bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LIonomers-New Generation of Ionomer: Understanding of Their Interaction and Structuration as a Function of the Tunability of Cation and Anion
Authors: Hou Liutong , Livi Sébastien , Gérard Jean-François , Duchet-Rumeau Jannick
Published: January 2023

In this work, by combining maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (PPgMA) and three different ionic liquids (ILs), i.e., tributyl (ethyl) phosphonium diethyl phosphate (denoted P+DEP), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate (denoted EMIM DEP), and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (denoted EMIM Ac), new ionic PP/IL polymer materials are generated and denoted as LIonomers. The structuration of ILs in LIonomers occurs from a nano/microphase separation process proved by TEM. NMR analyses reveal the existence of ionic–ionic and ionic–dipolar interactions between PPgMA and ILs within LIonomers. The rheological behavior of such IL/polymer combinations interpret the existence of interactions between maleic anhydride group and cation or anion composing the ionic liquid. These interactions can be tuned by the nature of cation (P+DEP vs. EMIM DEP) and anion (EMIM DEP vs. EMIM Ac) but also depend on the IL content. Thermal analyses demonstrate that IL could affect the crystallization process according to different pathways. Thanks to the maleic anhydride/IL interactions, an excellent compromise between stiffness and stretchability is obtained paving the way for processing new polyolefin-based materials.
Collagen and Silk Fibroin as Promising Candidates for Constructing Catalysts
Authors: Chen Jiankang , Liu Jie , Yang Wen , Pei Ying
Published: January 2023

A catalyst determines the mechanism of an organic chemical reaction, thus enabling the commercially viable formation of desired material products. Biopolymers offer new opportunities for the construction of catalysts by virtue of their biocompatibility, environmental benignity, and sustainability, as well as their low cost. Biopolymers are especially useful as carriers and precursors in catalysis application. The employment of biocompatible and biosustainable collagen and silk fibroin materials will revolutionize state-of-the-art electronic devices and systems that currently rely on conventional technologies. In this review, we first consider the ordered hierarchical structure, origin, and processing methods of collagen and silk fibroin. Then, the unique advantages and applicability of collagen and silk fibroin for constructing catalysts are summarized. Moreover, a summary of the state-of-the-art design, fabrication, and application of collagen- and silk fibroin-based catalysts, as well as the application of collagen- and silk-based catalysts, is presented by focusing on their roles as carriers and precursors, respectively. Finally, challenges and prospects are assessed for the construction and development of collagen and silk fibroin-based catalysts.
Reinforced L-Shaped Frame Made of Textile-Reinforced Concrete
Authors: Žalský Jiří , Vlach Tomáš , Řepka Jakub , Hájek Jakub , Hájek Petr
Published: January 2023

Textile-reinforced concrete is becoming more and more popular. The material enables the realization of very thin structures and shells, often with organic shapes. However, a problem with this reinforcement occurs when the structure is bent (contains a corner), and the flexural stiffness around this bent area is required. This article presents the design, solution, and load-bearing capacity of an L-shaped rigid frame made of textile-reinforced concrete. Basic material parameters of concrete matrix and carbon textile reinforcement were supplemented by a four-point bending test to calibrate fracture energy Gf, critical compressive displacement Wd, solver type, and other parameters of a numerical model created by Atena Engineering in specialized non-linear structural analysis software for reinforced concrete structures. The calibrated numerical model was used to evaluate different variants of carbon textile reinforcement of the L-shaped frame. The carbon textile reinforcement was homogenized using epoxy resin to ensure the interaction of all fibers, and its surface was modified with fine-grained silica sand to increase the cohesion with the concrete matrix. Specimens were produced based on the most effective variant of the L-shaped frame reinforcement to be experimentally tested. Thanks to the original shaping and anchoring of the reinforcement in the corner area, the frame with composite textile reinforcement is rigid and can transmit the bending stresses in both positive and negative directions. The results of the mechanical loading test on small experimental specimens correspond well to the results of numerical modeling using Atena Engineering software.
Experimental Study of the Effect of Temperature on the Circumferential Bending Performance of GFRP Pipes
Authors: Luan Songdan , Chen Jianzhong , Lv Yong , Zhang Xiaoyu , Huang Li
Published: January 2023

Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) pipes are widely used as polymer-based composite pipes in various engineering fields where the temperature influences their performance. This paper investigated the circumferential bending properties of GFRP pipes with different continuous fiber contents at 30 °C, 50 °C and 70 °C. GFRP pipes are classified into three types according to their component content: type I, type II and type III. The results show that the bending performance of GFRP pipes tends to decrease with increasing temperature, with the retention of circumferential stiffness being 80–85% and the retention of bending strength and damage displacement being about 25–40% from 30 °C to 70 °C. The rate of decay of ring stiffness, bending strength and damage displacement is significantly higher from 30 °C to 50 °C than from 50 °C to 70 °C. Both temperature and continuous fiber content greatly influenced the damage pattern. At 30 °C, delamination damage occurred at the top and bottom of the Type I GFRP pipe before fracture damage happened at the left and right ends and fracture damage occurred at both the left and right ends of Type II and Type III GFRP pipes. Delamination damage happened at the upper and lower ends of the GFRP pipes at 50 °C and 70 °C. In addition, the paper analyses the mechanisms of the associated effects.
Plasma Surface Engineering of Natural and Sustainable Polymeric Derivatives and Their Potential Applications
Authors: Pillai Renjith Rajan , Thomas Vinoy
Published: January 2023

