bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suitability and Trueness of the Removable Partial Denture Framework Fabricating by Polyether Ether Ketone with CAD-CAM Technology
Authors: Zhao Kening , Wu Su , Qian Chao , Sun Jian
Published: April 2024

The object of the study was to evaluate the suitability and trueness of the removable partial denture (RPD) framework fabricated by polyether ether ketone (PEEK) with the CAD-CAM technology in vitro. Four different types of dentition defects were selected. In each type, five PEEK RPD frameworks were fabricated by the CAD-CAM technology, while five Co-Cr RPD frameworks were made by traditional casting. The suitability of the framework was evaluated by silicone rubber film slice measurement and the three-dimensional image overlay method. The trueness of the PEEK framework was detected by the three-dimensional image overlay method. Data were statistically analyzed with the use of an independent samples t-test (α = 0.05). The suitability values by silicone rubber film slice measurement of the PEEK group were lower than those of the Co-Cr group in four types, with the differences indicating statistical significance (p < 0.05) in type one, type two, and type four. The suitability values using the three-dimensional image overlay method showed no statistical differences (p > 0.05) between the two groups in four types. The trueness values of the PEEK group were within the allowable range of clinical error. The suitability and trueness of the PEEK RPD framework fabricated by CAD-CAM technology met the requirements of the clinical prosthesis.
Study on the Interaction of Polymeric Chemical Additives with Phase Change Materials in Air Lime Renders
Authors: Rubio-Aguinaga Andrea , Fernández José María , Navarro-Blasco Íñigo , Álvarez José Ignacio
Published: April 2024

The interaction of microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) with polymeric chemical additives in an air lime binding matrix was studied. These polymer-based additives included an adhesion booster (derived from starch) and a superplasticizer (polycarboxylate ether). Two different PCMs with melting points of 18 °C and 24 °C were assayed. The microcapsules were composed of melamine, with paraffin-based PCM cores. Measurements of zeta potential, particle size distribution, adsorption isotherms, and viscosity analyses were performed to comprehend the behavior of the polymer-based additives within the air lime matrix and their compatibility with PCMs. Zeta potential experiments pointed to the absence of a strong interaction between the lime particles and the microcapsules of PCMs. At the alkaline pH of the lime mortar, the negative charge resulting from the deprotonation of the melamine shell of the microcapsules was shielded by cations, yielding high positive zeta potential values and stable dispersions of lime with PCMs. The polycarboxylate ether demonstrated the ability to counteract the increase in mixing water demand caused by the PCM addition in the lime matrix. The dispersing action of the superplasticizer on the lime particles was seen to exert a collateral dispersion of the PCMs. Conversely, despite the positive values of zeta potential, the addition of the starch-based additive resulted in the formation of large PCM-lime clumps. Air lime renders incorporating 5, 10, and 20% PCMs by weight with various dosages of these chemical additives were experimented with until the optimal formulation for the specific application of the mortars as renderings was achieved. This fine-tuned formulation effectively tackled issues commonly associated with the addition of PCMs to mortars, such as poor adhesion, crack formation, and reduced fluidity.
ARGET-ATRP-Mediated Grafting of Bifunctional Polymers onto Silica Nanoparticles Fillers for Boosting the Performance of High-Capacity All-Solid-State Lithium–Sulfur Batteries with Polymer Solid Electrolytes
Authors: Wang Liang , Huang Junyue , Shen Yujian , Ma Mengqi , Ruan Wenhong , Zhang Mingqiu
Published: April 2024

The shuttle effect in lithium–sulfur batteries, which leads to rapid capacity decay, can be effectively suppressed by solid polymer electrolytes. However, the lithium-ion conductivity of polyethylene oxide-based solid electrolytes is relatively low, resulting in low reversible capacity and poor cycling stability of the batteries. In this study, we employed the activator generated through electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization to graft modify the surface of silica nanoparticles with a bifunctional monomer, 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonate, which possesses sulfonic acid groups with low dissociation energy for facilitating Li+ migration and transfer, as well as amide groups capable of forming hydrogen bonds with polyethylene oxide chains. Subsequently, the modified nanoparticles were blended with polyethylene oxide to prepare a solid polymer electrolyte with low crystallinity and high ion conductivity. The resulting electrolyte demonstrated excellent and stable electrochemical performance, with a discharge-specific capacity maintained at 875.2 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles.
Adventism and Mediatization of Fake News Becoming a Church
Authors: Bratosin Stefan
Published: April 2024

This article explores the becoming-church of fake news against the background of the rise of the mediatization of faith and religious beliefs through classic media supports, such as newspapers, magazines, and journals, between 1840 and 1863 in the United States. The analysis focuses on the expression of Seventh-day Adventist Church beliefs in the Adventist press before 1863. The observation of this corpus follows the construction of the “narrative” of fake news from the story propagated by William Miller. The aim is to understand how the Seventh-day Adventist Church was created in the media from the fake news of William Miller. The article shows that the mediatization of William Miller’s fake news made the Seventh-day Adventist Church appear as the embodiment of an agnostic movement, as the material trace of a cultural expression of romanticism, but also as a spiritual organization, with a social and auxiliary political vocation.
The Reception of Bantu Divination in Modern South Africa: African Traditional Worldview in Interaction with European Thought
Authors: Kleinhempel Ullrich Relebogilwe
Published: April 2024

