bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Contribution of Cognitive Control Networks in Word Selection Processing in Parkinson’s Disease: Novel Insights from a Functional Connectivity Study
Authors: Di Tella Sonia , De Marco Matteo , Anzuino Isabella , Quaranta Davide , Baglio Francesca , Silveri Maria Caterina
Published: September 2024

Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients are impaired in word production when the word has to be selected among competing alternatives requiring higher attentional resources. In PD, word selection processes are correlated with the structural integrity of the inferior frontal gyrus, which is critical for response selection, and the uncinate fasciculus, which is necessary for processing lexical information. In early PD, we investigated the role of the main cognitive large-scale networks, namely the salience network (SN), the central executive networks (CENs), and the default mode network (DMN), in word selection. Eighteen PD patients and sixteen healthy controls were required to derive nouns from verbs or generate verbs from nouns. Participants also underwent a resting-state functional MRI. Functional connectivity (FC) was examined using independent component analysis. Functional seeds for the SN, CENs, and DMN were defined as spheres, centered at the local activation maximum. Correlations were calculated between the FC of each functional seed and word production. A significant association between SN connectivity and task performance and, with less evidence, between CEN connectivity and the task requiring selection among a larger number of competitors, emerged in the PD group. These findings suggest the involvement of the SN and CEN in word selection in early PD, supporting the hypothesis of impaired executive control.
Developing Servant Leadership through Experience and Practice: A Case Study in Service Learning
Authors: Robinson Gordon Matthew , Magnusen Marshall J.
Published: September 2024

Servant leadership is characterized by a core altruistic calling and central attributes of genuine caring, humility, and empathy, and in recent years, has become a style of leadership recommended to be addressed in sports management classrooms because of its associated positive outcomes and emphasis on ethical behavior and decision-making. As the relevance and popularity of servant leadership continue to grow, it gives rise to matters of how this approach to leadership can be better studied and taught to current and aspirant sports professionals. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative case study is to analyze a community-based service-learning project as a mode for developing servant leaders as part of a college sports management curriculum. Nineteen upper-level college sports management students participated in this study by serving as mentors in an after-school program for underprivileged elementary school students for 12 h across the course of six weeks. Participants then completed a written reflection upon the conclusion of the service project. Content analysis of these reflections suggests that service learning may be a positive method for developing servant leaders. The article closes with a discussion of findings, proposed future research questions, as well as ideas for future service-learning projects aimed at developing servant leaders.
A Study on the Leisure Sports Participation Behavior of the Elderly through Comparative Analyses by Age: Focusing on Leisure Participation Constraints and Price Sensitivity
Authors: Kim Soon-Young
Published: September 2024

Worldwide, interest in healthy living has been increasing as people’s lifespans have lengthened, owing to interest in health and the development of the medical industry. The need for research on healthy lifestyles aided by sports activities for older adults is greater than before. This study aimed to compare and analyze constraints on participation in leisure sports and participation price sensitivity based on age groups in a super-aging society. From 22 May to 10 July 2024, in three community and sports centers, Korean adults over the age of 20 who regularly participated in leisure sports voluntarily responded to a questionnaire. Based on a quantitative research design using a survey with a convenience sampling technique, 305 collected survey responses were analyzed for validity, reliability, and exploratory factor analysis through SPSS 28. Additionally, one-way multivariate analysis of variance and the price sensitivity meter technique allowed us to analyze the differences in leisure participation constraints and price sensitivity among the groups. No statistically significant group differences were found in the health and social factors of leisure sports participation constraints. However, statistically significant differences were found for the cost and time factors. Finally, the price sensitivity meter technique found differences in price sensitivity in participating in leisure sports among the three age groups. This scientific analysis, aiming to expand older adults’ participation in leisure sports, provides objective data for the future.
In-Person and Online Studies Examining the Influence of Problem Solving on the Fading Affect Bias
Authors: Gibbons Jeffrey Alan , Vandevender Sevrin , Langhorne Krystal , Peterson Emily , Buchanan Aimee
Published: September 2024

The fading affect bias (FAB) occurs in autobiographical memory when unpleasant emotions fade faster than pleasant emotions and the phenomenon appears to be a form of emotion regulation. As emotion regulation is positively related to problem solving, the current study examined FAB in the context of problem solving. In-person and online studies asked participants to provide basic demographics, describe their problem-solving abilities, and rate various healthy and unhealthy variables, including emotional intelligence and positive problem-solving attitudes. Participants also completed an autobiographical event memory form for which they recalled and described two pleasant and two unpleasant problem-solving and non-problem-solving events and rated the initial and current affect and rehearsals for those events. We found a robust FAB effect that was larger for problem-solving events than for non-problem-solving events in Study 1 but not in Study 2. We also found that FAB was positively related to healthy variables, such as grit, and negatively related to unhealthy variables, such as depression. Moreover, many of these negative relations were inverted at high levels of positive problem-solving attitudes, and these complex interactions were partially mediated by talking rehearsals and thinking rehearsals.
Challenges Facing the Use of Remote Sensing Technologies in the Construction Industry: A Review
Authors: Almohsen Abdulmohsen
Published: September 2024

