bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mammalian and Avian Larval Schistosomatids in Bangladesh: Molecular Characterization, Epidemiology, Molluscan Vectors, and Occurrence of Human Cercarial Dermatitis
Authors: Labony Sharmin Shahid , Hossain Md. Shahadat , Hatta Takeshi , Dey Anita Rani , Mohanta Uday Kumar , Islam Ausraful , Shahiduzzaman Md. , Hasan Muhammad Mehedi , Alim Md. Abdul , Tsuji Naotoshi , Anisuzzaman
Published: October 2022

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by blood flukes (Schistosoma spp.). Schistosomatids affect a wide array of vertebrate hosts, including humans. In the present study, multiple species of schistosomatids were identified by isolating schistosomatid cercariae (SC) from naturally infected snails. We also described different biotic and abiotic factors influencing SC infections in snails and reported human cercarial dermatitis (HCD) for the first time in Bangladesh. A total of 22,012 snails of seven species: Lymnaea auricularia, L. luteola, Indoplanorbis exustus, Physa acuta, Viviparus bengalensis, Brotia spp., and Thiara spp., were collected and examined. Among these snails, 581 (2.6%) belonging to five species: L. luteola, L. auricularia, P. acuta, I. exustus, and V. bengalensis, were infected with SC. The rate of infection was the highest for L. luteola (11.1%), followed by L. auricularia (5.3%), and was the lowest for V. bengalensis (0.4%). Prevalence in snails was the highest in September (16.8%), followed by October (9.5%) and November (8.8%), and was the lowest in colder months, such as January (1.8%) and February (2.1%). Infections with schistosomatids were more common in larger snails and snails collected from sunny areas. We confirmed the presence of Schistosoma indicum, S. incognitum, S. nasale, S. spindale, and Trichobilharzia szidati by PCR and sequencing. Through a questionnaire survey, we detected HCD in 214 (53.5%) individuals, and the infection rate was almost equally distributed across all professions. Collectively, the present results suggest that lymnaeid snails are the main vector for Schistosoma spp. prevalent in Bangladesh, and schistosomatids with zoonotic potential are also prevalent.
Evidence of Dirofilaria immitis in Felids in North-Eastern Italy
Authors: Grillini Marika , Frangipane di Regalbono Antonio , Tessarin Cinzia , Beraldo Paola , Cassini Rudi , Marchiori Erica , Simonato Giulia
Published: October 2022

Dirofilaria immitis is a mosquito-borne nematode, causing heartworm (HW) disease in wild and domestic canids. HW can also affect felids with different clinical patterns from asymptomatic pictures to sudden death, making the monitoring and diagnosis complicated. Canine HW is endemic in North-eastern Italy; however, very little information has been recorded for felids. This study aims to provide new information on HW in felids in North-eastern Italy. Two hundred and six domestic cats from Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino Alto-Adige regions (North-eastern Italy), nine captive felids from zoological parks from Veneto, and nineteen European wildcats from Friuli Venezia Giulia were recruited. Sera/plasma was analysed for the detection of anti-HW antibodies (Ab) and HW antigens (Ag); positive blood samples were molecularly analysed, targeting the HW DNA (5S-rRNA gene). Twelve out of two hundred and six (5.8%) cats presented with Ab, and three out of two hundred and six (1.5%) presented with Ag, mainly those from the Veneto region, already known as a canine HW-endemic area. Among Ab-positive cats, two were from Belluno, a mountain province previously considered free, suggesting the expansion of HW into the northern areas. No cats were positive for both Ab and Ag. Three out of nineteen (15.8%) wildcats were Ag-positive, constituting the first HW report in Italy. No captive felids were positive. Dirofilaria immitis DNA was not amplified in positive samples, suggesting the low sensitivity of PCR on blood. This study provides new data on the occurrence of HW in domestic cats and wildcats in North-eastern Italy.
Potential Application of Small Interfering RNA in Gastro-Intestinal Tumors
Authors: Losurdo Pasquale , de Manzini Nicolò , Palmisano Silvia , Grassi Mario , Parisi Salvatore , Rizzolio Flavio , Tierno Domenico , Biasin Alice , Grassi Chiara , Truong Nhung Hai , Grassi Gabriele
Published: October 2022

Despite the progress made in the diagnoses and therapy of gastrointestinal cancers, these diseases are still plagued by a high mortality. Thus, novel therapeutic approaches are urgently required. In this regard, small interfering RNA (siRNA), double-stranded RNA molecules able to specifically target the mRNA of pathological genes, have the potential to be of therapeutic value. To be effective in the human body, siRNAs need to be protected against degradation. Additionally, they need to target the tumor, leaving the normal tissue untouched in an effort to preserve organ function. To accomplish these tasks, siRNAs have been formulated with smart delivery systems such has polymers and lipids. While siRNA protection is not particularly difficult to achieve, their targeting of tumor cells remains problematic. Here, after introducing the general features of gastrointestinal cancers, we describe siRNA characteristics together with representative delivery systems developed for gastrointestinal cancers. Afterward, we present a selection of research papers employing siRNAs against upper- and lower- gastrointestinal cancers. For the liver, we also consider papers using siRNAs to combat liver cirrhosis, a relevant risk factor for liver cancer development. Finally, we present a brief description of clinical trials employing siRNAs for gastrointestinal cancers.
Interpreting the Benefit and Risk Data in Between-Drug Comparisons: Illustration of the Challenges Using the Example of Mefenamic Acid versus Ibuprofen
Authors: Farkouh André , Hemetsberger Margit , Noe Christian R. , Baumgärtel Christoph
Published: October 2022