Bantu African divination is firmly established in South Africa in the context of modernity and is protected, endorsed and regulated by law. It is received in the therapeutic field. Important explorations were performed in the early 20th century by psychiatrists and psychoanalysts of Jungian orientation. Their cultural, philosophical, spiritual, and academic backgrounds are relevant to this reception. Jungian thought, Spiritual Spiritism, and traditions of European philosophy of divination resonated with the experience, observation, and understanding of Bantu divination. (‘Bantu’ designates the cultural and linguistic realm from Cameroon and Kenya southwards). Religious-philosophical traditions, as well as the conceptualisations of ‘divination’ by Plutarch and Iamblichus, are preserved. The reception and appreciation of Bantu divination in South Africa emerged from it, and resonated with these European traditions of religious-philosophical thought. Out of this development a distinct ‘South African modernity’ emerges. A parallel reception process developed in Brazil, in the belief systems of Umbanda and Kardecism. These developments are illustrated at present in the literatures of South Africa and Brazil, specifically in Afrikaans literature, black South African poetry and its poetics, and Magic Realism in Brazilian literature. Lastly, a perspective is offered of modernity’s reception by black scholars and diviners, continually interacting with Jungian psychoanalysis.
A Wide-Angle Hyperspectral Top-of-Atmosphere Reflectance Model for the Libyan Desert
Authors: Guo Fuxiang , Zheng Xiaobing , Zhang Yanna , Wei Wei , Zhang Zejie , Zhang Quan , Li Xin
Published: April 2024

Reference targets with stability, uniformity, and known reflectance on the Earth’s surface, such as deserts, can be used for the absolute radiometric calibration of satellite sensors. A wide-angle hyperspectral reflectance model at the top of atmosphere (TOA) over such a reference target will expand the applicability of on-orbit calibration to different spectral bands and angles. To achieve the long-term, continuous, and high-precision absolute radiometric calibration of remote sensors, a wide-angle hyperspectral TOA reflectance model of the Libyan Desert was constructed based on spectral reflectance data, satellite overpass parameters, and atmospheric parameters from the Terra/Aqua and Earth Observation-1 (EO-1) satellites between 2003 and 2012. By means of angle fitting, viewing angle grouping, and spectral extension, the model is applicable for absolute radiometric calibration of the visible to short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands for sensors within viewing zenith angles of 65 degrees. To validate the accuracy and precision of the model, a total of 3120 long-term validations of model accuracy and 949 cross-validations with the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) satellite sensors between 2013 and 2020 were conducted. The results show that the TOA reflectance calculated by the model had a standard deviation (SD) of relative differences below 1.9% and a root-mean-square error (RMSE) below 0.8% when compared with observations from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Landsat 8 OLI. The SD of the relative differences and the RMSE were within 2.7% when predicting VIIRS data.
Spatiotemporal Variation in Water Deficit- and Heatwave-Driven Flash Droughts in Songnen Plain and Its Ecological Impact
Authors: Sun Jiahao , Wu Yanfeng , Zhang Qingsong , Jiang Lili , Ma Qiusheng , Chen Mo , Dai Changlei , Zhang Guangxin
Published: April 2024

The phenomenon of flash droughts, marked by their fast onset, limited predictability, and formidable capacity for devastation, has elicited escalating concern. Despite this growing interest, a comprehensive investigation of the spatiotemporal dynamics of flash drought events within zones of ecological sensitivity, alongside their consequential ecological ramifications, remains elusive. The Songnen Plain, distinguished as both an important granary for commodity crops and an ecological keystone within China, emerges as an indispensable locus for the inquiry into the dynamics of flash droughts and their repercussions on terrestrial biomes. Through the application of daily soil moisture raster datasets encompassing the years 2002 to 2022, this investigation delves into the spatiotemporal progression of two distinct categories of flash droughts—those instigated by heatwaves and those precipitated by water deficits—within the Songnen Plain. Moreover, the ecosystem’s response, with a particular focus on gross primary productivity (GPP), to these climatic variables was investigated. Flash drought phenomena have been observed to manifest with a relative frequency of approximately one event every three years within the Songnen Plain, predominantly lasting for periods of 28–30 days. The incidence of both heatwave-induced and water deficit-induced flash droughts was found to be comparable, with a pronounced prevalence during the summer and autumn. Nevertheless, droughts caused by water scarcity demonstrated a more extensive distribution and a heightened frequency of occurrence, whereas those rooted in heatwaves were less frequent but exhibited a propensity for localization in specific sectors. The sensitivity of GPP to these meteorological anomalies was pronounced, with an average response rate surpassing 70%. This spatial distribution of the response rate revealed elevated values in the northwestern segment of the Songnen Plain and diminished values towards the southeastern sector. Intriguingly, GPP’s reaction pace to the onset of heatwave-driven flash droughts was observed to be more rapid in comparison to that during periods of water scarcity. Additionally, the spatial distribution of water use efficiency during both the development and recovery periods of flash droughts largely deviated from that of base water use efficiency. The insights from this study hold profound implications for the advancement of regional drought surveillance and adaptive management.
Estimation of All-Day Aerosol Optical Depth in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region Using Ground Air Quality Data
Authors: Zhang Wenhao , Liu Sijia , Chen Xiaoyang , Mi Xiaofei , Gu Xingfa , Yu Tao
Published: April 2024

