bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parameter Identification of Electrical Equivalent Circuits including Mass Transfer Parameters for the Selection of the Operating Frequencies of Pulsed PEM Water Electrolysis
Authors: Kim Jae-Hoon , Oh Chang-Yeol , Kim Ki-Ryong , Lee Jong-Pil , Kim Tae-Jin
Published: December 2022

This paper proposes a parameter identification method for a PEM electrolyzer electrical equivalent circuit for pulse electrolysis. Since general water electrolysis mainly uses DC currents, identifying equivalent circuit parameters using electrical characteristics mostly ignores the operation frequency and unnecessarily adheres to the secondary RC model. However, looking at the Nyquist plot of the PEM electrolyzer, it can be confirmed that identifying the operational frequency is necessary, and the secondary RC model correction is essential. Therefore, the proposed method confirms the necessity of reconstructing an electrical equivalent circuit with a primary RC model by analyzing the transient cell voltage using step current inputs and calculating an appropriate operating frequency by identifying the parameters of the reconstructed equivalent circuit. To verify the proposed parameter identification method, a simulation was constructed from the raw test data of a 400 W commercial PEM electrolyzer. In addition, the hydrogen production amount was compared to DC using a pulse electrolysis experiment at the operating frequency obtained by the proposed method.
Capacity Allocation Strategy Using Virtual Synchronous Compensator for Renewable Energy Stations Based on Fuzzy Chance Constraints
Authors: Xu Zhi , Song Pengfei , Yin Chunya , Kang Pengpeng , Zhai Baoyu
Published: December 2022

The uncertainty of high penetration of renewable energy brings challenges to the safe and stable operation of a power system; the virtual synchronous compensation (VSCOM) can shift the demand and compensate real-time discrepancy between generation and demand, and can improve the active support ability for the power system. This paper proposes a novel capacity allocation strategy using VSCOM for renewable energy stations based on fuzzy constraints. Firstly, the basic framework of the VSCOM is constructed with energy storage and reactive power generator (SVG) unit. Secondly, the inertia and standby capacity requirements of high penetration of renewable energy system are modeled; on this basis, a capacity allocation model of each sub unit of the VSCOM is developed, and the investment economy and stable support needs are considered. Thirdly, the uncertainty set of wind power output is defined based on the historical data to find a decision that minimizes the worst-case expected where the worst case should be taken. Finally, the simulation results show that the proposed optimal sizing strategy can effectively take advantage of stability and economy, and the VSCOM can meet the inertia support demand of 98.6% of a high proportion of renewable energy systems.
Quantitative Design of a New e-Methanol Production Process
Authors: Rufer Alfred
Published: December 2022

In the context of the need to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from personal transportation, a new process for the production of e-methanol is presented. It is a CO2 hydrogenation process, powered mainly by renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic electricity, with direct capture of carbon dioxide from the ambient air. With the main objective of estimating the feasibility and the impact of such a large-scale plant, the various components are evaluated in terms of masses and quantities necessary for an annual fuel production of 500,000 tons. The main reactor is analyzed to assess the required quantities of hydrogen and CO2. The production of hydrogen from the electrolysis of water is estimated, as well as the electrical power required and supplied by a large photovoltaic plant. The size of a realistic plant and its footprint are estimated. In addition, the mass of seawater to be desalinized and split in the electrolyser is calculated. The CO2 capture system is evaluated in the form of the mass of air to be extracted from the ambient air. The parameters of the system and its subcomponents are summarized for ease of understanding of the significance and size of the processing plant.
Assessment of a High-Order Stationary Frame Controller for Two-Level and Three-Level NPC Grid-Connected Inverters
Authors: Almatani Nawaf O. , Alhussainy Abdullah Ali , Alghamdi Sultan , Kotb Hossam , AboRas Kareem M. , Vellingiri Mahendiran , Rawa Muhyaddin
Published: December 2022

Most grid-connected DC/AC inverters use traditional proportional–integral (PI) controllers in a synchronous frame. In addition to poor disturbance rejection capabilities, these PI controllers also exhibit steady-state errors for sinusoidal reference signals. To address these drawbacks, this article investigates the use of a high-order controller in the stationary frame and then compares it with the standard PI controller. The effectiveness of the high-order controller in the stationary frame has been examined by providing an infinite gain at a resonance frequency. In this work, the design of high-order and PI controllers and tuning instructions are given. Furthermore, both high-order and PI current-controlled two-level and three-level neutral point clamped (NPC) inverters are compared. Various operational conditions are used for the comparison. The high-order controller reduced the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the injected current by 1.15% for the two-level inverter in normal conditions as compared to the PI controller and 0.9% for the three-level NPC inverters. Furthermore, it reduced the THD in balanced abnormal conditions by 0.5% for the two-level inverter and 0.18% for the three-level NPC inverters. However, the dq controller has a lower THD during unbalance and short circuit conditions.
Single-Phase Five-Level Multilevel Inverter Based on a Transistors Six-Pack Module
Authors: Garcia-Santiago Flavio A. , Rosas-Caro Julio C. , Valdez-Resendiz Jesus E. , Mayo-Maldonado Jonathan C. , Valderrabano-Gonzalez Antonio , Robles-Campos Hector R.
Published: December 2022

