bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in the Kinematics of Midfoot and Rearfoot Joints with the Use of Lateral Wedge Insoles
Authors: Gómez Carrión Álvaro , Atín Arratibe Maria de los Ángeles , Morales Lozano Maria Rosario , Martínez Rincón Carmen , Martínez Sebastián Carlos , Saura Sempere Álvaro , Nuñez-Fernandez Almudena , Sánchez-Gómez Rubén
Published: August 2022

The lateral wedge insole (LWI) is a typical orthopedic treatment for medial knee osteoarthritis pain, chronic ankle instability, and peroneal tendon disorders. It is still unknown what the effects are in the most important joints of the foot when using LWIs as a treatment for knee and ankle pathologies. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the influence of LWIs on the position of the midfoot and rearfoot joints by measuring the changes using a tracking device. Methods: The study was carried out with a total of 69 subjects. Movement measurements for the midfoot were made on the navicular bone, and for the rearfoot on the calcaneus bone. The Polhemus system was used, with two motion sensors fixed to each bone. Subjects were compared by having them use LWIs versus being barefoot. Results: There were statistically significant differences in the varus movement when wearing a 4 mm LWI (1.23 ± 2.08°, p < 0.001) versus the barefoot condition (0.35 ± 0.95°), and in the plantarflexion movement when wearing a 4 mm LWI (3.02 ± 4.58°, p < 0.001) versus the barefoot condition (0.68 ± 1.34°), in the midfoot. There were also statistically significant differences in the valgus movement when wearing a 7 mm LWI (1.74 ± 2.61°, p < 0.001) versus the barefoot condition (0.40 ± 0.90°), and in the plantar flexion movement when wearing a 4 mm LWI (2.88 ± 4.31°, p < 0.001) versus the barefoot condition (0.35 ± 0.90°), in the rearfoot. Conclusions: In the navicular bone, a varus, an abduction, and plantar flexion movements were generated. In the calcaneus, a valgus, an adduction, and plantar flexion movements were generated with the use of LWIs.
Unveiling Antimicrobial and Insecticidal Activities of Biosynthesized Selenium Nanoparticles Using Prickly Pear Peel Waste
Authors: Hashem Amr H. , Selim Tharwat A. , Alruhaili Mohammed H. , Selim Samy , Alkhalifah Dalal Hussien M. , Al Jaouni Soad K. , Salem Salem S.
Published: August 2022

In the current study, prickly pear peel waste (PPPW) extract was used for the biosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles through a green and eco-friendly method for the first time. The biosynthesized SeNPs were characterized using UV-Vis, XRD, FTIR, TEM, SEM, EDX, and mapping. Characterization results revealed that biosynthesized SeNPs were spherical, polydisperse, highly crystalline, and had sizes in the range of 10–87.4 nm. Antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal activities of biosynthesized SeNPs were evaluated. Results revealed that SeNPs exhibited promising antibacterial against Gram negative (E. coli and P. aeruginosa) and Gram positive (B. subtilis and S. aureus) bacteria where MICs were 125, 125, 62.5, and 15.62 µg/mL, respectively. Moreover, SeNPs showed potential antifungal activity toward Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans where MICs were 3.9 and 7.81 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, tested crud extract and SeNPs severely induced larvicidal activity for tested mosquitoes with LC50 and LC90 of 219.841, 950.087 mg/L and 75.411, 208.289 mg/L, respectively. The fecundity and hatchability of C. pipiens mosquito were significantly decreased as applied concentrations increased either for the crude or the fabricated SeNPs extracts. In conclusion, the biosynthesized SeNPs using prickly pear peel waste have antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal activities, which can be used in biomedical and environmental applications.
The Preparation and Characterization of Chitooligosaccharide–Polylactide Polymers, and In Vitro Release of Microspheres Loaded with Vancomycin
Authors: Li Jiaxin , Tang Ruimin , Zhang Penghao , Yuan Minglong , Li Hongli , Yuan Mingwei
Published: August 2022

Drug-loaded microspheres are an ideal bone tissue delivery material. In this study, a biodegradable Schiff base chitosan–polylactide was used as the encapsulation material to prepare drug-loaded microspheres as biocompatible carriers for controlled vancomycin release. In this regard, Schiff base chitosan was prepared by the Schiff base method, and then different proportions of the Schiff base chitosan–polylactide polymer were prepared by ring-opening polymerization. Drug-loaded microspheres were prepared by the W/O emulsion method, and the polymers and polymer microspheres were characterized and studied by NMR, IR, and antibacterial methods. The drug loading and release rates of microspheres were determined to investigate the drug loading, encapsulation efficiency, and release rate of drug microspheres at different ratios. In this study, different proportions of Schiff base chitosan–polylactic acid materials are successfully prepared, and vancomycin-loaded microspheres are successfully prepared using them as carriers. This study proves that the materials have antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The particle size of drug-loaded microspheres was below 10 μm, and the particle size decreased with decreasing molecular weight. The obtained results show that 1:100 microspheres have the highest drug-loading and encapsulation efficiencies, the drug-loaded microspheres have no burst release within 24 h, and the release quantity reaches more than 20%. After 30 days of release, the release amounts of 1:10, 1:20, 1:40, 1:60, and 1:100 drug-loaded microspheres were 64.80 ± 0.29%, 54.43 ± 0.54%, 44.60 ± 0.43%, 42.53 ± 0.40% and 69.73 ± 0.45%, respectively, and the release amount of 1:100 was the highest.
Experimental Modelling of Point-Absorber Wave Energy Converter Arrays: A Comprehensive Review, Identification of Research Gaps and Design of the WECfarm Setup
Authors: Vervaet Timothy , Stratigaki Vasiliki , De Backer Brecht , Stockman Kurt , Vantorre Marc , Troch Peter
Published: August 2022