Atmospheric aerosols affect climate change, air quality, and human health. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) is a widely utilized parameter for estimating the concentration of atmospheric aerosols. Consequently, continuous AOD monitoring is crucial for environmental studies. However, a method to continuously monitor the AOD throughout the day or night remains a challenge. This study introduces a method for estimating the All-Day AOD using ground air quality and meteorological data. This method allows for the hourly estimation of the AOD throughout the day in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region and addresses the lack of high temporal resolution monitoring of the AOD during the nighttime. The results of the proposed All-Day AOD estimation method were validated against AOD measurements from Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) and Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). The R2 between the estimated AOD and AHI was 0.855, with a root mean square error of 0.134. Two AERONET sites in BTH were selected for analysis. The results indicated that the absolute error between the estimated AOD and AERONET was within acceptable limits. The estimated AOD showed spatial and temporal trends comparable to those of AERONET and AHI. In addition, the hourly mean AOD was analyzed for each city in BTH. The hourly mean AOD in each city exhibits a smooth change at night. In conclusion, the proposed AOD estimation method offers valuable data for investigating the impact of aerosol radiative forcing and assessing its influence on climate change.
Mapping Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems Using Fused Sentinel-2 and PlanetScope Time Series and Deep Learning
Authors: Werner João P. S. , Belgiu Mariana , Bueno Inacio T. , Dos Reis Aliny A. , Toro Ana P. S. G. D. , Antunes João F. G. , Stein Alfred , Lamparelli Rubens A. C. , Magalhães Paulo S. G. , Coutinho Alexandre C. , Esquerdo Júlio C. D. M. , Figueiredo Gleyce K. D. A.
Published: April 2024

Integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLS) are among the main viable strategies for sustainable agricultural production. Mapping these systems is crucial for monitoring land use changes in Brazil, playing a significant role in promoting sustainable agricultural production. Due to the highly dynamic nature of ICLS management, mapping them is a challenging task. The main objective of this research was to develop a method for mapping ICLS using deep learning algorithms applied on Satellite Image Time Series (SITS) data cubes, which consist of Sentinel-2 (S2) and PlanetScope (PS) satellite images, as well as data fused (DF) from both sensors. This study focused on two Brazilian states with varying landscapes and field sizes. Targeting ICLS, field data were combined with S2 and PS data to build land use and land cover classification models for three sequential agricultural years (2018/2019, 2019/2020, and 2020/2021). We tested three experimental settings to assess the classification performance using S2, PS, and DF data cubes. The test classification algorithms included Random Forest (RF), Temporal Convolutional Neural Network (TempCNN), Residual Network (ResNet), and a Lightweight Temporal Attention Encoder (L-TAE), with the latter incorporating an attention-based model, fusing S2 and PS within the temporal encoders. Experimental results did not show statistically significant differences between the three data sources for both study areas. Nevertheless, the TempCNN outperformed the other classifiers with an overall accuracy above 90% and an F1-Score of 86.6% for the ICLS class. By selecting the best models, we generated annual ICLS maps, including their surrounding landscapes. This study demonstrated the potential of deep learning algorithms and SITS to successfully map dynamic agricultural systems.
An Optimized Variational Processing Method Based on Satellite-Station Data on Snow Cover Days on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Authors: Xue Xiaoying , Xu Xiangde , Zhao Runze , Cai Wenyue
Published: April 2024

The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is a sensitive area to climate change, and snow cover has an important impact. Due to the high altitude and complex terrain, station observations of snow cover on the plateau are sparse but objective, while satellite data have high resolution but limited accuracy. Therefore, an optimized variational processing method based on daily satellite data from 1989 to 2020 and monthly snow cover day data from stations is used to combine their advantages, and a high-resolution (0.1° × 0.1°) monthly dataset of snow cover days during 1989–2020 is obtained. This study analyzes the spatial and temporal characteristics of snow cover days on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau over the past 30 years and compares the differences before and after applying the optimized variational processing method. The variational processing method is also used to reanalyze data on temperature and precipitation. This study confirms the objectivity of the processing method and reveals the regional characteristics of snow cover days and their correlation with temperature and precipitation. The data obtained after optimized variational processing provide a more accurate and detailed representation of the spatial and temporal characteristics of snow cover days. The distribution and variation trends of snow cover days on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau exhibit significant spatial differences. The average number of snow cover days during the snow season is 45.51 d, with 22.74 d in winter. The Qaidam Basin and the southwestern part of the plateau are areas with low snow cover days, while high-altitude mountainous areas have higher values. Overall, there is no significant change in snow cover days during the snow season, but there is a significant decreasing trend of −1.50 d/10 yr in winter. The snow cover days in the plateau’s hinterland and low-altitude areas mainly show a decreasing trend, while high-altitude mountainous areas show an increasing trend. Snow cover days in the western part of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau are both influenced by temperature and precipitation in winter, while precipitation dominates in the eastern part.
Transfer-Aware Graph U-Net with Cross-Level Interactions for PolSAR Image Semantic Segmentation
Authors: Ren Shijie , Zhou Feng , Bruzzone Lorenzo
Published: April 2024

