bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automatic License Plate Recognition in Real-World Traffic Videos Captured in Unconstrained Environment by a Mobile Camera
Authors: Khan Ishtiaq Rasool , Ali Syed Talha Abid , Siddiq Asif , Khan Muhammad Murtaza , Ilyas Muhammad Usman , Alshomrani Saleh , Rahardja Susanto
Published: April 2022

Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) has remained an active research topic for years due to various applications, especially in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). This paper presents an efficient ALPR technique based on deep learning, which accurately performs license plate (LP) recognition tasks in an unconstrained environment, even when trained on a limited dataset. We capture real traffic videos in the city and label the LPs and the alphanumeric characters in the LPs within different frames to generate training and testing datasets. Data augmentation techniques are applied to increase the number of training and testing samples. We apply the transfer learning approach to train the recently released YOLOv5 object detecting framework to detect the LPs and the alphanumerics. Next, we train a convolutional neural network (CNN) to recognize the detected alphanumerics. The proposed technique achieved a recognition rate of 92.8% on a challenging proprietary dataset collected in several jurisdictions of Saudi Arabia. This accuracy is higher than what was achieved on the same dataset by commercially available Sighthound (86%), PlateRecognizer (67%), OpenALPR (77%), and a state-of-the-art recent CNN model (82%). The proposed system also outperformed the existing ALPR solutions on several benchmark datasets.
Research on Speech Emotion Recognition Based on AA-CBGRU Network
Authors: Yan Yu , Shen Xizhong
Published: April 2022

Speech emotion recognition is an emerging research field in the 21st century, which is of great significance to human–computer interaction. In order to enable various smart devices to better recognize and understand the emotions contained in human speech, in view of the problems of gradient disappearance and poor learning ability of the time series information in the current speech emotion classification model, an AA-CBGRU network model is proposed for speech emotion recognition. The model first extracts the spectrogram and its first and second order derivative features of the speech signal, then extracts the spatial features of the inputs through the convolutional neural network with residual blocks, then uses the BGRU network with an attention layer to mine deep time series information, and finally uses the full connection layer to achieve the final emotion recognition. The experimental results on the IEMOCAP sentiment corpus show that the model in this paper improves both the weighted accuracy (WA) and the unweighted accuracy (UA).
A Novel Method for Tunnel Digital Twin Construction and Virtual-Real Fusion Application
Authors: Wu Zhaohui , Chang Ying , Li Qing , Cai Rongbin
Published: April 2022

Tunnels play important roles in integrated transport infrastructure. A digital twin reproduces a real tunnel scene in virtual space and provides new means for tunnel digital maintenance. Aiming at the existing problems of video fragmentation, separation of video and business data, and lack of two- and three-dimensional linkage response methods in tunnel digital operation, in this paper, we propose a novel method for tunnel digital twin construction and virtual-real integration operation. Firstly, the digital management requirements of tunnel operations are systematically analyzed to clarify the purpose of digital twin construction. Secondly, BIM technology is used to construct a static model of the tunnel scene that conforms to the real tunnel main structure. Thirdly, a three-dimensional registration and projection calculation method is proposed to integrate tunnel surveillance video into a three-dimensional virtual scene in real time. Fourthly, multi-source sensing data are gathered and fused to form a digital twin scene that is basically the same as the real tunnel traffic operations scene. Finally, a management model suitable for digital twins is discussed to improve the efficiency of tunnel operations and management, and a tunnel in China is selected to verify this method. The results show that the proposed method is helpful to realize the application of two- and three-dimensional linkages of tunnel traffic smooth, accident rescue, facility management, and emergency response, and to improve the efficiency of tunnel digital management.
Capacity State-of-Health Estimation of Electric Vehicle Batteries Using Machine Learning and Impedance Measurements
Authors: Barragán-Moreno Alberto , Schaltz Erik , Gismero Alejandro , Stroe Daniel-Ioan
Published: April 2022

With the increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) by the general public, a lot of research is being conducted in Li-ion battery-related topics, where state-of-health (SoH) estimation has a prominent role. Accurate knowledge of this parameter is essential for efficient and safe EV operation. In this work, machine-learning techniques are applied to estimate this parameter in EV applications and in diverse scenarios. After thoroughly analysing cell ageing in different storage conditions, a novel approach based on impedance data is developed for SoH estimation. A fully-connected feed-forward neural network (FC-FNN) is employed to estimate the battery’s maximum available capacity from a small set of impedance measurements. The method was tested for estimation in long-term scenarios and for diverse degradation procedures with data from real EV batteries. High accuracy was obtained in all situations, with a mean absolute error as low as 0.9%. Thus, the proposed algorithm constitutes a powerful and viable solution for fast and accurate SoH estimation in real-world battery management systems.
Artificial Neural Network-Based Parameter Identification Method for Wireless Power Transfer Systems
Authors: He Liangxi , Zhao Sheng , Wang Xiaoqiang , Lee Chi-Kwan
Published: April 2022

