bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vegetation Dynamics and Driving Mechanisms Considering Time-Lag and Accumulation Effects: A Case Study of Hubao–Egyu Urban Agglomeration
Authors: Liu Xi , Du Guoming , Zhang Xiaodie , Li Xing , Lv Shining , He Yinghao
Published: August 2024

The Hubao–Egyu Urban Agglomeration (HBEY) was a crucial ecological barrier in northern China. To accurately assess the impact of climate change on vegetation growth, it is essential to consider the effects of time lag and accumulation. In this study, we used a newly proposed kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (kNDVI) as the metric for vegetation condition, and employed partial correlation analysis to ascertain the lag and accumulation period of vegetation response to climate by considering different scenarios (No/Lag/Acc/LagAcc) and various combinations. Moreover, we further modified the traditional residual analysis model. The results are as follows: (1) From 2000 to 2022, the HBEY experienced extensive and persistent greening, with a kNDVI slope of 0.0163/decade. Precipitation was identified as the dominant climatic factor influencing vegetation dynamics. (2) In HBEY, the lag effect of temperature was most distinct, particularly affecting the vegetation in cropland and grassland. The accumulation effect of precipitation was pronounced in grassland. (3) Incorporating lag and accumulation effects into models increases the explanatory power of climate impacts on vegetation dynamics by 6.95% compared to traditional residual models. Our findings hold essential implications for regional ecological regulation and climate change response research.
Trypsin and Trypsinogen Activation Peptide in the Prediction of Severity of Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: Allemann Andreas , Staubli Sebastian M. , Nebiker Christian A.
Published: August 2024

Objectives: To assess the predictive value of serum trypsin and trypsinogen activation peptide (TAP) for the severity of AP through a single center cohort study as well as a systematic review of the current literature. Methods: A literature search was conducted using Medline (PubMed), EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register. A total of 142 patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) were included in the cohort study and parameters of the revised Atlanta criteria of 2012 and the APACHE II were assessed. Results: The review showed promising results for the predictive value of serum trypsinogen-2 but conflicting results for serum TAP and trypsin. In the cohort study, patients were observed for 4 days after diagnosis of AP; 9 patients had severe AP, 35 patients had moderate AP and 81 patients had mild AP. The ratio of the geometric mean of severe vs. mild AP for trypsin was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.51–1.00), p = 0.053 and, for TAP, 0.74 (95% CI: 0.54–1.01), p = 0.055, respectively. Conclusions: The cohort study showed an inverse correlation of serum levels of TAP and trypsin with severity of AP. Serum TAP and trypsin have an inferior predictive value of severity of AP compared to the clinical APACHE II score.
Marine Collagen and Chitin: Promising Applications in Interdisciplinary Fields
Authors: Rahman Azizur
Published: August 2024

Marine collagen and chitin derived from marine organisms are gaining significant attention for their diverse applications across various fields [...]
Monitoring of Cerebral Blood Flow Autoregulation after Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Petrovčič Rok , Rakusa Martin , Markota Andrej
Published: August 2024

Background: Cardiac arrest remains one of the leading causes of death. After successful resuscitation of patients in cardiac arrest, post-cardiac arrest syndrome develops, part of it being an impaired cerebral blood flow autoregulation. Monitoring cerebral blood flow autoregulation after cardiac arrest is important for optimizing patient care and prognosticating patients’ survival, yet remains a challenge. There are still gaps in clinical implications and everyday use. In this article, we present a systematic review of studies with different methods of monitoring cerebral blood flow autoregulation after non-traumatic cardiac arrest. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed from 1 June 2024 to 27 June 2024 by using multiple databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Inclusion criteria were studies with an included description of the measurement of cerebral blood flow autoregulation in adult patients after non-traumatic cardiac arrest. Results: A total of 16 studies met inclusion criteria. Our data show that the most used methods in the reviewed studies were near-infrared spectroscopy and transcranial Doppler. The most used mathematical methods for calculating cerebral autoregulation were cerebral oximetry index, tissue oxygenation reactivity index, and mean flow index. Conclusions: The use of various monitoring and mathematical methods for calculating cerebral blood flow autoregulation poses a challenge for standardization, validation, and daily use in clinical practice. In the future studies, focus should be considered on clinical validation and transitioning autoregulation monitoring techniques to everyday clinical practice, which could improve the survival outcomes of patients after cardiac arrest.
Open vs. Percutaneous Achilles Tendon Repair: Experience of Single Orthopedic Institute with Long-Term Follow-Up
Authors: Caruso Gaetano , Gambuti Edoardo , Saracco Achille , Spadoni Elisa , Corso Elena , Pinotti Ilaria , Pisano Alessandro , Massari Leo
Published: August 2024