This article introduces a single-phase five-level multilevel inverter based on six switches and two transformers. The proposed converter requires a single dc input source with low voltage. The disposition of switches makes it possible to build the converter with a transistors six-pack module off-the-shelves, traditionally used to build three-phase inverters, which simplifies the manufacturing process. The converter increases the voltage with two transformers; for that reason, it does not require an auxiliary step-up converter. The use of transformers (with the transformer’s turns ratio) allows for using the same topology for several input voltage levels. To verify the operation of the proposed multilevel inverter, a computer-based simulation was performed with PSIM, a software that considers parasitic components. The results show that the proposed converter can work properly.
Analysis of Residential Buildings in Poland for Potential Energy Renovation toward Zero-Emission Construction
Authors: Szymańska Elżbieta Jadwiga , Kubacka Maria , Woźniak Joanna , Polaszczyk Jan
Published: December 2022

The aim of the study was to identify the state of residential buildings in terms of energy consumption and modernisation in Poland against the background of the EU, and to determine factors and activities increasing households′ interest in net-zero energy buildings. In the European Union, we are observing a tendency to increase the energy efficiency of buildings, including residential, and decarbonise building stock by 2050. The objective of the undertaken activities is to reduce energy use and the negative impacts of the use of buildings on the environment. Attaining this objective requires modernising many buildings. This dissertation includes an investigation into the condition of buildings in Poland from the aspect of energy use and the kind of carriers of this energy, and also into another issue: what factors and activities may increase society′s interest in net-zero energy buildings, and in the use of energy from renewable sources in residential buildings. The studies were conducted with the use of the data provided by the Central Statistical Office and EUROSTAT, and also of the reports of the European Commission, the data of the Central Emission Register of Buildings (CERB) and the Odysse–Mure database. An important source of information was also surveys conducted with the application of CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview), and also of PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interview), among 387 households in Poland. For the purpose of analysing the results of the studies, the methods of descriptive statistics, the chi-square test of independence, the ANOVA test of Kruskal–Wallis and the Mann–Whitney U-test were used. The analysis gives rise to the conclusion that, in residential buildings, household′s annual primary energy demand is dependent on the year in which a building was commissioned. Newer buildings can boast smaller heat energy use. Simultaneously, ever more households are undertaking activities that will result in the thermal modernisation of residential buildings. The studies have shown that the development of net-zero energy buildings requires undertaking activities in the scope of introducing allowances and subsidies, and also increasing social awareness in the scope of this kind of building. Interest in buildings using solely renewable energy sources is contributed to by raising energy prices, and also the falling prices of required installations.
High-Resolution Emissions from Wood Burning in Norway—The Effect of Cabin Emissions
Authors: Lopez-Aparicio Susana , Grythe Henrik , Markelj Miha
Published: December 2022

Emissions from wood burning for heating in secondary homes or cabins is an important part in the development of high-resolution emissions in specific areas. Norway is used as case study as 20% of the national wood consumption for heating occurs in cabins. Our study first shows a method to estimate emissions from cabins based on traffic data to derive cabin occupancy, which combined with heating need allows for the spatial and temporal distribution of emissions. The combination of residential (RWC) and cabin wood combustion (CWC) emissions shows large spatial and temporal differences, and a temporally “cabin population” can in areas be orders of magnitude larger than the registered population. While RWC emissions have been steadily reduced, CWC have kept relatively constant or even increased, which results in an increase in the cabin share to total heating emissions up to 25–35%. When comparing with regional emission inventories, our study shows that the gradient between rural and urban areas is not well-represented in regional inventories, which resembles a population-based distribution and does not allocate emissions in cabin municipalities. CWC emissions may become an increasing environmental concern as higher densification trends in mountain areas are observed.
Research on Tea Trees Germination Density Detection Based on Improved YOLOv5
Authors: Wang Jinghua , Li Xiang , Yang Guijun , Wang Fan , Men Sen , Xu Bo , Xu Ze , Yang Haibin , Yan Lei
Published: December 2022

Tea plants are one of the most widely planted agricultural crops in the world. The traditional method of surveying germination density is mainly manual checking, which is time-consuming and inefficient. In this research, the Improved YOLOv5 model was used to identify tea buds and detect germination density based on tea trees canopy visible images. Firstly, five original YOLOv5 models were trained for tea trees germination recognition, and performance and volume were compared. Secondly, backbone structure was redesigned based on the lightweight theory of Xception and ShuffleNetV2. Meanwhile, reverse attention mechanism (RA) and receptive field block (RFB) were added to enhance the network feature extraction ability, achieving the purpose of optimizing the YOLOv5 network from both lightweight and accuracy improvement. Finally, the recognition ability of the Improved YOLOv5 model was analyzed, and the germination density of tea trees was detected according to the tea bud count. The experimental results show that: (1) The parameter numbers of the five original YOLOv5 models were inversely proportional to the detection accuracy. The YOLOv5m model with the most balanced comprehensive performance contained 20,852,934 parameters, the precision rate of the YOLOv5m recognition model was 74.9%, the recall rate was 75.7%, and the mAP_0.5 was 0.758. (2) The Improved YOLOv5 model contained 4,326,815 parameters, the precision rate of the Improved YOLOv5 recognition model was 94.9%, the recall rate was 97.67%, and the mAP_0.5 was 0.758. (3) The YOLOv5m model and the Improved YOLOv5 model were used to test the validation set, and the true positive (TP) values identified were 86% and 94%, respectively. The Improved YOLOv5 network model was effectively improved in both volume and accuracy according to the result. This research is conducive to scientific planning of tea bud picking, improving the production efficiency of the tea plantation and the quality of tea production in the later stage.
Comparing the Building Code Sawn Lumber’s Wet Service Factors (CM) with Four Commercial Wood Species Laboratory Tests
Authors: Bahtiar Effendi Tri , Denih Asep , Priadi Trisna , Putra Gustian Rama , Koswara Andiana , Nugroho Naresworo , Hermawan Dede
Published: December 2022

