bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Composite Nanomaterials on Physiochemical and Durability of Asphalt Binders
Authors: Omer Baran Ramadhan , Khoshnaw Ganjeena J.
Published: January 2025

The inadequate resistance of traditional asphalt binders to aging, temperature fluctuations, and fatigue cracking underlines the necessity for innovative modifications to boost pavement durability. This study aims to state the inadequate exploration of the direct application of composite nanomaterials in asphalt binders by assessing their direct effects on physiochemical and durability properties without the inclusion of additional additives. The composite nanomaterials, combined with different amounts of Nano-Silica, Nano-Alumina, and Nano-Copper oxide, were incorporated into the binder at 2%, 4%, and 6% by weight. A series of conventional and rheological tests were conducted, including penetration, temperature susceptibility, Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR), Rolling Thin Film Oven Test (RTFOT), and Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR). The results demonstrated that the addition of 2% nanomaterials improved penetration by 34% and 41% for unaged and aged samples, respectively, while a 4% addition reduced temperature susceptibility by 64% for aged binders in a mix containing equal amounts of combined nanomaterials. DSR analysis indicated enhanced stiffness and viscoelastic properties, with increased complex shear modulus (G*) and reduced phase angle (δ). Aging resistance was enhanced as established by RTFOT, and acceptable low-temperature performance was attained per BBR results. These results found composite nanomaterials as a capable key for advancing asphalt binder performance.
Mental Health Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Australian Children and Adolescents with a Medical Condition: Longitudinal Findings
Authors: Crowe Louise M. , Clarke Cathriona , Geraghty Dan , Collins Ben , Hearps Stephen , Pugh Remy , Kilpatrick Nicola , Branson Emma , Payne Jonathan M. , Haebich Kristina , McCloughan Natalie , Kintakas Christopher , Charles Genevieve , Trajanovska Misel , Hsieh Ivy , Hartmann Penelope L. , King Sebastian , Anderson Nicholas , Anderson Vicki
Published: January 2025

In Melbourne, Australia, strict ‘lockdowns’ were implemented in 2020 to suppress COVID-19, significantly disrupting daily life. Young people (<18 years) with medical conditions have an elevated risk of mental health problems and may have been disproportionately affected by the distress associated with the COVID-19 restrictions. To investigate this, we conducted a single-site, longitudinal cohort study involving the parents of 135 children and adolescents with medical conditions. Using an adapted version of the CoRonavIruS Health Impact Survey (CRISIS), parents rated their child’s mental health, activities and healthcare experiences pre-COVID-19 (retrospectively), during lockdown and 6 months post-lockdown. General linear mixed models revealed that mental health symptoms, including anxiety, fatigue, distractibility, sadness, irritability, loneliness and worry, were higher during lockdown compared to pre-COVID-19. Notably, anxiety, sadness and loneliness remained elevated 6 months post-lockdown. Covariates such as older child age, increased parent stress and child screen time contributed to greater mental health difficulties. While most mental health symptoms resolved post-lockdown, the persistence of anxiety, sadness and loneliness highlights the need for ongoing clinical monitoring for young people with medical conditions during periods of community stress and restrictions.
The Nature of High-Temperature Peaks of Thermally Stimulated Luminescence in NaCl:Li and KCl:Na Crystals
Authors: Shunkeyev Kuanyshbek , Sagimbayeva Shynar , Kenzhebayeva Adelya , Serikkaliyeva Zarina
Published: January 2025

For the first time, thermally stimulated luminescence spectra in the region of high-temperature peaks (up to 770 K) have been measured in NaCl:Li and KCl:Na single crystals (with impurity cations of small ionic radii) exposed to isodose irradiation by X-rays irradiated uniformly. Comparative analysis of these spectra with the spectra of X-ray and tunnel luminescence of the same crystals showed that the luminescence associated with exciton-like formations near impurity cations dominates in all three cases. The formation mechanisms of such bound excitons during a thermal dissociation of complex radiation defects are considered. Integral light sums of high-temperature TSL in NaCl:Li and KCl:Na crystals are significantly higher than that of a standard LiF:Mg, Ti dosimetric crystal (a TLD-100 luminescent dosimeter).
Effect of Prewetting Cenospheres on Hydration Kinetics, Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties of Refractory Castables
Authors: Pundienė Ina , Pranckevičienė Jolanta
Published: January 2025