Evidence-based pain therapy should rely on precisely defined and personalized criteria. This includes balancing the benefits and risks not only of single drugs but often requires complex between-drug comparisons. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been available for several decades and their use is described in an abundance of guidelines. Most of these guidelines recommend that ‘the selection of a particular NSAID should be based on the benefit-risk balance for each patient’. However, head-to-head studies are often lacking or of poor quality, reflecting the lower standards for clinical research and regulatory approval at the time. The inconsistency of approved indications between countries due to national applications adds to the complexity. Finally, a fading research interest once drugs become generic points to a general deficit in the post-marketing evaluation of medicines. Far from claiming completeness, this narrative review aimed to illustrate the challenges that physicians encounter when trying to balance benefits and risks in a situation of incomplete and inconsistent data on longstanding treatment concepts. Ibuprofen and mefenamic acid, the most frequently sold NSAIDs in Austria, serve as examples. The illustrated principles are, however, not specific to these drugs and are generalizable to any comparison of older drugs in daily clinical practice.
Methylene Blue-Loaded Mesoporous Silica-Coated Gold Nanorods on Graphene Oxide for Synergistic Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Seo Sun-Hwa , Joe Ara , Han Hyo-Won , Manivasagan Panchanathan , Jang Eue-Soon
Published: October 2022

Photo-nanotheranostics integrates near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered diagnostics and therapeutics, which are combined into a novel all-in-one phototheranostic nanomaterial that holds great promise for the early detection and precise treatment of cancer. In this study, we developed methylene blue-loaded mesoporous silica-coated gold nanorods on graphene oxide (MB-GNR@mSiO2-GO) as an all-in-one photo-nanotheranostic agent for intracellular surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) imaging-guided photothermal therapy (PTT)/photodynamic therapy (PDT) for cancer. Amine functionalization of the MB-GNR@mSiO2 surfaces was performed using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), which was well anchored on the carboxyl groups of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets uniformly, and showed a remarkably higher photothermal conversion efficiency (48.93%), resulting in outstanding PTT/PDT for cancer. The in vitro photothermal/photodynamic effect of MB-GNR@mSiO2-GO with laser irradiation showed significantly reduced cell viability (6.32%), indicating that MB-GNR@mSiO2-GO with laser irradiation induced significantly more cell deaths. Under laser irradiation, MB-GNR@mSiO2-GO showed a strong SERS effect, which permits accurate cancer cell detection by SERS imaging. Subsequently, the same Raman laser can focus on highly detected MDA-MB-23l cells for a prolonged time to perform PTT/PDT. Therefore, MB-GNR@mSiO2-GO has great potential for precise SERS imaging-guided synergistic PTT/PDT for cancer.
Injectable pH Thermo-Responsive Hydrogel Scaffold for Tumoricidal Neural Stem Cell Therapy for Glioblastoma Multiforme
Authors: King Jasmine L. , Maturavongsadit Panita , Hingtgen Shawn D. , Benhabbour S. Rahima
Published: October 2022

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults and despite recent advances in treatment modalities, GBM remains incurable. Injectable hydrogel scaffolds are a versatile delivery system that can improve delivery of drug and cell therapeutics for GBM. In this report, we investigated an injectable nanocellulose/chitosan-based hydrogel scaffold for neural stem cell encapsulation and delivery. Hydrogels were prepared using thermogelling beta-glycerophosphate (BGP) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), chitosan (CS), and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). We evaluated the impact of neural stem cells on hydrogel gelation kinetics, microstructures, and degradation. Furthermore, we investigated the biomaterial effects on cell viability and functionality. We demonstrated that the incorporation of cells at densities of 1, 5 and 10 million does not significantly impact rheological and physical properties CS scaffolds. However, addition of CNCs significantly prolonged hydrogel degradation when cells were seeded at 5 and 10 million per 1 mL hydrogel. In vitro cell studies demonstrated high cell viability, release of TRAIL at therapeutic concentrations, and effective tumor cell killing within 72 h. The ability of these hydrogel scaffolds to support stem cell encapsulation and viability and maintain stem cell functionality makes them an attractive cell delivery system for local treatment of post-surgical cancers.
Eucalyptus cinerea and E. nicholii by-Products as Source of Bioactive Compounds for Agricultural Applications
Authors: Malaspina Paola , Papaianni Marina , Ranesi Marta , Polito Flavio , Danna Cristina , Aicardi Pierluca , Cornara Laura , Woo Sheridan L. , De Feo Vincenzo
Published: October 2022

