bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Life Cycle Assessment of Microalgal Biomass Valorization from a Wastewater Treatment Process
Authors: Crippa Irene , Dolci Giovanni , Grosso Mario , Rigamonti Lucia 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Purpose
The life cycle assessment (LCA) performed in this work evaluates the potential environmental impacts of an activated-sludge-based wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) coupled with microalgal cultivation, including the algal biomass recovery. The system is compared with the WWTP without algal integration to evaluate the potential benefits derived by the coupling. In addition to more conventional valorization strategies for the algal biomass, a special focus is given to the production of biostimulants, that give the chance to replace some chemical fertilizers.

Method
Four scenarios are compared. They differ in the algal biomass valorization route: direct use in agriculture (S1), incineration with energy recovery (S2), use in cement plant as an auxiliary fuel (S3), and biostimulants production and use on crops (S4). The environmental impacts of the system are assessed including 16 categories, to comprehensively cover its potential impacts.

Results
S4 allows for significant impact reductions (compared to the WWTP without algal integration) only when the increase of the nutrient-uptake efficiency of crops is taken into account. Assuming a 5% reduction of fertilizers application, S4 shows an improvement in 14 out of the 16 impact categories. Conversely, when the amount of substituted fertilizers is calculated comparing just the macronutrient content of biostimulants with that of algae, S4 is comparable with S1, S2, and S3, where just four to five impact categories show lower impacts than the WWTP without algal integration.

Conclusions
The LCA confirms the environmental benefits of biostimulants application on crops, although the modeling approach requires further research as it strongly influences the results.
Development of a qPCR assay to detect Diplodia seriata on chipped apple wood
Authors: Jacobs Vernon , Stempien Francois Halleen Elodie , Mostert Lizel 
Published: August 2024

AbstractIn the deciduous fruit industry, orchards are often excavated and trees chipped. The organic material is then used as mulch for soil conservation, a practice that form part of sustainable agricultural. The presence and possible transmission of plant pathogens are not considered when trees are removed, chipped and used for mulch. Young apple trees can develop cankers due to Diplodia seriata of which the inoculum source might come from fruiting structures present on apple wood mulch. Therefore, the presence of D. seriata, on chipped apple tree wood pieces used for mulch in younger orchards was investigated. To be able to detect D. seriata, qPCR primers were designed from a previously identified unique sequence characterised amplified region (SCAR). The qPCR primers were specific for D. seriata (Cq ≤ 35 and Tm = 85$$\:\pm\:$$0.17 °C) when compared with DNA from nineteen other fungal taxa associated with canker or wood rot of apple trees tested, excluding Botryosphaeria dothidea (Cq = 38 and Tm = 85.25 °C). The qPCR assay was sensitive and had a limit of quantification of 2859 fg/µl and limit of detection of 571 fg/µl. Wood chips were collected at two time periods (from heaps and 6 months after it was spread in tree rows) in three apple orchards in the Western Cape of South Africa. DNA was extracted from water-washes of 120 wood piece samples and D. seriata was detected from 101 of these samples. This study showed that the newly developed primers was able to successfully detect D. seriata from mulched apple wood. The presence of D. seriata on apple tree wood chips indicates that there is a risk involved in using wood chips made from old apple trees.
Required fatigue strength (RFS) – a simple concept for determining an equivalent stress range indicating the necessary minimum joint quality in contrast to the actual modified equivalent strength (MES) method
Authors: Baumgartner J. , Breitenberger M. , Sonsino C. M. 
Published: August 2024

Abstract This paper treats different fatigue (FAT)-scenarios for determining damage-equivalent stress ranges according to two methods for transforming a stress or load spectrum into a damage-equivalent constant amplitude loading, i.e., the Modified Equivalent Stress (MES) and the Required Fatigue Strength (RFS) concepts. The MES method is suggested by the IIW-recommendations for fatigue design and the RFS method is applied especially in the design of vehicle safety components. The resulting MES- and RFS-ranges are similar, but not equal. The MES-method delivers a damage-equivalent stress range that depends on the selected FAT-value, i.e., the position of the Woehler-curve is decisive. In contrast, the RFS-method results in a damage-equivalent fictitious Woehler-line that indicates the lowest necessary strength quality for a given stress spectrum. The allocation of the modified equivalent stress range to the appertaining bi-linear Woehler-curve does not result in the fatigue life caused by the spectrum. Only in the case of a linear Woehler-curve, the fatigue life is directly obtained. In the case of the RFS-application, the fatigue life is by definition equal to the spectrum length. For durability tests, the modified equivalent stress range (at $${L}_{S}$$

