Restoration Method Research Articles

Composite substrates for coral larval settlement and reef restoration based on natural hydraulic lime and inorganic strontium and magnesium compounds

Coral reefs face unprecedented threats from climate change and human activities, making reef restoration increasingly important for the preservation of marine biodiversity and the sustainability of coastal communities. One promising restoration method relies on coral breeding and larval settlement, but this approach requires further innovation to achieve high rates of settlement and survival. In this study, we built on our previous work engineering lime mortar-based coral settlement substrates by investigating three different compositions of a natural hydraulic lime (NHL) base material as well as composite NHL substrates containing alkaline earth metals. These materials were tested with larvae of three reef-building Caribbean coral species: Orbicella faveolata (Mountainous star coral), Diploria labyrinthiformis (Grooved brain coral), and Colpophyllia natans (Boulder brain coral). We found that the base material composition, including its silicate and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content, as well as the addition of the inorganic additives strontium carbonate (SrCO3), magnesium carbonate (MgCO3), and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4), all influenced coral larval settlement rates. Overall, NHL formulations with lower concentrations of silicate and higher concentrations of calcium, strontium, and magnesium carbonates significantly increased coral settlement. Further, when dissolved ions of magnesium and strontium were added to seawater, both had a significant effect on larval motility, with magnesium promoting settlement and metamorphosis in C. natans larvae, supporting the observation that these additives are also bioactive when incorporated into substrates. Our results demonstrate the potential benefits of incorporating specific inorganic ion additives such as Mg2+ and Sr2+ into substrates to facilitate early coral life history processes including settlement and metamorphosis. Further, our results highlight the importance of optimizing multiple aspects of coral substrate design, including material composition, to promote settlement and survival in coral propagation and reef restoration.

Complex network theory and game theory-based partitioning decision-making of parallel restoration for resilient power grid

The ability of fast restoration reflects power system resilience and safety. This paper proposes a partitioning decision-making method for parallel restoration based on the label propagation algorithm and the cooperative game theory. The topological and physical characteristics of blackout systems are considered as the edge weight and the node importance simultaneously for formulating the partitioning model. By the label propagation algorithm, various labels representing different subsystems mark all buses. To accelerate the speed of convergence and prevent the label oscillation, this paper proposes a game strategy of cooperation between buses and subsystems by evaluating the Shapley value of buses. The partitioning constraints are integrated into each label propagation process to assess the feasibility of the partitioning strategy. Finally, case studies on the IEEE 39- and 118-bus test systems and an actual urban power system in South China verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

BORDERLINE OVARIAN TUMORS. MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL REHABILITATION

Ovarian tumors are the most common diseases of the female reproductive system that require comprehensive treatment. Any tumor diseases often cause negative consequences for mental health. In order to prevent undesirable mental reactions in patients who have suffered from such a disease, it is necessary to apply rehabilitation measures. Restorative treatment methods accelerate regeneration of body functions, reduce the frequency of complications, thereby improving the prognosis of the disease. The aim of the study is to study the impact of medical and psychological rehabilitation on the quality of life in patients who have suffered a borderline ovarian tumor. Materials and methods. Medical and psychological rehabilitation, which consists of a set of measures, is important in the recovery of patients with borderline ovarian tumors. These methods help to cope faster with unpleasant and adverse symptoms caused by the disease. In this work, medical and psychological monitoring of 30 patients was carried out, the average age was 28 years, and all patients were diagnosed with borderline ovarian tumor. Research results. It was found that in patients with borderline ovarian tumors who underwent complex rehabilitation measures, the risk of mental disorders decreased. For the first time, a questionnaire entitled "Scale for assessing the severity of the risk for dependent behavior development in patients with borderline ovarian tumor" was used to evaluate the results. Conclusions. Patients who suffered a borderline ovarian tumor and underwent a course of medical and psychological rehabilitation are better adapted to all areas of daily life. Various techniques designed to work with stress significantly improve the quality of life in patients. After carrying out the complex of rehabilitation measures, the risk of mental disorders is minimal. Such patients did not have symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Joint Distortion Restoration and Quality Feature Learning for No-reference Image Quality Assessment