The cultivation of different species of Eucalyptus has recently expanded in Liguria (Italy) due to the growing demand of the North European floricultural market. Eucalyptus tree branches are cut and selected for their quality, resulting in large amounts of waste biomass to be disposed of. The aim of our study was to evaluate the phytotoxic and antimicrobial activities of essential oils (EOs) from pruning wastes of E. cinerea (EC) and E. nicholii (EN), for potential applications in agriculture. Phytochemical analyses showed eucalyptol (1,8-cineole) as the major component in both EOs, but the EO yield of EN was higher than that of EC, in agreement with a significantly higher oil gland density on EN leaves. EOs from both species showed phytotoxicity on both weeds tested, but no significant inhibition on horticultural crop seed germination, except for Raphanus sativus. The EO from EC showed the strongest antibacterial activity, while the EO from EN showed the strongest antifungal activity. Concluding, EOs from Eucalyptus pruning may be used as possible alternatives to synthetic herbicides and pesticides, acting as antimicrobial and antifungal agents, thus representing a safe strategy for crop management programs.
Aesthetic Analysis of the Regular Style of Sichuan Potted Landscapes in China
Authors: Hao Yanling , Hu Shixun , Xiao Hai , Liu Shiliang
Published: October 2022

Understanding the Sichuan potted landscapes, one of the five types of traditional Chinese potted landscapes, is important for exploring the development of Sichuan landscape architecture in Southwest China. In this study, we analyzed the shape and aesthetic characteristics of the traditional regular bonsai of the Sichuan style according to trunk features, branch patterns, tree shape, branch arrangement, and branch and plate numbers. Studies have shown that the flat-branch-type branch plate slopes downward and the bottom rises, and the number of branch plates is 2n + 1 (where n is the number of layers of the branch plate, n > 4), which is a proportional sequence. The ratio of the main pile height to the footplate is approximately 1.5:1–2:1, the pot:footplate ratio is <1:1, and the maximum bend:trunk ratio is <1:2. There were extremely significant differences between the length of the foot plate and its adjacent branch and plate length and the distance between the branch and plate. Interestingly, the rolling branch-type plants are characterized by vertical curved branches, oblique curved branches, and curved branches, reflecting the beauty of harmony and symmetry. Overall, the regular-style Sichuan tree potted landscape is mainly characterized by the beauty of rhythm and symmetry.
Insights from a Multi-Omics Integration (MOI) Study in Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) Response to Abiotic Stresses: Part Two—Drought
Authors: Leão André Pereira , Bittencourt Cleiton Barroso , Carvalho da Silva Thalliton Luiz , Rodrigues Neto Jorge Cândido , Braga Ítalo de Oliveira , Vieira Letícia Rios , de Aquino Ribeiro José Antônio , Abdelnur Patrícia Verardi , de Sousa Carlos Antônio Ferreira , Souza Júnior Manoel Teixeira
Published: October 2022

Drought and salinity are two of the most severe abiotic stresses affecting agriculture worldwide and bear some similarities regarding the responses of plants to them. The first is also known as osmotic stress and shows similarities mainly with the osmotic effect, the first phase of salinity stress. Multi-Omics Integration (MOI) offers a new opportunity for the non-trivial challenge of unraveling the mechanisms behind multigenic traits, such as drought and salinity resistance. The current study carried out a comprehensive, large-scale, single-omics analysis (SOA) and MOI studies on the leaves of young oil palm plants submitted to water deprivation. After performing SOA, 1955 DE enzymes from transcriptomics analysis, 131 DE enzymes from proteomics analysis, and 269 DE metabolites underwent MOI analysis, revealing several pathways affected by this stress, with at least one DE molecule in all three omics platforms used. Moreover, the similarities and dissimilarities in the molecular response of those plants to those two abiotic stresses underwent mapping. Cysteine and methionine metabolism (map00270) was the most affected pathway in all scenarios evaluated. The correlation analysis revealed that 91.55% of those enzymes expressed under both stresses had similar qualitative profiles, corroborating the already known fact that plant responses to drought and salinity show several similarities. At last, the results shed light on some candidate genes for engineering crop species resilient to both abiotic stresses.
Need for Sustainable Packaging: An Overview
Authors: Ibrahim Idowu David , Hamam Yskandar , Sadiku Emmanuel Rotimi , Ndambuki Julius Musyoka , Kupolati Williams Kehinde , Jamiru Tamba , Eze Azunna Agwo , Snyman Jacques
Published: October 2022

Packaging materials are a significant part of our lives due to their daily usage at grocery stores, supermarkets, restaurants, pharmaceuticals, etc. Packaging plays an important role in ensuring that the products are preserved during handling, transporting, and storage. Similarly, it helps to maintain and prolong the shelf life of products. These materials are used for packaging meats, poultry and seafood products, food and beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products. Several applications of packaging materials have been discussed extensively, with little discussion on their end of life and continuous availability without impacting the environment. This study presents the need for sustainable packaging as a result of growing demands and the environmental impact of packaging materials after use. This study also presents the importance, types, and applications of packaging materials. Based on the findings of this study, sustainable packaging is made possible by using bio-based and recyclable materials. These materials contribute a great deal to protecting and ensuring a sustainable environment.
The Treatment of Keloid Scars via Modulating Heterogeneous Gelatin-Structured Composite Microneedles to Control Transdermal Dual-Drug Release
Authors: Chen Yong-Ji , Cheng Hung-Wei , Yen Wan-Yu , Tsai Jen-Hao , Yeh Chin-Yi , Chen Ching-Jung , Liu Jen Tsai , Chen San-Yuan , Chang Shwu-Jen
Published: October 2022

