bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-Level Attention-Based Categorical Emotion Recognition Using Modulation-Filtered Cochleagram
Authors: Peng Zhichao , He Wenhua , Li Yongwei , Du Yegang , Dang Jianwu
Published: June 2023

Speech emotion recognition is a critical component for achieving natural human–robot interaction. The modulation-filtered cochleagram is a feature based on auditory modulation perception, which contains multi-dimensional spectral–temporal modulation representation. In this study, we propose an emotion recognition framework that utilizes a multi-level attention network to extract high-level emotional feature representations from the modulation-filtered cochleagram. Our approach utilizes channel-level attention and spatial-level attention modules to generate emotional saliency maps of channel and spatial feature representations, capturing significant emotional channel and feature space from the 3D convolution feature maps, respectively. Furthermore, we employ a temporal-level attention module to capture significant emotional regions from the concatenated feature sequence of the emotional saliency maps. Our experiments on the Interactive Emotional Dyadic Motion Capture (IEMOCAP) dataset demonstrate that the modulation-filtered cochleagram significantly improves the prediction performance of categorical emotion compared to other evaluated features. Moreover, our emotion recognition framework achieves comparable unweighted accuracy of 71% in categorical emotion recognition by comparing with several existing approaches. In summary, our study demonstrates the effectiveness of the modulation-filtered cochleagram in speech emotion recognition, and our proposed multi-level attention framework provides a promising direction for future research in this field.
Predictive Vehicle Safety—Validation Strategy of a Perception-Based Crash Severity Prediction Function
Authors: Putter Roman , Neubohn Andre , Leschke Andre , Lachmayer Roland
Published: June 2023

Traffic accident avoidance and mitigation are the main targets of accident research and vehicle safety development worldwide. Despite improving advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and active safety systems, it will not be possible to avoid all vehicle accidents in the near future. Innovative Pre-Crash systems (PCS) should contribute to the accident mitigation of unavoidable accidents. However, there are no standardized testing methods for Pre-Crash systems. In particular, irreversible Pre-Crash systems lead to great challenges in the verification and validation (V&V) process. The reliable and precise real-time crash severity prediction (CSP) is, however, the basic prerequisite for irreversible PCS activation. This study proposes a novel validation and safety assessment strategy for a perception-based crash severity prediction function. In doing so, the intended functionality, safety and validation requirements of PCS are worked out in the context of ISO 26262 and ISO/PAS 21448 standards. In order to reduce the testing effort, a real-data-driven scenario-based testing approach is applied. Therefore, the authors present a novel unsupervised machine learning methodology for the creation of concrete and logical test scenario catalogs based on K-Means++ and k-NN algorithms. The developed methodology is used on the GIDAS database to extract 35 representative clusters of car to car collision scenarios, which are utilized for virtual testing. The limitations of the presented method are disclosed afterwards to help future research to set the right focus.
Research Progress on Mechanical Behavior of Closed-Cell Al Foams Influenced by Different TiH2 and SiC Additions and Correlation Porosity-Mechanical Properties
Authors: Bhuvanesh Manoharan , Costanza Girolamo , Tata Maria Elisa
Published: June 2023

Closed-cell aluminium foams with different compositions have been manufactured starting from powders and also characterized from a morphological point of view and by means of compressive tests in order to determine mechanical properties. Circularity, equivalent diameter, and average porosity area of such foams have been calculated from the analysis of cross-sections as well specific energy absorption in compression tests. Samples with a higher amount of blowing agent (TiH2) have the highest energy absorption while samples with a higher amount of stabilizing agent (SiC) exhibit good foam properties overall (best compromise between morphology and energy absorption). The analysis of morphological properties, such as area, circularity, and equivalent diameter, can provide a better understanding of the foam’s structure and porosity––parameters which can be manipulated to enhance the foam’s properties for specific applications, both structural and functional.
Analysis of Sequential Pretreatments to Enhance the Early-Stage Biorefinery Designs
Authors: Poveda-Giraldo Jhonny Alejandro , Cardona Alzate Carlos Ariel
Published: June 2023

Pretreatment technologies are proposed to break the crosslinked biomass matrix and facilitate bioconversion processes or chemical agent attacks in reaction schemes. However, most of the pretreatments are studied in single-step schemes, limiting the integral valorization of the feedstock composition. Therefore, sequential pretreatments could maximize this valorization by isolating more biomass fractions or removing unwanted compounds. This work focuses on proposing and assessing different sequential pretreatments for the isolation of lignocellulosic fractions. After a pretreatment screening, ten technical and economic indicators were assessed through a heuristic analysis. Data from the literature were used to evaluate five operational indicators and as the specification of processing units in simulation schemes to also evaluate five techno-energetic and economic indicators. As a main result, it was concluded that the sequential pretreatments of dilute acid (DA) with wet air oxidation (WAO) could be the most optimal for cellulose isolation, steam explosion (SE) with DA for hemicellulose fractionation, and DA with kraft process for lignin solubilization. Additionally, the DA and WAO sequence may be the most efficient in biorefinery designs since it maximizes biomass fractionation, producing two hydrolyzed liquors, one rich in sugars and the other in soluble lignin, as well as a cellulose-rich solid.
Investigation of the Effect of Twelve Pharmaceuticals on Germination and Growth Parameters of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)
Authors: De Mastro Francesco , Brunetti Gennaro , Traversa Andreina , Cacace Claudio , Cocozza Claudio
Published: June 2023

