bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physics-Informed Neural Networks for the Condition Monitoring of Rotating Shafts
Authors: Parziale Marc , Lomazzi Luca , Giglio Marco , Cadini Francesco
Published: December 2023

Condition monitoring of rotating shafts is essential for ensuring the reliability and optimal performance of machinery in diverse industries. In this context, as industrial systems become increasingly complex, the need for efficient data processing techniques is paramount. Deep learning has emerged as a dominant approach due to its capacity to capture intricate data patterns and relationships. However, a prevalent challenge lies in the black-box nature of many deep learning algorithms, which often operate without adhering to the underlying physical characteristics intrinsic to the studied phenomena. To address this limitation and enhance the fusion of data-driven methodologies with the fundamental physics of the system under study, this paper leverages physics-informed neural networks (PINNs). Specifically, a simple but realistic numerical case study of an extended Jeffcott rotor model, encompassing damping effects and anisotropic supports for a more comprehensive modelling, is considered. PINNs are used for the estimation of five parameters that characterize the health state of the system. These parameters encompass the radial and angular position of the static unbalance due to the disk installed on the shaft, the stiffness along the principal axes of elasticity, and the non-rotating damping coefficient. The estimation is conducted solely by exploiting the displacement signals from the centre of the disk and, to showcase the efficacy and precision provided by this novel methodology, various scenarios involving different constant rotational speeds are examined. Additionally, the impact of noisy input data is also taken into account within the analysis and the performance is compared to that of traditional optimization algorithms used for parameters estimation.
Analysis of 5G and LTE Signals for Opportunistic Navigation and Time Holdover
Authors: Winter Adrian , Morrison Aiden , Sokolova Nadezda
Published: December 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability and therefore suitability of available fifth generation (5G) and long-term evolution (LTE) signals for positioning navigation and timing (PNT) purposes with particular focus on answering questions around the time-scale-dependent stability of these sources, which, to our knowledge, has not been addressed in the context of the numerous publications within the PNT community to date. The methodology used directly measured the over-the-air signal phase stability to one or more of the cellular signal sources that were visible from the lab environment simultaneously while using a local atomic clock or differential measurements to isolate the time stability of the observable cellular downlink signals. This approach was taken since it does not require subscription or association with the networks under test. Instead, it exploits a ‘signal of opportunity’ (SoP) approach to signal use for PNT purposes. The somewhat surprising result is that the time domain instability of the sources was highly variable, dependent on the implementation choices of the operator, and that the stability of even the modernized towers was generally best at interrogation intervals of approximately 0.01 s, which indicates that the existing exploitation of these signals within the PNT community has substantial room for improvement through simple changes to the selected update rate used.
Afterword for the Special Issue “Circular Economy Strategies for Sustainable Development: Applications and Impacts”
Authors: Ramos Ana
Published: December 2023

Circular economy (CE) is a holistic approach to sustainable development that aims to minimize waste and make the most of resources [...]
Rheology, Mechanical Properties and Shrinkage of Self-Compacting Concrete Containing Cement Kiln and By-Pass Filter Dust
Authors: Kounadis Andreas , Badogiannis Efstratios , Sideris Kosmas , Antiohos Stelios , Marinos Ioannis
Published: December 2023

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is a high-quality construction solution, combining high fluidity, passing and filling ability with improved mechanical properties and durability. In the present study, the effect of incorporating alternative waste materials, such as two by-products of the cement industry, namely cement kiln dust (CKD) and by-pass dust (BPD) into SCC, as a partial replacement for traditional filler material, was investigated. The produced compositions were compared with reference mixtures containing exclusively marble powder (MP), as a filler. A series of tests encompassing specific test methods for wet SCC, compressive, flexural and tensile-splitting strength tests, as well as drying-shrinkage determination, were undertaken to evaluate the quality of the produced SCC in terms of fresh and hardened properties. The use of alternative fine-filler materials resulted in a high-performance sustainable SCC, of low cement content. To be precise, incorporating CKD into the SCC enhanced its rheological behavior and marginally improved its mechanical properties, while the use of BPD led to SCC mixtures of adequate rheological characteristics, coupled with significantly improved mechanical and physical properties.
A Study on the Factors Influencing Household Consumption from a Money Demand Perspective: Evidence from Chinese Urban Residents
Authors: Zhang Yanqin , Zhang Xueli , Liu Manzhi
Published: December 2023

Based on the classic Keynesian theory of money demand and city panel data, in this study, we investigate the impacts of different money demand motives on urban household consumption in China, and provide ideas for promoting sustainable growth in household consumption in China. The results of this study show the following: First, in general, the theory of money demand motivation can adequately explain household consumption in large and medium-sized cities in China. Second, the CPI time series has a significant adverse effect on the real money demand of most households. Third, residents significantly reduce food consumption to satisfy speculative money demand for financial instruments, and the lower the income level, the keener households are to invest in high-risk stocks. Fourth, even for high-income households, the precautionary money demand generated via the purchase of commercial insurance still has a significant crowding-out effect on their total consumption. Social security spending, which reduces the precautionary money demand of households, has a much more positive impact on high-income households.
Students’ Psychological Analysis for Classroom Teaching Strategies of Art Songs Based on STEAM Education
Authors: Chen Yuping , Dong Zhen
Published: December 2023