This study investigated the effect of non-prewetted and prewetted cenospheres (CSs) on the hydration course and physical and mechanical properties of refractory castable mixtures incorporated with nano silica (NS). The fixed amount of 0.1% of NS improves the compressive strength of the refractory castable, containing various proportions of non-prewetted and prewetted CSs (up to 25% in composition). It was found that an increase in CSs slows down the hydration of cement and the early structure formation of refractory castable mixtures. Proportionally, due to the increase in the amount of non-prewetted and prewetted CSs in the composition, the density of the samples decreases from 1875 kg/m3 to 1310 kg/m3 after firing. The amount of CSs varied from 15 to 25% in the composition, increasing compressive strength by up to 5.3% and 8.6% in the case of non-prewetted CSs and by up to 39.2% and 20.5% in the case of prewetted CSs after the drying process. Prewetting CSs provides additional internal water that facilitates cement hydration during drying, promoting the formation of stratlingite (C2ASH8), a key hydration product that enhances mechanical properties after firing and promotes the early formation of anorthite. The firing at 800 °C and 1100 °C temperatures decreases compressive strength to a greater extent, as more CSs are in the composition. However, prewetting of CSs leads to significantly less deterioration (up to 32%, compared to compositions with non-prewetted CSs) in the compressive strength of refractory castables. The shrinkage of the refractory castable samples after firing at 1100 °C reached 0.16% in the case of non-prewetted CSs and 0.1% in the case of prewetted CSs. Prewetted CSs in refractory castables relaxes the stresses arising during firing more efficiently and practically compensates for shrinkage processes.
Assisted Egg White Biogenic Synthesis for Elaboration of ZnO Nanoparticles
Authors: Vijan Elena Andreea , Modan Ecaterina Magdalena , Moga Sorin Georgian , Negrea Denis Aurelian , Schiopu Adriana-Gabriela , Oproescu Mihai , Istrate Daniela
Published: January 2025

Nanomaterials are materials at the nanometric scale that have distinctive functionalities and properties. Due to their unique properties relative to traditional materials, nanomaterials attract great interest from researchers. ZnO-based nanomaterials especially demonstrate versatility, accessibility, biocompatibility and low toxicity. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in developing eco-friendly and sustainable approaches for synthesizing nanomaterials. In the development of ecological techniques for their synthesis, using natural resources is a popular choice. Employing egg white for ZnO nanoparticle synthesis represents an environmentally method that uses a natural resource. The great advantage of green synthesis using egg white is that it is a cost-effective, renewable, and bio-degradable resource that offers biocompatibility. Egg white is rich in proteins, amino acids, and other biomolecules that possess reducing properties. These biomolecules interact with metal ions, leading to the reduction and nucleation of nanoparticles. Additionally, the proteins in egg white act as capping agents, stabilizing the nanoparticles and preventing their aggregation. The proteins of white albumen have different functional groups and maintain product attributes, such as dispersion and stability. This paper focuses on the characterization of ZnO nanoparticles obtained by the assisted synthesis of egg white. This study explores the potential of ovalbumin, the major protein in egg white, as a template for the synthesis of nanostructured ZnO. The synthesis process utilized egg white from different sources (commercially raised hens, home-raised hens, and ducks) and varying zinc nitrate concentrations (1M and 2M) to evaluate their influence on nanoparticle morphology and size. Various complementary techniques are employed to analyze the resulting nanostructures: XRD, SEM, and ATR-FTIR. Also, antibacterial properties are investigated. This study underscores the viability of different egg whites as a green resources for synthesizing nanostructured ZnO and contributes to the development of sustainable nanotechnology approaches.
The Preparation of C-S-H Powder Seeds and Their Effect on the Early Hydration Performance of Cement Paste
Authors: Huang Chunlong , Wang Yiren , Wei Zhongyuan , Yu Yong
Published: January 2025

C-S-H/PCE suspension can boost the hydration degree and strength of cement composite binding. However, the suspension will inevitably precipitate after a period of time, which is not conducive to its preservation, and its low solid content increases transportation costs in practical applications. In this study, utilizing synthetic PCE as a template, C-S-H/PCE suspension was synthesized using a co-precipitation method. Subsequently, powder seeds were produced via the spray-drying technique, and these prepared powder seeds were analyzed via microscopic characterization. The impact of these powder nucleating agents on cement hydration kinetics was evaluated through hydration heat measurements and hydration degree, fluidity, and compressive strength testing. The results indicated that these powder seeds exhibited a nano-film morphology. Their nucleation effect significantly enhanced the cement hydration rate, increased the degree of hydration, and improved strength. The hydration kinetics showed that the hydration of cement mixed with nucleating agents was not governed by a single reaction mechanism, but rather constitutes a complex, multi-component reaction process. As the content of nucleating agents increased, higher dosages of nucleating agents accelerated the production of more products within a short period, causing the system to rapidly transition to phase boundary reaction control. When the dosage of nucleating agents reached 2%, the cement hydration process bypassed the phase boundary reaction control stage and transitioned directly from the crystallization nucleation and crystal growth control process to the diffusion-controlled phase. Although the influence of powder seeds on the enhancement of the early-stage strength of mortar was slightly lower than that of the suspension, the powder was beneficial to its storage and transportation. Therefore, it has the potential to replace the suspension.
Treatment Outcomes in Spinal Tumors According to Patients’ Perspectives: A Focus on Indeterminate Spinal Instability
Authors: Schimmelpenning Victoria H. , Brugger Robin , Rommers Nikki , Kunst Johann , Jäger Martin , Albers Christoph E. , Milavec Helena
Published: January 2025

