bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design of Cost-Efficient Optical Fronthaul for 5G/6G Networks: An Optimization Perspective
Authors: Fayad Abdulhalim , Cinkler Tibor , Rak Jacek , Jha Manish
Published: December 2022

Currently, 5G and the forthcoming 6G mobile communication systems are the most promising cellular generations expected to beat the growing hunger for bandwidth and enable the fully connected world presented by the Internet of Everything (IoE). The cloud radio access network (CRAN) has been proposed as a promising architecture for meeting the needs and goals of 5G/6G (5G and beyond) networks. Nevertheless, the provisioning of cost-efficient connections between a large number of remote radio heads (RRHs) in the cell sites and the baseband unit (BBU) pool in the central location, known as the fronthaul, has emerged as a new challenge. Many wired and wireless solutions have been proposed to address this bottleneck. Specifically, optical technologies presented by passive optical networks (PONs) are introduced as the best suitable solution for 5G and beyond network fronthaul due to their properties of providing high capacity and low latency connections. We considered time and wavelength division multiplexed passive optical networks (TWDM-PONs) as a fronthaul for 5G and beyond. Taking that into consideration, in this paper, we propose an integer linear program (ILP) that results in the optimal optical fronthaul deployment while minimizing the total cost of 5G and beyond instances. However, for larger network instances, solving the ILP problem becomes unscalable and time-consuming. To address that, we developed two heuristic-based algorithms (the K-means clustering algorithm and the one based on the genetic algorithm—GA). We evaluated the suitability of our proposed ILP and heuristic algorithms in simulations by utilizing them to plan different network instances (dense and sparse).
CE-BART: Cause-and-Effect BART for Visual Commonsense Generation
Authors: Kim Junyeong , Hong Ji Woo , Yoon Sunjae , Yoo Chang D.
Published: December 2022

“A Picture is worth a thousand words”. Given an image, humans are able to deduce various cause-and-effect captions of past, current, and future events beyond the image. The task of visual commonsense generation has the aim of generating three cause-and-effect captions for a given image: (1) what needed to happen before, (2) what is the current intent, and (3) what will happen after. However, this task is challenging for machines, owing to two limitations: existing approaches (1) directly utilize conventional vision–language transformers to learn relationships between input modalities and (2) ignore relations among target cause-and-effect captions, but consider each caption independently. Herein, we propose Cause-and-Effect BART (CE-BART), which is based on (1) a structured graph reasoner that captures intra- and inter-modality relationships among visual and textual representations and (2) a cause-and-effect generator that generates cause-and-effect captions by considering the causal relations among inferences. We demonstrate the validity of CE-BART on the VisualCOMET and AVSD benchmarks. CE-BART achieved SOTA performance on both benchmarks, while an extensive ablation study and qualitative analysis demonstrated the performance gain and improved interpretability.
Defect Detection of MEMS Based on Data Augmentation, WGAN-DIV-DC, and a YOLOv5 Model
Authors: Shi Zhenman , Sang Mei , Huang Yaokang , Xing Lun , Liu Tiegen
Published: December 2022

Surface defect detection of micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) acoustic thin film plays a crucial role in MEMS device inspection and quality control. The performances of deep learning object detection models are significantly affected by the number of samples in the training dataset. However, it is difficult to collect enough defect samples during production. In this paper, an improved YOLOv5 model was used to detect MEMS defects in real time. Mosaic and one more prediction head were added into the YOLOv5 baseline model to improve the feature extraction capability. Moreover, Wasserstein divergence for generative adversarial networks with deep convolutional structure (WGAN-DIV-DC) was proposed to expand the number of defect samples and to make the training samples more diverse, which improved the detection accuracy of the YOLOv5 model. The optimal detection model achieved 0.901 mAP, 0.856 F1 score, and a real-time speed of 75.1 FPS. As compared with the baseline model trained using a non-augmented dataset, the mAP and F1 score of the optimal detection model increased by 8.16% and 6.73%, respectively. This defect detection model would provide significant convenience during MEMS production.
Long-Term Assessment of a Set of CO2 Concentration Sensors in an In-Use Office Building
Authors: Lapuente Carmen Serrano , Herrada Héctor , Jiménez María José , Sánchez María Nuria
Published: December 2022

The measurement of the CO2 concentration has a wide range of applications. Traditionally, it has been used to assess air quality, with other applications linked to the experimental assessment of occupancy patterns and air renewal rates. More recently, the worldwide dissemination of COVID-19 establishing a relationship between infection risk and the mean CO2 level has abruptly led to the measurement of the CO2 concentration in order to limit the spread of this respiratory disease in the indoor environment. Therefore, the extensive application of this measurement outside of traditional air quality assessment requires an in-depth analysis of the suitability of these sensors for such modern applications. This paper discusses the performance of an array of commercial wall-mounted CO2 sensors, focusing on their application to obtain occupancy patterns and air renovation rates. This study is supported by several long-term test campaigns conducted in an in-use office building located in south-eastern Spain. The results show a spread of 19–101 ppm, with a drift of 28 ppm over 5 years, an offset of 2–301 ppm and fluctuations up to 80 ppm in instantaneous measurements not related to concentration changes. It is proposed that values averaged over 30 min, using a suitable reference value, be used to avoid erroneous results when calibration is not feasible.
Resource Allocation in Downlink VLC-NOMA Systems for Factory Automation Scenario
Authors: Ryu Won-Jae , Kim Jae-Woo , Kim Dong-Seong
Published: December 2022