In this paper, a Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) system parameter identification method that combines an artificial neural network and system modeling is presented. During wireless charging, there are two critical parameters; specifically, mutual inductance and load resistance, which change due to the movement of the transmitter/receiver and battery conditions. The identification of these two uncertain parameters is an essential prerequisite for the implementation of feedback control. The proposed method utilizes an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to acquire a mutual inductance value. A succinct system model is formulated to calculate the load resistance of the remote receiver. The maximum error of the mutual inductance estimation is 2.93%, and the maximum error of the load resistance estimation is 7.4%. Compared to traditional methods, the proposed method provides an alternative way to obtain mutual inductance and load resistance using only primary-side information. Experimental results were provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Broadband-Transmissive, Frequency-Selective Rasorber Design Using Characteristic Mode Analysis
Authors: Xiong Jie , Yang Baoping , Wu Yanjie , Zeng Xiongwei , Li Qiuyu , Tang Rongxin , Lin Hai
Published: April 2022

This article designs a frequency-selective rasorber (FSR) with a broadband transmission window. It is synthesized by a broadband absorber and a frequency-selective surface (FSS). The resistive layer achieves broadband absorption by introducing a tortuous Jerusalem cross load with lumped resistors, and the lossless FSS adopts a three-layer metal structure to realize the broadband transmission window. The absorption mechanism of the resistive layer is analyzed using the theory of characteristic mode. The position of the resistor is determined according to the analysis of mode current distribution and parameter optimization. Prototypes of the structure were fabricated and measured, and the simulation results show that the 1 dB transmission window and the absorption band with |S11|< −1 dB are 36.4% and 97%, respectively. Therefore, the designed FSR has potential application prospects in electromagnetic stealth technology and radar cross-section reduction.
A Comparative Study of Reduction Methods Applied on a Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Cools Aurélie , Belarbi Mohammed Amin , Mahmoudi Sidi Ahmed
Published: April 2022

With the emergence of smartphones, video surveillance cameras, social networks, and multimedia engines, as well as the development of the internet and connected objects (the Internet of Things—IoT), the number of available images is increasing very quickly. This leads to the necessity of managing a huge amount of data using Big Data technologies. In this context, several sectors, such as security and medicine, need to extract image features (index) in order to quickly and efficiently find these data with high precision. To reach this first goal, two main approaches exist in the literature. The first one uses classical methods based on the extraction of visual features, such as color, texture, and shape for indexation. The accuracy of these methods was acceptable until the early 2010s. The second approach is based on convolutional neuronal networks (CNN), which offer better precision due to the largeness of the descriptors, but they can cause an increase in research time and storage space. To decrease the research time, one needs to reduce the size of these vectors (descriptors) by using dimensionality reduction methods. In this paper, we propose an approach that allows the problem of the “curse of dimensionality” to be solved thanks to an efficient combination of convolutional neural networks and dimensionality reduction methods. Our contribution consists of defining the best combination approach between the CNN layers and the regional maximum activation of convolutions (RMAC) method and its variants. With our combined approach, we propose providing reduced descriptors that will accelerate the research time and reduce the storage space while maintaining precision. We conclude by proposing the best position of an RMAC layer with an increase in accuracy ranging from 4.03% to 27.34%, a decrease in research time ranging from 89.66% to 98.14% in the function of CNN architecture, and a reduction in the size of the descriptor vector by 97.96% on the GHIM-10K benchmark database.
An Artificial Visual System for Motion Direction Detection Based on the Hassenstein–Reichardt Correlator Model
Authors: Yan Chenyang , Todo Yuki , Kobayashi Yuki , Tang Zheng , Li Bin
Published: April 2022

The perception of motion direction is essential for the survival of visual animals. Despite various theoretical and biophysical investigations that have been conducted to elucidate directional selectivity at the neural level, the systemic mechanism of motion direction detection remains elusive. Here, we develop an artificial visual system (AVS) based on the core computation of the Hassenstein–Reichardt correlator (HRC) model for global motion direction detection. With reference to the biological investigations of Drosophila, we first describe a local motion-sensitive, directionally detective neuron that only responds to ON motion signals with high pattern contrast in a particular direction. Then, we use the full-neurons scheme motion direction detection mechanism to detect the global motion direction based on our previous research. The mechanism enables our AVS to detect multiple directions in a two-dimensional view, and the global motion direction is inferred from the outputs of all local motion-sensitive directionally detective neurons. To verify the reliability of our AVS, we conduct a series of experiments and compare its performance with the time-considered convolution neural network (CNN) and the EfficientNetB0 under the same conditions. The experimental results demonstrated that our system is reliable in detecting the direction of motion, and among the three models, our AVS has better motion direction detection capabilities.
Stochastic Optimal Strategy for Power Management in Interconnected Multi-Microgrid Systems
Authors: Javidsharifi Mahshid , Pourroshanfekr Arabani Hamoun , Kerekes Tamas , Sera Dezso , Guerrero Josep M.
Published: April 2022

