bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Large-Scale Controls on the Leaf Economic Spectrum of the Overstory Tree Species Metrosideros polymorpha
Authors: Seeley Megan M. , Asner Gregory P.
Published: September 2023

The role of intraspecific trait variation in functional ecology has gained traction in recent years as many papers have observed its importance in driving community diversity and ecology. Yet much of the work in this field relies on field-based trait surveys. Here, we used continuous canopy trait information derived from remote sensing data of a highly polymorphic tree species, Metrosideros polymorpha, to quantify environmental controls on intraspecific trait variation. M. polymorpha, an endemic, keystone tree species in Hawai’i, varies morphologically, chemically, and genetically across broad elevation and soil substrate age gradients, making it an ideal model organism to explore large-scale environmental drivers of intraspecific trait variation. M. polymorpha canopy reflectance (visible to shortwave infrared; 380–2510 nm) and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data collected by the Global Airborne Observatory were modeled to canopy trait estimates of leaf mass per area, chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, total carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, phenols, cellulose, and top of canopy height using previously developed leaf chemometric equations. We explored how these derived traits varied across environmental gradients by extracting elevation, slope, aspect, precipitation, and soil substrate age data at canopy locations. We then obtained the feature importance values of the environmental factors in predicting each leaf trait by training random forest models to predict leaf traits individually. Of these environmental factors, elevation was the most important predictor for all canopy traits. Elevation not only affected canopy traits directly but also indirectly by influencing the relationships between soil substrate age and canopy traits as well as between nitrogen and other traits, as indicated by the change in slope between the variables at different elevation ranges. In conclusion, intraspecific variation in M. polymorpha traits derived from remote sensing adheres to known leaf economic spectrum (LES) patterns as well as interspecific LES traits previously mapped using imaging spectroscopy.
Estimating Agricultural Cropping Intensity Using a New Temporal Mixture Analysis Method from Time Series MODIS
Authors: Tao Jianbin , Zhang Xinyue , Liu Yiqing , Jiang Qiyue , Zhou Yang
Published: September 2023

Agricultural cropping intensity plays an important role in evaluating the food security and the sustainable development of agriculture. The existing indicators measuring cropping intensity include cropping frequency and multiple cropping index. As a nominal measurement, cropping frequency classifies crop patterns into single-cropping and/or double-cropping and leads to information loss. Multiple cropping index is calculated on the basis of statistical data, ignoring the spatial heterogeneity within the administrative region. Neither of these indicators can meet the requirements of precision agriculture, and new methods for fine cropping intensity mapping are still lacking. Time series remote sensing data provide vegetation phenology information and reveal temporal development of vegetation, which can be used to facilitate the fine cropping intensity mapping. In this study, a new temporal mixture analysis method is introduced to estimate the abundance level cropping intensity from time series remote sensing data. By analyzing phenological characteristics of major land-cover types in time series vegetatiosacan indices, a novel feature space was constructed by using the selected PCA components, and three unique endmembers (double-cropping, natural vegetations and water bodies) were found. Then, a linear spectral mixture analysis model was applied to decompose mixed pixels by replacing spectral data with multi-temporal data. The spatio-temporal continuous, fine resolution, abundance level cropping intensity maps were produced for the North China Plain and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Valley. The experiments indicate a good result at both county and pixel level validation. The method of manually delineating endmembers can well balance the accuracy and efficiency. We also found the size of the study area has little effect on the unmixing accuracy. The results demonstrated that the proposed method can model cropping intensity finely at large scale and long temporal span, at the same time with high efficiency and ease of implementation.
ECFuse: Edge-Consistent and Correlation-Driven Fusion Framework for Infrared and Visible Image Fusion
Authors: Chen Hanrui , Deng Lei , Zhu Lianqing , Dong Mingli
Published: September 2023

Infrared and visible image fusion (IVIF) aims to render fused images that maintain the merits of both modalities. To tackle the challenge in fusing cross-modality information and avoiding texture loss in IVIF, we propose a novel edge-consistent and correlation-driven fusion framework (ECFuse). This framework leverages our proposed edge-consistency fusion module to maintain rich and coherent edges and textures, simultaneously introducing a correlation-driven deep learning network to fuse the cross-modality global features and modality-specific local features. Firstly, the framework employs a multi-scale transformation (MST) to decompose the source images into base and detail layers. Then, the edge-consistent fusion module fuses detail layers while maintaining the coherence of edges through consistency verification. A correlation-driven fusion network is proposed to fuse the base layers containing both modalities’ main features in the transformation domain. Finally, the final fused spatial image is reconstructed by inverse MST. We conducted experiments to compare our ECFuse with both conventional and deep leaning approaches on TNO, LLVIP and M3FD datasets. The qualitative and quantitative evaluation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework. We also show that ECFuse can boost the performance in downstream infrared–visible object detection in a unified benchmark.
An Energy-Efficient Routing Algorithm for WSNs Using Fuzzy Logic
Authors: Rao Preetha R. , Lipare Amruta , Edla Damodar Reddy , Parne Saidi Reddy
Published: September 2023

