Search Results (12)

As space activities expand rapidly, especially the in-orbit population, concerns about their environmental consequences are growing. For in-space propulsion, this is particularly true under the increasing regulatory pressure on hydrazine-based legacy propellants. In response to that, this study presents a cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the four main current options for in-space liquid bipropellant systems—MON-3/MMH, 98%-HTP/Ethanol, 98%-HTP/RP-1 and N₂O/Ethane—each evaluated as a complete system including propellant-combination loading and sized propulsion-architecture manufacturing. The comparison is performed against a representative 2 kN Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) mission scenario delivering a total $\Delta$v of 2300 m/s. Each solution’s environmental performance is quantified across 15 midpoint indicators, using ESA’s space-specific LCA database and combined through an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) single-score for easier comparison. Results show that while HTP/Ethanol achieves the lowest impact at the propellant-loading level, the N₂O/Ethane system obtains the lowest overall footprint once the full propulsion system architecture, sized for the mission, is included, with a total environmental impact 63% lower than the legacy MON-3/MMH system. A key outcome of this study is that manufacturing propulsion components dominates the life-cycle footprint, bringing up to 95% of the total impact for HTP-based systems and approximately 64% for MON-3/MMH and self-pressurizing architectures, mainly due to the energy-intensive production of titanium and aluminum tanks. In light of these results, this paper proposes a mission-driven definition of “greener” propulsion, requiring at least a 50% reduction in the combined total and human-toxicity impacts, together with a lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) than legacy hydrazine-based systems, given that GWP was identified as the most critical environmental concern to address. However, the study also shows that considering only GWP would have led to an incorrect conclusion, and therefore advises against relying on single-impact environmental assessments. Additional replacement criteria for in-space propellants include cost-efficiency, reliability and global propulsive performance. This work implements a system-level environmental performance assessment and classification framework for in-space liquid propulsion options, providing a structured approach for selecting and qualifying more sustainable alternative candidates for future mission scenarios. Full article

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which early diagnosis improves quality of life and reduces disability. However, diagnostic delays remain common, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study investigated clinical and system-level factors contributing to diagnostic delay in Thailand. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients newly diagnosed with PD at Thammasat University Hospital between June 2020 and June 2024. Demographic, clinical, and healthcare access data were analyzed. Diagnostic intervals were defined as onset-to-visit (OTV), visit-to-diagnosis (VTD), and onset-to-diagnosis (OTD). Age-at-onset groups included early-onset Parkinson’s disease (EOPD, <50 years), regular-onset PD, and very-late-onset PD (≥80 years). Results: Of 1093 patients screened, 109 newly diagnosed PD cases met the inclusion criteria. The median OTV was 360 days, and the median VTD was 10 days. Tremor was the most frequent initial symptom (75%). Patients with higher education and extended family support sought care earlier, whereas those under the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) experienced longer OTD durations (median, 541 vs. 181 days in privately insured patients). More than half of patients were initially misdiagnosed, especially when first evaluated by non-neurologists. Conclusions: Diagnostic delay in Thai PD patients stems mainly from late help-seeking and inequities in healthcare access. Addressing these gaps requires public awareness, physician training, streamlined UCS referral pathways, and adoption of biomarker-supported digital tools to ensure earlier and more equitable diagnosis. Full article

Addressing urban traffic congestion is a pressing issue requiring efficient solutions that need to be analyzed regarding travel time and pollutant emissions. The traffic weighted multi-maps (TWM) method has been proposed as an efficient mechanism for congestion mitigation that enables differential traffic routing and path diversity by strategically distributing different network views (maps) to the drivers. Previous works have focused on TWM generation by creating optimal edge weights, but the complexity exponentially increases with the network size and traffic group diversity. This work describes how congestion and emissions can be addressed using TWM maps based on the k-shortest paths for the traffic flows (instead of individuals) that are optimally assigned and distributed to the components of the traffic flow. The map allocation strategies optimal TWM (OTV), optimal TWM per path flow with linear constraints (LCTV), and its variant unconstrained optimal TWM per path flow (UCTV) are described. They use maps generated from the k-shortest paths of the traffic flows (kSP-TWM). The heuristic solution obtained is compared with the theoretical static traffic assignment estimation baseline with different configurations, regarding congestion reduction, total travel time enhancement, and pollutant emissions. Experiments are developed using a synthetic traffic grid network scenario with a mesoscopic simulation. They show that the solution provided is adequate for its proximity to the theoretical equilibrium solutions and can generate minimum emissions patterns. The presented solution opens new possibilities for further congestion and pollutant management studies and seamless integration with existing traffic management frameworks. Full article