A novel stochastic strategy for solving the problem of optimal power management of multi-microgrid (MMG) systems is suggested in this paper. The considered objectives are minimizing the total cost and emission of the system. The suggested algorithm is applied on a MMG consisting of four microgrids (MG), each including fossil fuel-based generator units, wind turbine (WT), photovoltaic (PV) panel, battery, and local loads. The unscented transformation (UT) method is applied to deal with the inherent uncertainties of the renewable energy sources (RES) and forecasted values of the load demand and electricity price. The proposed algorithm is applied to solve the power management of a sample MMG system in both deterministic and probabilistic scenarios. It is justified through simulation results that the suggested algorithm is an efficient approach in satisfying the minimization of the cost and the environmental objective functions. When considering uncertainties, it is observed that the maximum achievable profit is about 23% less than that of the deterministic condition, while the minimum emission level increases 22%. It can be concluded that considering uncertainties has a significant effect on the economic index. Therefore, to present more accurate and realistic results it is essential to consider uncertainties in solving the optimal power management of MMG system.
Efficient MIMO Signal Predistortion for Secrecy-Enhancing
Authors: Lee Hyein , Chan Satya , Kim Sooyoung
Published: April 2022

Massive machine type communications or internet of things (IoT) over wireless systems have invoked attention in terms of security problems, especially for multi-input multi-output (MIMO) schemes. In this paper, we propose efficient physical layer security (PLS) enhancing methods for space-time block coding (STBC), as well as spatial multiplexing (SM) schemes. The proposed methods pre-distort the transmit signals by using the phase information of the legitimate MIMO channel, and, as a result, the illegal eavesdropper cannot extract any information. The proposed predistortion for the STBC schemes is done so that the channel matrix at the receiver is a real-valued one, which results in full-rate and full-diversity gain for more than two transmit antennae. Therefore, compared to the conventional schemes, the proposed scheme eventually leads to the higher performance gain and lower detection complexity in addition to the high security protection. By extending the principle of the proposed method for STBC, a predistortion scheme is also proposed for SM by using the phase information of the column space of the channel matrix. The simulation results investigated in this paper reveal that the proposed methods can achieve enhanced error rate performances, as well as high security protection.
Simplified Method for the Determination of Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen in Wastewater
Authors: Hicks Tristan D. , Kuns Caleb M. , Raman Chandrashekar , Bates Zane T. , Nagarajan Subhalakshmi
Published: April 2022

The increase in total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) concentrations is correlated with increases in cyanobacterial bloom biomass. Standard methods for the measurement of TKN are tedious, costly, time-consuming and involve the use of hazardous catalysts, such as mercury, high temperatures and significant amounts of toxic acids and bases. Since TKN plays a pivotal role in influencing algal blooms, there is an urgent need to develop simpler, safer and more accurate methods for the determination of TKN. The simplified TKN method (s-TKN™) developed by Hach® offers several advantages over the traditional TKN method, including eliminating the use of mercury, requiring low sample and reagent volumes and being cost-efficient and user-friendly. This communication presents preliminary results comparing the efficacy of s-TKN™ and the standard method, using commonly used primary standards and waste, estuarine and lake water matrices. For all primary standards analyzed, the s-TKN™ method exhibited good accuracy across a wide range of concentrations. The repeatability for the glycine–para-toluene sulfonic acid (Gly-PTSA) standard using the s-TKN™ method was 4.1% at the highest concentrations analyzed, with overall repeatability across concentrations comparable to the standard EPA method. For wastewater, estuarine and lake matrices, a good correlation (r2 = 0.9917) between the two methods and no statistical difference in the values (p > 0.05) were obtained between two methods. Preliminary studies indicate that the s-TKN™ method has the potential to reduce the expenditure associated with the cost of analysis and has the potential to be a safer and cheaper alternative, while providing comparable analytical results to the standard method.
Effects of Mulberry Leaves and Pennisetum Hybrid Mix-Silage on Fermentation Parameters and Bacterial Community
Authors: Chi Zhou , Deng Ming , Tian Hanchen , Liu Dewu , Li Yaokun , Liu Guangbin , Sun Baoli , Guo Yongqing
Published: April 2022

The silage quality and bacterial community of hybrid Pennisetum (P. hydridum × P. americanum) with or without 30% and 50% mulberry leaves for 3, 7, 14, and 30 days were investigated. Results showed that compared with the 100% hybrid Pennisetum group, more lactic acid (40.71 vs. 80.81 g/kg dry matter (DM)), acetic acid (10.99 vs. 31.84 g/kg DM), lactic acid bacteria (8.46 vs. 8.51 log10 cfu/g fresh matter), water-soluble carbohydrates (2.41 vs. 4.41 g/100 g DM), crude protein (4.97 vs. 10.84 g/100 g DM), and true protein (3.91 vs. 8.52 g/100 g DM) content as well as less neutral detergent fiber (67.30 vs. 47.26 g/100 g DM), acid detergent fiber (33.85 vs. 25.38 g/100 g DM), and yeast counts (4.78 vs. 2.39 log10 cfu/g fresh matter) and an appropriate pH (3.77 vs. 4.06) were found in silages added with 50% mulberry leaves at 30 days of ensiling. Moreover, the addition of mulberry leaves also influenced the relative abundance of the bacterial community. The relative abundance of Firmicutes increased and Proteobacteria decreased when mulberry leaves were added. Weissella and Lactobacillus abundance also increased. To sum up the above, mixing with 50% mulberry leaves yielded the greatest fermentation quality in this study. In conclusion, mixing with mulberry leaves could be a reasonable way to improve the quality of hybrid Pennisetum silage.
Physicochemical and Anti-UVB-Induced Skin Inflammatory Properties of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Subsp. paracasei SS-01 Strain Exopolysaccharide
Authors: Su Yanfeng , Zhang Yongtao , Fu Hao , Yao Feifei , Liu Pingping , Mo Qiuting , Wang Dongdong , Zhao Dan , Wang Changtao , Li Meng
Published: April 2022