Battery replacement or recharging is essential for sensor nodes because they are typically powered by batteries in wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. Therefore, creating an energy-efficient data transfer technique is required. The base station (BS) receives data from one sensor node and routes the data to another sensor node. As a result, an energy-efficient routing algorithm using fuzzy logic (EERF) represents a novel approach that is suggested in this study. One of the reasoning techniques utilized in scenarios where there is a lot of ambiguity is fuzzy logic. The remaining energy, the distance between the sensor node and the base station, and the total number of connected sensor nodes are all inputs given to the fuzzy system of the proposed EERF algorithm. The proposed EERF is contrasted with the current systems, like the energy-aware unequal clustering using fuzzy logic (EAUCF) and distributed unequal clustering using fuzzy logic (DUCF) algorithms, in terms of evaluation criteria, including energy consumption, the number of active sensor nodes for each round in the network, and network stability. EAUCF and DUCF were outperformed by EERF.
An Improved Genetic Algorithm for the Recovery System of USVs Based on Stern Ramp Considering the Influence of Currents
Authors: Zhou Lulu , Ye Xiaoming , Huang Zehao , Xie Pengzhan , Song Zhenguo , Tong Yanjia
Published: September 2023

With the progression of marine exploration and exploitation, as well as the advancements in mechanical intelligence, the utilization of the unmanned surface vehicle (USV) and the design of their guidance system have become prominent areas of focus. However, the stern ramp recovery of the USV is still in its infancy due to its unique attitude requirements and automation design. Furthermore, few studies have addressed the impact of maritime disturbances, with most research limited to simulations. To enhance the efficiency and accuracy of stern ramp recovery, this paper presents the development and construction of a novel recovery system. By incorporating physical modeling of disturbance forces acting on USVs at sea, the practicality of the system is improved. Additionally, an optimized genetic algorithm is introduced in the navigation module to improve convergence rates and subsequently enhance recovery efficiency. A line-of-sight (LOS) algorithm based on average velocity is proposed in this paper to ensure the attainment of unique attitude requirements and to improve the effectiveness of stern chute recovery. This paper provides a detailed description of the independently designed USV hardware system. Moreover, simulations and practical experiments conducted using this experimental platform are presented, offering a new solution for the USV’s stern ramp recovery.
Epileptic EEG Signal Detection Using Variational Modal Decomposition and Improved Grey Wolf Algorithm
Authors: Sun Yongxin , Chen Xiaojuan
Published: September 2023

Epilepsy does great harm to the human body, and even threatens human life when it is serious. Therefore, research focused on the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy holds paramount clinical significance. In this paper, we utilized variational modal decomposition (VMD) and an enhanced grey wolf algorithm to detect epileptic electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. Data were extracted from each patient’s preseizure period and seizure period of 200 s each, with every 2 s as a segment, meaning 100 data points could be obtained for each patient’s health period as well as 100 data points for each patient’s epilepsy period. Variational modal decomposition (VMD) was used to obtain the corresponding intrinsic modal function (VMF) of the data. Then, the differential entropy (DE) and high frequency detection (HFD) of each VMF were extracted as features. The improved grey wolf algorithm is adopted for a selected channel to improve the maximum value of the channel. Finally, the EEG signal samples were classified using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier to achieve the accurate detection of epilepsy EEG signals. Experimental results show that the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the proposed method can reach 98.3%, 98.9% and 98.5%, respectively. The proposed algorithm in this paper can be used as an index to detect epileptic seizures and has certain guiding significance for the early diagnosis and effective treatment of epileptic patients.
Construction of a Winter Wheat Comprehensive Growth Monitoring Index Based on a Fuzzy Degree Comprehensive Evaluation Model of Multispectral UAV Data
Authors: Yu Jing , Zhang Shiwen , Zhang Yanhai , Hu Ruixin , Lawi Abubakar Sadiq
Published: September 2023