Indonesian Wooden Building Code (SNI 7973-2013) has adopted the National Design Specification (NDS) for Wood Construction since 2013. A periodic harmonization of the building-code-designated values (i.e., reference design values and adjustment factors) with the experimental data of commercial wood species is necessary. This study aimed to compare the building code’s wet service factors (CM) with the laboratory test of some commercial wood species. Since wood is weaker when its moisture content is high, the wet service factor (CM) must adjust the sawn lumber reference design values if the building serves in wet or aquatic environments. Four commercial wood species, namely pine (Pinus merkusii), agathis (Agathis dammara), red meranti (Shorea leprosula), and mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), were subjected to mechanical property tests. To calculate the empirical CM values, the mechanical properties tests were conducted on air-dry and wet wood. Instead of testing the full-sized timber, which contains the growth characteristics and defects, this study chose clear-wood specimens to resemble the boundary condition of the ceteris paribus (other things being equal). The wet (water-saturated) specimens were immersed in water for 65 days, and the test was carried out when the specimen was still immersed. The test arrangement imitated the submerged wood as the worst-case scenario of the wet environment where the construction serves, rather than green or partially immersed timber. As many as 40 specimens were tested to compare each mechanical property’s wet service factor; thus, this study reported 200 specimens’ laboratory test results. The empirical CM values to adjust the modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture, shear strength parallel-to-grain, tensile strength parallel-to-grain, and maximum crushing strength (CM = 0.59, 0.76, 0.65, 0.73, and 0.67, respectively) were significantly lower than SNI 7973-2013 designated values (CM = 0.9, 0.85, 0.97, 1, and 0.8, respectively). The empirical CM for the compression stress perpendicular-to-grain at the proportional limit and that at the 0.04″ deformation (CM = 0.66) were slightly lower than the designated values (CM = 0.67), although they were not significantly different. This study resulted in lower empirical CM values than the designated ones, which found that the building code lacked conservativeness. The lacked conservativeness is mainly attributed to the building code’s recent choices, e.g., (1) the wet service environment basis is the green timber rather than the fully water-saturated one, and (2) the ratio of near minimum (5% lower) distribution value is chosen as the CM value rather than the average of wet timber’s mechanical property divided by the air-dry one. This study proposes changing both recent choices to alternative ones to develop more safe and reliable designated CM values.
LSSDNF: A Lightweight Secure Software Defined Network Framework for Future Internet in 5G–6G
Authors: Singh Surjit , Mehla Vivek , Nikolovski Srete
Published: December 2022

As information technology advances quickly, so does the 5G–6G network management system, which is moving toward greater integration, decentralization, diversity, and intelligence. As flexibility is a crucial criterion for 5G–6G network architecture, we use the Software Defined Network (SDN) paradigm to make the programmability more flexible. Due to their ability to replace the current TCP/IP architecture with one that separates the control plane and data plane, software-defined networks have gained much popularity. However, they are susceptible to routing attacks. Therefore, this work proposes Lightweight Security Framework that combines blockchain technology with Software-Defined Networking (LSSDNF) to address this problem. The proposed framework adds the routing data that the controller withheld to the multichain blockchain. Here, a mininet network simulator is used to model the proposed framework. The data transfer rate or network throughput, bandwidth variation, and jitter have all been used to assess the performance of single-controller-SDN networks and multi-controller-SDN networks. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework performs better than the conventional single-controller-SDN architecture in terms of throughput, bandwidth fluctuation, and jitter.
A CNN Based Anomaly Detection Network for Utility Tunnel Fire Protection
Authors: Bian Haitao , Zhu Zhichao , Zang Xiaowei , Luo Xiaohan , Jiang Min
Published: December 2022

