bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Effects of Paeonol against Oxidative Stress and Altered Carrier-Mediated Transport System on NSC-34 Cell Lines
Authors: Latif Sana , Choi Seung-Hye , Gyawali Asmita , Hyeon Seung Jae , Kang Young-Sook , Ryu Hoon
Published: July 2022

Paeonol is a naturally occurring phenolic agent that attenuates neurotoxicity in neurodegenerative diseases. We aimed to investigate the antioxidant and protective effects of paeonol and determine its transport mechanism in wild-type (WT; NSC-34/hSOD1WT) and mutant-type (MT; NSC-34/hSOD1G93A) motor neuron-like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cell lines. Cytotoxicity induced by glutamate, lipopolysaccharides, and H2O2 reduced viability of cell; however, the addition of paeonol improved cell viability against neurotoxicity. The [3H]paeonol uptake was increased in the presence of H2O2 in both cell lines. Paeonol recovered ALS model cell lines by reducing mitochondrial oxidative stress induced by glutamate. The transport of paeonol was time-, concentration-, and pH-dependent in both NSC-34 cell lines. Kinetic parameters showed two transport sites with altered affinity and capacity in the MT cell line compared to the WT cell line. [3H]Paeonol uptake increased in the MT cell line transfected with organic anion transporter1 (Oat1)/Slc22a6 small interfering RNA compared to that in the control. Plasma membrane monoamine transporter (Pmat) was also involved in the uptake of paeonol by ALS model cell lines. Overall, paeonol exhibits neuroprotective activity via a carrier-mediated transport system and may be a beneficial therapy for preventing motor neuronal damage under ALS-like conditions.
Investigation of the Genotoxic, Antigenotoxic and Antioxidant Profile of Different Extracts from Equisetum arvense L.
Authors: Dormousoglou Margarita , Efthimiou Ioanna , Antonopoulou Maria , Fetzer Damian L. , Hamerski Fabiane , Corazza Marcos L. , Papadaki Maria , Santzouk Samir , Dailianis Stefanos , Vlastos Dimitris
Published: July 2022

The present study investigated the cyto-genotoxic and antigenotoxic effects of four different extracts of Equisetum arvense L. (common name: field horsetail) on human lymphocytes. Specifically, Soxhlet’s prepared extracts from E. arvense L., using different solvents (S1: methanol (MeOH)-, S2: ethanol (EtOH)-, S3: water-, and S4: ethanol/water (EtOH-W)-) were analyzed for (a) their total phenolic and flavonoid content (TPC and TFC, respectively), (b) their antioxidant activity (AA), via the DPPH, FRAP and ABTS assays, and (c) their cyto-genotoxic and/or protective efficiency against the mutagenic agent mitomycin C, via the Cytokinesis Block MicroNucleus assay. All extracts showed increased TPC, TFC, and AA values in almost all cases. S1, S3 and S4 demonstrated no cytotoxic potential, whereas S2 was cytotoxic only at the highest concentrations. Genotoxicity was not observed in the tested extracts. The highest antigenotoxic activity was observed for EtOH-W (S4) extract, which was found to be rich in flavonoids, flavonoid-O-glycosides, phytosterols, phenolic and fatty acids as well as in minerals and mainly in K, Ca, Mg, Si and P, as assessed by using various mass spectrometry techniques. Those findings confirm that E. arvense L. extracts could be valuable candidates for medicinal applications and pharmaceutical products, thus alleviating the effects of more conventional drugs.
Comparative Reliability Analysis of Milling Teeth Manufactured by Conventional Cutting Processes and Laser Cladding
Authors: Iovanas Daniela Maria , Dumitrascu Adela-Eliza
Published: July 2022

This paper presents the estimation of the main reliability indices of two milling teeth types. The comparative analysis referred to milling teeth manufactured by conventional cutting processes, made of 41Cr4 (type I), and milling teeth manufactured by high-productivity welding loading processes, namely, laser cladding (type II). To analyze the distributions of the lifetime data specific to milling teeth types, the correlation coefficient value was considered. Goodness-of-fit analysis indicated that normal distribution was adopted in order to conduct parametric estimates of the reliability indices. Point estimations of the parameters and estimations with 95% confidence intervals of the components’ lifetimes were performed, applying the least squares estimation method. Compared to the type II milling teeth, lower values of the reliability function were estimated for the type I milling teeth. The type II milling teeth displayed higher values for the statistical parameters, with a mean of 6 h, while the mean of the failure of the type I milling teeth was 5.2 h. In addition, a more pronounced hazard rate for the type I milling teeth compared to the type II milling teeth was observed.
Corrosion Diagnostics Performed on Cores Drilled from Concrete Structures, Using the Laboratory Simulation of Temperature and Relative Humidity Impact
Authors: Jaśniok Mariusz , Jaśniok Tomasz
Published: July 2022