Commercial wave energy exploitation will be realised by placing multiple wave energy converters (WECs) in an array configuration. A point-absorber WEC consists of a floating or submerged body to capture wave energy from different wave directions. This point-absorber WEC acts as an efficient wave absorber that is also an efficient wave generator. Optimising the WEC array layout to obtain constructive interference within the WEC array is theoretically beneficial, whereas for wind farms, it is only important to avoid destructive interference within an array of wind turbines due to wake effects. Moreover, the WEC array layout should be optimised simultaneously with the applied control strategy. This article provides a literature review on the state of the art in physical modelling of point-absorber WEC arrays and the identification of research gaps. To cover the scientific gap of experimental data necessary for the validation of recently developed (nonlinear) numerical models for WEC arrays, Ghent University has introduced the “WECfarm” project. The identified research gaps are translated into design requirements for the “WECfarm” WEC array setup and test matrix. This article presents the design of the “WECfarm” experimental setup, consisting of an array of five generic heaving point-absorber WECs. The WECs are equipped with a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), addressing the need for WEC array tests with an accurate and actively controllable power take-off (PTO). The WEC array control and data acquisition are realised with a Speedgoat Performance real-time target machine, offering the possibility to implement advanced WEC array control strategies in the MATLAB-Simulink model. Wave basin testing includes long- and short-crested waves and extreme wave conditions, representing real sea conditions. Within the “WECfarm” project, two experimental campaigns were performed at the Aalborg University wave basin: (a) a testing of the first WEC in April 2021 and (b) a testing of a two-WEC array in February 2022. An experimental campaign with a five-WEC array is under preparation at the moment of writing.
Striking Circulating Tumour Cells during Sleep
Authors: Moghimi S. Moein , Schwartz Simó
Published: August 2022

Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) with stem cell-like properties and epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype are precursor cells responsible for dissemination and metastatic spread of cancer [...]
Epiphytic Yeasts and Bacteria as Candidate Biocontrol Agents of Green and Blue Molds of Citrus Fruits
Authors: Hammami Rania , Oueslati Maroua , Smiri Marwa , Nefzi Souhaila , Ruissi Mustapha , Comitini Francesca , Romanazzi Gianfranco , Cacciola Santa Olga , Sadfi Zouaoui Najla
Published: August 2022

Overall, 180 yeasts and bacteria isolated from the peel of citrus fruits were screened for their in vitro antagonistic activity against Penicillium digitatum and P. italicum, causative agents of green and blue mold of citrus fruits, respectively. Two yeast and three bacterial isolates were selected for their inhibitory activity on mycelium growth. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA and ITS rDNA sequences, the yeast isolates were identified as Candida oleophila and Debaryomyces hansenii while the bacterial isolates were identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, B. pumilus and B. subtilis. All five selected isolates significantly reduced the incidence of decay incited by P. digitatum and P. italicum on ‘Valencia’ orange and ‘Eureka’ lemon fruits. Moreover, they were effective in preventing natural infections of green and blue mold of fruits stored at 4 °C. Treatments with antagonistic yeasts and bacteria did not negatively affect the quality and shelf life of fruits. The antagonistic efficacy of the five isolates depended on multiple modes of action, including the ability to form biofilms and produce antifungal lipopeptides, lytic enzymes and volatile compounds. The selected isolates are promising as biocontrol agents of postharvest green and blue molds of citrus fruits.
The Application of DTCWT on MRI-Derived Radiomics for Differentiation of Glioblastoma and Solitary Brain Metastases
Authors: Wu Wen-Feng , Shen Chia-Wei , Lai Kuan-Ming , Chen Yi-Jen , Lin Eugene C. , Chen Chien-Chin
Published: August 2022