Fire accident is one of the significant threats to the urban utility tunnel (UUT) during operation, and the emergency response is challenging due to the compact tunnel structure and potential hazard sources involved. Traditional fire detection techniques are reviewed in this study, and it has been determined that their performance cannot satisfy the requirements for early fire incident detection. Integrating advanced sensing technologies and data-driven anomaly detection has recently been regarded as a feasible solution for intelligent safety system implementation. This article proposed an approach that utilized a fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) system and deep anomaly detection models to monitor the fire exotherm during the early stages of accidents. The variable fire exotherm is simulated with an embedded-system controlled electrical heating platform. Moreover, autoencoder (AE) based and convolutional neural network (CNN) based methods have been designed for anomaly detection. The temperature data collected from the FO-DTS in the experiment was employed as the training set for the data-driven models. Furthermore, the anomaly detection models were tested, and the results showed that the proposed CNN model can achieve a higher accuracy rate in detecting the simulated fire exotherm.
Disentangling Environmental, Economic, and Technological Factors Driving Scallop (Argopecten purpuratus) Aquaculture in Chile
Authors: Bakit José , Álvarez Gonzalo , Díaz Patricio A. , Uribe Eduardo , Sfeir Rodrigo , Villasante Sebastian , Bas Tomas Gabriel , Lira Germán , Pérez Hernán , Hurtado Andrés , González-Ávalos Raúl , Castillo-Venenciano Jose
Published: December 2022

The boom-and-bust trajectory of the Argopecten purpuratus industry in Chile shows the progression from resource extraction (fishing) to production (aquaculture). This paper analyses the effects of environmental, economic, and scientific–technological factors. The influence of each factor on scallop production in Chile was reviewed for the period between the 1980s and 2020. The evaluation of the effects allows the visualisation of the industry’s productive evolution and reveals the current challenges. The occurrence of abrupt environmental disturbances, commercialisation under imperfect market configurations, and public and private efforts in scientific and technological advances have acted favourably on scallop production. However, an industry mainly focused on prices and high production volumes did not devote much effort to develop low-cost climate-resilient technologies. Today, economic challenges must be addressed by helping to reduce production costs and add economic value to products and by-products. Our results show that the industry must focus on low-cost technologies, the use of renewable energy, and the circularity of its processes. The environment ensures the capture of natural seeds and their adaptation to climate change. These challenges must not lose sight of the emerging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stability of a Nonlinear Langevin System of ML-Type Fractional Derivative Affected by Time-Varying Delays and Differential Feedback Control
Authors: Zhao Kaihong
Published: December 2022

The Langevin system is an important mathematical model to describe Brownian motion. The research shows that fractional differential equations have more advantages in viscoelasticity. The exploration of fractional Langevin system dynamics is novel and valuable. Compared with the fractional system of Caputo or Riemann–Liouville (RL) derivatives, the system with Mittag–Leffler (ML)-type fractional derivatives can eliminate singularity such that the solution of the system has better analytical properties. Therefore, we concentrate on a nonlinear Langevin system of ML-type fractional derivatives affected by time-varying delays and differential feedback control in the manuscript. We first utilize two fixed-point theorems proposed by Krasnoselskii and Schauder to investigate the existence of a solution. Next, we employ the contraction mapping principle and nonlinear analysis to establish the stability of types such as Ulam–Hyers (UH) and Ulam–Hyers–Rassias (UHR) as well as generalized UH and UHR. Lastly, the theoretical analysis and numerical simulation of some interesting examples are carried out by using our main results and the DDESD toolbox of MATLAB.
Evolutionary Relationships and Divergence of Filamin Gene Family Involved in Development and Stress in Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)
Authors: Wang Mingyang , Wu Lanxin , Zhu Shouhong , Chen Wei , Yao Jinbo , Li Yan , Li Tengyu , Shang Haihong , Zhang Yongshan
Published: December 2022

Filamin protein is characterized by an N-terminal actin-binding domain that is followed by 24 Ig (immunoglobulin)-like repeats, which act as hubs for interactions with a variety of proteins. In humans, this family has been found to be involved in cancer cell invasion and metastasis and can be involved in a variety of growth signal transduction processes, but it is less studied in plants. Therefore, in this study, 54 Filamin gene family members from 23 plant species were investigated and divided into two subfamilies: FLMN and GEX2. Subcellular localization showed that most of the Filamin gene family members were located in the cell membrane. A total of 47 Filamin gene pairs were identified, most of which were whole-genome copies. Through the analyses of cis-acting elements, expression patterns and quantitative fluorescence, it was found that GH_ A02G0519 and GH_ D02G0539 are mainly expressed in the reproductive organs of upland cotton, and their interacting proteins are also related to the fertilization process, whereas GH_A02G0216 and GH_D02G0235 were related to stress. Thus, it is speculated that two genes of the GEX2 subfamily (GH_A02G0519 and GH_D02G0539) may be involved in the reproductive development of cotton and may affect the fertilization process of cotton. This study provides a theoretical basis for the further study of the cotton Filamin gene family.
Three-Dimensional Organization of Chicken Genome Provides Insights into Genetic Adaptation to Extreme Environments
Authors: Shao Dan , Yang Yu , Shi Shourong , Tong Haibing
Published: December 2022

