bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A 2.5D Finite Element Method Combined with Zigzag-Paraxial Boundary for Long Tunnel under Obliquely Incident Seismic Wave
Authors: Zhang Qi , Zhao Mi , Huang Jingqi , Du Xiuli , Zhang Guoliang
Published: May 2023

Seismic waves propagation with an oblique angle to the tunnel axis will cause asynchronous tunnel motions and have a significant effect on the axial response. A high-precision 2.5D finite element method is established in the frequency domain to simulate the 3D seismic response of the tunnel. This method avoids the disturbance caused by the truncation of the tunnel in the longitudinal direction. Meanwhile, a 2.5D zigzag-paraxial boundary is derived to further improve the calculation efficiency of the 2.5D finite element model. Moreover, by combining the 2.5D finite element method, 2.5D zigzag boundary condition and seismic motion input methods, an obliquely incident substructure method for plane seismic waves is built by converting the plane seismic wave into equivalent nodal forces. The proposed 2.5D finite element method is verified by comparing with a reference solution. Finally, the 2.5D finite element method is applied to study the seismic response of the long lined tunnel. Parameter analyses illustrate that the wave propagation effect to the tunnel axis has a non-negligible influence on the axil deformation of long tunnels.
BiomacEMG: A Pareto-Optimized System for Assessing and Recognizing Hand Movement to Track Rehabilitation Progress
Authors: Maskeliūnas Rytis , Damaševičius Robertas , Raudonis Vidas , Adomavičienė Aušra , Raistenskis Juozas , Griškevičius Julius
Published: May 2023

One of the most difficult components of stroke therapy is regaining hand mobility. This research describes a preliminary approach to robot-assisted hand motion therapy. Our objectives were twofold: First, we used machine learning approaches to determine and describe hand motion patterns in healthy people. Surface electrodes were used to collect electromyographic (EMG) data from the forearm’s flexion and extension muscles. The time and frequency characteristics were used as parameters in machine learning algorithms to recognize seven hand gestures and track rehabilitation progress. Eight EMG sensors were used to capture each contraction of the arm muscles during one of the seven actions. Feature selection was performed using the Pareto front. Our system was able to reconstruct the kinematics of hand/finger movement and simulate the behaviour of every motion pattern. Analysis has revealed that gesture categories substantially overlap in the feature space. The correlation of the computed joint trajectories based on EMG and the monitored hand movement was 0.96 on average. Moreover, statistical research conducted on various machine learning setups revealed a 92% accuracy in measuring the precision of finger motion patterns.
Numerical Study of Steam–CO2 Mixture Condensation over a Flat Plate Based on the Solubility of CO2
Authors: Jiang Bingran , Jiang Yi’ao , Gu Huaduo , Chen Yaping , Wu Jiafeng
Published: May 2023

In order to successfully study the condensation and separation of a steam–CO2 mixture, a boundary layer model was applied to the mixture condensation of steam and CO2 on horizontal and vertical plates. The modified condensation boundary layer model of steam and CO2, given the CO2 solubility in the condensate, was established, numerically solved, and verified with existing experimental data. Different condensation data of steam–air and steam–CO2 mixtures were compared, and the effect of CO2 solubility on the mixed gas condensation was analyzed under multiple pressure conditions (1 atm–10 MPa). The simulation data show that the presence of CO2 will deteriorate the condensation heat transfer, just like air. Given that CO2 is slightly soluble, some CO2 can pass through the gas–liquid interface to enter the condensate film and reduce the accumulated CO2 on the gas–liquid interface, which improves the condensation. However, the solubility of CO2 is only significant under high-pressure conditions, inducing its effects on condensation. A comparison of the condensation coefficients of the steam–CO2 mixture shows the lower impact of CO2 condensation on the horizontal plate compared to that on the vertical plate. For most conditions, the steam–CO2 mixture gas condensation heat transfer coefficient on the vertical plate surface is still larger than that on the horizontal plate surface, and the improvement in the condensation heat transfer coefficient caused by low CO2 solubility (2 or 10%) at 10 MPa on the vertical plate is also larger than that of the horizontal plate.
A 2 μm Dual-Wavelength Laser at Cryogenic Temperature with Balanced Simultaneous Emission
Authors: Ye Guangchao , Wang Wei , Liu Haicheng , Xie Wenqiang , Xia Shixing , Meng Qinggang , Lin Peng
Published: May 2023

A Tm,Ho:YAP laser at cryogenic temperature is demonstrated for the first time with simultaneous emission at 2000 nm and 2119 nm. The feasibility of switching wavelength and achieving balanced output powers at two widely separated wavelengths has been confirmed by investigating the temperature dependence of the laser spectra. The optimal temperature for balanced output evidently diminishes as the pump power density increases, thereby manifesting a rate of change quantified at 1.19 K/W. At the optimal temperature of 43.1 K, the optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of the Tm,Ho:YAP simultaneous dual-wavelength laser (SDWL) with a pump power of 11.8 W is 12.7%, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 15.8%.
Dynamic Leader Multi-Verse Optimizer (DLMVO): A New Algorithm for Parameter Identification of Solar PV Models
Authors: Li Jiangfeng , Dang Jian , Xia Chaohao , Jia Rong , Wang Gaoming , Li Peihang , Zhang Yunxiang
Published: May 2023

