bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultra-Processed Foods, Diet Quality and Human Health
Authors: Dinu Monica , Martini Daniela
Published: June 2023

The increase in the volume of industrially processed products in the global food supply has coincided with an increasing prevalence of obesity and non-communicable diseases in many countries, suggesting that ultra-processed foods (UPF) consumption may be detrimental to human health [...]
Overweight and Obesity: The Interplay of Eating Habits and Physical Activity
Authors: Moschonis George , Trakman Gina Louise
Published: June 2023

The prevalence of overweight and obesity has been steadily increasing over the last 50 years, with worldwide obesity rates tripling since 1975, thus reaching pandemic proportions [...]
Choline: An Essential Nutrient for Human Health
Authors: Gallo Milagros , Gámiz Fernando
Published: June 2023

Choline is an essential nutrient that plays a role in the synthesis of the phospholipid membrane, critical for cell functions, and it is the major source of methyl donors relevant for epigenetic modifications of the genome [...]
Design and Development of ‘Diet DQ Tracker’: A Smartphone Application for Augmenting Dietary Assessment
Authors: Mahal Subeg Singh , Kucha Christopher , Kwofie Ebenezer M. , Ngadi Michael
Published: June 2023

The purpose of the current study was to describe the design, development, and validation of the ‘Diet DQ Tracker’. The ‘Diet DQ Tracker’ is the first self-administered smartphone app designed to collect dietary data for diet diversity indicators. The main objective of the app was to replace the traditional methods of dietary data collection, such as in-person or telephone 24 h recall via pen and paper questionnaire or tablets. The real-time meal recording, extensive food database, and automatic score calculations and visualizations for MDD-W, IYCF-MDD, and HDDS have the potential to overcome the drawbacks of 24 h recalls. Recall depends on respondent memory, food expertise, and time consumption and demands skilled interviewers. Further, SAIN, LIM recommendations in the app prompt users to diversify diets with healthy foods. The pilot study determined the acceptability, feasibility, and relative validity of the ‘Diet DQ Tracker’ with a 24 h dietary recall. The results demonstrated minimal differences in dietary scores by both methodologies. The app, being convenient, easy to use, less time-consuming, and enjoyable, was preferred by the entire study sample over 24 h recall. The app will be continually updated with foods from different cultures for validating in large-scale studies. The future studies will help to improve the subsequent versions of the app.
Pharmacological Effects of Grape Leaf Extract Reduce Eimeriosis-Induced Inflammation, Oxidative Status Change, and Goblet Cell Response in the Jejunum of Mice
Authors: Murshed Mutee , Al-Tamimi Jameel , Aljawdah Hossam M. A. , Al-Quraishy Saleh
Published: June 2023

Coccidiosis is a parasitic infection threatening poultry products globally. Parasite resistance to drugs is one of the barriers to Eimeria control. Natural products are one of the sources of compounds that prevent parasite infections. The current study was, therefore, conducted to evaluate the effect of Vitis vinifera leaf extract on anti-inflammatory response, oxidative status, and goblet cell response against Eimeria papillate infection in mice. Methanol was used as a solvent for phytochemicals. The mice were divided into six groups: The first group was the control. The second group was uninfected and treated with 200 mg/kg of extract to test toxicity, and the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth groups of mice received 1 × 103 sporulated E. papillate oocysts. The third group received no treatment. The fourth and fifth groups were treated daily with 100 and 200 mg/kg of V. vinifera leaf extract, respectively, while the sixth group received 25 mg/kg of toltrazuril daily via gavage. On day 5 p.i., the animals were sacrificed, and jejunum samples were prepared for analyses of histological sections and oxidative stress. The phytochemical analysis using GC-MS of the extract showed the presence of 12 biologically active compounds. The most effective dose was 200 mg/kg, which significantly decreased the number of parasitic stages in the jejunal sections of the mice. The findings demonstrate that E. papillate infection in mice results in significant histopathological changes in the jejunum, including inflammation, epithelial vacuolation, villi loss, and a decrease in goblet cell density. When infected mice received treatment, the histological injury score within the infected jejunum tissue decreased by 63%, and the goblet cell quantity dramatically increased, approaching the control values. Finally, the extract ameliorated the changes in glutathione and malondialdehyde due to E. papillate infection. The extract was proven to have anti-inflammatory properties and reduce the number of oocysts. Overall, the findings show that V. vinifera leaf extract has significant anticoccidial effects in vivo.
Bioanalytical LC-QTOF/MS Method for a N-phenylpiperazine Derivate (LQFM05): An Anxiolytic- and Antidepressant-like Prototype Drug Applied to Pharmacokinetic and Biodistribution Studies
Authors: Ramos Ana Cláudia M. , Rezende Kênnia R. , Teixeira Carolina M. , Fernandes Aline R. , Santos Heloa , Machado Rúbia Darc , Menegatti Ricardo , Vaz Boniek G. , Chaves Andréa R.
Published: June 2023