Recently, natural as well as synthetic polymers have been receiving significant attention as candidates to replace non-renewable materials. With the exponential developments in the world each day, the collateral damage to the environment is incessant. Increased demands for reducing pollution and energy consumption are the driving force behind the research related to surface-modified natural fibers (NFs), polymers, and various derivatives of them such as natural-fiber-reinforced polymer composites. Natural fibers have received special attention for industrial applications due to their favorable characteristics, such as low cost, abundance, light weight, and biodegradable nature. Even though NFs offer many potential applications, they still face some challenges in terms of durability, strength, and processing. Many of these have been addressed by various surface modification methodologies and compositing with polymers. Among different surface treatment strategies, low-temperature plasma (LTP) surface treatment has recently received special attention for tailoring surface properties of different materials, including NFs and synthetic polymers, without affecting any of the bulk properties of these materials. Hence, it is very important to get an overview of the latest developments in this field. The present article attempts to give an overview of different materials such as NFs, synthetic polymers, and composites. Special attention was placed on the low-temperature plasma-based surface engineering of these materials for diverse applications, which include but are not limited to environmental remediation, packaging, biomedical devices, and sensor development.
Dragon Fruit Peel Extract Enriched-Biocomposite Wrapping Film: Characterization and Application on Coconut Milk Candy
Authors: Homthawornchoo Wantida , Hakimi Nur Fairuza Syahira Mohamad , Romruen Orapan , Rawdkuen Saroat
Published: January 2023

Bio-based film is an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based packaging film. The effects of biocomposite wrapping film enhanced with dragon fruit peel extract (0, 2% w/v, respectively) and currently used commercial packaging film (polypropylene; PP) on coconut milk caramels during storage (30 °C, 75% RH, nine days) were studied. Both 0% and 2% DPE-enriched biocomposite films were thicker and had higher water vapor permeability and solubility than the PP film but poorer mechanical characteristics. In addition, the 2% film possessed antioxidants and antioxidant ability. A FESEM micrograph revealed the rough surface and porous path of the biocomposite films. Over the storage time, the moisture content, water activity, and springiness of the coconut milk caramel candy wrapped in the PP and all DPE-enriched biocomposite films were not significantly altered. However, the lipid oxidation as the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and hardness of all coconut caramels were significantly (p < 0.05) increased during storage. Furthermore, the hardness of coconut candy covered in the control (0% DPE) biocomposite film was more pronounced on day nine of storage. However, the changes in quality characteristics of the coconut candy wrapped in each film type need to be better established. The investigating factors influencing the quality deterioration of coconut milk candy should be further identified to mitigate their effects and extend the shelf-life of the coconut candy.
Hybrid Polylactic-Acid–Pectin Aerogels: Synthesis, Structural Properties, and Drug Release
Authors: Horvat Gabrijela , Žvab Klara , Knez Željko , Novak Zoran
Published: January 2023

Wound-dressing materials often include other materials stimulating wound healing. This research describes the first formulation of biodegradable hybrid aerogels composed of polylactic acid and pectin. The prepared hybrid material showed a highly porous structure with a surface area of 166 ± 22.6 m2·g−1. The addition of polylactic acid may have decreased the surface area of the pure pectin aerogel, but it improved the stability of the material in simulated body fluid (SBF). The pure pectin aerogel showed a high swelling and degradation ratio after 3 h. The addition of the polylactic acid prolonged its stability in the simulated body fluid from 24 h to more than one week, depending on the amount of polylactic acid. Biodegradable aerogels were loaded with indomethacin and diclofenac sodium as model drugs. The entrapment efficiencies were 63.4% and 62.6% for indomethacin and diclofenac sodium, respectively. Dissolution of both drugs was prolonged up to 2 days. Finally, sodium percarbonate and calcium peroxide were incorporated into the bioaerogels as chemical oxygen sources, to evaluate oxygen generation for potential wound healing applications.
Influence of Polymer Matrices on the Tensile and Impact Properties of Long Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites
Authors: Jiang Lijuan , Zhou Yinzhi , Jin Fengnian , Hou Zhenhua
Published: January 2023

