bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Retrospective Assessment of Sputum Samples and Antimicrobial Resistance in COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Cut Talida Georgiana , Mavrea Adelina , Cumpanas Alin Adrian , Novacescu Dorin , Oancea Cristian Iulian , Bratosin Felix , Marinescu Adelina Raluca , Laza Ruxandra , Mocanu Alexandra , Pescariu Alexandru Silvius , Manolescu Diana , Dumache Raluca , Enache Alexandra , Hogea Elena , Lazureanu Voichita Elena
Published: April 2023

Data on bacterial or fungal pathogens and their impact on the mortality rates of Western Romanian COVID-19 patients are scarce. As a result, the purpose of this research was to determine the prevalence of bacterial and fungal co- and superinfections in Western Romanian adults with COVID-19, hospitalized in in-ward settings during the second half of the pandemic, and its distribution according to sociodemographic and clinical conditions. The unicentric retrospective observational study was conducted on 407 eligible patients. Expectorate sputum was selected as the sampling technique followed by routine microbiological investigations. A total of 31.5% of samples tested positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, followed by 26.2% having co-infections with Klebsiella pneumoniae among patients admitted with COVID-19. The third most common Pathogenic bacteria identified in the sputum samples was Escherichia coli, followed by Acinetobacter baumannii in 9.3% of samples. Commensal human pathogens caused respiratory infections in 67 patients, the most prevalent being Streptococcus penumoniae, followed by methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A total of 53.4% of sputum samples tested positive for Candida spp., followed by 41.1% of samples with Aspergillus spp. growth. The three groups with positive microbial growth on sputum cultures had an equally proportional distribution of patients admitted to the ICU, with an average of 30%, compared with only 17.3% among hospitalized COVID-19 patients with negative sputum cultures (p = 0.003). More than 80% of all positive samples showed multidrug resistance. The high prevalence of bacterial and fungal co-infections and superinfections in COVID-19 patients mandates for strict and effective antimicrobial stewardship and infection control policies.
Agnostic Approvals in Oncology: Getting the Right Drug to the Right Patient with the Right Genomics
Authors: Tateo Valentina , Marchese Paola Valeria , Mollica Veronica , Massari Francesco , Kurzrock Razelle , Adashek Jacob J.
Published: April 2023

(1) Background: The oncology field has drastically changed with the advent of precision medicine, led by the discovery of druggable genes or immune targets assessed through next-generation sequencing. Biomarker-based treatments are increasingly emerging, and currently, six tissue-agnostic therapies are FDA-approved. (2) Methods: We performed a review of the literature and reported the trials that led to the approval of tissue-agnostic treatments and ongoing clinical trials currently investigating novel biomarker-based approaches. (3) Results: We discussed the approval of agnostic treatments: pembrolizumab and dostarlimab for MMRd/MSI-H, pembrolizumab for TMB-H, larotrectinib and entrectinib for NTRK-fusions, dabrafenib plus trametinib for BRAF V600E mutation, and selpercatinib for RET fusions. In addition, we reported novel clinical trials of biomarker-based approaches, including ALK, HER2, FGFR, and NRG1. (4) Conclusions: Precision medicine is constantly evolving, and with the improvement of diagnostic tools that allow a wider genomic definition of the tumor, tissue-agnostic targeted therapies are a promising treatment strategy tailored to the specific tumor genomic profile, leading to improved survival outcomes.
Supramolecular Arrangement of Doxycycline with Sulfobutylether-β-Cyclodextrin: Impact on Nanostructuration with Chitosan, Drug Degradation and Antimicrobial Potency
Authors: Carvalho Feitosa Renata , Souza Ribeiro Costa Juliana , van Vliet Lima Marcelo , Sawa Akioka Ishikawa Elina , Cogo Müller Karina , Bonin Okasaki Fernando , Sabadini Edvaldo , Garnero Claudia , Longhi Marcela Raquel , Lavayen Vladimir , da Silva-Júnior Arnóbio Antônio , Oliveira-Nascimento Laura
Published: April 2023

Doxycycline (DX) is a well-established and broad-spectrum antimicrobial drug. However, DX has drawbacks, such as physicochemical instability in aqueous media and bacterial resistance. The inclusion of drugs in cyclodextrin complexes and their loading into nanocarriers can overcome these limitations. Thus, we studied the DX/sulfobutylether-β-CD (SBE-β-CD) inclusion complex for the first time and used it to reticulate chitosan. The resulting particles were evaluated by their physicochemical characteristics and antibacterial activity. DX/SBE-β-CD complexes were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), whereas DX-loaded nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering, SEM, and drug content. The partial inclusion of the DX molecule in CD happened in a 1:1 proportion and brought increased stability to solid DX upon thermal degradation. Chitosan-complex nanoparticles measured approximately 200 nm, with a narrow polydispersity and particles with sufficient drug encapsulation for microbiological studies. Both formulations preserved the antimicrobial activity of DX against Staphylococcus aureus, whereas DX/SBE-β-CD inclusion complexes were also active against Klebsiella pneumoniae, indicating the potential use of these formulations as drug delivery systems to treat local infections.
In Vitro Biotransformation and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Constituents and Metabolites of Filipendula ulmaria
Authors: Van der Auwera Anastasia , Peeters Laura , Foubert Kenn , Piazza Stefano , Vanden Berghe Wim , Hermans Nina , Pieters Luc
Published: April 2023