The LQFM05 is a prototype drug designed for treatment of psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, exhibiting anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like (12 or 24 µmol/kg) effects in classical behavioral tests. In order to evaluate its pharmacokinetic properties, a liquid chromatography method coupled to a quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry system (LC-QTOF/MS) was developed and fully validated for LQFM05 analysis in rat plasma and tissue samples (brain, heart, liver, and kidneys). Liquid–liquid extraction, solid phase extraction and protein precipitation were assessed as clean-up procedures for biological samples and analyte enrichment. Plasma and tissue samples underwent protein precipitation as a preliminary step, using acetonitrile. Linearity was fully demonstrated for the dynamic range (10.0 to 900.0 ng/mL), with r2 values higher than 0.99 (RSDslope ≤ 2%, Fcal < Ftab, Ccal < Ctab). Biodistribution studies in rats revealed high brain tissue concentrations (12.4 µg/g), suggesting elevated drug affinity to the main therapeutic target tissue, showing a blood partition coefficient of 1.9. Kidneys also showed great exposure and tissue affinity, suggesting a potential extrahepatic clearance. Likewise, all examined tissues exhibited satisfactory LQFMF05 distribution. The mass fragmentation spectrum indicated the presence of its main metabolite, LQFM235, yielded by high hepatic hydroxylation route, an equally bioactive derivative. Lastly, the developed LC-QTOF/MS method was shown to be sensitive (LOQ = 10 ng/mL), precise and accurate for LQFM05 determination in tissue homogenates and plasma samples.
Improving Drug–Drug Interaction Extraction with Gaussian Noise
Authors: Molina Marco , Jiménez Cristina , Montenegro Carlos
Published: June 2023

Drug–Drug Interactions (DDIs) produce essential and valuable insights for healthcare professionals, since they provide data on the impact of concurrent administration of medications to patients during therapy. In that sense, some relevant works, related to the DDIExtraction2013 Challenge, are available in the current technical literature. This study aims to improve previous results, using two models, where a Gaussian noise layer is added to achieve better DDI relationship extraction. (1) A Piecewise Convolutional Neural Network (PW-CNN) model is used to capture relationships among pharmacological entities described in biomedical databases. Additionally, the model incorporates multichannel words to enrich a person’s vocabulary and reduce unfamiliar words. (2) The model uses the pre-trained BERT language model to classify relationships, while also integrating data from the target entities. After identifying the target entities, the model transfers the relevant information through the pre-trained architecture and integrates the encoded data for both entities. The results of the experiment show an improved performance, with respect to previous models.
Synergistic Photodynamic/Antibiotic Therapy with Photosensitive MOF-Based Nanoparticles to Eradicate Bacterial Biofilms
Authors: Du Lehan , Shi Wenjun , Hao Xin , Luan Liang , Wang Shibo , Lu Jiaju , Zhang Quan
Published: June 2023

Bacterial biofilms pose a serious threat to human health, as they prevent the penetration of antimicrobial agents. Developing nanocarriers that can simultaneously permeate biofilms and deliver antibacterial agents is an attractive means of treating bacterial biofilm infections. Herein, photosensitive metal–organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles were developed to promote the penetration of antibiotics into biofilms, thereby achieving the goal of eradicating bacterial biofilms through synergistic photodynamic and antibiotic therapy. First, a ligand containing benzoselenadiazole was synthesized and incorporated into MOF skeletons to construct benzoselenadiazole-doped MOFs (Se-MOFs). The growth of the Se-MOFs could be regulated to obtain nanoparticles (Se-NPs) in the presence of benzoic acid. The singlet oxygen (1O2) generation efficiencies of the Se-MOFs and Se-NPs were evaluated. The results show that the Se-NPs exhibited a higher 1O2 generation efficacy than the Se-MOF under visible-light irradiation because the small size of the Se-NPs was conducive to the diffusion of 1O2. Afterward, an antibiotic drug, polymyxin B (PMB), was conjugated onto the surface of the Se-NPs via amidation to yield PMB-modified Se-NPs (PMB-Se-NPs). PMB-Se-NPs exhibit a synergistic antibacterial effect by specifically targeting the lipopolysaccharides present in the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria through surface-modified PMB. Benefiting from the synergistic therapeutic effects of antibiotic and photodynamic therapy, PMB-Se-NPs can efficiently eradicate bacterial biofilms at relatively low antibiotic doses and light intensities, providing a promising nanocomposite for combating biofilm infections.
Nanofiber Scaffolds as Drug Delivery Systems Promoting Wound Healing
Authors: Jiang Ziwei , Zheng Zijun , Yu Shengxiang , Gao Yanbin , Ma Jun , Huang Lei , Yang Lei
Published: June 2023