The exopolysaccharide secreted by Lacticaseibacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei SS-01 strain (LP-EPS) is isolated and purified from yogurt. It is a polysaccharide with a branched and multi-stranded structure, which exists in a smooth rod-like or cloud-like state, and possesses a good thermal stability and a molecular weight of 49.68 kDa (±4.436%). LP-EPS shows a high antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory and anti-sensitizing activity during in vitro experimental studies, with half clearance (IC50) rates of 0.449, 1.314, and 2.369 mg/mL for the ABTS, DPPH, and OH radicals, respectively, and a half inhibition rate (IC50) of hyaluronidase of 1.53 mg/mL. A cell-based assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and quantitative real-time fluorescence PCR (qRT-PCR) show that LP-EPS effectively treats or ameliorates the skin inflammatory responses triggered by UVB irradiation, as evidenced by a highly significant decrease in the secretion of inflammatory factors by human skin keratinocytes (HaCaT), and a highly significant downregulation of the mRNA expression of MAPK/AP-1 pathway cytokines.
Identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria on Raw Material for Cocoa Bean Fermentation in the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Chagas Junior Gilson Celso Albuquerque , Ferreira Nelson Rosa , Gloria Maria Beatriz A. , Gobira Rubens Menezes , Maia Felipe de Andrade , Lopes Alessandra Santos
Published: April 2022

The prevalent microbiota during cocoa fermentation is one of the main factors responsible for the chemical and biochemical changes that lead to desirable chocolate characteristics. However, the microbiota can be affected by several factors, including the edaphoclimatic conditions, which are typical of the production region. The objective of this study was to identify LAB in Amazonian cocoa prior to fermentation. LAB were isolated using MRS agar. By sequencing the 16S region of isolated LAB in MRS agar, it was possible to identify five LAB species that were registered in the GenBank database (accessions from MT117900 to MT117915). They included Pediococcus acidilactici, which was the most prevalent, followed by Lactobacillus farraginis, L. parafarraginis, L. zeae, and L. casei. Studies are needed to ascertain their specific roles and impact on cocoa quality. It is likely that they can be available as starter cultures to enhance the quality characteristics of chocolate.
Nanostructural Changes Correlated to Decay Resistance of Chemically Modified Wood Fibers
Authors: Plaza Nayomi Z. , Pingali Sai Venkatesh , Ibach Rebecca E.
Published: April 2022

Reactive chemical modifications have been shown to impart decay resistance to wood. These modifications change hydroxyl availability, water uptake, surface energy, and the nanostructure of wood. Because fungal action occurs on the micro and nano scale, further investigation into the nanostructure may lead to better strategies to prevent fungal decay. The aim of this article is to introduce our findings using small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to probe the effects of chemical modifications on the nanostructure of wood fibers. Southern pine wood fiber samples were chemically modified to various weight percentage gains (WPG) using propylene oxide (PO), butylene oxide (BO), or acetic anhydride (AA). After modification, the samples were water leached for two weeks to remove any unreacted reagents, homopolymers or by-products and then the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) was determined. Laboratory soil-block-decay evaluations against the brown rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum were performed to determine weight loss and decay resistance of the modifications. To assist in understanding the mechanism behind fungal decay resistance, SANS was used to study samples that were fully immersed in deuterium oxide (D2O). These measurements revealed that modifying the fibers led to differences in the swollen wood nanostructure compared to unmodified wood fibers. Moreover, the modifications led to differences in the nanoscale features observed in samples that were exposed to brown rot fungal attack compared to unmodified wood fibers and solid wood blocks modified with alkylene oxides.
Incorporation of Fisheries Policy into Regional Blocs?—Lessons from the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy
Authors: Li Shuo
Published: April 2022

As globalization is facing increasing challenges, regionalization demonstrates the potential to effectively address many transboundary issues. Current international fisheries management has attracted criticisms, among which the poor incentives for countries to attend and comply with the rules are notable. This paper aims to explore whether the incorporation of fisheries policies into regional economic blocs can be a solution to improve cross-border fisheries management. The development, problems, and future of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) of the European Union are explored in detail. This paper concludes that the evolution and implementation of the CFP provide some precious lessons for the world. An appropriately designed regional fisheries scheme would help to create incentives for countries to participate in regional regimes and improve their fisheries management. Economic incentives, a good institutional design, and financial and scientific support are critical factors in favor of adopting common fisheries policies under regional economic frameworks.
Foam Based Fracturing Fluid Characterization for an Optimized Application in HPHT Reservoir Conditions
Authors: Gonzalez Perdomo Maria E. , Wan Madihi Sharifah
Published: April 2022