The high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) technique is widely used to study the functional roles of the three-dimensional (3D) architecture of genomes. However, the knowledge of the 3D genome structure and its dynamics during extreme environmental adaptations remains poor. Here, we characterized 3D genome architectures using the Hi-C technique for chicken liver cells. Upon comparing Lindian chicken (LDC) liver cells with Wenchang chicken (WCC) liver cells, we discovered that environmental adaptation contributed to the switching of A/B compartments, the reorganization of topologically associated domains (TADs), and TAD boundaries in both liver cells. In addition, the analysis of the switching of A/B compartments revealed that the switched compartmental genes (SCGs) were strongly associated with extreme environment adaption-related pathways, including tight junction, notch signaling pathway, vascular smooth muscle contraction, and the RIG-I-like receptor signaling pathway. The findings of this study advanced our understanding of the evolutionary role of chicken 3D genome architecture and its significance in genome activity and transcriptional regulation.
Identification of Hydroxylation Enzymes and the Metabolic Analysis of Dihydromyricetin Synthesis in Ampelopsis grossedentata
Authors: Zhang Shuai , Gao Song , Chen Yu , Xu Sha , Yu Shiqin , Zhou Jingwen
Published: December 2022

Ampelopsis grossedentata leaves are highly rich in dihydromyricetin. They have been used to make tea in China for centuries. Dihydromyricetin has many potential applications in foods and medicine. This are because it has five phenolic hydroxyl groups. However, the hydroxylases involving the biosynthesis of dihydromyricetin have not been identified and characterized. In this study, a series of hydroxylases genes, including flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase (F3′H), flavonoid 3′,5′-hydroxylase (F3′5′H), and cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR), were identified after RNA sequencing. The full-length CDSs of AgF3H, AgF3′H, AgF3′5′H, and AgCPR genes were amplified from the cDNA library of leaves. The aforementioned enzymes were expressed and verified in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Through the substrate specificity assay, the functional AgF3′H, AgF3′5′H, and AgCPR in A. grossedentata were identified. The dihydromyricetin hydroxylation process in A. grossedentata was successfully identified. We found that substantial carbon flux occurred through the Naringenin (NAR)–Eriodictyol (ERI)–Dihydroquercetin (DHQ)–Dihydromyricetin (DHM) and NAR–Dihydrokaempferol (DHK)–DHQ–DHM pathways. This study provides some reference for the development and utilization of the germplasm resources and molecular breeding of A. grossedentata.
Transcriptomic Profiling Unravels Novel Deregulated Gene Signatures Associated with Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Bioinformatics Approach
Authors: Kumar Sanjay , Shih Chun-Ming , Tsai Lung-Wen , Dubey Rajni , Gupta Deepika , Chakraborty Tanmoy , Sharma Naveen , Singh Abhishek , Swarup Vishnu , Singh Himanshu
Published: December 2022

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a severe disease with elevated morbidity and mortality rate worldwide. This is attributed to great losses of cardiomyocytes, which can trigger the alteration of gene expression patterns. Although several attempts have been made to assess the AMI biomarkers, to date their role in rescuing myocardial injury remains unclear. Therefore, the current study investigated three independent microarray-based gene expression datasets from AMI patients (n = 85) and their age–sex-matched healthy controls (n = 70), to identify novel gene signatures that might be involved in cardioprotection. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed using ‘GEO2R’, and weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to identify biomarkers/modules. We found 91 DEGs, of which the number of upregulated and downregulated genes were 22 and 5, respectively. Specifically, we found that the deregulated genes such as ADOR-A3, BMP6, VPS8, and GPx3, may be associated with AMI. WGCNA revealed four highly preserved modules among all datasets. The ‘Enrichr’ unveiled the presence of miR-660 and STAT1, which is known to affect AMI severity. Conclusively, these genes and miRNA might play a crucial role the rescue of cardiomyocytes from severe damage, which could be helpful in developing appropriate therapeutic strategies for the management of AMI.
Lightweight Apple Detection in Complex Orchards Using YOLOV5-PRE
Authors: Sun Lijuan , Hu Guangrui , Chen Chao , Cai Haoxuan , Li Chuanlin , Zhang Shixia , Chen Jun
Published: December 2022

The detection of apple yield in complex orchards plays an important role in smart agriculture. Due to the large number of fruit trees in the orchard, improving the speed of apple detection has become one of the challenges of apple yield detection. Additional challenges in the detection of apples in complex orchard environments are vision obstruction by leaves, branches and other fruit, and uneven illumination. The YOLOv5 (You Only Look Once version 5) network structure has thus far been increasingly utilized for fruit recognition, but its detection accuracy and real-time detection speed can be improved. Thus, an upgraded lightweight apple detection method YOLOv5-PRE (YOLOv5 Prediction) is proposed for the rapid detection of apple yield in an orchard environment. The ShuffleNet and the GhostNet lightweight structures were introduced into the YOLOv5-PRE model to reduce the size of the model, and the CA (Coordinate Attention) and CBAM (Convolutional Block Attention Module) attention mechanisms were used to improve the detection accuracy of the algorithm. After applying this algorithm on PC with NVIDIA Quadro P620 GPU, and after comparing the results of the YOLOv5s (You Only Look Once version 5 small) and the YOLOv5-PRE models outputs, the following conclusions were obtained: the average precision of the YOLOv5-PRE model was 94.03%, which is 0.58% higher than YOLOv5s. As for the average detection time of a single image on GPU and CPU, it was 27.0 ms and 172.3 ms, respectively, which is 17.93% and 35.23% higher than YOLOV5s. Added to that, the YOLOv5-PRE model had a missed detection rate of 6.54% when being subject to back-light conditions, and a false detection rate of 4.31% when facing front-light conditions, which are 2.8% and 0.86% higher than YOLOv5s, respectively. Finally, the feature extraction process of the YOLOv5-PRE model was presented in the form of a feature map visualization, which enhances the interpretability of the model. Thus, the YOLOv5-PRE model is more suitable for transplanting into embedded devices and adapts well to different lighting conditions in the orchard, which provides an effective method and a theoretical basis for the rapid detection of apples in the process of rapid detection of apple yield.
Occurrence and Source Identification of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and Dibenzofurans and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Surface Sediments from Liangshui River in Beijing, China
Authors: Li Honghua , Wang Pu , Ju Yongming , Li Wenjuan , Yang Ruiqiang , Li Gang , Ren Wenqiang , Li Jie , Zhang Qinghua
Published: December 2022