Pharmaceuticals (PhACs) are chemical substances that, after their use, can reach wastewater treatment plants, but the resulting treated wastewater (TWW) can still contain these contaminants. If TWWs are used for irrigation, PhACs can contaminate crops and also hinder their growth. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of 12 PhACs and their mixture at different doses on basil germination and early growth and on its photosynthetic pigment content. The germination percentage was not affected by PhACs even when applied at the highest doses. The results showed that the germination speed cannot be considered as an index of vigor of future seedlings as not all seeds that germinated first developed the best. PhACs between 25 and 100 ppb did not show negative effects on early growth and photosynthetic pigments of basil; in fact, in some cases the seeds even benefitted from their application as if it were a chemical treatment developed for the seeds. The highest assessed dose of PhACs always caused a reduction in growth parameters and the photosynthetic pigment content of basil, especially with climbazole, naproxen, triclosan, and the mixture of PhACs. In general, basil can be considered a species tolerant to PhACs after taking into account their average content in wastewater; however, more studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of PhACs and their translocation to edible parts.
The Development of an Innovative Occupational Passive Upper Extremity Exoskeleton and an Investigation of Its Effects on Muscles
Authors: Öçal Ahmet Emre , Lekesiz Huseyin , Çetin Sevda Telli
Published: June 2023

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are one of the main problems reducing the life quality of workers. Occupational exoskeletons are one of the most promising solutions for solving this issue. In this study, an innovative and passive upper-extremity exoskeleton design was presented and tested by measuring ten different muscle activities for two tasks: Task 1, for over-the-head tool handling, and Task 2, for completely stretched forearm tool handling. The special optimized switch mechanism design allowed for free motion when it was not active, which provided design advantages in comparison to the currently available designs. The muscle activity levels were measured via EMG for both tasks and the results were compared and evaluated with and without the exoskeleton on the human body. It was shown that the muscle activity for Task 1 was reduced by 55% for the middle deltoid, 37% for the posterior deltoid, and 27% for the anterior deltoid muscles, in comparison to no exoskeleton for Task 1. For Task 2, the muscle activity was reduced by 48% for the middle deltoid, 20% for the posterior deltoid, and 38% for the anterior deltoid. The exoskeleton presented in this study is an efficient design that significantly increases shoulder comfort, especially in working conditions, without bringing an additional metabolic cost for the secondary muscles.
Case Study on the Effect of Delay-Time Differences between Columns during Blasting Demolition of RC Structures with a Small Height-to-Width Ratio
Authors: Gao Wenle , Kou Yuming , Yan Tongqing , Sun Hong , Li Saijiang
Published: June 2023

Blasting demolition plays an important role in building demolition, and numerical-simulation methods can facilitate the optimization of blasting-demolition schemes. To study the influence of the delay-time differences between columns on the blasting and demolition effect of small-aspect-ratio reinforced concrete structures, a separated common node model of small-aspect-ratio structures was established through the finite element numerical simulation software ANSYS/LS-DYNA. The results showed that the delay-time differences between columns influenced the position of the plastic hinge of the structure, and the plastic hinge was located at the end of the back span beam when the delay-time difference was 0.1~0.3 s. The plastic hinge moves to the top of the back row of the columns of the first floor at 0.4~0.8 s and to the end of each span of the beams at 0.9 s. When the plastic hinge is at the end of the beam, the orientation axis is located at the bottom of the back row of the columns of the first floor. Moreover, when the plastic hinge is at the top of the back row of the columns of the first floor, the orientation axis is at the same position as the plastic hinge. The delay-time difference also affects the recoil distance of the structure as well as the height of the burst pile. To ensure that the structure can be successfully collapsed under the preconditions of disintegration, for a small height-to-width ratio structure, the appropriate intercolumn delay-time difference is 0.4~0.5 s.
Indoor Microclimate Analysis of the San Panfilo Church in Tornimparte, Italy
Authors: Ferrarese Silvia , Bertoni Davide , Golzio Alessio , Lanteri Luca , Pelosi Claudia , Re Alessandro
Published: June 2023