Realizing real-time and rapid monitoring of crop growth is crucial for providing an objective basis for agricultural production. To enhance the accuracy and comprehensiveness of monitoring winter wheat growth, comprehensive growth indicators are constructed using measurements of above-ground biomass, leaf chlorophyll content and water content of winter wheat taken on the ground. This construction is achieved through the utilization of the entropy weight method (EWM) and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) model. Additionally, a correlation analysis is performed with the selected vegetation indexes (VIs). Then, using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) multispectral orthophotos to construct VIs and extract texture features (TFs), the aim is to explore the potential of combining the two as input variables to improve the accuracy of estimating the comprehensive growth indicators of winter wheat. Finally, we develop comprehensive growth indicator inversion models based on four machine learning algorithms: random forest (RF); partial least squares (PLS); extreme learning machine (ELM); and particle swarm optimization extreme learning machine (PSO-ELM), and the optimal model is selected by comparing the accuracy evaluation indexes of the model. The results show that: (1) The correlation among the comprehensive growth indicators (CGIs) constructed by EWM (CGIewm) and FCE (CGIfce) and VIs are all improved to different degrees compared with the single indicators, among which the correlation between CGIfce and most of the VIs is larger. (2) The inclusion of TFs has a positive impact on the performance of the comprehensive growth indicator inversion model. Specifically, the inversion model based on ELM exhibits the most significant improvement in accuracy. The coefficient of determination (R2) values of ELM-CGIewm and ELM- CGIfce increased by 20.83% and 20.37%, respectively. (3) The CGIfce inversion model constructed by VIs and TFs as input variables and based on the ELM algorithm is the best inversion model (ELM-CGIfce), with R2 reaching 0.65. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is used to optimize the ELM-CGIfce (PSO-ELM-CGIfce), and the precision is significantly improved compared with that before optimization, with R2 reaching 0.84. The results of the study can provide a favorable reference for regional winter wheat growth monitoring.
The Accuracy and Absolute Reliability of a Knee Surgery Assistance System Based on ArUco-Type Sensors
Authors: León-Muñoz Vicente J. , Santonja-Medina Fernando , Lajara-Marco Francisco , Lisón-Almagro Alonso J. , Jiménez-Olivares Jesús , Marín-Martínez Carmelo , Amor-Jiménez Salvador , Galián-Muñoz Elena , López-López Mirian , Moya-Angeler Joaquín
Published: September 2023

Recent advances allow the use of Augmented Reality (AR) for many medical procedures. AR via optical navigators to aid various knee surgery techniques (e.g., femoral and tibial osteotomies, ligament reconstructions or menisci transplants) is becoming increasingly frequent. Accuracy in these procedures is essential, but evaluations of this technology still need to be made. Our study aimed to evaluate the system’s accuracy using an in vitro protocol. We hypothesised that the system’s accuracy was equal to or less than 1 mm and 1° for distance and angular measurements, respectively. Our research was an in vitro laboratory with a 316 L steel model. Absolute reliability was assessed according to the Hopkins criteria by seven independent evaluators. Each observer measured the thirty palpation points and the trademarks to acquire direct angular measurements on three occasions separated by at least two weeks. The system’s accuracy in assessing distances had a mean error of 1.203 mm and an uncertainty of 2.062, and for the angular values, a mean error of 0.778° and an uncertainty of 1.438. The intraclass correlation coefficient was for all intra-observer and inter-observers, almost perfect or perfect. The mean error for the distance’s determination was statistically larger than 1 mm (1.203 mm) but with a trivial effect size. The mean error assessing angular values was statistically less than 1°. Our results are similar to those published by other authors in accuracy analyses of AR systems.
System Dynamics Model of Decentralized Household Electricity Storage Implementation: Case Study of Latvia
Authors: Gravelsins Armands , Atvare Erlanda , Kudurs Edgars , Kubule Anna , Blumberga Dagnija
Published: September 2023

