bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Field Characterization of Dynamic Response of Geocell-Reinforced Aeolian Sand Subgrade under Live Traffic
Authors: Gao Bin , Liu Xuejun , Liu Jie , Song Ling , Shi Yu , Yang Ya
Published: January 2023

In desert regions, aeolian sand is abundant, but it is not suitable to be used directly as the upper roadbed filler for highways. Generally, gravelly soil is mined around the desert as upper roadbed fill, resulting in high engineering expenses for road construction in the desert hinterland. Geocells have a significant reinforcing effect on aeolian sand. However, in the completed desert highway, the dynamic performance of geocell-reinforced aeolian sand as an upper layer of roadbed fill has not been studied. Using a field test method, the dynamic performance of geocell-reinforced aeolian sand as an upper roadbed fill is examined. The results show that the majority of the frequency distribution of road vibration is within 30 Hz. In the horizontal direction, the actual vibration amplitude decay on the side of geocell-reinforced aeolian sand is slower but smoother than on the side of gravelly soils. In vibration velocity, the work area depth of the geocell-reinforced aeolian sand side of the roadbed is less than that of the gravelly soil side. The maximum difference can reach 0.55 m. As far as vibration velocity is concerned, the 30 cm gravelly soils can be substituted with 15 cm geocell-reinforced aeolian sands as the upper roadbed. In summary, the dynamic attenuation characteristics of geocell-reinforced aeolian sand are superior to gravelly soils. The research results provide a reference for the design of the desert highway subgrade.
Mobile-Application Loading-Animation Design and Implementation Optimization
Authors: Pibernik Jesenka , Dolić Jurica , Mandić Lidija , Kovač Valentina
Published: January 2023

Mobile-application performance and ultimately bounce rate are influenced by many factors, with wait-time duration proven to be the most important influencing factor. It is therefore important to optimize loading-time perception and performance to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience. This research investigates the influences of loading-animation design, motion speed, and semantics, as well as the graphics format used for creation, on time perception. These research aims were (1) to identify the key factors that influence the quality of the user experience in the design of animated loading indicatorsand their perceived dimensions, (2) to find out what impact animation meaning has on perceived time duration, and (3) to identify loading-animation-design decisions’ influence on application performance. Research activities from the fields of human–computer interaction, psychology/neuroscience, and networking/telecommunications have addressed understanding the user’s wait-time experience. In this experiment, we confirmed that the perceived wait-time duration of a loading indicator is positively related to nontemporal properties, such as the processing principle, but we also reviewed the influence of the semantic structure of perceptual time representation. The specific meaning of an animation metaphor and its narrative sequence is related to information extraction and processing of novel and repeated stimuli and, consequently, to the experienced delight and duration judgment of an end user.
Three-Dimensional Broadband Electric Field Sensor Based on Integrated Lithium Niobate on Insulator
Authors: Liu Zhao , Qiu Le , Zhao Lan , Luo Lijun , Du Wenhao , Zhang Lingjie , Sun Bao , Zhang Zhiyao , Zhang Shangjian , Liu Yong
Published: January 2023

A three-dimensional (3D) electric field sensing scheme is proposed and experimentally demonstrated based on an integrated lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) platform. The 3D measurement is realized by packing three LNOI-based sensor chips in a triangular-prism-type clamp. For each sensor chip, the optical waveguide has an asymmetrical Michelson interferometer architecture, and the tapered dipole antenna is inclined to the optical waveguide. By finely placing the three sensor chips in the clamp, the three pairs of inclined tapered dipole antennas are mutually orthogonal and can be applied to measure the electric field in three orthogonal polarization directions. The volume of the packaged 3D sensor is 9.5 cm3. In the experiment, a flat response in the frequency range of 10 MHz to 3 GHz is demonstrated. In addition, a 3 × 3 response calibration matrix is obtained and utilized to reduce the measurement error. After calibration, the relative measurement error of the electric field amplitude is smaller than 5.1% for every polarization direction.
Pneumatic Urban Waste Collection Systems: A Review
Authors: Farré Josep Anton , Mateu Carles , Teixidó Mercè , Cabeza Luisa F.
Published: January 2023

Due to the increasing need for a more sustainable environment, the study of waste management strategies is increasing worldwide. Pneumatic urban waste collection is an alternative to conventional truck collection, especially in urban areas where there is a need for reducing traffic and pollution. In this study, the scientific literature on such automated waste collection systems (AWCSs) (also known as automated vacuum waste collection (AVWC) systems) is evaluated through a bibliometric analysis. The available scientific literature is found to be scarce, while there are several patents on the topic. The keywords used in the literature are mainly related to energy use, gas emissions, and the cost–benefit analysis. Moreover, the market status is presented and a summary of the environmental studies is provided. The active companies in the field are identified and a complete list of AWCSs is provided. Most of the scientific literature related to the environmental aspects of AWCSs uses the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to evaluate the performance of different case studies.
Investigation of the Effect of Laser Fluence on Microstructure and Martensitic Transformation for Realizing Functionally Graded NiTi Shape Memory Alloy via Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Authors: Bassani Paola , Fiocchi Jacopo , Tuissi Ausonio , Biffi Carlo Alberto
Published: January 2023