Background: While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the imaging modality of choice for the evaluation of patients with brain tumors, it may still be challenging to differentiate glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) from solitary brain metastasis (SBM) due to their similar imaging features. This study aimed to evaluate the features extracted of dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT) from routine MRI protocol for preoperative differentiation of glioblastoma (GBM) and solitary brain metastasis (SBM). Methods: A total of 51 patients were recruited, including 27 GBM and 24 SBM patients. Their contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images (CET1WIs), T2 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (T2FLAIR) images, diffusion-weighted images (DWIs), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) images were employed in this study. The statistical features of the pre-transformed images and the decomposed images of the wavelet transform and DTCWT were utilized to distinguish between GBM and SBM. Results: The support vector machine (SVM) showed that DTCWT images have a better accuracy (82.35%), sensitivity (77.78%), specificity (87.50%), and the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) (89.20%) than the pre-transformed and conventional wavelet transform images. By incorporating DTCWT and pre-transformed images, the accuracy (86.27%), sensitivity (81.48%), specificity (91.67%), and AUC (93.06%) were further improved. Conclusions: Our studies suggest that the features extracted from the DTCWT images can potentially improve the differentiation between GBM and SBM.
HF-SCA: Hands-Free Strong Customer Authentication Based on a Memory-Guided Attention Mechanisms
Authors: Distante Cosimo , Fineo Laura , Mainetti Luca , Manco Luigi , Taccardi Benito , Vergallo Roberto
Published: August 2022

Strong customer authentication (SCA) is a requirement of the European Union Revised Directive on Payment Services (PSD2) which ensures that electronic payments are performed with multifactor authentication. While increasing the security of electronic payments, the SCA impacted seriously on the shopping carts abandonment: an Italian bank computed that 22% of online purchases in the first semester of 2021 did not complete because of problems with the SCA. Luckily, the PSD2 allows the use of transaction risk analysis tool to exempt the SCA process. In this paper, we propose an unsupervised novel combination of existing machine learning techniques able to determine if a purchase is typical or not for a specific customer, so that in the case of a typical purchase the SCA could be exempted. We modified a well-known architecture (U-net) by replacing convolutional blocks with squeeze-and-excitation blocks. After that, a memory network was added in a latent space and an attention mechanism was introduced in the decoding side of the network. The proposed solution was able to detect nontypical purchases by creating temporal correlations between transactions. The network achieved 97.7% of AUC score over a well-known dataset retrieved online. By using this approach, we found that 98% of purchases could be executed by securely exempting the SCA, while shortening the customer’s journey and providing an elevated user experience. As an additional validation, we developed an Alexa skill for Amazon smart glasses which allows a user to shop and pay online by merely using vocal interaction, leaving the hands free to perform other activities, for example driving a car.
Agritourism and Farms Diversification in Italy: What Have We Learnt from COVID-19?
Authors: Zanetti Barbara , Verrascina Milena , Licciardo Francesco , Gargano Giuseppe
Published: August 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly disrupted the household behavior in all areas and also those related to eating and daily food. Research carried out shows there have been significant changes compared to pre-COVID levels in the way consumers plan their food purchases. Based on the results of empirical data and emerging information such as ad hoc reports and analysis of academic literature, the authors aim to understand the effect of COVID-19 on agricultural and extra-agricultural activities in diversified Italian farms. More specifically, due to their importance at a national level, the focus of the analysis is represented by the agritourism, how they have reacted to the challenges posed by the pandemic, and towards which evolutionary lines they are orienting themselves to face the next future challenges. Empirical data for this study were collected through the use of a questionnaire survey, managed by the research team. The survey, conducted online during summer 2021, was designed by using a random stratified sampling for which the farms are characterized by a certain heterogeneity of the activities carried out (i.e., hospitality, processing of products, renewable energy production, etc.). The research activity covered the entire Italian territory and the number of responding farms with agritourism activities is equal to 77 (a 17.5% response rate). The results highlight the importance of farm with agritourism activities in dealing with COVID-19 crisis and policy implications in terms of support for the competitiveness of farms, exchange of knowledge, and innovations among farmers that should be taken into consideration to target the next rural development policy at the EU, the national and regional level. At the same time, the sample reaction methods to the pandemic and the changing business strategies highlight a certain resilience of Italian farms with agritourism activities, thus showing their ability to adapt.
Design Model and Management Plan of a Rice–Fish Mixed Farming Paddy for Urban Agriculture and Ecological Education
Authors: Son Jinkwan , Kong Minjae , Nam Hongshik
Published: August 2022

