); t(590) = − 3.254 (0.001)). Across diagnoses, poor parental mental health and challenges with education were most strongly associated with worse outcomes.

Conclusions

Within our clinical population, CYP with ADHD/ASD were the most adversely affected during lockdown. Enhancing clinical service provision that tackles parental stress and supports education may help mitigate the impact of future restrictions.
Consistency of Galileo satellite antenna phase center offsets
Authors: Steigenberger P. , Montenbruck O.
Published: June 2023

Information about satellite antenna phase center offsets (PCOs) is indispensable for high-precision applications of global navigation satellite systems. Pre-flight manufacturer calibrations of the PCOs are available for all individual Galileo satellites and each frequency. So far, geodetic usage of Galileo is focused on the ionosphere-free linear combination of the E1 and E5a signals. In view of the growing number of E5b- and E6-capable receivers and upcoming multi-frequency applications, the consistency of the PCO values for different frequencies becomes a topic of increasing importance. Galileo satellite antenna PCOs have been estimated from the ionosphere-free linear combinations of E1/E5a, E1/E5b, and E1/E6. The mean horizontal PCOs of the different frequencies agree on the few millimeter level. The X-PCOs show a bias of about 1 cm compared to the manufacturer calibrations, whereas the Y-PCOs are free of such a bias. The Z-PCOs have a systematic offset of$$-11$$-11to$${-15}$$-15cm w.r.t. the manufacturer calibrations due to scale inconsistencies of the current version of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF2020) and the manufacturer calibrations. The maximum Z-PCO difference between the various linear combinations amounts to 4 cm and provides a measure of the presently achieved consistency of ground and space antenna calibrations across different frequencies. This inconsistency would translate into height differences of about 1.6 mm and associated scale differences of the terrestrial reference frame of 0.25 ppb, when adjusting station coordinates with manufacturer calibrated Galileo PCOs for different frequency pairs.
Analytical solution of phosphate kinetics for hemodialysis
Authors: Andersen M. , Bangsgaard K. O. , Heaf J. G. , Ottesen J. T.
Published: June 2023

Chronic kidney diseases imply an ongoing need to remove toxins, with hemodialysis as the preferred treatment modality. We derive analytical expressions for phosphate clearance during dialysis, the single pass (SP) model corresponding to a standard clinical hemodialysis and the multi pass (MP) model, where dialysate is recycled and therefore makes a smaller clinical setting possible such as a transportable dialysis suitcase. For both cases we show that the convective contribution to the dialysate is negligible for the phosphate kinetics and derive simpler expressions. The SP and MP models are calibrated to clinical data of ten patients showing consistency between the models and provide estimates of the kinetic parameters. Immediately after dialysis a rebound effect is observed. We derive a simple formula describing this effect which is valid both posterior to SP or MP dialysis. The analytical formulas provide explanations to observations of previous clinical studies.
Cell-specific MAPT gene expression is preserved in neuronal and glial tau cytopathologies in progressive supranuclear palsy
Authors: Forrest Shelley L. , Lee Seojin , Nassir Nasna , Martinez-Valbuena Ivan , Sackmann Valerie , Li Jun , Ahmed Awab , Tartaglia Maria Carmela , Ittner Lars M. , Lang Anthony E. , Uddin Mohammed , Kovacs Gabor G.
Published: June 2023

Microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) aggregates in neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Tau is a target of therapy and the strategy includes either the elimination of pathological tau aggregates or reducing MAPT expression, and thus the amount of tau protein made to prevent its aggregation. Disease-associated tau affects brain regions in a sequential manner that includes cell-to-cell spreading. Involvement of glial cells that show tau aggregates is interpreted as glial cells taking up misfolded tau assuming that glial cells do not express enough MAPT. Although studies have evaluated MAPT expression in human brain tissue homogenates, it is not clear whether MAPT expression is compromised in cells accumulating pathological tau. To address these perplexing aspects of disease pathogenesis, this study used RNAscope combined with immunofluorescence (AT8), and single-nuclear(sn) RNAseq to systematically map and quantify MAPT expression dynamics across different cell types and brain regions in controls (n = 3) and evaluated whether tau cytopathology affects MAPT expression in PSP (n = 3). MAPT transcripts were detected in neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, and varied between brain regions and within each cell type, and were preserved in all cell types with tau aggregates in PSP. These results propose a complex scenario in all cell types, where, in addition to the ingested misfolded tau, the preserved cellular MAPT expression provides a pool for local protein production that can (1) be phosphorylated and aggregated, or (2) feed the seeding of ingested misfolded tau by providing physiological tau, both accentuating the pathological process. Since tau cytopathology does not compromise MAPT gene expression in PSP, a complete loss of tau protein expression as an early pathogenic component is less likely. These observations provide rationale for a dual approach to therapy by decreasing cellular MAPT expression and targeting removal of misfolded tau.
Energy harvester based on low cost piezoelectric membrane for road traffic application
Authors: Bernat-Maso Ernest , Martínez Borja , Mercedes Luis , Mendizábal Virginia
Published: June 2023

Piezoelectric harvesters are environmentally sustainable alternative electrical production technologies aimed at supplying small autonomous devices. The particular application in roads has significant potential. However, there are discrepancies about the effectiveness of these harvesters, and their costs limit their market expansion abilities. In this context, a novel harvester approach is explored that includes low-cost membrane piezoelectric patches in modified cymbal devices. The main novelty of this approach is the inclusion of an inner contact column that punctually transmits the load of the caps of the cymbal to the centre of the membrane piezoelectric patch, maximising its deformation and energy production capabilities. Experimental tests on piezoelectric elements, harvesters and embedder harvesting units have been performed with numerical simulations to optimise the design of the harvester. The results indicate that the more punctual the inner contact column is, the more electrical energy is produced, reaching values ten times greater than those of the present cymbal configuration. Embedding the harvester into a flexible pavement and positioning it under a wheel track are beneficial aspects of the execution. Finally, the dependency on the wheel speed is confirmed with wheel-track tests on a representative pad of the system.
The perks of being in the smaller team: incentives in overlapping contests
Authors: March Christoph , Sahm Marco
Published: June 2023

We investigate overlapping contests in multi-divisional organizations in which an individual’s effort simultaneously determines the outcome of several contests on different hierarchical levels. We show that individuals in smaller units are advantaged in the grand (organization-wide) contest for two reasons: First, the incentive to free-ride is smaller in inter-divisional contests. Second, competition in the intra-divisional contest is less fierce. Both effects induce a higher marginal utility of effort provision. We test the model in a laboratory experiment and confirm its main predictions. Our results have important consequences for the provision of incentives in organizations and the design of sports competitions.
Solving the multisite staff planning and scheduling problem in a sheltered employment centre that employs workers with intellectual disabilities by MILP: a Spanish case study
Authors: Maheut Julien , Garcia-Sabater Jose P. , Garcia-Sabater Julio J. , Garcia-Manglano Sofia
Published: June 2023

In sheltered employment centres, staff planning and scheduling activities are critical for operations managers. A generic framework is not easy to set up not only because legal issues are diverse and differ among these service organization types, but one worker may not fit in anywhere at any time. This complexity is greater when workers with specific needs perform work activities in many labour enclaves and different sectors. In this paper, a mixed-integer linear model to solve workers’ shift assignments to other workplaces and various activities to form teams is proposed. The novelty of the proposed model lies in considering specific features, such as the skills matrix and the affinity matrix, between the different actors in a labour enclave. The model is validated using real instances from a case study, and several objectives are tested and discussed. The decision support system that sustains the model is introduced and managerial issues are discussed.
Future responses to environment-related food self-insufficiency, from local to global
Authors: Brink Ben ten , Giesen Paul , Knoope Peter
Published: June 2023

