bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Remaining Useful Life Prediction Method for Stochastic Degrading Devices Considering Predictive Maintenance
Authors: Dong Qing , Pei Hong , Hu Changhua , Zheng Jianfei , Du Dangbo
Published: February 2025

Predictive maintenance, recognized as an effective health management strategy for extending the lifetime of devices, has emerged as a hot research topic in recent years. A general method is to execute two separate steps: data-driven remaining useful life (RUL) prediction and a maintenance strategy. However, among the numerous studies that conducted maintenance and replacement activities based on the results of RUL prediction, little attention has been paid to the impact of preventive maintenance on sensor-based monitoring data, which further affects the RUL for repairable degrading devices. In this paper, an adaptive RUL prediction method is proposed for repairable degrading devices in order to improve the accuracy of prediction results and achieve adaptability to future degradation processes. Firstly, a phased degradation model based on an adaptive Wiener process is established, taking into account the impact of imperfect maintenance. Meanwhile, integrating the impact of maintenance activities on the degradation rate and state, the probability distribution of RUL can be derived based on the concept of first hitting time (FHT). Secondly, a method is proposed for model parameter identification and updating that incorporates the individual variation among devices, integrating maximum likelihood estimation and Bayesian inference. Finally, the effectiveness of the RUL prediction method is ultimately validated through numerical simulation and its application to repairable gyroscope degradation data.
Enhancing Smart Home Security: Blockchain-Enabled Federated Learning with Knowledge Distillation for Intrusion Detection
Authors: Shalan Mohammed , Hasan Md Rakibul , Bai Yan , Li Juan
Published: February 2025

The increasing adoption of smart home devices has raised significant concerns regarding privacy, security, and vulnerability to cyber threats. This study addresses these challenges by presenting a federated learning framework enhanced with blockchain technology to detect intrusions in smart home environments. The proposed approach combines knowledge distillation and transfer learning to support heterogeneous IoT devices with varying computational capacities, ensuring efficient local training without compromising privacy. Blockchain technology is integrated to provide decentralized, tamper-resistant access control through Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), allowing only authenticated devices to participate in the federated learning process. This combination ensures data confidentiality, system integrity, and trust among devices. This framework’s performance was evaluated using the N-BaIoT dataset, showcasing its ability to detect anomalies caused by botnets such as Mirai and BASHLITE across diverse IoT devices. Results demonstrate significant improvements in intrusion detection accuracy, particularly for resource-constrained devices, while maintaining privacy and adaptability in dynamic smart home environments. These findings highlight the potential of this blockchain-enhanced federated learning system to offer a scalable, robust, and privacy-preserving solution for securing smart homes against evolving threats.
The Interconnection of Double Materiality Assessment, Circularity Practices Disclosure and Business Development in the Fast Fashion Industry
Authors: Bogdan Victoria , Rus Luminița , Matica Diana Elisabeta
Published: February 2025

This qualitative study aimed to explore double materiality reporting practices and their impact and financial materiality relevance as well as the disclosure of circularity practices in connection with financial and ESG reporting in the fast fashion industry. Thematic deductive content analysis (TDCA) was performed in five steps on sustainability reports of iconic fast fashion companies, with the aim of identifying recurring disclosure themes and patterns with the help of the NVivo 14 software. The results reveal that strongly addressed topics in the reporting of double materiality are the sustainable and environmentally friendly use of resources and involvement in the community, while the least addressed is employee wellbeing. A strong positive association between double materiality assessment and resource efficiency was found, proving that the efficient use of resources significantly improves environmental performance. Also, circularity innovation shows high correlations with the assessment of environmental impact materiality and governance, highlighting the role of innovation in enhancing overall sustainability. Integrating circular practices into corporate strategies shows that companies performing very well in circularity are most likely to have higher ESG performance in the future. The integrated approach of double materiality and corporate circularity disclosure analysis is highlighted by the connectivity analysis on material financial and ESG reporting and circularity disclosure. Assessing double materiality information requires professional judgment, and mapping the sustainability aspects related to disclosure requirements requires a unitary methodology and a customized list of impact, risks, and opportunities. The study’s implications aim to improve sustainability information reporting and materiality matrix analysis but can also be extended to circular economy regulations.
Microalgal Diversity as Bioindicators for Assessing and Sustaining Water Quality in the High Mountain Lakes of Quimsacocha, Azuay, Ecuador
Authors: Delgado-Fernández Ernesto , Cruz Darío , Ayavaca Rubén , Benítez Ángel , Hernández Bolívar
Published: February 2025