To investigate the influence of polymer matrices on the tensile and impact properties of long fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (LFT) composites, composites of long basalt fiber-reinforced thermoplastic were developed in this work. Two types of polyethylene, namely 8008 and 100S, and two types of polyethylene, namely C4220 and K8303, were chosen as the matrices. The fiber volume fractions were set as 2.8%, 5.9%, 8.1%, and 10.6%. The melt flow index (MFI), crystallinity, tensile properties, impact strength, and fracture morphology of the neat polymers and the corresponding composites were tested. The composites of 8008 showed the highest tensile strength since neat 8008 showed a much higher MFI value and crystallinity. The composites of 8008 and K8303 showed a much higher tensile modulus since the neat thermoplastic showed a higher tensile modulus than the other two composites. The polymer toughness was the factor that determined whether the polymer could be toughened by fibers. Moreover, the interfacial shear strength was calculated and compared with the matrix shear strength, based on which fracture modes of the LFT were predicted. Effective methods were proposed for further improvement of the mechanical properties. The results of this paper were essential for attaining the anticipated properties when designing LFT composites.
Enhancement of Bonding and Mechanical Performance of Epoxy Asphalt Bond Coats with Graphene Nanoplatelets
Authors: Jing Fan , Wang Rui , Zhao Ruikang , Li Chenxuan , Cai Jun , Ding Guowei , Wang Qingjun , Xie Hongfeng
Published: January 2023

Improving bonding and mechanical strengths is important for the application of bond coats used in the construction of steel deck bridges. Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) are attractive nanofillers for polymer modification because of their low cost, ultra-high aspect ratio, and extraordinary thermal and mechanical performance. In this paper, GNPs were used to reinforce the epoxy asphalt bond coat (EABC). The morphology, viscosity–time behavior, contact angle, dynamic mechanical properties, and mechanical and bonding strengths of GNP-reinforced EABCs were investigated using laser confocal microscopy, a Brookfield rotational viscometer, a contact angle meter, dynamic mechanical analysis, a universal test machine, and single-lap shear and pull-off adhesion tests. GNP dispersed non-uniformly in the asphalt phase of EABC. The viscosity of the neat EABC was lowered with the inclusion of GNPs and thus the allowable construction time was extended. The existence of GNPs enhances the hydrophobicity of the neat EABC. When adding more than 0.2% GNP, the storage modulus, crosslinking density and glass transition temperatures of both asphalt and epoxy of the neat EABC increased. The mechanical and bonding properties of the neat EABC were greatly enhanced with the incorporation of GNPs. Furthermore, the mechanical and bonding strengths of the modified EABCs increased with the GNP content. GNP-reinforced EABCs can be utilized in the pavement of long-span steel bridges with long durability.
Anthocyanin-Rich Jamun (Syzygium cumini L.) Pulp Transported on Protein-Coated Ionic Gelation Microparticles of Calcium Alginate: Production and Morphological Characteristics
Authors: Silva Vitor Gonçalves da , Nogueira Gislaine Ferreira , Soares Cyntia Trevisan , Oliveira Rafael Augustus de
Published: January 2023

Jamun (Syzygium cumini L.) is a fruit rich in anthocyanins, an important group of natural pigments, with color ranging from red to blue, soluble in water, highly antioxidant. Despite its great potential for use as a natural dye, its application is a challenge, due to the instability of these compounds in the environmental conditions of processing and storage commonly used by the food industry. Therefore, this study evaluated the microencapsulation of anthocyanin-rich jamun pulp by ionic gelation (IG) and its protein-coating by electrostatic interaction (PC). The effect of the ratio of sodium alginate solids and jamun pulp (1:0.40 to 1:2, w/w) and the concentration of gelatin coating solution (0% to 10%, w/w) on the morphology, water and total protein content and anthocyanins content in the microparticles were evaluated. Visually, the IG particles showed color tones ranging from reddish to purplish, which became less intense and opaque after being submitted to the gelatin coating process. Microscopic images demonstrated that microparticles formed had an irregular and heterogeneous shape with disorganized gel network formation is due to the presence of solid structures of jamun pulp, observed within the microparticles. The greater the concentration of gelatin in the coating solution, the greater the protein adsorption for the formation of the protective layer, ranging from 21.82 ± 0.72% (T1) to 55.87 ± 4.23% (T6). Protein adsorption on the GI resulted in a decrease in moisture content (ranging from 87.04 ± 0.22 to 97.06 ± 0.12%) and anthocyanins contents (ranging from 5.84 ± 0.62 to 0.78 ± 0.14%) in the PC microparticles.
A Spark Streaming-Based Early Warning Model for Gas Concentration Prediction
Authors: Huang Yuxin , Li Shugang , Fan Jingdao , Yan Zhenguo , Li Chuan
Published: January 2023

The prediction and early warning efficiency of mine gas concentrations are important for intelligent monitoring of daily gas concentrations in coal mines. It is used as an important means for ensuring the safe and stable operation of coal mines. This study proposes an early warning model for gas concentration prediction involving the Spark Streaming framework (SSF). The model incorporates a particle swarm optimisation algorithm (PSO) and a gated recurrent unit (GRU) model in the SSF, and further experimental analysis is carried out on the basis of optimising the model parameters. The operational efficiency of the model is validated using a control variable approach, and the prediction and warning errors is verified using MAE, RMSE and R2. The results show that the model is able to predict and warn of the gas concentration with high efficiency and high accuracy. It also features fast data processing and fault tolerance, which provides a new idea to continue improving the gas concentration prediction and warning efficiency and some theoretical and technical support for intelligent gas monitoring in coal mines.
Determination of Kinetic Parameters of Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis in the Presence of a Granular Cobalt Catalyst
Authors: Sineva Lilia , Gryaznov Kirill , De Victor , Gorshkov Andrei , Mordkovich Vladimir
Published: January 2023