In the coming decades, communities may become exposed to local food self-insufficiency due to climate change, land degradation and land scarcity. Rapid population growth may exacerbate this. To support mitigating policies, answers are needed to the following two research questions: (i) Where and to what extent will environment-related food self-insufficiency occur or increase over the period from 2015 to 2050 and (ii) How will local communities respond to increased food self-insufficiency? Potential responses to food self-insufficiency are agricultural expansion, agricultural intensification, import, migration, starvation and violent conflict. Answering these research questions is hampered for different reasons. A persistent debate is ongoing on whether environmentally induced food deficit may cause migration and violent conflict at all. Although a clear relationship is assumed as self-evident by many scholars and politicians, as yet no convincing evidence has been found, in contrast to the relevance of socioeconomic factors. Moreover, a lack of consistent and accurate data on local food supply and demand hampers mapping of food self-insufficiency in the present and future. In this article, we explore the difficulties to find a clear relationship between environmentally induced food deficit, migration and violent conflict, and propose and test an operational methodology that does provide preliminary answers to the research questions:the necessary conditions approach. The results are presented in maps and tables of environment-related food self-insufficiency and of plausible responses for 2015 and 2050. Over that period, local food self-insufficiency roughly doubles as well as the number of people living in conditions that favour starvation, migration and violent conflict. The increase in food self-insufficiency is mostly caused by a significant population growth on the one hand—hence the demand side—and a stagnating or even slightly declining food production on the other. In contrast, food self-sufficiency stays high and constant on the global scale.
A hybrid simulated annealing and variable neighborhood search algorithm for the close-open electric vehicle routing problem
Authors: Stamadianos Themistoklis , Kyriakakis Nikolaos A. , Marinaki Magdalene , Marinakis Yannis
Published: June 2023

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are the future of transportation, but due to their battery and charging technology they cannot yet directly replace traditional vehicles. Nonetheless, EVs are a great option for city-logistics, due to the small distances and their zero local emissions. In this paper, a novel variant of the Electric Vehicle Routing Problem (EVRP), called Close-Open EVRP (COEVRP), is presented. It considers ending EV trips at Charging Stations, as opposed to other EVRP variants that only allow for en-route charging. This new variant follows a traditional routing scheme, allowing EVs to recharge only at the end of their route. The objective is to minimize energy consumption, as well as the number of vehicles. The energy consumption function takes into account the weight of the transported items. A mathematical formulation for the problem is presented and small instances were solved using a commercial solver. To solve larger instances, a hybrid metaheuristic combining Simulated Annealing and Variable Neighborhood Search algorithm was employed and thoroughly tested.
User-station attention inference using smart card data: a knowledge graph assisted matrix decomposition model
Authors: Zhang Qi , Ma Zhenliang , Zhang Pengfei , Jenelius Erik , Ma Xiaolei , Wen Yuanqiao
Published: June 2023

Understanding human mobility in urban areas is important for transportation, from planning to operations and online control. This paper proposes the concept of user-station attention, which describes the user’s (or user group’s) interest in or dependency on specific stations. The concept contributes to a better understanding of human mobility (e.g., travel purposes) and facilitates downstream applications, such as individual mobility prediction and location recommendation. However, intrinsic unsupervised learning characteristics and untrustworthy observation data make it challenging to estimate the real user-station attention. We introduce the user-station attention inference problem using station visit counts data in public transport and develop a matrix decomposition method capturing simultaneously user similarity and station-station relationships using knowledge graphs. Specifically, it captures the user similarity information from the user-station visit counts matrix. It extracts the stations’ latent representation and hidden relations (activities) between stations to construct the mobility knowledge graph (MKG) from smart card data. We develop a neural network (NN)-based nonlinear decomposition approach to extract the MKG relations capturing the latent spatiotemporal travel dependencies. The case study uses both synthetic and real-world data to validate the proposed approach by comparing it with benchmark models. The results illustrate the significant value of the knowledge graph in contributing to the user-station attention inference. The model with MKG improves the estimation accuracy by 35% in MAE and 16% in RMSE. Also, the model is not sensitive to sparse data provided only positive observations are used.
Using heterogeneous camera-trapping sites to obtain the first density estimates for the transboundary Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population in the Dinaric Mountains
Authors: Fležar Urša , Aronsson Malin , Černe Rok , Pičulin Aleš , Bartol Matej , Stergar Matija , Rot Andrej , Hočevar Lan , Topličanec Ira , Sindičić Magda , Gomerčić Tomislav , Slijepčević Vedran , Krofel Miha
Published: June 2023