This paper presents an improved procedure for conducting diagnostics tests on corrosion in reinforced concrete structures. This method consists in drilling cylindrical concrete cores with fragments of secondary steel reinforcement (e.g., spacer bars, stirrups, binders) from the selected areas of the structure. Then, a three-electrode system is arranged on those cylindrical cores under laboratory conditions. The fragment of steel rebar with concrete is used as the working electrode. Using the counter electrode in the form of a patented conductive coating applied on the core side wall with painting techniques and the graphite reference electrode placed in an opening made in the core near the reinforcement was the novelty of this method. Following the procedure, the occurrence of minimum and maximum corrosion rates in concrete is simulated in the climate chamber after determining, on the basis of historical weather data, extreme combinations of temperature, and relative humidity for a given structure. This method was verified in the diagnostics testing of two large reinforced concrete tanks for fresh water, and cement storage silos.
The Variation of Counter-Electrojet Current at the Southeast Asian Sector during Different Solar Activity Levels
Authors: Mohd Rosli Nur Izzati , Abdul Hamid Nurul Shazana , Abdullah Mardina , Yusof Khairul Adib , Yoshikawa Akimasa , Uozumi Teiji , Rabiu Babatunde
Published: July 2022

Studies on counter-electrojet currents (CEJ) using ground data revealed that this current could occur simultaneously among locations that are less than 30° longitude apart. In our work, the symmetricity of CEJ variation between the west and east of Southeast Asia, separated by ~25°, was preliminarily examined according to its types: morning (MCEJ) and afternoon (ACEJ). Since most of the past studies had overlooked the occurrence after dusk, the monitoring period was also extended from 18:00 to 21:00 LT, namely, the post-sunset depletion (PSD). The magnetometer station in Davao, Philippines (DAV) and Langkawi, Malaysia (LKW) were chosen to represent the east and west parts. The EEJ index (i.e., EUEL) over the periods of the solar cycle 24 (2008–2018) was utilized specifically during magnetically quiet days (Kp < 3). As the result, both parts symmetrically showed that MCEJ and ACEJ were positively and negatively correlated with the F10.7 index. Contrarily, MCEJ and ACEJ were asymmetrically prominent in the east and west. CEJ types also varied symmetrically with the season, especially for MCEJ and ACEJ (at high level), prominent during Equinox and J-solstice. Post-sunset depletion (PSD) in both parts was symmetrically solar activity independent, as no correlation with the F10.7 index was observed in the extended observation. PSD that varied symmetrically with season was also solar activity independent, except in the east during Equinox, where it was negatively correlated with the F10.7 index. Our finding also revealed that PSD was prominent during Equinox, except for the high level in the west part.
Privacy-Preserving, Scalable Blockchain-Based Solution for Monitoring Industrial Infrastructure in the Near Real-Time
Authors: Sobecki Andrzej , Barański Stanisław , Szymański Julian
Published: July 2022

This paper proposes an improved monitoring and measuring system dedicated to industrial infrastructure. Our model achieves security of data by incorporating cryptographical methods and near real-time access by the use of virtual tree structure over records. The currently available blockchain networks are not very well adapted to tasks related to the continuous monitoring of the parameters of industrial installations. In the database systems delivered by default (the so-called world state), only the resultant or the last value recorded by the IoT device is stored. Effective use of measurement values recorded in the past requires each time viewing the entire chain of recorded events for a given IoT device. The solution proposed in the article introduces the concept of dependent wallets, the purpose of which is the aggregation and indexation of changes in machine parameters, recorded in the original wallets. As a result, we can easily get data from a certain sensor or sensors in the specified date range, even if the chain of transactions is very long. Our contribution is a universal mechanism that improves the efficiency of the infrastructure monitoring process, which uses blockchains to record measurements from sensors. The proposed model has been experimentally tested on two types of blockchains: Stellar and Hyperledger Fabric.
Protozoa as the “Underdogs” for Microbiological Quality Evaluation of Fresh Vegetables
Authors: Marques Cláudia S. , Sousa Susana , Castro António , Ferreira Vânia , Teixeira Paula , da Costa José M. Correia
Published: July 2022

The monitoring of the microbial quality of fresh products in the industrial environment has mainly focused on bacterial indicators. Protozoa, such as Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Cyclospora cayetanensis, are routinely excluded from detection and surveillance systems, despite guidelines and regulations that support the need for tracking and monitoring these pathogens in fresh food products. Previous studies performed by our laboratory, within the scope of the SafeConsume project, clearly indicated that consumption of fresh produce may be a source of T. gondii, thus posing a risk for the contraction of toxoplasmosis for susceptible consumers. Therefore, preliminary work was performed in order to assess the microbiological quality of vegetables, highlighting not only bacteria (Escherichia. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp.), but also the zoonotic protozoa G. duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. Although all samples were found to be acceptable based on bacteriological parameters, cysts of G. duodenalis and oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. were observed in vegetables. Moreover, it was possible to genetically characterize G. duodenalis positive samples as assemblage A, a genotype that poses risks to human health. Although these are preliminary results, they highlight the need to include protozoa in the microbiological criteria for foodstuffs, as required by EU Law No. 1441/2007, and to improve inactivation and removal procedures of (oo)cysts in fresh produce and water.
The Interdisciplinary Orthodontic–Surgical Diagnostic and Treatment Protocol for Odontogenic Cyst-like Lesions in Growing Patients—A Literature Review and Case Report
Authors: Nawrocka Agnieszka , Szelkowska Paulina , Kossakowska Patrycja , Małkiewicz Konrad
Published: July 2022