Water-based fracturing fluids are among the most common fluid types used in hydraulic fracturing operations. However, these fluids tend to cause damage in water-sensitive formations. Foam comprises a small amount of base fluid, and compressible gas such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen has emerged as a more ecologically friendly option to fracture such formations. Foam is an attractive option since it has a low density and high viscosity. The applicability of foamed frac fluid is characterized by foam stability and rheology, encompassing the viscosity and proppant carrying ability. The foam quality, pressure and temperature affect the foam rheology. Generally, foam viscosity and stability increase with pressure but decrease when the temperature increases. Hence, it is essential to preserve foam stability in high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) reservoir conditions. The addition of nanoparticles could increase the thermal stability of the foam. This article provides the basis of foam-based fracturing fluid characterization for an optimal application in HPHT reservoir conditions. Then, focusing on improving thermal stability, it reviews the research progress on the use of nanoparticles as foam stabilizing agent. This paper also sheds light on the literature gaps that should be addressed by future research.
Changes in Biochemical Properties and Activity of Trypsin-like Protease (Litopenaeus vannamei) Treated by Atmospheric Cold Plasma (ACP)
Authors: Tang Lingling , Hatab Shaimaa , Yan Jinhong , Miao Wenhua , Nyaisaba Bhoke Marwa , Piao Xinyue , Zheng Bin , Deng Shanggui
Published: April 2022

The changes in the functional properties of trypsin from shrimps (Litopenaeus vannamei) after, Atmospheric Cold Plasma (ACP) treatments, have been evaluated in terms of enzyme inactivation, surface hydrophobicity, secondary structure, fluorescence intensity, and particle size distribution. Different exposure voltages of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 kV at various treatment times (1, 2, 3, and 4 min) have been employed, in a separate assay. The results showed that trypsin-like protease activity decreased (by about 50%), and the kinetic constants Km value increased, while the kcat value decreased. Surface hydrophobicity and fluorescence intensity revealed a significant increase compared to the control sample. A high degree of protein degradation has been noticed by SDS-PAGE analysis. In addition, circular dichroism indicated that random coil and α-helix contents declined while β-turn and β-sheet contents have raised. A sharp drop in the particle size was observed with increasing the treatment voltage from 0 to 40 kV for 4 min, and the corresponding peak reached the minimum of 531.2 nm. Summing up the results, it can be concluded that the ACP technique effectively affects the activity of trypsin-like protease, which in terms enhances the quality of dietary protein.
Biological Functions of Exopolysaccharides from Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Potential Benefits for Humans and Farmed Animals
Authors: Werning María Laura , Hernández-Alcántara Annel M. , Ruiz María Julia , Soto Lorena Paola , Dueñas María Teresa , López Paloma , Frizzo Laureano Sebastián
Published: April 2022

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) synthesize exopolysaccharides (EPS), which are structurally diverse biopolymers with a broad range of technological properties and bioactivities. There is scientific evidence that these polymers have health-promoting properties. Most commercialized probiotic microorganisms for consumption by humans and farmed animals are LAB and some of them are EPS-producers indicating that some of their beneficial properties could be due to these polymers. Probiotic LAB are currently used to improve human health and for the prevention and treatment of specific pathologic conditions. They are also used in food-producing animal husbandry, mainly due to their abilities to promote growth and inhibit pathogens via different mechanisms, among which the production of EPS could be involved. Thus, the aim of this review is to discuss the current knowledge of the characteristics, usage and biological role of EPS from LAB, as well as their postbiotic action in humans and animals, and to predict the future contribution that they could have on the diet of food animals to improve productivity, animal health status and impact on public health.
Content and Solubility of Collagen and Their Relation to Proximate Composition and Shear Force of Meat from Different Anatomical Location in Carcass of European Beaver (Castor fiber)
Authors: Florek Mariusz , Domaradzki Piotr , Skałecki Piotr , Ryszkowska-Siwko Małgorzata , Ziomek Monika , Tajchman Katarzyna , Gondek Michał , Pyz-Łukasik Renata
Published: April 2022

The content and solubility of collagen in the muscle tissue and cooked meat from three anatomical locations (loin, hind leg and shoulder) in carcasses of adult male European beavers and relationships of collagen fractions with proximate composition and shear force were studied. Shoulder muscle tissue contained the highest amount of intramuscular fat, collagen/protein ratio, total and insoluble collagen, and the lowest percentage of soluble collagen. The cooked meat from hind leg contained the lowest amount of total, soluble and insoluble collagen. The percentage of collagen fractions in cooked meat was comparable in all cuts (p > 0.05). The toughest meat was from the shoulder, followed by the hind leg, and the tenderest meat was from the loin (p < 0.01). Shear force of cooked meat was correlated positively with the amount of total collagen, insoluble collagen and its percentage in muscle tissue (0.597, 0.594 and 0.499, p < 0.01), as well as negatively with percentage of soluble collagen (−0.594, p < 0.001). No correlations between the shear force and the content of total collagen and its fractions in cooked meat were found. In conclusion, our results indicate that the amount of total collagen and its fractions in raw muscle tissue of beaver is a better tenderness predictor for cooked meat than their values in heat-treated meat.
Research Facilities for Europe’s Next Generation Gravitational-Wave Detector Einstein Telescope
Authors: Di Pace Sibilla , Mangano Valentina , Pierini Lorenzo , Rezaei Amirsajjad , Hennig Jan-Simon , Hennig Margot , Pascucci Daniela , Allocca Annalisa , Tosta e Melo Iara , Nair Vishnu G. , Orban Philippe , Sider Ameer , Shani-Kadmiel Shahar , van Heijningen Joris
Published: April 2022