Industry 4.0 requires high-speed data exchange that includes fast, reliable, low-latency, and cost-effective data transmissions. As visible light communication (VLC) can provide reliable, low-latency, and secure connections that do not penetrate walls and are immune to electromagnetic interference; it can be considered a solution for Industry 4.0. The non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) technique can achieve high spectral efficiency using the same frequency and time resources for multiple users. It means that smaller amounts of resources will be used compared with orthogonal multiple access (OMA). Therefore, handling multiple data transmissions with VLC-NOMA can be easier for factory automation than OMA. However, as the transmit power is split, the reliability is reduced. Therefore, this study proposed a deep neural network (DNN)-based power-allocation algorithm (DBPA) to improve the reliability of the system. Further, to schedule multiple nodes in VLC-NOMA system, a priority-based user-pairing (PBUP) scheme is proposed. The proposed techniques in VLC-NOMA system were evaluated in terms of the factory automation scenario and showed that it improves reliability and reduces missed deadlines.
Low-Cost Portable System for Measurement and Representation of 3D Kinematic Parameters in Sport Monitoring: Discus Throwing as a Case Study
Authors: Navarro-Iribarne Juan Francisco , Moreno-Salinas David , Sánchez-Moreno José
Published: December 2022

Monitoring of sports practice has become an almost essential tool in high-level professional training. The knowledge of the exact movements performed by an athlete provides a great advantage over conventional training, since the best performance can be theoretically known in advance and the trainer will expect the real athlete’s movements to approximate it. Following this trend, this article deals with the design and development of a low-cost wearable biofeedback system for the measurement and representation of kinematic parameters in 3D. To capture the athlete’s movements, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) is used, whose data are processed in an microcontroller-based architecture. The kinematic parameters of the athlete’s movement are sent via Bluetooth to a smart phone, where they are displayed graphically. Experimental examples show the effectiveness of the device developed and illustrate the key results derived.
Path Generator with Unpaired Samples Employing Generative Adversarial Networks
Authors: Maldonado-Romo Javier , Maldonado-Romo Alberto , Aldape-Pérez Mario
Published: December 2022

Interactive technologies such as augmented reality have grown in popularity, but specialized sensors and high computer power must be used to perceive and analyze the environment in order to obtain an immersive experience in real time. However, these kinds of implementations have high costs. On the other hand, machine learning has helped create alternative solutions for reducing costs, but it is limited to particular solutions because the creation of datasets is complicated. Due to this problem, this work suggests an alternate strategy for dealing with limited information: unpaired samples from known and unknown surroundings are used to generate a path on embedded devices, such as smartphones, in real time. This strategy creates a path that avoids virtual elements through physical objects. The authors suggest an architecture for creating a path using imperfect knowledge. Additionally, an augmented reality experience is used to describe the generated path, and some users tested the proposal to evaluate the performance. Finally, the primary contribution is the approximation of a path produced from a known environment by using an unpaired dataset.
Identifying Tourism Potentials of Ethno-Cultural Attractions in Lombok
Authors: Lestari Yuni Budi , Yusra Kamaludin
Published: December 2022

This article is aimed at identifying the potential of various ethno-cultural practices in the Sasak community with a view of developing them as ethno-cultural attractions to sustain tourists to stay longer in Lombok. Various ethno-cultural practices in relation to folklore, festivals, sports, music, food, beverage, and cultural events were identified, and the tourism potentials were also measured. Data were collected by directly observing and video-recoding the ethno-cultural events, interviewing cultural leaders, religious clerics, community leaders, tourism practitioners, tourism experts, tourism workers’ organizations, entrepreneurs, and governments. With content analysis, the study has identified ethno-cultural practices with the potential to be an alternative to Lombok’s tourist attractions. These practices are not only essential for Indonesian multiculturalism but are also a resource for improving the economic quality of Sasak families and communities. The article also recommends strategies for this development.
Installation and Performance Study of a Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine Prototype Model
Authors: Basack Sudip , Dutta Shantanu , Saha Dipasri
Published: December 2022

Amongst various sources of renewable energy, the kinetic energy of blowing wind has environmental friendliness and easy availability, together with other benefits. The wind energy is converted into usable electrical energy by means of a robust device termed a wind turbine. To carry out a performance study of such a device, a small-scale model vertical-axis wind turbine was installed at the laboratory and was run by artificial wind energy produced by a pedestal fan for low and medium speeds and a blower for higher speeds. The variation in critical parameters such as output power and voltage with different speeds was studied. The average output power and voltage were observed to increase with average shaft speed with linear and curvilinear patterns, respectively. The vibration produced at the bearing shaft resulting from the rotating components was analyzed as well. As observed, the peak values of critical vibration parameters such as displacement, velocity, acceleration, and frequency mostly varied curvilinearly with average shaft speeds. To study the applicability of the power generation, an electronically controlled automatic drip irrigation system was allowed to run by the wind turbine and important observations were made. Theoretical analyses (numerical and analytical) of the wind flow and power generation were also performed.
Green Packaging, Environmental Awareness, Willingness to Pay and Consumers’ Purchase Decisions
Authors: Mahmoud Mahmoud Abdulai , Tsetse Ernest Kafui Kwasi , Tulasi Ernest Edem , Muddey Donne Komla
Published: December 2022