Nanofiber scaffolds have emerged as a revolutionary drug delivery platform for promoting wound healing, due to their unique properties, including high surface area, interconnected porosity, excellent breathability, and moisture absorption, as well as their spatial structure which mimics the extracellular matrix. However, the use of nanofibers to achieve controlled drug loading and release still presents many challenges, with ongoing research still exploring how to load drugs onto nanofiber scaffolds without loss of activity and how to control their release in a specific spatiotemporal manner. This comprehensive study systematically reviews the applications and recent advances related to drug-laden nanofiber scaffolds for skin-wound management. First, we introduce commonly used methods for nanofiber preparation, including electrostatic spinning, sol–gel, molecular self-assembly, thermally induced phase separation, and 3D-printing techniques. Next, we summarize the polymers used in the preparation of nanofibers and drug delivery methods utilizing nanofiber scaffolds. We then review the application of drug-loaded nanofiber scaffolds for wound healing, considering the different stages of wound healing in which the drug acts. Finally, we briefly describe stimulus-responsive drug delivery schemes for nanofiber scaffolds, as well as other exciting drug delivery systems.
Development, Feasibility, Impact and Acceptability of a Community Pharmacy-Based Diabetes Care Plan in a Low–Middle-Income Country
Authors: Ikolaba Fatima S. Abdulhakeem , Schafheutle Ellen I. , Steinke Douglas
Published: June 2023

Informed by existing research, mostly from high-income countries, this study aimed to develop and test the feasibility of a community pharmacy person-centred goal-setting intervention for people living with type 2 diabetes in a low–middle-income country—Nigeria. The Medical Research Council (MRC) guidance for developing complex interventions framed the intervention development. Patients participated in monthly community pharmacist consultations over six months. Self-reported and clinical outcome measures were collected at baseline and study completion and analysed in STATA V.14. Twenty pharmacists in 20 pharmacies completed the research and enrolled 104 patients. Of these, 89 patients had complete study data, and 70 patients also completed a post-study evaluation questionnaire. In addition, 15 patients and 10 pharmacists were interviewed. All outcome measures showed statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05). Clinical outcomes (BMI, waist circumference, and fasting plasma glucose) improved significantly. Mean patient activation measure (PAM©), quality of life (EQ-VAS©), and medication adherence improved from baseline to study completion. Eighty-eight per cent of questionnaire respondents were satisfied with the service. Interviews indicated care plan acceptability, patient satisfaction, empowerment, and service enthusiasm. Identified barriers to the consultations included time and technology. This study developed a feasible, effective, well-perceived community pharmacy diabetes care plan in Nigeria.
The 3D-Printed (FDM/FFF) Biocomposites Based on Polylactide and Carbonate Lake Sediments—Towards a Circular Economy
Authors: Przekop Robert E. , Gabriel Ewa , Dobrosielska Marta , Martyła Agnieszka , Jakubowska Paulina , Głowacka Julia , Marciniak Piotr , Pakuła Daria , Jałbrzykowski Marek , Borkowski Grzegorz
Published: June 2023

In this study, composites containing polylactide and carbonate lake sediment in concentrations of 2.5, 5, 10, and 15% by weight were prepared by a 3D printing method. The material for 3D printing was obtained by directly diluting the masterbatch on an injection moulder to the desired concentrations, and after granulation, it was extruded into a filament. The material prepared thusly was used to print standardised samples for mechanical testing. To compare the mechanical properties of the composites obtained by 3D printing and injection moulding, two sets of tests were performed, i.e., mechanical tests (tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength) and hydrophobic–hydrophilic surface character testing. The degree of composite waste in the 3D printing was also calculated. Mechanical and surface tests were performed for both systems conditioned at room temperature and after accelerated ageing in a weathering chamber. The study showed differences in the properties of composites obtained by 3D printing. Sedimentary fillers improved the hydrophobicity of the systems compared with pure PLA, but it was not a linear relationship. The PLA/CLS sedB composite had higher strength parameters, especially after ageing in a weathering chamber. This is due to its composition, in which, in addition to calcite and silica, there are also aluminosilicates, causing a strengthening of the PLA matrix.
Recent Progress on Multifunctional Thermally Conductive Epoxy Composite
Authors: Zhou Mei-Hui , Yin Guang-Zhong , Prolongo Silvia González , Wang De-Yi
Published: June 2023

In last years, the requirements for materials and devices have increased exponentially. Greater competitiveness; cost and weight reduction for structural materials; greater power density for electronic devices; higher design versatility; materials customizing and tailoring; lower energy consumption during the manufacturing, transport, and use; among others, are some of the most common market demands. A higher operational efficiency together with long service life claimed. Particularly, high thermally conductive in epoxy resins is an important requirement for numerous applications, including energy and electrical and electronic industry. Over time, these materials have evolved from traditional single-function to multifunctional materials to satisfy the increasing demands of applications. Considering the complex application contexts, this review aims to provide insight into the present state of the art and future challenges of thermally conductive epoxy composites with various functionalities. Firstly, the basic theory of thermally conductive epoxy composites is summarized. Secondly, the review provides a comprehensive description of five types of multifunctional thermally conductive epoxy composites, including their fabrication methods and specific behavior. Furthermore, the key technical problems are proposed, and the major challenges to developing multifunctional thermally conductive epoxy composites are presented. Ultimately, the purpose of this review is to provide guidance and inspiration for the development of multifunctional thermally conductive epoxy composites to meet the increasing demands of the next generation of materials.
Effect of Pilot Injection Strategy on Performance of Diesel Engine under Ethanol/F-T Diesel Dual-Fuel Combustion Mode
Authors: Yang Tiantian , Chen Dongdong , Liu Lei , Zhang Longyan , Wang Tie , Li Guoxing , Chen Haiwei , Chen Yao
Published: June 2023

