bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quinoa Response to Application of Phosphogypsum and Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria under Water Stress Associated with Salt-Affected Soil
Authors: El-Shamy Moshira A. , Alshaal Tarek , Mohamed Hossam Hussein , Rady Asmaa M. S. , Hafez Emad M. , Alsohim Abdullah S. , Abd El-Moneim Diaa
Published: March 2022

The aim of the study was to estimate the impact of soil amendments (i.e., phosphogypsum and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)) separately or their combination on exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), soil enzymes’ activity (urease and dehydrogenase), pigment content, relative water content (RWC), antioxidant enzymatic activity, oxidative stress, productivity, and quality of quinoa under deficient irrigation conditions in two field experiments during the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 seasons under salt-affected soil. Results revealed that ESP, soil urease activity, soil dehydrogenase activity, leaf chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids, leaf K content, RWC, SOD (superoxide dismutase), CAT (catalase), and POD (peroxidase) activities were declined, resulting in overproduction of leaf Na content, proline content, and oxidative stress indicators (H2O2, malondialdehyde (MDA) and electrolyte leakage) under water stress and soil salinity, which negatively influence yield-related traits, productivity, and seed quality of quinoa. However, amendment of salt-affected soil with combined phosphogypsum and seed inoculation with PGPR under deficient irrigation conditions was more effective than singular application and control plots in ameliorating the harmful effects of water stress and soil salinity. Additionally, combined application limited Na uptake in leaves and increased K uptake and leaf chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids as well as improved SOD, CAT, and POD activities to ameliorate oxidative stress indicators (H2O2, MDA, and electrolyte leakage), which eventually positively reflected on productivity and quality in quinoa. We conclude that the potential utilization of phosphogypsum and PGPR are very promising as sustainable eco-friendly strategies to improve quinoa tolerance to water stress under soil salinity.
Determination of Cross-Directional and Cross-Wall Variations of Passive Biaxial Mechanical Properties of Rat Myocardia
Authors: Ngwangwa Harry , Nemavhola Fulufhelo , Pandelani Thanyani , Msibi Makhosasana , Mabuda Israel , Davies Neil , Franz Thomas
Published: March 2022

Heart myocardia are critical to the facilitation of heart pumping and blood circulating around the body. The biaxial mechanical testing of the left ventricle (LV) has been extensively utilised to build the computational model of the whole heart with little importance given to the unique mechanical properties of the right ventricle (RV) and cardiac septum (SPW). Most of those studies focussed on the LV of the heart and then applied the obtained characteristics with a few modifications to the right side of the heart. However, the assumption that the LV characteristics applies to the RV has been contested over time with the realisation that the right side of the heart possesses its own unique mechanical properties that are widely distinct from that of the left side of the heart. This paper evaluates the passive mechanical property differences in the three main walls of the rat heart based on biaxial tensile test data. Fifteen mature Wistar rats weighing 225 ± 25 g were euthanised by inhalation of 5% halothane. The hearts were excised after which all the top chambers comprising the two atria, pulmonary and vena cava trunks, aorta, and valves were all dissected out. Then, 5 × 5 mm sections from the middle of each wall were carefully dissected with a surgical knife to avoid overly pre-straining the specimens. The specimens were subjected to tensile testing. The elastic moduli, peak stresses in the toe region and stresses at 40% strain, anisotropy indices, as well as the stored strain energy in the toe and linear region of up to 40% strain were used for statistical significance tests. The main findings of this study are: (1) LV and SPW tissues have relatively shorter toe regions of 10–15% strain as compared to RV tissue, whose toe region extends up to twice as much as that; (2) LV tissues have a higher strain energy storage in the linear region despite being lower in stiffness than the RV; and (3) the SPW has the highest strain energy storage along both directions, which might be directly related to its high level of anisotropy. These findings, though for a specific animal species at similar age and around the same body mass, emphasise the importance of the application of wall-specific material parameters to obtain accurate ventricular hyperelastic models. The findings further enhance our understanding of the desired mechanical behaviour of the different ventricle walls.
Identification Method for Cone Yarn Based on the Improved Faster R-CNN Model
Authors: Zhao Hangxing , Li Jingbin , Nie Jing , Ge Jianbing , Yang Shuo , Yu Longhui , Pu Yuhai , Wang Kang
Published: March 2022