This study examined green packaging, environmental awareness, and willingness to pay for green products in consumers’ purchase decisions. A cross-sectional survey was employed in collecting data from 218 respondents in Ghana. Purposive sampling was used to select respondents for the study. The data were analyzed using SPSS software for descriptive statistics and partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test our hypotheses. The study found that consumers’ environmental awareness had a positive and significant impact on green purchasing decisions. However, the impact of green packaging was not found to be significant on consumers’ purchase decisions in Ghana. The study further revealed that consumers’ willingness to pay for green products positively and significantly predicted consumer purchase decisions. Some recommendations are suggested for theoretical and managerial considerations.
Mitigating the Toxic Effects of Chromium on Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Seed Germination and Seedling Growth by Using Biochar and Polymer-Modified Biochar in Contaminated Soil
Authors: Rafique Muhammad I. , Ahmad Munir , Al-Wabel Mohammad I. , Ahmad Jahangir , Al-Farraj Abdullah S.
Published: December 2022

The present study was conducted to investigate the potential influences of biochar in mitigating the phytotoxic effects of hexavalent chromium (CrVI) on the germination of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Biochar (JBC) was produced from Jujube (Ziziphus jujube L.) wood waste at three different pyrolysis temperatures (300 °C, 500 °C and 700 °C), which was later polymerized (JPBC) via the solution-polymerization method. Phytotoxicity of CrVI was induced to wheat seeds at variable CrVI application rates (5, 10, 20, 40 mg L−1). Applied CrVI concentrations confined the seed germination and seedling growth in order of: 5 < 10 < 20 < 40 mg L−1. The application of JBCs (0.2 g per petri plate) resulted in a 150% increase in shoot length, while dry biomass was increased by 250% with JPBCs application. Uptake of CrVI was significantly lower in JBC-300 (7.74 μg/seedling) and JPBC-300 (1.13 μg/seedling) treatments, as compared to control (13.24 μg/seedling), at the highest stress level (40 mg L−1). Therefore, the findings of the current study showed that JBCs and JPBCs performed excellently in improving seedling growth while JPBCs performed more efficiently than pristine JBCs in mitigating CrVI phytotoxicity and availability.
Risk Assessment Model and Sensitivity Analysis of Ordinary Arterial Highways Based on RSR–CRITIC–LVSSM–EFAST
Authors: Wang Jianjun , Ma Chicheng , Wang Sai , Lu Xiaojuan , Li Dongyi
Published: December 2022

In this paper, in order to evaluate the traffic safety status of ordinary arterial highways, identify the sources of safety risks, and formulate safety development countermeasures for arterial highways to reduce accident risks, a combination method involving rank-sum ratio (RSR), criteria importance though intercriteria correlation (CRITIC), and least squares support vector machine (LVSSM) is adopted. The traffic safety risk index system and risk assessment model of ordinary arterial highways with two dimensions of risk severity and accident severity are established. Based on the global sensitivity analysis of the extended Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (EFAST), the resulting risk assessment model for ordinary arterial highways is proposed. Combined with the current traffic safety situation of ordinary arterial highways in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, China, data collection and analyses were carried out from the perspectives of traffic operation status, personnel facilities management, road environment characteristics, and accident occurrence patterns. The results show that the risk level of ordinary arterial highways can be obviously divided into warning areas, control areas, and prompt areas. The proportion of roads through villages and the number of deceleration facilities belong to the highly sensitive indicators of the S107 safety risk, which need to be emphatically investigated. This analysis method based is on the RCLE (RSR-CRITIC-LVSSM-EFAST) risk assessment model and has high operability and adaptability. It can be adaptively divided according to the requirements of risk-level differentiation, and the road risk classification can be displayed more intuitively, which is conducive to formulating targeted improvement measures for arterial highway safety and ensuring the safe and orderly operation of arterial highway traffic.
ICARO—Innovative Cardboard ARchitecture Object: Sustainable Building Technology for Multipurpose Micro-Architecture
Authors: Sapienza Vincenzo , Rodonò Gianluca , Monteleone Angelo , Calvagna Simona
Published: December 2022

ICARO (Innovative Cardboard ARchitectural Object) is a type of innovative building technology developed by a working group at the University of Catania, within the framework of the EWAS (an Early WArning System for cultural heritage) research project. It represents a tool for used to combat climate change thanks to the high level of sustainability of its component. The modular component based on ICARO technology is a pre-fabricated panel for building vertical envelopes, consisting of a laminated wood frame that contains corrugated cardboard boxes. In order to improve the panel’s structural performance, a pre-stress procedure has been adopted. The panel is cost-effective and boasts a high level of sustainability thanks to the use of lightweight, pre-cast, recycled, and recyclable materials. This technology is suitable for the construction of micro-architecture in fragile contexts. In order to test its performance, a full-scale prototype called the EP (Experience Pavilion) was built within the Megara Hyblea archaeological area in Sicily, which was chosen as a test site. A campaign to be carried out at the EP is currently being planned, which will focus on various issues. This paper describes the design of ICARO technology and the construction of the EP prototype.
A Shift-Deflation Technique for Computing a Large Quantity of Eigenpairs of the Generalized Eigenvalue Problems
Authors: Wei Wei , Chen Xiaoping , Shi Xueying , Luo An
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we propose a shift-deflation technique for the generalized eigenvalue problems. This technique consists of the following two stages: the shift of converged eigenvalues to zeros, and the deflation of these shifted eigenvalues. By performing the above technique, we construct a new generalized eigenvalue problem with a lower dimension which shares the same eigenvalues with the original generalized eigenvalue problem except for the converged ones. In addition, we consider the relations of the eigenvectors before and after performing the technique. Finally, numerical experiments show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method.
On the Convergence of Two-Step Kurchatov-Type Methods under Generalized Continuity Conditions for Solving Nonlinear Equations
Authors: Argyros Ioannis K. , Shakhno Stepan , Regmi Samundra , Yarmola Halyna
Published: December 2022