This work presents the results of a microclimatic analysis in the church of San Panfilo in Tornimparte, in the Abruzzo region, Italy. The church of San Panfilo, dating from the XII–XIII century, preserves in the presbytery some marvelous frescoes of Saturnino Gatti (1494). A measurement campaign was organized from February 2021 to April 2022 with the aim of investigating the microclimate inside the church in view of the organization of fresco restoration. The monitoring activity was performed with intensive measurements on specific days during the year and with continuous measurements throughout the whole year. The main microclimatic parameters, relative humidity and temperature, were monitored in various sites inside and outside the church. Some physical quantities, such as dew point temperature, dew point spread and specific humidity, were computed from measured data. Measured and computed data permitted to evaluate the daily and monthly values, their evolution during the year, the daily fluctuations and delay times caused by the building. The resulting discussion allowed to identify potentially dangerous events for the conservation of the frescoes. Moreover, the historic climate inside the church was detected.
A Novel Methodology for Developing Troubleshooting Chatbots Applied to ATM Technical Maintenance Support
Authors: Azevedo Nádila , Aquino Gustavo , Nascimento Leonardo , Camelo Leonardo , Figueira Thiago , Oliveira Joel , Figueiredo Ingrid , Printes André , Torné Israel , Figueiredo Carlos
Published: June 2023

The banking industry has been employing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance the quality of its services. More recently, AI algorithms, such as natural language understanding (NLU), have been integrated into chatbots to improve banking applications. These chatbots are typically designed to cater to customers’ needs. However, research in the development of troubleshooting chatbots for technical purposes remains scarce, especially in the banking sector. Although a company may possess a knowledge database, a standard methodology is essential to guiding an AI developer in building a chatbot, making the modeling of technical needs into a specialized chatbot a challenging task. This paper presents a novel methodology for developing troubleshooting chatbots. We apply this methodology to create an AI-powered chatbot capable of performing technical ATM maintenance tasks. We propose the TroubleshootingBot, an experimental protocol to obtain data for evaluating the chatbot through two scenarios. The first scenario detects user intent, and the second recognizes desired values in a user’s phrase (e.g., three beeps or two beeps). For these scenarios, we achieved accuracies of 0.93 and 0.88, respectively. This work represents a significant advancement in virtual assistants for banking applications and holds potential for other technical problem-solving applications.
Comparative Analysis of Body Composition Profiles among Latin American Elite Football Players Competing in Europe
Authors: Conde-Pipo Javier , Latorre Jose Antonio , Gimenez-Blasi Nuria , Olea-Serrano Fatima , Requena Bernardo , Mariscal-Arcas Miguel
Published: June 2023

It has yet to be determined whether or not differences in body composition are present between international and non-international players playing in the same elite professional club competition. Similarly, it is not yet clear whether or not differences in body composition exist according to ethnic origin where relative homogeneity is to be expected among soccer players. There is no single anthropometric profile that guarantees sporting success, as success differs according to characteristics. The aim of this study was to assess the description, comparison, and correlation of the body composition profile of Latin American professional football players playing in European leagues. The sample was composed of 238 Latin American male football players from European professional football leagues of Spain, Italy and England during the competition period. Differences were found in all measures. The present study shows that Latin American professional football players playing in Europe have significant differences in various body composition variables such as weight, height, WC, skinfold and fat values. This means that training, revalidation after injury and the classifications of sporting performance carried out in European football clubs should take into account the anthropometric difference between Latin American and European players.
Tensile Stress Evolution Outside Deformation Zone of Cold Rolled Strip
Authors: Zhang Kangwu , Wang Dongcheng , Xu Yanghuan , Liu Hongmin
Published: June 2023

To determine the exact distribution of tensile stress in a cold rolled strip, tensile stress evolution caused by lateral uneven velocity distribution outside the deformation zone of the strip is examined. The finite difference method is employed to solve the problem. Different factors, including the strip width and the form and amplitude of the initial stress distribution on the stress evolution, are analyzed. On the one hand, to improve the calculation speed, a “Gaussian” curve is proposed to fit the results calculated by the finite difference method. Simulation results show that the stress evolution calculated by the fitting equation is in good agreement with that obtained by the finite difference method. On the other hand, to verify the exactness of the model, an experiment is conducted, and the comparison between the calculated results and experimental values is discussed.
Uncertainty Quantification of Ride Comfort Based on gPC Framework for a Fully Coupled Human–Vehicle Model
Authors: Song Byoung-Gyu , Bae Jong-Jin , Kang Namcheol
Published: June 2023

We investigated the stochastic response of a person sitting in a driving vehicle to quantify the impact of an uncertain parameter important in controlling defect reduction in terms of ride comfort. Using CarSim software and MATLAB/Simulink, we developed a fully coupled model that simulates a driving vehicle combined with an analytical nonlinear human model. Ride comfort was evaluated as a ride index considering the frequency weights defined in BS 6841. Additionally, to investigate the uncertainty of the ride index, a framework for calculating the ride index was proposed using the generalized polynomial (gPC) method. Further, sensitivity analysis of the ride index was performed for each uncertainty parameter, such as stiffness and damping. The results obtained through the gPC method were in good agreement with those obtained via Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) and were excellent in terms of computation time without a loss of numerical accuracy. Through in-depth investigation, we found that the stochastic distribution of the ride index varies differently for each uncertain parameter in the human model. By comparing linear and nonlinear human models, we also found that the nonlinearity of the human model is an important concern in the stochastic estimation of ride comfort.
An Investigation of Volcanic Ground Deformation Using InSAR Observations at Tendürek Volcano (Turkey)
Authors: Gündüz Halil İbrahim , Yılmaztürk Ferruh , Orhan Osman
Published: June 2023