(1) Background: Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim. (Rosaceae) (meadowsweet) is widely used in phytotherapy against inflammatory diseases. However, its active constituents are not exactly known. Moreover, it contains many constituents, such as flavonoid glycosides, which are not absorbed, but metabolized in the colon by gut microbiota, producing potentially active metabolites that can be absorbed. The aim of this study was to characterize the active constituents or metabolites. (2) Methods: A F. ulmaria extract was processed in an in vitro gastrointestinal biotransformation model, and the metabolites were characterized using UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS analysis. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by testing the inhibition of NF-κB activation, COX-1 and COX-2 enzyme inhibition. (3) Results: The simulation of gastrointestinal biotransformation showed a decrease in the relative abundance of glycosylated flavonoids such as rutin, spiraeoside and isoquercitrin in the colon compartment, and an increase in aglycons such as quercetin, apigenin, naringenin and kaempferol. The genuine as well as the metabolized extract showed a better inhibition of the COX-1 enzyme as compared to COX-2. A mix of aglycons present after biotransformation showed a significant inhibition of COX-1. (4) Conclusions: The anti-inflammatory activity of F. ulmaria may be explained by an additive or synergistic effect of genuine constituents and metabolites.
GaN-Based VCSELs with A Monolithic Curved Mirror: Challenges and Prospects
Authors: Hamaguchi Tatsushi
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we introduce how gallium nitride-based (GaN-based) VCSELs with curved mirrors have evolved. The discussion starts with reviewing the fundamentals of VCSELs and GaN-based materials and then introducing the curved-mirror cavity’s principle and history and the latest research where the structure is applied to GaN-based materials to form VCSELs. We prepared these parts so that readers understand how VCSELs with this cavity work and provide excellent characteristics such as efficiency, life, stabilized mode behavior, etc. Finally, we discussed the challenges and prospects of these devices by touching on their potential applications.
Wild-Growing and Conventionally or Organically Cultivated Sambucus nigra Germplasm: Fruit Phytochemical Profile, Total Phenolic Content, Antioxidant Activity, and Leaf Elements
Authors: Papagrigoriou Theodora , Iliadi Panagiota , Mitić Milan N. , Mrmošanin Jelena M. , Papanastasi Katerina , Karapatzak Eleftherios , Maloupa Eleni , Gkourogianni Alexia V. , Badeka Anastasia V. , Krigas Nikos , Lazari Diamanto
Published: April 2023

European elder or elderberry (Sambucus nigra L., Viburnaceae) is a plant species with known high pharmaceutical and nutritional value. However, the Greek native germplasm of S. nigra has not been adequately utilized to date as in other regions. This study evaluates the fruit antioxidant potential (total phenolic content and radical scavenging activity) of wild-growing and cultivated germplasm of Greek S. nigra. In addition, nine cultivated Greek S. nigra genotypes were evaluated regarding the effects of fertilization (conventional and organic) on fruit phytochemical and physicochemical potential (total flavonoids, ascorbic acid content, pH, total soluble solids, and total acidity), as well as on the antioxidant potential (total phenolic content and radical scavenging activity) of fruits and leaves. Additionally, an analysis of macro- and micro-elements in the leaves of the cultivated germplasm was performed. The results demonstrated comparatively higher total phenolic contents of fruits of cultivated germplasm. The genotype was the decisive factor in the fruits’ phytochemical potential and leaves’ total phenolic content of cultivated S. nigra germplasm. Similarly, fertilization regime effects were found to be genotype-dependent, affecting fruit phytochemical and physicochemical attributes. The trace element analysis results were similar, with genotypes varying significantly in their concentrations of macro- and micro-elements. The current work builds on previous domestication attempts for Greek S. nigra, providing new data on the phytochemical potential of this important nutraceutical species.
Phytochemical Composition of Combretum molle (R. Br. ex G. Don.) Engl. & Diels Leaf and Stem Extracts
Authors: Parusnath Myuri , Naidoo Yougasphree , Singh Moganavelli , Rihan Hail , Dewir Yaser Hassan
Published: April 2023