Tooth eruption disturbances associated with developmental odontogenic cysts represent a particular challenge in orthodontic treatment. Early diagnosis, crucial for prompt and effective therapy, is possible with a thorough radiological analysis. Three-dimensional digital images provided by CBCT are indispensable to establish an interdisciplinary orthodontic–surgical treatment plan. The aim of this paper is to present a case of an odontogenic cyst in a nine-year-old male patient. Particular attention is paid to radiological findings, possible therapeutic approaches and potential complications connected with an attempt to improve the alignment of teeth. Orthodontic implications associated with cysts in growing patients are widely described according to clinical observations and literature review.
Fluid Inclusions and Stable Isotope Geochemistry of Gold Mineralization Associated with Fine-Grained Granite: A Case Study of the Xiawolong Gold Deposit, Jiaodong Peninsula, China
Authors: Lv Junyang , Wang Zhongliang , Ding Zhengjiang , Zhang Rifeng , Zhou Mingling , Wu Mingchao , Bao Zhongyi , Teng Fei
Published: July 2022

The Xiawolong gold deposit, located in the Muping–Rushan gold metallogenic belt (eastern Jiaodong Peninsula), is a newly discovered deposit that developed in the late Early Cretaceous as fine-grained granite. Gold mineralization, which mainly occurs in the middle of fresh fine-grained granite dikes, consists of stockwork-style and disseminated ores. They are characterized by middle-high-temperature mineral assemblages, such as molybdenite and magnetite, associated with gold-bearing pyrite. Four types of primary fluid inclusions, contained within the quartz grains from the gold-bearing disseminated and stockwork-style fine-grained granitic ores, were identified based on microthermometry and Raman spectroscopy. The types identified were type 1 aqueous inclusions with middle-high temperature (201 to 480 °C) and middle-low salinity of 0.18 to 17.00 wt.% NaCl equiv.; type 2 H2O–CO2 inclusions, which show middle-high temperatures (218 to 385 °C), middle-low salinities (1.23 to 13.26 wt.% equiv. NaCl), and variable XCO2 (0.031 to 0.044); type 3 daughter mineral-bearing inclusions with high temperature (416 to 446 °C) and relatively constant and high salinity (28.59 to 32.87 wt.% NaCl equiv.); and type 4 CO2 fluid inclusions, which possess a bulk density of 0.405 to 0.758 g/cm3 and a constant XCO2 (0.952 to 0.990) (according to the decreasing abundance of fluid inclusions). The δ18Owater range is between 3.4 and 5.9‰, and the range of the δD is from −97.1 to −77.4‰, which indicates that the ore-forming process is of a magmatic water origin. The δ34S values possess a narrow range between 4.5 and 9.3‰, indicating the source of the Mesozoic Kunyushan granitoids. The Pb isotopic compositions of pyrite show that the Mesozoic Kunyushan granitoids are the main lead source for pyrites. Types 1, 2, and 3 fluid inclusions coexist in the same view field of the quartz grain, which are suggested to occur as the result of fluid immiscibility because of the boiling of a single homogeneous NaCl-CaCl2-KCl-CO2-H2O system. The fluid immiscibility, rather the fluid mixing and wall-rock sulfidation, is the mechanism of gold precipitation in the Xiawolong deposit. Compared with both the “Linglong-type” and “Jiaojia-type” gold deposits in the Jiaodong Peninsula in terms of geological–petrographic evidence and all of the available geochemical data, it can be concluded the Xiawolong gold deposit is of magmatic hydrothermal origin, having a genetic relation to the fine-grained granite.
Image Forensics Using Non-Reducing Convolutional Neural Network for Consecutive Dual Operators
Authors: Cho Se-Hyun , Agarwal Saurabh , Koh Seok-Joo , Jung Ki-Hyun
Published: July 2022

Digital image forensics has become necessary as an emerging technology. Images can be adulterated effortlessly using image tools. The latest techniques are available to detect whether an image is adulterated by a particular operator. Most of the existing techniques are suitable for high resolution and manipulated images by a single operator. In a real scenario, multiple operators are applied to manipulate the image many times. In this paper, a robust moderate-sized convolutional neural network is proposed to identify manipulation operators and also the operator’s sequence for two operators in particular. The proposed bottleneck approach is used to make the network deeper and reduce the computational cost. Only one pooling layer, called a global averaging pooling layer, is utilized to retain the maximum flow of information and to avoid the overfitting issue between the layers. The proposed network is also robust against low resolution and JPEG compressed images. Even though the detection of the operator is challenging due to the limited availability of statistical information in low resolution and JPEG compressed images, the proposed model can also detect an operator with different parameters and compression quality factors that are not considered in training.
The Effects of Optical Aberrations to Illumination Beam Thickness in Two-Photon Excitation Microscopes
Authors: Li Nan , Luo Fanglin , Yang Chengliang , Peng Zenghui , Xuan Li , Bu Qingpan , Mu Quanquan , Zhang Xingyun
Published: July 2022