Background and Objectives: There are numerous techniques for the surgical treatment of Achilles tendon lesions described in the literature, and it is possible to distinguish repair techniques as either open surgery or percutaneous repair techniques. Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages. With this retrospective study, we aim to analyze the incidence of re-ruptures and other complications, return to sport and overall quality of life at a long-term follow-up in the treatment of acute ATRs, comparing the results of percutaneous repair with those of open repair. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study on a consecutive series of patients with complete tear of the AT who were managed through a surgical approach by the Operative Unit of Orthopaedics and Traumatology of Sant’Anna University Hospital (Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy) between April 2014 and December 2021. Patients were treated with a percutaneous or an open technique according to the surgeon’s preference without randomization. Results: We considered 155 patients who met the established inclusion criteria. Of these, 103 (66.45%) patients underwent percutaneous treatment with the Tenolig® system, and 52 (33.55%) underwent open surgery, with an average ATRS in the first group of 92.5 compared to an average ATRS value of 82 in patients treated with the open technique. Conclusions: In our experience, following overlapping rehabilitation protocols in all patients included, we observed that the Tenolig® repair system led to a better ATRS at long-term follow-up, with comparable complication rates to open surgery.
Recent Advances in Phthalocyanine-Based Hybrid Composites for Electrochemical Biosensors
Authors: Puttaningaiah Keshavananda Prabhu Channabasavana Hundi , Hur Jaehyun
Published: August 2024

Biosensors are smart devices that convert biochemical responses to electrical signals. Designing biosensor devices with high sensitivity and selectivity is of great interest because of their wide range of functional operations. However, the major obstacles in the practical application of biosensors are their binding affinity toward biomolecules and the conversion and amplification of the interaction to various signals such as electrical, optical, gravimetric, and electrochemical signals. Additionally, the enhancement of sensitivity, limit of detection, time of response, reproducibility, and stability are considerable challenges when designing an efficient biosensor. In this regard, hybrid composites have high sensitivity, selectivity, thermal stability, and tunable electrical conductivities. The integration of phthalocyanines (Pcs) with conductive materials such as carbon nanomaterials or metal nanoparticles (MNPs) improves the electrochemical response, signal amplification, and stability of biosensors. This review explores recent advancements in hybrid Pcs for biomolecule detection. Herein, we discuss the synthetic strategies, material properties, working mechanisms, and integration methods for designing electrochemical biosensors. Finally, the challenges and future directions of hybrid Pc composites for biosensor applications are discussed.
Gastrointestinal Manifestations of Sarcoidosis: A State-of-the-Art, Comprehensive Review of the Literature—Practical Clinical Insights and Many Unmet Needs on Diagnosis and Treatment
Authors: Nicolosi Salvatore , Chernovsky Maria , Angoni Darina , Hughes Michael , Bandini Giulia , McMahan Zsuzsanna , Maggisano Marta , Salton Francesco , Mondini Lucrezia , Barbieri Mariangela , Screm Gianluca , Confalonieri Marco , Baratella Elisa , Confalonieri Paola , Ruaro Barbara
Published: August 2024

This comprehensive literature review explores the involvement of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in sarcoidosis, a multisystem granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology. GI sarcoidosis presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge due to its rarity and nonspecific clinical manifestations, including overlap with other gastrointestinal diseases. We conducted a comprehensive screening of articles addressing the clinical features, diagnostic approaches, and treatment strategies for GI sarcoidosis. Our findings reveal that GI sarcoidosis can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, with the stomach and small intestine being the most involved. Clinical presentations range from asymptomatic cases to severe complications such as obstruction and perforation, with reflux being a common symptom. Diagnosis is often delayed due to the nonspecific nature of symptoms and the need for histopathological confirmation. Therapeutic approaches are poorly defined, typically involving corticosteroids as the mainstay of treatment. However, the long-term efficacy and safety of these treatments remain uncertain in this patient group, given the significant risks and complications associated with prolonged glucocorticoid therapy. There is a clear need to develop accurate diagnostic protocols to distinguish GI sarcoidosis from other conditions and to establish standardized therapeutic guidelines to optimize patient outcomes. Further research is essential to enhance our understanding and management of this complex condition.
Harnessing the Interactions of Wound Exudate Cells with Dressings Biomaterials for the Control and Prognosis of Healing Pathways
Authors: Saberianpour Shirin , Melotto Gianluca , Redhead Lucy , Terrazzini Nadia , Forss Jaqueline Rachel , Santin Matteo
Published: August 2024

The global socioeconomic challenge generated by wounds requires an understanding of healing and non-healing pathways in patients. Also, the interactions occurring between the wound dressing biomaterials with cells relevant to the healing process have not been sufficiently investigated, thus neglecting the role that wound dressing composition can play in healing. Through the study of six cases of acute surgical wounds, the present work analyses the early (24 h post-surgery) interactions of biochemical and cellular components with (i) Atrauman, a device made of knitted woven synthetic polymeric fibre when used as a primary dressing, and (ii) Melolin, a hydrocolloid engineered as two layers of synthetic and cellulose non-woven fibres when used as a secondary dressing. A pathway towards healing could be observed in those cases where endoglin-expressing cells and M2 macrophages were retained by Atrauman fibres at the interface with the wound bed. On the contrary, cases where the secondary dressing Melolin absorbed these cell phenotypes in its mesh resulted in a slower or deteriorating healing process. The data obtained indicate that a subtraction of progenitor cells by Melolin may impair the healing process and that the analysis of the retrieved wound dressings for biomarkers expressed by cells relevant to wound healing may become an additional tool to determine the patient’s prognosis.
The Impact of Chemotherapy on Arterial Stiffness and Ventricular–Arterial Coupling in Women with Breast Cancer
Authors: Kadoglou Nikolaos , Dimopoulou Alexandriani , Tsappa Irene , Pilavaki Pampina , Constantinidou Anastasia
Published: August 2024