Education in today’s society is starting to focus on training in line with the new curriculum concept and curriculum integration concept, paying attention to the change in students’ learning styles and following the law of students’ physical and mental development. In order to cultivate talents more in line with the needs of society and, meanwhile, to improve students’ own quality and comprehensive competitiveness, this paper analyzes and studies the classroom teaching strategies of art songs and students’ psychology under the educational philosophy of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics (STEAM). Firstly, the concept of STEAM education is introduced in detail, and teaching activities under the concept of STEAM education are analyzed. Secondly, the teaching strategies for the teaching of art songs are put forward. Finally, students’ learning psychology is explored to prove the correctness of the teaching strategies. A questionnaire survey is conducted by constructing the evaluation system of the STEAM educational concept. The survey results show that the classroom teaching of art songs under the STEAM educational concept significantly improved students’ “teamwork and interpersonal skills” and “learning interest”. The calculated results of P values are all less than 0.01, which shows that the correlation is significant. Therefore, the STEAM educational concept has positive significance for improving students’ learning motivation and comprehensive quality. This paper provides new theoretical and practical support for current higher education teaching strategies and models by assessing the application of STEAM education in teaching art songs and the blended teaching effectiveness in college English. This paper offers valuable experiences and methodological insights for future similar research endeavors.
Mechanisms of Diffusion of Radon in Buildings and Mitigation Techniques
Authors: Baltrocchi Alberto Pietro Damiano , Maggi Lucrezia , Dal Lago Bruno , Torretta Vincenzo , Szabó Márta , Nasirov Muhtor , Kabilov Ergash , Rada Elena Cristina
Published: December 2023

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in rocks, soil, and building materials. Precisely because of its gaseous nature, it tends to concentrate in indoor environments, resulting in a danger to human health. The effects of radon have been described, documented, and attested by the international scientific community and recognized as the second cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking and in synergy with it. In December 2013, the Council of the European Union issued Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom, which establishes basic safety standards relating to protection against the dangers deriving from exposure to ionized radiation and managing the health risks associated with radon. In addition, designing buildings against radon risk in synergy with the use of low environmental impact materials is one of the objectives of building sustainability certifications. This work presents how radon creeps into buildings and reports several technologies that are needed to remove and mitigate the risk associated with indoor radon in existing and new buildings.
The Volunteer Motivation Scale (VMS): Adaptation and Psychometric Properties among a Portuguese Sample of Volunteers
Authors: Martins Cátia , Jesus Saul , da Silva José Tomás , Ribeiro Conceição , Estêvão Maria Dulce , Mocho Helena , Ratinho Elias , Nunes Cristina
Published: December 2023

Using self-determination theory, this study examined the autonomous motivation and regulatory styles of volunteers. The Volunteer Motivation Scale (VMS) is one of the main instruments available to assess these constructs, but it requires validation and adaptation for different contexts. Therefore, the goal of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the 12-item VMS in a sample of Portuguese volunteers. The sample consisted of 207 volunteers, mostly women (74.4%), aged from 14 to 81 years, from various areas of volunteering. The measures included self-regulation, basic psychological needs, causality orientation, and autonomy support. Confirmatory factor analysis using the lavaan package in R was performed to test a four-factor model and a two-factor model. The results indicated that the four-factor model had a better fit to the data. The VMS showed good internal consistency, discriminant validity, and convergent validity. The VMS can be viewed as a valuable tool for professionals and a promising avenue for future research on the motivations of volunteers.
Sustainable Recovery of Titanium Alloy: From Waste to Feedstock for Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Tebaldo Vincenzo , Gautier di Confiengo Giovanna , Duraccio Donatella , Faga Maria Giulia
Published: December 2023

Titanium and its alloys are widely employed in the aerospace industry, and their use will increase in the future. At present, titanium is mainly produced by the Kroll method, but this is expensive and energy-intensive. Therefore, the research of efficient and sustainable methods for its production has become relevant. The present review provides a description of the titanium recycling methods used to produce mostly aeronautical components by additive manufacturing, offering an overview of the actual state of the art in the field. More specifically, this paper illustrates that ilmenite is the main source of titanium and details different metallurgic processes for producing titanium and titanium alloys. The energy consumption required for each production step is also illustrated. An overview of additive manufacturing techniques is provided, along with an analysis of their relative challenges. The main focus of the review is on the current technologies employed for the recycling of swarf. Literature suggests that the most promising ways are the technologies based on severe plastic deformation, such as equal-channel angular pressing, solid-state field-assisted sintering technology-forge, and the Conform process. The latter is becoming established in the field and can replace the actual production of conventional titanium wire. Titanium-recycled powder for additive manufacturing is mainly produced using gas atomization techniques.
Measuring Space Efficiency and Estimating the Potential for Reduced Operational and Embodied Energy Use for Office Spaces
Authors: Höjer Mattias , Hongo Yuki , Francart Nicolas , Kishita Yusuke
Published: December 2023