When performing in vivo imaging of live samples, it is a big challenge to penetrate thick tissues while still maintaining high resolution and a large field of view because of the sample-induced aberrations. These requirements can be met by combining the benefits of two-photon excitation, beam modulation and adaptive optics in an illumination path. However, the relationship between aberrations and the performance of such a microscopy system has never been systematically and comprehensively assessed. Here, two-photon Gaussian and Bessel beams are modulated as illumination beams, and how aberrations affect the thickness of the illumination beams is evaluated. It is found that the thickness variation is highly related to the azimuthal order of Zernike modes. The thickness of the two-photon Gaussian beam is more sensitive to Zernike modes with lower azimuthal order, while the thickness of the two-photon Bessel beam is more sensitive to the higher-azimuthal-order Zernike modes. So, it is necessary to design a new strategy to correct aberrations according to the effects of different Zernike modes in order to maximize the correction capability of correctors and reduce the correction errors for those insensitive Zernike modes. These results may provide important guidance for the design and evaluation of adaptive optical systems in a two-photon excitation microscope.
Overheating Risks and Adaptation Strategies of Energy Retrofitted Historic Buildings under the Impact of Climate Change: Case Studies in Alpine Region
Authors: Hao Lingjun , Herrera-Avellanosa Daniel , Del Pero Claudio , Troi Alexandra
Published: July 2022

Energy retrofits can enhance the liveability and efficiency of historic buildings while preserving their historic and aesthetic values. However, measures like improved insulation and airtightness may increase their vulnerability to overheating and climate change may further worsen their performance in the future. This paper investigates indoor overheating risks brought by climate change in retrofitted historic buildings and proposes effective adaptation strategies. Firstly, local weather conditions are analysed to identify homogenous climatic zones. For each climatic zone, “a business-as-usual” emissions scenario is adopted, and most representative regional climate models are selected to obtain hourly output of future climate projection. A comparative study is adopted where typical alpine residential buildings, “Portici house”, are simulated with regard to future energy use and indoor thermal state using the dynamic model in EnergyPlus. Energy use and indoor thermal conditions are compared before and after energy retrofit, as well as under present and future climate conditions. The results demonstrate that retrofit interventions could significantly improve energy efficiency of historic buildings in both present and future scenarios. A change in climate together with retrofit interventions will, however, result in higher risk of indoor overheating in South Tyrol. Potential negative side effects of energy retrofit could be controlled by adopting adequate shading and ventilation approaches that minimise, or eliminate, the risk of overheating during high temperature periods while optimising historic buildings’ energy performance.
Bulk and Rayleigh Waves Propagation in Three-Phase Soil with Flow-Independent Viscosity
Authors: Guo Qing , Liu Hongbo , Dai Guoliang , Li Zhongwei
Published: July 2022

The flow-independent viscosity of the soil skeleton has significant influence on the elastic wave propagation in soils. This work studied the bulk and Rayleigh waves propagation in three-phase viscoelastic soil by considering the contribution of the flow-independent viscosity from the soil skeleton. Firstly, the viscoelastic dynamic equations of three-phase unsaturated soil are developed with theoretical derivation. Secondly, the explicit characteristic equations of bulk and Rayleigh waves in three-phase viscoelastic soil are yielded theoretically by implementing Helmholtz resolution for the displacement vectors. Finally, the variations of the motion behavior for bulk and Rayleigh waves with physical parameters such as relaxation time, saturation, frequency, and intrinsic permeability are discussed by utilizing calculation examples and parametric analysis. The results reveal that the influence of soil flow-independent viscosity on the wave speed and attenuation coefficient of bulk and Rayleigh waves is significantly related to physical parameters such as saturation, intrinsic permeability, and frequency.
Analysis of Dynamic Characteristics of Small-Scale and Low-Stiffness Ring Squeeze Film Damper-Rotor System
Authors: Shi Mingming , Yang Yongfeng , Deng Wangqun , Wang Jianjun , Fu Chao
Published: July 2022

Rotor machinery supports are susceptible to fracture arising from multi-period or irregular transient vibration and even the inconspicuous fatigue phenomenon. The novel dynamic model of a rotor mounted on the floating ring squeeze film damper (SFD) was developed. The proposed SFD implements low stiffness and small scale to overcome the deficiency. Based on the theory of hydrodynamic lubrication, the Reynolds equations on the working principle of the floating ring are established. Then, the dynamic characteristics of the rotor system during maneuvers, with the floating ring SFD supports, are subsequently examined by adopting the finite difference method. In addition, the oil film whirl mechanism of the floating ring SFD is demonstrated according to the transient analysis of the fluid–structure interaction model. The results of the SFD simulation reveal that, with increasing eccentricity ratio, both the inner and outer oil film pressure tend to be larger due to the shrinkage of the effective coverage of oil film. The maximum oil film pressure and bearing capacity increase nonlinearly within a certain eccentricity ratio range. Through the comparisons of the results, the vibration suppression effects of the proposed SFD are analyzed. This work will provide the practical reference for the dynamic design of the rotor support system.
Effect of Nitrogen Atoms in the CNT Structure on the Gas Sensing Properties of PANI/CNT Composite
Authors: Lobov Ivan A. , Davletkildeev Nadim A. , Nesov Sergey N. , Sokolov Denis V. , Korusenko Petr M.
Published: July 2022