Increasing renewable energy share in total energy production is a direction that leads toward the European Union’s aims of carbon neutrality by 2050, as well as increasing energy self-sufficiency and independence. Some of the main challenges to increasing renewable energy share while providing an efficient and secure energy supply are related to the optimization and profitability of de-centralized energy production systems. Integration of energy storage systems in addition to decentralized renewable energy production, for example, by solar panels, leads to more effective electricity supply and smart energy solutions. The modeling of such a complex dynamic system can be performed using the system dynamics method. The main aim of this research is to build and validate the basic structure of the system dynamics model for PV and battery diffusion in the household sector. A system dynamics model predicting the implementation of battery storage in private households was created for the case study of Latvia. Modeling results reveal that under the right conditions for electricity price and investment costs and with the right policy interventions, battery storage technologies combined with PV panels have a high potential for utilization in the household sector. Model results show that in a baseline scenario with no additional policies, up to 21,422 households or 10.8% of Latvian households could have combined PV and battery systems installed in 2050. Moderate subsidy policy can help to increase this number up to 25,118.
Entertainment Education and Citizens’ Participation in COVID-19 Pandemic Response: A Case Study of Chinese Citizens on Social Media
Authors: Wang Yiheng , Navarro Nicoletti Felipe
Published: September 2023

(1) Background: Chinese citizens using entertainment education (EE) strategies on social media have played a pivotal role in responding to the COVID-19 crisis, especially when facing insufficient government support. Thus, this research aims to study the adoption of EE strategies on social media by Chinese citizens and its affordance for crisis responses. (2) Methods: We implemented a qualitative case study by analyzing the vlog series Wuhan Diary 2020 on Sina Weibo to examine the characteristics of the EE strategies used by Chinese citizens, with special attention to citizen participation. (3) Results: The initial phases of the lockdown saw substantial public attention garnered by this approach. The incorporation of solidarity and empathy proved essential for effective communication during the period of crisis response, evident from positive audience feedback and its widespread diffusion. However, a decrease in attention concurrent with the end of the lockdown has also been noticed. (4) Conclusions: The social value and affordance of EE strategies employed by citizens in the short term was confirmed. However, the decline of attention in the post-crisis period indicates the uncertainty of the long-term impact of this approach. This phenomenon also underscores the ambivalence of social media due to the limitations imposed by digital capitalism.
Conclusion: Special Issue on the Visual International Relations Project
Authors: Gansen Sarah , James Patrick
Published: September 2023

This Special Issue of Social Sciences has introduced and applied the systemist graphical method of conveying ideas [...]
‘I’ve Always Fought a Little against the Tide to Get Where I Want to Be’—Construction of Women’s Embodied Subjectivity in the Contested Terrain of High-Level Karate
Authors: Turelli Fabiana Cristina , Vaz Alexandre Fernandez , Kirk David
Published: September 2023

Karate can be both a martial art and a combat sport. Male and female karate athletes attended the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 (2021). Elite sport often portrays female athletes through the sexualization of their bodies, while the martial environment leaves them open to accusations of masculinization. In the process of constructing themselves as fighters, karateka women do produce new ways of performing femininities and masculinities, which is a hard-work process of negotiations, leading them to the construction of a particular habitus strictly linked to their performativity within the environment. They take part in a contested terrain that mixes several elements that are often contrasting. In this article, we aim to present factors identified with the women athletes of the Spanish Olympic karate team that affect the construction of their embodied subjectivities. We focus on two main topics, authenticity as the real deal to belonging, and a possible gendered habitus struggling with the achievement of the condition of a warrior. We carried out an ethnographic study with the Spanish Olympic karate squad supported by autoethnographic elements from the first author. We focus here on the data from double interviews with 14 women athletes and their four male coaches. Embodied subjectivity as a process of subject construction to disrupt objectification and forms of othering showed to be a challenge, a complex task, and embedded in contradictions. Karate women’s embodied subjectivities are built in the transit between resisting and giving in. Despite several difficulties, through awareness and reflection on limitations, karateka may occupy their place as subjects, exerting agency, feeling empowered, and fighting consciously against the naturalized ‘tide’.
Migration, Vulnerability, and Experiences of Insecurity: Conceptualising Insecure Migration Status
Authors: Innes Alexandria
Published: September 2023

This research examines the insecurities that are embedded within immigration status or lack thereof. I argue that, to improve our understanding of the relationship between immigration-related insecurity and violence, we need to reconceptualise how we think about, measure, and analyse immigration-based characteristics. This research proposes building an analytical category that can conceptualise insecure migration status to include forms of immigration status that internalise insecurity in addition to being without status, or with an irregular status. These insecurities often incorporate gendered dynamics. Grouping these different categories around a commonly shared experience of insecurity allows us to prioritise experiences of insecurity that are persistent even as people move, cross borders, and change status. I propose that this will permit a more comprehensive picture of migration-related harms that exist across states, status types, and borders while allowing researchers and data gatherers to be attentive to intersectional vulnerabilities that enhance insecurity for particular categories, subgroups, and populations.
Building Learning Communities through Digital Storytelling
Authors: Gkoutsioukosta Zisoula , Apostolidou Venetia
Published: September 2023