The Einstein Telescope is Europe’s next generation gravitational-wave detector. To develop all necessary technology, four research facilities have emerged across Europe: The Amaldi Research Center (ARC) in Rome (Italy), ETpathfinder in Maastricht (The Netherlands), SarGrav in the Sos Enattos mines on Sardinia (Italy) and E-TEST in Liége (Belgium) and its surroundings. The ARC pursues the investigation of a large cryostat, equipped with dedicated low-vibration cooling lines, to test full-scale cryogenic payloads. The installation will be gradual and interlaced with the payload development. ETpathfinder aims to provide a low-noise facility that allows the testing of full interferometer configurations and the interplay of their subsystems in an ET-like environment. ETpathfinder will focus amongst others on cryogenic technologies, silicon mirrors, lasers and optics at 1550 and 2090 nm and advanced quantum noise reduction schemes. The SarGrav laboratory has a surface lab and an underground operation. On the surface, the Archimedes experiment investigates the interaction of vacuum fluctuations with gravity and is developing (tilt) sensor technology for the Einstein Telescope. In an underground laboratory, seismic characterisation campaigns are undertaken for the Sardinian site characterisation. Lastly, the Einstein Telecope Euregio meuse-rhine Site & Technology (E-TEST) is a single cryogenic suspension of an ET-sized silicon mirror. Additionally, E-TEST investigates the Belgian–Dutch–German border region that is the other candidate site for Einstein Telescope using boreholes and seismic arrays and hydrogeological characterisation. In this article, we describe the Einstein Telescope, the low-frequency part of its science case and the four research facilities.
Uncertainty Quantification of Failure of Shallow Foundation on Clayey Soils with a Modified Cam-Clay Yield Criterion and Stochastic FEM
Authors: Savvides Ambrosios-Antonios , Papadrakakis Manolis
Published: April 2022

In this article, a quantitative numerical study of the random distribution of the soil material parameters to the probability density functions of the failure load and failure displacements of a shallow foundation is presented. A modified Cam-Clay yield function is used for this scope into a stochastic finite element numerical formulation. Several hypotheses for the random distribution of the compressibility factor κ, of the material constitutive relation, the critical state line inclination c of the soil, as well as of the permeability k of the continuum, have been tested and assessed with Monte Carlo simulation accelerated with Latin hypercube sampling. It is validated that both failure load and failure displacements follow Gaussian normal distribution despite the non-linear behaviour of the soil. Furthermore, as the soil depth increases, the mean value of failure load decreases and the failure displacement increases. The failure mechanism of clays can be determined with accuracy using this numerical implementation, without the restrictions imposed by analytical solutions, taking into consideration the eccentricity of the load in combination with non-linear constitutive relations.
Early Interventions to Prevent Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Youth after Exposure to a Potentially Traumatic Event: A Scoping Review
Authors: Kerbage Hala , Bazzi Ola , El Hage Wissam , Corruble Emmanuelle , Purper-Ouakil Diane
Published: April 2022

The worldwide occurrence of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) in the life of children is highly frequent. We aimed to identify studies on early mental health interventions implemented within three months of the child/adolescent’s exposure to a PTE, with the aim of reducing acute post-traumatic symptoms, decreasing long term PTSD, and improving the child’s adjustment after a PTE exposure. The search was performed in PubMed and EMBASE databases resulting in twenty-seven articles meeting our inclusion criteria. Most non-pharmacological interventions evaluated had in common two complementary components: psychoeducation content for both children and parents normalizing early post-traumatic responses while identifying post-traumatic symptoms; and coping strategies to deal with post-traumatic symptoms. Most of these interventions studied yielded positive results on outcomes with a decrease in post-traumatic, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. However, negative results were noted when traumatic events were still ongoing (war, political violence) as well as when there was no or little parental involvement. This study informs areas for future PTSD prevention research and raises awareness of the importance of psychoeducation and coping skills building in both youth and their parents in the aftermath of a traumatic event, to strengthen family support and prevent the occurrence of enduring post-traumatic symptoms.
The Effect of Endurance and Endurance-Strength Training on Bone Health and Body Composition in Centrally Obese Women—A Randomised Pilot Trial
Authors: Jamka Małgorzata , Piotrowska-Brudnicka Sylwia E. , Karolkiewicz Joanna , Skrypnik Damian , Bogdański Paweł , Cielecka-Piontek Judyta , Sultanova Gulnara , Walkowiak Jarosław , Mądry Edyta
Published: April 2022