Although graph convolutional networks have found application in polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) image classification tasks, the available approaches cannot operate on multiple graphs, which hinders their potential to generalize effective feature representations across different datasets. To overcome this limitation and achieve robust PolSAR image classification, this paper proposes a novel end-to-end cross-level interaction graph U-Net (CLIGUNet), where weighted max-relative spatial convolution is proposed to enable simultaneous learning of latent features from batch input. Moreover, it integrates weighted adjacency matrices, derived from the symmetric revised Wishart distance, to encode polarimetric similarity into weighted max-relative spatial graph convolution. Employing end-to-end trainable residual transformers with multi-head attention, our proposed cross-level interactions enable the decoder to fuse multi-scale graph feature representations, enhancing effective features from various scales through a deep supervision strategy. Additionally, multi-scale dynamic graphs are introduced to expand the receptive field, enabling trainable adjacency matrices with refined connectivity relationships and edge weights within each resolution. Experiments undertaken on real PolSAR datasets show the superiority of our CLIGUNet with respect to state-of-the-art networks in classification accuracy and robustness in handling unknown imagery with similar land covers.
Anomaly Detection of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Based on Improved DWT-CNN Multi-Current Fusion
Authors: Tang Minqi , Liang Lihua , Zheng Haitao , Chen Junjun , Chen Dongdong
Published: April 2024

The Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) is the power source maintaining the stable and efficient operation of various pieces of equipment; hence, its reliability is crucial to the safety of public equipment. Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models face challenges in extracting features from PMSM current data. A new Discrete Wavelet Transform Convolutional Neural Networks (DW-CNN) feature with fusion weight updating Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) anomaly detection is proposed in this paper. This approach combines Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) with high and low-frequency separation processing and LSTM. The anomaly detection method adopts DWT and CNN by separating high and low-frequency processing. Moreover, this method combines the hybrid attention mechanism to extract the multi-current signal features and detects anomalies based on weight updating the LSTM network. Experiments on the motor bearing real fault dataset and the PMSM stator fault dataset prove the method’s strong capability in fusing current features and detecting anomalies.
Time-Frequency Aliased Signal Identification Based on Multimodal Feature Fusion
Authors: Zhang Hailong , Li Lichun , Pan Hongyi , Li Weinian , Tian Siyao
Published: April 2024

The identification of multi-source signals with time-frequency aliasing is a complex problem in wideband signal reception. The traditional method of first separation and identification especially fails due to the significant separation error under underdetermined conditions when the degree of time-frequency aliasing is high. The single-mode recognition method does not need to be separated first. However, the single-mode features contain less signal information, making it challenging to identify time-frequency aliasing signals accurately. To solve the above problems, this article proposes a time-frequency aliasing signal recognition method based on multi-mode fusion (TRMM). This method uses the U-Net network to extract pixel-by-pixel features of the time-frequency and wave-frequency images and then performs weighted fusion. The multimodal feature scores are used as the classification basis to realize the recognition of the time-frequency aliasing signals. When the SNR is 0 dB, the recognition rate of the four-signal aliasing model can reach more than 97.3%.
3D DAS VSP for Coal Seam Exploration: A Case Study from Queensland, Australia
Authors: Tertyshnikov Konstantin , Yurikov Alexey , Bona Andrej , Urosevic Milovan , Pevzner Roman
Published: April 2024

Seismic methods are extensively used in coal mining for expanding resource discoveries and definition as well as for mine monitoring. However, the use of borehole seismic methods is relatively uncommon due to the high cost of borehole seismic acquisition using conventional downhole tools. The introduction of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), which uses optical fibres to record seismic data, has dramatically increased the cost-effectiveness of borehole seismic methods. Fibre-optic cables are inexpensive and, once deployed in a borehole, can be abandoned or used later for further monitoring of the subsurface. The case study presented here concerns the use of DAS to record a 3D VSP (vertical seismic profiling) for coal seam exploration in Queensland, Australia. This study trialled effective strategies for deploying cables into boreholes and demonstrated how this technology could be incorporated into the standard coal exploration process. The final processing results produced a high-resolution 3D seismic cube where the coal seams below the basalt cover are clearly identifiable around the boreholes. Permanent installation of the fibre-optic cables into a set of boreholes provides immediate benefits of 3D seismic imaging and can create additional value in utilising these sensors for further discrete or continuous subsurface measurements, including stability monitoring of underground workings and detection of methane accumulations.
Influence of the Degree of Fruitiness on the Quality Assessment of Virgin Olive Oils Using Electronic Nose Technology
Authors: Navarro Soto Javiera P. , Rico Sergio Illana , Martínez Gila Diego M. , Satorres Martínez Silvia
Published: April 2024

