The reentry trajectory planning problem of hypersonic vehicles is generally a continuous and nonconvex optimization problem, and it constitutes a critical challenge within the field of aerospace engineering. In this paper, an improved sequential convexification algorithm is proposed to solve it and achieve online trajectory planning. In the proposed algorithm, the Chebyshev pseudo-spectral method with high-accuracy approximation performance is first employed to discretize the continuous dynamic equations. Subsequently, based on the multipliers and linearization methods, the original nonconvex trajectory planning problem is transformed into a series of relaxed convex subproblems in the form of an augmented Lagrange function. Then, the interior point method is utilized to iteratively solve the relaxed convex subproblem until the expected convergence precision is achieved. The convex-optimization-based and multipliers methods guarantee the promotion of fast convergence precision, making it suitable for online trajectory planning applications. Finally, numerical simulations are conducted to verify the performance of the proposed algorithm. The simulation results show that the algorithm possesses better convergence performance, and the solution time can reach the level of seconds, which is more than 97% less than nonlinear programming algorithms, such as the sequential quadratic programming algorithm. Full article

Thinopyrum intermedium (2n = 6x = 42, E^eE^eE^bE^bStSt or JJJ^sJ^sStSt) contains a large number of genes that are highly adaptable to the environment and immune to a variety of wheat diseases, such as powdery mildew, rust, and yellow dwarf, making it an important gene source for the genetic improvement of common wheat. Currently, an important issue plaguing wheat production and breeding is the spread of pests and illnesses. Breeding disease-resistant wheat varieties using disease-resistant genes is currently the most effective measure to solve this problem. Moreover, alien resistance genes often have a stronger disease-resistant effect than the resistance genes found in common wheat. In this study, the wheat-Th. intermedium partial amphiploid line 92048 was developed through hybridization between Th. intermedium and common wheat. The chromosome structure and composition of 92048 were analyzed using ND-FISH and molecular marker analysis. The results showed that the chromosome composition of 92048 (Octoploid Trititrigia) was 56 = 42W + 6J + 4J^s + 4St. In addition, we found that 92048 was highly resistant to a mixture of stripe rust races (CYR32, CYR33, and CYR34) during the seedling stage and fusarium head blight (FHB) in the field during the adult plant stage, suggesting that the alien or wheat chromosomes in 92048 had disease-resistant gene(s) to stripe rust and FHB. There is a high probability that the gene(s) for resistance to stripe rust and FHB are from the alien chromosomes. Therefore, 92048 shows promise as a bridge material for transferring superior genes from Th. intermedium to common wheat and improving disease resistance in common wheat. Full article

The current review examines the state of knowledge and research on machine learning (ML) applications in horticultural production and the potential for predicting fresh produce losses and waste. Recently, ML has been increasingly applied in horticulture for efficient and accurate operations. Given the health benefits of fresh produce and the need for food and nutrition security, efficient horticultural production and postharvest management are important. This review aims to assess the application of ML in preharvest and postharvest horticulture and the potential of ML in reducing postharvest losses and waste by predicting their magnitude, which is crucial for management practices and policymaking in loss and waste reduction. The review starts by assessing the application of ML in preharvest horticulture. It then presents the application of ML in postharvest handling and processing, and lastly, the prospects for its application in postharvest loss and waste quantification. The findings revealed that several ML algorithms perform satisfactorily in classification and prediction tasks. Based on that, there is a need to further investigate the suitability of more models or a combination of models with a higher potential for classification and prediction. Overall, the review suggested possible future directions for research related to the application of ML in postharvest losses and waste quantification. Full article