Estimating abundance of wild animal populations is crucial for their management and conservation. While spatial capture-recapture models are becoming increasingly common to assess the densities of elusive species, recent studies have indicated potential bias that can be introduced by unaccounted spatial variation of detectability. We used camera-trapping data collected in collaboration with local hunters from a transnational population survey of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Slovenia and Croatia, to provide the first density estimate for the threatened Eurasian lynx population in the Northern Dinaric Mountains. Population density was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.60–1.16) lynx/100 km2, which is comparable to other reintroduced Eurasian lynx populations in Europe. Furthermore, we showed that baseline detection rate was influenced by the type of site used, as well as by sex of the individual and local behavioural response. Scent-marking sites had on average a 1.6- and 2.5-times higher baseline detection rate compared to roads and other locations, respectively. Scent-marking behaviour is common for several mammals, and selecting sites that attracts the targeted species is used to increase detection rates, especially for rare and cryptic species. But we show that the use of different location types for camera trapping can bias density estimates if not homogenously distributed across the surveyed area. This highlights the importance of incorporating not only individual characteristics (e.g., sex), but also information on the type of site used in camera trapping surveys into estimates of population densities.
Linear and Non-linear Analyses of EEG in a Group of ASD Children During Resting State Condition
Authors: Angulo-Ruiz Brenda Y. , Ruiz-Martínez Francisco J. , Rodríguez-Martínez Elena I. , Ionescu Anca , Saldaña David , Gómez Carlos M.
Published: June 2023

This study analyses the spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) brain activity of 14 children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to 18 children with normal development, aged 5–11 years. (i) Power Spectral Density (PSD), (ii) variability across trials (coefficient of variation: CV), and (iii) complexity (multiscale entropy: MSE) of the brain signal analysis were computed on the resting state EEG. PSD (0.5–45 Hz) and CV were averaged over different frequency bands (low-delta, delta, theta, alpha, low-beta, high-beta and gamma). MSE were calculated with a coarse-grained procedure on 67 time scales and divided into fine, medium and coarse scales. In addition, significant neurophysiological variables were correlated with behavioral performance data (Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KBIT) and Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)). Results show increased PSD fast frequency bands (high-beta and gamma), higher variability (CV) and lower complexity (MSE) in children with ASD when compared to typically developed children. These results suggest a more variable, less complex and, probably, less adaptive neural networks with less capacity to generate optimal responses in ASD children.
Investigating Consumer Preferences for Sustainable Packaging Through a Different Behavioural Approach: A Random Regret Minimization Application
Authors: Piracci Giovanna , Boncinelli Fabio , Casini Leonardo
Published: June 2023

Plastic pollution causing the near-permanent contamination of the environment is a preeminent concern. The largest market sector for plastic resins is packaging, and the food industry plays a major role in producing plastic packaging waste. Therefore, the gradual switch of the food system towards pro-environmental packaging strategies is required to contain the plastic packaging waste issue. To this extent, this study aimed to investigate how food consumers relatively value the provision of different sustainable packaging alternatives, namely the unpackaged option and bioplastic packaging. Moreover, to shed light on the behavioural mechanism underlying the decision-making process for sustainable packaging, we considered two different decision paradigms: the traditional random utility maximization and random regret minimization framework. Overall, our results indicate that consumer tastes are highly heterogeneous and that preference patterns change according to the behavioural approach assumed by individuals. Policymakers and marketers of food industries need to carefully consider the differences in the decision mechanism of consumers when implementing strategies to encourage pro-environmental food choices. Notably, our findings elucidate on the importance to embrace other perspectives as well, and not simply limit to utility maximization, to fully comprehend the decision-making process of consumers for sustainable foods.
Expressivism, but at a Whole Other Level
Authors: Köhler Sebastian
Published: June 2023