Phytoplankton has an essential role as a primary producer in lakes, providing information on environmental conditions and water quality. The objective of this research was to inventory, characterize, and assess the diversity of microalgae in the Quimsacocha lake system in Azuay, Ecuador. Water samples were collected from the two most important Quimsacocha lakes to morphologically characterize the microalgae and evaluate their diversity. The diversity and physicochemical parameters were measured to evaluate and explain differences in community richness and composition using multivariate analysis (NMDS and PERMANOVA). The level of organic pollution in the lakes was estimated using the Pollution Index, and the trophic status was assessed using dominant phytoplankton (AARL-PP Score). Eighty morphospecies were identified within 25 genera, 16 families and 8 classes. The Bacillariophyceae class was the most diverse, represented by five families. The genera Synedra, Chlorella, and Cosmarium were the most abundant, suggesting a moderate level of organic pollution and a mesotrophic state in the lakes. Physicochemical parameters such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and electrical conductivity were similar in both lakes. Nonetheless, the lake depth was different, varying between 0.9 and 8 m in LQA (with one extreme value of 22 m), compared to LQB, which had depths between 7 and 19 m. Alpha diversity revealed a significant difference (p = 0.0001) in species abundance between the two lakes, while specific richness was similar (p = 0.8213). In terms of beta diversity, a significant difference in species composition was observed (p = 0.001). This study provides base-line information regarding the ecological status of these Andean lakes, being of great help in developing conservation plans to preserve their biodiversity and water quality for human consumption.
Preserving and Developing Small Italian Borghi. An Economic Strategy to Enhance Sustainable Cultural Tourism?
Authors: Ivona Antonietta , Lopez Lucrezia
Published: February 2025

During recent years, a lot of attention has been given to economic and demographic trends in different rural areas. Considering this, the main aim of the present work is answering the following research question: Can a robust resilience of small towns and villages (also called Borghi, in Italian), bolstered by powerful planning and financial force through the NRRP, reverse the abandonment process? Our case study refers to Italy. In physics, resilience refers to the ability of a system to recover shape and balance after some form of turbulence. Applied to regional and urban development, this term is generally construed as the ability of a system to respond to changes that occur at different territorial scales. Beyond the interpretative differences, the potential of the concept of resilience for the analysis of the economic growth dynamics of the territories remains significant. The initial findings of this work reveal how the interventions in marginalised areas have failed to correspond to the intended ’territoriality’, thus compromising their effectiveness.
Performance Tracking of Sustainable Tourism Goal (STG) Criteria for Achieving Thailand’s Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Targets in the Service Sector: A Case Study of Large Thai Hotels
Authors: Kumpiw Walinpich , Damrongsak Det , Jaitiang Tassawan , Wongsapai Wongkot , Sangkakorn Korawan , Daroon Sopit , Khiaolek Kanokwan , Srichai Pachernwaat , Auttarat Sudarat , Krajangchom Sansanee , Chinachan Thitinadda
Published: February 2025

The tourism sector is a vital contributor to Thailand’s economy but also a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study aims to align Thailand’s Sustainable Tourism Goals (STGs), established in late 2023, with the nation’s GHG reduction targets. Adapted from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the STGs encompass 17 dimensions and 86 indicators but currently lack explicit quantitative targets. This research identifies key measurable criteria in energy (STGs 7, 11, 13), waste management (STG 12), and water management (STG 6), focusing on data from large hotels to assess their GHG emissions and reduction potential. The findings indicate that implementing STG measures could reduce emissions by 527,291 tCO2eq, equivalent to 4.80% of the national GHG reduction target, through energy conservation, waste management, and water efficiency measures. Adjusted targets, including an 18.50% reduction in the energy sector (107 hotels), a 21.00% reduction in waste (121 hotels), and a 2.50% reduction in wastewater (14 hotels), could enable large hotels to achieve a reduction of 83,880 tCO2eq, allowing them to fully meet their assigned reduction responsibilities. Furthermore, this would contribute 0.76% to the national target. This study demonstrates how integrating measurable components into the STG framework can enhance the tourism sector’s role in achieving national climate goals and promoting sustainable practices.
The Non-Linear Impact of Highway Improvements on the Urban–Rural Income Gap in Underdeveloped Regions: A Mixed-Methods Approach
Authors: Cui Mengyi , Wang Ruonan , Ji Wei , Zheng Fengtian
Published: February 2025

The vast urban–rural income gap (URIG) is a global challenge, particularly severe in underdeveloped regions. While the income-generating effects of transportation improvements are widely accepted, their income distribution effects remain controversial. This study focuses on national poverty-alleviated counties in central and western China, using a mixed-methods approach to quantitatively test the non-linear relationship between highway improvements and the URIG and qualitatively analyze the reasons behind the threshold effects of regional economic development levels. The main findings are as follows: first, regional economic development levels exhibit a double-threshold effect, with the impact of highway improvements shifting from widening to narrowing the URIG after surpassing the second thresholds. Second, inter-regional highways have a limited impact on narrowing the URIG, while intra-regional highways significantly reduce the URIG once crossing their thresholds, reflecting the distinct functions of different highway classes. Third, the heterogeneity analysis reveals that the impact of highway improvements on the URIG varies depending on the external environment surrounding residents, including both the indirect and direct environments. Fourth, from the perspective of rural labor transfer to non-farm employment, regional economic development levels create threshold effects in two ways: for local employment, they influence non-agricultural industry growth and job distribution following highway improvements, affecting rural laborers’ participation; for migrant employment, they impact human capital investment, influencing rural laborers’ skills and wage returns after highway improvements.
Life Cycle Carbon Emissions Accounting of China’s Physical Publishing Industry
Authors: Xu Ruixin , Yang Yongwen , Zhang Liting , Li Qifen , Qian Fanyue , Song Lifei , Xie Bangpeng
Published: February 2025