Although approximately one-tenth of the world’s population lives near volcanoes, most of the 1500 active volcanoes are not monitored by ground-based instruments because of the cost and difficulty of access. Since the development of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) in the 1990s, recent advances have allowed the near-real-time detection of surface deformations, one of the earliest markers of volcanic activity. According to the Global Volcanism Program, Turkey’s most recent eruption (involving gas and ash) occurred in the Tendürek volcano in 1885. An explosion in the Tendürek volcano, which continues to actively output gas and steam, would be a critical issue for the life and property of the people living nearby. In this context, we processed the Sentinel-1 data collected by the European Space Agency using the Stanford Method for Persistent Scatterers, and the surface deformations of the Tendürek volcano were investigated. In addition, we applied two different atmospheric correction approaches (linear phase-based tropospheric correction and the Generic Atmospheric Correction Online Service for InSAR) to reduce atmospheric effects and found that the linear phase-based tropospheric correction model produced lower standard deviation values. Subsequently, the mean deformation velocity maps, displacement time series, and deformation components in the line-of-sight direction were calculated. The results showed that the most severe subsidence was −11 mm/yr on the upper slopes of the Tendürek volcano. Although the lower slopes of the subsidence region have a lower settlement rate, the subsidence has a peak-caldera-centered location.
NAMRTNet: Automatic Classification of Sleep Stages Based on Improved ResNet-TCN Network and Attention Mechanism
Authors: Xu Xuebin , Chen Chen , Meng Kan , Lu Longbin , Cheng Xiaorui , Fan Haichao
Published: June 2023

Sleep, as the basis for regular body functioning, can affect human health. Poor sleep conditions can lead to various physical ailments, such as poor immunity, memory loss, slow cognitive development, and cardiovascular diseases. Along the increasing stress in society comes with a growing surge in conditions associated with sleep disorders. Studies have shown that sleep stages are essential for the body’s memory, immune system, and brain functioning. Therefore, automatic sleep stage classification is of great medical practice importance as a basis for monitoring sleep conditions. Although previous research into the classification of sleep stages has been promising, several challenges remain to be addressed: (1) The EEG signal is a non-smooth signal with harrowing feature extraction and high requirements for model accuracy. (2) Some existing network models suffer from overfitting and gradient descent. (3) Correlation between long time sequences is challenging to capture. This paper proposes NAMRTNet, a deep model architecture based on the original single-channel EEG signal to address these challenges. The model uses a modified ResNet network to extract features from sub-epochs of individual epochs, a lightweight attention mechanism normalization-based attention module (NAM) to suppress insignificant features, and a temporal convolutional network (TCN) network to capture dependencies between features of long time series. The recognition rate of 20-fold cross-validation with the NAMRTNet model for Fpz-cz channel data in the public sleep dataset Sleep-EDF was 86.2%. The experimental results demonstrate the network’s superiority in this paper, surpassing some state-of-the-art techniques in different evaluation metrics. Furthermore, the total time to train the network was 5.1 h, which was much less than the training time of other models.
Adaptive Recursive Sliding Mode Control (ARSMC)-Based UAV Control for Future Smart Cities
Authors: Abbas Nadir , Abbas Zeshan , Liu Xiaodong
Published: June 2023

The rapid expansion of the Internet and communication technologies is leading to significant changes in both society and the economy. This development is driving the evolution of smart cities, which utilize cutting-edge technologies and data analysis to optimize efficiency and reduce waste in their infrastructure and services. As the number of mobile devices and embedded computers grows, new technologies, such as fifth-generation (5G) cellular broadband networks and the Internet of Things (IoT), are emerging to extend wireless network connectivity. These cities are often referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), highlighting their innovative approach to utilizing technology. To address the challenges posed by continuously varying perturbations, such as unknown states, gyroscopic disturbance torque, and parametric uncertainties, an adaptive recursive sliding mode control (ARSMC) has been developed. The high computational cost and high-order nonlinear behavior of UAVs make them difficult to control. The controller design is divided into two steps. First, a confined stability analysis is performed using controllability and observability to estimate the system’s stability calculation. Second, a Lyapunov-based controller design analysis is systematically tackled using a recursive design procedure. The strategy design aims to enhance robustness through Lyapunov stability-based mathematical analysis in the presence of considered perturbations. The ARSMC introduces new variables that depend on state variables, controlling parameters, and stabilizing functions to minimize unwanted signals and compensate for nonlinearities in the system. The paper’s significant contribution is to improve the controlled output’s rise time and stability time while ensuring efficient robustness.
Numerical Study on the Green-Water Loads and Structural Responses of Ship Bow Structures Caused by Freak Waves
Authors: Zhang Chengzhe , Zhang Weiyi , Qin Hao , Han Yunwu , Zhao Enjin , Mu Lin , Zhang Haoran
Published: June 2023