To efficiently extract the model parameters of photovoltaic (PV) modules, this paper proposed an identification method based on the Dynamic Elite-Leader Multi-Verse Optimizer (DLMVO) algorithm. An adaptive strategy was used to control parameters based on population evolution rate and aggregation rate to balance the exploitation and exploration to avoid the search falling into local optimization. In addition, this paper proposed a dynamic elite-leader-based variation strategy to enhance the probability of variation success and improve merit search speed. This proposed algorithm was applied to the parameter identification of two different PV modules and validated using six existing methods in the literature for comparison. The experimental results show that the DLMVO algorithm significantly reduced the standard deviation of the three models compared with the standard deviation of the MVO algorithm, the single diode decreased by nearly 40%, the single-component model decreased by about 28%, and the double diode exhibited the best effect, which decreased by 83%.
Mechanical Properties of Rocks under Complex Stress Conditions: Investigations Using Experimental and Numerical Methods
Authors: Liu Xuewei , Zhang Zhizhen , Shi Xiaomeng , Xu Xiaoli
Published: May 2023

Rock engineering constructions are widely attested in energy mining, geothermal development, and underground energy storage projects [...]
Comparative Study on Load Monitoring Approaches
Authors: Tokam Leonce W. , Ouro-Djobo Sanoussi S.
Published: May 2023

Without an appropriate monitoring system, the condition/state of electrical appliances/devices in operation in households cannot be fully assessed, resulting in uncontrolled expenses. The purpose of load monitoring techniques is to save electricity consumption. With proper controls, overconsumption of energy can be reduced and unwanted activity that can lead to unnecessary electricity consumption can be eliminated. To achieve this, two approaches are used. The first approach, which says that each device is monitored by means of individual meters or metering devices, is called intrusive load monitoring (ILM) and requires expensive deployment of metering devices for its use. In contrast to the first one, the second approach is non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM), which monitors electricity consumption without the need for any intrusion. In this configuration, the total energy consumed is disaggregated into the individual consumption of each load. With progress/advances in artificial intelligence, this approach is gaining interest with influences in other areas of research. Knowing that these developed techniques aim to encourage the occupants of dwellings to save energy by optimizing their electricity consumption, the paper presents a comparative study of these approaches, in order to highlight the strengths as well as the weaknesses of each of them. It is therefore a means of offering researchers the opportunity to make choices according to the orientations given to the research work.
Assessment and Spatial Distribution of Urban Ecosystem Functions Applied in Two Czech Cities
Authors: Včeláková Renata , Prokopová Marcela , Pechanec Vilém , Štěrbová Lenka , Cudlín Ondřej , Alhuseen Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed , Purkyt Jan , Cudlín Pavel
Published: May 2023

As urban areas expand worldwide, the importance of ecosystem services provided by urban and peri-urban areas (ESs) increases, especially those that mitigate the effects of ongoing climate change. We present a relatively simple method to assess the performance of three ecosystem functions (EFs: evapotranspiration, carbon production, and habitat- and landscape-level biodiversity) in urban and peri-urban areas, indicating their capacity to provide relevant regulative ESs. The method was applied to two Czech foothill cities, Liberec and Děčín, and the results showed that the EFs of both cities were at comparable or even higher levels than the average values for the whole Czech Republic. The peri-urban area showed surprisingly high values for all EFs and habitat connectivity. The urban–rural gradient of EFs also showed higher values for EFs in the peri-urban area than in the adjacent rural (forest and agricultural) landscape. The method can serve as a useful tool to quickly identify valuable urban habitats (strong ESs providers) to support their protection or to identify places with low functional values that should be considered and sorted in urban adaptation strategies to global climate change to support the creation of functional green infrastructure.
DTFS-eHarris: A High Accuracy Asynchronous Corner Detector for Event Cameras in Complex Scenes
Authors: Zhao Jinxiu , Su Li , Wang Xiangyu , Li Jinjian , Yang Fan , Jiang Na , Hu Quan
Published: May 2023

The event camera, a new bio-inspired vision sensor with low latency and high temporal resolution, has brought great potential and demonstrated a promising application in machine vision and artificial intelligence. Corner detection is a key step of object motion estimation and tracking. However, most existing event-based corner detectors, such as G-eHarris and Arc*, lead to a huge number of redundant or wrong corners, and cannot strike a balance between the accuracy and real-time performance, especially in complex scenes with high texture that require higher computational costs. To address these issues, we propose an asynchronous corner detection method: a double threshold filter with Sigmoid eHarris (DTFS-eHarris) and an asynchronous corner tracker. The main contributions are that a double threshold filter is designed to reduce the redundant events and the improved Sigmoid function is utilized to represent the Surface of Active Events (Sigmoid*-SAE). We selected four scenes—shapes, dynamic, poster and boxes—from the public event camera dataset DAVIS240C to compare with the existing state-of-the-art hybrid method; our method has shown more than a 10% reduction in false positive rate and a 5% and 20% improvement in accuracy and throughput, respectively. The evaluations indicate that DTFS-eHarris shows a significant improvement, especially in complex scenes. Thus, it is anticipated to enhance the real-time performance and feature detection accuracy for future robotic applications.
A Method for Detecting Pathologies in Concrete Structures Using Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Nogueira Diniz Joel , Paiva Anselmo , Junior Geraldo , de Almeida João , Silva Aristofanes , Cunha António , Cunha Sandra
Published: May 2023

