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As a new type of structural-functional material developed in recent years, steel foam has the advantages of high specific strength and specific stiffness, high specific surface area, light weight, energy absorption and shock absorption, porous filtration, electromagnetic shielding and biocompatibility. It has a broad application prospect in aerospace, automobile, shipbuilding, civil engineering, heat dissipation and heat insulation, catalysis and filtration, electromagnetic shielding, biomedical engineering and other fields. In this paper, the research and development situation and existing problems of new steel foam are reviewed, and the preparation process, structure , performance characteristics and application fields of steel form are introduced, including the advantages and disadvantages of the existing preparation process, cell structure characteristics, mechanical properties （yield strength, elastic modulus, energy absorption value）, physical properties （heat dissipation and insulation, sound absorption and insulation, electromagnetic shielding）, biological properties and application of steel foam. The existing problems of steel foam and the limiting factors of its industrial development and application are analyzed. In general, the existing research has proved the feasibility of steel foam development and application as a light-weight high strength structural material and a special functional material, and pointed out the technical and theoretical research work to be carried out in the future.

Vegetation water content (VWC) is a crucial parameter for evaluating vegetation growth, climate change, natural disasters such as forest fires, and drought prediction. Spaceborne global navigation satellite system reflectometry (GNSS-R) has become a valuable tool for soil moisture (SM) and biomass remote sensing (RS) due to its higher spatial resolution compared with microwave measurements. Although previous studies have confirmed the enormous potential of spaceborne GNSS-R for vegetation monitoring, the utilization of this technology to fuse multiple RS parameters to retrieve VWC is not yet mature. For this purpose, this paper constructs a local high-spatiotemporal-resolution spaceborne GNSS-R VWC retrieval model that integrates key information, such as bistatic radar cross section (BRCS), effective scattering area, CYGNSS variables, and surface auxiliary parameters based on five ensemble machine learning (ML) algorithms (i.e., bagging tree (BT), gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), random forest (RF), and light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM)). We extensively tested the performance of different models using SMAP ancillary data as validation data, and the results show that the root mean square errors (RMSEs) of the BT, XGBoost, RF, and LightGBM models in VWC retrieval are better than 0.50 kg/m2. Among them, the BT and RF models performed the best in localized VWC retrieval, with RMSE values of 0.50 kg/m2. Conversely, the XGBoost model exhibits the worst performance, with an RMSE of 0.85 kg/m2. In terms of RMSE, the RF model demonstrates improvements of 70.00%, 52.00%, and 32.00% over the XGBoost, LightGBM, and GBDT models, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread use of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology has led to a surge in three-dimensional point cloud data; although, it also poses challenges in terms of data storage and indexing. Efficient storage and management of LiDAR data are prerequisites for data processing and analysis for various LiDAR-based scientific applications. Traditional relational database management systems and centralized file storage struggle to meet the storage, scaling, and specific query requirements of massive point cloud data. However, NoSQL databases, known for their scalability, speed, and cost-effectiveness, provide a viable solution. In this study, a 3D point cloud indexing strategy for mobile LiDAR point cloud data that integrates Hilbert curves, R*-trees, and B+-trees was proposed to support MongoDB-based point cloud storage and querying from the following aspects: (1) partitioning the point cloud using an adaptive space partitioning strategy to improve the I/O efficiency and ensure data locality; (2) encoding partitions using Hilbert curves to construct global indices; (3) constructing local indexes (R*-trees) for each point cloud partition so that MongoDB can natively support indexing of point cloud data; and (4) a MongoDB-oriented storage structure design based on a hierarchical indexing structure. We evaluated the efficacy of chunked point cloud data storage with MongoDB for spatial querying and found that the proposed storage strategy provides higher data encoding, index construction and retrieval speeds, and more scalable storage structures to support efficient point cloud spatial query processing compared to many mainstream point cloud indexing strategies and database systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of abundant spatio-temporal information based on the location of mobile objects in publicly accessible GPS mobile devices makes it crucial to collect, analyze, and mine such information. Therefore, it is necessary to index a large volume of trajectory data to facilitate efficient trajectory retrieval and access. It is difficult for existing indexing methods that primarily rely on data-driven indexing structures (such as R-Tree) or space-driven indexing structures (such as Quadtree) to support efficient analysis and computation of data based on spatio-temporal range queries as a service basis, especially when applied to massive trajectory data. In this study, we propose a massive GPS data storage and indexing method based on uneven spatial segmentation and trajectory optimization segmentation. Primarily, the method divides GPS trajectories in a large spatio-temporal data space into multiple MBR sequences by greedy algorithm. Then, a hybrid indexing model for segmented trajectories is constructed to form a global spatio-temporal segmentation scheme, called HHBITS index, to achieve hierarchical organization of trajectory data. Eventually, a spatio-temporal range query processing method is proposed based on this index. This paper implements and evaluates the index in MongoDB and compares it with two other spatio-temporal composite indexes for performing spatio-temporal range queries efficiently. The experimental results show that the method in this paper has high performance in responding to spatio-temporal queries on large-scale trajectory data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, as a research hotspot for time series data (TSD), the deep clustering analysis of TSD has huge research value and practical significance. However, there still exist the following three problems: (1) For deep clustering based on joint optimization, the inevitably mutual interference existing between deep feature representation learning progress and clustering