The publishing industry, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, produced approximately 730 Mt CO2eq globally in 2020 during the paper production phase alone. Unlike other sectors, decarbonization in publishing requires systematic reforms across the supply chain, production efficiency, energy transitions, consumption patterns, and recycling processes, as reliance on renewable energy alone is insufficient. This study focuses on China’s physical publishing industry, developing a comprehensive, high-resolution carbon emissions dataset that spans multiple publication types, stages, and processes. It reveals the emission characteristics across the life cycle, aiming to quantify the emissions accurately and address the lack of life-cycle-based research. This study explores efficient, replicable, and scalable strategies to facilitate the industry’s low-carbon transformation and sustainable development. The findings are as follows. (1) Books are the primary carbon emissions source, contributing approximately 77.05% of the total emissions, while journals and newspapers account for 13.20% and 9.75%, respectively. (2) Annual carbon accounting across the life-cycle identifies paper production and printing as the most carbon-intensive stages, responsible for about 85% of the total emissions. (3) In terms of recycling efforts, carbon reductions of approximately 347,000 t CO2eq per year can be achieved through measures such as waste paper and plastic packaging recycling, second-hand publication exchanges, and energy recovery from incineration.
Is Degrowth Education an Alternative in the Minds of Educators in the Face of the Serious Eco-Social Crisis and Global Warming?
Authors: Díez-Gutiérrez Enrique-Javier , Trujillo Vargas José , Perlado-Lamo de Espinosa Ignacio , Palomo-Cermeño Eva , Mateos-Toro Luis-Miguel , Pérez-Robles Antonio , García-Salas Luisa-María , Romero Acosta Kelly
Published: February 2025

The aim of this research is to find out whether education students and professionals are aware of the seriousness of climate change and the environmental crisis and whether they receive training to deal with it in their professional future. More specifically, this study aims to analyze if they are aware of the degrowth proposal and consider they should train themselves and future generations in it to tackle this ecosystemic crisis profoundly. The methodology used was qualitative, through focused semi-structured in-depth interviews. The results of the data analysis, carried out with Atlas.ti, are structured around four dimensions: (a) Climate change, sustainability-consumption-social implications, (b) Growth, degrowth, collapse, (c) Personal attitudes towards caring for the planet and (d) Educating/training for degrowth. It is concluded that there is a general awareness concerning degrowth as a relevant issue and a possible alternative, but this is not applied in educational and curricular practice. The need to review the initial training plans for future teachers to introduce these elements is discussed. A limitation of this study is the scarcity of literature on degrowth in education and the need to expand the research sample in order to generalize the findings obtained in the research.
Initial Value Problem for Mixed Differential Equations of Variable Order with Finite Delay
Authors: Guedim Souad , Benkerrouche Amar , Sitthithakerngkiet Kanokwan , Souid Mohammed Said , Amara Abdelkader
Published: February 2025

This study presents a fresh perspective on the existence, uniqueness, and stability of solutions for initial value problems involving variable-order differential equations with finite delay. Departing from conventional techniques that utilize generalized intervals and piecewise constant functions, we introduce a novel fractional operator tailored for this specific problem. Our methodology integrates sophisticated mathematical analysis, including the Schauder fixed-point theorem and Banach’s contraction principle, with an examination of the Ulam–Hyers stability of the problem. The strength of our approach is in its simplicity, requiring fewer restrictive assumptions. We conclude with a practical application to illustrate our findings. These results are valuable for understanding complex dynamical systems with time delays, offering applications in diverse fields such as engineering, economics, and medicine, and enhancing numerical methods for solving delay equations.
How Do Researchers and Public Officials Co-Navigate e-Participation Implementation? An Action-Research Experience with South African Municipalities
Authors: Ayodele Odilile , Plantinga Paul , Sanchez-Bentacourt Diana , Dlamini Simangele , Dlamini Nonkululeko
Published: February 2025