The demand for medicinal plants is on a rise due to their affordability, accessibility and relatively non-toxic nature. Combretum molle (Combretaceae) is used in African traditional medicine to treat a number of diseases. This study aimed to screen the phytochemical composition of the hexane, chloroform and methanol extracts of C. molle leaves and stems using qualitative phytochemical screening. Additionally, the study aimed to identify the functional phytochemical groups, determine the elemental composition and provide a fluorescence characterization of the powdered leaves and stems by performing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalyses and fluorescence microscopy. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, polyphenols, terpenoids, tannins, coumarins, saponins, phytosterols, gums, mucilage, carbohydrates, amino acids and proteins within all leaf and stem extracts. Lipids and fixed oils were additionally present within the methanol extracts. FTIR demonstrated significant peaks in absorption frequency in the leaf at wavelengths of 3283.18, 2917.81, 1617.72, 1318.83, 1233.97, 1032.32 and 521.38 cm−1, and in the stem at 3318.91, 1619.25, 1317.13, 1032.68, 780.86 and 516.39 cm−1. These corresponded to the functional groups of chemical compounds including alcohols, phenols, primary amines, alkyl halides, alkanes and alkyl aryl ethers, corroborating the presence of the detected phytochemicals within the plant. EDX microanalyses showed the elemental composition of the powdered leaves (68.44% C, 26.72% O, 1.87% Ca, 0.96% Cl, 0.93% Mg, 0.71% K, 0.13% Na, 0.12 % Mn and 0.10% Rb) and stems (54.92% C, 42.86% O, 1.7% Ca, 0.43% Mg and 0.09% Mn). Fluorescence microscopy provided a characteristic evaluation of the plant in its powdered form and revealed distinct colour changes in the material when treated with various reagents and viewed under ultraviolet light. In conclusion, the phytochemical constituents of the leaves and stems of C. molle confirm the suitability of this species for use in traditional medicine. The findings from this study suggest the need to validate the use of C. molle in the development of modern medicines.
The Antimicrobial Potential and Aquaculture Wastewater Treatment Ability of Penaeidins 3a Transgenic Duckweed
Authors: Yang Lin , Luo Ximeng , Sun Jinge , Ma Xu , Ren Qiuting , Wang Yaya , Wang Wenqiao , He Yuman , Li Qingqing , Han Bing , Yu Yiqi , Sun Jinsheng
Published: April 2023

With the development of aquaculture, wastewater treatment and diseases have been paid more and more attention. The question of how to improve the immunity of aquatic species, as well as treat aquaculture wastewater, has become an urgent problem. In this study, duckweed with a high protein content (37.4%) (Lemna turionifera 5511) has been employed as a feedstock for aquatic wastewater treatment and the production of antimicrobial peptides. Penaeidins 3a (Pen3a), from Litopenaeus vannamei, were expressed under the control of CaMV-35S promoter in duckweed. Bacteriostatic testing using the Pen3a duckweed extract showed its antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Transcriptome analysis of wild type (WT) duckweed and Pen3a duckweed showed different results, and the protein metabolic process was the most up-regulated by differential expression genes (DEGs). In Pen3a transgenic duckweed, the expression of sphingolipid metabolism and phagocytosis process-related genes have been significantly up-regulated. Quantitative proteomics suggested a remarkable difference in protein enrichment in the metabolic pathway. Pen3a duckweed decreased the bacterial number, and effectively inhibited the growth of Nitrospirae. Additionally, Pen3a duckweed displayed better growth in the lake. The study showed the nutritional and antibacterial value of duckweed as an animal feed ingredient.
Recent Developments in Eco-Friendly Wood-Based Composites II
Authors: Bekhta Pavlo
Published: April 2023

Traditional wood-based composites are bonded with synthetic formaldehyde-based adhesives [...]
Influence of Fusion Temperature on Nonisothermal Crystallization Kinetics of Polyamide 6
Authors: Nasr Ahmed , Svoboda Petr
Published: April 2023

The effect of fusion temperature and duration on the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of polyamide 6 (PA6) was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a polarized optical microscope (OM). The rapid cooling method involved heating the polymer above its melting point, holding it at this temperature to ensure complete melting, and then rapidly cooling it to the crystallization temperature. By monitoring the heat flow during cooling, the crystallization kinetics of PA6 were characterized, including the degree of crystallinity, crystallization temperature, and crystallization rate. The study found that changing the fusion temperature and duration significantly impacted the crystallization kinetics of PA6. Increasing the fusion temperature decreased the degree of crystallinity, with smaller nucleation centers requiring a higher degree of supercooling for crystallization. The crystallization temperature shifted towards lower temperatures, and the crystallization kinetics slowed down. The study also found that lengthening the fusion time raised the relative crystallinity, but any further increase did not result in a significant change. The study showed that an increase in fusion temperature led to a longer time needed to reach a given level of crystallinity, reducing the crystallization rate. This can be explained by the thermodynamics of the crystallization process, where higher temperatures promote molecular mobility and crystal growth. Moreover, the study revealed that decreasing a polymer’s fusion temperature can lead to a greater degree of nucleation and faster growth of the crystalline phase, which can significantly impact the values of the Avrami parameters used to characterize the crystallization kinetics.
Optimization of Fire Brigade Deployment by Means of Mathematical Programming
Authors: Leitner Bohuš , Ballay Michal , Kvet Marek , Kvet Michal
Published: April 2023