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls were measured in the surface sediments of Liangshui River, the second largest drainage river in Beijing, China. The sum concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls ranged from 3.5 to 3019 (mean value: 184) pg g−1 dry weight and from 319 to 5949 (mean value: 1958) pg g−1 dry weight, and the corresponding World Health Organization toxic equivalent quantity values were 0.0011–5.1 pg TEQ g−1 dry weight and 0.0074–1.4 pg TEQ g−1 dry weight, respectively. The spatial distributions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls showed increasing trends from urban area and development area to suburb. Principal component analysis revealed that polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans contamination in the sediments may originate from pentachlorophenol and sodium pentachlorophenate and municipal solid waste incineration. Regarding polychlorinated biphenyls, the steel industry, combustion processes and usage of some commercial polychlorinated biphenyl products were identified as the major sources. The emission from a former steel plant could be the main contributor to polychlorinated biphenyls in urban areas. The mean value of the total toxic equivalent quantities in the sediment samples exceeded the Canadian interim sediment quality guidelines. Long-term wastewater irrigation increases the load of sediment-bound pollutants in agricultural soil and may pose potential ecological risks to crops and human health.
Effect of Flat Running Shoes on Hip Kinematics in Male Recreational Runners
Authors: Zhang Masen , Cui Jing , Liu Hui
Published: December 2022

Patellofemoral joint pain and iliotibial band syndrome are very common running−related injuries. Excessive contralateral pelvic drop, hip adduction, and hip internal rotation have been suggested to be associated with the two injuries. The purpose of this repeated measures and the cross−sectional study was to investigate the effect of flat running shoes on these kinematic variables compared with that of conventional running shoes with a 10 mm drop. Eighteen male recreational runners were recruited to run in flat shoes and conventional shoes with a 10 mm drop, in random order. Impact force data and lower extremity kinematics were synchronously obtained using two Kistler force plates and eight motion infrared cameras, whereas differences in the impact force and hip kinematics were compared using statistical parametric mapping. Regarding hip kinematics, the hip flexion (p = 0.004) and adduction angles (p = 0.004) decreased significantly at 30–70% and 62–85% of the stance phase, respectively, while wearing flat running shoes; the contralateral pelvic drop angle (p = 0.001) decreased significantly at 31–75% of the stance phase while wearing flat running shoes. The knee internal rotation angle (p = 0.035) decreased significantly at 8–17% of the stance phase while wearing flat running shoes compared with conventional running shoes. Given that these kinematic variables are associated with patellofemoral joint pain and iliotibial band syndrome, flat running shoes may have potential benefits for the prevention or treatment of knee injuries.
Dance to Prosper: Benefits of Chinese Square Dance in QOL and the Moderating Roles of Aging Stereotypes
Authors: Zhang Honghao , Jia Huiyuan , Zhang Xin
Published: December 2022

Background: By examining the effect of Chinese square dance duration through a positive activity model and discussing the impact of aging stereotype internalization, this study examined the relationships between dance duration, attitudes toward own aging (ATOA), aging stereotypes, and quality of life. Methods: 403 Chinese square dance participants were recruited to complete a 7-day diary survey in a cross-sectional design. Participants reported on their ATOA, aging stereotypes, perceived quality of life, and everyday dance participation during the week. Data were analyzed using latent variable structural equation modeling. Results: Increased dance participation improved quality of life, and the mediation by ATOA was determined. Positive and negative aging stereotypes separately moderated the mediating process. In general, people who had relatively stronger negative stereotypes benefited more from dancing duration, while people with stronger positive stereotypes felt no such dose effect. Conclusions: The results suggest that an attitudinal pathway explains the positive activity dose effect, and people with more negative aging stereotypes are encouraged to practice Chinese square dance to benefit from certain effects.
Phytoextraction Potential of Sunn Hemp, Sunflower, and Marigold for Carbaryl Contamination: Hydroponic Experiment
Authors: Sooksawat Najjapak , Inthorn Duangrat , Chittawanij Apisit , Vangnai Alisa , Kongtip Pornpimol , Woskie Susan
Published: December 2022