This paper explores how opportunities for reducing the total use of office space can be identified, investigates how the benefits in terms of energy savings from space efficiency measures could be calculated, and gives a first estimate of such values. A simple method to measure office space use is presented and tested at two university departments, and very low space efficiency is found. A variety of reasons for the low space efficiency are identified via interviews with property managers and heads of the concerned departments. These include the fact that the incentives for using space efficiently are small for the decision-makers, and the costs in terms of time and trouble are perceived as high. This suggests that interesting results can be achieved without large efforts. Moreover, we present a proof of concept of how to estimate the amount of energy that can be saved by reducing space use. We find a rough estimate of the potential energy savings of 2 MWh/m2 in embodied primary energy intensity (assuming that more efficient use of space leads to a decrease in new construction) and 200 kWh/m2/year in final energy intensity. Those numbers should be useful as rough estimates when looking at opportunities for saving energy by using space more efficiently.
Integration of Solar Photovoltaic Plant in the Eastern Sumba Microgrid Using Unit Commitment Optimization
Authors: Rendroyoko Ignatius , Sinisuka Ngapuli I. , Debusschere Vincent , Koesrindartoto Deddy P. , Yasirroni Muhammad
Published: December 2023

Integrating renewable energy sources (RES) into island microgrids is usually done to provide a cost-effective electricity supply. The integration process is carried out by scheduling generating unit operations with a unit commitment (UC) scheme to ensure low system operating costs. This article discusses developing a UC optimization method for integrating solar photovoltaic plants in Indonesia’s Eastern Sumba microgrid power system. The scope of this study is the optimization algorithm of the UC, which consists of a priority list (PL) for the UC stage and an economic dispatch (ED) that relies on a genetic algorithm (GA) to minimize total operating costs (TOC). The results show that the PL-GA algorithm performs better than the extended priority list (EPL), and combinations of genetic algorithm and Lagrange, by applying continuous problem dispatch and improved binary GA hourly dispatch to meet ramping constraints. The application of RES incentive programs, such as carbon taxes and incentives for RES generation in calculating the TOC, shows an improvement in the financial feasibility analysis of the internal rate of return (IRR) and net present value (NPV) of actual projects in Indonesia.
Hydraulic Effect of Vegetation Zones in Open Channels: An Experimental Study of the Distribution of Turbulence
Authors: Tymiński Tomasz , Wolski Krzysztof
Published: December 2023

The development of vegetation in riverbeds is an important part of river engineering, and an in-depth understanding of its hydraulic influence is greatly needed. Our research focuses primarily on common reed (Phragmites australis) in riverbeds. To date, little is known about the hydraulic impact of the Phragmites australis reed and both field and laboratory data are still very scarce. Consequently, the main goal of our study was to evaluate the effect of vegetation zones on the spatial distribution of turbulence. Based on laboratory measurements of local instantaneous velocities, the values of the turbulence intensity (degree) Tu were determined, and its spatial distribution was illustrated. Analysis of the results showed that the relatively dense clusters of plants (reeds) act as “openwork deflectors” of the current and very clearly shape its spatial distribution. This can also be observed in the case of the distribution of the turbulence parameter Tu. For example, in the case of the development of riparian vegetation in the form of quasi-triangular communities of common reed (Phragmites australis) located alternately, there is a channelization of the flow, but also spatial changes in its character that occur. This work only presents results for preliminary hydraulic tests for Phragmites reed. These experiments should also be continued for other species of flexible riparian vegetation such as wicker. In the laboratory, the hydraulic influence of only triangle-shaped vegetation zones has been studied. Therefore, there is also a need for further hydraulic studies on vegetation zones of shapes other than triangular, e.g., rectangular, as well as vegetation zones with irregular shapes The authors see the need for such research and have already planned its continuation. Research on the interactions between vegetation and the structure of water flow in the riverbed is a very important aspect of contemporary trends in river environment management. Conscious, planned, and model-tested locating (or removing) of vegetation in a stream allows for shaping hydraulic and morphological conditions, thus controlling the processes of erosion, transport, and accumulation of debris.
Green and Sustainable Imprinting Technology for Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Water via Selective Adsorption
Authors: Qiu Xiaoyu , Wang Bingquan , Zhao Xiaoxiao , Zhou Xiaoyu , Wang Rui
Published: December 2023