The verification of odor abatement technologies for livestock production based on chemical odorants requires a method for conversion into an odor value that reflects the significance of the individual odorants. The aim of the present study was to compare the SOAV method (Sum of Odor Activity Values) with the odor detection threshold measured by olfactometry and to investigate the assumption of additivity. Synthetic pig house air with odorants at realistic concentration levels was used in the study (hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, trimethylamine, butanoic acid, and 4-methylphenol). An olfactometer with only PTFE in contact with sample air was used to estimate odor threshold values (OTVs) and the odor detection threshold for samples with two to five odorants. The results show a good correlation (R² = 0.88) between SOAV estimated based on the OTVs for panelists in the present study and values found in the literature. For the majority of the samples, the ratio between the odor detection threshold and SOAV was not significantly different from one, which indicates that the OAV for individual odorants in a mixture can be considered additive. In conclusion, the assumption of additivity between odorants measured in pig house air seems reasonable, but the strength of the method is determined by the OTV data used. Full article

As reported in the recent image velocimetry literature, tracking the motion of sparse feature points floating on the river surface as done by the Optical Tracking Velocimetry (OTV) algorithm is a promising strategy to address surface flow monitoring. Moreover, the lightweight nature of OTV coupled with computational optimizations makes it suited even for its deployment in situ to perform measurements at the edge with cheap embedded devices without the need to perform offload processing. Despite these notable achievements, the actual practical deployment of OTV in remote environments would require cheap and self-powered systems enabling continuous measurements without the need for cumbersome and expensive infrastructures rarely found in situ. Purposely, in this paper, we propose an additional simplification to the OTV algorithm to reduce even further its computational requirements, and we analyze self-powered off-the-shelf setups for in situ deployment. We assess the performance of such set-ups from different perspectives to determine the optimal solution to design a cost-effective self-powered measurement node. Full article

Image velocimetry has proven to be a promising technique for monitoring river flows using remotely operated platforms such as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). However, the application of various image velocimetry algorithms has not been extensively assessed. Therefore, a sensitivity analysis has been conducted on five different image velocimetry algorithms including Large Scale Particle Image Velocimetry (LSPIV), Large-Scale Particle Tracking Velocimetry (LSPTV), Kanade–Lucas Tomasi Image Velocimetry (KLT-IV or KLT), Optical Tracking Velocimetry (OTV) and Surface Structure Image Velocimetry (SSIV), during low river flow conditions (average surface velocities of 0.12–0.14 m s ${}^{-1}$ , Q60) on the River Kolubara, Central Serbia. A DJI Phantom 4 Pro UAS was used to collect two 30-second videos of the surface flow. Artificial seeding material was distributed homogeneously across the rivers surface, to enhance the conditions for image velocimetry techniques. The sensitivity analysis was performed on comparable parameters between the different algorithms, including the particle identification area parameters (such as Interrogation Area (LSPIV, LSPTV and SSIV), Block Size (KLT-IV) and Trajectory Length (OTV)) and the feature extraction rate. Results highlighted that KLT and SSIV were sensitive to changing the feature extraction rate; however, changing the particle identification area did not affect the surface velocity results significantly. OTV and LSPTV, on the other hand, highlighted that changing the particle identification area presented higher variability in the results, while changing the feature extraction rate did not affect the surface velocity outputs. LSPIV proved to be sensitive to changing both the feature extraction rate and the particle identification area. This analysis has led to the conclusions that for surface velocities of approximately 0.12 m s ${}^{-1}$ image velocimetry techniques can provide results comparable to traditional techniques such as ADCPs. However, LSPIV, LSPTV and OTV require additional effort for calibration and selecting the appropriate parameters when compared to KLT-IV and SSIV. Despite the varying levels of sensitivity of each algorithm to changing parameters, all configuration image velocimetry algorithms provided results that were within 0.05 m s ${}^{-1}$ of the ADCP measurements, on average. Full article

Optical design parameters for a ground-based infrared sensor rely strongly on the target’s optical radiation properties. Infrared (IR) optical observability and imaging simulations of an Earth entry vehicle were evaluated using a comprehensive numerical model. Based on a ground-based IR detection system, this model considered many physical mechanisms including thermochemical nonequilibrium reacting flow, radiative properties, optical propagation, detection range, atmospheric transmittance, and imaging processes. An orbital test vehicle (OTV) was selected as the research object for analysis of its observability using a ground-based infrared system. IR radiance contours, maximum detecting range (MDR), and thermal infrared (TIR) pixel arrangement were modeled. The results show that the distribution of IR radiance is strongly dependent on the angle of observation and the spectral band. Several special phenomena, including a strong receiving region (SRR), a characteristic attitude, a blind zone, and an equivalent zone, are all found in the varying altitude MDR distributions of mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) irradiances. In addition, the possible increase in detectivity can greatly improve the MDR at high altitudes, especially for the backward and forward views. The difference in the peak radiance of the LWIR images is within one order of magnitude, but the difference in that of the MWIR images varies greatly. Analyses and results indicate that this model can provide guidance in the design of remote ground-based detection systems. Full article