No-reference image quality assessment (NR-IQA) methods, inspired by the free energy principle, improve the accuracy of image quality prediction by simulating the human brain’s repair process for distorted images. However, existing methods use separate optimization schemes for distortion restoration and quality prediction, which undermines the accurate mapping of feature representations to quality scores. To address this issue, we propose a joint restoration and quality feature learning NR-IQA (RQFL-IQA) method to jointly tackle distortion image restoration and quality prediction within a unified framework. To accurately establish the quality reconstruction relationship between distorted and restored images, a hybrid loss function based on pixel-wise and structure-wise representations is used to improve the restoration capability of the image restoration network. The proposed RQFL-IQA exploits rich labels, including restored images and quality scores, to enable the model to learn more discriminative features and establish a more accurate mapping from feature representation to quality scores. In addition, to avoid the impact of poor restoration on quality prediction, we propose a module with a cleaning function to reweight the fusion of restored and primitive features to achieve more perceptual consistency in feature fusion. Experimental results on public IQA datasets show that the proposed RQFL-IQA is superior over existing methods.

Diversity of bumble bees and butterflies in Minnesota roadsides depends on floral diversity and abundance but not floral native status

Abstract Habitat loss is an important driver in the rapid decline of many insects. The restoration of roadside habitat has been touted as an opportunity to support communities of bumble bees and butterflies, two insect groups of conservation concern. However, it is unclear how current roadside restoration methods translate to pollinator abundance and diversity. Here, we ask how the plant communities of roadsides seeded with native and non‐native seed mixes affect bumble bee and butterfly communities 2–20 years after planting. We found that bumble bee and butterfly abundance and diversity were positively correlated with floral abundance and diversity. However, the pollinator community in plots planted with diverse native seed mixes did not differ from that found in plots seeded with species‐poor non‐native mixes, likely because many forbs in the native seed mixes had poor establishment, and all plots were readily colonised by species that were never planted. While plots with more native flowers did not necessarily support higher pollinator diversity, we did find several native plants that established well in roadsides and supported pollinators, including goldenrods (Solidago spp.), milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) and wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa). Our data suggest that managing a more diverse and abundant floral community will benefit bumble bees and butterflies. Refining the composition of native seed mixes, adding more floral abundance to non‐native mixes and investing in management for native plant communities may increase the habitat value of roadsides for pollinator communities.

Legal Protection of Children of Narcotics Abusers with A Restorative Justice Approach

This thesis examines the involvement of children in narcotics crimes. This research aims to examine the suboptimal implementation of the Restorative Justice process for children who are perpetrators of narcotics crimes. The effectiveness of prison sentences for children who abuse narcotics is weakened when the responsibility for their rehabilitation is not borne by law enforcement officials. The problems in this research include two main questions regarding what existing regulations relate to legal protection for children involved in drug abuse and how the application of Restorative Justice methods can improve legal protection for children involved in drug abuse. The research methodology used in this research is normative juridical, with qualitative descriptive data analysis techniques. Research findings show that legal protection for children involved in drug abuse in Indonesia is realized through the implementation of the Juvenile Criminal Justice System Law, the Narcotics Law, and the Child Protection Law. Problem solving for minors involved in drug abuse must be based on the principles of restorative justice, which emphasizes restoration of their original condition, and not imprisonment as a form of retaliation. From the perspective that the incorporation of a restorative justice framework must become an integral part of the criminal justice system, it is important to consider the restorative approach as a new paradigm that offers greater effectiveness compared to the punitive strategies used in dealing with cases of child drug abusers.

Editorial: Ecological restoration in drylands: toward land degradation neutrality

Land degradation neutrality (LDN) has been defined as “a state whereby the amount and quality of land resources necessary to support ecosystem functions and services remains stable or increases within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems.” In practice, the application and success of LDN in drylands vary greatly depending on the targeted ecosystem services and the impacts of environmental conditions and various restoration methods on the efficacy and sustainability of restoration. In this editorial, we summarize the most viewed and downloaded articles contributing to the Research Topic “Ecological Restoration in Drylands: Toward Land Degradation Neutrality” of the journal Frontiers in Environmental Science.