To reduce emissions and save energy, alternative fuel and dual-fuel mode have been widely applied in the field of diesel engines. The pilot injection has potential to reduce engine vibration noise and pollutant emissions. The effects of a diesel fuel pilot injection strategy on the performance of an ethanol/F-T diesel dual-fuel engine were experimentally investigated on a four-cylinder four-stroke common rail diesel engine modified with an ethanol injection system. The results indicate that the variation in the combustion characteristic parameters with pilot injection timing is nonlinear and the difference is small, while soot, NOx, and CO tend to decrease, with an increase in pilot injection timing. With the increase in pilot injection amount, pmax, combustion duration, CO and soot increased; pmax phase and CA50 were closer to TDC; HRRmax and the ignition delay period decreased. The BSFC tends to increase with the increase in pilot injection timing and the increase in pilot injection amount, while the BTE shows the opposite trend. The value and the variation range of COVpmax are small. The effect of the pilot injection amount on ethanol/F-T diesel dual-fuel engine is more significant. The research presented in this paper can provide reference directions for the formulation of a fuel injection strategy of ethanol/F-T diesel dual-fuel combustion mode to reduce NOx without worsening the combustion process and presenting an insufficient fuel economy.
Selection of Ideal MSW Incineration and Utilization Technology Routes Using MCDA for Different Waste Utilization Scenarios and Variable Conditions
Authors: Kaneesamkandi Zakariya , Ur-Rehman Ateekh , Usmani Yusuf Siraj
Published: June 2023

Liability to prevent the consequences of an unhealthy situation due to accumulating toxic and hazardous emissions caused by open dumping of municipal solid waste with increasing urbanization has necessitated a renewed thinking on waste disposal. Grate-fired incineration systems were adopted by urban management in the past and present, but with criticism due to the formation of airborne emissions. Improved combustion methods like fluidized beds are now propagated because of current requirements like efficient energy recovery potential, stricter emission norms, adaptability with urban growth, adaptability to co-firing with other waste like biomass, edible oil wastes or industrial effluent, and integration with conventional energy generation. Such a comprehensive and futuristic approach is more sustainable for the community. A multi-criteria decision-making tool is used to identify the best technology option between grate combustion and fluidized bed combustion for disposing and energy recovery from waste. A total of 10 different collection and disposal options involving two combustion methods, namely, grate combustion and fluidized bed method, are considered. Utilization of the energy is done for three end uses, namely, power generation, water distillation, and district cooling. Two different regions in an arid climate zone are considered for this study under two types of scenarios, namely with recycling and without recycling. The different options are prioritized based on their overall ranking using five major performance factors.
Experimental Complex for Peat Fragmentation by Low-Temperature Microwave Pyrolysis
Authors: Krapivnitckaia Tatiana , Ananicheva Svetlana , Alyeva Alisa , Denisenko Andrey , Glyavin Mikhail , Peskov Nikolai , Sobolev Dmitriy , Zelentsov Sergey
Published: June 2023

The design of a technological complex for microwave processing of organic materials is proposed. The electrodynamic system of an oversized microwave reactor for low-temperature pyrolysis has been developed. The constructive elements of the complex that allow its continuous failure-free operation in conditions of high radiation intensity are described. Based on the prototype of the elaborated reactor, model experiments on microwave pyrolysis of peat were carried out. The elemental composition of the solid fraction was analyzed during the conducted experiments. The possibility of the efficiency enhancement of the proposed processing method and potential applications of the novel technology are discussed.
Heat-Induced Increase in LPG Pressure: Experimental and CFD Prediction Study
Authors: Barbosa Thiago Fernandes , Viegas Domingos Xavier , Modarres MohammadReza , Almeida Miguel
Published: June 2023

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become a widely used tool for predicting hazardous scenarios. The present study aimed to assess CFD prediction applied to LPG containers under heating. Thus, two cylinders, each filled with propane or butane, were experimentally exposed to fire, and the pressure increment was recorded. The results were compared with those provided by a CFD method (Ansys Fluent). The limitations of the method are discussed, and a trend in the error increment and its relation to the reduced temperature increment are presented. The results obtained show that the computational method had a good agreement, with a relative error of 19% at a reduced temperature equal to 2. Furthermore, the method had a better fit with heavier alkanes, as the butane was less influenced by temperature overestimation compared with propane.
Church and State and the Marital Rights of Old Believers in Latvia: From Illegality to Secularization
Authors: Grizāne Maija
Published: June 2023