Background: The cardiac toxicity of chemotherapy for breast cancer is not uncommon and has been associated with elevated morbidity and mortality. In the present study, we assessed the impact of chemotherapy on cardiovascular function by assessing the cardio–ankle vascular index (CAVI), global longitudinal strain (GLS) and ventricular–arterial coupling (VAC: CAVI/GLS ratio) in chemotherapy-treated women. Methods: This prospective study enrolled 78 women with breast cancer who were receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy +/− anti-HER2 therapy (trastuzumab +/− pertuzumab). Forty-one age-matched healthy women served as controls. We comparatively evaluated left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), CAVI, GLS and VAC, between the chemotherapy and control groups. We also assessed their changes over time (baseline, 3-month and 6-month time point) and their independent association with the incidence of cancer therapy-related cardiovascular dysfunction (CTRCD) in the chemotherapy group. Results: In comparison to healthy controls, women receiving chemotherapy presented with significantly higher GLS (from −21.02 ± 2.09% to −19.01 ± 2.81%, p < 0.001) and VAC (−0.36 ± 0.06 to −0.41 ± 0.11, p < 0.001). The presence of CTRCD was associated with a further increase in GLS and CAVI and a significant decline in LVEF and VAC compared to CTRCD-free women (p < 0.001). Baseline, CAVI, GLS and VAC were independently associated with CTRCD development during follow-up. Conclusion: Women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy displayed abnormal levels of CAVI, VAC and GLS, compared to healthy individuals. Those effects on VAC and CAVI were more exaggerated among women with CTRCD, implicating their potential use to refine screening and therapeutic strategies for this specific population.
Editorial for the Special Issue on Plant Biostimulants in Sustainable Horticulture and Agriculture: Development, Function, and Applications
Authors: Shahrajabian Mohamad Hesam , Petropoulos Spyridon A.
Published: August 2024

The growing need for food production through sustainable cultivation practices, without reducing crop yield and producer income, is a major objective due to increased environmental pollution and the gradual degradation of cultivated soils [...]
Updated Taxonomy of Iris scariosa (Iridaceae) Inferred from Morphological and Chloroplast DNA Sequence Data with Remarks on Classification of Iris subg. Iris
Authors: Boltenkov Eugeny V. , Artyukova Elena V.
Published: August 2024

Iris scariosa is a rhizomatous perennial whose taxonomy and distribution range still remain unclear. The results of our examination of literature, specimens, and wild plants have shown that I. glaucescens, described from Kazakhstan, and I. timofejewii, considered to be endemic to the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, are very closely related to I. scariosa. We have carried out molecular phylogenetic analyses for the first time to clarify the taxonomy of I. scariosa. For this, we sequenced six chloroplast DNA regions of an extended sampling that comprised the accepted species I. glaucescens and I. timofejewii, which has revealed their strong affinity to the accession of I. scariosa from the vicinity of Astrakhan, Russia. A thorough revision of the morphological characters has confirmed the lack of evident differences between I. scariosa and I. timofejewii. Thus, the analyses support a broad species circumscription of I. scariosa. We here reduce I. timofejewii, as well as I. curvifolia, considered to be endemic to Xinjiang, western China, to synonymy of I. scariosa. Color illustrations, updated nomenclature, and data on distribution of I. scariosa are provided. A lectotype for I. astrachanica and a neotype for I. timofejewii are designated here. Also, the phylogenetic relationships within I. subg. Iris are outlined, and an updated classification of the subgenus is proposed. We have recovered six major lineages within four major clades which we recognize as sections. Here, we propose two new nomenclatural combinations, a revised taxonomic treatment, and a new identification key to I. subg. Iris.
Effect of Polymer Encapsulation on the Mechanoluminescence of Mn2+-Doped CaZnOS
Authors: Wu Xiaohan , Cao Mengmeng , Han Congcong , Zhang Jinyi , Li Xiangrong , Wan Jieqiong
Published: August 2024

Rare earth and transition metal ion-doped CaZnOS has garnered significant attention for its exceptional mechanoluminescence (ML) performance under mild mechanical stimuli and its capability for multicolor emissions. Since powdered phosphors are not directly usable, they require encapsulation within with polymers to create stable structures. This study investigates Mn2+-doped CaZnOS (CaZnOS:Mn2+) as the ML phosphor, optimizing its performance by varying the Mn2+ content, resulting in bright orange-red emissions from the d-d transitions of the Mn2+ activator. A quantum efficiency of 59.08% was achieved through the self-sensitization of the matrix lattice and energy transfer to the Mn2+ luminescent centers. The enhancement in ML due to Mn2+ doping is attributed to the reduced trap depth and increased trap concentration. Encapsulation with four polymers—PDMS, PU, SIL, and RTV-2—was explored to further optimize ML performance. Among these, PDMS provides the best ML output and sensitivity, owing to its slightly cross-linked structure and good triboelectric properties. The optimized CaZnOS:0.03Mn2+/PDMS composite, featuring excellent flexibility and recoverability, shows great potential for applications in anti-counterfeiting encryption, stress sensors, and wearable devices.
Composite Mineralized Collagen/Polycaprolactone Scaffold-Loaded Microsphere System with Dual Osteogenesis and Antibacterial Functions
Authors: He Yuzhu , Wang Qindong , Liu Yuqi , Zhang Zijiao , Cao Zheng , Wang Shuo , Ying Xiaoxia , Ma Guowu , Wang Xiumei , Liu Huiying
Published: August 2024