To solve the problems of high labor intensity, low efficiency, and frequent errors in the manual identification of cone yarn types, in this study five kinds of cone yarn were taken as the research objects, and an identification method for cone yarn based on the improved Faster R-CNN model was proposed. In total, 2750 images were collected of cone yarn samples in real of textile industry environments, then data enhancement was performed after marking the targets. The ResNet50 model with strong representation ability was used as the feature network to replace the VGG16 backbone network in the original Faster R-CNN model to extract the features of the cone yarn dataset. Training was performed with a stochastic gradient descent approach to obtain an optimally weighted file to predict the categories of cone yarn. Using the same training samples and environmental settings, we compared the method proposed in this paper with two mainstream target detection algorithms, YOLOv3 + DarkNet-53 and Faster R-CNN + VGG16. The results showed that the Faster R-CNN + ResNet50 algorithm had the highest mean average precision rate for the five types of cone yarn at 99.95%, as compared with the YOLOv3 + DarkNet-53 algorithm with a mean average precision rate that was 2.24% higher and the Faster R-CNN + VGG16 algorithm with a mean average precision that was 1.19% higher. Regarding cone yarn defects, shielding, and wear, the Faster R-CNN + ResNet50 algorithm can correctly identify these issues without misdetection occurring, with an average precision rate greater than 99.91%.
Experimental Investigation of the Growth Law of Multi-Fracture during Temporary Plugging Fracturing within a Stage of Multi-Cluster in a Horizontal Well
Authors: Li Yanchao , Zhang Qing , Zou Yushi
Published: March 2022

Temporary plugging fracturing in a horizontal well with multi-stages and multi-clusters is usually used to improve stimulation efficiency and increase the gas production from shale gas reservoirs. However, the fracture propagation geometry and the mechanism of temporary plugging are still unclear, which restricts the further optimization of temporary plugging fracturing scheme. In this study, taking the Longmaxi shale as the research object and considering the intrafracture and intrastage temporary plugging, the true tri-axial hydraulic fracturing system was used to put forward an experimental method for simulating the temporary plugging fracturing in a horizontal well with multi-stages and multi-clusters. Afterward, the effects of the size combination and concentration of temporary plugging agents and the cluster number in a stage on the fracture geometry created in the secondary fracturing were investigated in detail. The results show that an optimal fracture propagation geometry tends to be obtained by using the combinations of 100 to 20/70 mesh, and 20/70 to 10~18 mesh temporary plugging agents for the intrafracture and intrastage temporary plugging, respectively. Increasing the proportion of the temporary plugging agent of a larger particle size can improve the effectiveness of intrafracture and intrastage temporary plugging fracturing, and tends to open new fractures. With the increase in temporary plugging agent concentration and the cluster number within a stage, both the number of diverting fractures formed and the overall complexity of fractures tend to increase. After fracturing, the rock specimen with a high peak in the temporary plugging pressure curve has more transverse fractures, indicating a desirable diversion effect. By contrast, the fractured rock specimen with a low peak pressure has no transverse fracture, generally with fewer fractures and poor diversion effect.
Porous Fire-Resistant Materials Made from Alkali-Activated Electric Arc Furnace Ladle Slag
Authors: Shih Pai-Haung , Chang Yi-Kuo , Dai Hao-An , Chiang Li-Choung
Published: March 2022

The application of electric arc furnace ladle slag (EAF ladle slag) in cement products might be limited due to the volume expansion and volume instability created by late hydration. Proper control technique should be developed before the reuse of ladle slag (LS). With the addition of aluminum powder in alkali-activated slag pastes, porous materials were produced. By adjusting the activator modulus between 1.25 and 2.00, fine pores were produced in the foamed pastes, and the material densities were controlled between 594 and 1184 kg/m3. The compressive strengths increased from 0.95 to 9.04 MPa with the increase in density. Direct firing tests showed that the produced porous materials could resist fire damage. With low thermal conductivities range from 0.532 to 1.435 W/m·K, the temperatures in the back panel of the materials were below 100 °C, even under flames of 800 °C for 1 h, which were better than marketing rock wool. The alkali-activated technique was proven to be applicable for the manufacturing of porous fire-resistant materials from ladle slag in this research.
Replika: Spiritual Enhancement Technology?
Authors: Trothen Tracy J.
Published: March 2022

The potential spiritual impacts of AI are an under-researched ethics concern. In this theoretical essay, I introduce the established spiritual assessment tool, the Spiritual Assessment and Intervention Model (Spiritual AIM). Next, I discuss some existing and probable AI technologies, such as immersive tech and bots that have impacts on spiritual health, including the chat-bot Replika. The three core spiritual needs outlined in the Spiritual AIM are then engaged in relation to Replika—(1) meaning and direction, (2) self-worth/belonging to community, and (3) to love and be loved/reconciliation. These core spiritual needs are used to explore the potential impacts of the chat-bot Replika on human spiritual needs. I conclude that Replika may be helpful only as a supplement to address some spiritual needs but only if this chat-bot is not used to replace human contact and spiritual expertise.
The Religious Plot in Museums or the Lack Thereof: The Case of Islamic Art Display
Authors: Gonzalez Valerie
Published: March 2022