Conobea scoparioides (Plantaginaceae) is an herbaceous plant known as “pataqueira” that grows wild in seasonally wet areas of the Amazon region. It is used for aromatic baths and anti-protozoan remedies by the Brazilian Amazon native people. The main volatile compounds identified in the essential oil of “Pataqueira” were the phenolic monoterpenes thymol and thymol methyl ether and their precursors, the monoterpene hydrocarbons α-phellandrene and p-cymene. A hydrotalcite synthesized from blast-furnace slag exhibited a 3:2 (Mg/Al) molar ratio, and this layered double hydroxide (LDH) was evaluated as a catalyst in converting the main monoterpenes of the “Pataqueira” oil. This action significantly increased the thymol content, from 41% to 95%, associated with the percentual reduction in other main components, such as thymol methyl ether, α-phellandrene, and p-cymene. The LDH reaction showed a strong tendency towards producing hydroxylated derivatives, and its behavior was similar to the hypothetical plant biosynthetic pathway, which leads to the production of the monoterpenes of “Pataqueira” oil. Thymol and its derivatives are potent antiseptics applied in pharmaceutical and hygienic products as antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties, among others. The present work reports a natural source with a high thymol content in aromatic plants from the Amazon, with evident economic value. Full article

Hyaluronic acid (HA), as one of the main components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), plays an important role in the process of wound-healing and tissue-repair processes due to its unique properties and different physiological functions. HA has an ability to maintain a moist environment that promotes healing, the stimulation of growth factors and cellular constituents, and the migration of various cells essential for healing. This paper offers a review of HA use in the process of wound healing, with emphasis on hard-to-heal wounds, and examines its various applications in ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology. It proves HA to be a versatile agent which finds its use in various fields of medicine for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial properties and accelerated wound healing. Full article

Fault diagnosis (FD) is a critical challenge for the smart grid and the power communication network, especially when both heterogeneous networks are exponentially becoming enormous and complicated. Consequently, some conventional FD schemes based on labor seem inefficient, even disabled, because they usually cannot efficiently utilize multi-dimensional and heterogeneous big data from both networks. To deal with this challenging technical problem, a novel FD scheme based on tensor computing and meta-learning is proposed for the smart grid and the power communication network. In the proposed scheme, tensor computing is used to process tensor big data from both networks, and a new data fusion scheme is designed to complete and analyze the incomplete and sparse big data. Based on the fused data, a meta-learning approach is used to construct the FD scheme, especially when the target fault samples are inadequate and sparse. In meta-learning, the convolutional neural network is employed as a base learner to generate an FD training model, and the model-agnostic meta-learning algorithm is utilized to fine-tune and further train the pre-trained model. Simulation results and theoretical analysis indicate that the proposed DF scheme based on tensor computing can efficiently process sparse and heterogeneous big data from both networks. Furthermore, the meta-learning-based FD scheme provides an efficient way to diagnose faults with inadequate target samples. The proposed FD scheme based on tensor computing and meta-learning provides a novel solution to detect and analyze the potential faults for smart grid and power communication networks. Full article

Children living in rural and migrant areas in the United States disproportionately suffer from poor oral health. Additionally, there continues to be a shortage of pediatric dentists practicing in rural/migrant areas. The purpose of this formative research study was to assess whether staff, teachers and families from rural/migrant Head Start/Early Head Start (HS/EHS) programs in California were receptive to oral health online education workshops conducted by pediatric dental residents who were assisted by bilingual (English and Spanish) community oral health workers (COHWs). Our findings suggest that partnering pediatric dental residents with bilingual COHWs to educate HS/EHS teachers, staff and parents on oral health care in rural/migrant areas could result in a rewarding experience for pediatric dentists that might lead them to practice in these communities upon graduation from their residency program. Furthermore, the positive feedback received from the teachers, staff and parents who participated in the workshops indicates they were receptive to receiving oral health information related to oral health literacy from the dental providers and COHWs. COHWs can help increase access to oral health care by serving as a bridge between families and providers by relaying information in a cultural, linguistic and sensitive manner. Full article