Imparting knowledge on agriculture and ecology is important for the preservation of nature. This study suggested the design of a rice–fish mixed farming (RFMF) paddy for urban agriculture and ecological education in Korea. This RFMF paddy supports the growth of rice as well as freshwater fish. ANOVA statistical analysis was conducted, and an RFMF paddy was necessary for urban agriculture/education and confirmed that biodiversity was high. To this aim, the design of a 10 m × 10 m RFMF paddy was suggested. Vegetation, insects, and aquatic invertebrates of the RFMF paddy constituted approximately 40 species more than a conventional paddy. The quality of an actual farm’s soil and water was assessed, and techniques for the co-cultivation of rice and fish are proposed. The soil must comply with the standards of Korean paddy soil, and the water must be in the temperature range of 15 to 35 °C. In the proposed design, approximately 44.0 kg rice can be produced, and catfish can grow up to 30 cm. The study suggested many experiences using rice and freshwater fish. On the basis of our study design, a virtual model of an RFMF paddy was developed in consideration of the accessible space. The development of RFMF paddies in educational institutions can promote biodiversity in cities while providing ecological education regarding aquatic plants and insects.
New Ecological Paradigm, Leisure Motivation, and Wellbeing Satisfaction: A Comparative Analysis of Recreational Use of Urban Parks before and after the COVID-19 Outbreak
Authors: Luo Yanju , Deng Jinyang , Pierskalla Chad , Lee Ju-hyoung , Tang Jiayao
Published: August 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportunity for us to rethink the relationship between humans and the environment. However, few studies have examined the association between environmental attitudes, motivations, wellbeing, and quality of life in the context of urban green areas before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. This paper investigated the interrelationships among these variables based on data collected in 2019 (before COVID-19) and 2021 (after COVID-19). The results show that the 2021 sample differed significantly from the 2019 sample in environmental attitudes. Respondents after the outbreak with the belief in “humans with nature” were more likely to use urban green areas for being “close to nature” than pre-pandemic respondents. In addition, stronger belief in “humans over nature” led to stronger desire for “social interactions” in 2021 than in 2019, implying a close relationship between people’s perception of humankind’s ability to control nature during the pandemic and their desire to interact with people in urban green areas. The study also found that there may be a pent-up satisfaction among urban dwellers after the COVID-19 outbreak.
Nature-Based Solutions in “Forest–Wetland” Spatial Planning Strategies to Promote Sustainable City Development in Tianjin, China
Authors: Li Yangli , Wang Gaoyuan , Chen Tian , Zhang Rui , Zhou Long , Yan Li
Published: August 2022

Nature-based solutions are some of the most effective strategies to promote sustainable city development; however, existing research on NbS is mostly comprised of single variable studies rather than multiple variables. The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of extending the NbS of a single variable to two variables for the better development of sustainable cities. Both forestation and wetland restoration are regarded as NbS for sustainable city development. The research approach of “forest–wetland” NbS was proposed and centers on the process and core issues of traditional NbS. Taking Tianjin as an example, the spatial patterns of forests and wetlands, correlation between the spatial distribution of forests and wetlands, and spatial correlation between the areas of forest growth and wetland growth within a certain distance in different years were studied using a spatial distribution pattern analysis, geographic concentration analysis, kernel density estimation and spatial autocorrelation analysis. Based on the core issues of NbS and the above spatial analysis, a “forest–wetland” spatial planning strategy was formulated. The main conclusions are as follows: forest and wetland were negatively correlated in the whole area of Tianjin, forest resources w mainly located in north, while wetland resources were mainly located in south. Compared with forests, the spatial distribution of wetlands in Tianjin was more balanced. There exist synergy and trade-offs between forest and wetland area under certain circumstances. Growth of forests was positively correlated with the growth of wetlands, within a distance of 0–400 m from 2000 to 2010, and within a distance of 0–600 m from 2010 to 2020. An increase in forest area will lead to an increase in evaporation, which in turn will hinder the growth of wetlands in Tianjin. Forest–wetland ecological network could promote synergistic between forest and wetland, and grey infrastructure to reduce potential trade-off between forest and wetland.
The Greek Urban Policy Reform through the Local Urban Plans (LUPs) and the Special Urban Plans (SUPs), Funded by Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)
Authors: Vassi Avgi , Siountri Konstantina , Papadaki Kalliopi , Iliadi Alkistis , Ypsilanti Anna , Bakogiannis Efthimios
Published: August 2022

The lack of defined land uses in most parts of Greece (80%) has led to multiple environmental problems and phenomena of informal (arbitrary) construction with secondary side effects, such as a lack of basic technical and environmental infrastructure, unfair competition among private investors, the strengthening of climate change (increase in the number of urban diffusion) and the decline of natural and cultural resources. The Greek urban policy, over the last 100 years, has not succeeded in limiting these problems and for that reason the new Law 4759/2020 is expected to promote the development of a more efficient spatial planning system reform implemented through the Local Urban Plans (LUPs) and the Special Urban Plans (SUPs) that are funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). These programs will contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage and to the development of productive activities at both local and national levels, especially on the sectors of renewable energy sources, the circular economy, and the construction of “green” materials, digital applications and products etc. LUPs and SUPs are related to the holistic reform of the national urban policy and the relevant planning system that horizontally affects a wide range of policy areas such as: environmental protection and adaptation to climate change (for natural ecosystems and biodiversity; agriculture; forestry; fisheries; water resources; coastal zones), built environment and development, protection of historic sites and buildings, allocation of the public infrastructure, allocation of investments etc. The General Secretariat of Spatial Planning and Urban Environment Ministry of Environment and Energy has the main responsibility for the implementation procedures of all the proposed actions that will start in 2022 and will end in 2026. This paper focuses on the analysis of the current urban policy reform in Greece and the reasons that this reform is considered an immediate necessity in the current Greek urban legislative framework and the expected outcomes of LUPs and SUPs, which are examined in the literature for the first time, contributing to research on the present EU planning systems.
An Analysis of Colloquial Singapore English lah and Its Interpretation across Speech Acts
Authors: Lee Junwen
Published: August 2022