Effect of Liquid Fertilizer on Seedling Enhalus acoroides Seeds (Linnaeus f.) Royle 1839 (Fam: Hydrocharitaceae)

The decrease in seagrass coverage and ecosystem harm to seagrass meadows is an annual occurrence resulting from both natural and human activities. Seagrass seeding has been deemed an effective restoration method, but its application is restricted by suboptimal environmental conditions and constraints associated with directly planting seagrass seeds in their natural habitat. The influence of environmental parameters, particularly nutrients, significantly affect on seagrass seed survival. NPK liquid fertilizer is commonly used in aquatic plants and is readily accessible in the market. It serves as a crucial source of macronutrients for seagrass. This study investigates the impact of different concentrations of NPK liquid fertilizer on the survival rate, growth, and chlorophyll, a content of E. acoroides seedlings. The study took place between March and May 2023 at the marine biology laboratory of the marine science study program at Diponegoro University's Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science. According to the Manova statistical test, the NPK liquid fertilizer had an impact on the growth rate, biomass, and chlorophyll-a. The seagrass seeding container of E. acoroides treated with a liquid fertilizer concentration of 4.5 ml/100l exhibited the highest average growth rate of 0.29 cm/day and a chlorophyll-a value of 12.395 mg/g, with a survival rate of 100%. Causal connections between statements ensure logical construction. In contrast, seedlings without liquid fertilizer treatment showed the lowest growth rate of 0.19 cm/day and chlorophyll-a values of 5.169 mg/g, with a survival rate of 85.19%. Technical term abbreviations such as 'cm/day' and 'mg/g' are explained when first used to ensure clarity. Based on these findings, using liquid fertilizer with a concentration of 4.5 ml/l exhibits potential for restoring seagrass ecosystems.

Unsupervised Pan-Sharpening via Mutually Guided Detail Restoration

Pan-sharpening is a task that aims to super-resolve the low-resolution multispectral (LRMS) image with the guidance of a corresponding high-resolution panchromatic (PAN) image. The key challenge in pan-sharpening is to accurately modeling the relationship between the MS and PAN images. While supervised deep learning methods are commonly employed to address this task, the unavailability of ground-truth severely limits their effectiveness. In this paper, we propose a mutually guided detail restoration method for unsupervised pan-sharpening. Specifically, we treat pan-sharpening as a blind image deblurring task, in which the blur kernel can be estimated by a CNN. Constrained by the blur kernel, the pan-sharpened image retains spectral information consistent with the LRMS image. Once the pan-sharpened image is obtained, the PAN image is blurred using a pre-defined blur operator. The pan-sharpened image, in turn, is used to guide the detail restoration of the blurred PAN image. By leveraging the mutual guidance between MS and PAN images, the pan-sharpening network can implicitly learn the spatial relationship between the two modalities. Extensive experiments show that the proposed method significantly outperforms existing unsupervised pan-sharpening methods.

Decoupling Degradations with Recurrent Network for Video Restoration in Under-Display Camera

Under-display camera (UDC) systems are the foundation of full-screen display devices in which the lens mounts under the display. The pixel array of light-emitting diodes used for display diffracts and attenuates incident light, causing various degradations as the light intensity changes. Unlike general video restoration which recovers video by treating different degradation factors equally, video restoration for UDC systems is more challenging that concerns removing diverse degradation over time while preserving temporal consistency. In this paper, we introduce a novel video restoration network, called D2RNet, specifically designed for UDC systems. It employs a set of Decoupling Attention Modules (DAM) that effectively separate the various video degradation factors. More specifically, a soft mask generation function is proposed to formulate each frame into flare and haze based on the diffraction arising from incident light of different intensities, followed by the proposed flare and haze removal components that leverage long- and short-term feature learning to handle the respective degradations. Such a design offers an targeted and effective solution to eliminating various types of degradation in UDC systems. We further extend our design into multi-scale to overcome the scale-changing of degradation that often occur in long-range videos. To demonstrate the superiority of D2RNet, we propose a large-scale UDC video benchmark by gathering HDR videos and generating realistically degraded videos using the point spread function measured by a commercial UDC system. Extensive quantitative and qualitative evaluations demonstrate the superiority of D2RNet compared to other state-of-the-art video restoration and UDC image restoration methods.