During the last decade, the curation of Islamic art and artifacts has been crossed by tensions at both the theoretical and practical level. Not only has it been continuously grappling with the Orientalist legacy, but it has also been operating in a global contemporaneity affected by multiple conflicts engendering a misperception of Muslims and Islam by non-Muslims. With this heavy background, this curation has been pursuing three main objectives: educating the public, decolonizing the museum, and reaching out to the Muslim communities and refugees living in non-Muslim societies. However, in the West, which remains worldly influential in the domain of heritage management, the first two objectives drove curators to engage in problematic practices, most notably the suppression of what we may call the “religious plot” in the exhibits’ narrative. Moreover, while the educational impulse led to a secular didactic scholasticism erected as the supreme exhibitory norm, the decolonizing enterprise took on an ideological turn in the form of a neo-postcolonial discourse at odds with a reality that has considerably changed since the seventies. Contesting the “being Islamic” of the material curated, this discourse separates religion from culture, thus relegating the faith to a theme among other multiple themes in the museum displays. That this state of affairs is problematic appears in crude light as, in the last decade, a new Muslim-led curatorship has been challenging this secularist curatorial politics. Re-centering Islam in the representational emplotment regarding Islamic culture in the exhibitory space and experimenting in the installations’ design to this effect, this curatorship, this essay’s author believes, holds the future of Islamic museology.
Group-in-Group Relation-Based Transformer for 3D Point Cloud Learning
Authors: Liu Shaolei , Fu Kexue , Wang Manning , Song Zhijian
Published: March 2022

Deep point cloud neural networks have achieved promising performance in remote sensing applications, and the prevalence of Transformer in natural language processing and computer vision is in stark contrast to underexplored point-based methods. In this paper, we propose an effective transformer-based network for point cloud learning. To better learn global and local information, we propose a group-in-group relation-based transformer architecture to learn the relationships between point groups to model global information and between points within each group to model local semantic information. To further enhance the local feature representation, we propose a Radius Feature Abstraction (RFA) module to extract radius-based density features characterizing the sparsity of local point clouds. Extensive evaluation on public benchmark datasets demonstrate the effectiveness and competitive performance of our proposed method on point cloud classification and part segmentation.
Gross Floor Area Estimation from Monocular Optical Image Using the NoS R-CNN
Authors: Ji Chao , Tang Hong
Published: March 2022

Gross floor area is defined as the product of number of building stories and its base area. Gross floor area acquisition is the core problem to estimate floor area ratio, which is an important indicator for many geographical analyses. High data acquisition cost or inherent defect of methods for existing gross floor area acquisition methods limit their applications in a wide range. In this paper we proposed three instance-wise gross floor area estimation methods in various degrees of end-to-end learning from monocular optical images based on the NoS R-CNN, which is a deep convolutional neural network to estimate the number of building stories. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to estimate instance-wise gross floor area from monocular optical satellite images. For comparing the performance of the proposed three methods, experiments on our dataset from nine cities in China were carried out, and the results were analyzed in detail in order to explore the reasons for the performance gap between the different methods. The results show that there is an inverse relationship between the model performance and the degree of end-to-end learning for base area estimation task and gross floor area estimation task. The quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the proposed methods indicate that the performances of proposed methods for accurate GFA estimation are promising for potential applications using large-scale remote sensing images. The proposed methods provide a new perspective for gross floor area/floor area ratio estimation and downstream tasks such as population estimation, living conditions assessment, etc.
Spatiotemporal Comparison of Drought in Shaanxi–Gansu–Ningxia from 2003 to 2020 Using Various Drought Indices in Google Earth Engine
Authors: Zhao Xiaoyang , Xia Haoming , Liu Baoying , Jiao Wenzhe
Published: March 2022

As a common natural disaster, drought can significantly affect the agriculture productivity and human life. Compared to Southeast China, Northwest China is short of water year-round and is the most frequent drought disaster area in China. Currently, there are still many controversial issues in drought monitoring of Northwest China in recent decades. To further understand the causes of changes in drought in Northwest China, we chose Shaanxi, Gansu, and Ningxia provinces (SGN) as our study area. We compared the spatiotemporal characteristics of drought intensity and frequency in Northwest China from 2003 to 2020 showed by the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Temperature Condition Index (TCI), Vegetation Health Index (VHI), Normalized Vegetation Supply Water Index (NVSWI), Soil Moisture Condition Index (SMCI), and Soil Moisture Agricultural Drought Index (SMADI). All of these indices showed a wetting trend in the SGN area from 2003 to 2020. The wetting trend of the VCI characterization is the most obvious (R2 = 0.9606, p < 0.05): During the period 2003–2020, the annual average value of the VCI in the SGN region increased from 28.33 to 71.61, with a growth rate of 153.57%. The TCI showed the weakest trend of wetting (R2 = 0.0087), with little change in the annual average value in the SGN region. The results of the Mann–Kendall trend test of the TCI indicated that the SGN region experienced a non-significant (p > 0.05) wetting trend between 2003 and 2020. To explore the effectiveness of different drought indices, we analyzed the Pearson correlation between each drought index and the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). The PDSI can not only consider the current water supply and demand situation but also consider the impact of the previous dry and wet conditions and their duration on the current drought situation. Using the PDSI as a reference, we can effectively verify the performance of each drought index. SPI-12 showed the best correlation with PDSI, with R values greater than 0.6 in almost all regions and p values less than 0.05 within one-half of the study area. SMADI had the weakest correlation with PDSI, with R values ranging −0.4~−0.2 and p values greater than 0.05 in almost all regions. The results of this study clarified the wetting trend in the SGN region from 2003 to 2020 and effectively analyzed the differences in each drought index. The frequency, duration, and severity of drought are continuously reduced; this helps us to have a more comprehensive understanding of the changes in recent decades and is of significance for the in-depth study of drought disasters in the future.
Secure IoT in the Era of Quantum Computers—Where Are the Bottlenecks?
Authors: Schöffel Maximilian , Lauer Frederik , Rheinländer Carl C. , Wehn Norbert
Published: March 2022