Herein we report the gas-sensitive properties to ammonia (at 2–10 ppm) of individual nanostructures of a polyaniline/nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube composite with a nitrogen content of 0 at.% (uCNTs), 2 at.% (N-CNTs) and 4 at.% (N+-CNTs). Doping of nanotubes with nitrogen was carried out in order to both reduce the electron work function, to form a potential barrier at the “PANI-CNTs” interface, and reduce the contribution of nanotubes to the composite conductivity. An increase in the nitrogen content in CNTs leads to an increase in conductivity, a decrease in the work function, and the formation of defects in the outer walls of CNTs. It was found that the structural and chemical state of the polymer layer of all composites is the same. However, polymer morphology on nanotubes changes dramatically with increasing nitrogen content in CNTs: a thin smooth layer on uCNTs, a globular layer on N-CNTs, and a thick layer with a sheet-like structure on N+-CNTs. All composites showed the same response time (~20 s) and recovery time (~120 s). Ammonia sensitivity was 10.5 ± 0.2, 15.3 ± 0.5 and 2.2 ± 0.1 ppm−1 for PANI/uCNTs, PANI/N-CNTs and PANI/N+-CNTs, respectively. Based on the results obtained here, we came to the conclusion that the morphological features of the polymer layer on CNTs with different nitrogen content have a dominant effect on the gas reaction than the change in the electronic properties of the polymer at the interface “PANI-CNT”.
Dynamic Response of Pile-Soil Foundation with an Adjacent Tunnel under the High-Speed Train Loads: A Case Study
Authors: Xu Qiang , Zhu Yongquan , Xu Shuo , Fan Haobo , Wang Dapeng , Wang Cong , Zhang Mingming , Xing Dandan , Li Yong
Published: July 2022

In order to study the dynamic response characteristics of a pile-soil foundation when an adjacent tunnel exists, both model tests and numerical simulations were performed in this study. Taking the peak vibration acceleration, peak vibration velocity, and peak vibration displacement as the evaluation indexes of the dynamic response, the dynamic response of the pile-soil foundation with an adjacent tunnel under high-speed train loads is studied. A method of dividing the affected zones of the dynamic response based on the safety threshold is provided in this paper, which can evaluate the safety of the adjacent tunnel under the action of train load. Additionally, the effect of train speed on dynamic response is further analyzed. The results show that the dynamic response index inside the foundation decays significantly with increasing distance from the surface when the train load is applied, regardless of the presence or absence of the adjacent tunnel. Compared with an ordinary pile-soil foundation, the dynamic response indexes inside the foundation increase significantly when there is an adjacent tunnel. With the increase in the horizontal distance from the pile foundation, the distribution characteristics of the horizontal transverse direction of each dynamic response index inside the foundation change from a “wavy” distribution to a monotonically decreasing distribution. According to the safety threshold of vibration velocity, the foundation is divided into the hazardous affected zone, strongly affected zone, and weakly affected zone, and then the corresponding vibration reduction measures are adopted. With the increase in train speed, the effect of tunnel structure on the attenuation of dynamic response in a pile-soil foundation becomes more obvious.
A Multi-Tier MQTT Architecture with Multiple Brokers Based on Fog Computing for Securing Industrial IoT
Authors: Kurdi Hassan , Thayananthan Vijey
Published: July 2022

With the rapid growth of internet-connected devices and their resource-constrained capabilities, the current authentication mechanisms are unable to meet the complex IoT application requirements, such as in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), due to the increased computation, communication, and storage overhead arising from these mechanisms. In the IIoT, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication is an underlying technology where devices (e.g., sensors, actuators, and controllers) can be enabled to exchange information autonomously; thus, the massive data generated by these devices can increase latency, network congestion, and the complexity of security management. Message queue telemetry transport (MQTT) is one of the promising M2M protocols used in the IoT that could encounter such issues because it relies on a central broker in the cloud and implements a heavyweight authentication mechanism based on TLS. Therefore, this paper proposes an MQTT architecture with multi-tier brokers based on fog computing, where each broker is deployed with an authentication manager. In addition, the paper presents a lightweight mutual authentication scheme based on hash function and XOR operation. Comparing the results given in the benchmark, the overall performance of our scheme shows that storage and communication overheads are reduced to 89% and 23%, respectively. Furthermore, our system can resist against several cyberattacks and provide scalability.
Research on Transparency Design Based on Shared Situation Awareness in Semi-Automatic Driving
Authors: You Fang , Deng Huijun , Hansen Preben , Zhang Jun
Published: July 2022

While automated driving has attracted more and more attention, human drivers still play an important role. Drivers must be aware of their surroundings and potential danger to take over the vehicle’s control immediately when the automation system cannot function, which could otherwise pose a road safety risk. The transparent design of the human–machine interface can accurately convey the perceived information of the machine to help drivers understand the dynamic environment. We designed the scenario where the rear vehicle is about to overtake the ego vehicle and has a dangerous tendency to collide with the ego vehicle by stepping on the lane line. We analyzed the information shared by the intelligent system in this scenario to make “transparent” the intelligent system. According to the requirements of the task model of transparency and the three stages of situation awareness, we formed three designs. Then we analyzed the availability, situation awareness, and workload of different designs. Results showed that the transparency design according to the shared situation awareness stage can have a positive impact on the usability of the intelligent system. Therefore, the effective transparency-based design in automated driving can enhance the user’s understanding of the system and improve their experience.
Trace Elements and Mineralogy of Upper Permian (Zechstein) Potash Deposits in Poland
Authors: Czapowski Grzegorz , Tomassi-Morawiec Hanna , Handke Bartosz , Wachowiak Jacek , Peryt Tadeusz Marek
Published: July 2022