Keloid scarring is an abnormal scar disease characterised by excessive proliferation of fibroblasts and over-deposition of collagen during wound healing. Although various treatments for keloid scars have been developed, preventive medicine is believed to be a promising strategy. The skin barrier limits the gentle topical administration of medicaments such as creams and hydrogel dressings, resulting in reduced therapeutic efficacy. In recent years, microneedles (MNs) have been regarded as an appreciable device for topical administration without inducing side effects, and they are painless and do not cause bleeding. In this study, an MN patch with controlled transdermal dual-drug release was developed to achieve combinatory treatment of keloid scars using a heterogeneous gelatin-structured composite MN. Gelatin hydrogel was used as a substrate to load gallic acid (GA) and quercetin-loaded amphiphilic gelatin nanoparticles to fabricate dual-drug heterogeneous composite MNs. The results of the insertion test and mechanical properties of the MNs showed that the heterogeneous composite MN patches could be self-pressed into the stratum corneum and control dual-drug release at different time periods. GA was released at an earlier stage to retard the proliferation of fibroblasts, and quercetin was released at a later stage as a strong antioxidant to erase the generation of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction data indicated that the gene expression of fibroblasts (such as Col I and III) was downregulated in the dual-drug system. The above results demonstrate that using heterogeneous composite MNs with the combination of dual-drug pharmacology is beneficial for preventing keloid scar formation.
Electrochemical Synthesis of Nanocrystalline CuAg Coatings on Stainless Steel from Cyanide-Free Electrolyte
Authors: El Sayed Manal A. , Ibrahim Magdy A. M. , T. Elazab Nahla , Gassoumi Malek
Published: October 2022

Herein we demonstrate a novel plating bath, free from cyanide, to plate a highly adherent nanocrystalline copper-silver (ncCuAg) coating on a stainless-steel substrate and its application as an antimicrobial coating. The microstructures, such as the grain size, texture, microstrain, and the crystalline preferential orientation of CuAg deposits, are systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis. The range of 13.4–16.6 nm was discovered to be the crystallite size determined from the X-ray peak broadening (Scherrer’s formula). Both HRTEM, FESEM-EDS, XPS, and mapping analysis revealed that the ncCuAg coatings are composed of both Ag and Cu atoms. Electrochemical processes occurring during CuAg co-deposition were investigated by using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and anodic linear stripping voltammetry (ALSV). Additionally, the coatings made of ncCuAg produced by these baths work well as antibacterial agents against gram-positive (Staphylococcus) and gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli).
Development and Performance Evaluation of Scale-Inhibiting Fracturing Fluid System
Authors: Zheng Miao , Sheng Lianqi , Ren Hongda , Yiming Abulimiti , Yao Erdong , Zhang Kun , Zhao Longhao
Published: October 2022

The injection water and formation water in the Mahu oil field have high salinity and poor compatibility, which leads to scaling and blockage in the formation or fracture propping zone during production. In this paper, a scale-inhibiting fracturing fluid system is developed which can prevent the formation of scale in the reservoir and solves the problem of scaling in the fracture propping zone at the Mahu oil field. Firstly, based on scale-inhibition rate, the performances of six commercial scale inhibitors were evaluated, including their acid and alkali resistance and temperature resistance. Then, the optimal scale inhibitors were combined with the fracturing fluid to obtain a scale-inhibiting fracturing fluid system. Its compatibility with other additives and scale-inhibition performance were evaluated. Finally, the system’s drag-reduction ability was tested through the loop friction tester. The results showed that, among the six scale inhibitors, the organic phosphonic acid scale inhibitor SC-1 has the best performance regardless of high-temperature, alkaline, and mixed scale conditions. In addition, SC-1 has good compatibility with the fracturing fluid. The scale-inhibiting fracturing fluid system can effectively prevent scaling inside the large pores in the propping zone, and a scale-inhibiting efficiency of 96.29% was obtained. The new fracture system maintained a drag-reduction efficiency of about 75%, indicating that the addition of the scale inhibitor did not cause a significant influence on the drag-reduction efficiency of the fracturing fluid.
Concept of an Enzymatic Reactive Extraction Centrifuge
Authors: Meyer Francesca , Gasimov Nijat , Bubenheim Paul , Waluga Thomas
Published: October 2022