Some kinetic parameters of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) were determined in the presence of a granular cobalt/zeolite catalyst. Usually, kinetic studies of granular catalysts are considered to be complicated by external and internal diffusion. We managed to obtain a catalyst with a special structure of the active surface, where sites active in FTS are isolated from each other due to the environment of inactive spinel CoAl2O4 and inter-site transport is provided by an extensive intragranular graphitic network serving simultaneously as a heat-conductive medium. As a result, FTS proceeded in the kinetic region. It was found that the reaction kinetics obey the Arrhenius law; whereas, the activation energy is different in different temperature ranges, i.e., 118.2 kJ/mol in the range of 180–210 °C, and 173.6 kJ/mol in the range of 232–243 °C. This behavior is determined by the presence of zeolite, which becomes active in the secondary transformations of FTS products at temperatures beyond 210 °C.
“You Are All Soldiers in the Battle against the Corona Virus and Your Commander Is the Prophet Muḥammad”: The Fatwās of Sheikh Rāʾid Badīr Regarding COVID-19
Authors: Rubinstein-Shemer Nesya
Published: January 2023

This article deals with the rulings of Sheikh Rāʾid Badīr, who served as a mediator between the Israeli government and the Muslim community over the course of the pandemic. As a senior leader and scholar of the southern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Sheikh Rāʾid Badīr’s fatwās have historically addressed the unique circumstances and situational difficulties faced by Muslims living in Israel.
Religion in the Digital Age: An Irreversible Process
Authors: Bingaman Kirk A.
Published: January 2023

Digital technology is fundamentally changing what it means to be human, in particular what it means to be a religious or spiritual human being, as it becomes an “irreversible” process. Indeed, the process is having a seismic impact on the religious and spiritual lives of “digital natives”, who have never known a world without the Internet. This paper will seek to determine, by way of the Digital Theology method put forward by Sutinen and Cooper, if the religious-disaffiliation trend among younger populations is connected to the digitalization of society, either causally or correlationally, and what, if anything, religious leaders and faith communities can do about it. Research on the effects of high social media usage will be given special attention, in order to highlight the double-edged nature of digital technology.
The Ecological Footprint of Construction Materials—A Standardized Approach from Hungary
Authors: Szigeti Cecília , Major Zoltán , Szabó Dániel Róbert , Szennay Áron
Published: January 2023

Due to the large volume and mass of materials used, the construction industry is one of the sectors with the highest environmental impact. However, to provide good quality, affordable, and low-energy housing, the business case must be maintained. Accordingly, we aimed to develop and test a calculator to measure the ecological footprint of the embodied carbon in materials used in construction projects in a standardized way, without the need for environmental or even civil engineering expertise, and thus in a way that is accessible to SMEs. The novelty of our research is that although there are calculators for measuring the environmental impact (e.g., carbon footprint) of the construction industry, and there is a methodology for calculating the ecological footprint of construction, there is no free, easy-to-use, online calculator for calculating the ecological footprint of embodied carbon in materials available to all enterprises. In other words, this approach extends our previously developed corporate ecological footprint calculator with the environmental impacts of material usage. The study summarises the baseline research for an ecological footprint calculator, tested on two new condominium buildings and the energy renovation of five condominium buildings, built with a prefabricated technology typical in Hungary and other post-socialist countries. Based on our results and in accordance with former literature sources, most of the ecological footprint of new construction projects is determined by materials with high mass and volume, in particular, concrete, steel, and masonry; so it is not necessary to take into account all construction materials in a calculator in a detailed way. We also conclude that renovation and ongoing maintenance, as well as preservation, are recommended for structurally sound buildings, as embodied carbon in materials in the case of an energy upgrade of an existing condominium building has an environmental impact of 0.3–0.8 global hectares per dwelling, depending on the technical content, while in the construction of a new building, this value is between 10.49–14.22 global hectares. Our results can help investors and clients in their decisions, and policymakers in determining urban development directions.
Orthogonal Msplit Estimation for Consequence Disaster Analysis
Authors: Janicka Joanna , Rapinski Jacek , Błaszczak-Bąk Wioleta
Published: January 2023