The safe administration of solid oral dose forms in hospital inpatients with swallowing difficulties is challenging. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of difficulties in swallowing solid oral dose forms in acute hospital inpatients. A point prevalence study was completed at three time points. The following data were collected: the prevalence of swallowing difficulties, methods used to modify solid oral dose forms to facilitate administration, the appropriateness of the modification, and patient co-morbidities. The prevalence of acute hospital inpatients with swallowing difficulties was an average of 15.4% with a 95% CI [13.4, 17.6] across the three studies. On average, 9.6% of patients with swallowing difficulties had no enteral feeding tube in situ, with 6.0% of these patients receiving at least one modified medicine. The most common method of solid oral dose form modification was crushing, with an administration error rate of approximately 14.4%. The most common co-morbid condition in these patients was hypertension, with dysphagia appearing on the problem list of two (5.5%) acute hospital inpatients with swallowing difficulties. Inappropriate modifications to solid oral dose forms to facilitate administration can result in patient harm. A proactive approach, such as the use of a screening tool to identify acute hospital inpatients with swallowing difficulties, is required, to mitigate the risk of inappropriate modifications to medicines to overcome swallowing difficulties. Full article

Mathematical models and numerical simulations are necessary to understand the functions of biological rhythms, to comprehend the transition from simple to complex behavior and to delineate the conditions under which they arise. The aim of this work is to investigate the R$\ddot{\mathrm{o}}$ssler-type system. This system could be proposed as a theoretical model for biological rhythms, generalizing this formula for chaotic behavior. It is assumed that the R$\ddot{\mathrm{o}}$ssler-type system has a Hamilton–Poisson realization. To semi-analytically solve this system, a Bratu-type equation was explored. The approximate closed-form solutions are obtained using the Optimal Parametric Iteration Method (OPIM) using only one iteration. The advantages of this analytical procedure are reflected through a comparison between the analytical and corresponding numerical results. The obtained results are in a good agreement with the numerical results, and they highlight that our procedure is effective, accurate and usefully for implementation in applicationssuch as an oscillator with cubic and harmonic restoring forces, the Thomas–Fermi equation and the Lotka–Voltera model with three species. Full article

To make wind power more competitive, it is necessary to reduce turbine downtime and reduce costs associated with wind turbine operation and maintenance (O&M). Incorporating machine learning in the development of condition-based predictive maintenance methodologies for wind turbines can enhance their efficiency and reliability. This paper presents a monitoring method that utilizes Density Based Support Vector Machines (DBSVM) and the evolutionary Fourier spectra of vibrations. This method allows for the smart monitoring of the function evolution of the turbine. A complex optimal function (FO) for 5-degree order has been developed that will be the boundary function of the DBSVM to be timely determined from the Fourier spectrum through the magnitude–frequency and place of the failure occurring in the wind turbine drivetrains. The trend of the failure was constructed with the maximal values of the optimal frequency function for both yesthe cases of the upwind and downwind parts of the gearbox. Full article

A unified diagnostic criterion has yet to be established for sarcopenia. Therefore, we analyzed the reliability and validity of sarcopenia diagnosis using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) compared with the gold standard, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and evaluated the predictive accuracy of BIA for diagnosis. The clinical trial, involving a total of 239 participants, was conducted between December 2018 and September 2019 on healthy volunteers without significant medical histories. The participants underwent health assessments, followed by sequential DEXA and BIA measurements. In both the low and normal appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM) groups, there were significant differences in the right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg, ASM, and ASM index (ASMI) between DEXA and BIA across all age groups (p < 0.05). BIA tended to overestimate compared to DEXA, but ASMI values for males and females were consistent with the criteria for sarcopenia. Bland–Altman analysis showed that each segment in both the low and normal ASM groups fell within the limits of agreement (LOA). The diagnosis of sarcopenia using BIA was significantly different from that using DEXA. However, it exhibited a significantly high correlation, fell within the LOA, and demonstrated high predictive accuracy. BIA can be considered an effective tool for diagnosing sarcopenia. Full article