The electronic nose is a non-invasive technology suitable for the analysis of edible oils. One of the practical applications in the olive oil industry is the classification of virgin oils based on their sensory characteristics. Notwithstanding that this technology, at this stage, cannot realistically replace the currently used methods, it is fruitful for a preliminary analysis of the oil quality. This work makes use of this technology to develop a methodology for the detection of the threshold by which an extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) drops into the virgin olive oil (VOO) category. With this aim, two features were studied: the level of fruitiness level and the type of defect. The results showed a greater influence of the level of fruitiness than the type of defect in the determination of the detection threshold. Furthermore, three of the sensors (S2, S7 and S9) of the commercial e-nose PEN3 were identified as the most discriminating in the classification between EVOO and VOO oils.
Comprehensive Analysis of Xiaomi Mi 8 GNSS Antenna Performance
Authors: Zabala Haro Mónica , Martín Furones Ángel , Anquela Julián Ana , Jiménez-Martínez María Jesús
Published: April 2024

The interest in precise point positioning techniques using smartphones increased with the launch of the world’s first dual-frequency L1/L5 GNSS smartphone, Xiaomi Mi 8. The smartphone GNSS antenna is low-cost, sensitive to multipath, and limited by physical space and design. The main purpose of this work is to determine the mechanical location and antenna performance in terms of radiation pattern in an anechoic chamber using a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) and robotic positioning platform by varying the elevation and azimuth angles between the transmitter and smartphone GNSS antennas; the power received and satellite visibility are developed in an outdoor scenario. The results show a Planar Inverted-F Antenna with an omnidirectional radiation pattern without gain. The L1/E1/B1 and L5/E5a/B2a GNSS antennas are physically located at the top face of the screen, with dimensions of 48 × 17 mm and 60 × 13 mm, respectively. With the screen with line-of-sight toward the sky, L5 satellites have a better signal–noise ratio (SNR), unlike the back side, which loses 99% of the data in the PPP solution. Under multipath scenarios, the L1 GNSS smartphone antenna works with 25% less power than the GPS user segment recommendation, showing high sensitivity to track weak signals.
Cropland Zoning Based on District and County Scales in the Black Soil Region of Northeastern China
Authors: Li Yong , Wang Liping , Yu Yunfei , Zang Deqiang , Dai Xilong , Zheng Shufeng
Published: April 2024

The black soil region of northeastern China, one of the world’s major black soil belts, is China’s main grain-producing area, producing a quarter of China’s commercial grain. However, over-exploitation and unsustainable management practices have led to a steady decline in the quality of arable land. Scientific and reasonable zoning of arable land is the key to ensuring that black soil arable land achieves sustainable development. In this study, the 317 districts and counties under the jurisdiction of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning Provinces in the northeast region and the four eastern leagues of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region were taken as the study area, and arable land zoning in the northeast black soil region was explored through group analysis. Ten types of indicators were selected according to the four levels of climate, soil, vegetation, and topography of the northeast black soil region, including average precipitation and average temperature for many years at the climate level, organic matter content and soil texture (including clay, silt, and sand) at the soil level, NDVI and EVI indicators at the vegetation level, and DEM and slope indicators at the topographic level. In accordance with the principle of distinguishing differences and summarizing commonalities, nine scenarios of dividing the northeast black soil zones into 2 regions to 10 regions were explored, and these nine zoning scenarios were evaluated in terms of zoning. The results showed that (1) the spatial variability of cropland zoning in the northeast black soil zone based on four indicators, namely climate, soil, vegetation, and topography, was significant; (2) the results of the nine types of zoning based on cropland in the northeast black soil zone showed that intra-zonal zoning was optimal when zoning the northeast black soil zone into six types of zones, which enhanced the variability between the zones and the consistency within the zones; and (3) the assessment of large-scale cropland zoning using the pseudo F-statistic and area-weighted standard deviation methods revealed similarities in their outcomes. The results provide a scientific basis for the subregional protection of arable land in the black soil zone and help to formulate effective policies for different regions.
Response of Soil Nitrogen-Cycling Genes to the Coupling Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation and Biochar Application in Maize Rhizosphere
Authors: Meng Lingbo , Cheng Zeyu , Li Shumin
Published: April 2024