Nowadays, additive manufacturing (AM) of NiTi shape memory alloy is a challenging topic for the realization of 3D functional parts. Particularly, Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) of NiTi powder is one of the most challenging processes belonging to AM, thanks to its best performances in terms of productivity and precision of geometrical complexity. The control of the functional performances in NiTi components requires a strong interaction between technological and metallurgical approaches. In fact, a strong correlation among the process conditions, the microstructure, and the final functional performances, beyond the defects associated with the process are needed to be understood and analyzed. In the present work, the correlation between the feasibility map of processability and the obtained microstructure, which can be tailored according to the use of different energy density values, of Ni-rich NiTi powder processed with LPBF is investigated. In detail, discrete energy density values, in the range 60–300 J/mm3, were correlated to microstructure, Ni:Ti ratio, and transformation temperatures of the martensitic transformation, analyzed with SEM, EBSD, EDX, and DSC characterizations, respectively. An increase in laser energy density was found to promote Ni evaporation, which induced a change of the microstructure from austenite to martensite at room temperature. A consequent shift of the transformation temperatures to higher values and a change in microstructural texture was achieved. These achievements can support the identification of the feasibility range for manufacturing functionally graded NiTi SMA, requiring tailored functional properties located in selected positions in the 3D parts.
Numerical Investigation into the Mechanical Behaviours and Energy Characteristics of Hard Coal Subjected to Coupled Static-Dynamic Loads
Authors: Sun Jiachuan , Dou Linming , Wang Guifeng , Tan Lihai , Peng Huaide
Published: January 2023

In practical engineering, coal burst is usually caused by the combination of high geo-stress and dynamic loading. To study the dynamic response of coal in geo-stress conditions, numerical models of a coupled static–dynamic split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) test system were established, based on which impact tests for coal specimens at different impact speeds and static pre-stress levels were conducted. The mechanical properties, energy characteristics and failure patterns of coal specimens under coupled static and dynamic loads were analyzed. The results show that when the pre-stress is constant, peak stress, the maximum strain energy and the maximum kinetic energy increase significantly with impact speed. Nevertheless, they are less affected by the static pre-stress, increasing linearly with a pre-stress level under lower impact speeds but becoming stable under higher impact speeds. In addition, weak dynamic loads may trigger the instability of the coal specimen in a high pre-stress condition. Overall, both the impact speed and static pre-stress have influence on the mechanical behavior and energy characteristics of coal specimens under coupled static and dynamic loads, but the influence of the impact speed outweighs that of the static pre-stress.
A Cardiovascular Disease Risk Score Model Based on High Contribution Characteristics
Authors: Peng Mengxiao , Hou Fan , Cheng Zhixiang , Shen Tongtong , Liu Kaixian , Zhao Cai , Zheng Wen
Published: January 2023

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction shows great significance for disease diagnosis and treatment, especially early intervention for CVD, which has a direct impact on preventing and reducing adverse outcomes. In this paper, we collected clinical indicators and outcomes of 14,832 patients with cardiovascular disease in Shanxi, China, and proposed a cardiovascular disease risk prediction model, XGBH, based on key contributing characteristics to perform risk scoring of patients’ clinical outcomes. The XGBH risk prediction model had high accuracy, with a significant improvement compared to the baseline risk score (AUC = 0.80 vs. AUC = 0.65). At the same time, we found that with the addition of conventional biometric variables, the accuracy of the model’s CVD risk prediction would also be improved. Finally, we designed a simpler model to quantify disease risk based on only three questions answered by the patient, with only a modest reduction in accuracy (AUC = 0.79), and providing a valid risk assessment for CVD. Overall, our models may allow early-stage intervention in high-risk patients, as well as a cost-effective screening approach. Further prospective studies and studies in other populations are needed to assess the actual clinical effect of XGBH risk prediction models.
Carbonation Resistance of Mortar Mixed with Electrolysis Alkaline Aqueous Solution and Blast Furnace Slag
Authors: Jeong Sumi , Kim Jusung , Kim Hojin , Park Sungyu
Published: January 2023

Cement production is the primary source of global CO2 emissions in the construction industry. Blast furnace slag (BFS) has been examined as a potential substitute for cement to reduce CO2 emissions. In addition, this substitution increases the long-term strength and improves the chemical resistance of mortar. However, a glassy film is formed on the surface of BFS while it is generated as a byproduct, lowering the initial strength of mortar. Notably, this film is destroyed in an alkaline environment. Thus, several studies have used solutions with various alkali activators. However, alkali activators are unsafe, as they are strong alkaline materials, and have low economic efficiency. This study experimentally improved the initial hydration reactivity of a mortar containing BFS as a substitute for cement, thereby improving its initial strength. We observed an increase in carbonation resistance. In addition, this study focused on evaluating the compressive strength and carbonation resistance of mortar prepared using BFS and alkaline water obtained from the electrolysis of a K2CO3 electrolyte. Results show that alkali-activated mortar using an electrolyzed alkaline aqueous solution has higher strength and contains more hydration products than that using conventional mixing water.
Synthesis of C/SiC Mixtures for Composite Anodes of Lithium-Ion Power Sources
Authors: Leonova Anastasia M. , Bashirov Oleg A. , Leonova Natalia M. , Lebedev Alexey S. , Trofimov Alexey A. , Suzdaltsev Andrey V.
Published: January 2023