Recent progress in quantum computers severely endangers the security of widely used public-key cryptosystems and of all communication that relies on it. Thus, the US NIST is currently exploring new post-quantum cryptographic algorithms that are robust against quantum computers. Security is seen as one of the most critical issues of low-power IoT devices—even with pre-quantum public-key cryptography—since IoT devices have tight energy constraints, limited computational power and strict memory limitations. In this paper, we present, to the best of our knowledge, the first in-depth investigation of the application of potential post-quantum key encapsulation mechanisms (KEMs) and digital signature algorithms (DSAs) proposed in the related US NIST process to a state-of-the-art, TLS-based, low-power IoT infrastructure. We implemented these new KEMs and DSAs in such a representative infrastructure and measured their impact on energy consumption, latency and memory requirements during TLS handshakes on an IoT edge device. Based on our investigations, we gained the following new insights. First, we show that the main contributor to high TLS handshake latency is the higher bandwidth requirement of post-quantum primitives rather than the cryptographic computation itself. Second, we demonstrate that a smart combination of multiple DSAs yields the most energy-, latency- and memory-efficient public key infrastructures, in contrast to NIST’s goal to standardize only one algorithm. Third, we show that code-based, isogeny-based and lattice-based algorithms can be implemented on a low-power IoT edge device based on an off-the-shelf Cortex M4 microcontroller while maintaining viable battery runtimes. This is contrary to much research that claims dedicated hardware accelerators are mandatory.
Smart License Plate in Combination with Fluorescent Concentrator for Vehicular Visible Light Communication System
Authors: Oh Seoyeon , Lee Yejin , Yu Minseok , Cho Seonghyeon , Javed Sana , Chun Hyunchae
Published: March 2022

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication based on visible light communication has gained much attention. This work proposes a smart license plate receiver incorporated with a fluorescent concentrator, enabling a fast vehicle-to-vehicle communication with a large field of view and high optical gain. Communication performance is experimentally analyzed using off-the-shelf light-emitting diode-based headlamps for low-latency direct line of sight channel. Additionally, a blue laser diode-based beam-steering and tracking system, through image processing of taillights with a steerable mirror, is investigated. Data rates of 54 Mbps from the headlamps and 532 Mbps from the beam-steering channel with ±25° are demonstrated. In addition, real-time video streaming through the beam-steering channel is presented.
A 32-Bit Single Quadrant Angle-Controlled Chipless Tag for Radio Frequency Identification Applications
Authors: Noman Muhammad , Haider Usman A. , Ullah Hidayat , Tahir Farooq A. , Rmili Hatem , Najam Ali I.
Published: March 2022

A 32-bit chipless RFID tag operating in the 4.5–10.9 GHz band is presented in this paper. The tag has a unique multiple-arc-type shape consisting of closely packed 0.2 mm wide arcs of different radii and lengths. The specific tag geometry provides multiple resonances in frequency domain of an RCS plot. A frequency domain coding technique has also been proposed to encode the tag’s RCS signature into a 32-bit digital identification code. The tag has an overall dimension of 17.9 × 17.9 mm2, resulting in a high code density of 9.98 bits/cm2 and spectral efficiency of 5 bits/GHz. The proposed tag is built on a low loss substrate bearing a very small footprint, thereby making it extremely suitable for large-scale product identification purposes in future chipless RFID tag systems.
A Sampling-Based Unfixed Orientation Search Method for Dual Manipulator Cooperative Manufacturing
Authors: Su Chang , Xu Jianfeng
Published: March 2022

The case of dual manipulators with shared workspace, asynchronous manufacturing tasks, and independent objects is named a dual manipulator cooperative manufacturing system, which requires collision-free path planning as a vital issue in terms of safety and efficiency. This paper combines the mathematical modeling method with the time sampling method in the classification of robot path-planning algorithms. Through this attempt we can achieve an optimal local search path during each sampling period interval. Our strategy is to build the corresponding non-linear optimization functions set based on the motion characteristics of the dual manipulator system. In this way, the path-planning problem can be turned into a purely mathematical problem of solving the non-linear optimization programming equations set. The spatial geometric analysis is used to linearize the predicted dual-manipulator minimum distance equation, thus linearizing the non-linear optimization equations set. Finally, this system of linear optimization equations will be mapped directly into a virtual Euclidean space and then solved intuitively using the spatial geometry theory. By simulation and comparing with the previous strategies, we find that the planning results of the newly proposed planning strategy are smoother and have shorter deviations as well as a higher algorithmic efficiency in terms of spatial geometric properties.
Mechanism of Magnetic Permeability Perturbation in Magnetizing-Based Eddy Current Nondestructive Testing
Authors: Deng Zhiyang , Yu Zhiheng , Yuan Zhongyu , Song Xiaochun , Kang Yihua
Published: March 2022