Revolutionary technological advances have posed new challenges to humans, and modern technology needs to seek new breakthroughs. Imprinting technology, also known as template technology, is a technology based on the interdisciplinary development of polymer chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science. The polymer prepared with imprinting technology, termed as imprinted polymer, has a memory effect on specific ions and can realize the selective recognition and enrichment of target species. Therefore, imprinting technology has great potential for application in water environment remediation and industrial wastewater treatment, especially for the treatment of low-concentration, toxic, and difficult-to-degrade heavy metal-containing wastewater. Herein, an overview of recent advances in imprinting technology in the field of adsorption and separation is presented, focusing on methods for the synthesis of imprinted polymers and their application to the separation and enrichment of metal ions in water. Finally, we propose several key issues that remain to be solved in the near future.
Analyzing the Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability of Prefabricated Components: Modeling and Case Study
Authors: Chen Xu’anzhi , Su Shu , Yuan Jingfeng , Li Jiaming , Lou Feng , Wang Qinfang
Published: December 2023

The building industry has significant environmental, economic, and social impacts. The trend of construction industrialization to promote sustainable development is becoming increasingly evident. As an essential component of this process, prefabricated components provide a foundation for studying the sustainability of prefabricated buildings. This study proposes a life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) model involving environmental, economic, and social aspects to assess the sustainability of prefabricated components. The sustainability impacts on the raw material extraction and production, off-plant transport, material processing and component manufacturing, on-plant transport, and component storage stages are comprehensively assessed. The LCSA model is applied to four types of prefabricated components: interior wallboards, precast stairs, composite beams, and composite floor slabs. The results show that the precast stairs exhibit the highest sustainability score and that the performances of environmental, economic, and social pillars of four components are slightly different. These findings enhance our understanding of the sustainability of prefabricated components and broaden the scope of LCSA applications. The established sustainability assessment model is expected to help guide prefabrication scheme designs and production plan optimization, further encouraging the wider adoption of sustainable practices in construction.
Effect of Mechanical Properties on Performance of Cold Mix Asphalt with Recycled Aggregates Incorporating Filler Additives
Authors: Meena Pinki , Naga Gondaimei Ransinchung Rongmei , Kumar Praveen
Published: December 2023

The utilization of recycled asphalt pavement in the construction and maintenance of flexible pavement with asphalt emulsion is advantageous and environmentally friendly. It saves energy due to zero heat loss during the mixing and laying of pavement compared to hot mix asphalt. Recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) is a sustainable material in place of virgin aggregates in road construction. The focus of this study is (i) virgin aggregate production, (ii) the utilization of waste material (additive), (iii) reducing the production temperature, and (iv) recycled RAP material in the pavement. This paper attempts to create a venue for using RAP greater than 50% during pavement construction. Cold mix asphalt (CMA) containing 0%, 50%, and 100% RAP materials with different dosages of cement, fly ash, and Stabil-road at 1%, 2%, and 3% of dry aggregate weight were used for ascertaining the mechanical and volumetric properties of mixtures. The mechanical properties for CMA samples, such as stability, tensile strength, moisture susceptibility, stiffness modulus, and the abrasion loss of CMA samples, were evaluated with and without RAP incorporation. Present laboratory studies revealed that a cold mix containing 50% RAP materials produced a higher stability value than the control mix, irrespective of the types of additives in its contents. All the additives can potentially resist moisture damage in the mix. Also, a significant improvement in the resilient modulus was considered for RAP-incorporated mixtures with the additives.
Global Workforce Challenges for the Mold Making and Engineering Industry
Authors: Masato Davide , Kim Sun Kyoung
Published: December 2023

The mold industry faces unprecedented challenges in the current global economic and social landscape, including increasing environmental concerns and the need for sustainable solutions. To address these challenges, the plastics tooling industry needs to face critical issues associated with the shortage of skilled labor and disruptions to global supply chains. This work reviews and analyzes the global workforce challenges and their relationship to sustainable economic and environmental growth. The characteristics and challenges of the mold-making and engineering industries are assessed and critically discussed. New technologies, such as data-driven automation in design and manufacturing, are discussed, considering their current and future impact on employment in the industry. Ultimately, the paper argues that the mold industry must address these workforce challenges to promote sustainable and continued growth. Indeed, workforce and technology development are the key drivers for the sustainable growth of the mold-making industry, as they support the timely and cost-effective manufacturing of numerous essential plastic products. The industry stakeholders should work on structural solutions to foster a more conducive environment to produce plastic molds.
Cotton Cultivation in Greece under Sustainable Utilization of Inputs
Authors: Tsaliki Eleni , Loison Romain , Kalivas Apostolos , Panoras Ioannis , Grigoriadis Ioannis , Traore Abdou , Gourlot Jean-Paul
Published: December 2023