Remote sensing is essential in construction management by providing valuable information and insights throughout the project lifecycle. Due to the rapid advancement of remote sensing technologies, their use has been increasingly adopted in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. This review paper aims to advance the understanding, knowledge base, and practical implementation of remote sensing technologies in the construction industry. It may help support the development of robust methodologies, address challenges, and pave the way for the effective integration of remote sensing into construction management processes. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive literature review, focusing on the challenges faced in using remote sensing technologies in construction management. One hundred and seventeen papers were collected from eight relevant journals, indexed in Web of Science, and then categorized by challenge type. The results of 44 exemplary studies were reported in the three types of remote sensing platforms (satellite, airborne, and ground-based remote sensing). The paper provides construction professionals with a deeper understanding of remote sensing technologies and their applications in construction management. The challenges of using remote sensing in construction were collected and classified into eleven challenges. According to the number of collected documents, the critical challenges were shadow, spatial, and temporal resolution issues. The findings emphasize the use of unmanned airborne systems (UASs) and satellite remote sensing, which have become increasingly common and valuable for tasks such as preconstruction planning, progress tracking, safety monitoring, and environmental management. This knowledge allows for informed decision-making regarding integrating remote sensing into construction projects, leading to more efficient and practical project planning, design, and execution.
A Novel Evaluation Model of Subway Station Adaptability Based on Combination Weighting and an Improved Extension Cloud Model
Authors: Wu Weiying , Song Cheng , Wang Xiaolin , Su Hengheng , Huang Bo
Published: September 2024

The rational selection of subway station locations is an interdisciplinary problem encompassing architecture, transportation, and other fields. Few evaluation index systems and quantitative evaluation methods exist for choosing subway station locations; thus, this paper establishes a novel evaluation framework. Overall, 21 indicators covering the construction and operation phases are selected by a literature review, providing a basis for planning decision makers. The Projection Pursuit Method (PPM) and the Bald Eagle Search (BES) algorithm are employed to assign objective weights. The Continuous Ordered Weighted Averaging (COWA) operator is utilized to obtain subjective weights. A combination weighting method is used based on game theory to improve the accuracy of weight calculation. Game theory and extension cloud theory are applied to develop an improved extension cloud model and evaluate the suitability based on optimal cloud entropy. We conduct a case study of 15 stations on the Chengdu Metro Line 11, China. The results reveal that the coordination of the development plans, the alignment with the land use plan, and regional population density are the most crucial tertiary indicators that should be considered in selecting subway station locations. These findings agree with the actual conditions, demonstrating the scientific validity of the proposed evaluation method, which outperforms classical evaluation methods. The proposed method is efficient and feasible for selecting subway station locations.
Enhancements in the Virtual Support Force Method for Tunnel Excavation Problems
Authors: Xu Zhendong , Su Kai , Tao Jun , Zhu Hongze
Published: September 2024

In order to accurately quantify the spatial constraint effect of tunnel excavation face, a generalized and improved form of virtual support force method is proposed, and the implementation steps of the method are given in detail. This approach is capable of demonstrating the variations in load release within the excavation section as well as the evolution of load release along the tunnel axis direction under the spatial restrictions of the tunnel face. Simultaneously, the presented approach is examined from the perspective of tunnel deformation and stress, and ultimately, the impact of the enhanced approach on the support timing determination is deliberated. A numerical model of a circular tunnel is established for analysis; the results show that, in terms of deformation and stress path, the enhanced virtual support force method can more closely resemble the actual three-dimensional excavation process than the traditional method. The improved virtual support force method can reduce the volume loss rate error by up to 3.76% and the stress error by up to 15.64% compared to the conventional method. As a result, the tunnel face’s spatial limitation may be more accurately described by the enhanced virtual support force approach. The support point computed by the enhanced approach is further away from the tunnel face in the research of establishing the beginning support timing, which may more thoroughly mobilize the surrounding rock bearing and minimize support consumables.
A Study on the Spillover Effects of Children’s Outdoor Activity Space Allocation in High-Density Urban Areas: A Case Study of Beijing
Authors: Huang Xiaowen , Yang Zhen , Lin Jiaqi , Li Yu , Chen Yihan , Shi Fangzhou , Zhang Anran , Lu Yue , Chen Guojie , Ma Miaoyi , Zhou Yan , Liu Pinghao , Chen Yuzhu , Qin Dinghan , Zhang Qixuan
Published: September 2024