Pathologies in concrete structures, such as cracks, splintering, efflorescence, corrosion spots, and exposed steel bars, can be visually evidenced on the concrete surface. This paper proposes a method for automatically detecting these pathologies from images of the concrete structure. The proposed method uses deep neural networks to detect pathologies in these images. This method results in time savings and error reduction. The paper presents results in detecting the pathologies from wide-angle images containing the overall structure and also for the specific pathology identification task for cropped images of the region of the pathology. Identifying pathologies in cropped images, the classification task could be performed with 99.4% accuracy using cross-validation and classifying cracks. Wide images containing no, one, or several pathologies in the same image, the case of pathology detection, could be analyzed with the YOLO network to identify five pathology classes. The results for detection with YOLO were measured with mAP, mean Average Precision, for five classes of concrete pathology, reaching 11.80% for fissure, 19.22% for fragmentation, 5.62% for efflorescence, 27.24% for exposed bar, and 24.44% for corrosion. Pathology identification in concrete photos can be optimized using deep learning.
The Role of Shear-Wave Elastography of the Spleen in Ruling out the Presence of High-Risk Varices in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
Authors: Olteanu Vasile-Andrei , Sfarti Catalin-Victor , Balan Gheorghe G. , Timofte Oana , Gologan Elena , Mitrică Dana Elena , Gilca-Blanariu Georgiana-Emmanuela , Dascalu Cristina Gena , Sandu Ion , Ştefănescu Gabriela
Published: May 2023

The progression of liver fibrosis and the presence of portal hypertension are two key points in the follow-up and severity assessment of patients with chronic liver disease. Objective evaluation of such aspects has proven to be difficult due to the lack of reproducible and standardized non-invasive methods. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether spleen stiffness (SS) can rule out the presence of high-risk varices (HRVs) in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We designed a prospective follow-up of a cohort of 48 consecutive patients diagnosed with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) due to NAFLD, between January 2020 and January 2021. After clinical evaluation, laboratory testing, ultrasonography (US), and shear-wave elastography (2D-SWE.GE) of both the liver and the spleen, patients were endoscopically screened for esophageal varices, gastric varices, and portal hypertensive gastropathy. Correlations and predictors were assessed. After univariate, multivariate, and predictive analyses, SS could be referred to as an independent predictor for high-risk varices (AUROC 0.987, p < 0.001, OR 4.985, 95% CI: 1.57–15.73, p = 0.006), with a calculated cutoff value of 17.95 kPa. These results are consistent with those of other, similar studies using both 2D-SWE.GE and a similar module (2D-SWE.SSI) in patients with metabolic liver disease. When confirmed by subsequent larger studies, SS could potentially become a useful non-invasive tool in the assessment of clinically significant portal hypertension in patients with advanced fatty liver disease.
Photo-Stimulated Luminescence Approach for Effective Identification of Irradiated Fruit
Authors: Bortolin Emanuela , Boniglia Concetta , Campaniello Maria , Chiappinelli Andrea , Foti Marina , Iammarino Marco , Lai Olga , Nardelli Valeria , Nardoni Antonella , Palermo Irene , Quattrini Maria Cristina , Tomaiuolo Michele
Published: May 2023

This work reports the results of a study carried out to verify the applicability of the CEN EN 13751 method, based on the photo-stimulated luminescence (PSL) technique, for the identification of irradiated fruit. A total of 15 types of fresh and dried fruit not irradiated and irradiated (0.5 and 1 kGy) were tested. Preliminary tests were performed on samples of fresh kiwis, lemons, mangoes, oranges, papayas, pineapples and tangerines, dried dates, dried prunes and raisins. Successively, an inter-comparative test was organized, whereby four Italian official control laboratories analyzed eight matrices, namely, kiwi, orange, dried fig, raisin, hazelnut, peanut, pistachio and walnut. The results indicated considerable differences in the radiation PSL sensitivities of the different types of fruit as well as among the PSL responses obtained from different batches of the same fruit. The best results were obtained with some types of dried fruit, namely, pistachios, peanuts, dried figs and raisins. Irradiated fresh fruit generally gave non-positive results, mainly intermediate and even very close to the negative threshold. Tests performed on kiwi, mango and orange samples indicated that the parts of the fruit peel close to the stem, which are more wrinkled, provide better results.
Extraction of Novel Bioactive Peptides from Fish Protein Hydrolysates by Enzymatic Reactions
Authors: Ortizo Rhessa Grace Guanga , Sharma Vishal , Tsai Mei-Ling , Wang Jia-Xiang , Sun Pei-Pei , Nargotra Parushi , Kuo Chia-Hung , Chen Chiu-Wen , Dong Cheng-Di
Published: May 2023