A core commitment of meta-ethical expressivism is that ordinary descriptive judgements are representational states, while normative judgements are non-representational directive states. Traditionally, this commitment has been understood as a psychological thesis about the nature of normative judgements, as the view that normative judgements consist in certain sorts of conative propositional attitudes. This paper’s aim is to challenge this reading and to show that changing our view on how this commitment is to be understood opens up space for attractive forms of expressivism. The paper argues this by example: by presenting one of the possible expressivist views that can be developed on this reading and by arguing that this view has distinctive advantages over forms of expressivism that endorse the traditional interpretation of expressivism.
Transforming Construction and Demolition Waste into Soft-Soil Treatment for Paving Design
Authors: Moreira Eclesielter B. , Baldovino Jair A. , Izzo Ronaldo L. S.
Published: June 2023

Construction and demolition wastes (CDW) are a concern in urban areas, in addition, it is well understood that soft soils are inappropriate for paving designs. Therefore, this paper presents an alternative solution combining CDW and a soft silty soil, aiming to overcome the soft soil drawbacks by repeated loadings. For this purpose, a laboratory study was developed, comprising both resilient modulus (MR) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests over soil and soil-CDW compacted blends, to evaluate the mechanical properties of the proposed stabilization. Also, three compaction efforts (standard, intermediate, and modified) and a curing time of up to 90 days were used. The UCS of blends was also measured with the identical specimens with which the resilience tests were carried out. The results indicated that incorporating CDW (size sand and gravel materials) into the soil improves the qu and MR for all compaction energies, and the Resilient Modulus test affects the UCS of all blends, increasing its effect with the decrease in compaction effort. Repeated loads caused a decrease in the specimen's voids whereby the density increased and, therefore, qu. Finally, the results conclude that the compacted mixtures in the intermediate effort and 40–60% CDW by weight are potentially applicable in pavements compared to the traditional soil–cement base/subbase.
Genetic diversity and differentiation of South African cactus pear cultivars (Opuntia spp.) based on simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers
Authors: Modise Tsholofelo J. , Maleka Mathabatha F. , Fouché Herman , Coetzer Gesine M.
Published: June 2023

Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. is one of the most recognisable agricultural crops that can withstand harsh environmental conditions. South Africa is one of the few countries that hosts a large germplasm of Opuntia cultivars, which represent an ex-situ conservation population. However, little is known about the genetic diversity in this population. Additionally, some genotypes are morphologically indistinct, and therefore, making it a challenge for novice farmers and researchers to recognise specimens in the germplasm. The current study aimed to differentiate and measure the genetic diversity in 44 cultivars that represent the South African Opuntia germplasm using eight simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Evidently, the cultivars comprised moderate levels of diversity (average polymorphic information content, PIC = 0.37, Nei’s unbiased gene diversity = 0.42) that discriminated 90% of the cultivars. Analysis of the cultivars with the unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages (UPGMA) method revealed three main clusters, whereas principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed indistinct clustering of cultivars based on their usage in the agricultural market. Overall, the used SSR markers were able to distinguish most cultivars in the South African Opuntia germplasm—a genetic resource that appears to hold sufficient genetic diversity to aid the conservation and breeding of novel cultivars for the agriculture market.
Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum): its impact on wireworm development and survival
Authors: Noronha Christine , Liu Suqi , Bahar Md. Habibullah , Mosher-Gallant Natasha
Published: June 2023

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is a member of the Polygonaceae family, cultivated as a cover crop to suppress or reduce weeds and improve soil health. In our field studies, buckwheat gave significant potato tuber protection from wireworm damage after two consecutive years of cropping. In this study, we identified the mechanism underlying the beneficial effect of buckwheat on wireworm suppression. Results show high wireworm numbers in buckwheat than other host plants in bioassays conducted under greenhouse and field conditions which reject the hypothesis that buckwheat has antifeedant activity. We found that newly hatched neonate wireworms feeding on either barley or buckwheat plants for 120 days, showed reduced body weight and head capsule size. The larvae feeding on buckwheat were 60% and 30% smaller than the ones feeding on barley. Survival was also impacted with 44% of the neonate larvae surviving on barley plants, and only 15% when feeding on buckwheat roots over 120 days. A similar bioassay with small to medium-sized wireworms showed higher mortality, lower weight gain and smaller head capsule size. Wireworms feeding on buckwheat were deformed and demonstrated irregular growth. In conclusion, this study revealed that buckwheat did not repel wireworms and they chose to feed on the roots despite it not being a good host. Long-term feeding on buckwheat roots caused reduced weight gain, abnormal growth, and reduced survival. This study provided a better understanding of how buckwheat functions as a biopesticide for wireworm control and its potential for use in an IPM program.
A Training on Perspective Taking for Preschoolers with Typical Development and with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Cigala Ada , Mori Arianna , Silla Benedetta
Published: June 2023