Biomaterials play an important role in treating bone defects. The functional characteristics of scaffolds, such as their structure, mechanical strength, and antibacterial and osteogenesis activities, effectively promote bone regeneration. In this study, mineralized collagen and polycaprolactone were used to prepare loaded porous scaffolds with bilayer-structured microspheres with dual antibacterial and osteogenesis functions. The different drug release mechanisms of PLGA and chitosan in PLGA/CS microspheres caused differences in the drug release models in terms of the duration and rate of Pac-525 and BMP-2 release. The prepared PLGA(BMP-2)/CS(Pac-525)@MC/PCL scaffolds were analyzed in terms of physical characteristics, bioactivity, and antibacterial properties. The scaffolds with a dimensional porous structure showed similar porosity and pore diameter to cancellous bone. The release curve of the microspheres and scaffolds with high encapsulation rates displayed the two-stage release of Pac-525 and BMP-2 over 30 days. It was found that the scaffolds could inhibit S. aureus and E. coli and then promote ALP activity. The PLGA(BMP-2)/CS(Pac-525)@MC/PCL scaffold could be used as a dual delivery system to promote bone regeneration.
Evaluating the Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Potential of 3D-Printed Graphene Prepared Using Direct Ink Writing and Fused Deposition Modelling
Authors: R. Hushein , Dhilipkumar Thulasidhas , V. Shankar Karthik , P Karuppusamy , Salunkhe Sachin , Venkatesan Raja , Shazly Gamal A. , Vetcher Alexandre A. , Kim Seong-Cheol
Published: August 2024

This research aims to use energy harvested from conductive materials to power microelectronic components. The proposed method involves using vibration-based energy harvesting to increase the natural vibration frequency, reduce the need for battery replacement, and minimise chemical waste. Piezoelectric transduction, known for its high-power density and ease of application, has garnered significant attention. Additionally, graphene, a non-piezoelectric material, exhibits good piezoelectric properties. The research explores a novel method of printing graphene material using 3D printing, specifically Direct Ink Writing (DIW) and fused deposition modelling (FDM). Both simulation and experimental techniques were used to analyse energy harvesting. The experimental technique involved using the cantilever beam-based vibration energy harvesting method. The results showed that the DIW-derived 3D-printed prototype achieved a peak power output of 12.2 µW, surpassing the 6.4 µW output of the FDM-derived 3D-printed prototype. Furthermore, the simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics yielded a harvested output of 0.69 µV.
Influence Mechanism of Ambient Air Parameters on the Rotational Stall of an Axial Fan
Authors: Ma Hui , Tang Guangtong , Wang Chaoyang , Wang Tianlong , Li Xin , Jia Yonghui , Qiu Yulong , Yuan Wei , Zhang Lei
Published: August 2024

This study investigates a dual-stage axial-flow fan within a specific power plant context. Numerical simulations encompassing both steady-state and stall conditions were conducted utilizing the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations coupled with the Realizable k–ε turbulence model. The findings reveal that, under normal operating conditions, there exists a positive correlation between the mass flow rate and outlet pressure with gas density while displaying a negative correlation with dynamic viscosity. Regardless of the changes in air density, the volumetric flow rate at the maximum outlet pressure of the fan remains essentially the same. When a stall occurs, the volumetric flow rate rapidly decreases to a specific value and then decreases slowly. The analysis of the three-dimensional flow field within the first-stage rotor was performed before and after the rotational stall occurrence. Notably, stall inception predominantly manifests at the blade tip. As the flow rate diminishes, the leakage area at the blade tip within a passage expands, directing the trajectory of the leakage vortex toward the leading edge of the blade. Upon reaching a critical flow rate, the backflow induced by the blade tip leakage vortex obstructs the entire passage at the blade tip, progressively evolving into a stall cell, thereby affecting flow within both passages concurrently.
Blessing Precedes Cursing: Philosophical Reading of Genesis 3:16
Authors: Chalier Catherine
Published: August 2024

Additional interpretations of Genesis 3:16 have often translated God’s words to the woman as a punishment, even a curse, brought upon the woman as the result of her disobedience. Moreover, this so-called curse of the woman has been read by many interpreters as final and irreversible, given that God himself had decreed it. Interestingly, however, no curse is uttered at all in this passage. Moreover, Genesis 3:16 is itself preceded by a divine blessing, given in Genesis 1 to the human couple. As a blessing, it constitutes a divine decree that can neither be overturned nor challenged. The purpose of this essay will be to go back to this divine blessing in Genesis 1, knowing that such a decree will be irrevocable no matter what the future holds for the human couple. This will in turn shed a revealing light on how we are to read and interpret Genesis 3:16. Not only do the words of God to the woman in Genesis 3:16 not constitute a curse, but Genesis 3:16 must be read against the backdrop of the blessing given in Genesis 1. This of course radically alters how this passage has hereto been interpreted as well as profoundly nuances its teaching on gender relations.
Spatiotemporal Variations in Near-Surface Soil Water Content across Agroecological Regions of Mainland India: 1979–2022 (44 Years)
Authors: Rani Alka , Sinha Nishant K. , Jyoti Bikram , Kumar Jitendra , Kumar Dhiraj , Mishra Rahul , Singh Pragya , Mohanty Monoranjan , Jayaraman Somasundaram , Chaudhary Ranjeet Singh , Lenka Narendra Kumar , Kumari Nikul , Srivastava Ankur
Published: August 2024