Nitrogen (N) is the primary element that limits crop growth, and improving the nitrogen uptake in crops is a key challenge in sustainable agricultural production. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), as important symbiotic microbes associated with most plants, can facilitate nitrogen uptake by plants and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, meaning they can play an important role in the development of sustainable agriculture. However, the effects of biochar application on mediating AMF N absorption are not clear, especially regarding the functional genes related to the N cycle in soil. In this study, we conducted a pot experiment with two P application rates (−P and +P) to study the effects of biochar and AMF on the community of soil microorganisms and N-cycle genes using metagenomic methods. The N uptake of both the shoots and roots of maize was measured. It was observed that the N uptake in the maize shoots and roots was significantly increased when they were exposed to a combination of AMF and biochar. Under both the −P and +P application rates, the root weights of the AMF and biochar combined (AMBC) treatments increased significantly by 58.3% and 43.2%, respectively, compared with the control (CN) treatments. Furthermore, there were significant increases in the root lengths, of 78.43% and 53.09%, respectively, as well as increases in the superficial areas of 60.0% and 41.9%, respectively. The combination treatment significantly changed the soil microbe community structure and increased the abundances of Geobacter and Pseudomonas. In addition, the abundances of the N-cycle genes of each process were enhanced. Under the −P condition, the total abundances of the N-cycle genes increased significantly by 1.97–2.19 times in the AMBC treatment compared with the CN treatment. Overall, the results suggest that biochar and AMF can promote plant root growth and lead to changes in the soil microorganism structure, resulting in an increase in the abundances of N-cycle genes which, in turn, increase the N uptake in the shoots and roots of maize. This study provides a biological pathway to improve the efficiency of N utilization in soil and prevent environmental pollution in sustainable agricultural production.
Navigating the Landscape of Autonomous Buses: Insights in Ibaraki, Japan
Authors: Chinen Kenichiro , Matsumoto Mitsutaka , Chinen Ai
Published: April 2024

The integration of autonomous buses (ABs) in Japan offers a solution to the challenges posed by an aging society, promoting safe and convenient transportation for older adults. In Ibaraki, Japan, AB adoption exemplifies forward-thinking infrastructure development, addressing residents’ needs through partnerships and innovation. Positive perceptions, especially among females in their 60s and 70s, highlight ABs’ role in enhancing safety and trust. This study, based on our interviews in Sakai Town, underscores ABs’ significance in meeting practical needs, while fostering social inclusion. Despite challenges like technology and cost, collaborative efforts and policy interventions can maximize ABs’ potential, ensuring equal access to services and paving the way for a sustainable and inclusive transportation future, benefiting both aging populations and communities.
Characterization of Fish Spawning Grounds near the Likouala-Aux-Herbes River, Lac Tele Community Reserve (LTCR), Republic of Congo, for Sustainable Wetland Management
Authors: Ndzana Biloa Eric Bertin , Mamonekene Victor , Micha Jean-Claude
Published: April 2024

A land use analysis of Lac Télé Community Reserve (LTCR) using the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), ETM+ images (Enhance Thematic Mapper), and OLI images highlighted significant changes in plant cover between 1986, 1999, and 2019. The rate of forest area increased by 5% from 1986 to 1999 but decreased by 3% from 1999 to 2019 for the entire LTCR, benefitting the growth of savannahs, which respectively increased by 5% between 1986 to 1999 and 12% between 1999 to 2019. The conversion of this forest area to savannah due to the practice of slash and burn agriculture can be justified by the opening of this forest area, but it contributes greatly to the degradation of fish species spawning grounds in the Likouala-aux-Herbes River. According to characterization of the 151 spawning grounds identified, the physical and chemical water parameters, which have been defined as temperature (28.13 °C), hydrogen potential (4.23), and depth (3.34), did not change significantly in the study villages between July and September 2019. The unregistered ichthyological diversity observed during the study in the seven pilot villages, is due to the diversity of the microhabitats noted in the villages of the LTCR, especially in the villages of Botongo, Mossengue, and Bouanela, where the indices of ichthyological diversity were the highest.
A Multi-Objective Improved Hybrid Butterfly Artificial Gorilla Troop Optimizer for Node Localization in Wireless Sensor Groundwater Monitoring Networks
Authors: BalaAnand M. , Cherubini Claudia
Published: April 2024

Wireless sensor networks have gained significant attention in recent years due to their wide range of applications in environmental monitoring, surveillance, and other fields. The design of a groundwater quality and quantity monitoring network is an important aspect in aquifer restoration and the prevention of groundwater pollution and overexploitation. Moreover, the development of a novel localization strategy project in wireless sensor groundwater networks aims to address the challenge of optimizing sensor location in relation to the monitoring process so as to extract the maximum quantity of information with the minimum cost. In this study, the improved hybrid butterfly artificial gorilla troop optimizer (iHBAGTO) technique is applied to optimize nodes’ position and the analysis of the path loss delay, and the RSS is calculated. The hybrid of Butterfly Artificial Intelligence and an artificial gorilla troop optimizer is used in the multi-functional derivation and the convergence rate to produce the designed data localization. The proposed iHBAGTO algorithm demonstrated the highest convergence rate of 99.6%, and it achieved the lowest average error of 4.8; it consistently had the lowest delay of 13.3 ms for all iteration counts, and it has the highest path loss values of 8.2 dB, with the lowest energy consumption value of 0.01 J, and has the highest received signal strength value of 86% for all iteration counts. Overall, the Proposed iHBAGTO algorithm outperforms other algorithms.
Impact of Future Climate Scenarios and Bias Correction Methods on the Achibueno River Basin
Authors: Moya Héctor , Althoff Ingrid , Celis-Diez Juan L. , Huenchuleo-Pedreros Carlos , Reggiani Paolo
Published: April 2024