Mineral composition and content analysis of selected trace elements (Ag, As, Ba, Be, Br, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Ga, I, La, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, Ti, Tl, U, V, and Zn; 308 rock samples) were studied in the Upper Permian (Zechstein) potash-bearing deposits in Poland. They represented K–Mg chlorides of PZ2 and PZ3 cyclothems from four salt domes and stratiform K–Mg sulphates of PZ1 cyclothem. The dominant mineral components of K–Mg sulphates (polyhalite) are anhydrite and polyhalite. The most common minerals of the K–Mg salts of PZ2 cyclothem are halite, sylvite, kieserite, and anhydrite, and the most common of PZ3 cyclothem are halite, carnallite, kieserite, and anhydrite. Most analysed trace elements in the Zechstein potash-bearing deposits show a low content (up to 26 mg/kg) that eliminates them as potential profitable source rocks of such required elements as Ce, Cs, La, Li, or Rb. Common elements, such as Br, Fe, and Sr, are more easily exploited from natural brines, sulphate, and ore deposits.
Supercapacitor-Based Energy Storage in Elevators to Improve Energy Efficiency of Buildings
Authors: Makar Martin , Pravica Luka , Kutija Martina
Published: July 2022

Improving energy efficiency is the most important goal for buildings today. One of the ways to increase energy efficiency is to use the regenerative potential of elevators. Due to the special requirements of elevator drives, energy storage systems based on supercapacitors are the most suitable for storing regenerative energy. This paper proposes an energy storage system consisting of a supercapacitor bank and a bidirectional six-phase interleaved DC/DC converter. The energy savings achieved by the proposed system were investigated through simulation tests. The proposed system was modeled considering all physical constraints. A simulation model of the existing faculty elevator system was created in PLECS and verified with field measurements. Reliable results were ensured by using the verified simulation model and considering all physical constraints. The operation of the proposed energy storage system was tested under various conditions. In addition, the simulation model of the elevator system with the proposed energy storage system was tested using the elevator traffic data obtained from the measurements. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed energy storage system and that significant energy savings can be achieved.
Applications of Thermal Plasmas for the Environment
Authors: Oost Guido
Published: July 2022

Thermal processing such as incineration is most commonly used for the treatment of waste streams, whereby often-incomplete combustion of organic waste can lead to dangerous products in the exhaust gases. Thermal plasma technology with its wide temperature range is suitable to treat almost any chemical composition of wastes. It enables the efficient and environmentally friendly conversion of organic waste into energy or chemicals, as well as the pyrolysis of hazardous organic compounds The limitations of conventional technologies and stricter environmental legislation on the processing of wastes make plasma technologies increasingly attractive. Priority is given to environmental quality at affordable costs and to the use of innovative thermochemical conversion technologies (gasification and pyrolysis) to contribute to sustainable development and circular economy in which waste is managed as a resource.
A Motion Capture and Imitation Learning Based Approach to Robot Control
Authors: Racinskis Peteris , Arents Janis , Greitans Modris
Published: July 2022

Imitation learning is a discipline of machine learning primarily concerned with replicating observed behavior of agents known to perform well on a given task, collected in demonstration data sets. In this paper, we set out to introduce a pipeline for collecting demonstrations and training models that can produce motion plans for industrial robots. Object throwing is defined as the motivating use case. Multiple input data modalities are surveyed, and motion capture is selected as the most practicable. Two model architectures operating autoregressively are examined—feedforward and recurrent neural networks. Trained models execute throws on a real robot successfully, and a battery of quantitative evaluation metrics is proposed. Recurrent neural networks outperform feedforward ones in most respects, but this advantage is not universal or conclusive. The data collection, pre-processing and model training aspects of our proposed approach show promise, but further work is required in developing Cartesian motion planning tools before it is applicable in production applications.
Toward an Efficient Automatic Self-Augmentation Labeling Tool for Intrusion Detection Based on a Semi-Supervised Approach
Authors: Alsulami Basmah , Almalawi Abdulmohsen , Fahad Adil
Published: July 2022

Intrusion detection systems (IDSs) based on machine learning algorithms represent a key component for securing computer networks, where normal and abnormal behaviours of network traffic are automatically learned with no or limited domain experts’ interference. Most of existing IDS approaches rely on labeled predefined classes which require domain experts to efficiently and accurately identify anomalies and threats. However, it is very hard to acquire reliable, up-to-date, and sufficient labeled data for an efficient traffic intrusion detection model. To address such an issue, this paper aims to develop a novel self-automatic labeling intrusion detection approach (called SAL) which utilises only small labeled network traffic data to potentially detect most types of attacks including zero-day attacks. In particular, the proposed SAL approach has three phases including: (i) an ensemble-based decision-making phase to address the limitations of a single classifier by relying on the predictions of multi-classifiers, (ii) a function agreement phase to assign the class label based on an adaptive confidence threshold to unlabeled observations, and (iii) an augmentation labeling phase to maximise the accuracy and the efficiency of the intrusion detection systems in a classifier model and to detect new attacks and anomalies by utilising a hybrid voting-based ensemble learning approach. Experimental results on available network traffic data sets demonstrate that the proposed SAL approach achieves high performance in comparison to two well-known baseline IDSs based on machine learning algorithms.
Road Segmentation and Environment Labeling for Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Chen Rung-Ching , Saravanarajan Vani Suthamathi , Chen Long-Sheng , Yu Hui
Published: July 2022