Nowadays, the data processing used for analyzing multifaceted disasters is based on technologies of mass observation acquisition. Terrestrial laser scanning is one of those technologies and enables the quick, non-invasive acquisition of information about an object after a disaster. This manuscript presents an improvement in the approach to the reconstruction and modeling of objects, based on data obtained by terrestrial laser scanning presented by the authors in previous work, as a method for the detection and dimensioning of the displacement of adjacent planes. The original Msplit estimation implemented in previous research papers has a specific limitation: the functional model must be selected very carefully in terms of the mathematical description of the estimated model and its data structure. As a result, using Msplit estimation on data from laser scanners is not a universal approach. The solution to this problem is the orthogonal Msplit estimation method proposed by the authors. The authors propose a new solution: the orthogonal Msplit estimation (OMsplit). The authors propose a modification of the existing method using orthogonal regression and the Nelder–Mead function as the minimization function. The implementation of orthogonal regression facilitates the avoidance of misfitting in cases of unfavorable data acquisition because the corrections are calculated perpendicularly to the estimated plane. The Nelder–Mead method was introduced to the orthogonal Msplit estimation due to it being more robust to the local minimum of the objective function than the LS method. To present the results, the authors simulated the data measurement of a retaining wall that was damaged after a disaster (violent storm) using a terrestrial laser scanner and their own software. The conducted research confirmed that the OMsplit estimation can be successfully used in the two-plane detection of terrestrial laser scanning data. It allows one to conduct the correct separation of the data set into two sets and to match the planes to the appropriate data set.
On the Interplay between Desert Dust and Meteorology Based on WRF-Chem Simulations and Remote Sensing Observations in the Mediterranean Basin
Authors: Rizza Umberto , Avolio Elenio , Morichetti Mauro , Di Liberto Luca , Bellini Annachiara , Barnaba Francesca , Virgili Simone , Passerini Giorgio , Mancinelli Enrico
Published: January 2023

In this study, we investigate a series of Saharan dust outbreaks toward the Mediterranean basin that occurred in late June 2021. In particular, we analyze the effect of mineral dust aerosols on radiation and cloud properties (direct, semi-direct and indirect effects), and in turn, on meteorological parameters. This is achieved by running the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) over a domain covering North Africa and the Central Mediterranean Basin. The simulations were configured using a gradual coupling strategy between the GOCART aerosol model and the Goddard radiation and microphysics schemes available in the WRF-Chem package. A preliminary evaluation of the model performances was conducted in order to verify its capability to correctly reproduce the amount of mineral dust loaded into the atmosphere within the spatial domain considered. To this purpose, we used a suite of experimental data from ground- and space-based remote sensing measurements. This comparison highlighted a model over-estimation of aerosol optical properties to the order of 20%. The evaluation of the desert dust impact on the radiation budget, achieved by comparing the uncoupled and the fully coupled (aerosol–radiation–clouds) simulation, shows that mineral dust induces a net (shortwave–longwave) cooling effect to the order of −10 W m−2. If we consider the net dust radiative forcing, the presence of dust particles induces a small cooling effect at the top of the atmosphere (−1.2 W m−2) and a stronger cooling at the surface (−14.2 W m−2). At the same time, analysis of the perturbation on the surface energy budget yields a reduction of −7 W m−2 when considering the FULL-coupled simulation, a positive perturbation of +3 W m−2 when only considering microphysics coupling and −10.4 W m−2 when only considering radiation coupling. This last result indicates a sort of “superposition” of direct, indirect and semi-direct effects of dust on the radiation budget. This study shows that the presence of dust aerosols significantly influences radiative and cloud properties and specifically the surface energy budget. This suggests (i) that dust effects should be considered in climate models in order to increase the accuracy of climate predictions over the Mediterranean region and (ii) the necessity of performing fully coupled simulations including aerosols and their effects on meteorology at a regional scale.
Optimal Automatic Wide-Area Discrimination of Fish Shoals from Seafloor Geology with Multi-Spectral Ocean Acoustic Waveguide Remote Sensing in the Gulf of Maine
Authors: Eleftherios Kaklamanis , Ratilal Purnima , Makris Nicholas C.
Published: January 2023

Ocean Acoustic Waveguide Remote Sensing (OAWRS) enables fish population density distributions to be instantaneously quantified and continuously monitored over wide areas. Returns from seafloor geology can also be received as background or clutter by OAWRS when insufficient fish populations are present in any region. Given the large spatial regions that fish inhabit and roam over, it is important to develop automatic methods for determining whether fish are present at any pixel in an OAWRS image so that their population distributions, migrations and behaviour can be efficiently analyzed and monitored in large data sets. Here, a statistically optimal automated approach for distinguishing fish from seafloor geology in OAWRS imagery is demonstrated with Neyman–Pearson hypothesis testing which provides the highest true-positive classification rate for a given false-positive rate. Multispectral OAWRS images of large herring shoals during spawning migration to Georges Bank are analyzed. Automated Neyman-Pearson hypothesis testing is shown to accurately distinguish fish from seafloor geology through their differing spectral responses at any space and time pixel in OAWRS imagery. These spectral differences are most dramatic in the vicinity of swimbladder resonances of the fish probed by OAWRS. When such significantly different spectral dependencies exist between fish and geologic scattering, the approach presented provides an instantaneous, reliable and statistically optimal means of automatically distinguishing fish from seafloor geology at any spatial pixel in wide-area OAWRS images. Employing Kullback–Leibler divergence or the relative entropy in bits from Information Theory is shown to also enable automatic discrimination of fish from seafloor by their distinct statistical scattering properties across sensing frequency, but without the statistical optimal properties of the Neyman–Pearson approach.
Outlier Denoising Using a Novel Statistics-Based Mask Strategy for Compressive Sensing
Authors: Wang Weiqi , Yang Jidong , Huang Jianping , Li Zhenchun , Sun Miaomiao
Published: January 2023