In recent decades, freak waves, characterized by their unusual high amplitude, sharp crest, and concentrated energy, have attracted researchers’ attention due to their potential threat to marine structures. Green-water loads caused by freak waves can be significant and may lead to local damage to the ship structures. Therefore, this paper focuses on the study of green-water loads and examines the structural responses of ship bow structures under the influence of the green-water loads caused by freak waves. Firstly, a three-dimensional numerical wave tank is established in which the superposition model is used to generate freak waves. Validations on the freak-wave generation, ship motion response and the wave loading are carried out to verify the present solvers. The simulation on the interaction between the freak wave and the ship are conducted to obtain the interaction process and green-water loads. Secondly, a finite element (FEM) model of the ship bow is built, on which the green-water loads are applied to calculate the structural responses. Finally, the displacement and stress of the deck and breakwater structures are analyzed. It is found that green water events caused by freak waves can generate enormous impact forces on the bow deck and breakwater, resulting in severe structural responses and even possible damage to the structures. The local strength of structures under freak waves needs to be considered in practical engineering applications.
End-to-End Mispronunciation Detection and Diagnosis Using Transfer Learning
Authors: Peng Linkai , Gao Yingming , Bao Rian , Li Ya , Zhang Jinsong
Published: June 2023

As an indispensable module of computer-aided pronunciation training (CAPT) systems, mispronunciation detection and diagnosis (MDD) techniques have attracted a lot of attention from academia and industry over the past decade. To train robust MDD models, this technique requires massive human-annotated speech recordings which are usually expensive and even hard to acquire. In this study, we propose to use transfer learning to tackle the problem of data scarcity from two aspects. First, from audio modality, we explore the use of the pretrained model wav2vec2.0 for MDD tasks by learning robust general acoustic representation. Second, from text modality, we explore transferring prior texts into MDD by learning associations between acoustic and textual modalities. We propose textual modulation gates that assign more importance to the relevant text information while suppressing irrelevant text information. Moreover, given the transcriptions, we propose an extra contrastive loss to reduce the difference of learning objectives between the phoneme recognition and MDD tasks. Conducting experiments on the L2-Arctic dataset showed that our wav2vec2.0 based models outperformed the conventional methods. The proposed textual modulation gate and contrastive loss further improved the F1-score by more than 2.88% and our best model achieved an F1-score of 61.75%.
Vapor Composition and Vaporization Thermodynamics of 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Hexafluorophosphate Ionic Liquid
Authors: Dunaev Anatoliy M. , Motalov Vladimir B. , Korobov Mikhail A. , Govorov Dmitrii , Aleksandriiskii Victor V. , Kudin Lev S.
Published: June 2023

The processes of the sublimation and thermal decomposition of the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ionic liquid (EMImPF6) were studied by a complex approach including Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry, IR and NMR spectroscopy, and quantum chemical calculations. It was established that the vapor over the liquid phase primarily consists of decomposition products under equilibrium conditions. Otherwise, the neutral ion pairs are the only vapor components under Langmuir conditions. To identify the nature of the decomposition products, an experiment on the distillation of the ionic liquid was performed and the collected distillate was analyzed. It was revealed by the IR and NMR spectroscopy that EMImPF6 decomposes to substituted imidazole-2-ylidene (C6N2H10PF5) and HF. The measured vapor pressure of C6N2H10PF5 reveals a very low activity of the decomposition products (<10−4) in the liquid phase. The absence of a significant accumulation of decomposition products in the condensed phase makes it possible to determine the enthalpy of sublimation of the ionic liquid assuming its unchanged activity. The thermodynamics of the EMImPF6 sublimation was studied by Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry. The formation enthalpy of EMImPF6 in the ideal gas state was found from a combination of the sublimation enthalpy and formation enthalpy of the ionic liquid in the condensed state. The obtained value is in good agreement with those calculated by quantum chemical methods.
Assessment of the Effect of International Maritime Regulations on Air Quality in the Southern North Sea
Authors: Van Roy Ward , Merveille Jean-Baptiste , Scheldeman Kobe , Van Nieuwenhove Annelore , Schallier Ronny , Van Roozendael Benjamin , Maes Frank
Published: June 2023