How can local governments in the Global South effectively implement and sustain digital public participation initiatives, and what specific roles do public officials and knowledge intermediaries play in catalysing and supporting this digital transformation? In this paper, we respond to this query by examining our experiences as researchers in implementing an ongoing multi-year applied research project on e-participation and policy modelling in various South African municipalities. The project and the country’s ongoing public participation initiatives align with government policy emphasising citizen-centric public service delivery through consultation, transparency, and accountability. We aim to highlight the practical aspects of introducing e-participation mechanisms in local governance structures with different human and material resource capacity levels, which is the case in Global South contexts. Our central question is as follows: How can public officials, working alongside researchers and knowledge intermediaries, navigate the sustainable adoption of e-participation through participatory design, system awareness, and bricolage? We explore this question from the perspective of researchers leading the implementation of a multi-year, participatory action-research project which aims to pilot e-participation in six municipalities across South Africa. In the paper, we analyse the interplay of various socio-technical factors influencing the early stages of implementation and use of e-participation tools in local government. Our findings highlight the importance of building socio-technical agency of front-line public participation officials, exploring malleable technologies that are flexible to adaptation, facilitating peer-learning amongst officials on what works in similar contexts, and having a system view within and across pilots.
Advancing Dynamic Emergency Route Optimization with a Composite Network Deep Reinforcement Learning Model
Authors: Zhang Jin , Xu Hao , Liu Ding , Yu Qi
Published: February 2025

Emergency logistics is essential for rapid and efficient disaster response, ensuring the timely availability and deployment of resources to affected areas. In the process of rescue work, the dynamic changes in rescue point information greatly increase the difficulty of rescue. This paper establishes a combined neural network model considering soft time-window penalty and applies deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to address the dynamic routing problem in emergency logistics. This method utilizes the actor–critic framework, combined with attention mechanisms, pointer networks, and long short-term memory neural networks, to determine effective disaster relief path, and it compares the obtained scheduling scheme with the results obtained from the DRL algorithm based on the single-network model and ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm. Simulation experiments show that the proposed method reduces the solution accuracy by nearly 10% compared to the ACO algorithm, but it saves nearly 80% in solution time. Additionally, it slightly increases solution times but improves accuracy by nearly 20% over traditional DRL approaches, demonstrating a promising balance between performance efficiency and computational resource utilization in emergency logistics.
Reducing Energy Consumption in Embedded Systems Applications
Authors: Sofianidis Ioannis , Konstantakos Vasileios , Nikolaidis Spyridon
Published: February 2025

One of the most important challenges in modern digital systems, especially regarding autonomous embedded systems, is energy efficiency. This work studies an energy consumption optimization approach on a microcontroller that implements IoT-like applications, featuring Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) capabilities, by dynamically changing the supply voltage and clock frequency. The proposed approach categorizes tasks according to their demands on timing requirements and analyzes speed–energy efficiency trade-offs. Results strongly indicate that energy performance is improved due to the proper adjustment of configurations towards required tasks. The findings are verified within a set of scenarios that highlight the potential balance between energy economy and operational demands for specialized IoT contexts.
Nusselt Number Dependence on Friction Factor in the Boundary Slip Flow of a Newtonian Liquid Between Parallel Plates
Authors: Kota Krishna , Kuravi Sarada , Jayaramu Prasanna
Published: February 2025

This study explored the relationship between the Nusselt number and the friction factor in the laminar boundary slip flow of a Newtonian liquid between parallel plates. In addition, simplified equations were developed to estimate two key parameters—slip velocity and temperature jump—both of which are typically difficult to measure in experimental settings. The primary objectives of investigating the relationship between the Nusselt number and the friction factor were twofold: (1) to uncover the previously unknown mathematical connection (or analogy) between momentum transfer and heat transfer in the presence of boundary slip and (2) to enable predictions of either the pressure drop or the heat transfer coefficient by measuring just one of these quantities, thus simplifying experimental procedures. Considering the difficulty of conducting experiments of this type of flow (as described in the published literature), a finite element-based numerical model built in COMSOL Multiphysics software was used to validate the theoretically developed relationship over a wide range of Reynolds numbers and boundary slip values. While surface modifications like dimples, bumps, and ribs typically modify both the Nusselt number and pressure drop, leading to their increase for a given fluid and constant inlet Reynolds number, their behavior changes when boundary slip is present, particularly in cases where there is a low temperature jump at the wall. The analysis identified a specific threshold for the dimensionless temperature jump below which the Nusselt number with boundary slip will exceed 8.235. Furthermore, the analysis showed that for the Nusselt number to rise above 8.235, the non-dimensional velocity slip must be at least 3.19 times larger than the non-dimensional temperature jump. This means that the velocity slip has to be significantly larger than the temperature jump to achieve enhanced heat transfer in boundary slip flows.
First Report of Safe Italian Peanut Production Regarding Aflatoxin
Authors: Crosta Matteo , Croci Michele , Dall’Asta Chiara , Pisante Michele , Battilani Paola
Published: February 2025