Nowadays, research aimed at the development of materials with increased energy density for lithium-ion batteries are carried out all over the world. Composite anode materials based on Si and C ultrafine particles are considered promising due to their high capacity. In this work, a new approach for carbothermal synthesis of C/SiC composite mixtures with SiC particles of fibrous morphology with a fiber diameter of 0.1–2.0 μm is proposed. The synthesis was carried out on natural raw materials (quartz and graphite) without the use of complex equipment and an argon atmosphere. Using the proposed method, C/SiC mixture as well as pure SiC were synthesized and used to manufacture anode half-cells of lithium-ion batteries. The potential use of the resulting mixtures as anode material for lithium-ion battery was shown. Energy characteristics of the mixtures were determined. After 100 cycles, pure SiC reached a discharge capacity of 180 and 138 mAh g−1 at a current of C/20 and C, respectively, and for the mixtures of (wt%) 29.5C–70.5 SiC and 50Si–14.5C–35.5SiC discharge capacity of 328 and 400 mAh g−1 at a current of C/2 were achieved. The Coulombic efficiency of the samples during cycling was over 99%.
Effect of 3D Printing Parameters on the Fatigue Properties of Parts Manufactured by Fused Filament Fabrication: A Review
Authors: Bakhtiari Hamed , Aamir Muhammad , Tolouei-Rad Majid
Published: January 2023

The advancement in 3D printing techniques has raised the hope to use additively manufactured parts as final products in various industries. However, due to the layer-by-layer nature of AM parts, they are highly susceptible to failure when they are subjected to fatigue loading. This review provides a detailed account of the influence of 3D printing parameters on the fatigue properties of parts manufactured by fused filament fabrication (FFF). Existing standards for fatigue testing of polymers and their limitation for 3D-printed parts are discussed. In addition, the cyclic behaviour of polymers is reviewed, and the impact of 3D printing parameters on the mechanical behaviour of FFF parts under tensile, compressive, flexural, and bending fatigue is investigated according to the published results in the literature. Finally, a summary of the works undertaken and suggestions for future research are provided. The influence of 3D printing parameters on the fatigue performance of prints can be different from that seen in the case of static loading and strongly depends on the fatigue loading type. While cross-over infill patterns, higher infill density, and higher layer height favour achieving higher fatigue strength in all loading types, raster orientation is best to be aligned parallel to the tensile loads and perpendicular to the compressive, flexural, and bending forces. In the case of tensile and flexural loading, Y build orientation yields the best result. Finally, print velocity was found to be less significant compared to other parameters, implying that it can be set at high values for faster printing.
Evaluation of an Ion-Associate Phase Formed In Situ from the Aqueous Phase by Adding Benzethonium Chloride and Sodium Ethylbenzenesulfonate for Microextraction
Authors: Hata Noriko , Igarashi Akane , Yasui Rie , Matsushita Maho , Kohama Nozomi , Komiyama Tomoka , Sazawa Kazuto , Kuramitz Hideki , Taguchi Shigeru
Published: January 2023

The concentration region at which the solvent is formed during in situ solvent formation microextraction is determined by varying the concentrations of the two components required to form a solvent. In particular, a solvent is formed in situ during ion-associate phase (IAP) microextraction by mixing an aqueous solution with an organic cation and an organic anion. In this study, benzethonium chloride (BenCl) and sodium ethylbenzenesulfonate (NaEBS) were employed as the organic cation and anion sources of model IAPs to thoroughly investigate the in situ solvent formation. Additionally, the formation of the IAPs and the solvent via centrifugation of the formed ion associates was examined. We demonstrated that ion associates are formed when the product of [EBS] and [Ben] is greater than the solubility product and [EBS] is greater than [Ben]. The highest extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was achieved with an amount of NaEBS 40 times greater than that of BenCl. A higher hydrophobicity in the IAP extraction of PAHs, estrogens, and pesticides facilitated extraction into the IAP.
Adam Kraft’s Moving Sandstones
Authors: Silver Larry
Published: January 2023