The study of the microworld, quantum physics including the fundamental standard models are closely related to the basis of symmetry principles. These phenomena are reduced to solving nonlinear equations in suitable abstract spaces. Such equations are solved mostly iteratively. That is why two-step iterative methods of the Kurchatov type for solving nonlinear operator equations are investigated using approximation by the Fréchet derivative of an operator of a nonlinear equation by divided differences. Local and semi-local convergence of the methods is studied under conditions that the first-order divided differences satisfy the generalized Lipschitz conditions. The conditions and speed of convergence of these methods are determined. Moreover, the domain of uniqueness is found for the solution. The results of numerical experiments validate the theoretical results. The new idea can be used on other iterative methods utilizing inverses of divided differences of order one.
Structural Optimization of a Circular Symmetric Threaded Connection System Based on the Effect of the Upper Stabbing Flank Corner Radius
Authors: Kim Byeongil , Yoon Jong-Yun
Published: December 2022

In order to boost shale gas drilling efficiency, oil and gas exploration and drilling distances have risen along with the number of horizontal definitions and directions. As a result, the joints of oil wells and core gas pipes are under continual stress and compression, internal and external pressures, and extreme bending stresses. This will negatively impact the drilling system’s sustainability and the performance requirements are therefore reinforced. Good thread design is crucial because premium threaded connections are typically employed in joints, and the construction of reliable premium connections to external limitations is closely related to the choice of pertinent parameters as optimal values. In this article, new premium connection systems will be created and constructed that can show good vibration and durability under such stressful conditions. The amount of von Mises stress that is received from the threaded connection depends on how each parameter is changed. In particular, the values of the “upper stabbing flank corner radius” were used to examine the von Mises stress variations in the entire structure. An optimized design for the premium connection system is proposed with the best value of upper stabbing flank corner radius according to minimized stress on the teeth of the premium connection against compressive forces. The study’s findings suggest that it is feasible to create a premium connection that can lower stress following the genuine demand of the industry.
A Review of Hydroxylated and Methoxylated Brominated Diphenyl Ethers in Marine Environments
Authors: Zhang Ying , Li Yi , Li Sijia , Huang He , Chen Yezi , Wang Xutao
Published: December 2022

Hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (OH-PBDEs) and methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) are present in the marine environment worldwide. Both OH-PBDEs and MeO-PBDEs are known natural products, whereas OH-PBDEs may also be metabolites of PBDEs. There is growing concern regarding OH-PBDEs as these compounds seem to be biological active than PBDEs. In the present study, we reviewed the available data on the contamination of OH/MeO-PBDEs in the marine environment worldwide, including seawater, marine sediment, marine plants, invertebrates, fish, seabirds and mammals. Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of OH/MeO-PBDEs in the marine food web were summarized as well. This study also proposes the future research of OH/MeO-PBDEs, including the production and the synthesis pathway of OH/MeO-PBDEs, the toxicokinetics of OH/MeO-PBDEs and the toxicology and human exposure risk assessment.
The Fast and the Furriest: Investigating the Rate of Selection on Mammalian Toxins
Authors: Fitzpatrick Leah Lucy Joscelyne , Nijman Vincent , Ligabue-Braun Rodrigo , Nekaris K. Anne-Isola
Published: December 2022

The evolution of venom and the selection pressures that act on toxins have been increasingly researched within toxinology in the last two decades, in part due to the exceptionally high rates of diversifying selection observed in animal toxins. In 2015, Sungar and Moran proposed the ‘two-speed’ model of toxin evolution linking evolutionary age of a group to the rates of selection acting on toxins but due to a lack of data, mammals were not included as less than 30 species of venomous mammal have been recorded, represented by elusive species which produce small amounts of venom. Due to advances in genomics and transcriptomics, the availability of toxin sequences from venomous mammals has been increasing. Using branch- and site-specific selection models, we present the rates of both episodic and pervasive selection acting upon venomous mammal toxins as a group for the first time. We identified seven toxin groups present within venomous mammals, representing Chiroptera, Eulipotyphla and Monotremata: KLK1, Plasminogen Activator, Desmallipins, PACAP, CRiSP, Kunitz Domain One and Kunitz Domain Two. All but one group (KLK1) was identified by our results to be evolving under both episodic and pervasive diversifying selection with four toxin groups having sites that were implicated in the fitness of the animal by TreeSAAP (Selection on Amino Acid Properties). Our results suggest that venomous mammal ecology, behaviour or genomic evolution are the main drivers of selection, although evolutionary age may still be a factor. Our conclusion from these results indicates that mammalian toxins are following the two-speed model of selection, evolving predominately under diversifying selection, fitting in with other younger venomous taxa like snakes and cone snails—with high amounts of accumulating mutations, leading to more novel adaptions in their toxins.
The Preferential Therapeutic Potential of Chlorella vulgaris against Aflatoxin-Induced Hepatic Injury in Quail
Authors: Elbasuni Sawsan , Ibrahim Samar , Elsabagh Rasha , Nada Mai , Elshemy Mona , Ismail Ayman , Mansour Heba , Ghamry Heba , Ibrahim Samah , Alsaati Ilhaam , Abdeen Ahmed , Said Alshaimaa
Published: December 2022