The phytoextraction ability and responses of sunn hemp, sunflower, and marigold plants were investigated toward carbaryl insecticide at 10 mg L−1 and its degradative product (1-naphthol). All test plants exhibited significant carbaryl removal capability (65–93%) with different mechanisms. Marigold had the highest translocation factor, with carbaryl taken up, translocated and accumulated in the shoots, where it was biotransformed into 1-naphthol. Consequently, marigold had the least observable toxicity symptoms caused by carbaryl and the highest bioconcentration factor (1848), indicating its hyperaccumulating capability. Sunflower responded to carbaryl exposure differently, with the highest carbaryl accumulation (8.7 mg kg−1) in roots within 4 days of cultivation, leading to a partial toxicity effect. Sunn hemp exhibited severe toxicity, having the highest carbaryl accumulation (91.7 mg kg−1) that was biotransformed to 1-naphthol in the sunn hemp shoots. In addition, the different models were discussed on plant hormone formation in response to carbaryl exposure.
Chemical Compounds and Ambient Factors Affecting Pancreatic Alpha-Cells Mass and Function: What Evidence?
Authors: Mannino Gaia Chiara , Mancuso Elettra , Sbrignadello Stefano , Morettini Micaela , Andreozzi Francesco , Tura Andrea
Published: December 2022

The exposure to different substances present in the environment can affect the ability of the human body to maintain glucose homeostasis. Some review studies summarized the current evidence about the relationships between environment and insulin resistance or beta-cell dysfunction. Instead, no reviews focused on the relationships between the environment and the alpha cell, although in recent years clear indications have emerged for the pivotal role of the alpha cell in glucose regulation. Thus, the aim of this review was to analyze the studies about the effects of chemical, biological, and physical environmental factors on the alpha cell. Notably, we found studies focusing on the effects of different categories of compounds, including air pollutants, compounds of known toxicity present in common objects, pharmacological agents, and compounds possibly present in food, plus studies on the effects of physical factors (mainly heat exposure). However, the overall number of relevant studies was limited, especially when compared to studies related to the environment and insulin sensitivity or beta-cell function. In our opinion, this was likely due to the underestimation of the alpha-cell role in glucose homeostasis, but since such a role has recently emerged with increasing strength, we expect several new studies about the environment and alpha-cell in the near future.
A Retrospective Assessment of Thrombophilia in Pregnant Women with First and Second Trimester Pregnancy Loss
Authors: Iordache Olivera , Anastasiu-Popov Diana Maria , Anastasiu Doru Mihai , Craina Marius , Dahma George , Sacarin Geanina , Silaghi Carmen , Citu Cosmin , Daniluc Razvan , Hinoveanu Denisa , Feciche Bogdan , Bratosin Felix , Neamtu Radu
Published: December 2022

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) affects between 1% to 5% of women of reproductive age. It is widely believed that RPL is a complex disorder that is influenced by chromosomal abnormalities, genetic mutations, uterine anatomic deformity, endocrine dysfunction, immunologic factors, infections, and the environment. Thrombotic disorders are a frequent cause of RPL, accounting for almost half of all cases; however, in the rest of the cases, the cause of RPL remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, it was planned to determine the genetic mutations involved in RPL during the first and second trimester of pregnancy. An observational retrospective cohort study was conducted in 2021, collecting data from 157 first trimester miscarriages and 54 s trimester pregnancies. All patients with a panel of laboratory and genetic analysis for thrombophilia were included for data analysis. It was observed that four factors were significantly more prevalent in one of the groups. Factor V Leiden (FVL) homozygosity and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) antibodies were statistically significantly more common in pregnant women who suffered first trimester pregnancy losses. On the other hand, Protein C deficiency and Glycoprotein Ia polymorphism were statistically significantly more frequent in the second trimester group. The strongest independent risk factors for first trimester pregnancy loss were FVL and prothrombin (PT) compound mutations (OR = 3.11), followed by FVL homozygous mutation (OR = 3.66), and APS antibodies (OR = 4.47). Regarding second trimester pregnancy loss risk factors, the strongest were FVL and PT compound (OR = 3.24), followed by Glycoprotein Ia polymorphism (OR = 3.61), and respectively, APS antibodies (OR = 3.85). Numerous thrombophilic risk factors for early and late pregnancy loss have been found, including several mutations that seem to occur more often either during the first or the second trimester. Even though we are aware of risk-free and efficient diagnostics for thrombophilia abnormalities, no intervention has been proved to be clearly successful after the detection of these variables.
Childhood Wheeze, Allergic Rhinitis, and Eczema in Hong Kong ISAAC Study from 1995 to 2015
Authors: Lee So-Lun , Lau Yu-Lung , Wong Wilfred Hing-Sang , Tian Lin-Wei
Published: December 2022