progress leads to difficult model training especially in the initial stage, the possible feature space distortion, inaccurate and weak feature representation; (2) Existing deep clustering methods are difficult to intuitively define the similarity of time series and rely heavily on complex feature extraction networks and clustering algorithms. (3) Multidimensional time series have the characteristics of high dimensions, complex relationships between dimensions, and variable data forms, thus generating a huge feature space. It is difficult for existing methods to select discriminative features, resulting in generally low accuracy of methods. Accordingly, to address the above three problems, we proposed a novel general two-stage multi-dimensional spatial features based multi-view deep clustering method 1DCAE-TSSAMC (One-dimensional deep convolutional auto-encoder based two-stage stepwise amplification multi-clustering). We conducted verification and analysis based on real-world important multi-scenario, and compared with many other benchmarks ranging from the most classic approaches such as K-means and Hierarchical to the state-of-the-art approaches based on deep learning such as Deep Temporal Clustering (DTC) and Temporal Clustering Network (TCN). Experimental results show that the new method outperforms the other benchmarks, and provides more accurate, richer, and more reliable analysis results, more importantly, with significant improvement in accuracy and spatial linear separability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose aerogels have great prospects for noise reduction applications due to their sustainable value and superior 3D interconnected porous structures. The drying principle is a crucial factor in the preparation process for developing high-performance aerogels, particularly with respect to achieving high acoustic absorption properties. In this study, multifunctional cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) aerogels were conveniently prepared using two distinct freeze-drying principles: refrigerator conventional freezing (RCF) and liquid nitrogen unidirectional freezing (LnUF). The results indicate that the rapid RCF process resulted in a denser CNC aerogel structure with disordered larger pores, causing a stronger compressive performance (Young's modulus of 40 kPa). On the contrary, the LnUF process constructed ordered structures of CNC aerogels with a lower bulk density (0.03 g/cm3) and smaller apertures, resulting in better thermal stability, higher diffuse reflection across visible light, and especially increased acoustic absorption performance at low–mid frequencies (600–3000 Hz). Moreover, the dissipation mechanism of sound energy in the fabricated CNC aerogels is predicted by a designed porous media model. This work not only paves the way for optimizing the performance of aerogels through structure control, but also provides a new perspective for developing sustainable and efficient acoustic absorptive materials for a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tropospheric delay caused by the temporal and spatial variation of meteorological parameters is the main error source in interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) applications for geodesy. To minimize the impact of tropospheric delay errors, it is necessary to select the appropriate tropospheric delay correction method for different regions. In this study, the interferogram results of the InSAR, corrected for tropospheric delay using the Linear, Generic Atmospheric Correction Online Service for InSAR (GACOS) and ERA-5 atmospheric reanalysis dataset (ERA5) methods, are presented for the study area of the junction of the Hengduan Mountains and the Yunnan–Kweichow Plateau, which is significantly influenced by the plateau monsoon climate. Four representative regions, Eryuan, Binchuan, Dali, and Yangbi, are selected for the study and analysis. The phase standard deviation (STD), phase–height correlation, and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) data were used to evaluate the effect of tropospheric delay correction by integrating topographic, seasonal, and meteorological factors. The results show that all three methods can attenuate the tropospheric delay, but the correction effect varies with spatial and temporal characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhaotong City in Yunnan Province is one of the largest apple growing bases in China. However, the terrain of Zhaotong City is complicated, and the rainy weather is more frequent, which brings difficulties to the identification of apple orchards by remote sensing. In this paper, an improved spectral angle feature is proposed by combining the Spectral Angle Mapper and Sentinel-1 data. Based on the Google Earth Engine and Sentinel image, a random forest classifier was used to extract apple orchards in the Ganhe Reservoir area, Zhaoyang District, Zhaotong City, which provides a theoretical basis for extracting the spatial distribution and sustainable development of the local apple industry. The classification results show that the improved spectral angle characteristics can improve the overall accuracy and F1 score of apple orchards. The RGB band combined with NDVI, GLCM, and improved spectral angle features obtained the most favorable results, and the F1 score and overall accuracy were 88.89% and 84.44%, respectively, which proved the reliability of the method in identifying apple orchards in Zhaotong City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to fabricate steel foams with high porosity,uniform pore structure and high-performance, steel foams with different porosities and cell sizes were fabricated by a sintering-dissolution process using 316L stainless steel powder as raw material and CaCl2 as pore forming agent, and steel foam-sandwich panels were fabricated by physical bonding. Three-point bending tests were carried out to explore the bending performance of steel foam and steel foam-sandwich panels. The influence of the porosity and cell size of foam sample on the bending load was analyzed and discussed,and the bending strength of steel foam -sandwich panel was compared with steel foam sample. The results show that the bending deformation of steel foam is started at the weakest cell wall firstly,then the cracks are initiated and propagated,eventually the macroscopic fracture is caused. For steel foam-sandwich panels,the maximum load is reduced from 2345 N to 1254 N when the porosity is increased from 69.4% to 82.5%,whereas the maximum bending load of steel foam-sandwich panels is increased by 15%-43% with the same porosity. When the cell size is increased from 1.9 mm to 3.9 mm and the porosity is about 73%,the maximum bending load is reduced from 2070 N to 1528 N,whereas the maximum bending load of steel foam-sandwich panels is increased by 15%-28% with the same pore size. Under the same porosity and pore size,the steel foam-sandwich panels have excellent resistance to bending at least 15% higher than the steel foam.