Air pollution is a leading cause of death worldwide, and it has a profound impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems. A substantial portion of air pollution is attributable to Ocean Going Vessels (OGVs). In light of this, international regulations have been put in place to mitigate air pollutant emissions from OGVs. While studies have indicated that these regulations can create significant health, environmental, and economic benefits, there remains a research gap regarding their specific impact on enhancing air quality. The aim of this study is to investigate how the implemented regulations have affected air quality in the Southern North Sea. The study found that the international regulations on ship emissions have successfully led to a decline in SO2 emissions from OGVs in the Southern North Sea, which resulted in a reduction of ambient SO2 concentrations inland, leading to positive effects on public health and the environment. However, the proportion of shipping’s contribution to SO2 emissions is projected to increase in the future. Moreover, the study revealed that the use of Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) presents significant concerns. They were more frequently found to be non-compliant, and, more alarmingly, they emit higher mean levels of SO2. It also emerged that international regulations in the southern North Sea have less of an impact on the reduction of NOx emissions from OGVs than expected, which is all the more important given that NOx emissions from OGVs are expected to account for 40% of the total domestic NOx emissions for the northern region of Belgium by 2030.
The Spin-Orbit Interaction: A Small Force with Large Implications
Authors: Manson Steven T.
Published: June 2023

The spin-orbit interaction is quite small compared to electrostatic forces in atoms. Nevertheless, this small interaction can have large consequences. Several examples of the importance of the spin-orbit force in atomic photoionization are presented and explained.
Universal Recommendations on Planning and Performing the Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) with a Focus on Mice and Rats
Authors: Domarecka Ewa , Szczepek Agnieszka J.
Published: June 2023

Translational audiology research aims to transfer basic research findings into practical clinical applications. While animal studies provide essential knowledge for translational research, there is an urgent need to improve the reproducibility of data derived from these studies. Sources of variability in animal research can be grouped into three areas: animal, equipment, and experimental. To increase standardization in animal research, we developed universal recommendations for designing and conducting studies using a standard audiological method: auditory brainstem response (ABR). The recommendations are domain-specific and are intended to guide the reader through the issues that are important when applying for ABR approval, preparing for, and conducting ABR experiments. Better experimental standardization, which is the goal of these guidelines, is expected to improve the understanding and interpretation of results, reduce the number of animals used in preclinical studies, and improve the translation of knowledge to the clinic.
Banach Contraction Principle-Type Results for Some Enriched Mappings in Modular Function Spaces
Authors: Khan Safeer Hussain , Al-Mazrooei Abdullah Eqal , Latif Abdul
Published: June 2023

The idea of enriched mappings in normed spaces is relatively a newer idea. In this paper, we initiate the study of enriched mappings in modular function spaces. We first introduce the concepts of enriched ρ-contractions and enriched ρ-Kannan mappings in modular function spaces. We then establish some Banach Contraction Principle type theorems for the existence of fixed points of such mappings in this setting. Our results for enriched ρ-contractions are generalizations of the corresponding results from Banach spaces to modular function spaces and those from contractions to enriched ρ-contractions. We make a first ever attempt to prove existence results for enriched ρ-Kannan mappings and deduce the result for ρ-Kannan mappings. Note that even ρ-Kannan mappings in modular function spaces have not been considered yet. We validate our main results by examples.
DSpamOnto: An Ontology Modelling for Domain-Specific Social Spammers in Microblogging
Authors: Al-Hassan Malak , Abu-Salih Bilal , Al Hwaitat Ahmad
Published: June 2023

The lack of regulations and oversight on Online Social Networks (OSNs) has resulted in the rise of social spam, which is the dissemination of unsolicited and low-quality content that aims to deceive and manipulate users. Social spam can cause a range of negative consequences for individuals and businesses, such as the spread of malware, phishing scams, and reputational damage. While machine learning techniques can be used to detect social spammers by analysing patterns in data, they have limitations such as the potential for false positives and false negatives. In contrast, ontologies allow for the explicit modelling and representation of domain knowledge, which can be used to create a set of rules for identifying social spammers. However, the literature exposes a deficiency of ontologies that conceptualize domain-based social spam. This paper aims to address this gap by designing a domain-specific ontology called DSpamOnto to detect social spammers in microblogging that targes a specific domain. DSpamOnto can identify social spammers based on their domain-specific behaviour, such as posting repetitive or irrelevant content and using misleading information. The proposed model is compared and benchmarked against well-proven ML models using various evaluation metrics to verify and validate its utility in capturing social spammers.
Beverage Industry By-Products as Bio-Resources of Functional Compounds
Authors: Makris Dimitris P.
Published: June 2023

To produce sufficient food for the expanding global population, natural resources are constantly being overused, and at the same time, wastes are being produced at an ever-increasing rate [...]
Fiber-Based SERS-Fluidic Polymeric Platforms for Improved Optical Analysis of Liquids
Authors: Credi Caterina , Dallari Caterina , Nocentini Sara , Gatta Gabriele , Bianchi Elena , Wiersma Diederik S. , Pavone Francesco S.
Published: June 2023