In the context of rapid urbanization in third-world countries, many cities adopt high-density development, effectively using land but limiting open space, especially for children, impacting their spatial rights. This study focused on the Dongcheng and Xicheng districts of Beijing. It employed methods such as variance inflation factor, multiple linear regression, spatial autocorrelation, and spatial econometric models to investigate the impact of various configuration factors on children’s satisfaction with outdoor activity space. The study also revealed the spillover effects of outdoor activity space configuration for children in high-density urban environments. The results showed that (1) children’s satisfaction was significantly influenced by the configuration elements. The variables that had the most significant impact on satisfaction were the number of outdoor spaces, facilities’ amusement, advertisements, and service management levels. (2) Using spatial econometric models, we determined that spatial dependency significantly enhances the model’s explanatory power. The quantity of outdoor space had the greatest effect on children’s outdoor activity space satisfaction, followed by facilities’ amusement and advertisement impact, and service management had the least impact, though all categories positively affected satisfaction. This study held significant value and importance in improving the rights of children in mega-cities in developing countries and promoting the physical and mental well-being of children.
Smart Safety Design for Evacuation Signs in Large Space Buildings Based on Height Setting and Visual Range of Evacuation Signs
Authors: Wan Zhanzhi , Zhou Tiejun , Xiong Jianwu , Pan Gao
Published: September 2024

In case of emergency, evacuation signs play an important role in guiding people to evacuate safety exits in large space buildings. Large space buildings are characterized by high ceilings and large areas. In the existing legislation and standards, the height setting of evacuation signs is fixed, but the influence of height changes on the visibility of evacuation signs is very important. This study fully considers the relationship between the height setting change of evacuation signs and the visual range and puts forward a smart safety design strategy for evacuation signs. The smart safety design consists of two parts, one is the mathematical relationship between the height change of evacuation signs and the visual range of personnel, and the other is the integration of the application process of smart devices. Firstly, the visual range of two different sizes of evacuation signs placed at the height of 1.7 to 6 m was measured experimentally in China. The results showed that: (1) with an increase in the height of the evacuation signs, their viewing distance gradually decreased and the visual range was reduced; (2) the mathematical model of the change between the height and the visual range of evacuation signs was established; (3) the height of evacuation signs between 3 to 5 m agreed more with the visual habits of the people. Then, on this basis, the smart safety design method can use related mathematical models to set the evacuation signs at the optimal height based on the actual distance between people and evacuation signs, ensuring that people can see the signs the first time, thus providing evacuation guidance for evacuees and improving the safety of large space buildings.
Emission Ellipsometry Study in Polymeric Interfaces Based on Poly(3-Hexylthiophene), [6,6]-Phenyl-C61-Butyric Acid Methyl Ester, and Reduced Graphene Oxide
Authors: Kolbow Ana Clarissa Henrique , Rambo Everton Crestani , Santos Maria Ruth Neponucena dos , Marchezi Paulo Ernesto , Nogueira Ana Flávia , Marletta Alexandre , Ramos Romildo Jerônimo , Therézio Eralci Moreira
Published: September 2024

We analyzed the interaction of three materials, reduced graphene oxide (RGO), [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), and poly(3-hexylthiphene) (P3HT), as well as the dependence of its photophysical properties within the temperature range of 90 to 300 K. The nanocomposite of the films was analyzed by optical absorption ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) and photoluminescence (PL) and emission ellipsometry (EE) as a function of sample temperature. The surface morphology was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). We noted that onset levels (Eonset) of the nanocomposite of P3HT and RGO are smaller than the others. The PL spectra showed the presence of anomalies in the emission intensities in the nanocomposite of P3HT and PCBM. It was also possible to determine the electron–phonon coupling by calculating the Huang–Rhys parameters and the temperature dependence of samples. Through EE, it was possible to analyze the degree of polarization and the anisotropy. We observed a high degree of polarized emission of the P3HT films, which varies subtly according to the temperature. For nanocomposites with RGO, the polarization degree in the emission decreases, and the roughness on the surface increases. As a result, the RGO improves the energy transfer between adjacent polymer chains at the cost of greater surface roughness. Then, the greater energy transfer may favor applications of this type of nanocomposite in organic photovoltaic cells (OPVCs) with enhancement in energy conversion efficiency.
Concurrent Oncolysis and Neurolesion Repair by Dual Gene-Engineered hNSCs in an Experimental Model of Intraspinal Cord Glioblastoma
Authors: Zeng Xiang , Ropper Alexander E. , Aljuboori Zaid , Yu Dou , Teng Theodore W. , Kabatas Serdar , Usuga Esteban , Anderson Jamie E. , Teng Yang D.
Published: September 2024