Denoising is always an important step in seismic processing, in order to produce high-quality data for subsequent imaging and inversion. Different types of noise can be suppressed using targeted denoising methods. For outlier noise with singular amplitudes, many classical denoising methods suffer from signal leakage. To mitigate this issue, we developed a statistics-based mask method and incorporated it into the compressive sensing (CS) framework, in order to remove outlier noise. A statistical analysis for seismic data amplitudes was first used to identify the locations of traces containing outlier noise. Then, the outlier trace locations were compared with a mask matrix generated by jitter sampling, and we replaced the sampled traces of the jitter mask that had the outlier noise with their nearby unsampled traces. The optimized sampling matrix enabled us to effectively identify and remove outliers. This optimized mask strategy converts an outlier denoising problem into a data reconstruction problem. Finally, a sparsely constrained inverse problem was solved using a soft-threshold iteration solver to recover signals at the null locations. The feasibility and adaptability of the proposed method were demonstrated through numerical experiments for synthetic and field data. The results showed that the proposed method outperformed the conventional f-x deconvolution and median filter method, and could accurately suppress outlier noise and recover missed expected signals.
What Are We Missing? Occlusion in Laser Scanning Point Clouds and Its Impact on the Detection of Single-Tree Morphologies and Stand Structural Variables
Authors: Mathes Thomas , Seidel Dominik , Häberle Karl-Heinz , Pretzsch Hans , Annighöfer Peter
Published: January 2023

Laser scanning has revolutionized the ability to quantify single-tree morphologies and stand structural variables. In this study, we address the issue of occlusion when scanning a spruce (Picea abies (L.) H.Karst.) and beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forest with a mobile laser scanner by making use of a unique study site setup. We scanned forest stands (1) from the ground only and (2) from the ground and from above by using a crane. We also examined the occlusion effect by scanning in the summer (leaf-on) and in the winter (leaf-off). Especially at the canopy level of the forest stands, occlusion was very pronounced, and we were able to quantify its impact in more detail. Occlusion was not as noticeable as expected for crown-related variables but, on average, resulted in smaller values for tree height in particular. Between the species, the total tree height underestimation for spruce was more pronounced than that for beech. At the stand level, significant information was lost in the canopy area when scanning from the ground alone. This information shortage is reflected in the relative point counts, the Clark–Evans index and the box dimension. Increasing the voxel size can compensate for this loss of information but comes with the trade-off of losing details in the point clouds. From our analysis, we conclude that the voxelization of point clouds prior to the extraction of stand or tree measurements with a voxel size of at least 20 cm is appropriate to reduce occlusion effects while still providing a high level of detail.
Flood Predictability of One-Way and Two-Way WRF Nesting Coupled Hydrometeorological Flow Simulations in a Transboundary Chenab River Basin, Pakistan
Authors: Ahmed Ehtesham , Saddique Naeem , Al Janabi Firas , Barfus Klemens , Asghar Malik Rizwan , Sarwar Abid , Krebs Peter
Published: January 2023

Remote sensing precipitation or precipitation from numerical weather prediction (NWP) is considered to be the best substitute for in situ ground observations for flood simulations in transboundary, data-scarce catchments. This research was aimed to evaluate the possibility of using a combination of a satellite precipitation product and NWP precipitation for better flood forecasting in the transboundary Chenab River Basin (CRB) in Pakistan. The gauge-calibrated satellite precipitation product, i.e., Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP_Gauge), was selected to calibrate the Integrated Flood Analysis System (IFAS) model for the 2016 flood event in the Chenab River at the Marala Barrage gauging site in Pakistan. Precipitation from the Global Forecast System (GFS) NWP, with nine different lead times up to 4 days, was used in the calibrated IFAS model to predict the flood hydrograph in the Chenab River. The hydrologic simulations, with global GFS forecasts, were unable to predict the flood peak for all lead times. Then, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was used to downscale the precipitation forecasts with one-way and two-way nesting approaches. In the WRF model, the CRB was centered in two domains of 25 km and 5 km resolutions. The downscaled precipitation forecasts were subsequently supplied to the IFAS model, and the predicted simulations were compared to obtain the optimal flood peak simulation in the Chenab River. It was found in this study that the simulated hydrographs, at different lead times, from the precipitation of two-way WRF nesting exhibited superior performance with the highest R2 and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and the lowest percent bias (PBIAS) compared with one-way nesting. Moreover, it was concluded that the combination of GFS forecast and two-way WRF nesting can provide high-quality precipitation prediction to simulate flood hydrographs with a remarkable lead time of 96 h when applying coupled hydrometeorological flow simulation.
Mapping Population Distribution with High Spatiotemporal Resolution in Beijing Using Baidu Heat Map Data
Authors: Bao Wenxuan , Gong Adu , Zhang Tong , Zhao Yiran , Li Boyi , Chen Shuaiqiang
Published: January 2023