DC magnetization is generally considered to suppress the usual local magnetic permeability variation and increase the penetration depth for magnetizing-based eddy current testing (MB-ECT) of ferromagnetic materials. In fact, such simple explanations lead to rough nondestructive evaluation and cause new neglected non-uniform magnetic characteristics. Hence, the “perturbation” of the internal magnetic field variation is analyzed using a magnetic dipole model and the mechanism of magnetic permeability perturbation in MB-ECT is revealed. The theoretical analysis and simulations show that a significant permeability perturbation always appears around a defect and presents opposite features with strong and weak magnetization. Furthermore, experimental results indicate that the hidden signal component arising from the local permeability perturbation is critical for both far-side surface and near-side surface defects in the MB-ECT method.
Diffuse Ultrasonic Wave-Based Damage Detection of Railway Tracks Using PZT/FBG Hybrid Sensing System
Authors: Sun Xiangtao , Guo Chuanrui , Yuan Lei , Kong Qingzhao , Ni Yiqing
Published: March 2022

Damage detection of railway tracks is vital to ensure normal operation and safety of the rail transit system. Piezoelectric sensors, which are widely utilized to receive ultrasonic wave, may be disturbed in the railway system due to strong electromagnetic interference (EMI). In this work, a hybrid ultrasonic sensing system is proposed and validated by utilizing a lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) actuator and a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor to evaluate damage conditions of the railway tracks. The conventional ultrasonic guided wave-based method utilizing direct wave to detect damages is limited by the complex data analysis procedure and low sensitivity to incipient damage. Diffuse ultrasonic wave (DUW), referring to later arrival wave packets, is chosen in this study to evaluate structural conditions of railway tracks due to its high sensitivity, wider sensing range, and easy implementation. Damages with different sizes and locations are introduced on the railway track to validate the sensitivity and sensing range of the proposed method. Two damage indices are defined from the perspective of energy attenuation and waveform distortion. The experimental results demonstrate that the DUW signals received by the hybrid sensing system could be used for damage detection of the railway tracks and the waveform-distortion-based index is more efficient than the energy-based index.
A Comparative Study of Probabilistic and Deterministic Methods for the Direct and Indirect Costs in Life-Cycle Cost Analysis for Airport Pavements
Authors: Babashamsi Peyman , Khahro Shabir Hussain , Omar Hend Ali , Rosyidi Sri Atmaja P. , M Al-Sabaeei Abdulnaser , Milad Abdalrhman , Bilema Munder , Sutanto Muslich Hartadi , Yusoff Nur Izzi Md
Published: March 2022

Airports play a critical role in transporting goods and passengers and supporting the growth of the world economy. Airports spend huge sums annually to maintain and improve pavement functions by expanding the runways, taxiways, and aprons, and perform routine maintenance and rehabilitation of the existing pavements. Besides the traditional direct costs, a comprehensive airport pavement management system should also consider indirect costs such as fuel, crew, passenger delay, aircraft maintenance, and loss of airport revenue when conducting a life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Engineers, managers, and stakeholders can make better decisions on the appropriate pavement maintenance and rehabilitation strategies by performing economic analyses of the direct and indirect costs. This study performed probabilistic and deterministic LCCA to contrast the effect of direct costs vis-a-vis indirect costs in airport pavement management. A case study found that indirect costs could contribute up to 20% of the total costs when using Portland cement concrete (PCC), hot mixed asphalt (HMA), and crack seat overlay (CSOL). Previous research did not give much attention to maintenance since the researchers believed that routine maintenance makes up only an insignificant percentage of the LCCA. However, routine maintenance of HMA and CSOL makes up 10.2% and 14.2% of the total cost. The rehabilitation cost of PCC makes up 16.3% of the total cost, and the rehabilitation cost for HMA and CSOL makes up 25.4% and 35.2% of the total cost.
Analysis of Decisive Elements in the Purchase of Alternative Foods Using Bivariate Probit Model
Authors: Seo Hwanseok , Hwang Jaehyun
Published: March 2022