This study was undertaken to address how near-surface soil water content (SWC) patterns have varied across diverse agroecological regions (AERs) of mainland India from 1979 to 2022 (44 years) and how these variations relate to environmental factors. Grid-wise trend analysis using the Mann–Kendall (MK) trend test and Sen’s slope was conducted to determine the trends and their magnitudes. Additionally, we used Spearman’s rank correlation (ρ) to explore the relationships of ESA CCI’s near-surface SWC data with key environmental variables, including rainfall, temperature, actual evapotranspiration, and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The results revealed significant variations in SWC patterns and trends across different AERs and months. The MK trend test indicated that 17.96% of the area exhibited a significantly increasing trend (p < 0.1), while7.6% showed a significantly decreasing trend, with an average annual Sen’s slope of 0.9 × 10−4 m3 m−3 year−1 for mainland India. Areas with the highest decreasing trends were AER-16 (warm per-humid with brown and red hill soils), AER-15 (hot subhumid to humid with alluvium-derived soils), and AER-17 (warm per-humid with red and lateritic soils). In contrast, increasing trends were the most prominent in AER-5 (hot semi-arid with medium and deep black soils), AER-6 (hot semi-arid with shallow and medium black soils), and AER-19 (hot humid per-humid with red, lateritic, and alluvium-derived soils). Significant increasing trends were more prevalent during monsoon and post-monsoon months while decreasing trends were noted in pre-monsoon months. Correlation analysis showed strong positive correlations of SWC with rainfall (ρ = 0.70), actual evapotranspiration (ρ = 0.74), and NDVI (ρ = 0.65), but weak or negative correlations with temperature (ρ = 0.12). This study provides valuable insights for policymakers to delineate areas based on soil moisture availability patterns across seasons, aiding in agricultural and water resource planning under changing climatic conditions.
Assessment of Satellite Differential Code Biases and Regional Ionospheric Modeling Using Carrier-Smoothed Code of BDS GEO and IGSO Satellites
Authors: Gao Xiao , Ma Zongfang , Shu Lina , Pan Lin , Zhang Hailong , Yang Shuai
Published: August 2024

The geostationary earth orbit (GEO) represents a distinctive geosynchronous orbit situated in the Earth’s equatorial plane, providing an excellent platform for long-term monitoring of ionospheric total electron content (TEC) at a quasi-invariant ionospheric pierce point (IPP). With GEO satellites having limited dual-frequency coverage, the inclined geosynchronous orbit (IGSO) emerges as a valuable resource for ionospheric modeling across a broad range of latitudes. This article evaluates satellite differential code biases (DCB) of BDS high-orbit satellites (GEO and IGSO) and assesses regional ionospheric modeling utilizing data from international GNSS services through a refined polynomial method. Results from a 48-day observation period show a stability of approximately 2.0 ns in BDS satellite DCBs across various frequency signals, correlating with the available GNSS stations and satellites. A comparative analysis between GEO and IGSO satellites in BDS2 and BDS3 reveals no significant systematic bias in satellite DCB estimations. Furthermore, high-orbit BDS satellites exhibit considerable potential for promptly detecting high-resolution fluctuations in vertical TECs compared to conventional geomagnetic activity indicators like Kp or Dst. This research also offers valuable insights into ionospheric responses over mid-latitude regions during the March 2024 geomagnetic storm, utilizing TEC estimates derived from BDS GEO and IGSO satellites.
Refined Intelligent Landslide Identification Based on Multi-Source Information Fusion
Authors: Wang Xiao , Wang Di , Liu Chenghao , Zhang Mengmeng , Xu Luting , Sun Tiegang , Li Weile , Cheng Sizhi , Dong Jianhui
Published: August 2024

Landslides are most severe in the mountainous regions of southwestern China. While landslide identification provides a foundation for disaster prevention operations, methods for utilizing multi-source data and deep learning techniques to improve the efficiency and accuracy of landslide identification in complex environments are still a focus of research and a difficult issue in landslide research. In this study, we address the above problems and construct a landslide identification model based on the shifted window (Swin) transformer. We chose Ya’an, which has a complex terrain and experiences frequent landslides, as the study area. Our model, which fuses features from different remote sensing data sources and introduces a loss function that better learns the boundary information of the target, is compared with the pyramid scene parsing network (PSPNet), the unified perception parsing network (UPerNet), and DeepLab_V3+ models in order to explore the learning potential of the model and test the models’ resilience in an open-source landslide database. The results show that in the Ya’an landslide database, compared with the above benchmark networks (UPerNet, PSPNet, and DeepLab_v3+), the Swin Transformer-based optimization model improves overall accuracies by 1.7%, 2.1%, and 1.5%, respectively; the F1_score is improved by 14.5%, 16.2%, and 12.4%; and the intersection over union (IoU) is improved by 16.9%, 18.5%, and 14.6%, respectively. The performance of the optimized model is excellent.
An Improved ELOS Guidance Law for Path Following of Underactuated Unmanned Surface Vehicles
Authors: Wu Shipeng , Ye Hui , Liu Wei , Yang Xiaofei , Liu Ziqing , Zhang Hao
Published: August 2024