The growing interest in peanut production in Italy represents a significant opportunity from both an agronomic and economic standpoint. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination is a major concern with imported peanuts; developing an Italian peanut supply chain can ensure a well-managed local product, with special care for food safety. This study aimed to provide a first overview of Italian peanut production, focusing on the Aspergillus section Flavi and AFB1 occurrence in the raw product. During 2022 and 2023, 18 peanut fields were sampled at complete maturity across the Italian production areas, considering three varieties: Lotos, SIS-AR_01, and IPG914. The results showed the occurrence of Aspergillus sec. Flavi in peanut pods, even though AFB1 was always absent or in traces, well below the European legal limits. These findings confirmed the quality of Italian peanut production, even though further research is requested to confirm the positive results of this first report.
Report from the 30th Meeting on Toxinology, “Unlocking the Deep Secrets of Toxins”, Organized by the French Society of Toxinology on 2–3 December 2024
Authors: Marchot Pascale , Fajloun Ziad , Benoit Évelyne , Diochot Sylvie
Published: February 2025

The French Society of Toxinology (SFET) held its 30th Annual Meeting (RT30) on 2–3 December 2024 at Hôtel Le Saint Paul in Nice, France, on the beautiful French Riviera. It was the first time that the event was organized outside of Paris. The meeting brought together 74 participants and focused on the main theme, “Unlocking the Deep Secrets of Toxins”, which delved into cutting-edge research in the field of animal venoms and toxins from animal, plant, fungal, algal, mold and bacterial sources. The event emphasized the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of toxins, often influenced by environmental factors, their interactions with molecular or cellular ligands, their mechanisms of action and their potential applications in therapy. These key topics were explored in depth during oral communications and poster sessions across three main thematic areas, each dedicated to a specific aspect of toxinology. A fourth, more general session provided an opportunity for participants to present recent work that fell outside the main themes but still contributed valuable insights to the broader field. This report presents the abstracts of seven of the invited lectures, fifteen of the selected lectures and sixteen of the posters, following the authors’ agreement to publish them. Additionally, the names of the “Best Oral Communication” and “Best Poster” awardees are highlighted, recognizing the outstanding contributions made by early-career researchers and their innovative work in toxinology.
Disease Tolerance in ‘Anaheim’ Pepper to PepGMV-D Strain Involves Complex Interactions Between the Movement Protein Putative Promoter Region and Unknown Host Factors
Authors: Hernández-Zepeda Cecilia , Brown Judith K.
Published: February 2025

Pepper golden mosaic virus (PepGMV) is a bipartite begomovirus of pepper and tomato from North America. In ‘Anaheim’ pepper plants PepGMV-Mo strain (Mo) causes systemic yellow foliar mosaic symptoms, while PepGMV-D strain (D) causes distortion of 1st–6th expanding leaves, and asymptomatic infection of subsequently developing leaves, like other known ‘recovery’ phenotypes. Infections established with DNA-A Mo and D components expressing red-shifted green fluorescent protein in place of coat protein and in situ hybridization, showed PepGMV-Mo localized to phloem and mesophyll cells, while -D was mesophyll restricted. Alignment of PepGMV-Mo and -D DNA-B components revealed three indels upstream of the BC1 gene that encodes the movement protein (MP). To determine if this non-coding region (*BC1) D-strain MP putative promoter contributed to ‘recovery’, plants were inoculated with chimeric DNA-B Mo/D components harboring reciprocally exchanged *BC1, and wild-type DNA-A Mo and D components. Symptoms were reminiscent but not identical to wild-type -Mo or -D infection, respectively, suggesting ‘recovery’ cannot be attributed solely to the *BC1. Both BC1 and D*BC1 were targeted by post-transcriptional gene silencing; however, ‘recovered’ leaves accumulated fewer transcripts and 21–24 nt vsiRNAs. Thus, inefficient in planta movement of PepGMV-D is associated with a non-pepper-adapted ‘defective’ BC1 that facilitates hyper-efficient PTGS, leading to BC1 transcript degradation that in turn limits virus spread, thereby recapitulating disease ‘tolerance’.
Diagnostic Significance of Influenza Symptoms and Signs, and Their Variation by Type/Subtype, in Outpatients Aged ≥ 15 Years: Novi Sad, Serbia
Authors: Miljković Ana , Patić Aleksandra , Petrović Vladimir , Nikolić Nataša , Kovačević Gordana , Pustahija Tatjana , Ristić Mioljub
Published: February 2025

This study assessed the diagnostic performance of influenza-related symptoms and signs and their combinations, as well as differences in patient characteristics based on the type/subtype of influenza, in outpatients at a primary healthcare surveillance system. Our prospective analysis included cases aged ≥ 15 years from two influenza seasons (2022/23 and 2023/24) in Novi Sad, Serbia. Influenza cases were confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. The mean age of participants with laboratory-confirmed influenza was significantly lower than that of those without influenza (p < 0.0001): 37.90 vs. 54.92 years in 2022/23, and 40.21 vs. 54.17 years in 2023/24. Among the examined symptoms and signs, the highest sensitivity in the 2022/23 season was demonstrated for fever (87.95%, CI: 78.96–94.07), while in the 2023/24 season it was cough (100.00%, CI: 88.06–100.00). In the 2022/23 season, the positive predictive values (PPVs) were highest for fever (34.93%), chills (31.95%), myalgia (30.30%), and malaise (28.57%), but they dropped significantly in 2023/24 for all observed symptoms and signs (ranging from 1.91% to 9.17%). Compared to the World Health Organization’s case definition for influenza-like illness (ILI), the case definition provided by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control demonstrated higher sensitivity but lower specificity across both seasons. Participants who tested positive between December and February were more likely to have influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 or A(H3N2), whereas those who tested positive between February and April were more likely to have influenza B. This study underscores the importance of seasonal timing, symptom evaluation, and case definitions in improving influenza diagnosis in primary care.
Incidence of Pertussis in Older Children Underestimated in the Whole-Cell Vaccine Era: A Cross-Sectional Seroprevalence Study
Authors: Du Qian-Qian , Meng Qing-Hong , Shi Wei , Yao Kai-Hu
Published: February 2025