This paper shares the first insights of the Digital Storytelling Hubs research project held by the School of Primary Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, funded by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation. It is a still in-progress action research study that comprises two action research cycles. The aim of the present paper is to outline the dynamic role that digital storytelling could play in building learning communities. The research program includes the creation of three hubs, one digital and two physical, for transferring higher education research practice to primary and secondary education, and for disseminating digital storytelling as an innovative learning tool. During the pilot cycle, digital storytelling was implemented in two experimental schools in Greece, while during the main cycle, a total of 50 elementary and secondary teachers were involved. Data sources include students’ and teachers’ participation statistics, the digital stories created by students so far, the students’ answers in questionnaires and teachers’ semi-structured interviews after the pilot interventions in class. The findings suggest the dynamics of digital storytelling workshops to create vivid and powerful learning communities that foster both classic and new literacies and enhance a creative and critical attitude towards modern media culture.
Climate Change and Soil Dynamics: A Crop Modelling Approach
Authors: Wimalasiri Eranga M. , Sirishantha Deshani , Karunadhipathi U. L. , Ampitiyawatta Asanga D. , Muttil Nitin , Rathnayake Upaka
Published: September 2023

The impact of global climate change is a challenge to the sustainability of many ecosystems, including soil systems. However, the performance of soil properties under future climate was rarely assessed. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate selected soil processes under climate change using an agri-environmental modeling approach to Sri Lanka. The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) model was used to simulate soil and plant-related processes using recent past (1990–2019) and future (2041–2070) climates. Future climate data were obtained for a regional climate model (RCM) under representative concentrations pathway 4.5 scenarios. Rainfalls are going to be decreased in all the tested locations under future climate scenarios while the maximum temperature showcased rises. According to simulated results, the average yield reduction under climate change was 7.4%. The simulated nitrogen content in the storage organs of paddy declined in the locations (by 6.4–25.5%) as a reason for climate change. In general, extractable soil water relative to the permanent wilting point (total available water), infiltration, and biomass carbon lost to the atmosphere decreased while soil temperature increased in the future climate. This modeling approach provides a primary-level prediction of soil dynamics under climate change, which needs to be tested using fieldwork.
Q-Form Field on a p-Brane with Codimension Two
Authors: Chen Ziqi , Fu Chun’e , Zhang Xiaoyu , Yang Chen , Zhao Li
Published: September 2023

This paper investigates gauge invariance in a bulk massless q-form field on a p-brane with codimension two, utilizing a general Kaluza–Klein (KK) decomposition. The KK decomposition analysis reveals four distinct KK modes: the conventional q-form, two (q−1)-forms and one (q−2)-form. These diverse modes are essential for maintaining gauge invariance. We also find eight Schrödinger-like equations for the four modes due to the two extra dimensions, and their mass spectra are closely related. The KK decomposition process gives rise to four dualities on the p-brane, originating from the inherent Hodge duality present in the bulk. Notably, these dual symmetries play a significant role in maintaining the equivalence of bulk dual fields during dimensional reduction.
Study on the Evolutionary Mechanism of Double-Round Monopoly of Super Platforms in China—Based on Four-Party Evolutionary Game
Authors: Ma Xiaofei , Zhang Xiaoyuan , Guo Linyi , Wang Zongshui
Published: September 2023

In recent years, the regulation of double-round monopoly for super platforms has rapidly become a key instrument of the anti-monopoly practice for Internet platforms in China. This paper aims to explore the evolutionary mechanism of double-round monopoly by using evolutionary game theory and constructing a four-party evolutionary game model that includes a super platform, an incumbent platform, a startup platform, and a government regulator, based on considering the micro-dynamic interactions between subjects and the main influencing factors of the evolutionary mechanism using numerical simulation. This study illustrates that the decisions made by each subject and its probability changes affect the evolution rate of double-round monopoly. Depending on the probability of double-round monopoly in the market, government regulators need to be flexible in switching between strict and less-strict regulation strategies to evolve the system to a more desirable, stable state. As well, we conclude that the regulatory strength of the government regulator, the cross-border magnitude of the super platform, the innovation incentive subsidy of the startup platform, and the synergistic risk cost of the incumbent platform have more significant effects on the evolutionary process of double-round monopoly. Therefore, it is suggested that government regulators should focus on the cross-border magnitude of super platforms to safeguard the rights and interests of incumbent platforms and startup platforms in order to allow for fair competition. At the same time, they should also adjust the regulation intensity by the evolution of double-round monopoly in the market, in order to realize real-time dynamic regulation with the mutual coordination of multiple entities.
Co-Exposure of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Phthalates with Blood Cell-Based Inflammation in Early Pregnant Women
Authors: Yang Yunxiao , Wang Ting , Luo Lei , He Qian , Guo Fangfei , Chen Zhongbao , Liu Yijun , Liu Xingyan , Xie Yan , Shang Xuejun , Shen Xubo , Zhou Yuanzhong , Tian Kunming
Published: September 2023