The content of this research paper is focused on the applications of selected operation research methods in the field of rescue services. The first theoretical part aims at identifying the most important aspects of the real system, which should be taken into account whenever a rescue system is to be redesigned or optimized. It also contains an in-depth description of system performance. Based on the found criteria, a mathematical model for a new system design is proposed. The second part of this paper is practically oriented. A short case study performed with real data on the rescue service system in Slovakia is reported herein, and the obtained results are compared with current fire brigade deployment. We concentrate on improving the most important criteria of the real system. If the suggested mathematical model proves to be hard to solve with common optimization tools, we will develop an efficient solving algorithm. From a general point of view, the main scientific goal of this research article is to summarize current trends in location science, which could be useful for the optimization of fire brigade deployment. Since the strategic decisions in location service centers to some nodes of the network are usually made for long periods, different properties and possible failures are discussed to be considered with the mathematical models and associated solving tools.
Comparative Analysis of the Engine Performance and Emissions Characteristics Powered by Various Ethanol–Butanol–Gasoline Blends
Authors: Elfasakhany Ashraf
Published: April 2023

Although many biofuel blends have been proposed recently, comparisons of such blends are rarely investigated. Currently, it is extremely difficult to recommend one biofuel blend over another since comparisons are not carried out under the same engine conditions. In the current study, different biofuel blends in dual and ternary issues are compared together, as well as with conventional gasoline under the same engine conditions. Five different biofuel blends are considered, i-butanol (iB), n-butanol (nB), bio-ethanol (E), n-butanol–bio-ethanol (nBE), and i-butanol–bio-ethanol–gasoline (iBE) blends, at two different engine speeds (2500 and 3500 rpm/min). Additionally, the blends are compared in the average bases through wide engine speeds. The comparisons of blends are carried out via engine performance and emissions. The performance includes engine power, torque, and volumetric efficiency, while the emissions include CO, CO2, and UHC. Results showed that the E blends presented higher performance than the pure/neat gasoline by about 6.5%, 1.5%, and 25% for engine power, torque, and volumetric efficiency, respectively. Nevertheless the other four blended fuels (nB, iB, nBE, and iBE) presented lower levels of engine performance than the pure gasoline by about −3.4%, −2.6%, −5.2%, and −2.3% for engine power, −1.48%, −0.9%, −1.9%, and −1.7% for torque, and −3.3%, −3%, −2.4%, and −2.7% for volumetric efficiency, respectively. Regarding emissions, the E blends presented the highest CO2 (by about 4.6%) and the lowest CO (by about −20%), while both nB and iB showed the lowest CO2 (by about −35% and −36%, respectively) and the highest CO emissions (by about −10% and −11.6%, respectively). Lastly, iB and nBE introduced, respectively, the highest and the lowest UHC emissions (by about −6.8% and −17%, respectively) among all blends.
Advancing Manganese Content Prediction in Submerged Arc Welded Metal: Development of a Multi-Zone Model via the Calphad Technique
Authors: Zhang Jin , Liu Ping , Zhang Dan
Published: April 2023

Manganese is a vital element in determining the mechanical properties of submerged arc welded metal. To ensure a reliable weld, the equilibrium model has been used for decades to predict and control the manganese content, particularly when MnO-bearing fluxes are applied. However, the equilibrium model only considers chemical interactions within the weld pool zone, leading to significant inaccuracies. To address this limitation, we propose a multi-zone model that accounts for all of the essential reaction zones in the submerged arc process via the Calphad technique. The model’s accuracy is verified by predicting the manganese content, the flux oxygen potential, and the neutral point location for the typical MnO-bearing fluxes covering acidic, neutral, and basic fluxes. The results indicate that the multi-zone model offers superior accuracy compared to the equilibrium model, which neglects significant oxygen improvement and alloy evaporation in the droplet zone. Further analysis of thermodynamic data reveals that the multi-zone model provides a more representative depiction of the variation trends in oxygen and manganese contents during the submerged arc welding process compared to the equilibrium model. Furthermore, this model can be utilized in the optimization of the submerged arc welding process, leading to improved quality and efficiency in heavy engineering industries. This study may provide an improved method for predicting the manganese content in welded C-Mn steel and deepen the understanding of manganese transfer mechanisms during the submerged arc welding process.
Short-Process Preparation of High-Purity V2O5 from Shale Acid Leaching Solution via Chlorination
Authors: Huang Dou , Huang Jing , Zhang Yimin , Fan Yong , Hu Pengcheng
Published: April 2023

The conventional V2O5 preparation processes include ion exchange, chemical precipitation, solvent extraction, and other processes. Given the long process and complex operation nature of traditional V2O5 production methods, we herein developed a short-process, low-temperature, and convenient operation method of isolating vanadium (in the form of V2O5) from shale acid leaching solution. The acid leaching solution was oxidized with NaClO3 and pH-adjusted with NaOH to form a vanadium-containing precipitate, which was mixed with AlCl3 (V:AlCl3 = 1:5, mol/mol) and roasted for 120 min at 170 °C to afford vanadium oxytrichloride (VOCl3) with a purity of 99.59%. In addition, the vanadium-containing precipitate was mixed with AlCl3 and NaCl (V:AlCl3:NaCl = 3:12:8, mol/mol/mol) and roasted for 120 min at 170 °C to afford VOCl3 with a purity of 99.94%. VOCl3 (purity of 99.94%) was dissolved in ultrapure water, and the solution (32 gvanadium/L) was treated with NH3·H2O (NH3:V = 1.34, mol/mol) at 50 °C for 120 min. The obtained precipitate (vanadium precipitation rate = 99.28%) was roasted at 550 °C for 3 h to afford high-purity vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) with a purity of 99.86%. Compared with the traditional hydrometallurgical method of V2O5 preparation, our method avoided solvent extraction and other undesired processes and the overall process flow is greatly shortened, thus having high practical value.
Evaluation Methodology of Interoperability for the Industrial Domain: Standardization vs. Mediation
Authors: Chen Yuhan , Annebicque David , Philippot Alexandre , Carré-Ménétrier Véronique , Daneau Thierry
Published: April 2023