Objectives: China was once a country with a high incidence of pertussis, with reported incidence rates exceeding 100 per 100,000 before the introduction of the pertussis vaccine. After the widespread implementation of the pertussis vaccination program, reported cases of pertussis significantly decreased. This study aimed to investigate the serological prevalence of pertussis among school-age children during the administration of the whole-cell pertussis (wP) vaccine in China. Methods: We selected a representative random sample from different schools, with the inclusion criteria being school-age children without clinical symptoms of pertussis. A total of 368 frozen serum samples were obtained from children aged 6–<18 years at various schools in Guizhou in November 2005 and subsequently analyzed. Results: The positive rate of anti-pertussis toxin (PT) IgG antibodies (>62.5 IU/mL) were 4.9% (16/368) among school-age children. The positive rates of anti-PT IgG antibodies were 3.3%, 3.8%, 4.0%, 3.3%, and 10.8% in children aged 6–<8 y, 8–<10 y, 10–<12 y, 12–<14 y, and 14–<18 y, respectively. The increase in PT-IgG antibody levels among older children was likely due to pertussis infection in these school-age children. The positive rate of anti-PT IgG varied between different schools. The pertussis antibody levels of adolescents aged 14–<18 y were significantly higher than those of school-age children in the younger age group (6–<8 y and 8–<10 y) (p = 0.0097 and p = 0.0007, respectively). Conclusions: During the era of wP vaccine use, pertussis infections were common among school-age children, particularly in adolescents, with potential unrecognized localized or school-based outbreaks.
Significance of Influent C/N Ratios in Mainstream Anammox Process: Nitrogen Removal and Microbial Dynamics
Authors: Yang Yandong , Liu Shichong , Liu Lei , Long Yanan , Wang Chao , Liu Changqing
Published: February 2025

Achieving simultaneous anammox and denitrification is a feasible approach for enhancing nitrogen removal in mainstream anammox processes. Nevertheless, the optimal C/N range and microbial dynamics driving this process are still not fully understood. In this study, three mainstream anammox reactors were operated with varying influent C/N ratios. The results demonstrated a remarkable nitrogen removal of 92.6% achieved by combining partial denitrification and anammox with the C/N ratio set at 1.0. However, the nitrogen removal efficiency decreased when the C/N ratio was either 0.5 or 2.0, causing the accumulation of nitrate and ammonium in the effluent, respectively. These results suggest a narrow optimal range of the influent C/N for mainstream anammox processes. Additionally, a transition in the predominant denitrifier population from Denitratisoma to Thauera was noted when the C/N ratio increased. The denitrifying phenotype of Thauera was significantly influenced by the C/N ratio. Thauera can effectively collaborate with anammox bacteria only at a suitable C/N ratio, where it partially reduces the nitrate generated in the anammox reaction. With a high influent C/N, Thauera primarily performed nitrite reduction, notably inhibiting anammox activity. The results of this study are valuable for the optimal design of the mainstream anammox process.
Spatial and Temporal Variations of Vegetation Water Content Using VOD and VPD in China During 2000–2016
Authors: Sun Yibing , Cao Zhaodan , Wu Chengqiu , Zhao Xiaoer
Published: February 2025

Vegetation water content, characterized by vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and vegetation optical depth (VOD), can represent vegetation health in terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, using remote sensing Ku-band VOD and VPD, the spatiotemporal distribution assessment, Mann-Kendall trend analysis, seasonal trend decomposition, and correlation analysis and significance testing were conducted to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution patterns, seasonal variations and correlations of VPD and VOD across China from 2000 to 2016. And the correlation between climate factors (temperature and precipitation) with VOD and VPD was discussed. The results show the following: (1) The annual mean VPD in China predominantly ranged from 0 to 4 KPa, while the annual mean VOD were centered around 0 to 2 during 2000–2016. Spatially, the VOD peaked at 1–2 in southwest China. VPD have significant seasonal variations across China, with high VPD in the summer. (2) The VPD and VOD in most regions of China fluctuated and showed an upward trend from 2000 to 2016, with significantly increased VPD in northwest and southwest China. (3) On a monthly scale, regions where VOD positively correlated with VPD accounted for 89.69% of the total area of China. The proportion of areas with a significant positive correlation was 82.96%. The proportion of areas with a negative correlation was 10.31%, and the proportion of areas with a significant negative correlation was 5.41%. Annual VOD and VPD exhibited a positive correlation of 61.28% of China’s total territory. Among these, the area exhibiting a significant positive correlation made up 6.15%. The area demonstrating a negative correlation amounted to 38.72%, and the area with a significant negative correlation constituted 2.22%. This study can contribute to understanding vegetation water content dynamics across China, which is crucial for ecosystem sustainability in China.
Mechanisms of Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid Retention in Low-Permeability Aquifer Lenses: Effects on Contaminant Remediation
Authors: Sun Weichao , Wang Shuaiwei , Yu Jianzhou , Lin Huimin , Sun Lin
Published: February 2025