The paper analyses state religious policy in different historical periods and its impact on the development of religious doctrines about marriage within the Old Believer community of Latvia. Based on published and unpublished historical sources, legislative acts, periodicals, and data from existing Old Believer parishes, it is clear that state policy concerning religious minorities greatly influenced the development of the Old Believer community. Old Believer marriages were not recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church until 1874 when the first possibility of obtaining legal marital status was introduced as registering families in police register books. The Old Believers of Latvia, who originally belonged to the Fedoseevcy denomination and denied any family life as such, registered their families quite rarely. However, during the first decades of the 20th century, the Fedoseevcy of Latvia adopted the teaching and marriage ceremonies of the Pomorians. By the interwar period, Old Believer marriages were legalized by both the community and the state. Soviet secularization further facilitated the development of secular marriage unions with followers of other confessions. In the present day, Old Believer religious marriages are legalized in Latvia, though the number of them has decreased as Old Believers are most likely to choose civil marriage registrations.
The Seondeok–Jigwi Encounter: A Folkloric and Historical Artifact of the Silla Kingdom’s Religious and Social Landscape
Authors: Wong Hayoung
Published: June 2023

In English-language academic publications outside of a small handful of translations, the encounter between Jigwi (지귀 [志鬼]) and the Silla monarch Seondeok (선덕여왕 [善德女王], r. 632–647) has received scant attention, perhaps because of scholarly views that dismiss folklore as an insufficient foundation for a thoroughly objective evaluation of the past. On the other hand, an assessment of folklore as a repository of cultural and societal knowledge can help to justify the use of the Stith Thompson classification system as a way of extrapolating insights on the life of Queen Seondeok and the man who passionately desired to have a personal audience with the monarch. Through discerning reflections on the tale of the Seondeok–Jigwi encounter, one can appreciate the contours of a nuanced and pluralistic world of Silla belief systems, a complicated society partly guided by the powerful attraction of Seondeok’s personality, and a social hierarchy that one cannot carelessly reduce into simplistic dichotomies between privileged nobles and humbler commoners.
Coordination Analysis between the Development of Urban Built-Up Areas and Urban Environmental Factors through Remote Sensing of Nighttime Lights: A Case Study in Nanjing, China
Authors: Zhou Guoqing , Wu Da , Zhou Xiao , Zhu Qiang
Published: June 2023

The fast development of urban built-up areas in China is causing many problems, such as pollution, congestion, etc. How to effectively evaluate the coordination between urban areas and environmental problems has been attracting many scholars worldwide. This paper intends to discover this “secretary” through investigating the built-up areas and their accompanied economic and environmental factors over almost 30 years (1992 to 2020) in Nanjing, China. DMSP/OLS nighttime lights images from 1992 to 2013 and the NPP/VIIRS nighttime lights images from 2012 to 2022 are used for extraction of built-up areas. A spatiotemporal evolution model is established to evaluate whether the built-up areas have developed in coordination and the relationship between urban built-up areas and various factors, including compactness, the fractal dimension, boundary and shape changes, exhaust emissions, and the production of general industrial solid waste, which was further investigated to ascertain whether there was coordination or not. The investigated results discovered that Nanjing’s built-up areas had maintained continuous growth from 1992 to 2020, with the compactness of built-up areas gradually decreasing from 0.42 to 0.23 and the built-up differentiation dimension changing from 1.31 to 1.39, demonstrating that built-up areas had gradually moved from a loose pattern to a compact pattern and from irregular development to balanced development in all directions. The macro model of the coordination index change trend is 0.847 from 1995 to 2020, which indicates that the coordination between urban built-up areas of development and their environments has been improving; however, the reduction in urban green space, the increase in waste emissions, and the increased production of general industrial solid waste has raised questions regarding sustainable development.
Fast Frequency-Diverse Radar Imaging Based on Adaptive Sampling Iterative Soft-Thresholding Deep Unfolding Network
Authors: Wu Zhenhua , Zhao Fafa , Zhang Lei , Cao Yice , Qian Jun , Xu Jiafei , Yang Lixia
Published: June 2023

Frequency-diverse radar imaging is an emerging field that combines computational imaging with frequency-diverse techniques to interrogate the high-quality images of objects. Despite the success of deep reconstruction networks in improving scene image reconstruction from noisy or under-sampled frequency-diverse measurements, their reliance on large amounts of high-quality training data and the inherent uninterpretable features pose significant challenges in the design and optimization of imaging networks, particularly in the face of dynamic variations in radar operating frequency bands. Here, aiming at reducing the latency and processing burden involved in scene image reconstruction, we propose an adaptive sampling iterative soft-thresholding deep unfolding network (ASISTA-Net). Specifically, we embed an adaptively sampling module into the iterative soft-thresholding (ISTA) unfolding network, which contains multiple measurement matrices with different compressed sampling ratios. The outputs of the convolutional layers are then passed through a series of ISTA layers that perform a sparse coding step followed by a thresholding step. The proposed method requires no need for heavy matrix operations and massive amount of training scene targets and measurements datasets. Unlike recent work using matrix-inversion-based and data-driven deep reconstruction networks, our generic approach is directly adapted to multi-compressed sampling ratios and multi-scene target image reconstruction, and no restrictions on the types of imageable scenes are imposed. Multiple measurement matrices with different scene compressed sampling ratios are trained in parallel, which enables the frequency-diverse radar to select operation frequency bands flexibly. In general, the application of the proposed approach paves the way for the widespread deployment of computational microwave and millimeter wave frequency-diverse radar imagers to achieve real-time imaging. Extensive imaging simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Predicting Crop Growth Patterns with Spatial–Temporal Deep Feature Exploration for Early Mapping
Authors: Li Kaiyuan , Zhao Wenzhi , Chen Jiage , Zhang Liqiang , Hu Duoduo , Wang Qiao
Published: June 2023