Bioactive peptides derived from fish the byproduct protein hydrolysate have wide potential as functional food ingredients. The preparation of bioactive peptides is commonly achieved via enzymatic hydrolysis; this is the most preferred method because it has high specificity, fewer residual organic solvents in the product, and it is usually carried out in mild conditions. The use of various enzymes such as proteases is widely practiced in the industry, yet there are various limitations as it is of high cost and there is a limited availability of food-grade enzymes in the market. Moreover, high-throughput purification and the identification analysis of these peptides are currently being studied to further understand the functionality and characterization of the bioactive peptides. This review mainly focuses on the novel bioactive peptides derived from fish protein hydrolysates from various fish wastes and byproducts. The hydrolysis conditions, source of hydrolysate, and amino acid sequence of these novel peptides are presented, along with their corresponding methods of analysis in purification and identification. The use of various enzymes yields novel peptides with potent bioactivities, such as antiproliferative, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, antiglycemic, antitumor, and antioxidative biological functions. The increasing interest in proteomics in marine and aquatic waste utilization continues due to these products’ bioactivity and sustainability.
Experimental Evaluation of Graph Databases: JanusGraph, Nebula Graph, Neo4j, and TigerGraph
Authors: Monteiro Jéssica , Sá Filipe , Bernardino Jorge
Published: May 2023

NoSQL databases were created with the primary goal of addressing the shortcomings in the efficiency of relational databases, and can be of four types: document, column, key-value, and graph databases. Graph databases can store data and relationships efficiently, and have a flexible and easy-to-understand data schema. In this paper, we perform an experimental evaluation of the four most popular graph databases: JanusGraph, Nebula Graph, Neo4j, and TigerGraph. Database performance is evaluated using the Linked Data Benchmark Council’s Social Network Benchmark (LDBC SNB). In the experiments, we analyze the execution time of the queries, the loading time of the nodes and the RAM and CPU usage for each database. In our analysis, Neo4j was the graph database with the best performance across all metrics.
Microstructural and Microbiological Properties of Peloids and Clay Materials from Lixouri (Kefalonia Island, Greece) Used in Pelotherapy
Authors: Lampropoulou Paraskevi , Petrounias Petros , Rogkala Aikaterini , Giannakopoulou Panagiota P. , Gianni Eleni , Mantzoukas Spiridon , Lagogiannis Ioannis , Koukouzas Nikolaos , Hatziantoniou Sophia , Papoulis Dimitrios
Published: May 2023

Clays have been applied for centuries by people for many uses. From pottery to medicine, clays and clay minerals constitute part of individuals’ daily routines. Natural fine-grained earth material, commonly found at Xi beach coastal area of Lixouri in Kefalonia island, was used during the last few decades by local people as well as from tourists for pelotherapy, even though this material has never been examined for its suitability for this use. This work was conducted aiming to characterize this material and determine if it is harmless and beneficial for therapeutic purposes or skin care. Field work revealed that the material is not homogenous and, therefore, some of its parts could be characterized as suitable, non-suitable or even harmful. The collected samples from Kefalonia were characterized according to their petrographic and chemical features using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Moreover, the microbial burden of the material was assessed analyzing the bacterial and fungi load. This study indicates that this geomaterial can be suitable for natural mud/peloid applications, but only in some parts of this area.
Reloading Mechanical Properties and Particle Flow Simulation of Pre-Peak Confining Pressure Unloading Sandstone
Authors: Ma Bin , Ding Xinchao , Chen Xingzhou
Published: May 2023

The excavation-unloading damage effects of western high-geostress slopes on rock were explored by testing the pre-peak confining pressure unloading sandstone reloading mechanical properties. The deformation and failure mechanisms were studied from a mesoscopic perspective using the particle discrete-element method. (1) Approaching the unloading failure, confining pressure increased the specimen bearing capacity attenuation. (2) The confining pressure unloading promoted microdefect propagation and development; the specimens increased rapidly to the damage stress value after reaching the initiation stress value. The penetration fracture zone was more evident and expansive in the model, and the distribution of the dense crack areas was more concentrated in the fracture zone and area. (3) The average interval of the tangential contact force was the largest in the direction of crack expansion and propagation. The strong force chains were shown to primarily bear external loads, whereas the weak force chains played a key auxiliary role in maintaining stability. (4) The number of cracks developing in the confining pressure unloading damage process indicated that the loading process did not cause damage to the specimens. The fracture zones further propagated and formed on the dominant fractures based on the damage caused by the confining pressure unloading disturbance.
Stability Analysis of Box Tunnel Working Face under Non-Uniform Support Pressure
Authors: Zhang Xuanyang , Yu Miao , Liang Jiaxin , Yang Chao , Liu Wei
Published: May 2023