Intramedullary spinal cord glioblastoma (ISCG) is lethal due to lack of effective treatment. We previously established a rat C6-ISCG model and the antitumor effect of F3.CD-TK, an hNSC line expressing CD and TK, via producing cytocidal 5FU and GCV-TP. However, the neurotherapeutic potential of this hNSC approach has remained uninvestigated. Here for the first time, cultured F3.CD-TK cells were found to have a markedly higher oncolytic effect, which was GJIC-dependent, and BDNF expression but less VEGF secretion than F3.CD. In Rowett athymic rats, F3.CD-TK (1.5 × 106 cells/10 µL × 2), injected near C6-ISCG (G55 seeding 7 days earlier: 10 K/each) and followed by q.d. (×5/each repeat; i.p.) of 5FC (500 mg/kg/5 mL/day) and GCV (25 mg/kg/1 mL/day), robustly mitigated cardiorespiratory, locomotor, and sensory deficits to improve neurofunction and overall survival compared to animals receiving either F3.CD or F3.CD-TK+F3.CD debris formula. The F3.CD-TK regimen exerted greater tumor penetration and neural inflammation/immune modulation, reshaped C6-ISCG topology to increase the tumor’s surface area/volume ratio to spare/repair host axons (e.g., vGlut1+ neurites), and had higher post-prodrug donor self-clearance. The multimodal data and mechanistic leads from this proof-of-principle study suggest that the overall stronger anti-ISCG benefit of our hNSC-based GDEPT is derived from its concurrent oncolytic and neurotherapeutic effects.
Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Transgenic Mice Carrying the Human MUC5B rs35705950 Variant
Authors: Tharavecharak Suphachai , Fujimoto Hajime , Yasuma Taro , D’Alessandro-Gabazza Corina N. , Toda Masaaki , Tomaru Atsushi , Saiki Haruko , Uemura Mei , Kogue Yurie , Ito Toshiyuki , Furuhashi Kazuki , Okano Tomohito , Takeshita Atsuro , Nishihama Kota , Ono Ryoichi , Hataji Osamu , Nosaka Tetsuya , Kobayashi Tetsu , Gabazza Esteban C.
Published: September 2024

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, often fatal lung disease characterized by tissue scarring and declining lung function. The MUC5B promoter polymorphism rs35705950, a significant genetic predisposition for IPF, paradoxically associates with better survival and slower disease progression than other IPF genotypes. This study investigates the potential paradoxical protective effects of this MUC5B variant in lung fibrosis. For this purpose, we developed a transgenic mouse model overexpressing the human MUC5B rs35705950 variant in the proximal large airways. Lung fibrosis was induced through subcutaneous injection of bleomycin. Results demonstrated significantly reduced lung fibrosis severity in transgenic mice compared to wild-type mice, assessed by trichrome staining, Ashcroft scoring, and hydroxyproline levels. Additionally, transgenic mice showed significantly lower levels of inflammatory cells and cytokines (TNFα, IL-6, IFNγ) and growth factors (PDGF, CTGF, IL-13) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissues. There was also a significant decrease in mRNA expressions of fibrosis-related markers (periostin, fibronectin, Col1a1). In summary, this study reveals that mucin overexpression related to the MUC5B rs35705950 variant in the large airways significantly attenuates lung fibrosis and inflammatory responses in transgenic mice. These findings suggest that the rs35705950 variant modulates inflammatory and fibrotic responses in the proximal airways, which may contribute to the slower disease progression observed in IPF patients carrying this variant. Our study offers a possible explanation for the paradoxical beneficial effects of the MUC5B variant despite its role as a significant predisposing factor for IPF.
Wireless Sensor Node for Chemical Agent Detection
Authors: Brito-Brito Zabdiel , Velázquez-González Jesús Salvador , Mira Fermín , Román-Villarroel Antonio , Artiga Xavier , Mishra Satyendra Kumar , Vázquez-Gallego Francisco , Kim Jung-Mu , Fontana Eduardo , de Melo Marcos Tavares , Llamas-Garro Ignacio
Published: September 2024

In this manuscript, we present in detail the design and implementation of the hardware and software to produce a standalone wireless sensor node, called SensorQ system, for the detection of a toxic chemical agent. The proposed wireless sensor node prototype is composed of a micro-controller unit (MCU), a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, a dual-band antenna, a rechargeable battery, a voltage regulator, and four integrated sensing devices, all of them integrated in a package with final dimensions and weight of 200 × 80 × 60 mm and 0.422 kg, respectively. The proposed SensorQ prototype operates using the Long-Range (LoRa) wireless communication protocol at 2.4 GHz, with a sensor head implemented on a hetero-core fiber optic structure supporting the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomenon with a sensing section (L = 10 mm) coated with titanium/gold/titanium and a chemically sensitive material (zinc oxide) for the detection of Di-Methyl Methyl Phosphonate (DMMP) vapor in the air, a simulant of the toxic nerve agent Sarin. The transmitted spectra with respect to different concentrations of DMMP vapor in the air were recorded, and then the transmitted power for these concentrations was calculated at a wavelength of 750 nm. The experimental results indicate the feasibility of detecting DMMP vapor in air using the proposed optical sensor head, with DMMP concentrations in the air of 10, 150, and 150 ppm in this proof of concept. We expect that the sensor and wireless sensor node presented herein are promising candidates for integration into a wireless sensor network (WSN) for chemical warfare agent (CWA) detection and contaminated site monitoring without exposure of armed forces.
Experiences of Rural-Dwelling Children Wearing Physical Activity Trackers: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Bray Katy , Hao Mengyuan , Lelo Veronica , Katz Heather , Pickett Kristen A. , Andreae Susan J.
Published: September 2024