The objective of this study was to analyze treatment approaches and outcomes according to patients’ perspectives for patients with indeterminate spinal instability caused by neoplastic lesions. Data were collected from 31 patients with a total of 147 spinal neoplastic lesions, 29 of whom had lesions classified as indeterminate. These lesions were divided into two groups: the low indeterminate group (SINS 7–9) and the high indeterminate group (SINS 10–12). Conservative treatment was the primary approach (93%), resulting in improvement in 59% of cases, stability in 22%, and asymptomatic outcomes in 19%. No significant differences in self-reported outcomes were found between surgical and non-surgical treatments (p = 0.98, p = 0.18). Surgery was reserved for patients with severe pain or impending neurological compromise. Our findings suggest that conservative management is a viable option for most patients with indeterminate spinal instability caused by neoplastic lesions, provided pain and neurological stability are adequately controlled.
Application of Google Earth Engine to Monitor Greenhouse Gases: A Review
Authors: Wilson Damar David , Tefera Gebrekidan Worku , Ray Ram L.
Published: January 2025

Google Earth Engine (GEE) is a cloud-based platform revolutionizing geospatial analysis by providing access to vast satellite datasets and computational capabilities for monitoring environmental and societal issues. It incorporates machine learning (ML) techniques and algorithms as part of its tools for analyzing and processing large geospatial data. This review explores the diverse applications of GEE in monitoring and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and uptakes. GEE is a cloud-based platform built on Google’s infrastructure for analyzing and visualizing large-scale geospatial datasets. It offers large datasets for monitoring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and understanding their environmental impact. By leveraging GEE’s capabilities, researchers have developed tools and algorithms to analyze remotely sensed data and accurately quantify GHG emissions and uptakes. This review examines progress and trends in GEE applications, focusing on monitoring carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide/nitrogen dioxide (N2O/NO2) emissions. It discusses the integration of GEE with different machine learning methods and the challenges and opportunities in optimizing algorithms and ensuring data interoperability. Furthermore, it highlights GEE’s role in pinpointing emission hotspots, as demonstrated in studies monitoring uptakes. By providing insights into GEE’s capabilities for precise monitoring and mapping of GHGs, this review aims to advance environmental research and decision-making processes in mitigating climate change.
Squamomelanocytic Tumor, An Entity Still Shrouded in Mystery: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Sorino Joana , Della Mura Mario , Colagrande Anna , Salzillo Cecilia , Ingravallo Giuseppe , Cazzato Gerardo
Published: January 2025

Cutaneous squamomelanocytic tumor (SMT) is a very rare cutaneous malignancy, composed of a dual phenotypic population of both malignant melanocytes and keratinocytes, intimately intermingled together. Herein, we report a new case of a SMT occurring in an 82-year-old man, located on the scalp. Histopathology revealed a mixed population consisting of squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma within the same lesion, also confirmed using immunohistochemical staining for high molecular-weight cytokeratins (HMWCKs) and Melan-A. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time, we tested SMT for the preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME), which revealed a strong and diffuse positivity in the melanocytic component. These tumors need to be distinguished by more frequent collision tumors and colonization. Furthermore, we provide a comprehensive review of the literature, focusing on clinical and histopathological aspects, biological behavior and still-debated, but fascinating histogenesis of this elusive entity.
The Novel Histological Prostatic Inflammation Score Helps Defining the Association Between Stromal and Glandular Inflammation with the Risk of Prostate Cancer at Prostate Biopsy
Authors: Falagario Ugo Giovanni , Sanguedolce Francesca , Cormio Angelo , Ninivaggi Antonella , Finati Marco , Guzzi Francesco , Busetto Gian Maria , Bettocchi Carlo , Castellani Daniele , Carrieri Giuseppe , Cormio Luigi
Published: January 2025