There is no consensus exercise programme to reduce body weight and improve body composition simultaneously preventing bone loss or stimulating osteogenesis. This pilot study compared the effect of endurance and endurance-strength training on body composition and bone metabolism in centrally obese women. Recruited subjects were randomly assigned to three-month endurance (n = 22) or endurance-strength training (n = 22). Body composition, bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) were assessed before and after the intervention and markers of bone formation and resorption were measured. Both training significantly decreased fat mass; however, endurance-strength training had a more favourable effect on lean mass for the gynoid area (p = 0.0211) and legs (p = 0.0381). Endurance training significantly decreased total body BMC and BMD (p = 0.0440 and p = 0.0300), whereas endurance-strength training only reduced BMD (p = 0.0063). Changes in densitometric parameters did not differ between the groups but endurance training increased osteocalcin levels (p = 0.04845), while endurance-strength training increased tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b concentrations (p = 0.00145). In conclusion, both training programmes were effective in the reduction of fat mass simultaneously negatively affecting bone health. However, endurance-strength training seemed to be more effective in increasing lean mass. The study protocol was registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov database under the number NCT03444207, date of registration: 23 February 2018 (retrospective registration).
Effects of Girdling and Foliar Fertilization with K on Physicochemical Parameters, Phenolic and Volatile Composition in ‘Hanxiangmi’ Table Grape
Authors: Chen Tianchi , Xu Tao , Shen Leyi , Zhang Tianye , Wang Liru , Chen Zhihui , Wu Yueyan , Yang Jian
Published: April 2022

Aroma is one of the most important indicators of grape quality. Girdling and foliar fertilization with K (K2O) are common agronomic practices applied to improve berry quality in grape production. However, little is known about its effect on the accumulation and biosynthesis of the entire aromatic profile. Our study was aimed to explore the influences of girdling and foliar fertilization with K (alone or in combination) on the general properties, phenolic composition, volatile free aroma compounds, spatial and temporal expression of terpene-related genes and sensory properties in ‘Hanxiangmi’ table grape. In this study, we found that girdling and foliar fertilization with K (alone or in combination) facilitated fruit enlargement and increased the accumulation of phenolic compounds in skin. The combination treatment of girdling and foliar fertilization with K significantly promoted the concentrations of total soluble solids (TSS) in the pulp and proanthocyanidins in the berry skin, and had a lower titratable acidity (TA) compared to those of the control. In contrast, girdling treatment alone increased the concentrations of titratable acidity. Volatile free aroma composition analysis revealed that the combination treatment increased the volatile compounds and concentrations significantly, most notably in terpenes, such as nerol, citronellol and linalool. Spatial and temporal expression analysis showed that the expression level of VvDXS was significantly correlated with linalool and total terpenes concentrations, as a result of which, we speculated that VvDXS is the candidate gene for the regulation of important grape terpenes. We hope that our results can direct farmers to better apply girdling and foliar fertilization with K in grape production.
Comparative Analyses of Chloroplast Genomes Provide Comprehensive Insights into the Adaptive Evolution of Paphiopedilum (Orchidaceae)
Authors: Liu Hengzhao , Ye Hang , Zhang Naiyu , Ma Jiayu , Wang Jiangtao , Hu Guojia , Li Mengdi , Zhao Peng
Published: April 2022

An elucidation of how the selection pressures caused by habitat environments affect plant plastid genomes and lead to the adaptive evolution of plants, is a very intense area of research in evolutionary biology. The genus Paphiopedilum is a predominant group of orchids that includes over 66 species with high horticultural and ornamental value. However, owing to the destructive exploitation and habitat deterioration of wild germplasm resources of Paphiopedilum, it needs more molecular genetic resources and studies on this genus. The chloroplast is cytoplasmically inherited and often used in evolutionary studies. Thus, for this study, we newly sequenced, assembled and annotated five chloroplast genomes of the Paphiopedilum species. The size of these genomes ranged from 155,886 bp (P. henryanum) to 160,503 bp (P. ‘GZSLKY’ Youyou) and they contained 121–122 genes, which consisted of 76 protein coding genes, eight ribosomal RNAs, and 37–38 transfer RNAs. Combined with the other 14 Paphiopedilum species, the characteristics of the repeat sequences, divergent hotspot regions, and the condo usage bias were evaluated and identified, respectively. The gene transfer analysis showed that some fragments of the ndh and ycf gene families were shared by both the chloroplast and nucleus. Although the genomic structure and gene content was conserved, there was a significant boundary shift caused by the inverted repeat (IR) expansion and small single copy (SSC) contraction. The lower GC content and loss of ndh genes could be the result of adaptive evolutionary responses to its unique habitats. The genes under positive selection, including accD, matK, psbM, rpl20, rps12, ycf1, and ycf2 might be regarded as potential candidate genes for further study, which significantly contribute to the adaptive evolution of Paphiopedilum.
Supercritical Flow over a Submerged Vertical Negative Step
Authors: Retsinis Eugene , Papanicolaou Panos
Published: April 2022