Background/Objectives: Although there is a need for evidence-based physical activity programs in rural communities, evaluating such programs is often challenging due to access-related barriers and measurement tools that are not designed for rural contexts. This study aimed to explore and better understand the day-to-day experiences of rural-dwelling children using wrist-worn PA trackers as part of a study to develop a health promotion program. Methods: Ten caregivers and child dyads were enrolled (n = 20). The children wore accelerometers pre- and post-intervention. Semi-structured interviews were completed post-intervention and were audio recorded, transcribed, and summary reports were generated based on recurring themes. Results: The children had a mean age of 8.7 (SD = 1.4) years and the majority were male (80%). The caregivers were female, white, and had a mean age of 43.6 (SD = 8.5) years, with an annual income of ≥USD 40,000. Factors contributing to device wear times included low caregiver burden, device functioning as a watch, and device interactivity. The children reported that the devices were acceptable, but may have changed their physical activity behaviors, with children regularly checking their step count. The caregivers preferred devices that monitored the children’s activity levels without sharing location data. Conclusions: Identifying acceptable and feasible strategies to measure physical activity is vital to developing effective health promotion efforts. The lessons learned may help develop evaluation plans for implementing rural physical activity programming.
Investigation of the Flow Characteristics of Coated Slag during Continuous Casting
Authors: Li Guohui , Wang Shanjiao , Du Fengming
Published: September 2024

During continuous casting, coated slag is applied to molten steel to enhance heat transfer and lubrication. In this study, a numerical calculation model was built to reveal the flowing characteristic of slag according to the fundamental principles of heat transfer and viscous fluid mechanics. The flow and heat transfer behaviour of protective slag on the surface of molten steel and the flow velocity of liquid slag in slag channel gaps were calculated and analyzed. The streaming and thermal conduction situation of slag on the surface of molten steel, as well as the flow velocity of liquid flux in the slag passage gap, were calculated and analyzed. The results showed that as the thickness of the liquidus slag film increased from 10 to 12 mm, the thermal flux density at the top of the flux film layer decreased from 0.1059 to 0.0882 MW/m2. The heat flux density increased rapidly within 0.1 m of the narrow side of the mould, reaching a peak value of 2.27 MW/m2. As the viscosity temperature factor of the flux increased from 0.45 to 2.05, the maximum floating speed of the liquid film from the water inlet to the narrow side in the centre district of the mould decreased from 0.0316 to 0.028 m/s, representing a reduction of approximately 11.4%. This study can provide a reference for the design and improvement of protective slag.
Microstructure and Properties of CoCrFeNiTix High-Entropy Alloys Fabricated by Laser Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Wang Kai , Song Daliang , Li Likun , Shao Guanghui , Mi Yingye , Hu Huiping , Liu Chuan , Tan Ping
Published: September 2024

CoCrFeNi HEAs have better ductility, while the strength and corrosion resistance need to be further improved, while metal materials for deep-sea operations put forward the requirement of excellent mechanical properties and very high corrosion resistance; however, CoCrFeNi HEAs have been less studied for the trade-off between mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Therefore, the present study utilized the laser melting deposition (LMD) technique to fabricate a series of (CoCrFeNi)Tix (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 at.%) HEAs and systematically investigated the influence of Ti content on the alloy’s microstructure, phase composition, mechanical properties, and electrochemical performance. The research findings revealed that as the Ti content increased, the alloy gradually transformed from a single face-centered cubic (FCC) phase to an FCC and body-centered cubic (BCC) dual-phase structure. The addition of Ti induced a transition in the alloy’s microstructure from an equiaxed to a dendritic morphology, accompanied by grain refinement. Energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis confirmed the uniform distribution of Ti within the alloy. The hardness of the alloy increased significantly with the increase in Ti content, reaching 804.5 HV when the Ti content was 1.0 at.%, which was 4.13 times higher than the Ti-free alloy. The tensile and compression test results showed that the (CoCrFeNi)Tix alloy with a Ti content of 0.4 at.% exhibited the best overall mechanical performance. The electrochemical test results indicated that the addition of Ti effectively enhanced the corrosion resistance of the alloy, with the 0.4 at.% Ti-containing alloy exhibiting the optimal corrosion resistance. This study provides a strong theoretical and experimental foundation for the design of high-performance CoCrFeNi-based HEAs.
Laser-Melted Wc/Ni-Based Coating Remelting Study on Q235 Steel Surface
Authors: Wu Xianglin , Chen Junhao , Huang Jiang , Shi Wenqing , Wang Qingheng , An Fenju , Wu Jingquan
Published: September 2024