Land degradation and development in India: Status quo, challenges and opportunities

AbstractThis article reviews and synthesizes the articles published in a virtual special issue (VSI) “Land Degradation and Development in India: Status quo, challenges, and opportunities.” A total of 31 studies (28 research papers and three reviews) are published in this VSI covering various agroclimatic zones of India. These articles provide insights on how different natural and anthropogenic disturbances affect the diversity, and functioning of forests, grasslands, agriculture, agroforestry, and physicochemical and biological composition of the soil. Twelve of these articles also investigate the effectiveness of different restoration methods to restore various degraded ecosystems through agroforestry, afforestation and reforestation, organic amendments, and agroecological interventions. The historical journey of forest restoration, behavioral pattern of local communities for conservation and restoration, and policy framework for restoration in India are discussed in three independent articles. Overall, there is convergence in learnings from these papers for structural and non‐structural land degradation, soil salinization, and agroforestry but results from papers on plantations and organic inputs into farming highlight the need for more research.

Prediction of the impact of ecological restoration technology on the restoration of heavy metal pollution in agricultural soil

ABSTRACT Heavy metal in agricultural soils increases its contamination and infertility in a due course of time. The vast expansion of industrialization along the agricultural soils has led to such adverse effects impacting vegetation. Several existing learning techniques are utilized to analyze the contamination in agricultural soil; however, the learning process consumes a high restoration error rate. This article introduces a Concentration-specific Restoration Prediction Technique (CRPT) for heavy metal-exposed agricultural soils. This technique relies on the heavy metal level present in different soil types for assessing its adverse impact. The vegetation failures and infertility progressions are accounted for by the continuous recurrent learning for predicting its restoration age. The restoration procedures preferred in the earlier stages are used for training the recurrent neural network. Based on the more feasible restoration method, the failure and infertility are validated for achieving a maximum prediction value. The learning process accounts for soil type, crop resistance, and climatic factors for holding restoration procedures. Therefore, the learning process performs restoration prediction along with resistance analysis for progressive restoration prediction. The least possible prediction value is validated using different training inputs for matching outputs. This technique is reliable in detecting pollution possibility with maximum restoration prediction (9.41%) and less training error (14.53%).

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Three Times Titanium Plate Gradual Fixation Method in the Treatment of Extracapsular Condylar Fractures.

An improved method of treating inwardly dislocated mandibular extracapsular condylar fracture-three times titanium plate gradual fixation method was introduced, and the clinical efficacy of this method was evaluated. Twenty patients with extracapsular condylar fractures who underwent surgical treatment using the three times titanium plate gradual restoration and fixation method in the Department of Oral Craniomaxillofacial Surgery of the Ninth People's Hospital of Shanghai from November 2020 to June 2023 were selected as the study subjects. After condylar restoration 22 sides reached healing and 1 side was basically healed; in 3 months after the operation, the degree of opening the mouth and the type of the opening of the mouth reached normal, and 1 case had mildly poor occlusion, which required to be further adjusted through orthodontics, and there was no temporomandibular function disorder or facial nerve function damage. Three times of gradual fixation with a titanium plate can make the condylar process achieve precise and stable repositioning, and make the surgical process orderly, and it is a kind of reliable fixation method for extracapsular condylar fractures.

Human urine does not protect acorns against predation by the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus): a field study with video recording

Direct seeding is a revegetation method that can offer great advantages for forest restoration, but suffers the drawback of seed loss due to granivorous rodents. Thus, to make direct seeding a useful and scalable forest restoration method, we need to find ways to protect seeds against rodents. Scents produced by carnivorous or omnivorous animals that elicit a fear response on rodents are a promising group of substances that can be used to protect seeds and that have demonstrated effectiveness in a number of cases. Here, I test if human urine has a protective effect on Holm oak (Quercus ilex) acorns against predation by mice. Human urine would be much easier and cheaper to obtain than the urine of other animals, providing the possibility, if effective, to scale the application of a repellent substance. I set up a field experiment in an area with high wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) abundance and used eight urine donors. Neither urine nor donor had any effect. Acorn removal was very fast and high, reaching 97.2% after 7 days. Video recording with camera traps showed that the wood mouse was the main predator, but the Eurasian jay also removed acorns. I conclude that human urine is not useful as a repellent against mice and suggest to focus efforts in finding other substances to repel seed predators.