Perspective taking refers to the ability to understand others’ thoughts, feelings and perspectives. From previous studies, it emerges that children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder show many difficulties in understanding the other’s point of view, especially in terms of thoughts and emotions. The aims of the present study were: (1) to verify the effectiveness of group training in promoting perspective taking in a small group of preschoolers including two children with diagnosis of high-functioning autism spectrum disorder; and (2) to verify whether the learning in the perspective taking skills could be transferred to everyday situations in terms of prosocial behaviors. Twelve children (mean age: 54.5 months), 10 with typical development and 2 with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder, participated in the study. The effectiveness of training was evaluated in a pre/post-test design both via experimental tests and direct observations. The results highlighted the effectiveness of the training in enhancing perspective taking ability and prosocial behaviors of preschoolers, including the two children with a diagnosis of high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. The use of non-clinical and educational methodologies can contribute to the development of children's perspective taking skills by means of daily educational activities in small group including children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. These results have great applicative relevance for early childhood education and care centers.
Physicochemical analysis and detection of exceptionally high diclofenac concentration in the pharmaceutical wastewaters collected from the production units of national industrial zone, Rawat, Pakistan
Authors: Bibi Mehmooda , Rashid Jamshaid , Malik Mahrukh , Iqbal Aneela , Xu Ming
Published: June 2023

The annual growth rate of pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan is 10% and is continuously expanding to fulfill the increasing demand of the rapidly growing population. But inability of the pharmaceutical sector to comply with the environmental standards leads to the introduction of large quantities of various pollutants in the natural environment which presents serious ecological challenges. In this study, effluent wastewater samples from 14 manufacturing units of the pharmaceutical industries of the National Industrial Zone, Rawat, Pakistan, were collected and characterized for physicochemical parameters including color, odor, pH, electric conductivity, temperature, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrates, sulfates and phosphates according to the standard methods. The detection and quantification of diclofenac (DCF)—one of the commonly prescribed drugs in Pakistan—were carried out in the pharmaceutical wastewater samples (PWWSs) using HPLC-PAD. Exceptionally high concentration of the diclofenac was detected in the industrial disposal of MB-12 (311,495 µg L−1). PWWSs were analyzed using chemometric techniques including principal factor analysis (PFA) and cluster analysis (CA). PFA explained almost 81.48% of the total variance by the newly extracted four components and complemented the strong Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) of DCF concentrations to that of the levels of COD, r = 0.752, and DO, r =  − 0.609, in PWWSs. Six clusters were generated during similar wastewater characteristics-based CA dendrogram, in which reverse osmosis-treated PWWSs were observed to cluster with the untreated PWWSs, suggesting the need to adopt an advance and better wastewater treatment methods by the pharmaceutical industries.
A simple characterization of the existence of upper semicontinuous order-preserving functions
Authors: Bosi Gianni , Franzoi Laura
Published: June 2023

We introduce an upper semicontinuity condition concerning a not necessarily total preorder on a topological space, namely strong upper semicontinuity, and in this way we extend to the nontotal case the famous Rader’s theorem, which guarantees the existence of an upper semicontinuous order-preserving function for an upper semicontinuous total preorder on a second countable topological space. We show that Rader’s theorem is not generalizable if we adopt weaker upper semicontinuity conditions already introduced in the literature. We characterize the existence of an upper semicontinuous order-preserving function for all strongly upper semicontinuous preorders on a metrizable topological space.
The theorem of unified locality
Authors: Mastriani Mario
Published: June 2023