Cotton, a high-value crop of primary financial importance for Greece, is directly affected by a wide range of environmental parameters, and water scarcity threatens the sustainability of irrigated cotton production in many regions around the world. Reducing inputs with an appropriate cultivar may not decrease cotton production and fiber quality while improving sustainability. To investigate cotton varietal responses to water stress and lack of nutrients, in the climate of north Greece, a three-year experiment was conducted in Thessaloniki, Greece. Four cotton cultivars (three of Greek origin and one from Africa) were cultivated under four irrigation (normal and reduced by 75%, 50%, and 25%) and two fertilization levels (normal and 50%). The effect of these treatments on productivity and quality were estimated, with the final objective being the reduction of inputs and more sustainable cotton production. Cotton producers are dealing with a cost price squeeze and the present study demonstrates that reducing the fertilization inputs even by half and the reduction of irrigation by 25% has no significant effect neither on yield nor on the main technological characteristics. This highlights the fact that a more sustainable use of inputs, contrary to common management, will have almost the same yield and even increase the farmer’s income.
Enhancing Sustainability through the Development of Port Communication Systems: A Case Study of the Port of Koper
Authors: Čerin Peter , Beškovnik Bojan
Published: December 2023

This paper addresses the highly topical issue of the digitalisation of the port community through the development of advanced port communication systems (PCSs). The efficient and sustainable operation of container terminals (CTs) plays a key role in global trade and in ensuring the sustainable functioning of transport chains. While larger container terminals utilise PCSs, smaller container terminals often face challenges when implementing similar systems due to resource constraints and unique operational characteristics. This research analyses the impact of PCSs on the operational processes and information exchange between the smaller CT in the Port of Koper and the local port community. The aim of this study is to identify the possibilities of upgrading PCSs with modern information technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchains, internet-of-things (IoT), etc., that will lead to more efficient execution of operational processes, reduced congestion and a lower carbon footprint for the port community as a whole. The paper provides guidelines for the possible coordinated development of PCSs in the Northern Adriatic to ensure the most harmonised operation of stakeholders in different ports or CTs.
A Hybrid Whale Optimization Algorithm for Quality of Service-Aware Manufacturing Cloud Service Composition
Authors: Jin Hong , Jiang Cheng , Lv Shengping
Published: December 2023

Cloud Manufacturing (CMfg) has attracted lots of attention from scholars and practitioners. The purpose of quality of service (QoS)-aware manufacturing cloud service composition (MCSC), as one of the key issues in CMfg, is to combine different available manufacturing cloud services (MCSs) to generate an optimized MCSC that can meet the diverse requirements of customers. However, many available MCSs, deployed in the CMfg platform, have the same function but different QoS attributes. It is a great challenge to achieve optimal MCSC with a high QoS. In order to obtain better optimization results efficiently for the QoS-MCSC problems, a whale optimization algorithm (WOA) with adaptive weight, Lévy flight, and adaptive crossover strategies (ASWOA) is proposed. In the proposed ASWOA, adaptive crossover inspired by the genetic algorithm is developed to balance exploration and exploitation. The Lévy flight is designed to expand the search space of the WOA and accelerate the convergence of the WOA with adaptive crossover. The adaptive weight is developed to extend the search scale of the exploitation. Simulation and comparison experiments are conducted on various benchmark functions and different scale QoS-MCSC problems. The QoS attributes of the problems are randomly and symmetrically generated. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed ASWOA outperforms other compared cutting-edge algorithms.
Data-Driven Model Predictive Control for Uncalibrated Visual Servoing
Authors: Han Tianjiao , Zhu Hongyu , Yu Dan
Published: December 2023

This paper addresses the image-based visual servoing (IBVS) control problem with an uncalibrated camera, unknown dynamics, and constraints. A novel data-driven uncalibrated IBVS (UIBVS) strategy is proposed, incorporated with the Koopman-based model predictive control (KMPC) algorithm and the adaptive robust Kalman filter (ARKF). First, to alleviate the need for calibration of the camera’s intrinsic and extrinsic parameters, the ARKF with an adaptive factor is utilized to estimate the image Jacobian matrix online, thereby eliminating the laborious camera calibration procedures and improving robustness against camera disturbances. Then, a data-driven MPC strategy is proposed, wherein the unknown nonlinear dynamic model is learned using the Koopman operator theory, resulting in a linear Koopman prediction model. Only input–output data are used to construct the prediction model, and hence, the proposed approach is robust against model uncertainties. Furthermore, with a symmetric quadratic cost function, the proposed approach solves the quadratic programming problem online, and visibility constraints as well as joint torque constraints are taken into account. As a result, the proposed KMPC scheme can be implemented in real time, and the UIBVS performance degradation which arises from the control torque constraints can be avoided. Simulations and comparisons for a 2-DOF robotic manipulator demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach. Simulation results further validate that the computation time of the proposed approach is comparable to the one of kinematic-based methods.
Simple Hybrid Camera-Based System Using Two Views for Three-Dimensional Body Measurements
Authors: Montazerian Mohammad , Leymarie Frederic Fol
Published: December 2023