CAD - CAM in Pediatric Dentistry: A brief insight

On introduction of computer aided technology/computer aided manufacturing in pediatric dentistry, treating children has become effortless, mainly children with special health-care needs. This technology aims at the fabrication of restorations with higher strength and better aesthetics by an effortless, quicker and more precise operational process. This technology has proved to be a boon in various fields in pediatric dentistry. The latest trend of minimally invasive dentistry, relies on selective caries removal and restoring it with material which is highly adhesive and aesthetic. CAD-CAM makes use of an optical impression of the required area and occlusion which is taken using hassle-free intra-oral scanners. Machinable high strength composite/ceramic blocks are used which can be polymerized under pressure and temperature. The CAD-CAM technology has its advantage of needing less chair side time, brisk production of restorations with increased precision, eliminating the need for classic methods of impression, high strength and aesthetic restorations and prostheses. CAD-CAM technology can be used for smile designing in patients with developmental defects like Amylogenesis Imperfect, Molar-Incisor Hypo mineralization, etc., prosthetic rehabilitation in patients’ requiring stainless steel crowns and zirconia crowns, restorative procedures like inlays and onlays, naso-alveolar molding etc. Thus, it opens up a sea of possibilities for providing a high quality of treatment for the child with minimal hassle and maximal benefits to the child. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.23 (Special Issue) 2024 p.S38-S42

Finite element analysis of Neanderthal and early Homo sapiens maxillary central incisor

Neanderthal anterior teeth are very large and have a distinctive morphology characterized by robust ‘shovel-shaped’ crowns. These features are frequently seen as adaptive responses in dissipating heavy mechanical loads resulting from masticatory and non-masticatory activities. Although the long-standing debate surrounding this hypothesis has played a central role in paleoanthropology, is still unclear if Neanderthal anterior teeth can resist high mechanical loads or not. A novel way to answer this question is to use a multidisciplinary approach that considers together tooth architecture, dental wear and jaw movements. The aim of this study is to functionally reposition the teeth of Le Moustier 1 (a Neanderthal adolescent) and Qafzeh 9 (an early Homo sapiens adolescent) derived from wear facet mapping, occlusal fingerprint analysis and physical dental restoration methods. The restored dental arches are then used to perform finite element analysis on the left central maxillary incisor during edge-to-edge occlusion. The results show stress distribution differences between Le Moustier 1 and Qafzeh 9, with the former displaying higher tensile stress in enamel around the lingual fossa but lower concentration of stress in the lingual aspect of the root surface. These results seem to suggest that the presence of labial convexity, lingual tubercle and of a large root surface in Le Moustier 1 incisor helps in dissipating mechanical stress. The absence of these dental features in Qafzeh 9 is compensated by the presence of a thicker enamel, which helps in reducing the stress in the tooth crown.

Self-Healing Grids: AI Techniques for Automatic Restoration after Outages

The reliability and resilience of power grids are paramount for sustaining modern society's energy demands. However, power outages resulting from natural disasters, equipment failures, or human errors remain persistent challenges. Traditional approaches to power grid restoration, relying heavily on manual intervention, often lead to delays and inefficiencies in restoring services. [1],[2] Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have spurred the development of self-healing grids capable of autonomously detecting, diagnosing, and restoring power after outages. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of AI techniques employed in self-healing grids and their applications in automatic restoration following outages. The traditional methods of power grid restoration, characterized by manual inspection and decision-making processes, are discussed, highlighting their limitations and challenges. Subsequently, the paper delves into various AI techniques employed in self-healing grids. Machine learning algorithms, such as supervised and unsupervised learning, are utilized for outage detection by analyzing historical data to identify patterns indicative of faults or anomalies. Fault diagnosis is facilitated through the application of Bayesian networks, neural networks, and fuzzy logic systems, enabling operators to accurately identify the root cause of outages and prioritize restoration efforts. Optimization algorithms, including evolutionary algorithms and reinforcement learning, play a crucial role in planning and coordinating restoration efforts to minimize downtime and maximize efficiency. The benefits of self-healing grids, including improved reliability, reduced downtime, and enhanced safety, are discussed alongside the challenges posed by data quality, scalability, and cybersecurity concerns. Finally, the paper outlines future directions, emphasizing advancements in AI techniques, integration with emerging technologies, and the importance of standardization and regulatory frameworks for the future of power grid management. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52783/pst.302