The pyrolysis separation of calcium and magnesium from phosphate tailings is an important process due to its high-value resource utilization. In this paper, aiming to address the problems of high energy consumption, a slow decomposition rate and the low activity of decomposition products in the high-temperature pyrolysis of phosphate tailings, the medium-temperature pyrolysis of phosphate tailings under a H₂O atmosphere was carried out, and the phase reconstruction and activation of pyrolysis process were discussed. The results showed that compared with N₂, air and CO₂ atmospheres, the pyrolysis process of phosphate tailings in a H₂O atmosphere was changed from two stages to one stage, the starting decomposition temperature was reduced to 500 ℃ and the decomposition time was shortened to 30 min. The order of the influence of each factor on the pyrolysis of phosphate tailings was temperature > H₂O pressure > holding time. Under the optimized pyrolysis conditions, the yield of CaMg(CO₃)₂ decomposition of phosphate tailings into MgO and CaO was 97.3% and 98.1%, respectively, and the reactivity of MgO was 31.6%. The distribution of Ca and Mg elements in the phosphate tailings after pyrolysis showed a negative correlation, and both of them no longer formed associated compounds; Ca mainly existed in the form of Ca(OH)₂, Ca₅(PO₄)₃F, CaSiO₃ and CaF₂, and Mg mainly existed in the form of MgO, MgF₂ and Mg(OH)₂. Full article

The instability of hard and brittle rock often leads to disastrous consequences in underground engineering. Under various surrounding rock pressure conditions, in situ stress induces corresponding deformation and damage to the floor post-mining. Therefore, it is crucial to examine the effects of mining under different confining pressures on rock disturbance, damage characteristics, and their distribution. Consequently, triaxial loading experiments under varying intermediate principal stress conditions were conducted on red sandstone specimens, using an acoustic emission monitoring system to track energy changes during rock damage and failure. This approach aids in studying crack generation, propagation, and fracture damage evolution. The results indicate that rock deformation results in axial compression and dilatancy, aligned with the direction of minimum and intermediate principal stresses. Ductility in rock failure becomes more pronounced with increased stress, primarily manifesting as shear failure. Internal cracks in the specimen lead to stress concentration and marked plastic deformation under compression, yet do not result in macroscopic surface cracks. The fracture angle θ of specimens post-failure generally exceeds 45° and varies with stress changes; at consistent burial depths, the angle of the sandstone failure surface increases with intermediate principal stress. This paper preliminarily establishes the informational linkage between rock failure and energy release, analyzing the rock samples over time and space. This research offers insights for analyzing and mitigating sudden rock instability. Full article

With the development of wireless communication, increasing signal processing presents higher requirements for radio frequency (RF) systems. Piezoelectric acoustic filters, as important elements of an RF front-end, have been widely used in 5G-generation systems. In this work, we propose a Sc_0.2Al_0.8N-based film bulk acoustic wave resonator (FBAR) for use in the design of radio frequency filters for the 5G mid-band spectrum with a passband from 3.4 to 3.6 GHz. With the excellent piezoelectric properties of Sc_0.2Al_0.8N, FBAR shows a large $K_{eff}^2$ of 13.1%, which can meet the requirement of passband width. Based on the resonant characteristics of Sc_0.2Al_0.8N FBAR devices, we demonstrate and fabricate different ladder-type FBAR filters with second, third and fourth orders. The test results show that the out-of-band rejection improves and the insertion loss decreases slightly as the filter order increases, although the frequency of the passband is lower than the predicted ones due to fabrication deviation. The passband from 3.27 to 3.47 GHz is achieved with a 200 MHz bandwidth and insertion loss lower than 2 dB. This work provides a potential approach using ScAlN-based FBAR technology to meet the band-pass filter requirements of 5G mid-band frequencies. Full article

Distinguished from conventional lighting, the LED vertical surface light source (VSLS) is directly exposed to human view, and the effects of which form it takes on visual perception are non-negligible. In the current discomfort glare evaluation system, the solid angle and the position index, which represent the relative relation between the glaring light source and human visual field, are not completely applicable for large-area VSLS, and hence are awaiting supplementation and modification. In this study, a physical experimental setup was established to conduct an evaluation experiment on discomfort glare, employing an LED display and white translucent frosted film to simulate vertical surface light sources (VSLS). The experiments were arranged with 21 VSLS shapes (comprising 3 areas and 7 length-to-width ratios) and 11 mounting positions. Subjective ratings and four eye-movement data parameters—namely, the change rate of pupil diameter (CRPD), mean saccadic amplitude (SA), blinking frequency (BF), and saccadic speed (SS)—were collected from 24 participants under each working condition using the Boyce Evaluation Scale and eye tracking techniques. The main results of this study are the following: (a) CRPD is the most appropriate eye-movement index for characterizing VSLS glare perception; (b) The area of the VSLS is the primary shape element influencing discomfort glare. Furthermore, with the same surface area, the lateral view angle (LaVA) and the longitudinal view angle (LoVA) perceived by the human eye also impact glare perception; (c) A functional equation between the VSLS area, LaVA, and LoVA to the borderline luminance between comfort and discomfort (BCD luminance) is fitted; (d) Based on the eccentric angle and the azimuthal angle, a modified position index P’ is proposed to represent the relative position of the VSLS in the visual field, and the ratio function of BCD luminance of the VSLS at non-central positions and the central position is fitted. Full article