Background: There is emerging evidence of an inverse association between prostatic inflammation (PI) and prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and outcome. The Irani score, a validated system that scores PI according to the grade of stromal infiltration (Irani G) and the aggressiveness of glandular infiltration (Irani A), has indeed been found to be inversely associated with PCa diagnosis and outcome, but the presence of two categories (G and A) makes the performance of this score suboptimal. This study aimed to determine whether a novel prostatic inflammation score (PIS) that combines Irani G and A scores better defined the risk of being diagnosed with PCa at prostate biopsy (PBx). Methods: Between January 2013 and December 2023, the Irani scores were routinely assessed on hematoxylin and eosin-stained PBx cores. The novel PIS was obtained by combining Irani G and A scores by their kernel distribution. PIS 1 included patients who scored G 0–1/A 0–1, PIS 2 those who scored G 2–3/A 0–1, and PIS 3 included those who scored G 0–3/A 2–3. Logistic regression analysis was used to test the association between the novel PIS and the risk of being diagnosed with PCa and clinically significant (cs) PCa at PBx. Results: Among the 4620 eligible patients, PCa and csPCa detection rate was 47% and 25%, respectively. Overall, 3088 (66.8%) had low Irani G and 4041 (87.5%) had low Irani A scores. Using PIS, 2971 (64%) were classified as PIS 1, 1070 (23%) as PIS 2, and 579 (13%) as PIS 3. Notably, almost one-quarter of patients had heterogeneous Irani features. Multivariable analysis pointed out a significant association between PIS and the risk of being diagnosed with PCa and csPCa; the higher the PIS, the lower the likelihood of such diagnoses. Limitations included the absence of external validation. Conclusions: The novel PIS, easily obtained during routine pathology examination, was significantly associated with the risk of being diagnosed with PCa and csPCa at PBx. While PI seems to be overall protective over PCa, the different types (stromal vs. glandular) of inflammation depicted by PIS seem to express a different risk.
Secrecy-Constrained UAV-Mounted RIS-Assisted ISAC Networks: Position Optimization and Power Beamforming
Authors: Yang Weichao , Wang Yajing , Wang Dawei , He Yixin , Li Li
Published: January 2025

This paper investigates secrecy solutions for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems, leveraging the combination of a reflecting intelligent surface (RIS) and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to introduce new degrees of freedom for enhanced system performance. Specifically, we propose a secure ISAC system supported by a UAV-mounted RIS, where an ISAC base station (BS) facilitates secure multi-user communication while simultaneously detecting potentially malicious radar targets. Our goal is to improve parameter estimation performance, measured by the Cramér–Rao bound (CRB), by jointly optimizing the UAV position, transmit beamforming, and RIS beamforming, subject to constraints including the UAV flight area, communication users’ quality of service (QoS) requirements, secure transmission demands, power budget, and RIS reflecting coefficient limits. To address this non-convex, multivariate, and coupled problem, we decompose it into three subproblems, which are solved iteratively using particle swarm optimization (PSO), semi-definite relaxation (SDR), majorization–minimization (MM), and alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) algorithms. Our numerical results validate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme and demonstrate the potential of employing UAV-mounted RIS in ISAC systems to enhance radar sensing capabilities.
The Why and How of Polymorphic Artificial Autonomous Swarms
Authors: Saffre Fabrice , Karvonen Hannu , Hildmann Hanno
Published: January 2025

In this paper, we investigate the concept of polymorphism in the context of artificial swarms; that is, collectives of autonomous platforms such as, for example, unmanned aerial systems. This article provides the reader with two practical insights: (a) a proof-of-concept simulation study to show that there is a clear benefit to be gained from considering polymorphic artificial swarms; and (b) a discussion on the design of user-friendly human–machine interfaces for swarm control to enable the human operator to harness these benefits.
Transient Voltage Information Entropy Difference Unit Protection Based on Fault Condition Attribute Fusion
Authors: Guo Zhenwei , Zhao Ruiqiang , Huang Zebo , Jiang Yongyan , Li Haojie , Deng Yingcai
Published: January 2025

Transient protection has the advantage of ultra-high-speed action, but traditional transient protection is susceptible to the influence of two fault condition attributes, namely, transition resistance and initial angle of fault, and there are the problems of insufficient sensitivity and insufficient reliability under weak faults. To this end, the propagation characteristics of high-frequency components of transient voltage in bus and line systems are explored, and a new method of unit protection based on the entropy difference in transient voltage information is proposed. In order to solve the problem of single-ended transient protection not being able to reliably distinguish line faults from bus faults and adjacent line first-end faults, the difference between the entropy of line voltage and the entropy of bus voltage was introduced as a fault characteristic. Aimed at the susceptibility of transient protection to the influence of fault condition attributes, composite fault characteristics containing fault attribute information were obtained by integrating fault characteristics with fault condition attributes to overcome the adverse influence of fault condition attributes on transient protection and improve the reliability of the protection. The algorithm solved 38.9% of the original cross-data, 36.1% of the false actions, and 6.1% of the rejected actions. Finally, the accuracy and reliability of the proposed algorithm were verified by extensive ATP-Draw simulation tests.
Assessing the Economic and Ecological Costs of Human–Wildlife Conflict in Nuwara Eliya
Authors: Anuruddha Mahanayakage Chamindha , Morimoto Takehiro , Gamage Saman , Marikar Faiz
Published: January 2025