In this paper, targeting the problem that it is difficult to deal with the time-varying sideslip angle of an underactuated unmanned surface vehicle (USV), a line–of–sight (LOS) guidance law based on an improved extended state observer (ESO) is proposed. A reduced-order ESO is introduced into the identification of the sideslip angle caused by the environmental disturbance, which ensures a fast and accurate estimation of the sideslip angle. This enables the USV to follow the reference path with high precision, despite external disturbances from wind, waves, and currents. These unknown disturbances are modeled as drift, which the modified ESO-based LOS guidance law compensates for using the ESO. In the guidance subsystem incorporating the reduced-order state observer, the observer estimation and track errors are proved uniformly ultimately bounded. Simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The simulation and comparison results demonstrate that the proposed ELOS guidance can help a USV track different types of paths quickly and smoothly. Additionally, the experimental results confirm the feasibility of the method.
Advanced Global Prototypical Segmentation Framework for Few-Shot Hyperspectral Image Classification
Authors: Xia Kunming , Yuan Guowu , Xia Mengen , Li Xiaosen , Gui Jinkang , Zhou Hao
Published: August 2024

With the advancement of deep learning, related networks have shown strong performance for Hyperspectral Image (HSI) classification. However, these methods face two main challenges in HSI classification: (1) the inability to capture global information of HSI due to the restriction of patch input and (2) insufficient utilization of information from limited labeled samples. To overcome these challenges, we propose an Advanced Global Prototypical Segmentation (AGPS) framework. Within the AGPS framework, we design a patch-free feature extractor segmentation network (SegNet) based on a fully convolutional network (FCN), which processes the entire HSI to capture global information. To enrich the global information extracted by SegNet, we propose a Fusion of Lateral Connection (FLC) structure that fuses the low-level detailed features of the encoder output with the high-level features of the decoder output. Additionally, we propose an Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling-Position Attention (ASPP-PA) module to capture multi-scale spatial positional information. Finally, to explore more valuable information from limited labeled samples, we propose an advanced global prototypical representation learning strategy. Building upon the dual constraints of the global prototypical representation learning strategy, we introduce supervised contrastive learning (CL), which optimizes our network with three different constraints. The experimental results of three public datasets demonstrate that our method outperforms the existing state-of-the-art methods.
TriCAFFNet: A Tri-Cross-Attention Transformer with a Multi-Feature Fusion Network for Facial Expression Recognition
Authors: Tian Yuan , Wang Zhao , Chen Di , Yao Huang
Published: August 2024

In recent years, significant progress has been made in facial expression recognition methods. However, tasks related to facial expression recognition in real environments still require further research. This paper proposes a tri-cross-attention transformer with a multi-feature fusion network (TriCAFFNet) to improve facial expression recognition performance under challenging conditions. By combining LBP (Local Binary Pattern) features, HOG (Histogram of Oriented Gradients) features, landmark features, and CNN (convolutional neural network) features from facial images, the model is provided with a rich input to improve its ability to discern subtle differences between images. Additionally, tri-cross-attention blocks are designed to facilitate information exchange between different features, enabling mutual guidance among different features to capture salient attention. Extensive experiments on several widely used datasets show that our TriCAFFNet achieves the SOTA performance on RAF-DB with 92.17%, AffectNet (7 cls) with 67.40%, and AffectNet (8 cls) with 63.49%, respectively.
Isolation and Characterization of Exosomes from Cancer Cells Using Antibody-Functionalized Paddle Screw-Type Devices and Detection of Exosomal miRNA Using Piezoelectric Biosensor
Authors: Han Su Bin , Lee Soo Suk
Published: August 2024

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles produced by almost all cell types in the human body, and exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that are known to serve as important biomarkers for diseases such as cancer. Given that the upregulation of miR-106b is closely associated with several types of malignancies, the sensitive and accurate detection of miR-106b is important but difficult. In this study, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) biosensor was developed to detect miR-106b isolated from cancer cells based on immunoaffinity separation technique using our unique paddle screw device. Our novel SAW biosensor could detect a miR-106b concentration as low as 0.0034 pM in a linear range from 0.1 pM to 1.0 μM with a correlation coefficient of 0.997. Additionally, we were able to successfully detect miR-106b in total RNA extracted from the exosomes isolated from the MCF-7 cancer cell line, a model system for human breast cancer, with performance comparable to commercial RT-qPCR methods. Therefore, the exosome isolation by the paddle screw method and the miRNA detection using the SAW biosensor has the potential to be used in basic biological research and clinical diagnosis as an alternative to RT-qPCR.
Evaluation of Hand-Crafted Feature Extraction for Fault Diagnosis in Rotating Machinery: A Survey
Authors: Sánchez René-Vinicio , Macancela Jean Carlo , Ortega Luis-Renato , Cabrera Diego , García Márquez Fausto Pedro , Cerrada Mariela
Published: August 2024