For rectangular section tunnel construction, soil bin pressure fluctuates under biaxial emergence conditions. Support pressure is difficult to uniformly distribute, and it can easily cause instability of the tunneling face. The Silo-wedge model is used to perform horizontal strip splitting of parts of the soil at risk for instability under unsupported conditions. In the ultimate equilibrium analysis, the strength discounting method is introduced, a new expression for the safety factor is derived by combining the horizontal strip splitting equilibrium equations, and the safety factor is solved numerically. When the opening range is greater than 0.75 and the effective internal friction angle of the soil is less than 25°, the safety coefficient is less than 1, and destabilization damage is likely to occur. The field application of a box tunnel project in Suzhou demonstrates that the research results have good engineering applicability to the issue.
An Idiom Reading Comprehension Model Based on Multi-Granularity Reasoning and Paraphrase Expansion
Authors: Dai Yu , Liu Yuqiao , Yang Lei , Fu Yufan
Published: May 2023

Idioms are a unique class of words in the Chinese language that can be challenging for Chinese machine reading comprehension due to their formal simplicity and the potential mismatch between their literal and figurative meanings. To address this issue, this paper adopted the “2 + 2” structure as the representation model for idiom structure feature extraction. According to the linguistic theory of idioms, to enhance the model’s learning ability for idiom semantics, we propose a two-stage semantic expansion method that leverages semantic knowledge during the pre-training stage and extracts idiom interpretation information during the fine-tuning stage to improve the model’s understanding of idioms. Moreover, with the consideration of the inferential interaction between global and local information during context fusion, which is neglected by all current works, we propose a method that utilizes a multi-headed attention mechanism to fully extract global and local information by selecting three attention patterns in the fine-tuning stage. This enables the fusion of semantic information extracted by the model at different granularities, leading to improved accuracy. The experimental results demonstrated that our proposed BERT-IDM model outperformed the baseline BERT model by achieving a 4.1% accuracy improvement.
Construction Work Efficiency Analysis—Application of Probabilistic Approach and Machine Learning for Formworks Assembly
Authors: Juszczyk Michał
Published: May 2023

Analyses of efficiency are vital for planning and monitoring the duration and costs of construction works, as well as the entire construction project. This paper introduces a combined quantitative (probabilistic) and qualitative (machine learning-based) approach to the problem. The proposed approach covers probabilistic analysis based on fitting a triangular distribution to empirical data, followed by the application of support vector machines (SVM). Following the theoretical assumptions, the paper also presents an application of the proposed approach for formwork assembly as an exemplary construction work. This is based on real-life data, including conditions, characteristics, and features of formwork assembly work recorded on a construction site. As a result of the study, triangular distributions were fitted to data representing efficiencies of formwork assembly for three different types of structural members made of reinforced concrete. The parameters (a—minimum, m—peak and b—maximum values of efficiency measured as square meters of an assembled formwork per hour) of the fitted distributions for the particular real-life data were as follows: for columns a = 0.100, m = 1.450, b = 1.900, for walls a = 0.700, m = 1.995, b = 3.300 and for slabs a = 0.200, m = 2.125, b = 3.200. The obtained distributions allow us to assess the probability of achieving efficiency not less than a certain assumed critical value. The study also developed two SVM models—the first based on so-called C-classification and the second based on ν-classification—capable of recognising with satisfactory accuracy whether the efficiency of formworks assembly works for certain conditions, characteristics, and features of works are above or below median values computed based on previously fitted distributions. The performance of both developed models in terms of proper classification, either for training or testing, was above 80%.
Bioprocessing of Hempseed (Cannabis sativa L.) Food By-Products Increased Nutrient and Phytochemical In Vitro Bioavailability during Digestion and Microbial Fermentation
Authors: Fan Songtao , Zhang Zhihong , Duncan Gary J. , Morris Amanda , Scobbie Lorraine , Henderson Donna , Morrice Philip , Russell Wendy R. , Duncan Sylvia H. , Neacsu Madalina
Published: May 2023

Agricultural hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is currently underutilised for food and could be pivotal to the development and expansion of a low-carbon food production system and to contribute to sustainable diets. Dehulling hempseed for food (for hempseed hearts) generates several by-products, including hempseed “screenings”. This study assessed the effects of several bioprocessing treatments (using enzyme mixtures, yeast, and combinations of both) on hemp screenings nutrient and phytochemical content and their digestion and metabolism in vitro (using a gastrointestinal digestion model and incubations with human mixed microbiota-faecal samples from three healthy donors). The nutrients and phytochemicals’ metabolites were measured using targeted LC-MS/MS and GC analysis. The hempseed screenings are rich in insoluble NSP (16.46 ± 0.86%), protein (20.15 ± 0.11%, with 3.83% tryptophan), syringaresinol, p-coumaric and protocatechuic acids. The hempseed screenings are highly fermentable, resulting in a significant increase in acetic, propionic, and butyric acids following fermentation with faecal microbiota. The bioprocessing treatments significantly increased the extractability of the phytochemicals, especially in free and alkaline-labile forms, without improving the fibre fermentation. The findings from this study support the use of hempseed screenings as a source of dietary nutrients for biodiversification and development of potential functional foods for metabolic and gut health.
A Comparative Case Study on Drainage Consolidation Improvement of Soft Soil under Vacuum Preloading and Surcharge Preloading
Authors: Fan Ling , Xun Zhize , Peng Shuquan
Published: May 2023