Using a single RGB camera to obtain accurate body dimensions, rather than measuring these manually or via more complex multicamera systems or more expensive 3D scanners, has a high application potential for the apparel industry. We present a system that estimates upper human body measurements using a hybrid set of techniques from both classic computer vision and recent machine learning. The main steps involve (1) using a camera to obtain two views (frontal and side); (2) isolating in the image pair a set of main body parts; (3) improving the image quality; (4) extracting body contours and features from the images of body parts; (5) indicating markers on these images; (6) performing a calibration step; and (7) producing refined final 3D measurements. We favour a unique geometric shape, that of an ellipse, to approximate human body main horizontal cross-sections. We focus on the more challenging parts of the body, i.e., the upper body from the head to the hips, which, we show, can be well represented by varying an ellipse’s eccentricity for each individual. Then, evaluating each fitted ellipse’s perimeter allows us to obtain better results than the current state-of-the-art methods for use in the fashion and online retail industry. In our study, we selected a set of two equations, out of many other possible choices, to best estimate upper human body section circumferences. We experimented with the system on a diverse sample of 78 female participants. The results for the upper human body measurements in comparison to the traditional manual method of tape measurements, when used as a reference, show ±1 cm average differences, which are sufficient for many applications, including online retail.
Challenges of Engineering Applications of Descriptive Geometry
Authors: Balajti Zsuzsa
Published: December 2023

Descriptive geometry has indispensable applications in many engineering activities. A summary of these is provided in the first chapter of this paper, preceded by a brief introduction into the methods of representation and mathematical recognition related to our research area, such as projection perpendicular to a single plane, projection images created by perpendicular projection onto two mutually perpendicular image planes, but placed on one plane, including the research of curves and movements, visual representation and perception relying on a mathematical approach, and studies on toothed driving pairs and tool geometry in order to place the development presented here among them. As a result of the continuous variability of the technological environment according to various optimization aspects, the engineering activities must also be continuously adapted to the changes, for which an appropriate approach and formulation are required from the practitioners of descriptive geometry, and can even lead to improvement in the field of descriptive geometry. The imaging procedures are always based on the methods and theorems of descriptive geometry. Our aim was to examine the spatial variation in the wear of the tool edge and the machining of the components of toothed drive pairs using two cameras. Resolving contradictions in spatial geometry reconstruction research is a constant challenge, to which a possible answer in many cases is the searching for the right projection direction, and positioning cameras appropriately. A special method of enumerating the possible infinite viewpoints for the reconstruction of tool surface edge curves is presented in the second part of this paper. In the case of the monitoring the shape geometry, taking into account the interchangeability of the projection directions, i.e., the property of symmetry, all images made from two perpendicular directions were taken into account. The procedure for determining the correct directions in a mathematically exact way is also presented through examples. A new criterion was formulated for the tested tooth edge of the hob to take into account the shading of the tooth next to it. The analysis and some of the results of the Monge mapping, suitable for the solution of a mechanical engineering task to be solved in a specific technical environment, namely defining the conditions for camera placements that ensure reconstructibility are also presented. Taking physical shadowing into account, conclusions can be drawn about the degree of distortion of the machined surface from the spatial deformation of the edge curve of the tool reconstructed with correctly positioned cameras.
Reusable and Practical Biocomposite Based on Sphingopyxis sp. YF1 and Polyacrylonitrile-Based Carbon Fiber for the Efficient Bioremediation of Microcystin-LR-Contaminated Water
Authors: Ma Tian , Zhang Jiajia , Yang Lili , Zhang Shengyu , Long Xizi , Zeng Qingyi , Li Zhongyu , Ren Xiaoya , Yang Fei
Published: December 2023

Microbial degradation is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for removing microcystin-LR (MC-LR). However, the application of free bacteria has limitations due to low operational stability and difficulties in recovery. In a previous study, our group successfully isolated a highly efficient MC-LR-degrading bacterium, Sphingopyxis sp. YF1, from Taihu. To enhance its practical potential in addressing MC-LR-contaminated water pollution, a novel biological material named polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber @Sphingopyxis sp. YF1 (PAN-CF@YF1) was synthesized. The immobilization conditions of strain Sphingopyxis sp. YF1 on PAN-CF surfaces were optimized using Box–Behnken design and response surface methodology (RSM), which turned out to be an optimal pH of 7.6 for the culture medium, a ratio of 0.038 g of supporting materials per 100 mL of culture media, and an incubation time of 53.4 h. The resultant PAN-CF@YF1 showed a great degradation effect both for low and high concentrations of MC-LR and exhibited satisfactory cyclic stability (85.75% after six cycles). Moreover, the application of PAN-CF@YF1 in the bioreactors demonstrated effective and sustainable MC-LR removal, with a removal efficiency of 78.83% after three consecutive treatments. Therefore, PAN-CF@YF1 with high degradation activity, environmental compatibility, straightforward preparation, and recyclability shows significant application potential for the bioremediation of MC-LR-contaminated water bodies.
AAV Vectors Pseudotyped with Capsids from Porcine and Bovine Species Mediate In Vitro and In Vivo Gene Delivery
Authors: Yu Darrick L. , van Lieshout Laura P. , Stevens Brenna A. Y. , Near Kelsie J. (Jagt) , Stodola Jenny K. , Stinson Kevin J. , Slavic Durda , Wootton Sarah K.
Published: December 2023