With the arrival of Industry 4.0, interoperability has become a major subject for companies worldwide. It is a crucial asset that enables new technologies and possibilities (Industrial Internet of Things, predictive maintenance or traceability solutions). With the increasing importance of data in business use cases, companies are faced with a choice between two interoperability approaches to deal with the challenge of reconciling different domains: standardization and mediation. This paper presents an analysis of each approach and proposes a decision-making methodology based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) that aims to help companies in choosing the most suitable solution to resolve interoperability challenges.
Mechanical Behavior and Low-Cycle Fatigue Performance of a Carburized Steel for GTF Engines
Authors: Cao Juan , Yang Junjie
Published: April 2023

Using nanoindentation technology to analyze the hardness and elastic modulus distributions of the local microzones within materials, it can be determined that the case-carburized specimen is a composite of the carburized case and the pseudo-carburized material in the core. The overall mechanical behavior of the case-carburized material is much closer to that of the completely carburized material, indicating that the carburized case dominates the case-carburized material. Stress fatigue tests conducted on carburized tubular specimens, pseudo-carburized solid specimens, and case-carburized solid specimens showed that the fatigue performance of the completely carburized material is slightly lower than that of the pseudo-carburized specimens due to lower plasticity. However, the fatigue performance of the case-carburized specimens is significantly better than that of the two homogeneous materials. This could be attributed to the graded material behavior and the larger compressive residual stress in the carburized case, which are the primary positive factors for improving the fatigue life of case-carburized materials. SEM fractographs revealed that the fatigue nucleation in the case-carburized specimen initiates from the transition zone rather than from the surface of the specimens as observed in the homogeneous materials. Low-cycle fatigue evaluation of ultra-high-power gear transmission systems should focus on the influences of the carburized case.
Stability Analysis and Network Topology Optimization of Multi-Agent Systems for Material Transport in Industrial Parks
Authors: Fei Jichao , Zhang Linfeng , Zhu Xiaorong , Wu Yiming
Published: April 2023

Multiple Automated Guided Vehicles promise to be an effective solution for executing tasks such as material transportation and inspection in industrial parks. In particular, system stability is the key to maintaining connectivity among multiple agents. In this paper, we build the stability model of multi-agent system (MAS) under the background of swarm robots transporting materials in an industrial park, and propose a network topology optimization method to improve the stability of MAS. In concrete, we first analyze the effect of channel environment on network topology, and the communication delay is analyzed. Then considering the communication delay and artificial potential field, we establish the stability analysis model of MAS and obtain the stability condition of the MAS by using Lyapunov correlation theorem. Finally, we formulate the network topology optimization problem of MAS by maximizing the second smallest eigenvalue of the Laplacian and get the optimal solutions. Analysis and simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm.
Feasibility Study on Space Reorientation for Liquid Hydrogen Tanks by Means of Evaporated Exhaust Gas
Authors: Liang Jiajia , Ma Yuan , Li Yanzhong , Wang Lei , Luo Xiaozhong
Published: April 2023

A thermal equilibrium model is established to investigate the heat leak of a space liquid hydrogen tank under different thermal adiabatic structures. The feasibility of the common bulkhead tank in realizing thrust or rotation reorientation by evaporated exhaust gas has been systematically studied. The results indicate that the space radiation heat leak is the primary heat leak in spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) adiabatic tanks. However, the common bulkhead heat leak is dominant in the tank with multilayer insulation (MLI) or self-evaporation vapor cooled shield (VCS). For the continuous stable adiabatic exhaust, the tank with SOFI (over 114 W/m2) could realize reorientation with the acceleration of over 5.5 × 10−4 m/s2 generated by the exhaust. Meanwhile, the tank that adopted MLI or VCS (below 18 W/m2) struggled to achieve gas–liquid separation with the acceleration below 8.7 × 10−5 m/s2 generated by exhausting. The rotational angular velocity of the tank through exhausting increases with the fill level dropping and exhaust pressure rising. Reorientation by a TVS intermittent exhaust may be possible in some cases, with sufficient exhaust time. This study provides a theoretical basis for reorientation using the exhaust gas of liquid hydrogen.
COPS in Action: Exploring Structure in the Usage of the Youth Psychotherapy MATCH
Authors: Rusch Thomas , Venturo-Conerly Katherine , Baja Gioia , Mair Patrick
Published: April 2023