Aflatoxins (AFs) are the most detrimental mycotoxin, potentially hazardous to animals and humans. AFs in food threaten the health of consumers and cause liver cancer. Therefore, a safe, efficient, and friendly approach is attributed to the control of aflatoxicosis. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impacts of Chlorella vulgaris (CLV) on hepatic aflatoxicosis, aflatoxin residues, and meat quality in quails. Quails were allocated into a control group; the CLV group received CLV (1 g/kg diet); the AF group received an AF-contaminated diet (50 ppb); and the AF+CLV group received both treatments. The results revealed that AF decreased the growth performance and caused a hepatic injury, exhibited as an increase in liver enzymes and disrupted lipid metabolism. In addition, AF induced oxidative stress, exhibited by a dramatic increase in the malondialdehyde (MDA) level and decreases in glutathione (GSH) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities. Significant up-regulation in the inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) mRNA expression was also documented. Moreover, aflatoxin residues were detected in the liver and meat with an elevation of fat% alongside a decrease in meat protein%. On the other hand, CLV supplementation ameliorated AF-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory condition in addition to improving the nutritional value of meat and significantly reducing AF residues. CLV mitigated AF-induced hepatic damage, decreased growth performance, and lowered meat quality via its antioxidant and nutritional constituents.
Botulinum Neurotoxin Therapy in the Clinical Management of Laryngeal Dystonia
Authors: Yeung Winnie , Richards Amanda L. , Novakovic Daniel
Published: December 2022

Laryngeal dystonia (LD), or spasmodic dysphonia (SD), is a chronic, task-specific, focal movement disorder affecting the larynx. It interferes primarily with the essential functions of phonation and speech. LD affects patients’ ability to communicate effectively and significantly diminishes their quality of life. Botulinum neurotoxin was first used as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of LD four decades ago and remains the standard of care for the treatment of LD. This article provides an overview of the clinical application of botulinum neurotoxin in the management of LD, focusing on the classification for this disorder, its pathophysiology, clinical assessment and diagnosis, the role of laryngeal electromyography and a summary of therapeutic injection techniques, including a comprehensive description of various procedural approaches, recommendations for injection sites and dosage considerations.
Towards a Model of Urban Evolution Part IV: Evolutionary (Formetic) Distance—An Interpretation of Yelp Review Data
Authors: Fox Mark S. , Silver Daniel , Silva Thiago , Zhang Xinyi
Published: December 2022

This paper is part IV of “towards a model of urban evolution”. It demonstrates how the Toronto Urban Evolution Model (TUEM) can be used to encode city data, illuminate key features, demonstrate how formetic distance can be used to discover how spatial areas change over time, and identify similar spatial areas within and between cities. The data used in this study are reviews from Yelp. Each review can be interpreted as a formeme where the category of the business is a form, the reviewer is a group and the review is an activity. Yelp data from neighbourhoods in both Toronto and Montreal are encoded. A method for aggregating reviewers into groups with multiple members is introduced. Longitudinal analysis is performed for all Toronto neighbourhoods. Transversal analysis is performed between neighbourhoods within Toronto and between Toronto and Montreal. Similar neighbourhoods are identified validating formetic distance.
Towards a Model of Urban Evolution: Part II: Formal Model
Authors: Fox Mark S. , Silver Daniel , Adler Patrick
Published: December 2022

This paper is part II of “Towards A Model of Urban Evolution.” It defines a formal model of the Signature of an urban space, comprised of the information encoded in that space. This information consists of: an urban genome, which captures ideas regarding the groups (i.e., users) and activities (i.e., uses) to which a space’s physical forms are oriented; ideas among human actors regarding who (users) and how (uses) to utilize the space and its forms; and the signals that are communicated within and among urban spaces. Central to the model is the notion of the formeme, which provides the building blocks for a Signature. Formemes are units of urban information regarding physical forms, groups, and activities, which may be encoded in physical artifacts, signals, or human actors, and circulate among them. We then show how various metrics can define an urban area based on its Signature, and that these metrics can be used to measure similarity of urban spaces. The Signature, and its underlying formemes capture the sources of variations in urban evolution.
Targeting a Conserved Lysine in the Hydrophobic Pocket of HIV-1 gp41 Improves Small Molecule Antiviral Activity
Authors: He Li , Zhou Guangyan , Sofiyev Vladimir , Garcia Eddie , Nguyen Newton , Li Kathy H. , Gochin Miriam
Published: December 2022

Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) fusion is mediated by glycoprotein-41, a protein that has not been widely exploited as a drug target. Small molecules directed at the gp41 ectodomain have proved to be poorly drug-like, having moderate efficacy, high hydrophobicity and/or high molecular weight. We recently investigated conversion of a fairly potent hydrophobic inhibitor into a covalent binder, by modifying it to react with a lysine residue on the protein. We demonstrated a 10-fold improvement in antiviral efficacy. Here, we continue this study, utilizing instead molecules with better inherent drug-like properties. Molecules possessing low to no antiviral activity as equilibrium binders were converted into µM inhibitors upon addition of an electrophilic warhead in the form of a sulfotetrafluorophenyl (STP) activated ester. We confirmed specificity for gp41 and for entry. The small size of the inhibitors described here offers an opportunity to expand their reach into neighboring pockets while retaining drug-likeness. STP esterification of equilibrium binders is a promising avenue to explore for inhibiting HIV-1 entry. Many gp41 targeting molecules studied over the years possess carboxylic acid groups which can be easily converted into the corresponding STP ester. It may be worth the effort to evaluate a library of such inhibitors as a way forward to small molecule inhibition of fusion of HIV and possibly other enveloped viruses.
Towards Establishing Empirical Rainfall Thresholds for Shallow Landslides in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Authors: Deng Rilang , Liu Huifen , Zheng Xianchang , Zhang Qinghua , Liu Wei , Chen Lingwei
Published: December 2022

Empirical rainfall thresholds for predicting rainfall-triggered shallow landslides are proposed for Guangzhou city, which is prone to widespread geological hazards during the annual flood season due to the subtropical monsoon climate and frequent tropical storms and typhoons. In this study, the cumulated event rainfall (E, in mm), the duration of rainfall event (D, in day) (E–D) thresholds, normalized cumulated event rainfall, and the duration of rainfall event (EMAP–D) thresholds were defined. Thresholds based on five lithological units were obtained at 5%, 20%, and 50% probability levels using quantile regression methods. More than two-thirds of the landslides occurred within units of intrusive rock. The 20-day cumulative rainfall of 97 mm integrating cumulative event rainfall and the duration of rainfall events (CED) is introduced into the three-dimensional spatial threshold. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the CED threshold and E–D threshold were 0.944 and 0.914, respectively, and the true-positive rate of the CED threshold with the same probability level was slightly lower than that of the E–D threshold, but the CED threshold false-positive rate was much better than the E–D threshold, which can significantly reduce false alarm rate since many non-triggering rainfalls were filtered out.
Study on Water Quantity Allocation Optimization for Single Main Canal in Large-Scale Irrigation Area Based on DP Method
Authors: Gong Yi , Zou Wenhao , Yuan Xiuwei , Yang Xiaoling , Chen Yongfeng
Published: December 2022

The mathematical model of optimal water quantity allocation for a single main canal in a large-scale irrigation area was constructed that took the minimal sum of the squared deviation of water shortage for water receiving areas controlled by the single main canal in one given irrigation period as the study target, and the total irrigation quantity of the single main canal as a constraint condition. Taking the optimal allocation of water quantity of each branch canal as decision variables, and several branch canals under the irrigation sequence of the main canal as a state variable, this model was solved by the one-dimensional dynamic programming (DP) method, by which the minimal water shortage and corresponding optimal water quantity allocation of each branch canal was calculated. The proposed method could provide a decision-making reference for optimal water resources allocation of single main canal irrigation areas, and also provide the theoretical basis for optimal water quantity allocation of a main canal with rotation irrigation by strips or with segmented rotation irrigation mode in China’s large-scale irrigation areas. Taking Hengliu Main Canal of Zhouqiao Irrigation Area in Jiangsu Province as a study case, optimization results showed that in a medium drought year (p = 75%) and a special drought year (p = 95%), minimal water shortage for water receiving areas controlled by Hengliu Main Canal was respectively 2.57 × 104 m3 and 23.31 × 104 m3 during the ponding period of rice. The corresponding water quantity allocation for each branch canal has reflected a compellent model solution precision and efficiency.
A Review of Recent Advances in Detection and Treatment Technology for Perfluorinated Compounds
Authors: Wang Yong , Guo Jiaqi , Sumita  , Shi Changjie , Zhu Qijia , Li Cong , Pang Weihai
Published: December 2022

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are a novel type of environmental pollutant with a specific structure. PFCs have become a global concern due to their environmental persistence and biotoxicity properties. In this paper, we review the hazardous effects, detection technologies, and treatment methods of PFCs. We present the current status of PFCs pollution in water, the atmosphere, soil, and organisms. Moreover, we show that PFCs have toxic effects, such as hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, endocrine disruption, and reproductive and developmental toxicity. Six sample pretreatment techniques and four assays for PFCs are listed in this paper. This review focuses on the analysis of the treatment methods for PFCs, such as physical adsorption, microbial degradation, photochemical oxidation, electrochemical oxidation, acoustic oxidation, Fenton oxidation, and so on. We systematically analyze the treatment effects, removal mechanisms, and future directions of various technologies to provide support and suggestions for PFCs pollution control technologies.
Kur’ân’da Musibet-Teselli İlişkisi
Authors: AKÇA Yunus
Published: December 2022