Adam Kraft, Albrecht Dürer’s contemporary in Nuremberg, worked in the material of sandstone to provide a comparable experience in carved relief about the Passion of Christ. Both artists began their work in Nuremberg around the same time, 1490, although the older Kraft actually predeceased Dürer by two full decades (1508/1528). But both Nuremberg artists shared a religious sentiment of late-medieval art as having a goal to evoke pious emotions through vivid, multi-figured narrative re-enactments. Kraft’s Stations of the Cross series simulates an imaginary pilgrimage in Jerusalem itself. Through their visual process, both Kraft and Dürer moved pious empathy in their—literally—moving viewers of Passion sequences.
Spatiotemporal Dynamic Correlation Characteristics and Driving Factors of Major Air Pollutant Emissions in China
Authors: Tian Ya , He Chao , Yang Lu , Yi Jiahui , Ke Biqin , Mu Hang , Tu Peiyue , Ye Zhixiang , Hong Song
Published: January 2023

Air pollution is closely associated with human health and the economy. Therefore, it is important to understand variations in the spatiotemporal and sectoral emission distributions of major air pollutants and their drivers. The policies (APAPPC) promulgated by China in 2013 have also achieved remarkable results. Rate of change, trend analysis, and a geographically and temporally weighted regression model were used to study the effects of socioeconomic factors on NOx, SO2, and dust emissions in China during 2011–2017. During the study period, annual average emissions of NOx, SO2, and dust decreased by 11.45, 13.42, and 4.82 Mt (−47.64, −60.53, and −39.05%), respectively. Pollutant emissions were concentrated in North China, with Shandong and Hebei provinces exhibiting the highest NOx and SO2 and dust emissions, respectively. Pollutant emissions from the power and industrial sectors were mainly distributed in East (27.08 and 28.00%, respectively) and North China (23.57 and 20.04%, respectively), whereas emissions from the residential sector were mainly concentrated in North (22.48%) and Southwest China (20.07%). Pollutant emissions were positively correlated with electricity generation, urban population density, urban green spaces, private car ownership, the secondary industry as a share of regional GDP, and steel production and negatively correlated with disposable income and gross construction output. Per capita disposable income was the dominant driving factor.
Characteristics and Sources of Water-Soluble Inorganic Ions in PM2.5 in Urban Nanjing, China
Authors: Guo Qinghao , Chen Kui , Xu Guojie
Published: January 2023

In this study, the water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) composition of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was measured in the northern Nanjing city from 2015 to 2021. NH4+, NO3− and SO42− concentrations dominated in total WSIIs (Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl−, NO3− and SO42−), accounting for 87.8%. The nitrate with highest average concentration among all ions was 11.0 μg·m−3. Total WSIIs concentrations were higher in winter and lower in summer, with the highest levels in December (45.6 μg·m−3) and the lowest levels in August (15.1 μg·m−3). NO3−/SO42− was higher than 1, indicating the important contribution of mobile sources. The aerosols exhibited a weak acidic by the molar ratio of water-soluble anions and cations. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis results showed that secondary nitrate and sulfate were the major pollution sources in December 2016 and 2020. The contribution of secondary nitrate in 2020 increased by 47.6% compared to 2016, while that of secondary sulfate decreased by 42.4%. The potential source contribution results demonstrated that for secondary aerosol concentrations, the contribution of regional transport from north of Anhui increased, while the contribution of local emissions decreased. The results from this study could contribute to the better prevention and control of regional air pollution in the future.
Results of Field Experiments for the Creation of Artificial Updrafts and Clouds
Authors: Abshaev Magomet T. , Abshaev Ali M. , Aksenov Andrey A. , Fisher Julia V. , Shchelyaev Alexander E. , Al Mandous Abdulla , Al Yazeedi Omar , Wehbe Youssef , Sîrbu Emil , Sîrbu Dragoș Andrei , Eremeico Serghei
Published: January 2023

This study documents results from a series of field experiments on the creation of artificial updrafts and convective clouds at a test site in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The proposed method incorporates a vertically directed jet from an aircraft turbojet engine saturated with active hygroscopic aerosols for the purpose of energetically feeding the jet with water vapor condensation heat below cloud base level. This paper presents the description and main characteristics of the experimental equipment, methodology of experiments and atmospheric conditions, analysis of the obtained results, and prospects for further development of the proposed method. On the whole, the experiments showed that under the conditions of low air humidity, typical for the UAE, and the slowness of the condensation process, the replenishment of the jet energy by the heat of condensation is too small, and the power of the used jet engine in the experiments is insufficient to overcome surface temperature inversions, horizontal winds, and initiation of deep convection. Nevertheless, the results of field experiments and numerical simulation made it possible to outline promising directions for further research on improving the considered method for creating artificial clouds and precipitation.
Assessment of the Spatial Structure of Black Carbon Concentrations in the Near-Surface Arctic Atmosphere
Authors: Nagovitsyna Ekaterina S. , Poddubny Vassily A. , Karasev Alexander A. , Kabanov Dmitry M. , Sidorova Olga R. , Maslovsky Alexander S.
Published: January 2023