L
S

cycles) and the associated FAT-Woehler-curve should not be used. However, the Woehler-curve derived by the RFS-method allows experimental durability proofs for any amplitude-cycle combination along it. Furthermore, the required lowest necessary strength also enables the selection of the most cost-effective manufacturing technique and quality. The RFS-Woehler-curve also results in a FAT-value with a defined probability of failure depending on the required safety factor.
Adaptive dynamic programming-based multi-fault tolerant control of reconfigurable manipulator with input constraint
Authors: Zhang Zhenguo , Ma Tianhao , Zhao Yadan , Yu Shuai , Zhou Fan 
Published: August 2024

AbstractIn this paper, a multi-fault tolerant controller considering actuator saturation is proposed. Based on the adaptive dynamic programming(ADP) algorithm, the fault tolerant control of the reconfigurable manipulator with sensor and actuator faults are carried out. Firstly, combined with the state space expression, the nonlinear transformation of sensor fault is performed by adopting the differential homeomorphism principle. An improved cost function is constructed based on the fault estimation function obtained by the fault observer, and combined with hyperbolic tangent function to deal with input constraint problem. Then, an evaluation neural network (NN) is established and the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equation is solved by online strategy iterative algorithm. Furthermore, based on Lyapunov theorem, the stability of reconfigurable manipulator systems with multi-fault are proved. Lastly, the simulation studies are used to certify the effectiveness of the presented fault tolerant control (FTC) scheme.
Anonymous voting using distributed ledger-assisted secure multi-party computation
Authors: Schiedermeier Maximilian , Hasan Omar , Mayer Tobias , Brunie Lionel , Kosch Harald 
Published: August 2024

AbstractHigh voter turnout in elections and referendums is desirable to ensure a robust democracy. Secure electronic voting is a vision for the future of elections and referendums. Such a system can counteract factors hindering strong voter turnout such as the requirement of physical presence during limited hours at polling stations. However, this vision brings transparency and confidentiality requirements that render the design of such solutions challenging. Specifically, the counting implementation must support reproducibility, and the choice of individual voters must remain confidential. In this paper, we propose and evaluate a novel referendum protocol that ensures transparency, confidentiality, and integrity, in trustless networks. The protocol is built by combining secure multi-party computation and distributed ledger technology, e.g., a Blockchain. The persistence and immutability of the protocol communication allow verifiability of the referendum outcome by any participant. Voters therefore do not need to trust third parties. We provide a formal description and conduct a thorough security evaluation of our proposal.
A Review of the Applications of Through-the-Earth (TTE) Communication Systems for Underground Mines
Authors: Ngwenyama Philani Larrance , Webber-Youngman Ronald C. W. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractUnderground mining accidents have the potential of leaving miners trapped in unknown and life-threatening locations for an extended period of time. The lives of the trapped and unaccounted-for miners are at risk and require emergency rescue. But, the primary tracking systems are highly susceptible to damage during accidents and are most likely to be defunct and inoperable post-accident. This prompted the need for a robust and reliable post-accident communication and locator system. Subsequently, the through-the-earth (TTE) communication systems were developed and tested in underground mines. Under ideal conditions, these systems are capable of post-accident full-duplex two-way voice, text, and data communication and fingerprint detection of the geolocations of the trapped miners. This is achieved through a wireless link established by the transmission of electromagnetic and seismic waves between surface and underground, even in challenged underground environments. Unlike the primary tracking systems, the TTE communication systems do not require extensive shaft-to-workplace backbone infrastructure. This has made the TTE systems to be less susceptible to damage and therefore suitable for post-accident communication. Instead, the Earth’s crust acts as the signal transmission medium which forms an uplink and downlink communication path. This is achieved by injecting an electric current into the ground using electrodes, by transmitting magnetic fields from a radiating loop antenna, or by inducing fingerprint geolocations using seismic waves. Range and data rates are the critical requirements for the effectiveness of these systems and are dependent on factors such as the antenna design, frequency, and rock properties. This study provides a review of the applications of the different types of TTE communication systems, their evolution, factors that affect them, and techniques for improving their efficiencies and capabilities. These systems present the mining industry with an opportunity to improve safety by providing post-accident communication and locating trapped miners as quickly as possible. This will improve their survival chances and ultimately reduce fatality rates in the mining industry.
Recent Trends in Mass-Level Ideological Polarization in Latin America
Authors: Moncagatta Paolo , Silva Pedro 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThis article offers an analysis of the changes in mass-level ideological polarization in Latin America. It provides a cross-national, region-wide assessment of polarization dynamics using survey data on left-right ideological identities. A novel indicator for measuring ideological polarization at the individual level is proposed, which is more compatible with theoretical conceptualizations of ideological polarization than other existing indicators. The indicator is applied to data from the AmericasBarometer surveys to measure degrees and changes in mass-level ideological polarization in 19 Latin American countries between 2006 and 2019. The study reveals a substantial process of mass-level ideological restructuring, accompanied by a region-wide increase in ideological polarization in Latin America taking place during the second decade of the twenty-first century. We also find that ideological polarization, albeit varying in intensity from country to country, is clearly present at the mass level in the majority of countries in the region.
GETTING OUT OF THE LABYRINTH: GERALD BARRY'S WIENER BLUT AND THE PATH TO PETRA VON KANT
Authors: Fitzgerald Mark 
Published: August 2024