Biocatalytic processes often provide an ecological alternative to many chemical processes. However, further improvements in terms of the economic efficiency are required. In order to achieve that, the concept of process integration is a promising option. Applying this within a biocatalytic process, a highly integrated apparatus working as a reactive extraction centrifuge was developed and operated. For this purpose, a commercially available extraction centrifuge was modified to implement a biocatalytic reaction. The novel apparatus was used within a multi-enzyme cascade for the production of a natural flavor and fragrance, namely cinnamic ester. The characterization of the reactive extraction centrifuge and the suitable operation conditions for the inlet streams and the rotational speed for a stable operation were determined. Furthermore, different initial substrate concentrations were applied to prove the reaction. The results provide a successful proof of concept for the novel reactive extraction centrifuge.
Analysis of the Influence of Structure and Parameters of Axial Piston Pump on Flow Pulsation
Authors: Li Ruichuan , Liu Qi , Cheng Yi , Liu Jilu , Sun Qiyou , Zhang Yisheng , Chi Yurong
Published: October 2022

In view of the working principle of a swashplate axial piston pump, a simulation model of the piston pump was built in AMESim and its output flow pulsation characteristics were simulated and analyzed. We mainly analyzed the influence of the speed of the prime mover, the swashplate angle, the diameter of the piston, and port plate structure on the flow pulsation of the piston pump. The result of this research shows that the port plate structure, the swashplate angle, and the speed of the prime mover have an important influence on the flow pulsation of the piston pump. In order to effectively reduce the flow pulsation generated by the piston pump and reduce the noise generated in the process of flow distribution, the opening of the pre-compression angle and misalignment angle of the port plate of the piston pump must be reduced appropriately and the swashplate angle and the rotation speed of the prime mover should be controlled within a certain range. The flow pulsation of the axial piston pump decreases with the increase of the piston number and the decrease in the misalignment angle. The research results provide a reference for reducing the flow pulsation of the axial piston pump.
Study on the Erosion of Choke Valves in High-Pressure, High-Temperature Gas Wells
Authors: Guo Ling , Wang Yayong , Xu Xiaohui , Gao Han , Yang Hong , Han Guoqing
Published: October 2022

During the process of gas production in high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) gas wells, the choke valve, as the most vital component of the surface control equipment, plays a significant role in regulating the output and reducing the fluid pressure to ensure the safety of surface gathering and transportation equipment. High-pressure, high-velocity fluid flow and solid-phase particles cause deterioration of the choke valve. With the enhancement of intelligent and digital oilfields, conventional choke valves have been progressively replaced by electric choke valves. Due to the complex structure of the throttle valve, the flow path and the velocity state of the fluid in the throttle valve, and the distribution law of the erosion fraction are quite distinctive from those in the ordinary throttle valve, meriting further research. In this paper, a simulation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was conducted to determine the effects of the pressure distribution, fluid state, divergent particle sizes, and sand volume on the erosion rate of the choke valve. Under various valve openings, the fluid state and the location of high-risk points can be ascertained. The large particle size (diameter greater than 6 mm) of sand and gravel is convenient for causing concentrated erosion in the position of the valve hole, which induces the channel diameter to expand. Fine silt sand (diameter from 0.1 mm to 1 mm) gives rise to relatively uniform abrasion to the choke’s current-facing surface. This study can optimize the layout of the choke valve and reduce the cost and number of switching wells, thereby decreasing the frequency of maintenance and the pressure fluctuation’s effect on the formation.
Numerical Investigation of the Knocking Combustion Characteristics of the N-Butanol/N-Octanol RCCI Engine
Authors: Li Jing , Wang Dajian , Zhuang Cong , Gong Shiqi , Li Songhong
Published: October 2022

The n-butanol/n-octanol fueled reactivity-controlled compression ignition engine was numerically studied based on the KIVA-CHEMKIN code. First, the knocking combustion characteristics were analyzed while functioning with a premixed n-butanol percentage of 20% (B20), since it exhibited the most severe knocking. Ten local regions were monitored to obtain local data, such as pressure and heat release rate. The local pressure oscillation was quantified by a band-pass filter. Second, the premixed n-butanol percentage and the intake valve close (IVC) timing were varied to investigate their effects on the combustion characteristics and emissions formations, as well as their potential for mitigating knocking. The results showed that a strong pressure oscillation was observed for B20 near the cylinder wall, which indicates severe knocking. This consequence is mainly caused by the low-temperature combustion of the n-octanol/n-butanol/air mixture near the cylinder-wall region. Increasing premixed n-butanol percentage and retarding IVC timing could result in an extended ignition delay, lowered peak pressure, and reduced maximum pressure rise rate (PRR). Condition B80 with an IVC timing of −126 °ATDC could improve the indicated mean effective pressure by 11.7% and reduce the maximum PRR by 63.4% when compared to condition B20.
Dynamic Simulation Analysis and Optimization of Green Ammonia Production Process under Transition State
Authors: Deng Wu , Huang Chao , Li Xiayang , Zhang Huan , Dai Yiyang
Published: October 2022