The residual non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) within low-permeability lenses of aquifers is a major contributor to “tailing”, a phenomenon that complicates the remediation of NAPL-contaminated sites. A fundamental challenge in addressing this issue is the lack of understanding of the primary controlling factors and underlying effects of NAPL residuals in these aquifer lenses. This study aims to identify the key factors and mechanisms affecting NAPL residuals in low-permeability lenses through a series of experimental approaches. These include soil column simulation experiments on NAPL residuals in various low-permeability lenses, adsorption experiments on aquifer and lens particles, pore mercury intrusion testing, and particle size distribution analysis. The experiments provided valuable data on residual NAPL saturation SR, particle adsorption capacity, particle size, gradation, and pore size and distribution in different lenses. Using a mass conservation approach, the particle adsorption contributed less than 0.5% to the total NAPL residuals, while retention accounted for more than 99.5%, highlighting that retention is the dominant mechanism governing NAPL persistence in these lenses. The mechanism underlying this result was further clarified through an analysis of particle size characteristics. Correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between residual NAPL and macropore porosity (nmax, diameter > 60 μm), mesopore porosity (nmid, diameter = 30~60 μm), and small pore porosity (nmin, diameter < 30 μm). The results demonstrated that mesopores exhibited the strongest correlation with NAPL retention, due to their pronounced capillary action and sufficient storage capacity for NAPL.
Energy of Sorghum Biomass Under Deficit Irrigation Strategies in the Mediterranean Area
Authors: Garofalo Simone Pietro , Modugno Anna Francesca , de Carolis Gabriele , Campi Pasquale
Published: February 2025

The growing demand for renewable energy sources and the need to optimize water use in agriculture, particularly in water-scarce regions, highlights the importance of growing species suitable for semi-arid areas, such as sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench). Deficit irrigation strategies allow water savings by optimizing water use efficiency. However, the potential of sorghum for bioethanol production with deficit irrigation strategies is still not well studied. This work investigates the impact of three irrigation strategies (full, deficit, and regulated deficit) on the biomass yield, ethanol production, and water use efficiency of sorghum (‘KWS Bulldozer’) in a semi-arid Mediterranean area (the Apulia region, Southeastern Italy) over three growing seasons (2013, 2014, and 2017); irrigation needs were calculated from crop evapotranspiration using standard crop coefficients and soil water content measurements. Harvested biomass was analyzed for cellulose and hemicellulose content, and ethanol production was estimated using conversion models. The full irrigation treatment resulted in the highest biomass and ethanol production in all seasons (22,633 kg × ha−1, 28,367 kg × ha−1, and 23,835 kg × ha−1, in 2013, 2014, and 2017, respectively), highlighting the relationship between a full water supply and yield optimization. However, deficit irrigation showed a higher biomass and ethanol water productivity (10.93 kg × m−3 and 3.23 L × m−3, respectively) than other treatments, suggesting that moderate irrigation strategies can effectively balance production and sustainable water use. The results suggest the importance of adjusting irrigation practices to specific environmental conditions to improve the efficiency and productivity of sorghum.
EKSPLORASI PERAN ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT DAN PROACTIVE COPING TERHADAP KINERJA KARYAWAN GENERASI Z
Authors: Djunaedi Djunaedi , Bilgies Ana Fitriyatul , Nurdiani Tanti Widia , Darwis Darwis , Pahlawansah Haniwijaya , Violin Vivid
Published: February 2025