Population distribution data with high spatiotemporal resolution are of significant value and fundamental to many application areas, such as public health, urban planning, environmental change, and disaster management. However, such data are still not widely available due to the limited knowledge of complex human activity patterns. The emergence of location-based service big data provides additional opportunities to solve this problem. In this study, we integrated ambient population data, nighttime light data, and building volume data; innovatively proposed a spatial downscaling framework for Baidu heat map data during work time and sleep time; and mapped the population distribution with high spatiotemporal resolution (i.e., hourly, 100 m) in Beijing. Finally, we validated the generated population distribution maps with high spatiotemporal resolution using the highest-quality validation data (i.e., mobile signaling data). The relevant results indicate that our proposed spatial downscaling framework for both work time and sleep time has high accuracy, that the distribution of the population in Beijing on a regular weekday shows “centripetal centralization at daytime, centrifugal dispersion at night” spatiotemporal variation characteristics, that the interaction between the purpose of residents’ activities and the spatial functional differences leads to the spatiotemporal evolution of the population distribution, and that China’s “surgical control and dynamic zero COVID-19” epidemic policy was strongly implemented. In addition, our proposed spatial downscaling framework can be transferred to other regions, which is of value for governmental emergency measures and for studies about human risks to environmental issues.
First Results of the Implementation of the Doppler Backscattering Diagnostic for the Investigation of the Transition to H-Mode in the Spherical Tokamak Globus-M2
Authors: Ponomarenko Anna , Yashin Alexander , Kurskiev Gleb , Minaev Vladimir , Petrov Alexander , Petrov Yuri , Sakharov Nikolay , Zhiltsov Nikita
Published: January 2023

This paper presents the first results of a study of the LH transition on the new spherical Globus-M2 tokamak using the Doppler backscattering (DBS) diagnostic. New data characterizing the H-mode of discharges with higher values of the plasma parameters, such as magnetic field Bt up to 0.9 T and plasma current Ip up to 450 kA, were collected and analyzed. An upgraded neutral beam injection (NBI) system was used to initiate the LH transition. DBS allows the measurement of the poloidal rotation velocity and the turbulence amplitude of the plasma. The multi-frequency DBS system installed on Globus-M2 can simultaneously collect data in different areas spanning from the separatrix to the plasma core. This allowed for the radial profiles of the rotation velocity and electric field to be calculated before and after the LH transition. In addition, the values and temporal evolution of the velocity shear were obtained. The associated turbulence suppression after the transition to the H-mode was investigated using DBS.
Designing a Proximal Sensing Camera Acquisition System for Vineyard Applications: Results and Feedback on 8 Years of Experiments
Authors: Rançon Florian , Keresztes Barna , Deshayes Aymeric , Tardif Malo , Abdelghafour Florent , Fontaine Gael , Da Costa Jean-Pierre , Germain Christian
Published: January 2023

The potential of image proximal sensing for agricultural applications has been a prolific scientific subject in the recent literature. Its main appeal lies in the sensing of precise information about plant status, which is either harder or impossible to extract from lower-resolution downward-looking image sensors such as satellite or drone imagery. Yet, many theoretical and practical problems arise when dealing with proximal sensing, especially on perennial crops such as vineyards. Indeed, vineyards exhibit challenging physical obstacles and many degrees of variability in their layout. In this paper, we present the design of a mobile camera suited to vineyards and harsh experimental conditions, as well as the results and assessments of 8 years’ worth of studies using that camera. These projects ranged from in-field yield estimation (berry counting) to disease detection, providing new insights on typical viticulture problems that could also be generalized to orchard crops. Different recommendations are then provided using small case studies, such as the difficulties related to framing plots with different structures or the mounting of the sensor on a moving vehicle. While results stress the obvious importance and strong benefits of a thorough experimental design, they also indicate some inescapable pitfalls, illustrating the need for more robust image analysis algorithms and better databases. We believe sharing that experience with the scientific community can only benefit the future development of these innovative approaches.
Adversarial Patch Attacks on Deep-Learning-Based Face Recognition Systems Using Generative Adversarial Networks
Authors: Hwang Ren-Hung , Lin Jia-You , Hsieh Sun-Ying , Lin Hsuan-Yu , Lin Chia-Liang
Published: January 2023