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are among the most widely used delivery vehicles for in vivo gene therapy as they mediate robust and sustained transgene expression with limited toxicity. However, a significant impediment to the broad clinical success of AAV-based therapies is the widespread presence of pre-existing humoral immunity to AAVs in the human population. This immunity arises from the circulation of non-pathogenic endemic human AAV serotypes. One possible solution is to use non-human AAV capsids to pseudotype transgene-containing AAV vector genomes of interest. Due to the low probability of human exposure to animal AAVs, pre-existing immunity to animal-derived AAV capsids should be low. Here, we characterize two novel AAV capsid sequences: one derived from porcine colon tissue and the other from a caprine adenovirus stock. Both AAV capsids proved to be effective transducers of HeLa and HEK293T cells in vitro. In vivo, both capsids were able to transduce the murine nose, lung, and liver after either intranasal or intraperitoneal administration. In addition, we demonstrate that the porcine AAV capsid likely arose from multiple recombination events involving human- and animal-derived AAV sequences. We hypothesize that recurrent recombination events with similar and distantly related AAV sequences represent an effective mechanism for enhancing the fitness of wildtype AAV populations.
Experimental Identification of Cross-Reacting IgG Hotspots to Predict Existing Immunity Evasion of SARS-CoV-2 Variants by a New Biotechnological Application of Phage Display
Authors: Harhala Marek Adam , Gembara Katarzyna , Baniecki Krzysztof , Pikies Aleksandra , Nahorecki Artur , Jędruchniewicz Natalia , Kaźmierczak Zuzanna , Rybicka Izabela , Klimek Tomasz , Witkiewicz Wojciech , Barczyk Kamil , Kłak Marlena , Dąbrowska Krystyna
Published: December 2023

Multiple pathogens are competing against the human immune response, leading to outbreaks that are increasingly difficult to control. For example, the SARS-CoV-2 virus continually evolves, giving rise to new variants. The ability to evade the immune system is a crucial factor contributing to the spread of these variants within the human population. With the continuous emergence of new variants, it is challenging to comprehend all the possible combinations of previous infections, various vaccination types, and potential exposure to new variants in an individual patient. Rather than conducting variant-to-variant comparisons, an efficient approach could involve identifying key protein regions associated with the immune evasion of existing immunity against the virus. In this study, we propose a new biotechnological application of bacteriophages, the phage display platform for experimental identification of regions (linear epitopes) that may function as cross-reacting IgG hotspots in SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins. A total of 34,949 epitopes derived from genomes of all SARS-CoV-2 variants deposited prior to our library design were tested in a single assay. Cross-reacting IgG hotspots are protein regions frequently recognized by cross-reacting antibodies in many variants. The assay facilitated the one-step identification of immunogenic regions of proteins that effectively induced specific IgG in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. We identified four regions demonstrating both significant immunogenicity and the activity of a cross-reacting IgG hotspot in protein S (located at NTD, RBD, HR1, and HR2/TM domains) and two such regions in protein N (at 197–280 and 358–419 aa positions). This novel method for identifying cross-reacting IgG hotspots holds promise for informing vaccine design and serological diagnostics for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
Treatment of Antihypertensive and Cardiovascular Drugs in Supercritical Water: An Experimental and Modeled Approach
Authors: Dias Isabela M. , Mourão Lucas C. , De Souza Guilherme B. M. , Abelleira-Pereira Jose M. , Dos Santos-Junior Julles M. , De Freitas Antônio C. D. , Cardozo-Filho Lucio , Alonso Christian G. , Guirardello Reginaldo
Published: December 2023