Previous research has observed that the Colloquial Singapore English particle lah conveys many different, and sometimes contradictory, pragmatic effects. In this paper, I focus specifically on how lah, pronounced in a low falling tone, behaves differently with assertions and directives—although it emphasizes the truth of assertions, it weakens the authoritative force of directives. In addition, it can be used in a non-emphatic way with confirmation-seeking statements. I propose that the particle conveys the not-at-issue or side comment that the lah-marked proposition directly follows from the evidence it is based on, which is interpreted by the addressee as an attempt by the speaker to justify her utterance. The different pragmatic effects of the particle then result from how this not-at-issue comment is interpreted in relation to the speech act of the utterances they mark.
Non-Word Repetition and Vocabulary in Arabic-Swedish-Speaking 4–7-Year-Olds with and without Developmental Language Disorder
Authors: Öberg Linnéa , Bohnacker Ute
Published: August 2022

The Arabic-speaking community in Sweden is large and diverse, yet linguistic reference data are lacking for Arabic-Swedish-speaking children. This study presents reference data from 99 TD children aged 4;0–7;11 on receptive and expressive vocabulary in the minority and the majority language, as well as for three types of non-word repetition (NWR) tasks. Vocabulary scores were investigated in relation to age, language exposure, and socio-economic status (SES). NWR performance was explored in relation to age, type of task, item properties, language exposure, and vocabulary. Eleven children with DLD were compared to the TD group. Age and language exposure were important predictors of vocabulary scores in both languages, but SES did not affect vocabulary scores in any language. Age and vocabulary size had a positive effect on NWR accuracy, whilst increasing item length and presence of clusters had an adverse effect. There was substantial overlap between the TD and DLD children for both vocabulary and NWR performance. Diagnostic accuracy was at best suggestive for NWR; no task or type of item was better at separating the two groups. Reports from parents and teachers on developmental history, language exposure, and functional language skills emerged as important factors for correctly identifying DLD in bilinguals.
The Influence of Case and Word Order in Child and Adult Processing of Relative Clauses in Greek
Authors: Katsika Kalliopi , Lialiou Maria , Allen Shanley E.M.
Published: August 2022

Previous cross-linguistic studies have shown that object relative clauses (ORCs) are typically harder to parse than subject relative clauses (SRCs). The cause of difficulty, however, is still under debate, both in the adult and in the developmental literature. The present study investigates the on-line processing of SRCs and ORCs in Greek-speaking 11- to 12-year-old children and adults, and provides evidence on relative clause processing in Greek—a free word order language. We conducted a self-paced listening task in which we manipulated the type of relative clause (SRC vs. ORC), the RC internal word order (canonical vs. scrambled), and the type of relativizer (relative pronoun vs. complementizer). The results showed that SRCs were overall processed faster than ORCs, providing evidence that children follow similar processing strategies to adults. In addition, accusative case marking facilitated the processing of non-canonical structures in adults but less so in children. Children showed heavy reliance on word order, as they processed nominative and accusative pre-verbal NPs in exactly the same way, while they were strongly garden-pathed in ORCs with post-verbal nominative NPs. We argue that these results are compatible with the Competition Model.
Numerical Investigation of FRCM-Strengthened Corroded RC Beams under Cathodic Protection
Authors: Abdulla Kurdo , Zhu Xiaoming , Su Meini
Published: August 2022

Fibric reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) composites have been used to improve the mechanical performance of reinforced concrete beams subjected to degradation in the past decades. Recently, dual-functional carbon fibres have been explored to provide both structural strengthening to RC beams and cathodic protection to reinforcement bars. This paper investigates the loading responses and structural behaviour of RC beams subjected to different levels of corrosion, protected by impressed current cathodic protection and structurally strengthened by external bonded FRCM. A numerical model is developed for the corroded RC beams under impressed current cathodic protection and structural strengthening by the FRCM composite. Upon validation against experimental results collected from the literature, the finite element model is then used for parametric study. A number of numerical results are generated to analyse the effects of key parameters, including the corrosion rate, degradation level of interfacial bonding properties due to anode acidification, and end anchorage, followed by detailed discussions. It is found that the significance of the corrosion of steel reinforcement bars significantly affects the load-carrying capacity of the beams. Increasing the corrosion rate from 0 to 40% reduces the load-carrying capacity of un-strengthened beams to 45% of the original capacity. Therefore, the cathodic protection provided by the C-FRCM plate is important to the reinforcement bars as it can avoid the cross-section area reduction of reinforcement bars and, thus, the main loading capacities of the beams. In this study, the degradation of the bonding properties at the interface of carbon fibre and the cementitious matrix due to anode acidification during impressed current cathodic protection is also considered. It is found that the bond strength of the C-FRCM plate has a slight effect on the load-carrying capacity of the beam. In addition, the application of end anchorage can significantly enhance both the load-carrying capacity and ductility of the beams. The rates of enhancement, if compared to the beams with no end anchorage, can reach up to 60%.
Additive Manufacturing of Polymer–Fiber Composites
Authors: Ilyas R. A. , El-Shafay A. S. , Mastura M. T. , Yusuf Shahir Mohd , Bayraktar Emin , Azman Abdul Hadi
Published: August 2022