This article presents a comprehensive collection of formulas and calculations for hand-crafted feature extraction of condition monitoring signals. The documented features include 123 for the time domain and 46 for the frequency domain. Furthermore, a machine learning-based methodology is presented to evaluate the performance of features in fault classification tasks using seven data sets of different rotating machines. The evaluation methodology involves using seven ranking methods to select the best ten hand-crafted features per method for each database, to be subsequently evaluated by three types of classifiers. This process is applied exhaustively by evaluation groups, combining our databases with an external benchmark. A summary table of the performance results of the classifiers is also presented, including the percentage of classification and the number of features required to achieve that value. Through graphic resources, it has been possible to show the prevalence of certain features over others, how they are associated with the database, and the order of importance assigned by the ranking methods. In the same way, finding which features have the highest appearance percentages for each database in all experiments has been possible. The results suggest that hand-crafted feature extraction is an effective technique with low computational cost and high interpretability for fault identification and diagnosis.
ReLoki: A Light-Weight Relative Localization System Based on UWB Antenna Arrays
Authors: Prince Mathew Joseph , Nowzari Cameron
Published: August 2024

Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) sensing has gained popularity in relative localization applications. Many localization solutions rely on using Time of Flight (ToF) sensing based on a beacon–tag system, which requires four or more beacons in the environment for 3D localization. A lesser researched option is using Angle of Arrival (AoA) readings obtained from UWB antenna pairs to perform relative localization. In this paper, we present a UWB platform called ReLoki that can be used for ranging and AoA-based relative localization in 3D. To enable AoA, ReLoki utilizes the geometry of antenna arrays. In this paper, we present a system design for localization estimates using a Regular Tetrahedral Array (RTA), Regular Orthogonal Array (ROA), and Uniform Square Array (USA). The use of a multi-antenna array enables fully onboard infrastructure-free relative localization between participating ReLoki modules. We also present studies demonstrating sub-50cm localization errors in indoor experiments, achieving performance close to current ToF-based systems, while offering the advantage of not relying on static infrastructure.
Robust Pixel Design Methodologies for a Vertical Avalanche Photodiode (VAPD)-Based CMOS Image Sensor
Authors: Inoue Akito , Torazawa Naoki , Yamada Shota , Sugiura Yuki , Ishii Motonori , Sakata Yusuke , Kunikyo Taiki , Tamaru Masaki , Kasuga Shigetaka , Yuasa Yusuke , Kitajima Hiromu , Koshida Hiroshi , Kabe Tatsuya , Usuda Manabu , Takemoto Masato , Nose Yugo , Okino Toru , Shirono Takashi , Nakanishi Kentaro , Hirose Yutaka , Koyama Shinzo , Mori Mitsuyoshi , Sawada Masayuki , Odagawa Akihiro , Tanaka Tsuyoshi
Published: August 2024

We present robust pixel design methodologies for a vertical avalanche photodiode-based CMOS image sensor, taking account of three critical practical factors: (i) “guard-ring-free” pixel isolation layout, (ii) device characteristics “insensitive” to applied voltage and temperature, and (iii) stable operation subject to intense light exposure. The “guard-ring-free” pixel design is established by resolving the tradeoff relationship between electric field concentration and pixel isolation. The effectiveness of the optimization strategy is validated both by simulation and experiment. To realize insensitivity to voltage and temperature variations, a global feedback resistor is shown to effectively suppress variations in device characteristics such as photon detection efficiency and dark count rate. An in-pixel overflow transistor is also introduced to enhance the resistance to strong illumination. The robustness of the fabricated VAPD-CIS is verified by characterization of 122 different chips and through a high-temperature and intense-light-illumination operation test with 5 chips, conducted at 125 °C for 1000 h subject to 940 nm light exposure equivalent to 10 kLux.
A Chirped Characteristic-Tunable Terahertz Source for Terahertz Sensing
Authors: Gao Feilong , Jiang Mingzhe , Hou Shaodong
Published: August 2024

In broadband terahertz waves generated by femtosecond lasers, spatial chirp will be simultaneously produced with the introduction of angular dispersion. The chirp characteristics of the terahertz wave will directly affect the frequency response, bandwidth response, and intensity response of the terahertz sensor. To enhance the capability of terahertz sensors, it is necessary to control and improve the chirped characteristics of broadband terahertz sources. We generate a chirped terahertz wave via optical rectification in a LiNbO3 prism using the technique of pulse front tilt. The effect of the pump-beam spot size on THz generation is systematically studied. The pump’s spot size is manipulated using a telescope system. With a pump spot diameter of 1.8 mm, the scanning spectrum of the THz pulse is narrower and is divided into multiple distinct peaks. In contrast, using a pump spot diameter of 3.7 mm leads to increased efficiency in the generation of THz pulses. Also, we investigate the underlying properties governing the generation of chirped terahertz pulses using varying pump pulse spot diameters.
A Small-Object-Detection Algorithm Based on LiDAR Point-Cloud Clustering for Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Duan Zhibing , Shao Jinju , Zhang Meng , Zhang Jinlei , Zhai Zhipeng
Published: August 2024