The results of the research are numerical estimates of the average fields of black carbon mass concentration in the surface layer of the atmosphere of the Arctic region obtained using the numeric technology referred to as fluid location of the atmosphere (FLA). The modelling has been based on measurements of the black carbon concentrations in the near-surface atmosphere obtained during the two cruises of the Professor Multanovskiy (28 July–7 September 2019) and Akademik Mstislav Keldysh (31 July–24 August 2020) research vessels. These measurements have been supplemented by measurements at stationary monitoring points located on the Spitsbergen and the Severnaya Zemlya archipelagoes. The simulation in the summertime demonstrates that areas of increased black carbon concentrations were observed over Northern Europe and, in 2019, also over the Laptev Sea basin. The obtained spatial distribution of mass concentrations of black carbon qualitatively agreed with the same data derived from the second Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2) but showed quantitative differences. The average values of mass concentrations of black carbon in the modelling zones are as follows: 85.3 ng/m3 (2019) and 53.6 ng/m3 (2020) for fields reconstructed by the FLA technology; and 261.69 ng/m3 (2019) and 131.8 ng/m3 (2020) for the MERRA-2 data.
Co-Training Semi-Supervised Learning for Fine-Grained Air Quality Analysis
Authors: Zhao Yaning , Wang Li , Zhang Nannan , Huang Xiangwei , Yang Lunke , Yang Wenbiao
Published: January 2023

Due to the limited number of air quality monitoring stations, the data collected are limited. Using supervised learning for air quality fine-grained analysis, that is used to predict the air quality index (AQI) of the locations without air quality monitoring stations, may lead to overfitting in that the models have superior performance on the training set but perform poorly on the validation and testing set. In order to avoid this problem in supervised learning, the most effective solution is to increase the amount of data, but in this study, this is not realistic. Fortunately, semi-supervised learning can obtain knowledge from unlabeled samples, thus solving the problem caused by insufficient training samples. Therefore, a co-training semi-supervised learning method combining the K-nearest neighbors (KNN) algorithm and deep neural network (DNN) is proposed, named KNN-DNN, which makes full use of unlabeled samples to improve the model performance for fine-grained air quality analysis. Temperature, humidity, the concentrations of pollutants and source type are used as input variables, and the KNN algorithm and DNN model are used as learners. For each learner, the labeled data are used as the initial training set to model the relationship between the input variables and the AQI. In the iterative process, by labeling the unlabeled samples, a pseudo-sample with the highest confidence is selected to expand the training set. The proposed model is evaluated on a real dataset collected by monitoring stations from 1 February to 30 April 2018 over a region between 118° E–118°53′ E and 39°45′ N–39°89′ N. Practical application shows that the proposed model has a significant effect on the fine-grained analysis of air quality. The coefficient of determination between the predicted value and the true value is 0.97, which is better than other models.
Grid-to-Point Deep-Learning Error Correction for the Surface Weather Forecasts of a Fine-Scale Numerical Weather Prediction System
Authors: Qin Yu , Liu Yubao , Jiang Xinyu , Yang Li , Xu Haixiang , Shi Yueqin , Huo Zhaoyang
Published: January 2023

Forecasts of numerical weather prediction models unavoidably contain errors, and it is a common practice to post-process the model output and correct the error for the proper use of the forecasts. This study develops a grid-to-multipoint (G2N) model output error correction scheme which extracts model spatial features and corrects multistation forecasts simultaneously. The model was tested for an operational high-resolution model system, the precision rapid update forecasting system (PRUFS) model, running for East China at 3 km grid intervals. The variables studied include 2 m temperature, 2 m relative humidity, and 10 m wind speed at 311 standard ground-based weather stations. The dataset for training G2N is a year of historical PRUFS model outputs and the surface observations of the same period and the assessment of the G2N performance are based on the output of two months of real-time G2N. The verification of the real-time results shows that G2N reduced RMSEs of the 2 m temperature, 2 m relative humidity, and 10 m wind speed forecast errors of the PRUFS model by 19%, 24%, and 42%, respectively. Sensitivity analysis reveals that increasing the number of the target stations for simultaneous correction helps to improve the model performance and reduces the computational cost as well indicating that enhancing the loss function with spatial regional meteorological structure is helpful. On the other hand, adequately selecting the size of influencing grid areas of the model input is also important for G2N to incorporate enough spatial features of model forecasts but not to include the information from the grids far from the correcting areas. G2N is a highly efficient and effective tool that can be readily implemented for real-time regional NWP models.
A Comparative Study of Air Pollutant Concentrations before the COVID-19 Pandemic and in the New Normal in the Región de Murcia (Spain)
Authors: Doval-Miñarro Marta , Bueso María Carmen
Published: January 2023