Ammonia is an important chemical raw material and the main hydrogen energy carrier. In the context of “carbon neutrality”, green ammonia produced using renewable energy is cleaner and produces less carbon than traditional ammonia production. Raw hydrogen dynamically fluctuates during green ammonia production because it is affected by the instability and intermittency of renewable energy; the green ammonia production process has frequent variable working conditions to take into account. Therefore, studying the transition state process of green ammonia is critical to the processing device’s stable operation. In this study, a natural gas ammonia production process was modified using green ammonia, and steady-state and dynamic models were established using UniSim. The model was calibrated using actual factory data to ensure the model’s reliability. Based on the steady-state model, hydrogen feed flow disturbance was added to the dynamic model to simulate the transition state process under variable working conditions. The change in system energy consumption in the transition state process was analyzed based on the data analysis method. The proportional-integral-derivative (PID) parameter optimization method was developed to optimize energy consumption under variable conditions of green ammonia’s production process. Based on this method, process control parameters were adjusted to shorten fluctuation time and reduce energy consumption.
Folk Religion in Transformation: A Religious Studies Perspective Based on Examples from Romania
Authors: Patru Alina
Published: October 2022

The present study deals with some changes identifiable on the level of folk religion, i.e., of the religious expression of ordinary people. Its premises are that folk religion is a subsegment of religion, fulfilling specific functions which official or elite religion fail to satisfy. The paper lies on a theoretical grounding stemming mainly from the Scandinavian school of comparative religion and folkloristics and applies these theories to examples from Romania. In this way, the specific functions of folk religion are analyzed, and the question is asked how these needs come to be met once people detach from the rural values. It is found that individuals which have lost their connection to traditions also head with their needs to cognitively lees costly religious forms, this time to global forms, which had become contents of the now enlarged pool of tradition. These contents are actualized in accordance with the concrete personal needs. In different forms of new spiritualities many characteristics of folk religion can be identified, moreover, they take similar roles. This demonstrates that folk religion has its own dynamism, transforming to reflect social and cultural change.
Connection 100—An Auto-Ethnography of My (Mystical) Connection Experiences
Authors: Sosteric Mike
Published: October 2022

This paper provides an autoethnographic accounting and analysis of my own mystical experiences, called connection experiences in this paper. This account, which is structured around a description of my early experiences, attempts to weave together psychological, sociological, historical, and methodological themes into a coherent contribution that advances our understanding of connection experience. The paper includes an explication of the four stages of the research project that developed as a consequence of these experiences as well as an examination of the processes, tools (i.e., MediWiki), and emotional, psychological, professional, and scholarly challenges of collecting and analyzing the autoethnographic data of mystical experiences. The denouement of the paper is the presentation of a conceptual schema aimed at overcoming nomenclature confusion and providing a basis for description, analysis, and discussion of connection and connection experiences. The utility of the schema is demonstrated when it is used to provide a clear overview of my own connection experiences, and the connection experiences of others. In order to facilitate critical discussion of the conceptual framework, a glossary of terms developed and presented in this paper is provided at the end.
Christianity and Liberation: A Study of the Canadian Baptist Mission among the Savaras in Ganjam (Orissa), c.1885–1970
Authors: Basu Roy Tiasa
Published: October 2022

Liberation is a psychological attribute that primarily aims towards peace of mind followed by emancipation from fetters. Every individual covets liberation through their actions and expects a conducive milieu to experience the same. However, for oppressed people, the journey to liberation is convoluted as it involves escape from many elements. In a hierarchical society like India, liberation means liberation from the whole structure in which religious affiliation plays an important role. The marginalized section of the population seldom has the liberty to choose for their lives and they continue to remain subordinated under age-old power relations, which are garbed in the names of destiny and ordinance. For them, liberation is a quest to make an identity and reinstate the value of self-worth. Christianity, with the Church as its mission partner, seeks to liberate these caged souls from their precarious standings. This study will try to show how the Canadian Baptist Mission, with a primary objective to evangelize, left a trail of aspiration among the tribal Savaras of Ganjam to undertake the pursuit of liberation and fight oppression on their own.
Generative-Model-Based Data Labeling for Deep Network Regression: Application to Seed Maturity Estimation from UAV Multispectral Images
Authors: Dericquebourg Eric , Hafiane Adel , Canals Raphael
Published: October 2022

Field seed maturity monitoring is essential to optimize the farming process and guarantee yield quality through high germination. Remote sensing of parsley fields through UAV multispectral imagery allows uniform scanning and better capture of crop information, in comparison to traditional limited field sampling analysis in the laboratory. Moreover, they only represent localized sub-sections of the crop field and are time consuming to process. The limited availability of seed sample maturity data is a drawback for applying deep learning methods, which have shown tremendous potential in estimating agronomic parameters, especially maturity, as they require large labeled datasets. In this paper, we propose a parametric and non-parametric-based weak labeling approach to overcome the lack of maturity labels and render possible maturity estimation by deep network regression to assist growers in harvest decision-making. We present the data acquisition protocol and the performance evaluation of the generative models and neural network architectures. Convolutional and recurrent neural networks were trained on the generated labels and evaluated on maturity ground truth labels to assess the maturity quantification quality. The results showed improvement by the semi-supervised approaches over the generative models, with a root-mean-squared error of 0.0770 for the long-short-term memory network trained on kernel-density-estimation-generated labels. Generative-model-based data labeling can unlock new possibilities for remote sensing fields where data collection is complex, and in our usage, they provide better-performing models for parsley maturity estimation based on UAV multispectral imagery.
Ecological Policies Dominated the Ecological Restoration over the Core Regions of Kubuqi Desert in Recent Decades
Authors: Ren Min , Chen Wenjiang , Wang Haibo
Published: October 2022