3D object-detection based on LiDAR point clouds can help driverless vehicles detect obstacles. However, the existing point-cloud-based object-detection methods are generally ineffective in detecting small objects such as pedestrians and cyclists. Therefore, a small-object-detection algorithm based on clustering is proposed. Firstly, a new segmented ground-point clouds segmentation algorithm is proposed, which filters out the object point clouds according to the heuristic rules and realizes the ground segmentation by multi-region plane-fitting. Then, the small-object point cloud is clustered using an improved DBSCAN clustering algorithm. The K-means++ algorithm for pre-clustering is used, the neighborhood radius is adaptively adjusted according to the distance, and the core point search method of the original algorithm is improved. Finally, the detection of small objects is completed using the directional wraparound box model. After extensive experiments, it was shown that the precision and recall of our proposed ground-segmentation algorithm reached 91.86% and 92.70%, respectively, and the improved DBSCAN clustering algorithm improved the recall of pedestrians and cyclists by 15.89% and 9.50%, respectively. In addition, visualization experiments confirmed that our proposed small-object-detection algorithm based on the point-cloud clustering method can realize the accurate detection of small objects.
Transformer and Adaptive Threshold Sliding Window for Improving Violence Detection in Videos
Authors: Rendón-Segador Fernando J. , Álvarez-García Juan A. , Soria-Morillo Luis M.
Published: August 2024

This paper presents a comprehensive approach to detect violent events in videos by combining CrimeNet, a Vision Transformer (ViT) model with structured neural learning and adversarial regularization, with an adaptive threshold sliding window model based on the Transformer architecture. CrimeNet demonstrates exceptional performance on all datasets (XD-Violence, UCF-Crime, NTU-CCTV Fights, UBI-Fights, Real Life Violence Situations, MediEval, RWF-2000, Hockey Fights, Violent Flows, Surveillance Camera Fights, and Movies Fight), achieving high AUC ROC and AUC PR values (up to 99% and 100%, respectively). However, the generalization of CrimeNet to cross-dataset experiments posed some problems, resulting in a 20–30% decrease in performance, for instance, training in UCF-Crime and testing in XD-Violence resulted in 70.20% in AUC ROC. The sliding window model with adaptive thresholding effectively solves these problems by automatically adjusting the violence detection threshold, resulting in a substantial improvement in detection accuracy. By applying the sliding window model as post-processing to CrimeNet results, we were able to improve detection accuracy by 10% to 15% in cross-dataset experiments. Future lines of research include improving generalization, addressing data imbalance, exploring multimodal representations, testing in real-world applications, and extending the approach to complex human interactions.
Diffusion Models-Based Purification for Common Corruptions on Robust 3D Object Detection
Authors: Cai Mumuxin , Wang Xupeng , Sohel Ferdous , Lei Hang
Published: August 2024

LiDAR sensors have been shown to generate data with various common corruptions, which seriously affect their applications in 3D vision tasks, particularly object detection. At the same time, it has been demonstrated that traditional defense strategies, including adversarial training, are prone to suffering from gradient confusion during training. Moreover, they can only improve their robustness against specific types of data corruption. In this work, we propose LiDARPure, which leverages the powerful generation ability of diffusion models to purify corruption in the LiDAR scene data. By dividing the entire scene into voxels to facilitate the processes of diffusion and reverse diffusion, LiDARPure overcomes challenges induced from adversarial training, such as sparse point clouds in large-scale LiDAR data and gradient confusion. In addition, we utilize the latent geometric features of a scene as a condition to assist the generation of diffusion models. Detailed experiments show that LiDARPure can effectively purify 19 common types of LiDAR data corruption. Further evaluation results demonstrate that it can improve the average precision of 3D object detectors to an extent of 20% in the face of data corruption, much higher than existing defence strategies.
Study of Neutron-, Proton-, and Gamma-Irradiated Silicon Detectors Using the Two-Photon Absorption–Transient Current Technique
Authors: Pape Sebastian , Fernández García Marcos , Moll Michael , Wiehe Moritz
Published: August 2024

The Two-Photon Absorption–Transient Current Technique (TPA-TCT) is a device characterisation technique that enables three-dimensional spatial resolution. Laser light in the quadratic absorption regime is employed to generate excess charge carriers only in a small volume around the focal spot. The drift of the excess charge carriers is studied to obtain information about the device under test. Neutron-, proton-, and gamma-irradiated p-type pad silicon detectors up to equivalent fluences of about 7 × 1015 neq/cm2 and a dose of 186 Mrad are investigated to study irradiation-induced effects on the TPA-TCT. Neutron and proton irradiation lead to additional linear absorption, which does not occur in gamma-irradiated detectors. The additional absorption is related to cluster damage, and the absorption scales according to the non-ionising energy loss. The influence of irradiation on the two-photon absorption coefficient is investigated, as well as potential laser beam depletion by the irradiation-induced linear absorption. Further, the electric field in neutron- and proton-irradiated pad detectors at an equivalent fluence of about 7 × 1015 neq/cm2 is investigated, where the space charge of the proton-irradiated devices appears inverted compared to the neutron-irradiated device.