In order to study the effect of laser remelting on the properties of Q235 steel, WC-enhanced nickel-based remelted layers at different powers were prepared on the surface of Q235 steel using laser cladding technology. Their micro-morphologies were observed using scanning electron microscopy, and their hardness and corrosion resistance were tested using a Vickers hardness tester and an electrochemical workstation. The results show that when the laser power reached 1600 W, the number of WC particles was reduced, the fragments of the broken reinforcement particles were more evenly distributed, the fused layer had the highest uniformity, and the microhardness was more average. Additionally, the corrosion current density reached 2.397 × 10−5 A/cm2, the self-corrosion potential Ecorr of the remelted coatings was positive relative to the substrate, the corrosion resistance was the highest, the coating was uniformly flat, and its hardness was the highest.
Fabrication of Corrosion-Resistant Superhydrophobic Coatings and Impermeable Porous Structures Using Fluorinated Microemulsions Containing Thermally Decomposable Surfactants
Authors: Zhang Bin , Zhang Hongen , Ren Qiang , He Bei , Zhang Yi , Jiang Zhengwu
Published: September 2024

In this work, a series of fluorinated microemulsions were synthesized using thermally decomposable N-dodecyl-N,N-dimethylamine N-oxide (LDAO) as surfactant. Then, polybutylene terephthalate nonwoven fabrics (PBT) were coated with microemulsion and heat-treated. Superhydrophobic and oil-repellent modified PBT with WCA (water contact angle) of about 152°, a sliding angle of about 2.1°, and oil repellency grade of 8 were prepared. The effect of surfactants on the surface wettability of hydrophobic materials was analyzed by TG-DTA, XPS, and WCA tests. The results show that surfactants decrease the WCA of hydrophobic materials, but LDAO can eliminate this effect by heat treatment. The anti-corrosion and permeability of LDAO coatings were compared with those of conventional fluorinated coatings through degradation and anti-permeability tests. It was shown that the LDAO fluorinated superhydrophobic coating is more resistant to corrosion by chemical solutions and significantly improves the impermeability of porous materials. Anti-fouling and self-cleaning tests showed excellent anti-fouling and self-cleaning properties on several common substrate surfaces modified with LDAO fluorinated microemulsions. It is expected that these new LDAO fluorinated microemulsions have promising applications in the preparation of corrosion-resistant surfaces and impermeable structures.
Molecular and Morphological Evidence for the Description of Three Novel Velvet Worm Species (Onychophora: Peripatopsidae: Peripatopsis sedgwicki s.s.) from South Africa
Authors: Barnes Aaron , Daniels Savel R.
Published: September 2024

During the present study, DNA sequence and morphological data were used to delineate species boundaries in the velvet worm, Peripatopsis sedgwicki species complex. The combined mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit one (COI) and the nuclear 18S rRNA loci were phylogenetically analyzed using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood platforms that both demonstrated the presence of four, statistically well-supported clades (A–D). In addition, five species delimitation methods (ASAP, bPTP, bGMYC, STACEY and iBPP) were used on the combined DNA sequence data to identify possible novel lineages. All five species delimitation methods supported the distinction of the Fort Fordyce Nature Reserve specimens in the Eastern Cape province, however, in the main P. sedgwicki s.l. species complex, the species delimitation methods revealed a variable number of novel operational taxonomic units. Gross morphological characters were of limited utility, with only the leg pair number in the Fort Fordyce Nature Reserve specimens and the white head-collar of the Van Stadens Wildflower Nature Reserve specimens being diagnostic. The RADseq results from the earlier study of P. sedgwicki s.l. provided highly congruent results with the four clades observed in the present study. The distribution of P. sedgwicki s.s. (clade B) is restricted to the western portions of its distribution in the Afrotemperate forested regions of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Three novel species, P. collarium sp. nov., (clade C) P. margaritarius sp. nov., (clade A) and P. orientalis sp. nov., (clade D) are described, of which the first two species are narrow range endemics. The present study, along with several recent systematic studies of velvet worms affirms the importance of fine-scale sampling to detect and document the alpha taxonomic diversity of Onychophora.
Blockchain Technology Adoption for Disrupting FinTech Functionalities: A Systematic Literature Review for Corporate Management, Supply Chain, Banking Industry, and Stock Markets
Authors: Basdekidou Vasiliki , Papapanagos Harry
Published: September 2024