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) is a growing concern in the Nuwara Eliya Divisional Secretariat Division (DSD) in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. This study investigates the nature and distribution of HWC, with particular focus on agricultural damage, livestock losses, infrastructure destruction, and human injuries. Data were collected through field surveys, expert opinions, satellite imagery, and census data, including interviews with 720 farmers (conducted between 2021 and 2022) and 25 online questionnaires, which provided expert insights on HWC. Animals such as wild boars, bandicoots, barking deer, toque macaques, porcupines, buffaloes, sambar, and leopards were found to be key to HWC, contributing to crop raiding, livestock predation, and infrastructure damage, and through the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), the wild boar was determined to have the greatest impact. Spatial analysis revealed conflict hotspots near forest and tea plantation boundaries, emphasizing the influence of land use and proximity to wildlife habitats. Mitigation strategies were explored; most farmers utilize multiple conflict reduction strategies, with varying efficacy. These findings underline the importance of developing region-specific strategies for HWC management, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, and fostering coexistence between wildlife and local communities.
Exploring Preservice Teachers’ Perceived Emotions, Professional Accountability, and Action-Taking Dispositions Towards Language Assessment Scenarios
Authors: Díaz Larenas Claudio , Ortiz Navarrete Mabel , Tagle Ochoa Tania , Gómez Paniagua Juan Fernando , Quintana Lara Marcela , Ramos Leiva Lucia , Acevedo Rivera Rocío
Published: January 2025

This exploratory case study investigates the emotional responses, professional accountability, and action-taking dispositions of 150 Chilean prospective English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers towards language assessment scenarios. Despite the growing interest in assessment, little research has focused on the affective experiences of trainee teachers. Participants completed the Emotionally Loaded Situations Questionnaire, which assessed their reactions to situations where students fail language assessments. The study reveals that these situations elicited negative emotional responses, leading to a diminished sense of teacher identity due to perceived inefficiencies in teaching and assessment practices. The findings also highlight the teachers’ dispositions towards taking corrective actions, such as revisiting teaching and assessment strategies, reinforcing assessment content, and improving future practices. As to professional accountability, trainee teachers acknowledge that their teaching performance has a direct effect on their students’ assessment results. These outcomes emphasize the need for further research on the affective dimension in language assessment to better support the professional development of future teachers.
CodeContrast: A Contrastive Learning Approach for Generating Coherent Programming Exercises
Authors: Torres Nicolás
Published: January 2025

Generating high-quality programming exercises with well-aligned problem descriptions, test cases, and code solutions is crucial for computer science education. However, current methods often lack coherence among these components, reducing their educational value. We present CodeContrast, a novel generative model that uses contrastive learning to map programming problems, test cases, and solutions into a shared feature space. By minimizing the distance between matched components and maximizing it for non-matched ones, CodeContrast learns the intricate relationships necessary to generate coherent programming exercises. Our model architecture includes three encoder networks for problem descriptions, test cases, and solutions. During training, CodeContrast processes positive triplets (matching problem, test case, solution) and negative triplets (non-matching combinations) and uses a contrastive loss to position positive triplets close in the feature space while separating negative ones. Comprehensive evaluations of CodeContrast—through automatic metrics, expert ratings, and student studies—demonstrate its effectiveness. Results show high code correctness (92.3% of test cases passed), strong problem–solution alignment (BLEU score up to 0.826), and robust test case coverage (85.7% statement coverage). Expert feedback and student performance further support the pedagogical value of these generated exercises, with students performing comparably to those using manually curated content. CodeContrast advances the automated generation of high-quality programming exercises, capturing relationships among programming components to enhance educational content and improve the learning experience for students and instructors.
Effects of Parents’ Smartphone Use on Children’s Emotions, Behavior, and Subjective Well-Being
Authors: Selak Matea Bodrožić , Merkaš Marina , Žulec Ivanković Ana
Published: January 2025

This study aimed to examine the associations between parents’ smartphone use during conversations with children, children’s emotional and behavioral reactions to parents’ smartphone use, and children’s well-being. This study was conducted on a sample of 284 children (aged 10 to 15 years, with a mean age of 12.23 in 2021; 40.2% boys). The data come from a four-wave longitudinal study (2021–2023) within the project D.E.C.I.D.E. Children reported how often their parents use smartphones during conversations with them (second wave), their emotions and behaviors related to parents’ smartphone use (third wave), and their subjective well-being (fourth wave). A proposed model was tested in which the frequency of parents’ smartphone use during parent–child conversations was a predictor, different children’s emotional and behavioral reactions to parents’ smartphone use were mediators, and children’s well-being was the criterion. The results showed that more frequent parents’ smartphone use is associated with more frequent children’s experiences of anger and sadness in situations when parents use smartphones while with children, which is linked to lower children’s well-being. More frequent parents’ smartphone use is associated with more giving up on seeking parents’ attention among children, which is related to lower well-being.
RFID Unpacked: A Case Study in Employing RFID Tags from Item to Pallet Level
Authors: Claucherty Ethan , Cummins Danielle , Aliakbarian Bahar
Published: January 2025