İnsanoğlu, imtihan edilmek üzere gönderildiği dünya hayatında bazen korku, bazen açlık, bazen hastalık, bazen de mal ve can kaybı gibi hayatı olumsuz etkileyen çeşitli musibetlerle karşılaşmaktadır. Birçok âyette ifade edildiği gibi musibetlerin büyük bir kısmı, insanın kendi kötü fillerinin sonucu olarak meydana gelirken bir kısmı da kader ve imtihan bağlamında değerlendirilebilecek irade dışı sebeplerle olabilmektedir. Musibetler insanoğlu için oldukça yıpratıcıdır. Bu psikolojiden kurtulmak, hayata tekrar adapte olup normal yaşama dönebilmek için insanın manevi bir teselliye ihtiyacı vardır. Kur’ân, başta Peygamberler olmak üzere inananlara musibetler karşısında takınacakları tavır konusunda önemli tavsiyelerde bulunmuş ve onlara dayanma gücü verecek açıklamalar yapmıştır. Ayrıca Kur’ân’da, musibetlerin sebep ve hikmetleri üzerinde durulmuş; sabır, tevekkül, dua, tövbe ve ümitle musibetlerin üstesinden gelinebileceği vurgulanmıştır. Musibetlerle karşılaşan insan, sergilediği tutum ve davranışlarla Allah’a yaklaşmakta veya O’ndan uzaklaşmaktadır. Musibetlerle bir yandan insanın acizliği, zayıflığı, güçsüzlüğü ortaya konurken, diğer taraftan samimiyeti ölçülmekte ve hak katındaki derecesi de tayin edilmektedir. Bu çalışmada, musibet–teselli bağlamında Kur’ân'ın, Müslümanları nasıl teselli ettiği, onlara nasıl moral verdiği ortaya koyulmaya çalışılmıştır.
Medine Site Devletine Giden Süreçte Hz. Peygamber’in Başarısında Rol Oynayan Siyasî ve Sosyal Faktörler: Seçici Yakınlık Kavramı Bağlamında Sosyolojik Bir Analiz
Authors: Kutluay Çelik Büşra
Published: December 2022

Peygamberler, çatışmalar ve kaos ortamlarında gönderilir. Akıl, zeka, güzel ahlâk, emanet, ismet, tebliğ gibi zorunlu sıfatlarla donatılmış olarak gönderildikleri toplumda bozulan ilahî nizamı, liderlik, karizmatik otorite, etkili hitabet gibi özellikler; kötülükten nehyetmesi, hayra çağırması ve insanın mutluluğunu hedeflemesi gibi yüce amaçlar sayesinde Allah’ın vahiy ve yardımıyla bâtılla mücadele edip hakkı yeniden ikâme ederler. Peygamberler mucizelerle desteklense de davetlerinde ve vazifelerini ifada öncelikle sünnetullah çerçevesinde hareket ederler. Bu sebeple onlar, her türlü çabayı sarfeder, tedbirleri alır, beşerî vasıtalara başvurur, kısaca sosyal gerçekliği dikkate alırlar.
Bununla birlikte içinde bulunulan siyasî, iktisadî, dinî ve sosyal şartların uygun düşmesi peygamberlerin misyonunu gerçekleştirmesinde onlara destek olur ve olumlu süreci hızlandırır. Meselâ Mekke’deki siyasî, dinî ve sosyal yapının son derece bozuk olması; insanların çatışma, rekâbet ve huzursuzluk içinde olmaları, bu düzenden kurtulmak isteyenlerin sayısını arttırmış ve kurtarıcı beklentisini hızlandırmıştı. Biʻset, hicret ve Mekke’nin fethi gibi hâdiseler, bu tarihî şartlar ve zemin dikkate alınarak değerlendirildiğinde daha isabetli yorumlara ulaşılabilir.
Ancak Allah Resûlü’nün Mekke’de daha çok inanç temelli bir devrim gerçekleştirmesinde, Medine’de ise İslâm ahkâmını uygulayabileceği bir site devleti şeklinde bir yapılanma hareketini başarmasında, sosyolojide dayanışma içine girecek her iki grubun ihtiyaç ve hedeflerinin birbirine uygun düşmesi anlamına gelen “seçici yakınlık ve uyuşum”un rolü bulunduğu gözden kaçırılmamalıdır.
Bu çalışma, Hz. Peygamber’in 23 yıllık nübüvvet ve risâlet hayatında gerçekleştirdiği İslâm inkılâbında ilahî yardımın yanı sıra fizikî, sosyal, tarihî ve coğrafî zemin ve şartların da uygun düşmesinin önemli bir payının bulunduğunu, erken dönem İslâm tarihinden örnekler vermek suretiyle sosyolojik bir değerlendirmeye tâbi tutmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bunun için öncelikle Hz. Peygamber’in Medine’de site devleti kurması ve İslâm inkılabını başarması onun sahip olduğu ve Max Weber’in adına karizmatik otorite dediği kavram üzerinden değerlendirilecektir. Çalışmamız seçici yakınlık-uyuşum ve karizma kavramları bağlamında Asr-ı saâdet’le sınırlıdır.
Osmanlı Fetvalarında Kadınların Ayrılık Elde Etme Yolu Olarak Şartlı Talâk (16-18. Yüzyıllar)
Authors: Midilli Muharrem
Published: December 2022