Blockchain technology (BCT) is regarded as one of the most important and disruptive technologies in Industry 4.0. However, no comprehensive study addresses the contributions of BCT adoption (BCA) on some special business functionalities projected as financial variables like BCA integrity, transparency, etc. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to close this theoretical gap and determine how BCA has contributed to the four business sectors that were selected since FinTech had the greatest potential in these domains. The PRISMA approach, a systematic literature review model, was used in this work to make sure that the greatest number of studies on the topic were accessed. The PRISMA model’s output helped identify relevant publications, and an analysis of these studies served as the foundation for this paper’s findings. The findings reveal that BCA for companies with a disrupting financial technology (FinTech) attitude can help in securing corporate transaction transparency; offer knowledge, same-data, and information sharing; enhance fidelity, integrity, and trust; improve organizational procedures; and prevent fraud with cyber-hacking protection and fraudulence suspension. Moreover, blockchain’s smart contract utilization feature offers ESG and sustainability functionality. This paper’s novelty is the projection to four business sectors of the three-layer research sequence: (i) financial variables operated as BCA functionalities, (ii) issues, risks, limitations, and opportunities associated with the financial variables, and (iii) implications, theoretical contributions, questions, potentiality, and outlook of BCA/FinTech issues. And the ability of managers or practitioners to reference this sequence and make decisions on BCA matters is considered a key contribution. The proposed methodology provides business practitioners with valuable insights to reevaluate their economic challenges and explore the potential of blockchain technology to address them. This study combined a systematic literature review (SLR) with qualitative analysis as part of a hybrid research approach. Quantitative analysis was carried out on all 835 selected papers in the first step, and qualitative analysis was carried out on the top-cited papers that were screened. The current work highlights the key challenges and opportunities in established blockchain implementations and discusses the outlook potentiality of blockchain technology adoption. This study will be useful to managers, practitioners, researchers, and scholars.
P-DRL: A Framework for Multi-UAVs Dynamic Formation Control under Operational Uncertainty and Unknown Environment
Authors: Zhou Jinlun , Zhang Honghai , Hua Mingzhuang , Wang Fei , Yi Jia
Published: September 2024

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) formation flying is an efficient and economical operation mode for air transportation systems. To improve the effectiveness of synergetic formation control for UAVs, this paper proposes a pairwise conflict resolution approach for UAV formation through mathematical analysis and designs a dynamic pairing and deep reinforcement learning framework (P-DRL formation control framework). Firstly, a new pairwise UAV formation control theorem is proposed, which breaks down the multi-UAVs formation control problem into multiple sequential control problems involving UAV pairs through a dynamic pairing algorithm. The training difficulty of Agents that only control each pair (two UAVs) is lower compared to controlling all UAVs directly, resulting in better and more stable formation control performance. Then, a deep reinforcement learning model for a UAV pair based on the Environment–Agent interaction is built, where segmented reward functions are designed to reduce the collision possibility of UAVs. Finally, P-DRL completes the formation control task of the UAV fleet through continuous pairing and Agent-based pairwise formation control. The simulations used the dynamic pairing algorithm combined with the DRL architectures of asynchronous advantage actor–critic (P-A3C), actor–critic (P-AC), and double deep q-value network (P-DDQN) to achieve synergetic formation control. This approach yielded effective control results with a strong generalization ability. The success rate of controlling dense, fast, and multi-UAV (10–20) formations reached 96.3%, with good real-time performance (17.14 Hz).
Leveraging Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technologies to Facilitate Precision Water Management in Smallholder Farms: A Scoping Review and Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Yacoob Ameera , Gokool Shaeden , Clulow Alistair , Mahomed Maqsooda , Mabhaudhi Tafadzwanashe
Published: September 2024

While there is immense potential in using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to facilitate precision water management, there is currently no consensus on practical strategies to operationally implement these technologies to guide water resources management decisions, particularly within smallholder farming contexts. To address this gap, this study employs bibliometric techniques to assess the current state of UAV applications for evapotranspiration (ET) estimation in agricultural settings. The analysis of 49 peer-reviewed papers from Scopus was conducted using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer to enhance comprehension of this expanding research field. The study highlights a significant increase in scholarly research on utilising UAVs for precision water management over the past decade. The investigations indicate that UAVs in agriculture are gaining prominence and exhibit substantial potential for various precision agriculture (PA) applications. Significant cost reductions for UAV technology and remote sensing (RS) are anticipated soon, primarily driven by the availability of open-source platforms for processing tasks, such as Google Earth Engine. This research aims to inform smallholder farmers about the benefits of integrating UAVs into their farming practices, enhancing operational efficiency and productivity. Policymakers can use these findings to develop regulatory frameworks and incentive schemes that facilitate UAV adoption among smallholder farmers. Additionally, technology developers can leverage insights from this study to identify areas needing innovation and optimisation tailored to small-scale agriculture. Hence, this study seeks to bridge the gap between technological advancements and practical agricultural applications, promoting sustainable farming practices and enhancing the socioeconomic welfare of smallholder farmers.
Methaemoglobinaemia in an Infant with a Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy
Authors: Lee Wei Hao
Published: September 2024