Al-Ti-C-(Ce) grain refiners were prepared by combining in-situ reaction, hot extrusion, and adding CeO2. The effects of second phase TiC particle size and distribution, extrusion ratio, and Ce addition on the grain-refining performance of grain refiners were investigated. The results show that about 10 nm TiC particles are dispersed on the surface and inside of 100–200 nm Ti particles by in-situ reaction. The Al-Ti-C grain refiners, which are made, by hot extrusion, of a mixture of in-situ reaction Ti/TiC composite powder and Al powder, increase the effective nucleation phase of α-Al and hinder grain growth due to the fine and dispersed TiC; this results in the average size of pure aluminum grains to decrease from 1912.4 μm to 504.8 μm (adding 1 wt.% Al-Ti-C grain refiner). Additionally, with the increase of the extrusion ratio from 13 to 30, the average size of pure aluminum grains decreases further to 470.8 μm. This is because the micropores in the matrix of grain refiners are reduced, and the nano-TiC aggregates are dispersed with the fragmentation of Ti particles, resulting in a sufficient Al-Ti reaction and an enhanced nucleation effect of nano-TiC. Furthermore, Al-Ti-C-Ce grain refiners were prepared by adding CeO2. Under the conditions of holding for 3–5 min and adding a 5.5 wt.% Al-Ti-C-Ce grain refiner, the average size of pure aluminum grains is reduced to 48.4–48.8 μm. The reason for the excellent grain-refining and good anti-fading performance of the Al-Ti-C-Ce grain refiner is presumedly related to the Ti2Al20Ce rare earth phases and [Ce] atoms, which hinder agglomeration, precipitation, and dissolution of the TiC and TiAl3 particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During routine bridge maintenance, edge detection allows the partial condition of the bridge to be viewed. However, many edge detection methods often have unsatisfactory performances when dealing with images with complex backgrounds. Moreover, the processing often involves the manual selection of thresholds, which can result in repeated testing and comparisons. To address these problems in this paper, the wavelet transform modulus maxima method is used to detect the target image, and then the threshold value of the image can be determined automatically according to the OTSU method to remove the pseudo-edges. Thus, the real image edges can be detected. The results show that the information entropy and SSIM of the detection results are the highest when compared with the commonly used Canny and Laplace algorithms, which means that the detection quality is optimal. To more fully illustrate the advantages of the algorithms, images with more complex backgrounds were detected and the processing results of the algorithms in this paper are still optimal. In addition, the automatic selection of thresholds saves the operator's effort and improves the detection efficiency. Thanks to the combined use of the above two methods, detection quality and efficiency are significantly improved, which has a good application in engineering practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to prepare stainless steel foams (SSFs) with high specific strength, cost-effective performance, and multiple relative density ranges, this work used CaCl2 as a space holder to prepare 304 and 430 SSF samples with different relative densities using the powder metallurgy method. The microstructure and the properties were compared and analyzed by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and a universal testing machine. The results show that the matrix of 304 SSFs is austenite and 430 is ferrite. In the quasi-static compression test, when the relative density was in the range of 0.33~0.12, their compressive strength increased with the relative density increasing; the maximum compressive strength of 304 SSFs reached 40.29 MPa and that of 430 SSFs was 49.79 MPa. While the compressive strength of 430 SSFs is significantly higher than 304 SSFs at a similar relative density, 304 SSFs show better stability in the plastic deformation stage. When the deformation reached densification, the maximum energy absorption value of 304 SSFs reached 15.94 MJ/m3, while 430 SSFs was 22.70 MJ/m3. The energy absorption value increased with the relative density increasing, and 430 SSFs exhibited a higher energy absorption capacity than 304 SSFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]