Bu makale Osmanlı fetvalarında kadınların boşanma elde etme yolu olarak şartlı talâkı ele almaktadır. Amaç boşama yetkisi bulunmayan ve tefrik hakları son derece sınırlı olan Osmanlı kadınlarının belli aile hukuku sorunlarında şartlı talâkı alternatif bir ayrılık elde etme yolu olarak nasıl kullandığını göstermektir. 16-18. yüzyıllar arasında Anadolu ve Rumeli’de görev yapmış olan Osmanlı müftülerine sorulmuş fetvalar amacın gerçekleştirilmesi açısından önemli veriler içermektedir. Osmanlı aile hukuku kocanın boşama yetkisini karısına devretmesine izin vermektedir. Kocanın boşamayı eşinin belli bir fiiline bağladığı durumlarda (Falan şeyi yaparsan boşsun) şartlı talâk da bir tür yetki devri görünümündedir. Ayrılık elde etmek isteyen bir kadın basitçe şartı getirerek amacına ulaşabilir. Ayrıca şartlı talâk kadının mağdur olmasına sebebiyet veren bazı aile hukuku sorunlarında da işlevseldir. Osmanlı aile hukukunda kocanın gâibliği ve evlilik içi şiddet kadının hukukunu yeterince gözetmeyen sonuçlar doğurmaktadır. Fetvalar her iki durumda da kadınların şartlı talâk yoluyla ayrılık elde edebildiklerini göstermektedir. Hâkim hukuk düzeni (Hanefi mezhebi) kadının nikâh sırasında ileri sürdüğü şartları genellikle bağlayıcı kabul etmemektedir. Ancak Osmanlı kadınları nikâh sırasında ileri sürdükleri şartları şartlı boşama yoluyla bağlayıcı hale getirebilmektedir. Makale bu tespitlere dair Osmanlı müftülerine sorulan meselelerden kanıtlar sunmaktadır. Gerçek hukuk hayatından fetva mecmualarına yansıyan meseleleri temel veri kaynağı olarak kullanan makale bir hukuk tarihi incelemesidir.
Noise-Adaptive Intelligent Programmable Meta-Imager
Authors: Qian Chenqi , del Hougne Philipp
Published: December 2022

We present an intelligent programmable computational meta-imager that tailors its sequence of coherent scene illuminations not only to a specific information-extraction task (e.g., object recognition) but also adapts to different types and levels of noise. We systematically study how the learned illumination patterns depend on the noise, and we discover that trends in intensity and overlap of the learned illumination patterns can be understood intuitively. We conduct our analysis based on an analytical coupled-dipole forward model of a microwave dynamic metasurface antenna (DMA); we formulate a differentiable end-to-end information-flow pipeline comprising the programmable physical measurement process including noise as well as the subsequent digital processing layers. This pipeline allows us to jointly inverse-design the programmable physical weights (DMA configurations that determine the coherent scene illuminations) and the trainable digital weights. Our noise-adaptive intelligent meta-imager outperforms the conventional use of pseudo-random illumination patterns most clearly under conditions that make the extraction of sufficient task-relevant information challenging: latency constraints (limiting the number of allowed measurements) and strong noise. Programmable microwave meta-imagers in indoor surveillance and earth observation will be confronted with these conditions.
Future Proposals for E-Learning at Conventional Tertiary Institutions as they Move on Past the COVID Experience
Authors: Sa'di Rami , Sharadgah Talha , Abdelraziq Ahmad , Yaseen Maha
Published: December 2022

As the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading rapidly throughout the world, the most widespread reaction in many countries to curtail the disease was lockdown. As a result, educational institutions had to find an alternative to face-to-face learning. The most obvious solution was e-learning. Conventional tertiary institutions with little virtual learning experience had to deal with an unprecedented challenge. This study delineates practices that can be suggested for conventional institutions of tertiary education that may be planning to acquire more e-learning experience in the post-COVID era so that they may be better prepared to move on beyond traditional classroom teaching. The qualitative research method was utilized to carry out this study. The data collected for the study comprised mainly two sources: the existing literature that tackles the issue of how tertiary institutions around the world shifted to e-learning during the pandemic, and an analysis by the researchers of COVID-related circulars that were issued by the Saudi Ministry of Education and by Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University. The review of related literature and the analysis of the circulars enabled the researchers to produce a number of suggestions aimed at improving the e-learning experience of conventional tertiary institutions. The researchers followed five steps in their literature review: (1) pinpointing search terms and then creating a search strategy and implementing it, (2) sorting the studies gathered, excluding duplicates and studies deemed irrelevant, and decreeing standards for deciding what to keep and what to rule out, (3) evaluating the studies in the light of those standards, (4) obtaining data, and (5) analysing data. This study does not recommend that conventional tertiary institutions become 100% online, but it does suggest that those institutions should make some learning content digitally accessible, build community partnerships, encourage self-study skills among students, help students change their learning style from passive to active, and revisit their e-assessment practices. This paper also stresses the importance of giving further support to teaching staff, sheds light on how institution buildings can reopen smoothly as the restrictions ease, discusses what factors influence the outcomes of e-learning, and tackles the issue of student dropouts during the pandemic. This study concludes by outlining the important notion of adopting blended learning and developing e-learning programs on an international scale.