There has been growing attention among major developed countries to alternative food products using vegetable-derived ingredients to help animal welfare and environmental sustainability. The development of ICT technology and awareness of animal welfare, health, and environmental damage have led to a rise in alternative food products. This study explains consumer selection attributes for alternative foods in categories of intrinsic and extrinsic attributes, storage and usage, ethical consumption, awareness of the environment, and vegetarianism. It also intends to clarify the connection between purchase intentions and purchase preferences caused by selection attributes. The bivariate probit model (BPM) was used to quantitatively analyze consumers’ selection attributes for alternative foods. Element analysis was conducted on twenty-three variables for alternative food selection attributes to derive five elements: quality and safety, environmental awareness, product specifications, ethical consumption, and storage and usage. Analysis indicated that of the five selection attributes, quality and safety and ethical consumption significantly affected vegetarian or semi-vegetarian purchase intentions and preferences. This study intends to identify the elements that affect consumer purchase intentions for alternative foods introduced from an expanding alternative food market, investigate directions for future food development, and provide useful information for consumption promotion strategies.
Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and COVID-19: A Segmentation Analysis of Italian and US Consumers
Authors: Gerini Francesca , Fantechi Tommaso , Contini Caterina , Casini Leonardo , Scozzafava Gabriele
Published: March 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has led many countries to implement restrictions on individual freedom to stop the contagion. The imposition of lockdowns has affected many socio-economic aspects and, in particular, eating habits, highlighting the need to analyse the healthiness of new consumption patterns. The aim of our study was to investigate the changes in adherence to the Mediterranean diet, a dietary model universally recognized as healthy, that have occurred both during and since the lockdown. The subsequent profiling of consumers allowed us to understand which sociodemographic and psychographic factors favoured the development of more or less adherence to Mediterranean diet consumption patterns. The study was conducted by administering a questionnaire to a representative sample of Italians and New Yorkers. Both groups, defined by deep socio-economic differences and by their own eating habits compared to the Mediterranean diet model, were affected by similar lockdown measures. The data collected were processed by cluster analysis that allowed to identify four homogeneous groups with respect to the adherence to the Mediterranean diet model. The results highlight a worrying situation with respect to the impacts of the pandemic on maintaining a proper dietary style according to the principles of the Mediterranean diet. In fact, there has been a general worsening trend due to an increase in consumption, in part linked to emotional eating, which is a cause for concern about the potential future impacts on the health of consumers. The study highlights the need, therefore, to implement actions by public decision-makers aimed at raising the awareness of citizens on the issue of correct eating habits and at developing adequate food policies to stem the trend towards unhealthy diets.
Evaluation of Marine Recreational Fisheries and Their Relation to Sustainability of Fisheries Resources in Greece
Authors: Papadopoulos Anastasios , Touloumis Konstantinos , Tziolas Emmanouil , Boulamatsis Dimitrios , Koutrakis Emmanouil
Published: March 2022

During 2019, Greece conducted a nationwide telephone survey in order to estimate the number of marine recreational fishers (MRF), to identify the main fishing methods, to estimate their effort, economic aspects of their activity and to evaluate certain perceptions of marine recreational fishing. MRF are estimated to be 7.93% of the country’s resident population. Three main fishing methods were identified, fishing from the shore, fishing by boat and spearfishing. It is estimated that Greek MRF carry out approximately 11,461,765 fishing trips/year, their total catch is 9350 t/year and the total yearly expenditure is 132,186,000 Euros. Marine recreational catches constitute one-third of the reported small scale coastal fisheries’ catches, with their main catches belonging to the Sparidae family. The majority of MRFs are aware of the rules and limits associated with their activity, however a significant percentage seems to ignore or deny their existence. The results of the study indicate the social and economic importance of the activity in Greece and clearly demonstrates the need for regular monitoring and field work in order to properly evaluate marine recreational fisheries and sustainably manage both the activity and fisheries resources in the country.
Characteristics of Biochars Derived from the Pyrolysis and Co-Pyrolysis of Rubberwood Sawdust and Sewage Sludge for Further Applications
Authors: Ali Liaqat , Palamanit Arkom , Techato Kuaanan , Ullah Asad , Chowdhury Md. Shahariar , Phoungthong Khamphe
Published: March 2022

This study investigated the characteristics of biochars derived from the pyrolysis of rubberwood sawdust (RWS) and sewage sludge (SS) and their co-pyrolysis at mixing ratios of 50:50 and 75:25. Biochars were produced at 550 °C through slow pyrolysis in a moving bed reactor and then characterized. Results showed that the rubberwood sawdust biochar (RWSB) had high carbon content (86.70 wt%) and low oxygen content (7.89 wt%). By contrast, the sewage sludge biochar (SSB) had high ash content (65.61 wt%) and low carbon content (24.27 wt%). The blending of RWS with SS at the mentioned ratios helped enhance the gross and element contents of the biochar samples. The elemental analysis of the biochars was also reported in the form of atomic ratios (H/C and O/C). The functional groups of biochars were observed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) revealed that the biochar from SS contained a high content of inorganic elements, such as Si, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, P, and Zn. The pH of the biochars ranged from 8.41 to 10.02. Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that RWSB had a lower surface area and larger pore diameter than the other biochars. The water holding capacity (WHC) and water releasing ability (WRA) of the biochars were in the range of 1.01–3.08 mL/g and 1.19–52.42 wt%, respectively. These results will be the guideline for further application and study of biochar from RWS, SS, and blended samples.
Requirements and Solution Approaches to Personality-Adaptive Conversational Agents in Mental Health Care
Authors: Siemon Dominik , Ahmad Rangina , Harms Henrik , de Vreede Triparna
Published: March 2022