The management of the COVID-19 pandemic, which required global lockdowns and mobility restrictions, positively impacted air quality (especially the concentrations of primary pollutants). With the progressive return to normal activity during the last few months of 2020 and 2021, air pollutant concentrations were expected to rise again. In this work, together with meteorological conditions and traffic intensity, the concentrations of NO, NO2, O3, PM10, and SO2 measured at three different locations (urban, industrial, and rural) in southeast Spain, from January 2016 to December 2021, were analyzed. For the three locations, PM10 concentrations did not change significantly in 2020 or 2021. SO2 concentrations did not experience changes at the industrial site in 2020 or 2021, but SO2 concentrations did slightly increase in five months of 2021 in the urban location (with a maximum monthly average concentration of 11 μg·m−3). In 2020, NO and NO2 concentrations were, in general, lower than those measured in previous years (2016–2019). Interestingly, at the urban site (San Basilio), the levels of NO and NO2 were significantly lower in 2021 than in 2020 despite the higher traffic intensity in 2021. While the concentrations of NO and NO2 decreased, in VOC-limited areas, O3 concentrations increased. This was clearly observed at the industrial and the urban sites. Despite the increase, O3 concentrations were still below the European O3 target value for the protection of human health. An analysis of new registrations of EVs and HEVs in the latter years and their impact on the vehicle fleet of Murcia and, subsequently, on road emissions was carried out. Regardless of the steep increase in environmentally friendly vehicles in 2021, their share of the vehicle fleet is still negligible; thus, the lower concentrations of NO and NO2 are likely due to more favorable weather conditions in 2021 than in 2020.
Inversion Method for Multiple Nuclide Source Terms in Nuclear Accidents Based on Deep Learning Fusion Model
Authors: Ling Yongsheng , Liu Chengfeng , Shan Qing , Hei Daqian , Zhang Xiaojun , Shi Chao , Jia Wenbao , Wang Jing
Published: January 2023

During severe nuclear accidents, radioactive materials are expected to be released into the atmosphere. Estimating the source term plays a significant role in assessing the consequences of an accident to assist in actioning a proper emergency response. However, it is difficult to obtain information on the source term directly through the instruments in the reactor because of the unpredictable conditions induced by the accident. In this study, a deep learning-based method to estimate the source term with field environmental monitoring data, which utilizes the bagging method to fuse models based on the temporal convolutional network (TCN) and two-dimensional convolutional neural network (2D-CNN), was developed. To reduce the complexity of the model, the particle swarm optimization algorithm was used to optimize the parameters in the fusion model. Seven typical radionuclides (Kr-88, I-131, Te-132, Xe-133, Cs-137, Ba-140, and Ce-144) were set as mixed source terms, and the International Radiological Assessment System was used to generate model training data. The results indicated that the average prediction error of the fusion model for the seven nuclides in the test set was less than 10%, which significantly improved the estimation accuracy compared with the results obtained by TCN or 2D-CNN. Noise analysis revealed the fusion model to be robust, having potential applicability toward more complex nuclear accident scenarios.
Stability Analysis of Fractional-Order Predator-Prey System with Consuming Food Resource
Authors: Arif Muhammad Shoaib , Abodayeh Kamaleldin , Ejaz Asad
Published: January 2023

The cardinal element of ecology is the predator-prey relationship. The population of interacting organisms is based on many factors such as food, water, space, and protection. A key component among these factors is food. The presence of food for the organisms shapes the structure of the habitat. The present study considers a predator and two types of prey. It is assumed that one prey species utilizes the same food resource as the predator, whereas the other prey species depends on a different food resource. The existence and uniqueness of the model are studied using the Lipschitz condition. The fixed points for the fractional-order model are sorted out, and the existence of the equilibrium points is discussed. The stability analysis of the model for the biologically important fixed points is provided. These include the coexistence fixed point and the prey-free (using the same food resources as the predator does) fixed point. A fractional-order scheme is implemented to support theoretical results for the stability of equilibrium points. The time series solution of the model is presented in the form of plots. Moreover, the impact of some mathematically and biologically important parameters is presented.
Role and Regulation of Clp Proteases: A Target against Gram-Positive Bacteria
Authors: Queraltó Camila , Álvarez Ricardo , Ortega Constanza , Díaz-Yáñez Fernando , Paredes-Sabja Daniel , Gil Fernando
Published: January 2023

Bacterial proteases participate in the proteolytic elimination of misfolded or aggregated proteins, carried out by members of the AAA+ protein superfamily such as Hsp100/Clp, Lon, and FtsH. It is estimated that the Clp and Lon families perform around 80% of cellular proteolysis in bacteria. These functions are regulated, in part, through the spatial and/or temporal use of adapter proteins, which participate in the recognition and delivery of specific substrate proteins to proteases. The proteolysis plays an important role in maintaining and controlling the quality of the proteins, avoiding the accumulation and aggregation of unfolded or truncated proteins. However, this is not their only function, since they play an important role in the formation of virulent phenotypes and in the response to different types of stress faced when entering the host or that occur in the environment. This review summarizes the structural and functional aspects of the Clp proteases and their role in Gram-positive microorganisms.
State of Charge Estimation of LiFePO4 in Various Temperature Scenarios
Authors: Wang Mingzhu , Wang Guan , Xiao Zhanlong , Sun Yuedong , Zheng Yuejiu
Published: January 2023