Nonintrusive image-based methods have the potential to advance hydrological streamflow observations by providing spatially distributed data at high temporal resolution. Due to their simplicity, correlation-based approaches have until recent been preferred to alternative image-based approaches, such as optical flow, for camera-based surface flow velocity estimate. In this work, we introduce a novel optical flow scheme, optical tracking velocimetry (OTV), that entails automated feature detection, tracking through the differential sparse Lucas-Kanade algorithm, and then a posteriori filtering to retain only realistic trajectories that pertain to the transit of actual objects in the field of view. The method requires minimal input on the flow direction and camera orientation. Tested on two image data sets collected in diverse natural conditions, the approach proved suitable for rapid and accurate surface flow velocity estimations. Five different feature detectors were compared and the features from accelerated segment test (FAST) resulted in the best balance between the number of features identified and successfully tracked as well as computational efficiency. OTV was relatively insensitive to reduced image resolution but was impacted by acquisition frequencies lower than 7–8 Hz. Compared to traditional correlation-based techniques, OTV was less affected by noise and surface seeding. In addition, the scheme is foreseen to be applicable to real-time gauge-cam implementations. Full article

Measurement while drilling (MWD) data are gathered during drilling operations and can provide information about the strength of the rock penetrated by the boreholes. In this paper MWD data from a marble open-pit operation in northern Norway are studied. The rock types are represented by discrete classes, and the data is then modeled by a hidden Markov model (HMM). Results of using different MWD data variables are studied and presented. These results are compared and co-interpreted with optical televiewer (OTV) images, magnetic susceptibility and spectral gamma values collected in the borehole using down-the-hole sensors. A model with penetration rate, rotation pressure and dampening pressure data show a good visual correlation with OTV image for the studied boreholes. The marble class is characterized by medium penetration rate and medium rotation pressure, whereas the intrusions are characterized by low penetration rate and medium to high rotation pressure. The fractured marble is characterized by high penetration rate, high rotation and low dampening pressure. Future research will use the presented results to develop a heterogeneity index, develop an MWD-based 3D-geology model and an improved sampling strategy and investigate how to implement this in the mine planning process and reconciliation. Full article

Prasinoviruses are large dsDNA viruses commonly found in aquatic systems worldwide, where they can infect and lyse unicellular prasinophyte algae such as Ostreococcus. Host susceptibility is virus strain-specific, but resistance of susceptible Ostreococcus tauri strains to a virulent virus arises frequently. In clonal resistant lines that re-grow, viruses are usually present for many generations, and genes clustered on chromosome 19 show physical rearrangements and differential expression. Here, we investigated changes occurring during the first two weeks after inoculation of the prasinovirus OtV5. By serial dilutions of cultures at the time of inoculation, we estimated the frequency of resistant cells arising in virus-challenged O. tauri cultures to be 10⁻³–10⁻⁴ of the inoculated population. Re-growing resistant cells were detectable by flow cytometry 3 days post-inoculation (dpi), visible re-greening of cultures occurred by 6 dpi, and karyotypic changes were visually detectable at 8 dpi. Resistant cell lines showed a modified spectrum of host-virus specificities and much lower levels of OtV5 adsorption. Full article

Viruses are important evolutionary drivers of host ecology and evolution. The marine picoplankton Ostreococcus tauri has three known resistance types that arise in response to infection with the Phycodnavirus OtV5: susceptible cells (S) that lyse following viral entry and replication; resistant cells (R) that are refractory to viral entry; and resistant producers (RP) that do not all lyse but maintain some viruses within the population. To test for evolutionary costs of maintaining antiviral resistance, we examined whether O. tauri populations composed of each resistance type differed in their evolutionary responses to several environmental drivers (lower light, lower salt, lower phosphate and a changing environment) in the absence of viruses for approximately 200 generations. We did not detect a cost of resistance as measured by life-history traits (population growth rate, cell size and cell chlorophyll content) and competitive ability. Specifically, all R and RP populations remained resistant to OtV5 lysis for the entire 200-generation experiment, whereas lysis occurred in all S populations, suggesting that resistance is not costly to maintain even when direct selection for resistance was removed, or that there could be a genetic constraint preventing return to a susceptible resistance type. Following evolution, all S population densities dropped when inoculated with OtV5, but not to zero, indicating that lysis was incomplete, and that some cells may have gained a resistance mutation over the evolution experiment. These findings suggest that maintaining resistance in the absence of viruses was not costly. Full article

We examine the possibility of introducing a new class of so called noniterative corrections to coupled cluster energies, based on the connected moments expansion (CMX). Approximate Coupled Cluster (CC) wave functions are used as reference states and then the “improved energies” can be formally obtained either by CMX in terms of the moments of CC similarity transformed Hamiltonian, or in CMX of the usual Hamiltonian. Numerical results are given for some model systems that show the superiority of the latter approach. Full article