Climate change and human activities significantly affected environmental changes in drylands. However, the relative roles remain unclear regarding these factors’ effects on environment changes in drylands. Herein, we analyzed vegetation change trends using remote-sensing datasets to determine the interactions of vegetation, climate, and anthropogenic activities in an arid region of China, Kubuqi Desert. Our study showed that 67.64% of the pixels of fractional vegetation coverage (FVC) increased in 2020 in comparison with those of 1986. The FVC exhibited a significant greening trend (0.0011/yr, p < 0.05) in 1986–2020 as a whole. This greening trend revealed two distinct periods separated by a turning point in 2001. There was no clear trend of FVC before 2001, and then there was a dramatically greening trend since 2001 in most regions of the study area. The increasing rate (0.0036/yr) in the later period was three times higher than the entire period. The accelerated increasing trend was due to the variable compound effects of climate and human activities. The correlation between FVC and precipitation was mainly positive, which outweighs the significantly negative correlation between vegetation and temperature. However, both climatic factors cannot well explain the trends of vegetation dynamics, implying a possible role for human activities. Generally, climate change and anthropogenic activities contributed 42.15% and 57.85% to the overall vegetation variations in 1986–2020. Specifically, the relative role of the two factors was vastly different in two distinct periods. Climate change led the dominant roles (58.68%) in the vegetation variations in 1986–2001, while anthropogenic activities dominated (86.79%) in driving vegetation recovery in the period after 2001. Due to the massive ecological conservation programs such as the Grain for Green Project launched in 2001, substantial deserts have been transformed into grasslands and forests. This analysis highlights the ecological policies largely responsible for vegetation restoration and provides references for ecological protection and sustainable development in eco-fragile ecosystems.
Optimization of the Ecological Network Structure Based on Scenario Simulation and Trade-Offs/Synergies among Ecosystem Services in Nanping
Authors: Wang Zixuan , Xiao Ling , Yan Haiming , Qi Yuanjing , Jiang Qun’ou
Published: October 2022

The optimization of the ecological network structure in Nanping can provide a scientific reference for guaranteeing ecological safety in Southeast China. This study estimated ecosystem services in Nanping with the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model based on land-use data from 2020 to 2025 simulated with the CLUE-S model under the natural development scenario and ecological protection scenario and then explored their trade-offs and synergies. The ecological network structure was, thereafter, optimized in terms of the eco-matrix, eco-corridors and nodes based on simulated land use and ecosystem services. The results suggested that the average habitat quality and total soil retention increased, while the average degradation index and total water yield decreased under the ecological protection scenario, indicating that the ecological environment quality tended to be improved. In addition, soil retention had significant synergies with habitat quality and water yield, and habitat quality had significant trade-offs with ecological degradation and water yield on the regional scale under two scenarios, while ecological degradation also showed significant trade-offs with soil retention and water yield. In addition, the results suggested that 11 additional ecological sources could be added, and the number of eco-corridors increased from 15 to 136; a total of 1019 ecological break points were restored, and 1481 stepping stone patches were deployed, which jointly made network circuitry, edge/node ratio and network connectivity reach 0.45, 1.86 and 0.64, respectively, indicating that optimization could effectively improve the structure and connectivity of the ecological network. These findings can provide a theoretical basis for improving the ecological network structure and ecological service functions in Nanping and other regions.
A Local-Sparse-Information-Aggregation Transformer with Explicit Contour Guidance for SAR Ship Detection
Authors: Shi Hao , Chai Bingqian , Wang Yupei , Chen Liang
Published: October 2022

Ship detection in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images has witnessed rapid development in recent years, especially after the adoption of convolutional neural network (CNN)-based methods. Recently, a transformer using self-attention and a feed forward neural network with a encoder-decoder structure has received much attention from researchers, due to its intrinsic characteristics of global-relation modeling between pixels and an enlarged global receptive field. However, when adapting transformers to SAR ship detection, one challenging issue cannot be ignored. Background clutter, such as a coast, an island, or a sea wave, made previous object detectors easily miss ships with a blurred contour. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a local-sparse-information-aggregation transformer with explicit contour guidance for ship detection in SAR images. Based on the Swin Transformer architecture, in order to effectively aggregate sparse meaningful cues of small-scale ships, a deformable attention mechanism is incorporated to change the original self-attention mechanism. Moreover, a novel contour-guided shape-enhancement module is proposed to explicitly enforce the contour constraints on the one-dimensional transformer architecture. Experimental results show that our proposed method achieves superior performance on the challenging HRSID and SSDD datasets.
3D Vehicle Detection and Segmentation Based on EfficientNetB3 and CenterNet Residual Blocks
Authors: Kashevnik Alexey , Ali Ammar
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we present a two stages solution to 3D vehicle detection and segmentation. The first stage depends on the combination of EfficientNetB3 architecture with multiparallel residual blocks (inspired by CenterNet architecture) for 3D localization and poses estimation for vehicles on the scene. The second stage takes the output of the first stage as input (cropped car images) to train EfficientNet B3 for the image recognition task. Using predefined 3D Models, we substitute each vehicle on the scene with its match using the rotation matrix and translation vector from the first stage to get the 3D detection bounding boxes and segmentation masks. We trained our models on an open-source dataset (ApolloCar3D). Our method outperforms all published solutions in terms of 6 degrees of freedom error (6 DoF err).
Comprehensive Testing of Sulfate Erosion Damage of Concrete Structures and Analysis of Silane Coating Protection Effect
Authors: Liu Dunwen , Jian Yinghua , Tang Yu , Cao Kunpeng , Zhang Wanmao , Chen Haofei , Gong Chun
Published: October 2022