Future climate scenarios based on regional climate models (RCMs) have been evaluated widely. However, the use of RCMs without bias correction may increase the uncertainty in the assessment of climate change impacts, especially in mountain areas. Five quantile mapping methods (QMMs) were evaluated as bias correction methods for precipitation and temperature in the historical period (1979–2005) of one local climate model and three RCMs at the Achibueno River Basin, southcentral Chile. Additionally, bias-corrected climate scenarios from 2025 to 2050 under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) were evaluated on the hydrological response of the catchment with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT+). The parametric transformation function and robust empirical quantile were the most promising bias correction methods for precipitation and temperature, respectively. Climate scenarios suggest changes in the frequency and amount of precipitation with fluctuations in temperatures. Under RCP 2.6, partial increases in precipitation, water yield, and evapotranspiration are projected, while for RCP 8.5, strong peaks of precipitation and water yield in short periods of time, together with increases in evapotranspiration, are expected. Consequently, flooding events and increasing irrigation demand are changes likely to take place. Therefore, considering adaptation of current and future management practices for the protection of water resources in southcentral Chile is mandatory.
Uso da Terapia Neuromotora Intensiva no tratamento de crianças com Paralisia Cerebral
Authors: Gomes da Costa Esterlito Neto , Barros Pereira João Guilherme , Da Silva Monteiro Lorena Gabriela , Souza Moreira Brenda
Published: April 2024

Introdução. A Paralisia Cerebral é uma condição que afeta o desenvolvimento motor e/ou cognitivo na infância, com a marcha sendo frequentemente afetada. A TNMI surge como uma estratégia terapêutica visando melhorar habilidades motoras e cognitivas. Objetivo. Avaliar a eficácia do Método TheraSuit na progressão da escala GMFM-66 em crianças com PC, buscando contribuir para o avanço do conhecimento científico e prática clínica. Método. Estudo prospectivo, longitudinal, com 7 crianças com PC submetidas ao Método TheraSuit. Coletaram-se dados da escala GMFM-66 antes e após o tratamento. Análises estatísticas avaliaram a variação das pontuações. Resultados. A maioria das crianças mostrou progresso na GMFM-66, exceto uma. Os resultados variaram entre pacientes, demonstrando melhorias de 0,1 a 7,3 pontos na escala. Houve um aumento médio de 5,39% na pontuação. Conclusão. O estudo evidenciou melhorias significativas nas pontuações da GMFM-66, especialmente em participantes nos níveis III e IV do GMFCS. Contudo, a literatura existente apresenta limitações quanto à disponibilidade e qualidade dos artigos, dificultando a extração de conclusões sólidas. A demanda por mais investimento nesse tipo de tratamento, baseada na comprovação da sua eficácia, é evidente e crucial para melhorar o cuidado a crianças com PC.
Estudio de casos: ejemplo de su aplicación en Química Orgánica II
Authors: Wright Viviana Loida
Published: April 2024

En éste trabajo presentamos un estudio de caso: La Silimarina, con sus correspondientes preguntas críticas, que se propone como práctica de enseñanza para invitar a pensar, reflexionar, conjeturar, hipotetizar a los alumnos de Química Orgánica II de las carreras de Bioquímica y Licenciatura en Ciencias Químicas. De este modo, en esta propuesta de aprendizaje colaborativo, se facilita el acceso de los estudiantes a los niveles superiores del conocimiento, se incrementa su motivación, se aprovecha la “fuerza de los pares” y se favorece el aprendizaje a largo plazo.
Isotopic Geochronological Constraints on the Formation and Evolution of the Moon
Authors: Zhang Ai-Cheng , He Huai-Yu , Hu Sen , Li Xian-Hua , Lin Yang-Ting , Qin Li-Ping , Wang Gui-Qin , Xiao Zhi-Yong
Published: April 2024

One major task of studying the formation and evolution of the Moon is to construct a timeline of the important events with precise isotopic ages. Here, we review recent major isotopic geochronological progress in the past decade and the unsolved problems in isotopic geochronology. The Moon probably formed between 4.52 and 4.42 Ga. Recent high-precision whole-rock and mineral Sm-Nd isotopic dating results suggested that ferroan anorthosite and highlands magnesian suite rocks formed contemporarily around 4.37 to 4.33 Ga. Although the major mare basaltic volcanism took place from 3.85 to 2.93 Ga, new geochronological data from lunar meteorites and Chang’e-5 basalts suggested that lunar basaltic volcanism took place as old as up to 4.37 Ga and at least as young as 2.0 Ga, respectively. Impact events older than 3.9 Ga have also been revealed based on U-bearing minerals Pb/Pb ages and Ar-Ar ages and can provide important clues to understand the late heavy bombardment hypothesis. However, the reliable isotopic ages for the important events on the Moon are still far from conclusive, due to lack of pristine samples that directly crystallized from Lunar Magma Ocean and samples from impact melt sheets in large impact basins (e.g., the South Pole-Aitken basin). In the future, collection and return of pristine samples of ferroan anorthosite and highlands magnesian suite rocks from the farside, cryptomare basalts and late-stage basalts, quartz monzogabbros, granites/felsites, and rocks from impact melt sheets in large impact basins are required for better understanding the formation and evolution of the Moon.
Five-Meter Nonmagnetic Telescopic Tubular Mast: Design, Test, and On-Orbit Application
Authors: Tang Yingying , Chen Keli , Liu Jinguo , Xue Hongbo
Published: April 2024