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies enable Conversational Agents (CAs) to perform highly complex tasks in a human-like manner and may help people cope with anxiety to improve their mental health and well-being. To support patients with their mental well-being in an authentic way, CAs need to be imbued with human-like behavior, such as personality. In this paper we cover an innovative form of CA, so-called Personality-Adaptive Conversational Agents (PACAs) that automatically infer users’ personality traits and adapt accordingly to their personality. We empirically investigate their benefits and caveats in mental health care. The results of our study show that PACAs can be beneficial for mental health support, but they also raise concerns about trust and privacy issues. We present a set of relevant requirements for designing PACAs and provide solution approaches that can be followed when designing and implementing PACAs for mental health care.
The Use of a Non-Invasive Electrical Method to Assess the Chemical Composition, Hardness, and Color of Durum Wheat Grain Cultivated in an Integrated System
Authors: Banach Joanna Katarzyna , Majewska Katarzyna , Grzywińska-Rąpca Małgorzata , Żuk-Gołaszewska Krystyna
Published: March 2022

Electrical properties are the least known and described among the physical properties of food products. The most widespread practical directions of their use include moisture measurements as well as dielectric and microwave heating. Less frequently, they are used to assess the physicochemical parameters of food products, including the technological features of cereal grains. Earlier research by the authors of this paper demonstrated the possibility of using an RCC substitute model of food products (conductivity and capacitance parameters) to identify the grain variety, geometric features, level of grain damage as well as grain moisture content. This model can also be used to distinguish cereal species as well as to assess the proximate chemical composition of their grain. The promising results obtained in this area encouraged us to expand the research with a material important from the food market perspective—durum wheat, obtained in the conditions of sustainable cultivation in north-eastern Europe (temperate climate). The study material was obtained from a proprietary sustainable production technology designed in a strict field experiment. The aim of this research was: (1) to assess the effect of an integrated cultivation system of native durum wheat (six variants), differentiated by a nitrogen fertilization dose (0, 80, 120 kg·ha−1) and with and without growth regulator (GR, WGR) on changes in selected quality parameters (protein, lipid, and starch contents; hardness; color) and electrical parameters (Z, Cp, Cs) of the grain; and (2) to determine the correlations between the examined quality traits and electrical properties of the grain to indicate the possibility of using a non-invasive electrical method to assess grain quality. The highest contents of starch and total lipids and the highest grain hardness were obtained in the cultivation variants GR + 0N and WGR + 0N, whereas the highest protein content—upon wheat fertilization with 120N. The study demonstrated a different strength of the correlations between the tested parameters depending on the cultivation method. In the WGR + 0N variant (environmentally friendly), the strongest correlation between grain quality traits and electrical properties was obtained for both the conductive (Z) and capacitive (Cp, Cs) parameters in the entire analyzed range of current frequencies. The cultivation of durum wheat in the integrated system, especially in the WGR variant, facilitates grain quality modeling and enables using a non-invasive electrical method for a rapid assessment of the quality traits of the grain while raising no concerns over natural environment safety. The growth regulator (GR) application during native durum wheat cultivation hampers the use of the analyzed electrical method to assess its grain quality.
Performance Enhancement and Life-Cycle Cost Savings of Supercooled Water Ice Slurry Generation Systems Using Heat Regeneration
Authors: Zhang Chong , Yang Luwei , Lin Wenye , Wei Juan , Guo Fengjun
Published: March 2022

This paper presents the development and utilisation of a heat regeneration approach to enhancing the performance and reducing the life-cycle cost of supercooled water ice slurry generation systems. Two supercooled water systems with direct and indirect ice slurry generation were enhanced by the heat regeneration approach to avoid excessive cold loss and increase the supercooling degree, thereby improving system efficiency while reducing operational costs. Their respective performance and life-cycle costs were experimentally evaluated and compared to the ones without heat regeneration enhancement under different working conditions, as well as to a conventional scraped surface ice slurry generator used as a benchmark. It was found from the comparative investigation that the heat regeneration approach can effectively reduce the water temperature at the inlet of the supercooler, allowing a significant amount of cold loss to be saved for ice slurry generation. The effective utilisation rate of cold can be effectively improved by over 15% when using the heat regeneration approach, and the unit ice mass power consumption can be reduced by 12–20%. Due to the attractive energy-saving potential, the operational cost-effectiveness of the enhanced systems contributed to cut-down of life-cycle cost. It was found that the life-cycle costs of the enhanced direct and indirect ice slurry generation systems were 62.0% and 74.7% lower than that of the conventional scraped surface ice slurry generator, respectively.
An Empirical Study on the Relationship between Cognition and Metacognition in Technology-Enhanced Self-Regulated Learning
Authors: Tran Tuan Minh , Hasegawa Shinobu
Published: March 2022