The transition from supercritical to subcritical flow around a fully submerged abrupt negative step in a horizontal rectangular open channel has been investigated. In a laboratory experiment the one-dimensional energy and the momentum conservation equations were studied by means of depth and pressure measurements by piezometers installed along the bottom and the step face. Froude number varied in the range 1.9 to 5.8 while the step height to critical depth ratio was in the range 1.34 to 2.56. The results are presented in dimensionless form using mainly a characteristic length scale that is the sum of critical depth and step height and the Froude number of the supercritical flow upstream. Five different types of rapidly varying flow are observed when the subcritical downstream tailwater depth varied. The supercritical water jet at the top of the step either strikes the bottom downstream of the step when the maximum pressure head is greater, or moves to the surface of the flow when it is lower than tailwater depth, and the separation of the two flow regimes occurs when the tailwater depth to the characteristic length scale is around 1.05. The normalized energy loss and a closure parameter for the momentum equation are presented in dimensionless diagrams for practical use by the design engineer. Finally, the one-dimensional equations of motion including Boussinesq terms are solved numerically and the results found are congruent to the experimental findings.
A Field Investigation on Gully Erosion and Implications for Changes in Sediment Delivery Processes in Some Tributaries of the Upper Yellow River in China
Authors: Yang Hui , Shi Changxing , Cao Jiansheng
Published: April 2022

Erosion and sediment delivery have been undergoing considerable variations in many catchments worldwide owing to climate change and human interference. Monitoring on-site erosion and sediment deposition is crucial for understanding the processes and mechanisms of changes in sediment yield from the catchments. The Ten Kongduis (kongdui is the transliteration of ephemeral creeks in Mongolian) are 10 tributaries of the upper Yellow River. Severe erosion in the upstream hills and gullies and huge aeolian sand input in the middle reaches had made the 10 tributaries one of the main sediment sources of the Yellow River, but the gauged sediment discharge of the tributaries has decreased obviously in recent years. In order to find out the mechanisms of changes in the sediment load of the tributaries, topographic surveys of four typical gullies in 3 of the 10 tributaries were made repeatedly in the field with the terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) technique. The results show that all the monitored gullies were silted with a mean net rate of 587–800 g/m2 from November 2014 to June 2015 and eroded by a mean net rate of 185–24,800 g/m2 from June to November 2015. The monitoring data suggest that the mechanism of interseasonal and interannual sediment storage and release existed in the processes of sediment delivery in the kongduis. The contrast of the low gauged sediment load of the kongduis in recent years against the high surveyed gully erosion indicates the reduction in their sediment delivery efficiency, which can be attributed to the diminution in hyperconcentrated flows caused mainly by the increase in vegetation coverage on slopes and partly by construction of sediment-trapping dams in gullies.
Metadata Integration Framework for Data Integration of Socio-Cultural Anthropology Digital Repositories: A Case Study of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre
Authors: Buranarach Marut , Buranasing Watchira , Rungcharoensuksri Sittisak , Sarawasee Panita , Ngootip Treepidok , Chansanam Wirapong
Published: April 2022

Data integration is one of the most challenging tasks for digital collections whose data are stored across various repositories. Data integration across digital repositories has several challenges. First, data heterogeneity in terms of data schema and data values usually occurs across diverse data sources. Second, heterogeneity in data representation and semantic issues are among the problems. The same data may appear in different repositories with varied data representations, i.e., metadata schema. Recent research has focused on matching several related metadata schemas. In this paper, a metadata integration framework is proposed to support digital repositories in socio-cultural anthropology at the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre (SAC), Thailand. The proposed framework is defined based on the Metadata Lifecycle Model (MLM). It utilizes non-procedural schema mappings to express data relationships in diverse schemas. A case study of metadata integration over the SAC digital repositories was conducted to validate the framework. The SAC common metadata schema was designed to support data mapping across 13 digital repositories. The SAC “One Search” system was developed to exemplify the system implementation of the framework. Evaluation results showed that the proposed metadata integration framework can support domain experts in socio-cultural anthropology in unified searching across the repositories.
Cyromazine Effects the Reproduction of Drosophila by Decreasing the Number of Germ Cells in the Female Adult Ovary
Authors: Khalid Muhammad Zaryab , Sun Zhipeng , Chen Yaoyao , Zhang Jing , Zhong Guohua
Published: April 2022

In the present study, we observed a 58% decrease in the fecundity of Drosophila melanogaster, after treatment with the cyromazine. To further elucidate the effects of cyromazine on reproduction, we counted the number of both germline stem cells (GSCs) and cystoblasts (CBs) in the ovary of a 3-day-old adult female. The results showed a significant decrease in the number of GSCs and CBs as compared to the control group. The mode of action of cyromazine is believed to be through the ecdysone signaling pathway. To further support this postulate, we observed the expression of key genes involved in the ecdysone signaling pathway and also determined the ecdysone titer from cyromazine-treated ovaries. Results indicated a significant decrease in the expression of ecdysone signaling-related genes as compared to the control group. Furthermore, the titer of the ecdysone hormone was also markedly reduced (90%) in cyromazine-treated adult ovaries, suggesting that ecdysone signaling was directly related to the decrease in the number of GSCs and CBs. However, further studies are required to understand the mechanism by which cyromazine affects the GSCs and CBs in female adult ovaries.