This article is an introduction to Cluster Optimized Proximity Scaling (COPS) aimed at practitioners, as well as a tutorial on the usage of the corresponding R package cops. COPS is a variant of multidimensional scaling (MDS) that aims at providing a clustered configuration while still representing multivariate dissimilarities faithfully. It subsumes most popular MDS versions as special cases. We illustrate the ideas, use, flexibility and versatility of the method and the package with data from clinical psychology on how modules of the Modular Approach to Therapy for Children (MATCH) are used by clinicians in the wild. We supplement the COPS analyses with density-based hierarchical clustering in the original space and faceting with support vector machines. We find that scaling with COPS gives a sensible and insightful spatial arrangement of the modules, allows easy identification of clusters of modules and provides clear facets of modules corresponding to the MATCH protocols. In that respect COPS works better than both standard MDS and clustering.
Keeping Up with Caputo: Of Specters and Spooks—Transcendence and Happiness in Caputo’s Radical Theology
Authors: Schrijvers Joeri
Published: April 2023

This essay serves two purposes. First, it wants to introduce readers to John D. Caputo’s Radical Theology by way of his recent Specters of God (2022) in which his radical theology truly comes to fruition. The essay provides in this introduction through elucidating this recent work and by pointing to earlier discussions of similar themes and figures in Caputo’s corpus. It will be shown that Caputo’s work is a genuine contemporary search for transcendence, asking all the right questions at the right time. Recently, for instance, Caputo is asking what becomes of the human search for meaning if this entire cosmos is destined to fade away in a Big Crunch. Second, this essay wants to critically address some remaining unclarities in this radical theology. It is to be noted, for instance, that at crucial stages Caputo repeats some aspects of the thought of divinity in theism that he nonetheless says he wants to overcome; at these stages, then, ‘God’ is allowed to be an exception to the worries of the world after all. This essay, too, wants to investigate Caputo’s rather enigmatic insistence of the possibility of joy and happiness in a mortal, finite world that would celebrate only a finite, mortal God. That finitude, instead of lasting and eternal salvation, serves as the very condition of possibility of true joy is an unexamined axiom running through Caputo’s recent works. In this regard, this essay wants to point to both the beauty but also the frailty of this thought.
The Courage to Preach in the Digital Age
Authors: Sigmon Casey T.
Published: April 2023

This article is an invitation to truly postmodern conversational approaches to preaching beyond a monological modern mass media sermon dressed up in conversational style. This involves proposing a new who and how for preaching in the digital age, resulting in a New (Media) homiletic. Engaging with Parker J. Palmer’s The Courage to Teach, this article first explores issues with the traditional top-down model for preaching solidified during the age of mass media technoculture. Next this article names some stumbling blocks to dialogical preaching in a mainline Protestant US context. Then this article explores what difference the implementation of Palmer’s Community of Truth model could make for preaching in this digital age. The technoculture of social media allows for and expects preachers to be more conversational in the who and how of sermon delivery, preparation, and feedback.
Multi-Dimensional Spread Target Detection with Across Range-Doppler Unit Phenomenon Based on Generalized Radon-Fourier Transform
Authors: Wang Guanxing , Wei Yangkai , Ding Zegang , You Pengjie , Liu Siyuan , Zhang Tianyi
Published: April 2023

Severe phenomena of across range-Doppler unit (ARDU) and decoherence occur when radar detects high-speed and high-maneuvering targets, causing degradation in detection performance of traditional FFT radar detection methods. The improvement in radar resolution causes a multi-dimensional spread phenomenon, where different scattering centers of the target are distributed on different range units, along with motion parameters such as velocity and acceleration. Unfortunately, current radar detection methods focus solely on range spread targets and cannot handle multi-dimensional spread, leading to a significant decline in detection performance. To overcome this problem, this paper proposes several methods to achieve high detection performance for multi-dimensional spread target detection with ARDU phenomenon. Firstly, the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) is derived, and the energy integration generalized Rayleigh Fourier transform (EI-GRFT) is introduced to improve the detection performance of range spread cross-unit targets. Additionally, the double-threshold based hybrid GRFT (DT-HGRFT) is presented as an enhancement of EI-GRFT, enabling long-time integration along slow time and integration among multiple scatters by using HGRFT and multi-dimensional sliding double-threshold detection, respectively. Furthermore, a method for joint detections of multiple DT-HGRFTs is provided to handle the case where the number of scattering centers of multi-dimensional spread targets is unknown. Finally, a detailed theoretical analysis of the performance of the proposed method is presented, along with extensive simulations and practical experiments to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
A Record-Setting 2021 Heat Wave in Western Canada Had a Significant Temporary Impact on Greenness of the World’s Largest Protected Temperate Rainforest
Authors: Sang Zihaohan , Hamann Andreas
Published: April 2023