Based on an improvement project of soft soil ground in Zhuhai City on the Pearl River Delta, a comparative study on vacuum preloading and surcharge preloading was performed. The ground and stratified settlements, excess pore water pressure, and the degrees of consolidation of soft soil are analyzed, along with the horizontal displacement and soil strength. The results show that surcharge preloading results in smaller secondary consolidation settlements than vacuum preloading. Primary consolidation settlement quickly increases with increasing excess pore water pressure of less than −40 kPa in vacuum preloading, while also increasing between 20 kPa and 25 kPa in surcharge preloading. The sharp increase in the strata permeability coefficient will induce the increase in strata consolidation degree and has little effect on the ground consolidation degree. The surcharge preloading can be given priority to reduce the settlement foundation in the service stage.
ChatGPT for Education and Research: Opportunities, Threats, and Strategies
Authors: Rahman Md. Mostafizer , Watanobe Yutaka
Published: May 2023

In recent years, the rise of advanced artificial intelligence technologies has had a profound impact on many fields, including education and research. One such technology is ChatGPT, a powerful large language model developed by OpenAI. This technology offers exciting opportunities for students and educators, including personalized feedback, increased accessibility, interactive conversations, lesson preparation, evaluation, and new ways to teach complex concepts. However, ChatGPT poses different threats to the traditional education and research system, including the possibility of cheating on online exams, human-like text generation, diminished critical thinking skills, and difficulties in evaluating information generated by ChatGPT. This study explores the potential opportunities and threats that ChatGPT poses to overall education from the perspective of students and educators. Furthermore, for programming learning, we explore how ChatGPT helps students improve their programming skills. To demonstrate this, we conducted different coding-related experiments with ChatGPT, including code generation from problem descriptions, pseudocode generation of algorithms from texts, and code correction. The generated codes are validated with an online judge system to evaluate their accuracy. In addition, we conducted several surveys with students and teachers to find out how ChatGPT supports programming learning and teaching. Finally, we present the survey results and analysis.
Crossiella, a Rare Actinomycetota Genus, Abundant in the Environment
Authors: Martin-Pozas Tamara , Gonzalez-Pimentel Jose Luis , Jurado Valme , Laiz Leonila , Cañaveras Juan Carlos , Fernandez-Cortes Angel , Cuezva Soledad , Sanchez-Moral Sergio , Saiz-Jimenez Cesareo
Published: May 2023

The genus Crossiella contains two species, C. equi, causing nocardioform placentitis in horses, and C. cryophila, an environmental bacterium. Apart from C. equi, which is not discussed here, environmental Crossiella is rarely reported in the literature; thus, it has not been included among “rare actinobacteria”, whose isolation frequency is very low. After C. cryophila, only five reports cover the isolation of Crossiella strains. However, the frequency of published papers on environmental Crossiella has increased significantly in recent years due to the extensive use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and a huge cascade of data that has improved our understanding of how bacteria occur in the environment. In the last five years, Crossiella has been found in different environments (caves, soils, plant rhizospheres, building stones, etc.). The high abundance of Crossiella in cave moonmilk indicates that this genus may have an active role in moonmilk formation, as evidenced by the precipitation of calcite, witherite, and struvite in different culture media. This review provides an overview of environmental Crossiella, particularly in caves, and discusses its role in biomineralization processes and bioactive compound production.
Molecular Identification of Blastocystis hominis Isolates in Patients with Autoimmune Diseases
Authors: Mahmoud Ahmed M. , Ismail Khadiga A. , Khalifa Osama M. , Abdel-wahab Maha M. , Hagag Howaida M. , Mahmoud Mahmoud K.
Published: May 2023

Background: Blastocystis hominis (B. hominis) is a ubiquitous parasite that has spread worldwide and is commonly present in human stool specimens. It was hypothesized that infection with B. hominis plays a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases in humans. The aim of this study is to test this hypothesis by investigating patients with autoimmune diseases. Patients with various types of autoimmune diseases with gastrointestinal symptoms were enrolled in this study as cases (n = 72) along with nongastrointestinal symptom patients as controls (n = 58). All participants in this study were subjected to history taking and were investigated for B. hominis infection via wet-mount microscopic stool examinations, staining with trichrome stain, and molecular-based tests applied to their fecal samples. Blood samples were also tested for complete blood counts. B. hominis were identified with specific PCR more in cases (12/72; 16.6%) than in controls (3/58; 5.2%), with a significant difference (p < 0.05). Significant decreases in white blood cell counts were demonstrated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and ulcerative colitis (UC) patients infected with B. hominis when compared to patients with nongastrointestinal symptoms (p-value < 0.05).
A Geography of the Screen: Mapmaking as Bridge between Film and Curatorial Production Processes
Authors: James Ben Evans
Published: May 2023