The state estimation of a battery is a significant component of a BMS. Due to the poor temperature performance and voltage plateau phase in LiFePO4 batteries, the difficulty of state estimation is greatly increased. At the same time, the ambient temperature in which the battery operates is changeable, and its parameters will vary with the temperature. Therefore, it is extremely challenging to estimate the state of LiFePO4 batteries under variable temperatures. In an effort to accurately estimate the SOC of LiFePO4 batteries at different and variable temperatures, as well as its capacity at low temperature, the characteristics of LiFePO4 batteries at different temperatures are first tested. In addition, a variable temperature OCV experiment is designed to obtain the OCV of the full SOC range. Then, the ECM considering temperature is established and all parameters are identified by PSO. Finally, an improved EKF algorithm is presented to accurately estimate the SOC of LiFePO4 batteries at different and variable temperatures. Meanwhile, the battery capacity at low temperature is further estimated based on the estimated SOC result. The results show that SOC estimation errors at variable temperature are all within 3%, and the capacity estimation errors at low temperature are all within 1%.
Study on the Heat Dissipation Performance of a Liquid Cooling Battery Pack with Different Pin-Fins
Authors: Xiong Maokun , Wang Ningbo , Li Wei , Garg Akhil , Gao Liang
Published: January 2023

The heat dissipation capability of the battery thermal management system (BTMS) is a prerequisite for the safe and normal work of the battery. Currently, many researchers have designed and studied the structure of BTMS to better control the battery temperature in a specific range and to obtain better temperature uniformity. This allows the battery to work safely and efficiently while extending its life. As a result, BTMS has been a hot topic of research. This work investigates the impact of pin-fins on the heat dissipation capability of the BTMS using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach, designs several BTMS schemes with different pin-fin structures, simulates all schemes for fluid-structure interaction, and examines the impact of different distribution, number, and shape of pin-fins on heat dissipation capability and pressure drop. Analyzing the effect of cooling plates with different pin-fins on the thermal capability of the BTMS can provide a basis for the structural design of this BTMS with pin-fin cooling plates. The findings demonstrate that the distribution and quantity of pin-fin shapes might affect heat dissipation. The square-section pin-fins offer better heat dissipation than other pin-fin shapes. As the pin-fins number increases, the maximum battery temperature decreases, but the pressure drop increases. It has been observed that uniform pin-fin distribution has a superior heat dissipation effect than other pin-fin distribution schemes. In summary, the cooling plate with a uniform distribution of 3 × 6 square section pin-fins has better heat dissipation capability and less power consumption, with a maximum battery temperature of 306.19 K, an average temperature of 304.20 K, a temperature difference of 5.18 K, and a pressure drop of 99.29 Pa.
MOF-Derived Urchin-like Co9S8-Ni3S2 Composites on Ni Foam as Efficient Self-Supported Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Bu Yingping , Zhang Yawen , Liu Yingying , Li Simin , Zhou Yanlin , Lin Xuefen , Dong Zicong , Zhang Renchun , Zhang Jingchao , Zhang Daojun
Published: January 2023

Effective and inexpensive electrocatalysts are significant to improve the performance of oxygen evolution reaction. Facing the bottleneck of slow kinetics of oxygen evolution reaction, it is highly desirable to design the electrocatalyst with high activity, good conductivity, and satisfactory stability. In this work, nickel foam supported hierarchical Co9S8–Ni3S2 composite hollow microspheres were derived from in situ-generative MOF precursors and the subsequent sulfurization process by a simple two-step solvothermal method. The composite microspheres were directly grown on nickel foam without any binder, and nickel foam was used as the nickel source and support material. The morphology and constitution of the series self-supported electrodes were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, and Raman, respectively. The unique porous architecture enriched the electrode with sufficient active surface and helped to reactants and bubble evolved during electrochemical water oxidation. Through tuning the concentration of cobalt source and ligand, the content ratio of Co9S8 and Ni3S2 can be modulated. The heterostructures not only afford active interfaces between the phases but also allow electronic transfer between Co9S8 and Ni3S2. The optimized Co9S8-Ni3S2/NF-0.6 electrode with the highest electrochemical surface area and conductivity shows the best OER performance among the series electrodes in 1 M KOH solution. The overpotential of Co9S8-Ni3S2/NF-0.6 is only 233 mV when the current density is 10 mA cm−2, and corresponding Tafel slope is 116.75 mV dec−1. In addition, the current density of Co9S8-Ni3S2/NF-0.6 electrocatalyst hardly decreased during the 12 h stability measurement. Our approach in this work may provide the future rational design and synthesis of satisfactory OER electrocatalysts.
Associations of Ambient Environmental Conditions with Growth and Dissemination of Staphylococcus epidermidis on the Surface of Teatcups from Sheep Milking Parlours
Authors: Katsarou Eleni I. , Petinaki Efthymia , Fthenakis George C.
Published: January 2023