Additive Manufacturing of Polymer–Fiber Composites is a newly open Special Issue of Materials, which aims to publish original and review papers on new scientific and applied research, and make great contributions to the finding and understanding of the fabrication of fiber-reinforced polymer composites using current advanced additive manufacturing techniques [...]
Effect of Age-Hardening Temperature on Mechanical and Wear Behavior of Furnace-Cooled Al7075-Tungsten Carbide Composite
Authors: Rajaram Srinivasan , Subbiah Thirugnanam , Mahali Parammasivam Kanjikovil , Thangaraj Muthuramalingam
Published: August 2022

In this study, aluminum alloy (Al7075) composites with a 4% weight fraction of tungsten carbide (WC) were manufactured using a stir casting process and the developed composites were subjected to various ageing temperatures. An attempt has been made to predict the age-hardening temperature with the enhanced mechanical and wear properties of Al7075-WC. The result shows that the composite specimen aged at 250 °C offered maximum tensile strength and the Brinell hardness number was increased by 37.1% and 50.5%, respectively; the maximum impact energy was observed to be 92.2% for the 450 °C aged composites, compared to the non-aged Al7075-WC composites. The strength properties of the Al7075-WC composite decreased to 30.86%, 4.7%, and 24.9% when the composite specimens aged at 350 °C. The mechanical properties of the Al7075-WC composite were increased at the age-hardening temperatures from 150 °C to 250 °C and decreased from 250 °C to 350 °C. The wear testing pin-on-disc setup utilized to determine the wear characteristics of the prepared MMC with wear parameters of load and sliding distance and the wear resistance of the composite specimens increased due to ageing. The fractography analysis of the composite samples carried out by scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed that the fracture of the composite during the tensile test is a mixture of ductile and brittle modes.
Ternary Blends for Self-Compacting Mortars Production Composed by Electric Arc Furnace Dust and Other Industrial by-Products
Authors: López-Uceda Antonio , Cantador-Fernández David , Da Silva Pedro Raposeiro , de Brito Jorge , Fernández-Rodríguez José María , Jiménez José Ramón
Published: August 2022

This study is framed within the circular economy model through the valorisation of industrial by-products. This research shows the results of producing self-compacting mortars (SCMs) with electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) and other industrial by-products such as fly ash, conforming (FA) or not conforming (NcFA), from coal-fired power plants, or recovery filler (RF) from hot-mix asphalt plants. Three batches of SCMs, each with one industrial-by product (FA, NcFA, or RF), and three levels of EAFD ratio incorporation (0%, 10%, 20%), were tested. An extra batch with a greater amount of FA was manufactured. When the incorporation ratio of EAFD rose, the mechanical strength decreased, due to the presence of a calcium zinc hydroxide dihydrate phase; nevertheless, this decrease diminished over time. All SCM mixes, except the 40C 40FA 20 EAFD mix, were above 20 MPa at 28 days. All mixes named 70C and 40C reached 40 and 30 MPa, respectively, at 90 days. Mixes with EAFD showed less capillarity and no difference in water absorption by immersion with respect to mixes without EAFD after 91 days. The SCMs designed proved to be stable in terms of leaching of the heavy metals contained in EAFD, where all the hardened SCMs were classified as inert.
The Present State of the Use of Waste Wood Ash as an Eco-Efficient Construction Material: A Review
Authors: Martínez-García Rebeca , Jagadesh P. , Zaid Osama , Șerbănoiu Adrian A. , Fraile-Fernández Fernando J. , de Prado-Gil Jesús , Qaidi Shaker M. A. , Grădinaru Cătălina M.
Published: August 2022

A main global challenge is finding an alternative material for cement, which is a major source of pollution to the environment because it emits greenhouse gases. Investigators play a significant role in global waste disposal by developing appropriate methods for its effective utilization. Geopolymers are one of the best options for reusing all industrial wastes containing aluminosilicate and the best alternative materials for concrete applications. Waste wood ash (WWA) is used with other waste materials in geopolymer production and is found in pulp and paper, wood-burning industrial facilities, and wood-fired plants. On the other hand, the WWA manufacturing industry necessitates the acquisition of large tracts of land in rural areas, while some industries use incinerators to burn wood waste, which contributes to air pollution, a significant environmental problem. This review paper offers a comprehensive review of the current utilization of WWA with the partial replacement with other mineral materials, such as fly ash, as a base for geopolymer concrete and mortar production. A review of the usage of waste wood ash in the construction sector is offered, and development tendencies are assessed about mechanical, durability, and microstructural characteristics. The impacts of waste wood ash as a pozzolanic base for eco-concreting usages are summarized. According to the findings, incorporating WWA into concrete is useful to sustainable progress and waste reduction as the WWA mostly behaves as a filler in filling action and moderate amounts of WWA offer a fairly higher compressive strength to concrete. A detail study on the source of WWA on concrete mineralogy and properties must be performed to fill the potential research gap.
Real-Time Assembly Support System with Hidden Markov Model and Hybrid Extensions
Authors: Gellert Arpad , Precup Stefan-Alexandru , Matei Alexandru , Pirvu Bogdan-Constantin , Zamfirescu Constantin-Bala
Published: August 2022