Self-regulated learning (SRL) has become an indispensable ability for learners to succeed in self-study. A fast-growing number of learners worldwide opt for studying via technology-enhanced learning environments (TELEs) to enrich their education. Since the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic, learners have relied more and more on online and distance learning for their own education purposes; this circumstance urges learners to self-regulate their learning processes. Striving for understanding learners’ SRL ability in TELEs to provide them with sufficient support, this research analyzed the relationship between the two key factors of SRL, cognition and metacognition, from the context of self-study in TELEs. Applying our proposed hypothetical model on the relationship between cognition and metacognition, we conducted a pilot study in which 20 postgraduate students solved a complex academic task delivered via a TELE—the learning management system Moodle. In this experiment, the correlation between the students’ cognitive and metacognitive scores was analyzed. The experimental results showed that there is a positive linear correlation between cognition and metacognition of a learner when he or she performs a complex task in TELEs, and such a correlation can be classified into different profiles. Implications include opportunities to help learners understand their SRL profiles and provide recommendations for further research on the granularity of SRL characteristics.
Conflict Resolution Model of Automated Vehicles Based on Multi-Vehicle Cooperative Optimization at Intersections
Authors: Cheng Ying , Zhao Yanan , Zhang Rui , Gao Li
Published: March 2022

The traditional conflict resolution algorithm is designed for automated vehicles based on the premise of the right of way, but there is an unclear road right of way at unsignalized intersections, which brings trouble to the decision making of automated vehicles. The objective of this work is to provide our system with evolving cooperative and non-cooperative decisions. We achieve this by integrating game theory into the decision making. When the system decides to drive cooperatively, the joint action is planned to optimize the overall revenue of multi-vehicles based on the cooperative game, considering the conflict relationship with its neighboring vehicles. When the system fails to perform cooperative driving or response timeout, the vehicle-mounted unit would take non-cooperative driving to optimize the trajectory considering only its individual benefit. The proposed model can provide our system with stability and robustness, which effectively solved the conflict resolution problem when the right of way was not clear at intersections. We have implemented some simulation experiments of cooperative and non-cooperative conflict resolution, the results show that the revenue among various interest groups is more balanced with a cooperative conflict resolution method. Compared with the non-collaborative driving decision, the conflict resolution time is shortened, and the average delay of each vehicle at intersections is reduced by 1~2 s, with an average reduction of approximately 5%. The research can provide a reference for collaborative driving of automated vehicles at unsignalized intersections.
Core Elements Affecting Sharing Evidence from the European Union
Authors: Lingaitienė Olga , Grybaitė Virginija , Burinskienė Aurelija
Published: March 2022

Sharing activities are receiving greater attention due to increasing popularity in recent years. This article focuses on how the use of digital sharing platforms by customers to share products and services helps to increase the saving of natural resources and support sustainable development. In the paper, the authors investigated the main elements affecting ICT based sharing. (1) Literature review: The theoretical part starts with the revision of definitions of sharing activities; descriptions of the links between sharing and sustainable development, policy recommendations, and relevant regulation in the field. Further on, the study emphasises key elements, including ICT ones, that are important for sharing. Finally, the authors investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic affected sharing activities in previously published studies. (2) Methods: During empirical research, the authors revised a list of 33 variables, among which are 16 indicators describing network infrastructure, internet literacy and online shopping. The study uses data for each of the 27 EU countries from 2011 to 2020. The authors investigated correlations between macroeconomics and other variables to determine key variables for the regression model. (3) Results: The authors constructed a dynamic regression model that can be applied to predict the number of participants visiting digital sharing platforms in the European Union (EU). (4) Conclusions: The study shows that, when seeking to forecast the number of visits to digital sharing platforms, it is necessary to use values of main macroeconomic and ICT variables. Among these variables, ICT based indicators are highly dominating.
Analysis of Directional Activities for Industry 4.0 in the Example of Poland and Germany
Authors: Jałowiec Tomasz , Wojtaszek Henryk
Published: March 2022

An analysis of directional activities in Poland and Germany towards the implementation of Industry 4.0 was carried out by comparing the common sustainable development features. The value of production sold along with the benefits of its implementation are presented. The transformation map was characterized along with development areas and potential directions of automation and robotization. Technological possibilities were assessed, considering the production of robots. The execution of activities aimed at implementing solutions in the field of Industry 4.0 in Poland was indicated. The key information gleaned in this study is the awareness of the implemented features proving the fulfillment of conditions relating to Industry 4.0. Action towards the sustainable replacement of machines that require repair or regeneration is significantly related to thinking towards rationalizing the actions taken and assessing the financial capabilities of companies so as not to lead to their collapse. The article presents original research on the characteristics of selected production companies in Poland and Germany striving for digital maturity and the results of our hypotheses. The key direction should be activities aimed at developing a coherent strategy, the proper selection and evaluation of managers, focusing on communication, and the pursuit of intelligent products by creating appropriate integration standards that facilitate the implementation of an innovative process generating modern technologies.