Extreme climate anomalies are expected to become more frequent under climate change, and rare extreme events, such as the 2021 western North American heat wave, provide an opportunity for comparative empirical analysis of ecosystem resilience. This study evaluates anomalies in a remotely sensed enhanced vegetation index (EVI) in the aftermath of the record-setting western North American heat wave in 2021, with temperatures approaching 50 °C in coastal and interior regions of the Pacific Northwest. The results show that the forest ecosystems most affected were not necessarily those that experienced the highest absolute temperature values. Instead, the greatest reductions in greenness were observed across northern coastal temperate rainforests. Most affected were the cooler, very wet, hyper-maritime ecosystems that are normally buffered from large temperature fluctuation by a strong oceanic influence. In contrast, moisture-limited forests of the interior plateau of British Columbia, where most of the all-time record temperatures occurred, generally showed normal or even increased productivity during and after the heat wave. A putative explanation for this heat resistance of interior forests was normal or above average precipitation leading up to the heat event, allowing for transpirational cooling. Nevertheless, the data suggest that the largest protected coastal temperate rainforest in the world, with 6.4 million hectares, is comparatively more vulnerable to extreme heat waves, which are expected to become more frequent under climate warming, than other ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest.
A Technology for Seismogenic Process Monitoring and Systematic Earthquake Forecasting
Authors: Gitis Valery , Derendyaev Alexander
Published: April 2023

Earthquakes are a severe natural phenomenon that require continuous monitoring, analysis, and forecasting to mitigate their risks. Seismological data have long been used for this purpose, but geodynamic data from remote sensing of surface displacements have become available in recent decades. In this paper, we present a novel information technology for monitoring, analyzing seismogenic fields, and predicting earthquakes using Earth remote sensing data presented as a time series of surface displacement points for systematic regional earthquake prediction. We demonstrate, for the first time, the successful application of this technology and discuss the method of the minimum area of alarm, which was developed for machine learning and systematic earthquake prediction, as well as the architecture and tools of the GIS platform. Our technology is implemented as a network platform consisting of two GISs. The first GIS automatically loads earthquake catalog data and GPS time series, calculates spatiotemporal fields, performs systematic earthquake prediction in multiple seismically active regions, and provides intuitive mapping tools to analyze seismic processes. The second GIS is designed for scientific research of spatiotemporal processes, including those related to earthquake forecasting. We demonstrate the effectiveness of platform analysis tools that are intuitive and accessible to a wide range of users in solving problems of systematic earthquake prediction. Additionally, we provide examples of scientific research on earthquake prediction using the second GIS, including the effectiveness of using GPS data for forecasting earthquakes in California, estimating the density fields of earthquake epicenters using the adaptive weighted smoothing (AWS) method for predicting earthquakes in Kamchatka, and studying earthquake forecasts in the island part of the territory of Japan using the earthquake catalog and GPS. Our examples demonstrate that the method of the minimum area of alarm used for machine learning is effective for forecasting both catalog and remote sensing data.
Exploring the Spatial Relationship between Urban Vitality and Urban Carbon Emissions
Authors: Yang Hui , He Qingping , Cui Liu , Mohamed Taha Abdallah M.
Published: April 2023

Urbanization profoundly impacts the global carbon cycle and climate change. Many studies have shown that both urban vitality and urban carbon emissions are deeply affected by spatial planning and city structure. However, the specific relationship between urban vitality and urban carbon emissions is rarely studied. An index system of urban vitality was established from four aspects: social, economic, cultural, and environmental. After analyzing the spatial distribution characteristics of urban vitality combined with spatial syntax and the TOPSIS model, this paper further investigated the influence of urban vitality-building factors on the distribution of urban carbon emissions based on the Geodetector method. The research results show that: (1) Xuzhou shows obvious spatial differences in urban vitality, mainly decreasing from the center to the surrounding areas, with a small vitality center in the northeast. (2) The impact of different dimensions of vitality on urban carbon emissions is apparently different. (3) Facilities’ aggregation has the weakest explanatory power for urban carbon emissions, while the NDVI has the highest explanatory power. This study helps to clarify the spatial correlation and influence mechanism between urban vitality and urban carbon emissions. Finally, some suggestions are proposed to construct low-carbon and high-vitality cities.
Statistical Analysis of Mesovortices during the First Rainy Season in Guangdong, South China
Authors: Tang Ying , Xu Xin , Ju Yuanyuan , Wu Zhenyu , Zhang Shushi , Chen Xunlai , Xu Qi
Published: April 2023

Based on Doppler radar observation and reanalysis data, the statistical characteristics of mesovortices (MVs) during the first rainy season (April–June) in Guangdong, South China, from 2017 to 2019 are studied, including their spatiotemporal distributions, structural features and favorable environmental conditions. The results show that the MVs usually exhibit short lifetimes; about 70% last for less than 30 min. The intensity and horizontal scale of the MVs are proportional to their lifetime. Long-lived MVs have larger horizontal scales and stronger intensities than short-lived ones. The MVs are mainly observed over the Pearl River Delta region, followed by western Guangdong Province, but relatively fewer in both eastern and northern Guangdong Province. The uneven spatial distribution of the MVs is closely related to the differences in the topographical features and the environment conditions over South China. MVs are prone to form over flat regions. The Pearl River Delta and eastern Guangdong regions are relatively flat compared to the more mountainous western and northern Guangdong regions. Moreover, the monsoonal south-westerlies, water vapor flux, atmospheric instability and vertical wind shear over southwest Guangdong are significantly larger than those in other regions and are favorable for the formation of MVs. The occurrence frequencies of MVs in central and southern parts of Guangdong display similar diurnal variations, reaching the peak during the late afternoon and early evening while dropping to the minimum overnight. However, the situation is opposite in northern Guangdong, with the peak overnight and the minimum during the late afternoon and early evening. The regional differences in diurnal variation are likely related to the moving direction of mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) in Guangdong.
Machine Learning-Based Bias Correction of Precipitation Measurements at High Altitude
Authors: Li Hongyi , Zhang Yang , Lei Huajin , Hao Xiaohua
Published: April 2023