This paper presents a context-aware adaptive assembly assistance system meant to support factory workers by embedding predictive capabilities. The research is focused on the predictor which suggests the next assembly step. Hidden Markov models are analyzed for this purpose. Several prediction methods have been previously evaluated and the prediction by partial matching, which was the most efficient, is considered in this work as a component of a hybrid model together with an optimally configured hidden Markov model. The experimental results show that the hidden Markov model is a viable choice to predict the next assembly step, whereas the hybrid predictor is even better, outperforming in some cases all the other models. Nevertheless, an assembly assistance system meant to support factory workers needs to embed multiple models to exhibit valuable predictive capabilities.
Representing Functions in H2 on the Kepler Manifold via WPOAFD Based on the Rational Approximation of Holomorphic Functions
Authors: Song Zeyuan , Sun Zuoren
Published: August 2022

The central problem of this study is to represent any holomorphic and square integrable function on the Kepler manifold in the series form based on Fourier analysis. Because these function spaces are reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHS), three different domains on the Kepler manifold are considered and the weak pre-orthogonal adaptive Fourier decomposition (POAFD) is proposed on the domains. First, the weak maximal selection principle is shown to select the coefficient of the series. Furthermore, we prove the convergence theorem to show the accuracy of our method. This study is the extension of work by Wu et al. on POAFD in Bergman space.
Impact of COVID-19-Related Lockdown Measures on Economic and Social Outcomes in Lithuania
Authors: Markevičiūtė Jurgita , Bernatavičienė Jolita , Levulienė Rūta , Medvedev Viktor , Treigys Povilas , Venskus Julius
Published: August 2022

The current world crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed into an economic crisis, becoming a problem and a challenge not only for individual national economies but also for the world economy as a whole. The first global lockdown, which started in mid-March of 2020 and lasted for three months in Lithuania, affected the movement and behavior of the population, and had an impact on the economy. This research presents results on the impact of lockdown measures on the economy using nonparametric methods in combination with parametric ones. The impact on unemployment and salary inequality was estimated. To assess the impact of lockdown on the labor market, the analysis of the dynamics of the unemployment rate was performed using the results of the cluster analysis. The Lithuanian data were analyzed in the context of other countries, where the dynamics of the spread of the virus were similar. The salary inequality was measured by the Gini coefficient and analyzed using change point analysis, functional data analysis and linear regression. The study found that the greatest impact of the closure restrictions on socio-economic indicators was recorded in 2020, with a lower impact in 2021. The proposed multi-step approach could be applied to other countries and to various types of shocks and interventions, not only the COVID-19 crisis, in order to avoid adverse economic and social outcomes.
Oscillation of Second Order Nonlinear Neutral Differential Equations
Authors: Wu Yingzhu , Yu Yuanhong , Xiao Jinsen
Published: August 2022

The study of the oscillatory behavior of solutions to second order nonlinear differential equations is motivated by their numerous applications in the natural sciences and engineering. In the presented research, some new oscillation criteria for a class of damped second order neutral differential equations with noncanonical operators are established. The results extend and improve on those reported in the literature. Moreover, some examples are provided to show the significance of the results.
Feature Selection Using Artificial Gorilla Troop Optimization for Biomedical Data: A Case Analysis with COVID-19 Data
Authors: Piri Jayashree , Mohapatra Puspanjali , Acharya Biswaranjan , Gharehchopogh Farhad Soleimanian , Gerogiannis Vassilis C. , Kanavos Andreas , Manika Stella
Published: August 2022

Feature selection (FS) is commonly thought of as a pre-processing strategy for determining the best subset of characteristics from a given collection of features. Here, a novel discrete artificial gorilla troop optimization (DAGTO) technique is introduced for the first time to handle FS tasks in the healthcare sector. Depending on the number and type of objective functions, four variants of the proposed method are implemented in this article, namely: (1) single-objective (SO-DAGTO), (2) bi-objective (wrapper) (MO-DAGTO1), (3) bi-objective (filter wrapper hybrid) (MO-DAGTO2), and (4) tri-objective (filter wrapper hybrid) (MO-DAGTO3) for identifying relevant features in diagnosing a particular disease. We provide an outstanding gorilla initialization strategy based on the label mutual information (MI) with the aim of increasing population variety and accelerate convergence. To verify the performance of the presented methods, ten medical datasets are taken into consideration, which are of variable dimensions. A comparison is also implemented between the best of the four suggested approaches (MO-DAGTO2) and four established multi-objective FS strategies, and it is statistically proven to be the superior one. Finally, a case study with COVID-19 samples is performed to extract the critical factors related to it and to demonstrate how this method is fruitful in real-world applications.
A Ship Fire Escape Speed Correction Method Considering the Influence of Crowd Interaction
Authors: Li Jingyuan , Liu Weile , Zhang Fangwei , Li Taiyang , Wang Rui
Published: August 2022