In autonomous vehicles (AVs), LiDAR point cloud data are an important source to identify various obstacles present in the environment. The labeling techniques that are currently available are based on pixel-wise segmentation and bounding boxes to detect each object on the road. However, the Avs’ decision on motion control and trajectory path planning depends on the interaction among the objects on the road. The ability of the Avs to understand the moving and non-moving objects is the key to scene understanding. This paper presents a novel labeling method to combine moving and non-moving objects. This labeling technique is named relational labeling. Autoencoders are used to reduce the dimensionality of the data. A K-means model provides pseudo labels by clustering the data in the latent space. Each pseudo label is then converted into unary and binary relational labels. These relational labels are used in the supervised learning methods for labeling and segmenting the LiDAR point cloud data. A backpropagation network (BPN), along with traditional gradient descent-based learning methods, are used for labeling the data. Our study evaluated the labeling accuracy of two as well as three layers of BPN. The accuracy of the two-layer BPN model was found to be better than the three-layer BPN model. According to the experiments, our model showed competitive accuracy of 75% compared to the weakly supervised techniques in a similar area of study, i.e., the accuracy for S3DIS (Area 5) is 48.0%.
Usage of Guided Bone Regeneration in the Case of Lateral Periodontal Cyst in the Maxilla with Buccal Cortical Expansion
Authors: Nelke Kamil , Jadach Radosław , Janeczek Maciej , Pasicka Edyta , Barnaś Szczepan , Morawska-Kochman Monika , Dobrzyński Maciej
Published: July 2022

A lateral periodontal cyst (LPC) is a rare finding. Patients diagnosed with LPC younger than 40 years of age are not that common. Mostly asymptomatic LPCs can be discovered on routine radiographs as an oval radiolucency between two mandibular premolar teeth roots and can vary in shape and size. Most cases are treated with enucleation, bone curettage, or a combination of both, greatly depending on the surgeon’s preference. Because most LPCs are quite small, lesions do not require any regenerative procedures. In the presented case, because of cortical expansion of the lesion and loss of vital bone bridge surrounding two adjacent maxillary teeth, a guided bone regenerative procedure (GBR) with xenograft bone substitute was used. Despite that small lesions can heal on their own, nowadays the approach of full-mouth therapy (FMT), including direct soft or hard tissue reconstruction in the oral cavity, seems to be a wise treatment. The presented paper presents and describes an unusual LPC case with cortical bone expansion in a very rare maxillary canine–premolar region.
The Potential of Speech as the Calibration Sound for Level Calibration of Non-Laboratory Listening Test Setups
Authors: Kisić Dominik , Horvat Marko , Jambrošić Kristian , Franček Petar
Published: July 2022

The pandemic of COVID-19 and the resulting countermeasures have made it difficult or impossible to perform listening tests in controlled laboratory environments. This paper examines the possibility of using speech for level calibration of sound reproduction systems used in listening tests performed in non-laboratory conditions, i.e., when such tests are distributed through the means of electronic communication and performed in a home environment. Moreover, a larger pool of potential test subjects can be reached in this manner. The perception of what the “normal” level of reproduced speech should be was examined through a listening experiment by letting the listeners set the level of reproduced speech samples as they saw fit, depending on the used sound reproduction system, the (non)existence of visual stimulus, and the voice of the speaker. The results show that the perception of normal speech level is highly individual when it comes to setting that level by listening to reproduced speech. The interindividual differences between the subjects are considerably larger than the impact of the three main effects. The understanding of what the “normal” level of read speech should be was examined experimentally as well by asking the subjects to read a paragraph of text, depending on the visual stimulus. The results show that the “normal” level of read speech is reasonably consistent and averages at 55 dBA at a normal conversational distance of 1 m, in a room with room acoustics conditions typical for home environment and low background noise, and with the visual stimulus that mimics the interlocutor put within the personal space of the reader. A preliminary proposal is given of a level calibration method for non-laboratory listening experiments based on these results, and some of its aspects that require further research are discussed.
An Umbrella Review on Low-Abrasive Air Powder Water Jet Technology in Periodontitis and Peri-Implantitis Patients
Authors: Hatz Christian R. , Janson Tobias M. , Solderer Alex , Bastendorf Klaus-Dieter , Schmidlin Patrick R. , Liu Chun Ching
Published: July 2022