The timely and accurate mapping of crops over large areas is essential for alleviating food crises and formulating agricultural policies. However, most existing classical crop mapping methods usually require the whole-year historical time-series data that cannot respond quickly to the current planting information, let alone for future prediction. To address this issue, we propose a novel spatial–temporal feature and deep integration strategy for crop growth pattern prediction and early mapping (STPM). Specifically, the STPM first learns crop spatial–temporal evolving patterns from historical data to generate future remote sensing images based on the current observations. Then, a robust crop type recognition model is applied by combining the current early data with the predicted images for early crop mapping. Compared to existing spatial–temporal prediction models, our proposed model integrates local, global, and temporal multi-modal features comprehensively. Not only does it achieve the capability to predict longer sequence lengths (exceeding 100 days), but it also demonstrates a significant improvement in prediction accuracy for each time step. In addition, this paper analyses the impact of feature dimensionality and initial data length on prediction and early crop mapping accuracy, demonstrating the necessity of multi-modal feature fusion for spatial–temporal prediction of high-resolution remote sensing data and the benefits of longer initial time-series (i.e., longer crop planting time) for crop identification. In general, our method has the potential to carry out early crop mapping on a large scale and provide information to formulate changes in agricultural conditions promptly.
Liquid Viscosity Sensor Using a Surface Acoustic Wave Device for Medical Applications Including Blood and Plasma
Authors: Lee Kun-Lin , Kowach Glen , Li Fang , Voiculescu Ioana
Published: June 2023

Blood viscosity is the defining health indicator for hyperviscosity syndrome patients. This paper introduces an alternative approach for the real-time monitoring of blood viscosity by employing a surface-horizontal surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) device at room temperature. A novel bi-layer waveguide is constructed on top of the SAW device. This device enables the SAW sensing of liquid droplets utilizing a bi-layer waveguide, consisting of a zinc oxide (ZnO) enhancement layer and Parlyene C, that facilitates the promotion of the surface horizontal mode. The ZnO piezoelectric thin-film layer enhanced the local particle displacement and dielectric coupling while the Parylene C layer constrained the wave mode at the interface of the piezoelectric material and polymer material. The device was tested with a liquid drop on the SAW delay-line path. Both experimental and finite element analysis results demonstrated the benefits of the bi-layer waveguide. The simulation results confirmed that the displacement field of local particles increased 9 times from 1.261 nm to 11.353 nm with the Parylene C/ZnO bi-layer waveguide structure. The device demonstrated a sensitivity of 3.57 ± 0.3125 kHz shift per centipoise enabling the potential for high precision blood viscosity monitoring.
Research on High Precision Stiffness Modeling Method of Redundant Over-Constrained Parallel Mechanism
Authors: Wang Sen , Li Haoran , Han Xueyan , Wei Jiahao , Zhang Tao , Li Shihua
Published: June 2023

Traditional stiffness modeling methods do not consider all factors comprehensively, and the modeling methods are not unified, lacking a global stiffness model. Based on screw theory, strain energy and the virtual work principle, a static stiffness modeling method for redundant over-constrained parallel mechanisms (PMs) with clearance was proposed that considers the driving stiffness, branch deformation, redundant driving, joint clearance and joint contact deformation. First, the driving stiffness and branch deformation were considered. According to the strain energy and Castiliano’s second theorem, the global stiffness matrix of the ideal joint mechanism was obtained. The offset of the branch was analyzed according to the restraint force of each branch. The mathematical relationship between the joint clearance and joint contact deformation and the end deformation was established. Based on the probability statistical model, the uncertainty of the offset value of the clearance joint and the contact area of the joint caused by the coupling of the branch constraint force was solved. Finally, taking a 2UPR-RR-2RPU redundant PM as an example, a stiffness simulation of the mechanism was carried out using the finite element method. The research results show that the high-precision stiffness modeling method proposed in this paper is correct, and provides an effective method for evaluating the stiffness performance of the PM.
Research on Channel Characteristics and Electrode Electrical Performance of Earth Current Field Information Transmission Technology
Authors: He Jingang , Su Zhong , Xu Zhan , Kuang Zhe , Wen Xiaowen , Zhou Xin
Published: June 2023