Both mapping and artist documentary filmmaking offer us subjective translations of reality and strategies to relate to and represent space, sharing analogous methods of production that allow for a useful application of the spatial language of mapmaking to filmmaking. Immersing the film process within the language of mapmaking can then act as a bridge into the spatial practices of the gallery environment, curatorial practice, and exhibition design. This process is defined here as “film-mapping” and is investigated through the development of the work For the Record by Phanuel Antwi and Rhea Storr commissioned by the transmediale festival in Berlin (2021), for which the author of the present paper is the film curator. A process for film-mapping is laid out according to three stages: (1) Compose the Territory, (2) Define the Legend, and (3) Set the Modality. Understanding the production of For the Record through this mapping terminology enriches the spatial understanding of the work, providing a translation device between filmmaking and curatorial practice and mediating between the disciplines by providing a shared language.
Development of a Computational Fluid Dynamics Model for Ice Formation: Validation and Parameter Analysis
Authors: Ferro Carlo Giovanni , Maggiore Paolo , Champvillair Daniele
Published: May 2023

In the history of civil aircraft transportation, ice formation has been identified as a key factor in the safety of flight. Anti-icing and deicing systems have emerged through the years with the aim to prevent or to eliminate ice formation on wing airfoils, control surfaces and probes. Modern flying machines demand more efficiency in order to reduce the carbon footprint and increase the sustainability of flight transport. In order to achieve this goal, the need to have an efficient aircraft with an efficient and low power consuming system is fundamental. This paper proposes a new model for ice accretion using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This model permits the simulation of the shape of the ice formed over a profile varying boundary condition (i.e., speed, liquid water content, and so on). The proposed model also takes into account the amount of heat transferred between the water and the surrounding environment and includes the effects of air turbulence on the ice formation process. The CFD simulations have been validated with NASA experimental outcome and show good agreement. The proposed model can be also used to investigate the effects of various parameters such as air speed, liquid water content, and air temperature on the ice formation process. The results evidence that the proposed model can accurately predict ice formation process and is suitable to optimize the design of anti-icing or deicing systems for aircraft and helicopters. This approach is not limited to aerospace but can also be exported to other applications such as transportation, wind turbine, energy management, and infrastructure.
New Laboratory Experiments to Study the Large-Scale Circulation and Climate Dynamics
Authors: Harlander Uwe , Sukhanovskii Andrei , Abide Stéphane , Borcia Ion Dan , Popova Elena , Rodda Costanza , Vasiliev Andrei , Vincze Miklos
Published: May 2023

The large-scale flows of the oceans and the atmosphere are driven by a non-uniform surface heating over latitude, and rotation. For many years scientists try to understand these flows by doing laboratory experiments. In the present paper we discuss two rather new laboratory experiments designed to study certain aspects of the atmospheric circulation. One of the experiments, the differentially heated rotating annulus at the Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU) Cottbus, has a cooled inner cylinder and a heated outer wall. However, the structure of the atmospheric meridional circulation motivates a variation of this “classical” design. In the second experiment described, operational at the Institute of Continuous Media Mechanics (ICMM) in Perm, heating and cooling is performed at different vertical levels that resembles more the atmospheric situation. Recent results of both experiments are presented and discussed. Differences and consistencies are highlighted. Though many issues are still open we conclude that both setups have their merits. The variation with heating and cooling at different levels might be more suited to study processes in the transition zone between pure rotating convection and the zone of westerly winds. On the other hand, the simpler boundary conditions of the BTU experiment make this experiment easier to control.
Collision Strengths of Astrophysical Interest for Multiply Charged Ions
Authors: Fritzsche Stephan , Jiao Li-Guang , Wang Yuan-Cheng , Sienkiewicz Jozef E.
Published: May 2023

The electron impact excitation and ionization processes are crucial for modeling the spectra of different astrophysical objects, from atmospheres of late-type stars to remnants of supernovae and up to the light emission from neutron star mergers, to name just a few. Despite their significance, however, little is known quantitatively about these processes for low- and medium-impact energies of, say, Ekin≲5000 eV of the free incident electron. To further explore the role of impact excitation, we here expanded Jac, the Jena Atomic Calculator, to the computation of distorted wave collision strengths for fine-structure-resolved, as well as configuration-averaged transitions. While we excluded the formation of dielectronic resonances, these tools can be readily applied for ions with a complex shell structure and by including the major relativistic contributions to these strengths. Detailed computations of the collision strengths are shown and explained for the impact excitation of lithium- and chlorine-like ions. When compared with other, well-correlated methods, good agreement was found, and hence, these tools will support studies of effective collision strengths for a wide range of electron impact energies, levels, and ionic charge states.
A Self-Growing 3D Porous Sn Protective Layer Enhanced Zn Anode
Authors: Kong Dezhi , Zhang Qingwei , Li Lin , Zhao Huimin , Liu Ruixin , Guo Ziyang , Wang Lei
Published: May 2023