Downsizing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) within microfluidic devices has opened interesting perspectives for the development of low-cost and portable (bio)sensors for the optical analysis of liquid samples. Despite the research efforts, SERS-fluidic devices still rely either on the use of expensive bulky set-ups or on polymeric devices giving spurious background signals fabricated via expensive manufacturing processes. Here, polymeric platforms integrating fluidics and optics were fabricated with versatile designs allowing easy coupling with fiber-based Raman systems. For the first time, anti-fouling photocurable perfluoropolyether (PFPE) was explored for high-throughput SERS-integrating chip fabrication via replica molding of negative stamps obtained through standard and advanced fabrication processes. The PFPE devices comprised networks of channels for fluid handling and for optical fiber housing with multiple orientations. Embedded microfeatures were used to control the relative positioning of the fibers, thus guaranteeing the highest signal delivering and collection. The feasibility of PFPE devices as fiber-based SERS fluidic platforms was demonstrated through the straightforward acquisition of Raman-SERS spectra of a mixture of gold nanoparticles as SERS substrates with rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) at decreasing concentrations. In the presence of high-performing gold nanostars, the Rh6G signal was detectable at dilutions down to the nanomolar level even without tight focusing and working at low laser power—a key aspect for analyte detection in real-world biomedical and environmental applications.
Advances in Biomechanics-Based Motion Analysis
Authors: Ma Christina Zong-Hao , Li Zhengrong , He Chen
Published: June 2023

Motion patterns in humans have been closely associated with neurological/musculoskeletal/behavioral/psychological health issues and competitive sports performance [...]
Recreating the Trabecular Outflow Tissue on Implantable, Micropatterned, Ultrathin, Porous Polycaprolactone Scaffolds
Authors: Beardslee Luke A. , Halman Justin R. , Unser Andrea M. , Xie Yubing , Danias John , Bergkvist Magnus , Sharfstein Susan T. , Torrejon Karen Y.
Published: June 2023

Glaucoma, where increased intraocular pressure (IOP) leads to damage to the optic nerve and loss of sight, is amongst the foremost causes of irreversible blindness worldwide. In primary open angle glaucoma, the increased IOP is a result of the malfunctioning human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells’ inability to properly regulate the outflow of aqueous humor from the eye. A potential future treatment for glaucoma is to replace damaged HTM cells with a tissue-engineered substitute, thus restoring proper fluid outflow. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a versatile, biodegradable, and implantable material that is widely used for cell culture and tissue engineering. In this work, PCL scaffolds were lithographically fabricated using a sacrificial process to produce submicron-thick scaffolds with openings of specific sizes and shapes (e.g., grid, hexagonal pattern). The HTM cell growth on gelatin-coated PCL scaffolds was assessed by scanning electron microscopy, tetrazolium metabolic activity assay, and cytoskeletal organization of F-actin. Expression of HTM-specific markers and ECM deposition were assessed by immunocytochemistry and qPCR analysis. Gelatin-coated, micropatterned, ultrathin, porous PCL scaffolds with a grid pattern supported proper HTM cell growth, cytoskeleton organization, HTM-marker expression, and ECM deposition, demonstrating the feasibility of using these PCL scaffolds to tissue-engineer implantable, healthy ocular outflow tissue.
A Unique Response Behavior in the Dissolved Oxygen Tension in E. coli Minibioreactor Cultivations with Intermittent Feeding
Authors: Jouned M. Adnan , Kager Julian , Rajamanickam Vignesh , Herwig Christoph , Barz Tilman
Published: June 2023

Intermittent bolus feeding for E. coli cultivations in minibioreactor systems (MBRs) profoundly affects the cell metabolism. Bolus feeding leads to temporal substrate surplus and transient oxygen limitation, which triggers the formation of inhibitory byproducts. Due to the high oxygen demand right after the injection of the substrate, the dissolved oxygen tension (DOT) signal exhibits a negative pulse. This contribution describes and analyzes this DOT response in E. coli minibioreactor cultivations. In addition to gaining information on culture conditions, a unique response behavior in the DOT signal was observed in the analysis. This response appeared only at a dilution ratio per biomass unit higher than a certain threshold. The analysis highlights a plausible relationship between a metabolic adaptation behavior and the newly observed DOT signal segment not reported in the literature. A hypothesis that links particular DOT segments to specific metabolic states is proposed. The quantitative analysis and mechanistic model simulations support this hypothesis and show the possibility of obtaining cell physiological and growth parameters from the DOT signal.
Activity–Rest Circadian Rhythm of the Pearly Razorfish in Its Natural Habitat, before and during Its Mating
Authors: Akaarir Mourad , Pujol José Manuel , Suau Margalida , Rial Rubén V. , Nicolau María Cristina , Gamundi Antoni , Martorell-Barceló Martina , Barceló-Serra Margarida , Aspillaga Eneko , Alós Josep
Published: June 2023