Starting from the need for emergency rescue information transmission in tunnel engineering accidents, this article focuses on researching and solving the technical problems of information transmission between rescue personnel and trapped personnel after tunnel engineering collapse accidents, before and during the rescue process. The research objects are the information transmission channel and grounding electrode in the earth current field information transmission technology, and the electromagnetic characteristics of the earth medium and the electrical performance of the grounding electrode are studied and analyzed using the electromagnetic simulation software Maxwell based on finite element algorithm, establish a three-dimensional model based on the transmission of current field information of the ground electrode, analyze the effects of the electrode array, electrode depth, and radius on impedance. Research has shown that the impedance of the earth is related to the resistivity of the medium and is not a human-controllable factor. To reduce the contact impedance of an electric dipole antenna, one should start with the contact impedance of the earth electrode. The impedance of the transmitting end is an important factor affecting the efficiency of information transmission; parallel connection of multiple grounding electrodes, increasing the depth of grounding electrode penetration into the soil layer, and increasing the radius between grounding electrode pairs are all effective methods to reduce the contact impedance of electric dipole antennas, thereby improving information transmission capacity. To achieve wireless information transmission through the stratum, by appropriately selecting the operating frequency of electromagnetic waves, a certain distance of signal transmission can be achieved.
Photo-Electro-Thermal Model and Fuzzy Adaptive PID Control for UV LEDs in Charge Management
Authors: Wang Yuhua , Yu Tao , Wang Zhi , Liu Yang
Published: June 2023

Inertial sensors can serve as inertial references for space missions and require charge management systems to maintain their on-orbit performance. To achieve non-contact charge management through UV discharge, effective control strategies are necessary to improve the optical power output performances of UV light sources while accurately modeling their operating characteristics. This paper proposes a low-power photo-electro-thermal model for widely used AlGaN-based UV LEDs, which comprehensively considers the interaction of optical, electrical, and thermal characteristics of UV LEDs during low-power operations. Based on this model, an optical power control system utilizing a fuzzy adaptive PID controller is constructed, in which a switch is introduced to coordinate the working state of the controller. Thus, the steady-state performance is effectively improved while ensuring dynamic performance. The results show that the proposed model has an average prediction error of 5.8 nW during steady-state operations, and the fuzzy adaptive PID controller with a switch can reduce the fluctuation of light output to 0.67 nW during a single discharge task, meeting the charge management requirements of high-precision inertial sensors.
Efficient Cluster Tree Topology Operation and Routing for IEEE 802.15.4-Based Smart Grid Networks
Authors: Kim Jin-Woo , Kim Jaehee , Lee Jaeho
Published: June 2023

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have been utilized as communication infrastructure for smart grid applications. The primary requirement of WSNs for smart grid applications is to transmit delay-critical data from smart grid assets ether at the maximum rate or by reducing collision rates. Additionally, WSNs should utilize the limited resources of the network to provide the required long-term QoS. The achievement of these objectives requires a remarkable design of WSN protocols to satisfy the requirements of smart grid applications. In this study, a multi-channel cluster tree protocol is proposed to prevent collisions and increase network performance. In the proposed scheme, the cluster head serves to broadcast a beacon frame containing information on the allocated channels and time slots. This enables the new node to determine its channel and timeslot. A performance analysis reveals that the proposed scheme can achieve a low end-to-end delay and low collision rates compared with the well-known IEEE 802.15.4 MAC protocols widely used in the literature to provide QoS to smart-grid applications.
Optimization of Gallic Acid-Rich Extract from Mango (Mangifera indica) Seed Kernels through Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction
Authors: Hayat Zafar , Riaz Tuba , Saleem Kinza , Akram Kashif , Ur Rehman Hafeez , Azam Muhammad
Published: June 2023

Different types of agro-waste provide potential substrates for the extraction of bioactive compounds. Mango waste (e.g., peels and seeds) is one such example and may serve as a source of gallic acid, a well-known bioactive compound classified as a secondary polyphenolic metabolite. Here, we explored the efficacy of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) in extracting gallic acid from mango seed kernels using different solvent concentrations (0–60%), solvent-to-sample ratios (10–50 mL/g), temperatures (30–60 °C), and times (10–30 min). The maximum yield of gallic acid (6.1 ± 0.09 mg/g) was obtained when using a 19.4% solvent concentration, a 29.32 mL/g solvent-to-sample ratio, and the extraction was conducted at 38.47 °C for 21.4 min, similar to the values predicted by the model equation. As compared to the conventional extraction procedure, the extract obtained by the optimized method was found to be significantly different in total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and radical scavenging activity. Non-significant differences were observed in antimicrobial activity. The results indicate that mango seed kernels may be a good source of phenolics, and those phenolics can be effectively obtained through an optimized UAE method. Hence, mango seed kernels may be utilized as a suitable source of extracting phenolics in nutraceutical and food applications.
A Study of Trends in Low-Energy Development Patterns in China: A Data-Driven Approach
Authors: Wang Yao , Yang Qiang , Wu Xuenan , Wang Ruichen , Gao Tilei , Liu Yuntong
Published: June 2023