The growth of two isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis (one that was forming biofilm and one that was not) on new or used teatcups made of silicone for use in milking parlours for sheep, was assessed for 24 h after the application by smearing on the surface of the teatcup. Staphylococci were applied by smearing on an area of 0.0003142 (3.142 × 10−4) m2 on material obtained from the teatcups and their growth and expansion further on were monitored for 24 h at varying ambient conditions: temperature 21 °C or 31 °C and humidity 60% or 80%. No differences were evident between the two isolates in the frequency of recoveries in any of the conditions tested (p > 0.75 for all comparisons). Recovery rates were higher in humidity 80% compared to humidity 60%: 1678/2016 (83.2%) versus 1282/2016 (63.6%) (p < 0.0001), and in temperature 31 °C compared to temperature 21 °C: 1525/2016 (75.6%) versus 1435/2016 (71.2%) (p = 0.001). Recovery rates were also higher from new teatcups compared to used ones only in humidity 60%: 744/1008 (73.8%) versus 538/1008 (53.4%) (p < 0.0001). Humidity 80% was associated with higher speed of linear dissemination of the isolates on teatcup surface compared to humidity 60%: 0.000000640 (6.40 × 10−7) m s−1 versus 0.000000322 (3.22 × 10−7) m s−1 (+98.8%) (p < 0.0001); no such association was seen with higher temperature: 0.000000509 (5.09 × 10−7) m s−1 versus 0.000000453 (4.53 × 10−7) m s−1 for temperature 31 °C and 21 °C (+12.4%) (p = 0.29). As part of precision livestock farming, differing approaches can be instituted in accord with varying climatic conditions in different farms, as well as within the same farm with the change of seasons.
Bone Healing Gone Wrong: Pathological Fracture Healing and Non-Unions—Overview of Basic and Clinical Aspects and Systematic Review of Risk Factors
Authors: Saul Dominik , Menger Maximilian M. , Ehnert Sabrina , Nüssler Andreas K. , Histing Tina , Laschke Matthias W.
Published: January 2023

Bone healing is a multifarious process involving mesenchymal stem cells, osteoprogenitor cells, macrophages, osteoblasts and -clasts, and chondrocytes to restore the osseous tissue. Particularly in long bones including the tibia, clavicle, humerus and femur, this process fails in 2–10% of all fractures, with devastating effects for the patient and the healthcare system. Underlying reasons for this failure are manifold, from lack of biomechanical stability to impaired biological host conditions and wound-immanent intricacies. In this review, we describe the cellular components involved in impaired bone healing and how they interfere with the delicately orchestrated processes of bone repair and formation. We subsequently outline and weigh the risk factors for the development of non-unions that have been established in the literature. Therapeutic prospects are illustrated and put into clinical perspective, before the applicability of biomarkers is finally discussed.
The Strigolactone Pathway Is a Target for Modifying Crop Shoot Architecture and Yield
Authors: Kelly Jack H. , Tucker Matthew R. , Brewer Philip B.
Published: January 2023

Due to their sessile nature, plants have developed the ability to adapt their architecture in response to their environment. Branching is an integral component of plant architecture, where hormonal signals tightly regulate bud outgrowth. Strigolactones (SLs), being a novel class of phytohormone, are known to play a key role in branching decisions, where they act as a negative regulator of bud outgrowth. They can achieve this by modulating polar auxin transport to interrupt auxin canalisation, and independently of auxin by acting directly within buds by promoting the key branching inhibitor TEOSINTE BRANCHED1. Buds will grow out in optimal conditions; however, when conditions are sub-optimal, SL levels increase to restrict branching. This can be a problem in agricultural applications, as reductions in branching can have deleterious effects on crop yield. Variations in promoter elements of key SL-related genes, such as IDEAL PLANT ARCHITECTURE1, have been identified to promote a phenotype with enhanced yield performance. In this review we highlight how this knowledge can be applied using new technologies to develop new genetic variants for improving crop shoot architecture and yield.
Genetic Signature of Pinctada fucata Inferred from Population Genomics: Source Tracking of the Invasion in Mischief Reef of Nansha Islands
Authors: Shan Binbin , Yu Gang , Wang Liangming , Liu Yan , Yang Changping , Liu Manting , Sun Dianrong
Published: January 2023

Among the anthropogenic stresses that marine ecosystems face, biological invasions are one of the major threats. Recently, as a result of increasingly intense anthropogenic disturbance, numerous marine species have been introduced to their non-native ranges. However, many introduced species have uncertain original sources. This prevents the design and establishment of methods for controlling or preventing these introduced species. In the present study, genomic sequencing and population genetic analysis were performed to detect the geographic origin of the introduced Pinctada fucata population in the Mischief Reef of the South China Sea. The results of population genetic structure analysis showed a close relationship between the Mischief Reef introduced population and the Lingshui population, indicating that Lingshui may be the potential geographical origin. Furthermore, lower heterozygosity and nucleotide diversity were observed in the introduced population in Mischief Reef, indicating lower genetic diversity than in other native populations. We also identified some selected genomic regions and genes of the introduced population, including genes related to temperature and salinity tolerance. These genes may play important roles in the adaptation of the introduced population. Our study will improve our understanding of the invasion history of the P. fucata population. Furthermore, the results of the present study will also facilitate further control and prevention of invasion in Mischief Reef, South China Sea.