A new bioslurry-induced restoration method via biomineralization for fragmented ceramic cultural relics

This study presents a new restoration method for fragmented ceramic cultural relics using bioslurry-induced biocementation via a microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) process. Bioslurry is highly urease active calcium carbonate crystals, which serve as filling and cementitious material with newly induced calcite precipitation when supplying cementation solution (urea and calcium source). With the pre-filling of bioslurry and newly induced calcite crystals, the fragmented ceramic can be connected and the gap along the fracture surface can be sealed. Due to the high urease active bacteria cells embedded in bioslurry, the ceramic restoration can be completed in 24 h with the optimal concentration of cementation solution of 1.6 M. Taking the advantage of bonding effect gained from newly induced calcite precipitation, the tensile strength was improved up to 0.92 MPa through a customized tensile strength test. This is satisfactory to ensure the stability and integrity of fragmented ceramic after bioslurry-induced restoration. A demonstrative restoration has been completed on fragmented ceramics from Ming Dynasty. With the good bonding strength and high stability of bioslurry-induced calcite precipitation, the proposed bioslurry-induced restoration method contributes valuable insights to the conservation of ceramic cultural relics. Other prospective applications include the restoration of masonry relics and bone relics.

Valorization of Cappadocia waste earth in the production of sustainable lime-based grouts

Historical structures and natural landscapes in Turkey's Cappadocia Region, a popular tourist spot, have been designated mixed heritage sites on the World Heritage List since 1985. The region's old rock-cut and masonry constructions have been damaged for various reasons. Furthermore, the waste volcanic tuff excavated during the construction of rock-cut structures in the region totals around 10 million tons of waste material per year. It creates severe visual concerns since it cannot be used effectively in the area. Because repairing ancient buildings needs precision, the restoration method and material should be selected based on the structures' structural system and material attributes. Grouting is one of the most common ways of repairing and strengthening masonry buildings or fissured architectural pieces with adequate connected voids. This technique aims to restore damaged structures' continuity, cohesiveness, and strength while keeping their morphology and load-bearing system intact. This research explores the potential use of waste earth from rock-cut structures in the Cappadocia Region in hydraulic lime-based grouts. Thus, an injection material that can be used to repair fairy chimneys and historical rock-cut and masonry structures in this region will be produced. Various lime-based grout types containing Cappadocia waste earth (CWE) were produced in this scope. The evaluation of grout performance encompassed assessments in the fresh state (Fluidity, Penetrability, and Volume Stability) and the hardened state (Flexural and Compressive strength). Furthermore, this research delved into how Cappadocia waste earth (CWE) influences the physical and microstructural characteristics of lime-based grouts. Thanks to this study, both environmental pollution will be reduced, and sustainability will be contributed.

Unsupervised underwater imaging based on polarization and binocular depth estimation.

Scattering caused by suspended particles in the water severely reduces the radiance of the scene. This paper proposes an unsupervised underwater restoration method based on binocular estimation and polarization. Based on the correlation between the underwater transmission process and depth, this method combines the depth information and polarization information in the scene, uses the neural network to perform global optimization and the depth information is recalculated and updated in the network during the optimization process, and reduces the error generated by using the polarization image to calculate parameters, so that detailed parts of the image are restored. Furthermore, the method reduces the requirement for rigorous pairing of data compared to previous approaches for underwater imaging using neural networks. Experimental results show that this method can effectively reduce the noise in the original image and effectively preserve the detailed information in the scene.