As the use of passive ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tags continues to surge in supply chain management, it becomes crucial to optimize their application at various levels of packaging to ensure reliability. These packaging levels play a pivotal role in achieving maximum readability and widespread adoption within the industry. This research paper aims to determine the most suitable passive UHF RFID tag for consumer goods filled with liquid and wrapped in foil packaging. In this study, two distinct RFID tags from separate manufacturers were evaluated. The research focused on critical factors such as reader height, distance, and item configuration across different packaging levels (item, case, and pallet). The results demonstrated that the packaging configuration impacts the readability of RFID tags at each packaging level. Through rigorous testing, it was found that achieving a tag readability rate higher than 99.7% is feasible and readability can be optimized by adjusting the reader position, packaging configuration, and tag design. The optimized configuration and testing platform developed in this study can be used for comparable products in other supply chains such as consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, and food. The results of this study emphasize RFID’s potential to revolutionize supply chain management.
Design Transformation Pathways for AI-Generated Images in Chinese Traditional Architecture
Authors: Lu Yi , Wu Jiacheng , Wang Mengyao , Fu Jiayi , Xie Wanxu , Wang Pohsun , Zhao Pengcheng
Published: January 2025

This study introduces a design transformation model for AI-generated Chinese traditional architectural images (SD Lora&Canny) based on Stable Diffusion (SD). By integrating parameterization techniques such as Low-Rank Adaptation (Lora) and edge detection algorithms (Canny), the model achieves precise restoration of the architectural form, color elements, and decorative symbols in Chinese traditional architecture. Using the Beijing Drum Tower as the experimental subject, statistical analysis software (SPSS V28.0) was employed to conduct a quantitative evaluation and comparative analysis of architectural images generated by the DALL-E, MidJourney, SD, and SD Lora&Canny models. The results demonstrate that the SD Lora&Canny model significantly outperforms traditional generation tools in restoration accuracy and visual fidelity. Finally, this study applied the SD Lora&Canny model to create the digital cultural product AR Drum and Bell Tower Fridge Magnet, showcasing its practical application in digital cultural creation and verifying its innovative potential in the digital preservation and transmission of Chinese traditional architecture.
Compact Tri-Band Bandpass Filter with Wide Upper Stopband Based on Spoof Surface Plasmon Polaritons and Open-/Short-Circuited Stubs
Authors: Ren Baoping , Chen Wenjian , Zhang Xiaoyan , Guan Xuehui , Xu Kai-Da
Published: January 2025

In this paper, a new U-shaped ring spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) structure is proposed as part of a bandpass filter (BPF) combined with short-circuited stubs (SCSs). The U-shaped ring unit offers miniaturization and multiple adjustable parameters. Furthermore, the lower and upper cutoff frequencies of the passband for the BPF can be adjusted by modifying the structural parameters of the SSPP units and SCSs, respectively. To validate the design, a prototype filter was first created with a frequency range of 2 to 3.7 GHz for the passband and an extended stopband that reached up to 15 GHz. On the basis of the designed BPF, a tri-band filter was realized by introducing multiple transmission zeros by loading multiple open-circuited stubs (OCSs) onto the transmission portion of SSPPs. The center frequencies of the three passbands were 1.20 GHz, 2.03 GHz, and 2.96 GHz, respectively. At the same time, the upper stopband rejection reached up to 12 GHz with an attenuation of −30 dB, about 10 times the center frequency of the first passband. The experimental results demonstrate a strong correlation between the measured and simulated outcomes, thereby validating the proposed structure and design methodology. Notably, the filter measures only 0.38λg × 0.13λg, highlighting its compact size as a significant advantage.
Model-Free Resilient Grid-Forming and Grid-Following Inverter Control Against Cyberattacks Using Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Beikbabaei Milad , Kwiatkowski Brian Michael , Mehrizi-Sani Ali
Published: January 2025

The U.S. movement toward clean energy generation has increased the number of installed inverter-based resources (IBR) in the grid, introducing new challenges in IBR control and cybersecurity. IBRs receive their set point through the communication link, which may expose them to cyber threats. Previous work has developed various techniques to detect and mitigate cyberattacks on IBRs, developing schemes for new inverters being installed in the grid. This work focuses on developing model-free control techniques for already installed IBR in the grid without the need to access IBR internal control parameters. The proposed method is tested for both the grid-forming and grid-following inverter control. Different detection and mitigation algorithms are used to enhance the accuracy of the proposed method. The proposed method is tested using the modified CIGRE 14-bus North American grid with seven IBRs in PSCAD/EMTDC. Finally, the performance of the detection algorithm is tested under grid normal transients, such as set point change, load change, and short-circuit fault, to make sure the proposed detection method does not provide false positives.
Footstep Localization on Badminton Court with Vibration Signals: A Pilot Study
Authors: Yang Yang , Wang Wei , Yan Wenfa , Peng Yahui
Published: January 2025