In order to study the protection performance of silane coating on in-service concrete structures in a sulfate environment, we collect concrete samples in the field to simulate the concrete erosion process by accelerated erosion with wetting–drying cycles. We place the samples into protected, exposed and control groups corresponding to a corrosive environment with silane protection, corrosive environment without protection and general environment for three different service conditions. A combination of ultrasonic velocimetry, CT (Computed Tomography) scan imaging, NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) pore structure analysis, strength testing and other methods are used to analyze the strength, ultrasonic wave velocity, pore structure and other characteristics of the specimens during sulfate erosion. Based on the test results, the protective effect of silane coating on concrete structures under sulfate attack is quantitatively analyzed, and an index for judging the damage rate of specimens is proposed to quantitatively analyze the protective effect of silane coating. The research results show that the damage of the concrete structure under silane protection in a sulfate-attack environment can be reduced by more than 50%; its integrity damage index and strength damage index are easily affected by the location of local defects, which leads to a decrease in the protection efficiency of the surface silane coating.
Objective Assessment of Upper-Extremity Motor Functions in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Using Wearable Sensors
Authors: Mohammadi-Ghazi Reza , Nguyen Hung , Mishra Ram Kinker , Enriquez Ana , Najafi Bijan , Stephen Christopher D. , Gupta Anoopum S. , Schmahmann Jeremy D. , Vaziri Ashkan
Published: October 2022

The study presents a novel approach to objectively assessing the upper-extremity motor symptoms in spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) using data collected via a wearable sensor worn on the patient’s wrist during upper-extremity tasks associated with the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA). First, we developed an algorithm for detecting/extracting the cycles of the finger-to-nose test (FNT). We extracted multiple features from the detected cycles and identified features and parameters correlated with the SARA scores. Additionally, we developed models to predict the severity of symptoms based on the FNT. The proposed technique was validated on a dataset comprising the seventeen (n = 17) participants’ assessments. The cycle detection technique showed an accuracy of 97.6% in a Bland–Altman analysis and a 94% accuracy (F1-score of 0.93) in predicting the severity of the FNT. Furthermore, the dependency of the upper-extremity tests was investigated through statistical analysis, and the results confirm dependency and potential redundancies in the upper-extremity SARA assessments. Our findings pave the way to enhance the utility of objective measures of SCA assessments. The proposed wearable-based platform has the potential to eliminate subjectivity and inter-rater variabilities in assessing ataxia.
Exploiting High-Energy Emissions of YAlO3:Dy3+ for Sensitivity Improvement of Ratiometric Luminescence Thermometry
Authors: Periša Jovana , Ćirić Aleksandar , Zeković Ivana , Đorđević Vesna , Sekulić Milica , Antić Željka , Dramićanin Miroslav D.
Published: October 2022

The sensitivity of luminescence thermometry is enhanced at high temperatures when using a three-level luminescence intensity ratio approach with Dy3+- activated yttrium aluminum perovskite. This material was synthesized via the Pechini method, and the structure was verified using X-ray diffraction analysis. The average crystallite size was calculated to be around 46 nm. The morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy, which showed agglomerates composed of densely packed, elongated spherical particles, the majority of which were 80–100 nm in size. The temperature-dependent photoluminescence emission spectra (ex = 353 nm, 300–850 K) included Dy3+ emissions in blue (458 nm), blue (483 nm), and violet (430 nm, T 600 K). Luminescence intensity ratio, the most utilized temperature readout method in luminescent thermometry, was used as the testing method: a) using the intensity ratio of Dy3+ ions and 4I15/2→6H15/2/4F9/2→6H15/2 transitions; and b) employing the third, higher energy 4G11/2 thermalized level, i.e., using the intensity ratio of 4G11/2→6H15/2/4F9/2→6H15/2 transitions, thereby showing the relative sensitivities of 0.41% K−1 and 0.86% K−1 at 600 K, respectively. This more than doubles the increase in sensitivity and therefore demonstrates the method’s usability at high temperatures, although the major limitation of the method is the chemical stability of the host material and the temperature at which the temperature quenching commences. Lastly, it must be noted that at 850 K, the emission intensities from the energetically higher levels were still increasing in YAP: Dy3+.