Methaemoglobinaemia (MetHb) is a functional anaemia that can be life-threatening in severe cases. MetHb in adults and older children usually results from exposure to toxins from ingestion or skin exposure, whereas MetHb in infants under six months old usually occurs due to exposure to well water, severe metabolic acidosis from diarrhoea, or, in rare cases, secondary to cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA). In this case report, a young infant presented acutely with shock secondary to profuse diarrhoea and MetHb requiring intravenous fluids and methylene blue and was subsequently diagnosed with CMPA. The early recognition and prompt treatment of CMPA may prevent the recurrence of MetHb symptoms and excessive diagnostic testing in this vulnerable population.
Learn from Whom? An Empirical Study of Enterprise Digital Mimetic Isomorphism under the Institutional Environment
Authors: Chen Ying , Ma Haiyan , Zhou Tianyi
Published: September 2024

The digital economy is a prevailing trend in global development, yet traditional firms still face challenges in digital transformation. Under institutional pressure, firms might imitate the digital strategy of their peers to mitigate these issues; there is still a lack of empirical research to support this. Therefore, this study, drawing on new institutional theory, focuses on investigating whether and how the institutional environment influences companies in embracing digital transformation in the digital economy era. We employ generalized least squares (GLS) regression models on a sample of 2862 non-IT listed firms in China from 2012 to 2020. In addition, we conduct a series of robustness checks. The results show that firms’ mimetic isomorphism of digital transformation is related to the institutional environment. Specifically, both industrial digitalization and regional digitalization promote digital mimetic isomorphism independently; their interaction is positively related to the digital mimetic isomorphism of successful firms but negatively related to similar firms. The results provide empirical evidence for non-IT firms to converge upwards in digital transformation and achieve high-quality development.
Supporting Mathematics Instructors’ Transition to Equity-Minded Active Instruction Using a Community of Practice Framework
Authors: Marzocchi Alison S. , Stone-Johnstone Amelia , Kurianski Kristin , Soto Roberto C.
Published: September 2024

With evidence mounting on the benefits of equity-minded and active mathematics instruction, increasing numbers of mathematics faculty members are seeking to transform their instruction. Yet, many lack the skills and/or confidence to make the transition. To support faculty in meaningful instructional improvement, the authors of this paper facilitate frequent and innovative professional development (PD) guided by a community of practice framework. PD is intentionally designed to be incremental and supportive. Using one-on-one interview data from ten faculty participants who participated in PD on equity-minded and active mathematics instruction, we report on three crucial characteristics of a community of practice: the domain, the community, and the practice. Findings have implications for mathematics departments that aspire to support instructors to transform their teaching. Incremental PD guided by a community of practice framework could support faculty through the challenges of instructional transformation.
Enhanced Transformer for Remote-Sensing Image Captioning with Positional-Channel Semantic Fusion
Authors: Zhao An , Yang Wenzhong , Chen Danny , Wei Fuyuan
Published: September 2024

Remote-sensing image captioning (RSIC) aims to generate descriptive sentences for ages by capturing both local and global semantic information. This task is challenging due to the diverse object types and varying scenes in ages. To address these challenges, we propose a positional-channel semantic fusion transformer (PCSFTr). The PCSFTr model employs scene classification to initially extract visual features and learn semantic information. A novel positional-channel multi-headed self-attention (PCMSA) block captures spatial and channel dependencies simultaneously, enriching the semantic information. The feature fusion (FF) module further enhances the understanding of semantic relationships. Experimental results show that PCSFTr significantly outperforms existing methods. Specifically, the BLEU-4 index reached 78.42% in UCM-caption, 54.42% in RSICD, and 69.01% in NWPU-captions. This research provides new insights into RSIC by offering a more comprehensive understanding of semantic information and relationships within images and improving the performance of image captioning models.
Maritime Object Detection by Exploiting Electro-Optical and Near-Infrared Sensors Using Ensemble Learning
Authors: Javed Muhammad Furqan , Imam Muhammad Osama , Adnan Muhammad , Murtza Iqbal , Kim Jin-Young
Published: September 2024

Object detection in maritime environments is a challenging problem because of the continuously changing background and moving objects resulting in shearing, occlusion, noise, etc. Unluckily, this problem is of critical importance since such failure may result in significant loss of human lives and economic loss. The available object detection methods rely on radar and sonar sensors. Even with the advances in electro-optical sensors, their employment in maritime object detection is rarely considered. The proposed research aims to employ both electro-optical and near-infrared sensors for effective maritime object detection. For this, dedicated deep learning detection models are trained on electro-optical and near-infrared (NIR) sensor datasets. For this, (ResNet-50, ResNet-101, and SSD MobileNet) are utilized in both electro-optical and near-infrared space. Then, dedicated ensemble classifications are constructed on each collection of base learners from electro-optical and near-infrared spaces. After this, decisions about object detection from these spaces are combined using logical-disjunction-based final ensemble classification. This strategy is utilized to reduce false negatives effectively. To evaluate the performance of the proposed methodology, the publicly available standard Singapore Maritime Dataset is used and the results show that the proposed methodology outperforms the contemporary maritime object detection techniques with a significantly improved mean average precision.