The aim of this study is to explore the effect of different personnel attributes and the relationship between different people on evacuation efficiency in the case of a passenger ship fire. As such, this study proposes a speed correction method that considers human attributes and interactions between different populations. Firstly, a hesitant fuzzy set and hesitant fuzzy average operator are adopted to quantify four kinds of personnel attributes. Secondly, considering the influence of different people, this study extracts the formula for acceleration under the interactive influence of different groups of people. At the same time, based on the first-order linear relationship between velocity and acceleration, an interactive velocity correction method is presented in the evacuation of ship personnel. Finally, this study uses the personnel evacuation simulation software Pathfinder to conduct experiments, and introduces the corrected speed and the uncorrected speed into the evacuation simulation process, respectively. The results show that the simulation results of the revised speed plan are more consistent with reality.
Properties of Statistical Depth with Respect to Compact Convex Random Sets: The Tukey Depth
Authors: González-De La Fuente Luis , Nieto-Reyes Alicia , Terán Pedro
Published: August 2022

We study a statistical data depth with respect to compact convex random sets, which is consistent with the multivariate Tukey depth and the Tukey depth for fuzzy sets. In addition, it provides a different perspective to the existing halfspace depth with respect to compact convex random sets. In studying this depth function, we provide a series of properties for the statistical data depth with respect to compact convex random sets. These properties are an adaptation of properties that constitute the axiomatic notions of multivariate, functional, and fuzzy depth-functions and other well-known properties of depth.
Describing Linguistic Vagueness of Evaluative Expressions Using Fuzzy Natural Logic and Linguistic Constraints
Authors: Torrens-Urrutia Adrià , Novák Vilém , Jiménez-López María Dolores
Published: August 2022

In recent years, the study of evaluative linguistic expressions has crossed the field of theoretical linguistics and has aroused interest in very different research areas such as artificial intelligence, psychology or cognitive linguistics. The interest in this type of expressions may be due to its relevance in applications such as opinion mining or sentiment analysis. This paper brings together Fuzzy Natural Logic and Fuzzy Property Grammars to approach evaluative expressions. Our contribution includes the marriage of mathematical and linguistic methods for providing a formalism to deal with the linguistic vagueness of evaluative expressions by describing the syntax and semantics of these structures. We contribute to the study of evaluative linguistic expressions by proposing a formal characterization of them where the concepts of semantic prime, borderline evaluative expressions and markedness are defined and where the relation between the semantic constraints of evaluations and their sentiment can be established. A proof-of-concept of how to create a lexicon of evaluative expressions for future computational applications is presented. The results demonstrate that linguistic evaluative expressions are gradient, have sentiment, and that the evaluations work as a relation of hypernym and hyponym, the hypernym being a semantic prime. Our findings provide the basis for building an ontology of evaluative expressions for future computational applications.
Scale-Up to Pilot of a Non-Axenic Culture of Thraustochytrids Using Digestate from Methanization as Nitrogen Source
Authors: de la Broise Denis , Ventura Mariana , Chauchat Luc , Guerreiro Maurean , Michez Teo , Vinet Thibaud , Gautron Nicolas , Le Grand Fabienne , Bideau Antoine , Goïc Nelly Le , Bidault Adeline , Lambert Christophe , Soudant Philippe
Published: August 2022

The production of non-fish based docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for feed and food has become a critical need in our global context of over-fishing. The industrial-scale production of DHA–rich Thraustochytrids could be an alternative, if costs turned out to be competitive. In order to reduce production costs, this study addresses the feasibility of the non-axenic (non-sterile) cultivation of Aurantiochytrium mangrovei on industrial substrates (as nitrogen and mineral sources and glucose syrup as carbon and energy sources), and its scale-up from laboratory (250 mL) to 500 L cultures. Pilot-scale reactors were airlift cylinders. Batch and fed-batch cultures were tested. Cultures over 38 to 62 h achieved a dry cell weight productivity of 3.3 to 5.5 g.L−1.day−1, and a substrate to biomass yield of up to 0.3. DHA productivity ranged from 10 to 0.18 mg.L−1.day−1. Biomass productivity appears linearly related to oxygen transfer rate. Bacterial contamination of cultures was low enough to avoid impacts on fatty acid composition of the biomass. A specific work on microbial risks assessment (in supplementary files) showed that the biomass can be securely used as feed. However, to date, there is a law void in EU legislation regarding the recycling of nitrogen from digestate from animal waste for microalgae biomass and its usage in animal feed. Overall, the proposed process appears similar to the industrial yeast production process (non-axenic heterotrophic process, dissolved oxygen supply limiting growth, similar cell size). Such similarity could help in further industrial developments.