Assessment of a badminton player’s footwork is critical. However, the automated footwork assessment method is lacking. The purpose of the study is to investigate how seismographs can be used to collect vibration signals to locate the footsteps of a player on the badminton court. Four seismographs are positioned at the four corners of the badminton court to acquire the vibration signals of two players’ footsteps. After signal preprocessing, multiple features are extracted from the preprocessed vibration signals, including the maximum amplitude AMPmax, the index of the maximum amplitude INDmax, and area under the waveform of the signal AUW. The latter two features are selected to predict the localization of the footstep after correlation analysis of the features. A multilayer perceptron (MLP) and a support vector machine (SVM) are trained to combine all the features to predict the locations of the footsteps into one of the eighteen zones of the badminton court. Six-fold and leave-one-out (LOO) cross-validations are used to estimate the accuracy of the localization method. All three extracted features are correlated with the footstep location, and AMPmax and AUW are highly correlated. Both the six-fold and LOO cross-validations indicate that the overall accuracy is 98–99%, using either the MLP or the SVM. These promising results indicate that the proposed approach has a potential to trace badminton player’s footwork accurately and future studies are warranted to investigate the utilities of the vibration signals in badminton player’s footwork assessment.
High-Frequency High-Magnetic Flux Variation Foil Winding AC Inductor Design with the Vertical Penetrating Magnetic Field Elimination
Authors: Yang Jinxu , Tian Lin , Wu Xinke
Published: January 2025

In traditional inductor design with planar windings, the magnetic field distribution may not be well-organized, leading to significant winding loss, particularly at high switching frequencies. This study explores the relationship between current distribution and magnetic field distribution in the winding region. Unlike conventional magnetic flux distribution, which directs a large portion of the magnetic field vertically through the windings in the winding region, this work introduces a structure that maintains most of the magnetic flux parallel to the foil windings through the application of quasi-distributed air gaps. This paper presents a design methodology for a high-frequency foil winding inductor with high flux variation. Building on this concept, a high-power density, low loss inductor with foil windings is designed based on the four-switch buck-boost (FSBB) converter. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed inductor design significantly reduces winding loss in inductors with planar windings.
Demand-Driven Resilient Control for Generation Unit of Local Power Plant Under Unreliable Communication
Authors: Cao Guizhou , Xia Dawei , Liu Bokang , Meng Kai , Wu Zhenlong , Sun Yuan-Cheng
Published: January 2025

The resilient control issue for the generation unit (GU) in a local power plant with unreliable communication is addressed in this article, where the communication may be jammed by denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. Based on the GU model of voltage and current at the point of common coupling, a demand-driven network communication protocol is proposed to decrease the number of scheduling signal transmissions, and an observer-based prediction method is provided to replenish the lack of dispatching data during transmission intervals when the demand has not changed. The closed-loop performance is analyzed for the GU system in the input-to-state stable framework with or without attack. According to the DoS attack model, which is described by the assumptions of frequency and duration, the conservativeness of the tolerable DoS attack index is reduced by using the thought of robustness to the maximum disturbance-induced error. Simulation examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the approach proposed in this article.
Effect of Blade Number on Internal Flow and Performance Characteristics in Low-Head Cross-Flow Turbines
Authors: Assefa Ephrem Yohannes , Tesfay Asfafaw Haileselassie
Published: January 2025

Cross-flow turbines are widely used in microhydropower systems because of their cost-effectiveness, environmental sustainability, adaptability, and robust design. However, their relatively lower efficiency than other turbine types limit their application in large-scale projects. Previous studies have identified poor flow profiles as a significant factor contributing to inefficiency, with the number of blades playing a critical role in the flow behavior, efficiency, and structural stability. This study employed numerical simulations to analyze how varying the number of blades affects the internal flow characteristics and performance of the turbine at, and off, its best operating points. Configurations with 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, and 44 blades were investigated under constant low-head conditions, fully open valve settings, and varying runner speeds. Simulations were performed using ANSYS CFX, incorporating steady-state conditions, a two-phase flow model with a movable free surface, and a shear stress turbulence model. The results indicate that the 28-blade configuration achieved a maximum hydraulic efficiency of 83%, outperforming the preset 24-blade setup by 6%. Flow profiles were examined using pressure and velocity gradients to identify regions of adverse pressure. Due to the impulse nature of the turbine, the flow profile is more sensitive to changes in the flow speed than to pressure. The flow trajectory showed stability in the first stage but exhibited discrepancies in the second stage, which were attributed to turbulence, recirculation, and shaft flow impingement. The observed performance improvements were linked to reduced hydraulic losses due to flow separation and friction, emphasizing the significance of the number of blades and the regions of optimal efficiency under low-head conditions.
Optimization of Development Strategies and Injection-Production Parameters in a Fractured-Vuggy Carbonate Reservoir by Considering the Effect of Karst Patterns: Taking C Oilfield in the Tarim Basin as an Example
Authors: Li Mengqin , Wang Qi , Yao Chao , Chen Fangfang , Wang Qinghong , Zhang Jing
Published: January 2025