Space deployable masts, as one of the most widely used branches of space deployable structures, can provide driving, positioning, and transmission functions for spacecraft in orbit, which are irreplaceable in complex space activities. The nonmagnetic telescopic tubular mast (NMTTM) is designed and manufactured by the Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, aboard the SATech-01 satellite to keep the magnetic probe assembly away from magnetic interference and realize global magnetic field measurement. The NMTTM can withstand complicated vibration and shock during rocket launching in the retracted state of 0.95 m, while it can be stably released and deployed to 5.28 m in orbit. NMTTM was successfully launched into Sun-synchronous orbit on 27 July 2022, fully deployed, and generated the positioning signal after a duration of 19 min and 16 s for the deployment process on 7 November. This paper focuses on the whole process of NMTTM from mission requirements to structure design and manufacture, through to releasing, deployment, and locking technology, environmental simulation tests, up to on-orbit deployment verification, which provides valuable experience for the subsequent development and application of large-scale space deployable masts.
Increase in TGF-β and CD4+CD25+Regulatory T Cells in Iranian Patients With Type 2 Diabetes :A Case– Control Study
Authors: Shahnoruzi Nazanin , Salehi Mehdi , Ganji Ali , Mosayebi Ghasem , Ghazavi Ali
Published: April 2024

Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) often have imbalance in inflammatory cells, increased inflammatory cytokines, and defects in homeostasis. The present study aimed to evaluate the percentage of Treg cells, lymphocytes, T cells, and T helper cells and the expression of the TGF-β cytokine gene in T2DM patients. Methods : This study was conducted on 50 patients with T2DM and 50 healthy controls according to the inclusion criteria. The percentage of Treg cells, T cells, and T helper cells was determined by flow cytometry. Also, the expression of the CD4, CD25, and FOXP3 markers of Treg cells was examined. The gene expression of TGF-β cytokine was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: The percentage of Treg cells was significantly lower in patients with T2DM than in healthy controls. The number of T helper cells and lymphocytes decreased in T2DM patients as compared to the healthy controls. Based on the results, the percentage of T cells was higher in T2DM patients than in healthy controls. The expression of CD25 and FOXP3 markers in Treg cells significantly decreased in T2DM patients compared to the healthy controls; however, this decrease was not significant for the CD4 marker. Conversely, the expression of the cytokine TGF-β increased in patients with T2DM compared to the healthy controls. Conclusion: The expression of TGF-β and the percentage of CD4+CD25+regulatory T cells were impaired in patients with T2DM.
On the necessary conditions for the existence of dense sequencing in the classical parallel sequencing problem
Authors: K.D. Karavaiev
Published: April 2024

The rapid development of the scheduling theory in the middle of the last century was linked to the variety of important practical applications of the problems it considers. Special attention was paid to problems in which the order of job execution is subject to certain technological constraints. One of the common mathematical models of these problems is the parallel sequencing problem. We consider the classical problem of minimizing the length of a sequencing for a given width, in which the target sequencing is dense. Since the polynomial tractability of these problems for fixed width > 2 is unknown, the main areas of research on this prob-lem include searching for classes of graphs for which exact polynomial algorithms exist, developing approximate algorithms and ways to prune state space search schemes. Substantial progress has been made in recent years in the development of approxi-mate algorithms with quasi-polynomial complexity and algorithms based on metaheuris-tics. In addition to the classical problem, scientists also consider its generalizations, which have more complex structures of jobs and workers, additional constraints on the job execution, other objective functions, etc. Due to the development of fog computing in recent years, many articles have been devoted to the study of such problems within this particular application area. The aim of this study was to investigate the constraints imposed on intermediate graphs by the condition of density of the target sequencing in the branch-and-bound method, to derive the necessary conditions for the existence of a dense sequencing and to propose methods to test them. The necessary conditions for the existence of a dense sequencing when using the branch-and-bound method, related to the limited capacity of places and the possibility of filling them, are investigated. The obtained conditions were reduced to a single one, and efficient algorithms to test it in general and for graphs with all vertices on critical paths were proposed. In addition, the study also resulted in new improved lower bound esti-mates of the sequencing length and generalization of special sequencings in which the vertices occupy the leftmost and rightmost possible places, that take into account the se-quencing width.