Pharmaceutical pollutants are considered emerging contaminants, representing a significant concern to the ecosystem. Thus, this study reports on the degradation of antihypertensive and cardiovascular drugs (atenolol, captopril, propranolol hydrochloride, diosmin, hesperidin, losartan potassium, hydrochlorothiazide, and trimetazidine) present in simulated wastewater through applying the technology of oxidation using supercritical water (SCW). The operational parameters of the treatment process, particularly the feed flow rate, temperature, and concentration of H2O2, were assessed. A central composite design of experiments associated with differential evolution was employed in the optimization. Both liquid and gaseous phase products were submitted to physical–chemical characterization. As a result, the optimized conditions for the treatment were discovered to be a feed flow rate of 13.3 mL/min, a temperature of 600 °C, and a H2O2 oxidation coefficient of 0.65, corresponding to the oxygen stoichiometric coefficient in the carbon oxidation chemical reaction. Under optimal conditions, the total organic carbon (TOC) decreased from 332 to 25 mg/L (92.1%), and the pharmaceutical molecules underwent near-complete degradation. The physical–chemical parameters also met with the main environmental regulations for wastewater disposal. The compounds determined in the gaseous phase were CO2 (97.9%), H2 (1.3%), CH4 (0.3%), and CO (0.5%.). Additionally, a modeling thermodynamic equilibrium of the system was performed, based on the experimental data. The results revealed that SCW technology has a great potential to oxidize/degrade organic matter and can be applied to treat pharmaceutical pollutants.
Sensitivity of Triops longicaudatus Locomotor Behaviour to Detect Short Low-Level Exposure to Pollutants
Authors: Guimarães Laura , Carvalho António Paulo , Ribeiro Pedro , Teixeira Cláudia , Silva Nuno , Pereira André , Amorim João , Oliva-Teles Luís
Published: December 2023

Triops longicaudatus is a crustacean typically inhabiting temporary freshwater bodies in regions with a Mediterranean climate. These crustaceans are easily maintained in the laboratory and show a set of biological features that make them good candidates for diagnosing environmental quality and health. However, information about their responses to environmental contamination is scarce. This study characterised the locomotor responses of juvenile and adult/mature T. longicaudatus to low concentrations of five model toxicants upon a very short 1.5 h exposure: tributyltin, mercury, lindane, sodium hypochlorite and formaldehyde. A video-tracking system was used to record the locomotor behaviour. The data were analysed with an artificial neural network to identify distinct behaviours, followed by Chi-square and Correspondence analysis to characterise the response to each toxicant. The results showed that T. longicaudatus is sensitive to aquatic contamination, particularly sodium hypochlorite. Six behaviour types were defined, which allowed for the characterisation and discrimination of the test toxicants. The results support the need for more investigation into this species and its behaviour types as an alternative to animal testing and the more apical and often invasive endpoints commonly recommended in standard guidelines.
The Impact of Plant Spatial Patterns on Nitrogen Removal in the Naolihe Wetlands of Northeast China
Authors: Ma Jinfeng , Wang Yuting , An Yu , Zhang Mei , Wang Xiaodong
Published: December 2023

The impact of the spatial pattern of wetland plants on nitrogen removal is a hot research topic. Ten water samples were collected from separate sampling points in mid-August and at the end of October 2021, and the concentrations of TN, NH4-N, and NO3-N in the water were measured to calculate the removal rates for the three forms of nitrogen in Naolihe wetlands. The spatial indices were interpreted for various plants based on images from samples taken in August. Step-by-step eliminations and function fitting methods were performed to determine the relationships between the spatial index and the removal rates for three forms of nitrogen. The results show that both Deyeuxia angustifolia (DA) and Phragmites australis (PA) ranked first for the functions between the order of sampling points of spatial indices (areas and shapes) and the removal rates for the three forms of nitrogen during the elimination process, indicating that DA and PA were the main forces determining nitrogen removal, which was dependent on plants covering the largest areas (DA: 31.2% and PA: 24.3%), with some large patches (largest plants index: DA (0.26) and PA (0.21)) and strong connectivity (patch edge density: DA (16.79) and PA (15.70)). These results have value for studying the relationship between spatial patterns and water purification functions.
A Method for Riverway Erosion and Deposition Calculation Using Measured Cross-Sections
Authors: Zhang Xiaolei , Bi Zhengzheng , Liu Junguo , Xu Zhiheng , Guo Xiaoyi
Published: December 2023

The calculation of erosion and deposition in riverways plays a pivotal role in river morphology studies, comprehensive river management and flood safety. Some existing methods have certain limitations in terms of accuracy and applicability. To address these challenges, we propose a method for calculating riverway erosion and deposition based on measured cross-sectional terrain data. This method not only enables the calculation of changes in erosion and deposition along the riverway but also provides information on the spatial distribution of these changes. The validity of the proposed calculation method was assessed using measured bathymetric data. The results indicate a relative error of only 5.6% between the calculated and measured values for the total volume of erosion and deposition. A comparison with the results obtained using a cross-section method reveals that, with an average distance between adjacent sections of 1.0 km, the proposed method generally outperforms the cross-section method. The relative error in the total volume of erosion and deposition decreases from 19.2% with the cross-sectional method to 5.6% with our proposed method. When facing the need to calculate changes in riverway erosion and deposition, our approach offers a more accurate and flexible computational method.