Generation Z is starting to dominate the world of work and presenting new challenges in human resource management. This study aims to explore the role of organizational support and proactive coping on the performance of Generation Z employees. Organizational support plays a role in providing support that can improve employee well-being and productivity. At the same time, proactive coping is a strategy that allows individuals to overcome work challenges more effectively. This study uses a quantitative method with a survey approach involving 250 respondents from industrial sectors. Data were collected through questionnaires that have been tested for validity and reliability. The analysis results show that organizational support positively influences the performance of Generation Z employees, both directly and through increasing proactive coping. In addition, proactive coping also acts as a mediator in the relationship between organizational support and employee performance. Thus, organizations need to increase support for employees and encourage the development of proactive coping strategies to improve their performance. The implications of this study are expected to provide insight for HR practitioners in designing more effective work policies and programs for Generation Z employees.
Assessment of antimicrobial, free radical scavenging, and anti-inflammatory activities of Holarrhena pubescens (Buch.-Ham.) Wall. seeds using in vitro methods and evaluation of antiarthritic potential using an in vivo method
Authors: Saha Santanu , Subrahmanyam EVS
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Holarrhena pubescens is used traditionally for treating several infectious and inflammatory disorders with no scientific evidence. The present study was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial and free radical scavenging properties of different fractions of ethanolic extract of H. pubescens seeds. Furthermore, the potential of the fractions of the plant extract in treating acute and chronic inflammation through in vitro and in vivo experiments was also evaluated. Methods: The successive fractions of ethanolic extract of H. pubescens seeds, including petroleum ether (HPF), chloroform (HCF), and methanol (HMF) fractions were subjected to in vitro study to evaluate the properties to eradicate the microorganisms using disc diffusion method and to scavenge oxidants in the DPPH method. The HCF was further used in an anti-inflammatory activity study by inhibition of bovine serum albumin denaturation assay and an in vivo study to evaluate the effect of the drug in a chronic inflammatory condition by adjuvant-induced arthritis in a rats’ model. Results: HCF showed the most potent effect among all the test drugs. The fraction showed a broad-spectrum antimicrobial effect and 80.35 ± 0.46% free radical scavenging effect (IC50 value = 28.41 ± 0.33 µg/mL) in the antioxidant study. Further, HCF showed an anti-inflammatory effect with 68.37 ± 1.11% inhibition of denaturation of albumin and 75.16% (0.38 ± 0.16 mL, P<0.05) inhibition of rat paw edema in the in vivo study. Conclusion: The study exhibited the antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potentials of the fractions of ethanolic extract of H. pubescens seeds.
Women in Science Engineering and Society
Authors:   Colegio de Ingenieros en Energías Renovables de Querétaro A.C, Marroquín-De Jesús Ángel , Castillo-Martínez Luz Carmen ,   Colegio de Ingenieros en Energías Renovables de Querétaro A.C, Galván-Mondragón María Mayola Giselle ,   Colegio de Ingenieros en Energías Renovables de Querétaro A.C, Gómez-Vega Paola ,   Colegio de Ingenieros en Energías Renovables de Querétaro A.C
Published: February 2025

“Engineering and Society” addresses a series of multidisciplinary research that explores the correlation between engineering and day-to-day problems in society, aligned with the areas of knowledge. Through eight chapters, this volume examines diverse topics, from the optimization of natural resources to the integration of technological tools and the strengthening of competencies in higher education.
Study of times and movements in the packing process of the company Flores de María
Authors:   Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Villa Guerrero, Oscos-Fuentes Eduardo , Lara-Álvarez Daniel Emiliano ,   Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Villa Guerrero, Castañeda-Romero Alberto Fernando ,   Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Villa Guerrero, García-Castillo Karla Yazmín ,   Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Villa Guerrero
Published: February 2025

The importance of the study of times and movements in the various industries lies in explaining that the work is organised according to the main techniques of work measurement; time study with stopwatch, work sampling and predetermined time standards. Through the application of quality tools, it is determined which areas of work represent a problem in production in order to have a better performance, efficiency, effectiveness and improvement of the operators for the realisation of certain processes. Such is the case of the flower sector in the municipality of Villa Guerrero, Mexico, where demand is seasonal, which means that companies dedicated to the production of roses on a large scale do not have an adequate organisation in various processes, causing inefficiency and a series of delays in production. Therefore, the importance of this research work lies in carrying out a time and motion study to eliminate slack time and eliminate unnecessary elements that could affect productivity, safety and quality of production in the company Flor de María, where it was hypothesised that the time and motion study will help the company Flores de María to improve the working methods of the packaging process in the activities of rehydration, calibration, stem selection, labelling (Kanban) in this area to increase the efficiency of the production process.
Turmeric nanoparticles with β-glucan and vitamins C, D3 and zinc
Authors:   Universidad Tecnológica de Coahuila, Pinales-Muñiz Karla Lucia , Nery-Cepeda Sebastián ,   Universidad Tecnológica de Coahuila, Canales-Pradis Braulio ,   Universidad Tecnológica de Coahuila, Díaz-Silvestre Sergio Enrique ,   Universidad Tecnológica de Coahuila
Published: February 2025

Nanotechnology offers extraordinary potential for its application in the food sector, focusing on meeting consumer needs. This technology enables the development of new methods to control and structure foods, enhancing their functionality and nutritional value. This study presents the methodology for synthesizing turmeric nanoparticles loaded with β-glucan and vitamins C, D3, and zinc, with the aim of using them in innovative dietary supplements. The importance of employing various characterization techniques such as UV-VIS, FTIR, and SEM, as well as conducting cytotoxicity tests, is emphasized to evaluate the properties of the nanoparticles and ensure their effectiveness and safety in food applications.