Accurate precipitation measurements are essential for understanding hydrological processes in high-altitude regions. Conventional gauge measurements often yield large underestimations of actual precipitation, prompting the development of statistical methods to correct the measurement bias. However, the complex conditions at high altitudes pose additional challenges to the statistical methods. To improve the correction of precipitation measurements in high-altitude areas, we selected the Yakou station, situated at an altitude of 4147 m on the Tibetan plateau, as the study site. In this study, we employed the machine learning method XGBoost regression to correct precipitation measurements using meteorological variables and remote sensing data, including Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP), Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) and Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS). Additionally, we examined the transferability of this method between different stations in our study site, Norway, and the United States. Our results show that the Yakou station experiences a large underestimation of precipitation, with a magnitude of 51.4%. This is significantly higher than similar measurements taken in the Arctic or lower altitudes. Furthermore, the remote sensing precipitation datasets underestimated precipitation when compared to the Double Fence Intercomparison Reference (DFIR) precipitation observation. Our findings suggest that the machine learning method outperformed the traditional statistical method in accuracy metrics and frequency distribution. Introducing remote sensing data, especially the GSMaP precipitation, could potentially replace the role of in situ wind speed in precipitation correction, highlighting the potential of remote sensing data for correcting precipitation rather than in situ meteorological observation. Moreover, our results indicate that the machine learning method with remote sensing data demonstrated better transferability than the traditional statistical method when we cross-validated the method with sites located in different countries. This study offers a promising strategy for obtaining more accurate precipitation measurements in high-altitude regions.
RIS-Enabled Secret Key Generation for Secured Vehicular Communication in the Presence of Denial-of-Service Attacks
Authors: Shawky Mahmoud A. , Shah Syed Tariq , Abbasi Qammer H. , Hussein Mohamed , Imran Muhammad A. , Hasan Syed Faraz , Ansari Shuja , Taha Ahmad
Published: April 2023

Wireless communication has become an integral part of modern vehicles. However, securing the information exchanged between interconnected terminals poses a significant challenge. Effective security solutions should be computationally inexpensive, ultra-reliable, and capable of operating in any wireless propagation environment. Physical layer secret key generation has emerged as a promising technique, which leverages the inherent randomness of wireless-channel responses in amplitude and phase to generate high-entropy symmetric shared keys. The sensitivity of the channel-phase responses to the distance between network terminals makes this technique a viable solution for secure vehicular communication, given the dynamic behavior of these terminals. However, the practical implementation of this technique in vehicular communication is hindered by fluctuations in the communication link between line-of-sight (LoS) and non-line-of-sight (NLoS) conditions. This study introduces a key-generation approach that uses a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) to secure message exchange in vehicular communication. The RIS improves the performance of key extraction in scenarios with low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and NLoS conditions. Additionally, it enhances the network’s security against denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. In this context, we propose an efficient RIS configuration optimization technique that reinforces the signals received from legitimate users and weakens the signals from potential adversaries. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is evaluated through practical implementation using a 1-bit RIS with 64×64 elements and software-defined radios operating within the 5G frequency band. The results demonstrate improved key-extraction performance and increased resistance to DoS attacks. The hardware implementation of the proposed approach further validated its effectiveness in enhancing key-extraction performance in terms of the key generation and mismatch rates, while reducing the effect of the DoS attacks on the network.
Precision Joint RF Measurement of Inter-Satellite Range and Time Difference and Scalable Clock Synchronization for Multi-Microsatellite Formations
Authors: Hou Cong , Jin Xiaojun , Zhou Lishan , Wang Haoze , Yang Xiaopeng , Xu Zhaobin , Jin Zhonghe
Published: April 2023

The rapid development of multi-satellite formations requires inter-satellite radio frequency (RF) measurement to be both precise and scalable. The navigation estimation of multi-satellite formations using a unified time reference demands the simultaneous RF measurement of the inter-satellite range and time difference. However, high-precision inter-satellite RF ranging and time difference measurements are investigated separately in existing studies. Different from the conventional two-way ranging (TWR) method, which is limited by its reliance on a high-performance atomic clock and navigation ephemeris, asymmetric double-sided two-way ranging (ADS-TWR)-based inter-satellite measurement schemes can eliminate such reliance while ensuring measurement precision and scalability. However, ADS-TWR was originally proposed for ranging-only applications. In this study, by fully exploiting the time-division non-coherent measurement characteristic of ADS-TWR, a joint RF measurement method is proposed to obtain the inter-satellite range and time difference simultaneously. Moreover, a multi-satellite clock synchronization scheme is proposed based on the joint measurement method. The experimental results show that when inter-satellite ranges are hundreds of kilometers, the joint measurement system has a centimeter-level accuracy for ranging and a hundred-picosecond-level accuracy for time difference measurement, and the maximum clock synchronization error was only about 1 ns.