The intrusion of micrometer-sensitive contaminant particles into the clearance of sliding valves within hydraulic fluids is one of the root causes of valve sticking and reliability issues in hydraulic systems. To reveal the transient process and characteristics of particle intrusion into the clearance process, this paper proposes a numerical method for fluid–particle one-way coupling and verifies it through experimentation. Furthermore, a numerical simulation of the motion trajectory of spherical iron particles inside the valve chamber was conducted in a two-dimensional flow model. It was discovered that in a steady-state flow field with a certain valve opening, micrometer-sized particles in the valve chamber’s hydraulic fluid mainly move with the valve flow stream, and the number of micron particles invading the slide valve clearance and the probability of invasion is related to the slide valve opening and differential pressure. When the slide valve opening decreases, especially in the small opening state, the probability of particles invading the slide valve clearance will increase dramatically, and the probability of invading the clearance is as high as 27% in a valve opening of 50 μm; the larger the pressure difference between the valve ports, the more the number of particles invading the slide valve clearance increases; the particles in the inlet of the slide valve clearance are more prone to invade the slide valve clearance, and invade in an inclined way, touching the wall and then bouncing back. These findings are of great value for the design of highly reliable hydraulic control valves and the understanding of the mechanism of slide valve stalls and provide an important scientific basis for the optimization and improvement in the reliability of hydraulic systems. Full article

This research paper presents a comprehensive study on the combustion of wheat straw pellets in a 10 kW fixed-bed reactor through a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFDs) simulation and experimental validation. The developed 2D CFDs model in ANSYS meshing simulates the combustion process in ANSYS Fluent software 2021 R2. The investigation evaluates key parameters such as equivalence ratio, heating value, and temperature distribution within the reactor to enhance gas production efficiency. The simulated results, including combustion temperature and produced gases (CO₂, CO, CH₄), demonstrate a significant agreement with experimental combustion data. The impact of the equivalence ratio on the conversion efficiency and lower heating value (LHV) is systematically explored, revealing that an equivalence ratio of 0.35 is optimal for maximum gas production efficiency. The resulting producer gas composition at this optimum condition includes CO (~27.67%), CH₄ (~3.29%), CO₂ (~11.09%), H₂ (~11.09%), and N₂ (~51%). The findings contribute valuable insights into improving the efficiency of fixed-bed reactors, offering essential information on performance parameters for sustainable and optimized combustion. Full article

Ni nanowire array electrodes with an extremely large surface area were made through an electrochemical reduction process utilizing an anodized alumina template with a pore length of 320 µm, pore diameter of 100 nm, and pore aspect ratio of 3200. The electrodeposited Ni nanowire arrays were preferentially oriented in the (111) plane regardless of the deposition potential and exhibited uniaxial magnetic anisotropy with easy magnetization in the axial direction. With respect to the magnetic properties, the squareness and coercivity of the electrodeposited Ni nanowire arrays improved up to 0.8 and 550 Oe, respectively. It was also confirmed that the magnetization reversal was suppressed by increasing the aspect ratio and the hard magnetic performance was improved. The electrocatalytic performance for hydrogen evolution on the electrodeposited Ni nanowire arrays was also investigated and the hydrogen overvoltage was reduced down to ~0.1 V, which was almost 0.2 V lower than that on the electrodeposited Ni films. Additionally, the current density for hydrogen evolution at −1.0 V and −1.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl increased up to approximately −580 A/m² and −891 A/m², respectively, due to the extremely large surface area of the electrodeposited Ni nanowire arrays. Full article