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have received much attention because of their high safety, low pollution, and satisfactory energy density (840 mAh g−1), which is important for the research of new energy storage devices. However, problems such as short cell cycle life and low coulombic efficiency (CE) of zinc (Zn) anodes due to disorderly growth of Zn dendrites and side reactions of hydrogen corrosion have delayed the practical application of ZIBs. In this work, a new “self-growth” method is proposed to build a robust and homogeneous three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous structure of tin (Sn)-coated Zn anodes (ZSN) in just 10 min by a simple and fast reaction, which can largely raise the surface area of the electrode plate. The ZSN not only provides abundant Zn nucleation sites, but also reduces the corrosion current, thus alleviating the self-corrosion of the electrolyte, reducing the occurrence of hydrogen precipitation side reactions, and effectively inhibiting the growth of Zn dendrites during cycling. Thus, a symmetric cell with a ZSN anode can be stabilized with very low voltage hysteresis (30 mV) for 480 h of stable plating/stripping cycles and can operate well for 200 h even at high current densities of 10 mA cm−2. Supercapacitors and button cells were assembled, respectively, to verify the performance of ZSN electrodes in different energy storage tools. The ZSN||AC supercapacitor exhibited superior capacity (75 mAh g−1) and high reversibility (98% coulombic efficiency) at a current density of 2 A g−1. With a MnVO (MVO) electrode as the cathode, the ZSN||MVO full cell presents excellent cycling stability with a capacity retention of 95.4% after 500 cycles at 2 A g−1, which far exceeds that of the bare Zn cell.
Arabidopsis thaliana Sucrose Phosphate Synthase A2 Affects Carbon Partitioning and Drought Response
Authors: Bagnato Laura , Tosato Edoardo , Gurrieri Libero , Trost Paolo , Forlani Giuseppe , Sparla Francesca
Published: May 2023

Sucrose is essential for plants for several reasons: It is a source of energy, a signaling molecule, and a source of carbon skeletons. Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) catalyzes the conversion of uridine diphosphate glucose and fructose-6-phosphate to sucrose-6-phosphate, which is rapidly dephosphorylated by sucrose phosphatase. SPS is critical in the accumulation of sucrose because it catalyzes an irreversible reaction. In Arabidopsis thaliana, SPSs form a gene family of four members, whose specific functions are not clear yet. In the present work, the role of SPSA2 was investigated in Arabidopsis under both control and drought stress conditions. In seeds and seedlings, major phenotypic traits were not different in wild-type compared with spsa2 knockout plants. By contrast, 35-day-old plants showed some differences in metabolites and enzyme activities even under control conditions. In response to drought, SPSA2 was transcriptionally activated, and the divergences between the two genotypes were higher, with spsa2 showing reduced proline accumulation and increased lipid peroxidation. Total soluble sugars and fructose concentrations were about halved compared with wild-type plants, and the plastid component of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway was activated. Unlike previous reports, our results support the involvement of SPSA2 in both carbon partitioning and drought response.
The Influence of Various Hydration Strategies (Isotonic, Water, and No Hydration) on Hematological Indices, Plasma Volume, and Lactate Concentration in Young Men during Prolonged Cycling in Elevated Ambient Temperatures
Authors: Pałka Tomasz , Koteja Piotr Michał , Tota Łukasz , Rydzik Łukasz , Kopańska Marta , Kaczorowska Izabela , Javdaneh Norollah , Mikulakova Wioletta , Wolski Hubert , Ambroży Tadeusz
Published: May 2023

Background: Increased internal body temperature during dehydration can be accompanied by water–electrolyte imbalances, higher levels of lactate during and after physical exertion, and changes in blood volume. Adequate hydration with carbohydrate–electrolyte fluids during physical activity can prevent dehydration and delay the onset of fatigue, allowing for proper biochemical and hematological reactions during exertion. A suitable drinking plan should consider the pre-exercise hydration level as well as the requirements for fluids, electrolytes, and substrates before, during, and after exercise. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of different hydration strategies (isotonic, water, and no hydration) on hematological indicators (hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit number, erythrocyte count, leukocyte count, and mean corpuscular volume) and lactate concentration during prolonged physical exertion in a high-temperature environment in young men. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental. The study involved 12 healthy men aged 20.6 ± 0.9 years, who were characterized by a body height (BH) of 177.2 ± 4.8 cm, a body mass (BM) of 74.4 ± 7.6 kg, a lean body mass (LBM) of 61.1 ± 6.1 kg, and a body mass index (BMI) of 23.60 ± 0.48. Measurements were taken of body composition and hematological and biochemical indicators. The main tests consisted of three series of tests separated by a one-week break. During the tests, the men performed a 120 min exercise with an intensity of 110 W on a cycle ergometer in a thermo-climatic chamber at an ambient temperature of 31 ± 2 °C. During exertion, the participants consumed isotonic fluids or water in an amount of 120–150% of the lost water every 15 min. The participants who exercised without hydration did not consume any fluids. Results: Significant differences in serum volume were observed between the use of isotonic beverage and no hydration (p = 0.002) and between the use of isotonic beverage and water (p = 0.046). Immediately after the experimental exercise, hemoglobin values were significantly higher with no hydration than with water (p = 0.002). An even stronger significance of differences in hemoglobin was observed between no hydration and isotonic beverage consumption (p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in the number of leukocytes between the consumption of isotonic beverage and no hydration (p = 0.006). Conclusions: Each active hydration strategy allows for a better maintenance of water–electrolyte homeostasis during physical exertion in a high-temperature environment, and isotonic beverage consumption had a greater impact on hydrating extracellular spaces with the smallest changes in hematological indicators.