Recent technological advances in marine biotelemetry have demonstrated that marine fish species perform activity–rest rhythms that have relevant ecological and evolutionary consequences. The main objective of the present report is to study the circadian rhythm of activity–rest of the pearly razorfish, Xyrichtys novacula in its own habitat, before and during the reproduction season using a novel biotelemetry system. This fish species is a small-bodied marine species that inhabits most shallow soft habitats of temperate areas and has a high interest for commercial and recreational fisheries. The activity of free-living fish was monitored by means of high-resolution acoustic tracking of the motor activity of the fish in one-minute intervals. The obtained data allowed the definition of the circadian rhythm of activity–rest in terms of classical non-parametric values: interdaily stability (IS), intradaily variability (IV), relative amplitude (RA), average activity during the most-active period of consecutive 10 h (M10), and average activity during the least-active period of consecutive 5 h (L5). We observed a well-marked rhythm, with little fragmentation and good synchrony with the environmental cycle of light–darkness, regardless of sex and the period studied. However, the rhythm was found to be slightly more desynchronized and fragmented during reproduction because of variations in the photoperiod. In addition, we found that the activity of the males was much higher than that of the females (p < 0.001), probably due to the peculiar behavior of the males in defending the harems they lead. Finally, the time at which activity began in males was slightly earlier than it was in females (p < 0.001), presumably due to the same fact, as differences in activity or for the individual heterogeneity of this species in the time of awakening are considered to be an independent axis of the fish’s personality. Our work is novel, as it is one of the first studies of activity–rest rhythm using classical circadian-related descriptors in free-living marine fish using locomotory data facilitated by novel technological approaches.
Functional Trait-Based Evidence of Microplastic Effects on Aquatic Species
Authors: Berlino M. , Sarà G. , Mangano M. C.
Published: June 2023

Microplastics represent an ever-increasing threat to aquatic organisms. We merged data from two global scale meta-analyses investigating the effect of microplastics on benthic organisms’ and fishes’ functional traits. Results were compared, allowing differences related to vertebrate and invertebrate habitat, life stage, trophic level, and experimental design to be explored. Functional traits of aquatic organisms were negatively affected. Metabolism, growth, and reproduction of benthic organisms were impacted, and fish behaviour was significantly affected. Responses differed by trophic level, suggesting negative effects on trophic interactions and energy transfer through the trophic web. The experimental design was found to have the most significant impact on results. As microplastics impact an organism’s performance, this causes indirect repercussions further up the ecological hierarchy on the ecosystem’s stability and functioning, and its associated goods and services are at risk. Standardized methods to generate salient targets and indicators are urgently needed to better inform policy makers and guide mitigation plans.
Drug Delivery Systems for Personal Healthcare by Smart Wearable Patch System
Authors: Khadka Bikram , Lee Byeongmoon , Kim Ki-Taek
Published: June 2023

Smart wearable patch systems that combine biosensing and therapeutic components have emerged as promising approaches for personalized healthcare and therapeutic platforms that enable self-administered, noninvasive, user-friendly, and long-acting smart drug delivery. Sensing components can continuously monitor physiological and biochemical parameters, and the monitoring signals can be transferred to various stimuli using actuators. In therapeutic components, stimuli-responsive carrier-based drug delivery systems (DDSs) provide on-demand drug delivery in a closed-loop manner. This review provides an overview of the recent advances in smart wearable patch systems, focusing on sensing components, stimuli, and therapeutic components. Additionally, this review highlights the potential of fully integrated smart wearable patch systems for personalized medicine. Furthermore, challenges associated with the clinical applications of this system and future perspectives are discussed, including issues related to drug loading and reloading, biocompatibility, accuracy of sensing and drug delivery, and largescale fabrication.
Exploring the Application of Multi-Resonant Bands Terahertz Metamaterials in the Field of Carbohydrate Films Sensing
Authors: Zhang Min , Guo Guanxuan , Xu Yihan , Yao Zhibo , Zhang Shoujun , Yan Yuyue , Tian Zhen
Published: June 2023

Terahertz spectroscopy is a powerful tool for investigating the properties and states of biological matter. Here, a systematic investigation of the interaction of THz wave with “bright mode” resonators and “dark mode” resonators has been conducted, and a simple general principle of obtaining multiple resonant bands has been developed. By manipulating the number and positions of bright mode and dark mode resonant elements in metamaterials, we realized multi-resonant bands terahertz metamaterial structures with three electromagnetic-induced transparency in four-frequency bands. Different carbohydrates in the state of dried films were selected for detection, and the results showed that the multi-resonant bands metamaterial have high response sensitivity at the resonance frequency similar to the characteristic frequency of the biomolecule. Furthermore, by increasing the biomolecule mass in a specific frequency band, the frequency shift in glucose was found to be larger than that of maltose. The frequency shift in glucose in the fourth frequency band is larger than that of the second band, whereas maltose exhibits an opposing trend, thus enabling recognition of maltose and glucose. Our findings provide new insights into the design of functional multi-resonant bands metamaterials, as well as new strategies for developing multi-band metamaterial biosensing devices.