AbstractGerald Barry's approach to composition has undergone a number of changes. Frequently these developments coincide with the composition of a large-scale opera. One of these points of transition in his output occurs in the period before he commenced work on The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant. Between 1999 and 2000 Barry composed three works – 1998, The Eternal Recurrence and Wiener Blut – in which he attempted to find a new compositional direction after a period in which canonic proliferation dominated his musical material. This article examines some of the main traits of these works, and Wiener Blut in particular, since it contains a greater variety of approaches than the other two compositions. The article also considers how Barry's shift in approach may have been linked to his decision to set Rainer Werner Fassbinder's play. Its quite plain, realistic prose was a contrast to the sort of text Barry had previously chosen to set, requiring a different musical response, and the article draws out some possible connections between Barry's three ‘pointillistic’ compositions and the opera.
Research on welding seam tracking algorithm for automatic welding process of X-shaped tip of concrete piles using laser distance sensor
Authors: Huynh Cao Tri , Phung Tri Cong 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThe manufacturing of the X-shaped tip of prestressed centrifugal concrete piles is nowadays done half automatically by combining the manual worker and the automatic welding robot. To make this welding process full automatically, the welding seam tracking algorithm is considered. There are many types of sensors that can be used to detect the welding seam such as vision sensor, laser vision sensor, arc sensor, or touch sensor. Each type of sensor has its advantages and disadvantages. In this paper, an algorithm for welding seam tracking using laser distance sensor is proposed. Firstly, the fundamental mathematics theory of the algorithm is presented. Next, the positioning table system supports the procedure is designed and manufactured. The object of this research is the fillet joint because of the characteristics of the X-shaped tip of the concrete piles. This paper proposes a new method to determine the welding trajectory of the tip using laser distance sensor. After that, the experimental results are received to verify the proposed idea. Finally, the improved proposal of the algorithm is considered to increase the accuracy of the suggested algorithm.
Earlier smart prediction of diabetic retinopathy from fundus image under innovative ResNet optimization maneuver
Authors: Sunil S. S. , Vindhya A. Shri 
Published: August 2024

AbstractDiabetic retinopathy (DR) is a complication of diabetes that causes blindness and the early detection of diabetics using retinopathy images remains a challenging task. Hence, a novel, earlier smart prediction of diabetic retinopathy from fundus image under Innovative ResNet Optimization is introduced to effectively detect the earlier stage of DR from Fundus image. Initially, the fundus image is scaled during preprocessing and converted into a grayscale format. As the existing studies neglect some deserving unique features that are crucial for predicting the earliest signs of DR, a novel Fractional Radon Transform with Visibility Graph is introduced for extracting the novel features such as microaneurysms count, dot and blot hemorrhages count, statistical measures, and retinal layer thickness, in which a Generalized Cosine Fractional Radon Transform is used to capture the image’s fine-scale texture information thereby effectively capturing the statistical measures, while a weighted Horizontal Visibility Graph is made to examine the apparent spatial relationships between pixel pairs in the image based on the values of the pixels’ gray levels. Further, the existing works failed to identify the small fine dark areas that were ignored throughout the morphological opening process. In order to overcome this issue, a Morphological Black Hat Transform with Optimized ResNet Algorithm is implemented, where segmentation is made through Enriched Black Hat Transform-based Morphological operation to identify fine dark regions among the pixels inside the eye samples, and the classification is done by using ResNet-driven S-GOA (Socio Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm), to optimally predict the stages of DR. The result obtained showed that the proposed model outperforms existing techniques with high performance and accuracy.
Storm‐Driven Warm Inflow Toward Ice Shelf Cavities—An Idealized Study of the Southern Weddell Sea Continental Shelf System
Authors: Dundas Vår , Daae Kjersti , Darelius Elin 
Published: August 2024