The spatial structural characteristics of fractured-vuggy units vary greatly in different karst patterns, which significantly influence the study of remaining oil distribution patterns in ultra-deep fractured-vuggy reservoirs and the determination of the most efficient development strategies. However, few numerical simulation studies have focused on improving water and gas injection in fractured-vuggy reservoirs by considering the effect of karst patterns. By taking a typical fractured-vuggy reservoir in C oilfield in Tarim Basin, China as an example, the development dynamic characteristics of eight typical fractured-vuggy units in three different karst patterns are analyzed, and based on the newly proposed numerical simulation method of fluid vertical equilibrium, the residual oil reservoir distribution in different karst pattern fractured-vuggy units are studied, and the effects of fracture-vuggy karst patterns on the development characteristics, on the remaining oil morphology pattern, on the development strategies, and on the injection-production parameters are explored. This study shows that for different karst patterns fractured-vuggy units, the complexity of spatial structure, reserve scale, and oil-water relationship aggravates the heterogeneity of reservoirs and results in substantial differences in the development of dynamic patterns. In the northern facing karst fractured-vuggy units, there are two main types of remaining oil: well-spacing type and local-blocking type, and the reasonable development strategies are affected by reservoir morphology and the connectivity of structure patterns. Attic-type remaining oil mainly occurs in platform margin overlay and fault-controlled karst fractured-vuggy units. In the southern fault-controlled karst area, the remaining oil is mostly found along the upper part, and periodic gas injection or N2 huff-n-puff is recommended with priority for potential tapping. The fractured-vuggy karst patterns show a significant influence on the optimal level of injection-production parameters for improving the development of gas injection development strategies. The ideas of improving water injection and gas injection for fracture-vuggy reservoirs proposed in this paper also provide a good reference to further improve water control and increase oil production in other similar carbonate reservoirs.
Method and Experimental Research of Transmission Line Tower Grounding Body Condition Assessment Based on Multi-Parameter Time-Domain Pulsed Eddy Current Characteristic Signal Extraction
Authors: Zuo Yun , Wang Jie , Huang Xiaoju , Liu Yuan , Zeng Zhiwu , Xu Ruiqing , Chen Yawen , Liu Kui , You Hongkang , Wang Jingang
Published: January 2025

Pole tower grounding bodies are part of the normal structure of the power system, providing relief from fault currents and equalizing overvoltage channels. They are important devices; however, in the harsh environment of the soil, they are prone to corrosion or even fracture, which in turn affects the normal utilization of the transmission line, so accurately assessing the condition of grounding bodies of the power grid is critical. To assess the operational status of a grounding body in a timely manner, this paper proposes a multi-parameter pulsed eddy current (PEC) time-domain characteristic signal corrosion classification method for the detection of the state of a pole tower grounding body. The method firstly theoretically analysed the influence of multi-parameter changes on the PEC response time-domain feature signal caused by grounding body corrosion and extracts the decay time constant (DTC), and the decay time constant stabilization value (DTCSV) and time to stabilization (TTS) were obtained based on the DTC time domain characteristics for describing the corrosion of the grounding body. Subsequently, DTCSV and TTS were used as inputs to a support vector machine (SVM) to classify the corrosion of the grounding body. A simulation model was constructed to investigate the effect of multiparameter time on the DTCSV and TTS of the tower grounding body based on the single-variable method, and the multiparameter time-domain characterization method used for corrosion assessment was validated. Four defects with different corrosion levels were classified using the optimized SVM model, with an accuracy rate of 95%. Finally, a PEC inspection system platform was built to conduct classification tests on steel bars with different degrees of corrosion, and the results show that the SVM classification model based on DTCSV and TTS has a better discriminatory ability for different corrosive grounders and can be used to classify corrosion in the grounders of poles towers to improve the stability of power transmission.
Cognitive Assessment and Training in Extended Reality: Multimodal Systems, Clinical Utility, and Current Challenges
Authors: González-Erena Palmira Victoria , Fernández-Guinea Sara , Kourtesis Panagiotis
Published: January 2025

Extended reality (XR) technologies—encompassing virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR)—are transforming cognitive assessment and training by offering immersive, interactive environments that simulate real-world tasks. XR enhances ecological validity while enabling real-time, multimodal data collection through tools such as galvanic skin response (GSR), electroencephalography (EEG), eye tracking (ET), hand tracking, and body tracking. This allows for a more comprehensive understanding of cognitive and emotional processes, as well as adaptive, personalized interventions for users. Despite these advancements, current XR applications often underutilize the full potential of multimodal integration, relying primarily on visual and auditory inputs. Challenges such as cybersickness, usability concerns, and accessibility barriers further limit the widespread adoption of XR tools in cognitive science and clinical practice. This review examines XR-based cognitive assessment and training, focusing on its advantages over traditional methods, including ecological validity, engagement, and adaptability. It also explores unresolved challenges such as system usability, cost, and the need for multimodal feedback integration. The review concludes by identifying opportunities for optimizing XR tools to improve cognitive evaluation and rehabilitation outcomes, particularly for diverse populations, including older adults and individuals with cognitive impairments.