The porous architectures of oxygen cathodes are highly desired for high-capacity lithium–oxygen batteries (LOBs) to support cathodic catalysts and provide accommodation for discharge products. However, controllable porosity is still a challenge for laminated cathodes with cathode materials and binders, since polymer binders usually shield the active sites of catalysts and block the pores of cathodes. In addition, polymer binders such as poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) are not stable under the nucleophilic attack of intermediate product superoxide radicals in the oxygen electrochemical environment. The parasitic reactions and blocking effect of binders deteriorate and then quickly shut down the operation of LOBs. Herein, the present work proposes a binder-free three-dimensional (3D) porous graphene (PG) cathode for LOBs, which is prepared by the self-assembly and the chemical reduction of GO with triblock copolymer soft templates (Pluronic F127). The interconnected mesoporous architecture of resultant 3D PG cathodes achieved an ultrahigh capacity of 10,300 mAh g⁻¹ for LOBs. Further, the cathodic catalysts ruthenium (Ru) and manganese dioxide (MnO₂) were, respectively, loaded onto the inner surface of PG cathodes to lower the polarization and enhance the cycling performance of LOBs. This work provides an effective way to fabricate free-standing 3D porous oxygen cathodes for high-performance LOBs. Full article

Traditional object detection methods using static cameras are constrained by their limited perspectives, hampering the effective detection of low-confidence targets. To address this challenge, this study introduces a deep reinforcement learning-based visual perception enhancement technique. This approach leverages pan–tilt–zoom (PTZ) cameras to achieve active vision, enabling them to autonomously make decisions and actions tailored to the current scene and object detection outcomes. This optimization enhances both the object detection process and information acquisition, significantly boosting the intelligent perception capabilities of PTZ cameras. Experimental findings demonstrate the robust generalization capabilities of this method across various object detection algorithms, resulting in an average confidence level improvement of 23.80%. Full article

In the field of prefabrication, the timely demolding of concrete elements is crucial to prevent structural failures during panel lifting. This study investigates the early-age compressive strength of different concrete mixtures by simulating various prefabrication plant scenarios. Special attention is given to winter conditions, where concrete hydration tends to be slower, potentially compromising the minimum compressive strength requirement of 10 MPa. The first scenario (reference), set at an ambient temperature of 20 °C with raw materials at room temperature, establishes the baseline for comparison. Two alternative dispositions are explored: Scenario 2, with an external temperature of 8 °C and the water for mixing at 35 °C, and Scenario 3, with the same external temperature but utilizing a heating hood to maintain the concrete at 35 °C. The experimental results shed light on the effectiveness of different strategies in achieving the desired early-age compressive strength under winter conditions. The use of warm mixing water and heating hoods are evaluated as potential measures to counteract the hydration slowdown. The findings contribute valuable insights for optimizing prefabrication processes in cold weather, ensuring the structural integrity of precast concrete elements. Full article

Millets are small-seeded cereals belonging to the family Poaceae. They are considered to be climate-resilient and future nutritional food cereals for humans. Millets are resistant to biotic and abiotic stressors compared to other major cereals and thrive in low-quality soils with little maintenance and less rainfall. The importance of millets is still not well known to many people due to the lack of popularity and cultivation in semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa. The United Nations has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023) to promote millet cultivation and popularize their health benefits globally. A few years ago, the application of molecular biology was in its infancy in millets due to the unavailability of genome sequences. Genome sequences are available for most of the millets on NCBI and Phytozome databases. In this review, we discuss the details of genome sequences for millets, candidate genes identified from the native genome of millets. The current status of quantitative trait loci and genome-wide association studies in millets are also discussed. The utilization of millet genome sequences in functional genomics research and translating the information for crop improvement will help millet and non-millet cereals survive harsh environments in the future. Such efforts will help strengthen food security and reduce malnutrition worldwide in 2050. Full article