AbstractSudden peaks in south‐westward wind strength (storms) have been observed to drive pulses of enhanced southward currents on the continental shelf east of the Filchner Trough. However, the link between wind and southward flow is not persistent, and it is uncertain which conditions favor the wind‐driven pulses that typically bring modified Warm Deep Water southward toward the front of the Filchner Ice Shelf. We run a set of experiments in an idealized numerical model setup and find that storms induce a net southward “warm” (Θ > −1.5°C) volume transport in the trough region throughout the year. This is mainly explained by enhanced barotropic circulation on the shelf. The greatest storm‐driven increase in southward heat transport occurs during summer and fall, with an exceptionally large increase in November and December due to storm‐enhanced circulation on the shelf and seasonally varying heat content availability south of the shelf break. Analysis of ERA5‐data shows that the number of storm days (wind speed >10 m s−1) per year in the region co‐vary with SAM. The positive trend in SAM can hence be expected to further enhance the importance of storm‐driven southward heat transport toward the Filchner Ice Shelf cavity, which may have consequences for the basal melting.
Ray and Halo Impact Craters on Ganymede: Fingerprint for Decoding Ganymede's Crustal Structure
Authors: Baby N. R. , Kenkmann T. , Stephan K. , Wagner R. J. , Hauber E. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractImpact craters are a unique tool not only for inferring ages of planetary surfaces and examining geological processes, but also for exploring subsurface properties. We use ejecta blankets as proxies to obtain insights into the subsurface characteristics and the vertical stratification of Ganymede's icy crust. We investigated 36 prominent ray and halo craters using images acquired during the Voyager, Galileo, and Juno spacecraft missions. These craters exhibit diverse characteristics, including dark rays, bright rays, or their combination, in both continuous and discontinuous patterns as well as dark and bright halos. Dark halo craters (DHCs) have the smallest radial extents of their dark ejecta deposits, while dark ray craters (DRCs) have the largest. DRCs in dark terrain suggest a thickness of less than ∼2 km based on their excavation depths. DRCs and DHCs craters located in light terrain (LT) reveal significant heterogeneity in the uppermost portions of icy crust at various locations. DRCs and DHCs in the LT require the presence of at least one layer of dark material. This is the case if the LT is formed by tectonic rifting and graben formation. In contrast, if the LT is formed by tectonic spreading, bright halo and ray craters are expected to form.
Autocorrelation—A Simple Diagnostic for Tropical Precipitation Variability in Global Kilometer‐Scale Climate Models
Authors: Spät Dorian , Biasutti Michela , Schuhbauer David , Voigt Aiko 
Published: August 2024

AbstractWe propose the lag‐1 autocorrelation of daily precipitation as a simple diagnostic of tropical precipitation variability in climate models. This metric generally has a relatively uniform distribution of positive values across the tropics. However, selected land regions are characterized by exceptionally low autocorrelation values. Low values correspond to the dominance of high frequency variance in precipitation, and specifically of high frequency convectively coupled equatorial waves. Consistent with previous work, we show that CMIP6 climate models overestimate the autocorrelation. Global kilometer‐scale models capture the observed autocorrelation when deep convection is explicitly simulated. When a deep convection parameterization is used, though, the autocorrelation increases over land and ocean, suggesting that land surface‐atmosphere interactions are not responsible for the changes in autocorrelation. Furthermore, the metric also tracks the accuracy of the representation of the relative importance of high frequency and low frequency convectively coupled equatorial waves in the models.
Contributions of Ionospheric Migrating Tides to Ionospheric Intra‐Annual Variations
Authors: Chen Jinyuan , Ren Xiaodong , Liu Hang , Le Xuan , Yang Pengxi , Zhu Wei , Zhang Xiaohong 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThe Earth's ionosphere undergoes regular intra‐annual variations (IAVs) characterized by two peaks and troughs around the equinoxes and solstices. This phenomenon is crucial for analyzing the ionospheric response to geomagnetic storms. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the IAVs contributed by diurnal and semidiurnal migrating tides (DW1 and SW2) using Global Ionospheric Maps (GIMs) data from 2017 to 2021. Through data stacking techniques, the seasonal variability and splitting phenomenon of DW1 and SW2 across different latitudes are examined. The findings indicate that the splitting of these tides can be attributed to their quasi‐periodic variations, predominantly composed of annual oscillation (AO) and semiannual oscillation (SAO). The combination of DW1, SW2, and their side‐band harmonics results in beats with annual and semiannual periodicities, enabling the restoration of the seasonal variations in DW1 and SW2. The ionospheric day‐to‐day variations were reconstructed by superimposing DW1 and SW2, and their IAVs were evaluated using the envelope method. Comparison with IAVs driven by Earth's orbital geometry reveals that tide‐driven IAVs are more significant, and both exhibit solar activity dependence. The results advance the understanding of ionospheric variability, emphasizing the critical role of tidal contributions.