This umbrella review was conducted to assess the existing literature and scientific evidence on air powder water jet technology (APWJT) in periodontal and peri-implantitis therapy. A systematic literature search for systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the last decade on the use of APWJT in periodontitis and implant patients was performed in the databases of MEDLINE/Ovid, Embase, Cochrane library and Scopus. An additional hand search on PubMed and Google Scholar was conducted. Ten articles that fit the inclusion criteria were selected after the full-text screening. Two systematic reviews, including one with a meta-analysis, investigated the use of APWJT in active periodontal therapy. The use of APWJT as an adjunct to conventional scaling and root planing (SRP) in active periodontal treatment showed improved results in the test group. Six articles, including two with a meta-analysis, reported on the use of APWJT as a stand-alone therapy or as an adjunct in supportive periodontal therapy. Similarly significant improved results were reported for the use of APWJT. Regarding the active treatment of peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis, four systematic reviews could not show an improved clinical outcome when APWJT was used as an adjunct to conventional treatment measures. Furthermore, one article investigated APWJT as a stand-alone therapy or as an adjunct in supportive peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis therapy. In systematic reviews that also investigated patient perception, APWJT was generally well-tolerated by the patient. Within the limitations of this umbrella review, it can be concluded that the use of APWJT with low-abrasive powders such as glycine, erythritol or trehalose as an adjunct in active periodontitis therapy shows similar clinical results compared to conventional SRP alone. In surgical peri-implantitis treatment, APWJT can be used adjunctively. It could be considered that the use of APWJT in supportive periodontal treatment results in a comparable clinical outcome and an enhanced patient perception, as well as a shorter clinical time.
Progress of Process Monitoring for the Multi-Mode Process: A Review
Authors: Ma Jie , Zhang Jinkai
Published: July 2022

Multi-mode processing is a central feature of modern industry. The application of monitoring technology to multi-mode processing is crucial to ensure process safety and to enhance product quality. This paper describes the definition, nature and data characteristics of the multi-mode process. A complete classification framework for multi-mode process monitoring methods is produced, covering steady-state modes and transitional processes. After introducing basic concepts and describing research outcomes obtained for monitoring methods, prospects for multi-mode process monitoring technology are discussed.
Mosar: Efficiently Characterizing Both Frequent and Rare Motifs in Large Graphs
Authors: Guo Wenhua , Feng Wenqian , Qi Yiyan , Wang Pinghui , Tao Jing
Published: July 2022

Due to high computational costs, exploring motif statistics (such as motif frequencies) of a large graph can be challenging. This is useful for understanding complex networks such as social and biological networks. To address this challenge, many methods explore approximate algorithms using edge/path sampling techniques. However, state-of-the-art methods usually over-sample frequent motifs and under-sample rare motifs, and thus they fail in many real applications such as anomaly detection (i.e., finding rare patterns). Furthermore, it is not feasible to apply existing weighted sampling methods such as stratified sampling to solve this problem, because it is difficult to sample subgraphs from a large graph in a direct manner. In this paper, we observe that rare motifs of most real-world networks have “more edges” than frequent motifs, and motifs with more edges are sampled by random edge sampling with higher probabilities. Based on these two observations, we propose a novel motif sampling method, Mosar, to estimate motif frequencies. In particular, our Mosar method samples frequent and rare motifs with different probabilities, and tends to sample motifs with low frequencies. As a result, the new method greatly reduces the estimation errors of these rare motifs. Finally, we conducted extensive experiments on a variety of real-world datasets with different sizes, and our experimental results show that the Mosar method is two orders of magnitude more accurate than state-of-the-art methods.
Fishmeal Replacement with Animal Protein Source (Crocodylus niloticus Meat Meal) in Diets of Mozambique Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) of Different Size Groups
Authors: Luthada-Raswiswi Rendani Winnie , O’Brien Gordon , Mukaratirwa Samson
Published: July 2022

Fish are generally known to change their nutritional requirements depending on their life stage and formulating feeds for different size groups to meet their dietary needs is essential. This study aimed to assess the potential of Crocodylus niloticus meat meal as an animal protein source replacing fishmeal in Oreochromis mossambicus diets. Ten fry (0.07 g fish−1) were randomly assigned to three formulated diets (0% (D1), 50% (D2), and 100% (D3)), and each diet had three replicates. The fry were fed 10% body weight per day (BWd−1) for 30 days. New diets (0% (D4), 50% (D5), and 100% (D6)) were introduced, and the feeding rate was reduced to 5% BWd−1 for 48 days. After that, the fish were fed 2% BWd−1 for 78 days, the same diets used for fingerlings. All size groups were fed two portions of their daily ration at 10:30 h and 15:30 h. Our results point to the suggestion that Crocodylus niloticus meat meal may replace fishmeal for Oreochromis mossambicus, as there were no significant differences in weight gain (G), specific growth rates (SGR), gross feed conversion ratios (GFCR), or protein efficiency ratios (PER) for fry fed different diets. Furthermore, there were similarities in Gs, SGRs, GFCRs, and PER in fingerlings and sub adult to adult fish fed D4 and D5. The cost analysis of ingredients used in diets with 50% and 100% Crocodylus niloticus meat meal indicated that it was profitable to use this meat meal in diets of O. mossambicus of all groups. The profit index of 0.3 for fry, 0.8 for fingerlings, and 1.9 for subadults to adults for 100% fishmeal diets were lower than 0.4 and 0.5 for fry, 0.9 and 1.1 for fingerlings, and 2.3 and 2.9 for sub adult to adult fish fed diets with 50% and 100% crocodile meat meal, respectively.