China is currently undergoing a transition towards high-quality economic development, and the industrial structure is being optimized. However, there are still regional imbalances in economic development and energy consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate whether the disparities in electricity intensity between provinces and industries can converge over time. This paper investigates the trend towards low-energy consumption in China and verifies the club convergence of electricity intensity across provinces and industries in China using a data-driven log t-test and club clustering algorithm. The study innovatively finds that the convergence of electricity intensity is more pronounced in the tertiary sector. The value added of electricity consumption in the tertiary sector is closely related to the level of regional economic development, further indicating that the pattern of low-energy development is closely related to factors such as the geographical location of the province, regional radiation capacity, and industrial structure. In order to accelerate low-energy development in China, the paper proposes policy recommendations related to low-energy development to improve the quality of China’s economic development.
Evaluation of Quality of Life in Urban Life Circles from a Composite Perspective of Subjective Needs and the Supply of Public Amenities: A Case Study of Changbai Island, Shenyang
Authors: Liu Shengjun , Guo Hongqian , Su Lihong
Published: June 2023

Evaluating the quality of life in life circles is an important prerequisite for effective life circle governance. Most studies evaluate the quality of life in life circles from either the living environment or public amenity supply perspective, and few adopt a composite perspective of these. This study developed an index system for evaluating the quality of life in life circles from both these perspectives, based on data from Changbai Island, Shenyang. We measured the living environment, amenity service, and quality of life indexes of urban life circles and analysed the spatial relationship between the living environment and amenity services, as well as the spatial effect of public amenities on the quality of life in communities. The findings are summarised as follows: (1) Quality of life tends to decline radially from the east to surrounding areas; (2) Life circles in Changbai Island are arranged in the following descending order according to the quality of life: life circles IV and II (equal), life circle III, and life circle I; (3) Various types of public amenities produce differentiated effects on the quality of life in life circles; specifically, middle schools can significantly improve the quality of life in surrounding communities, whereas community hospitals, large supermarkets, and community shops can have adverse effects if they are extremely close to residential areas. Our findings provide empirical evidence for evaluating the quality of life in urban life circles, evaluating methodology, and referencing for life circle governance.
Analysis of Tea Plantation Suitability Using Geostatistical and Machine Learning Techniques: A Case of Darjeeling Himalaya, India
Authors: Sahu Netrananda , Das Pritiranjan , Saini Atul , Varun Ayush , Mallick Suraj Kumar , Nayan Rajiv , Aggarwal S. P. , Pani Balaram , Kesharwani Ravi , Kumar Anil
Published: June 2023

This study aimed to identify suitable sites for tea cultivation using both random forest and logistic regression models. The study utilized 2770 sample points to map the tea plantation suitability zones (TPSZs), considering 12 important conditioning factors, such as temperature, rainfall, elevation, slope, soil depth, soil drainability, soil electrical conductivity, base saturation, soil texture, soil pH, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and land use land cover (LULC). The data were normalized using ArcGIS 10.2 and the models were calibrated using 70% of the total data, while the remaining 30% of the data were used for validation. The final TPSZ map was classified into four different categories: highly suitable zones, moderately suitable zones, marginally suitable zones, and not-suitable zones. The study revealed that the random forest (RF) model was more precise than the logistic regression model, with areas under the curve (AUCs) of 85.2% and 83.3%, respectively. The results indicated that well-drained soil with a pH range between 5.6 and 6.0 is ideal for tea farming, highlighting the importance of climate and soil properties in tea cultivation. Furthermore, the study emphasized the need to balance economic and environmental considerations when considering tea plantation expansion. The findings of this study provide important insights into tea cultivation site selection and can aid tea farmers, policymakers, and other stakeholders in making informed decisions regarding tea plantation expansion.
The Role of Pro-Environmental Behavior, Environmental Knowledge, and Eco-Labeling Perception in Relation to Travel Intention in the Hotel Industry
Authors: Težak Damijanić Ana , Pičuljan Marija , Goreta Ban Smiljana
Published: June 2023

Due to increasing concern about climate change and its impact on the tourism sector, it is vital to understand tourists’ decision-making process in relation to staying in green accommodations. Many factors influence tourists’ decision-making process; however, little research has been conducted on examining the antecedents of travel intention in relation to the hotel industry. Accordingly, the aim of the paper was to test the relationship among three antecedents of travel intention and tourists’ intention to stay in hotels with eco-labels. This was performed on a sample of tourists staying in hotels in Adriatic Croatia from July through August 2021. A self-complete questionnaire was used for data collection. Data processing included univariate statistics, multivariate analysis, and structural equation modeling. This research provided evidence that tourists’ eco-labeling perception and pro-environmental behavior influence their travel intention, that general environmental knowledge was positively related to tourists’ pro-environmental behavior and tourists’ eco-labeling perception, and that eco-labeling influences pro-environmental behavior. By examining indirect effects, it was determined that pro-environmental behavior mediates the relationship between environmental knowledge and travel intention and that eco-labeling perception mediates the relationship between environmental knowledge and travel intention and the relationship between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior. The findings suggest that tourists’ pro-environmental behavior includes different consumer cost-effective behavior-related aspects.