Deep learning technology has developed rapidly in recent years and has been successfully applied in many fields, including face recognition. Face recognition is used in many scenarios nowadays, including security control systems, access control management, health and safety management, employee attendance monitoring, automatic border control, and face scan payment. However, deep learning models are vulnerable to adversarial attacks conducted by perturbing probe images to generate adversarial examples, or using adversarial patches to generate well-designed perturbations in specific regions of the image. Most previous studies on adversarial attacks assume that the attacker hacks into the system and knows the architecture and parameters behind the deep learning model. In other words, the attacked model is a white box. However, this scenario is unrepresentative of most real-world adversarial attacks. Consequently, the present study assumes the face recognition system to be a black box, over which the attacker has no control. A Generative Adversarial Network method is proposed for generating adversarial patches to carry out dodging and impersonation attacks on the targeted face recognition system. The experimental results show that the proposed method yields a higher attack success rate than previous works.
Multiple Damaged Cables Identification in Cable-Stayed Bridges Using Basis Vector Matrix Method
Authors: Ren Jianying , Zhu Xinqun , Li Shaohua
Published: January 2023

A new damaged cable identification method using the basis vector matrix (BVM) is proposed to identify multiple damaged cables in cable-stayed bridges. The relationships between the cable tension stiffness and the girder bending strain of the cable-stayed bridge are established using a force method. The difference between the maximum bending strains of the bridges with intact and damaged cables is used to obtain the damage index vectors (DIXVs). Then, BVM is obtained by the normalized DIXV. Finally, the damage indicator vector (DIV) is obtained by DIXV and BVM to identify the damaged cables. The damage indicator is substituted into the damage severity function to identify the corresponding damage severity. A field cable-stayed bridge is used to verify the proposed method. The three-dimensional finite element model is established using ANSYS, and the model is validated using the field measurements. The validated model is used to simulate the strain response of the bridge with different damage scenarios subject to a moving vehicle load, including one, two, three, and four damaged cables with damage severity of 10%, 20%, and 30%, respectively. The noise effect is also discussed. The results show that the BVM method has good anti-noise capability and robustness.
Laser Sensing and Vision Sensing Smart Blind Cane: A Review
Authors: Mai Chunming , Xie Dongliang , Zeng Lina , Li Zaijin , Li Zhibo , Qiao Zhongliang , Qu Yi , Liu Guojun , Li Lin
Published: January 2023

Laser sensing and vision sensing smart canes can improve the convenience of travel for the visually impaired, but for the present, most of the system functions of laser sensing and vision sensing smart canes are still defective. Guide equipment and smart blind canes are introduced and classified first, and the smart blind canes based on vision sensing, laser sensing and laser vision sensing are investigated, respectively, and the research status of laser vision sensing smart blind canes is sorted out. The advantages and disadvantages of various laser vision sensing smart blind canes are summarized, especially the research development of laser vision fusion as the core of new smart canes. The future development prospects of laser vision sensing smart blind cane are overviewed, to boost the development of laser vision sensing smart blind cane, to provide safe and efficient travel guarantee for the visually impaired.
Future Pose Prediction from 3D Human Skeleton Sequence with Surrounding Situation
Authors: Fujita Tomohiro , Kawanishi Yasutomo
Published: January 2023

Human pose prediction is vital for robot applications such as human–robot interaction and autonomous control of robots. Recent prediction methods often use deep learning and are based on a 3D human skeleton sequence to predict future poses. Even if the starting motions of 3D human skeleton sequences are very similar, their future poses will have variety. It makes it difficult to predict future poses only from a given human skeleton sequence. Meanwhile, when carefully observing human motions, we can find that human motions are often affected by objects or other people around the target person. We consider that the presence of surrounding objects is an important clue for the prediction. This paper proposes a method for predicting the future skeleton sequence by incorporating the surrounding situation into the prediction model. The proposed method uses a feature of an image around the target person as the surrounding information. We confirmed the performance improvement of the proposed method through evaluations on publicly available datasets. As a result, the prediction accuracy was improved for object-related and human-related motions.
A Testing Method for Shipborne Atomic Gravimeter Based on the Modulated Coriolis Effect
Authors: Zhou Yin , Zhang Can , Chen Peijun , Cheng Bing , Zhu Dong , Wang Kainan , Wang Xiaolong , Wu Bin , Qiao Zhongkun , Lin Qiang , Li Rui
Published: January 2023

Shipborne atomic gravimeter (SAG) is an instrument that can directly measure absolute gravity in dynamic environments. As a new type of gravity sensor, a standard method for evaluating its detailed performance has not been proposed and the detailed performance of SAG was rarely reported. In this paper, a system of dynamic gravity measurement, which was integrated with a home-made atomic gravimeter, is demonstrated, and a novel and simple method for testing the performance of SAG on the lake based on the modulated Coriolis effect is put forward. Firstly, in the state of ship mooring, a tilt modulation of the gravity sensor has been realized to make sure the Raman wave vector is parallel to the gravity axis. Moreover, a comparison between the measurement result of CG-5 and SAG has also been carried out to evaluate the accuracy of the SAG. Then, the Coriolis effect modulating experiment is carried out with various routes on lake to test its performance in dynamic environments. In the ship mooring state, the accuracy has been demonstrated to be 0.643 mGal. The internal consistency reliabilities are evaluated to be 0.8 mGal and 1.2 mGal under the conditions of straight line and circle navigation, respectively.