In this study, a theorem about the vectorization of the entangled-photons trajectories is presented, and through it, an effect equivalent to the unification of the individual localities of the entangled particles is evidenced, which will be confirmed in two scenarios: a theoretical demonstration, and four simple experiments carried out on an optical table. In this way, the existence of this possibility, in terms of entanglement, will be scientifically established when explaining the instantaneous synchronization of non-local outcomes as a result of local measurements from the vectorization of the entangled-photons trajectories without resorting to local hidden variables, or faster-than-light arguments. Finally, this explanation will be completely contained within the Theory of Special Relativity, eliminating entanglement as a showdown scenario between the two main pillars of Physics: Special Relativity, and Quantum Mechanics.
Results of recurrent in-service exhaust gas measurements with an EU stage IV forest harvester fuelled with rapeseed oil within the emission durability period
Authors: Emberger Peter , Thuneke Klaus , Remmele Edgar , Ettl Johannes
Published: June 2023

The real driving emissions of an EU stage IV forest harvester were measured four times within five years to monitor long-time emission behaviour. In this period, the harvester worked 7650 h in total, thereof 6300 h with pure rapeseed oil fuel DIN 51605 (R100) and 1350 h with conventional diesel fuel initially. Data analysis according to relevant EU regulation 2017/655 shows that the emission behaviour complies with the legal requirements of exhaust gas stage IV within the five years under consideration. According to EU regulation 2016/1628 the achieved 7650 operating hours nearly correspond to the emission durability period of 8000 h. However, between the single measurements some differences in emission results are clear evident. They are primarily caused by different working profiles, and unavoidable random events. Detailed analysis of the results showed that the measured nitrogen oxides (NOX), carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons remain at the same level over time at comparable operation conditions. Thus, the operation time had no major impact on the emission behaviour of the harvester. During cold start and non-working events higher nitrogen oxides (NOX) concentrations are observed in the exhaust since the exhaust aftertreatment system is not within its operation temperature. When the exhaust gas aftertreatment is within its operating range, exhaust emissions are at a very low level indicating an efficient, clean combustion. It can be concluded that the operation of the harvester with R100 did not affect the emission behaviour and functionality of the exhaust gas aftertreatment system.
Design of a smart garment for fencing: measuring attractiveness using the AttrakDiff Mini method
Authors: Vieira Daniel , Providência Bernardo , Carvalho Helder
Published: June 2023

In this study, a new hypothesis for the design of a smart fencing garment, developed through a user-centred design process, is presented and a pre-evaluation of the design by applying the AttrakDiff Mini method is proposed. With the Portuguese Fencing Federation’s support, a survey was shared with the 37 affiliated weapons rooms. It was possible to validate 36 participations, 54.1% men (n = 20) and 45.9% women (n = 16) residing in Portugal. The questionnaire consists of 4 scales, divided into 10 items that made it possible to assess the hypothesis’ usability, identity, stimulation, and attractiveness. It is statistically possible to quantify the relationship between the dependent variable (attractiveness) and the independent variables (pragmatic quality, hedonic quality-identity, hedonic quality-stimulation), such as the correlations between these variables. At the end of the analysis, it was possible to conclude that the participants evaluate the hypothesis positively, considering the envisioned fencing suit possible to use and attractive.
A Novel Approach to Visualizing Olfactory Landscapes
Authors: Endreß Sven
Published: June 2023

This article focuses on the exploration and mapping of olfactory landscapes. For this purpose, a brief introduction to the social and cultural significance of odors in the 'Western world', especially in the sciences and philosophy, is first given and the visuality paradigm of these societies is highlighted. Subsequently, olfactory landscapes are integrated into a basic social constructivist-phenomenological concept to create a theoretical basis for the discussion of these special landscapes. This is accompanied by a brief discussion of current approaches to smellscape survey and the particular mapping approach of Kate McLean (in comparison with the here used approach), which forms the basis for the mapping and presentation presented here. This presented approach was developed and tested in a master's thesis on the smellscape of Christmas and Christmas markets. An extended signature system and the detailed procedure for a smellwalk are presented.
Improved Algorithm for Face Mask Detection Based on YOLO-v4
Authors: Zhao Gang , Zou Shuilong , Wu Huijie
Published: June 2023