Background: The prevalence of allergic diseases has been increasing in developing areas but has reached a plateau in many developed areas. Regular surveys are imperative to assess the disease burden for the prioritization of resource allocation. Objectives: We examined the change in the prevalence of wheezing, allergic rhinitis (AR), and eczema in school-aged children with possible associative factors and possible health effects of school air quality. Methods: This was the third repeated cross-sectional study conducted in 2015–2016 using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) protocol. Our first and second surveys were conducted in 1994–1995 and 2000–2001, respectively. Regarding the third survey, we recruited 3698 children aged 6–7 from 33 local schools in 18 districts. Air quality, temperature, and humidity were also measured. The changes in prevalence, multiple regression, and GLIMMIX procedure were analyzed. Results: From our first survey to our third survey, the increased prevalences for lifetime wheeze, current wheeze, lifetime rhinitis, current rhinitis, current rhinoconjunctivitis, lifetime chronic rash, and current chronic rash were 4.2%, 2.1%, 12.5%, 12.6%, 14.2%, 3.9%, and 4.1%, respectively. Increased prevalence of parental atopy had the strongest association with an increased prevalence of each of these seven health outcomes. There was no significant association between school air pollutant levels and the prevalence of health outcomes. Conclusions: There was an increase in the prevalence of wheezing, allergic rhinitis, and eczema across the surveys. The most important associated risk factor identified was the increased prevalence of a parental history of atopy.
Leaching Characteristics of Heavy Metals in the Baghouse Filter Dust from Direct-Fired Thermal Desorption of Contaminated Soil
Authors: Wang Panpan , Cao Yunzhe , Yang Bin , Luo Huilong , Liang Tian , Yu Jingjing , Ding Aizhong , Wang Lina , Li Huiying , Cao Hanlin , Ma Fujun , Gu Qingbao , Li Fasheng
Published: December 2022

After thermal desorption, the total amount of heavy metals (HMs) is enriched in baghouse filter dust. To further understand the related environmental impact, the leaching characteristics under various conditions must be explored. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the leaching characteristics of seven HMs in the dust generated in the direct-fired thermal desorption process and to compare the differences in heavy metal leaching characteristics in the soil before and after thermal desorption. The leaching characteristics and bioaccessibility of seven HMs—arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn)—were analyzed in dust and in soil before and after thermal desorption. The activity of HMs in dust was strong. Therefore, environmental effects and effects on human health should be considered in the treatment of soil and dust after thermal desorption.
Predictors for Upper-Limb Functional Recovery Trajectory in Individuals Receiving Stroke Rehabilitation: A Secondary Analysis of Data from Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Buyandelger Batsaikhan , Chen Yu-Wen , Li Yi-Chun , Lin Chia-Jung , Chen Chia-Ling , Lin Keh-Chung
Published: December 2022

Background: The objective of the study was to determine predictors for upper-limb functional recovery trajectory after occupational therapy in a population with chronic stroke. Methods: In this retrospective secondary analysis, Fugl–Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) scores before and after intervention and at the 3-month follow-up were used to divide 105 participants with chronic stroke into three groups of recovery trajectories: fast (participants who reached an improvement of 7 after intervention), extended (those who reached an improvement of 7 at follow-up), and limited (those who did not reach an improvement of 7) recovery. Comparisons among the three groups were made in demographics, stroke characteristics, and baseline assessment scores. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine predictors for group membership. Results: Time after onset of stroke and the baseline scores of FMA-UE, Stroke Impact Scale-Hand (SIS-Hand), Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT)-Quality, WMFT-Time scores, Motor Activity Log-Amount of Use (MAL-AOU), and Motor Activity Log-Quality of Movement (MAL-QOM) scores were significantly different among the three groups. Univariate logistic regressions confirmed that SIS-Hand, WMFT-Quality, WMFT-Time, MAL-AOU, and MAL-QOM were significant predictors for both the fast versus limited recovery group membership and the extended versus limited group membership. Time after stroke onset and baseline FMA-UE were additional predictors for the fast versus limited recovery group membership. Conclusion: These findings may assist healthcare professionals in making optimal therapeutic decisions and in informing clients and caregivers about the outcomes of stroke recovery.
A Novel Environment Estimation Method of Whole Sample Traffic Flows and Emissions Based on Multifactor MFD
Authors: Zang Jinrui , Jiao Pengpeng , Song Guohua , Li Zhihong , Peng Tingyi
Published: December 2022

Vehicle emissions seriously affect the air environment and public health. The dynamic estimation method of vehicle emissions changing over time on the road network has always been the bottleneck of air quality simulation. The dynamic traffic volume is one of the important parameters to estimate vehicle emission, which is difficult to obtain effectively. A novel estimation method of whole sample traffic volumes and emissions on the entire road network based on multifactor Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (MFD) is proposed in this paper. First, the intelligent clustering and recognition methods of traffic flow patterns are constructed based on neural network and deep-learning algorithms. Then, multifactor MFD models are developed considering different road types, traffic flow patterns and weekday peak hours. Finally, the high spatiotemporal resolution estimation method of whole sample traffic volumes and emissions are constructed based on MFD models. The results show that traffic flow patterns are clustered efficiently by the Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) algorithm combined with the direct time-varying speed index, which describe 91.7% traffic flow states of urban roads. The Deep Belief Network (DBN) algorithm precisely recognizes 92.1% of the traffic patterns based on the speeds of peak hours. Multifactor MFD models estimate the whole sample traffic volumes with a high accuracy of 91.6%. The case study shows that the vehicle emissions are evaluated dynamically based on the novel estimation method proposed in this paper, which is conducive to the coordinated treatment of air pollution.