To reduce the chance of being infected by the COVID-19, wearing masks correctly when entering and leaving public places has become the most feasible and effective ways to prevent the spread of the virus. It is a concern to how to quickly and accurately detect whether a face is worn a mask correctly while reduce missed detection and false detection in practical applied scenarios. In this paper, an improved algorithm is proposed based on the YOLO-v4 algorithm. The attention mechanism module is added to the appropriate network level to enhance the key feature points of face wearing masks and suppress useless information. Apart from that, three attention mechanism modules are added to different layers of the YOLO-v4 network for ablation experiments, including CBAM (convolutional block attention module), SENet (squeeze-and-excitation networks) and CANet (coordinate attention networks). The path-aggregation network and feature pyramid are used to extract features from images. Two network models were compared and improved in the experiment, and it is found that adding the dual-channel attention mechanism CBAM before the three YOLO heads of YOLOv4 and in the neck network had better detection performance than the single channel attention mechanism SENet and the coordinated attention mechanism CANet. The experimental results show that when the attention module CBAM and the YOLO-v4 model are integrated, the accuracy of the selected MAFA + WIDER Face dataset reaches the highest value of 93.56%, which is 4.66% higher than that of the original YOLO-v4.
Finite element model updating with quantified uncertainties using point cloud data
Authors: Graves William , Nahshon Ken , Aminfar Kiyarash , Lattanzi David
Published: June 2023

While finite element (FE) modeling is widely used for ultimate strength assessments of structural systems, incorporating complex distortions and imperfections into FE models remains a challenge. Conventional methods typically rely on assumptions about the periodicity of distortions through spectral or modal methods. However, these approaches are not viable under the many realistic scenarios where these assumptions are invalid. Research efforts have consistently demonstrated the ability of point cloud data, generated through laser scanning or photogrammetry-based methods, to accurately capture structural deformations at the millimeter scale. This enables the updating of numerical models to capture the exact structural configuration and initial imperfections without the need for unrealistic assumptions. This research article investigates the use of point cloud data for updating the initial distortions in a FE model of a stiffened ship deck panel, for the purposes of ultimate strength estimation. The presented approach has the additional benefit of being able to explicitly account for measurement uncertainty in the analysis. Calculations using the updated FE models are compared against ground truth test data as well as FE models updated using standard spectral methods. The results demonstrate strength estimation that is comparable to existing approaches, with the additional advantages of uncertainty quantification and applicability to a wider range of application scenarios.
Mass Extinctions and Their Relationship With Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration: Implications for Earth's Future
Authors: Davis W. Jackson
Published: June 2023

Industrialization has raised the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Earth's atmosphere by half since 1770, posing a risk from ocean acidification to global biodiversity, including phytoplankton that synthesize approximately (∼) 50% of planetary oxygen. This risk is estimated here from the fossil record and implications for our energy and economic future are explored. Over the last 534 million years (Myr), 50 extinction events present as peaks of genus loss‐and‐recovery cycles, each spanning ∼3–40 Myr. Atmospheric CO2concentration oscillates with percent genus loss, leading in phase by ∼4 Myr and sharing harmonic periodicities at ∼10, 26 and 63 Myr. Over the last 210 Myr, where data resolution is highest, biodiversity loss is correlated with atmospheric CO2concentration, but not with long‐term global temperature nor with marginal radiative forcing of temperature by atmospheric CO2. The end‐Cretaceous extinction of the dinosaurs is anomalous, occurring during a 20‐million year depression in atmospheric CO2concentration and rising global temperature. Today's atmospheric CO2concentration, ∼421 parts per million by volume (ppmv), corresponds in the most recent marine fossil record to a biodiversity loss of 6.39%, implying that contemporary anthropogenic CO2emissions are killing ocean life now. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects that unabated fossil fuel use could elevate atmospheric CO2concentration to 800 ppmv by 2100, approaching the 870 ppmv mean concentration of the last 19 natural extinction events. Reversing this first global anthropogenic mass extinction requires reducing net anthropogenic CO2emissions to zero, optimally by 2% per year starting immediately.