Cumulative evidence has demonstrated that exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or phthalates (PAEs) contributes to a variety of adverse health effects. However, the association of PAHs and PAEs co-exposure with blood cell-based inflammatory indicators during early pregnancy is still unclear. We aimed to investigate the single and mixed associations of exposure to PAHs and PAEs with blood cell-based inflammatory indicators among early pregnant women. A total of 318 early pregnant women were included in this study. General linear regressions were used to estimate the relationships of individual OH-PAHs and mPAEs with blood cell-based inflammatory indicators. The key pollutants were selected by an adapted least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalized regression model and wasemployed to build the Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and quantile g-computation (Q-g) models, which can assess the joint association of OH-PAHs and mPAEs with blood cell-based inflammatory indicators. General linear regression indicated that each 1% increase in MOP was associated with a 4.92% (95% CI: 2.12%, 7.68%), 3.25% (95% CI: 0.50%, 6.18%), 5.87% (95% CI: 2.22%, 9.64%), and 6.50% (95% CI: 3.46%, 9.64%) increase in WBC, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and monocytes, respectively. BKMR and Q-g analysis showed that the mixture of OH-PAHs and mPAEs was linked with increased levels of white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes, and MOP was identified as the dominant contributor. OH-PAHs and mPAEs co-exposure in early pregnancy was associated with elevated blood cell-based inflammatory indicators reactions. More attention should be paid to the inflammation induced by environmental pollution for perinatal women, especially early pregnant women.
Effects of Metamifop on Defense Systems in Monopterus albus
Authors: Guan Tianyu , Zhang Yi , Zhu Qianqian , Wang Long , Feng Jianbin , Wang Hui , Li Jiale
Published: September 2023

The effects of herbicides on non-target organisms in paddy fields have become a popular research topic. As a widely used herbicide, it is necessary to explore the potential toxicity of metamifop in non-target organisms, especially aquatic animals, in co-culture mode. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of metamifop (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 mg/L) on the defense system (antioxidation, immunity, and apoptosis) in Monopterus albus. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and protein carbonylation (PCO) increased significantly (p < 0.05) with the increasing metamifop concentration, resulting in oxidative damage. In the antioxidant system, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the 0.2 mg/L treatment group compared with the control group, and decreased in 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 mg/L treatment groups. Glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with the increasing metamifop concentration. In the immune system, white cell number (WCN) increased significantly (p < 0.05) in 0.2 mg/L treatment group, and then decreased with the increase in metamifop concentration. Compared with control group, acid phosphatase (ACP) activity not only increased significantly (p < 0.05) in 0.2 mg/L treatment group, but also decreased significantly (p < 0.05) compared with the increase in metamifop concentration. However, in all treatment groups, alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity was significantly lower than that in the control group (p < 0.05). In the inflammatory response, TNF-α and IL-1β expression levels in the NF-κB signaling pathway decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with the increase in metamifop concentration, while IL-8 expression level in the same signaling pathway increased significantly (p < 0.05) in treatment groups. The expression levels of genes related to apoptosis showed that apoptosis was promoted after exposure to metamifop. The results of the present study show that metamifop induced oxidative damage via a high level of ROS production, and then inhibited or damaged the defense systems of M. albus.
Assessment of Radiation Exposure in a Nuclear Medicine Department during 99mTc-MDP Bone Scintigraphy
Authors: Marshall Suphalak Khamruang , Prom-on Piyatida , Sangkue Siriluck , Thiangsook Wasinee
Published: September 2023

This study measured 99mTc-MDP bone scintigraphy radiation risks, as low-dose radiation exposure is a growing concern. Dosimeter measurements were taken at four positions (left lateral, right lateral, anterior, and posterior) around the patients at 30, 60, 100, and 200 cm at 0, 1.5, and 3 h. The highest dose rates were recorded from 51% of the patients, who emitted ≥ 25 µSv/h up to 49.00 µSv/h at the posterior location at a distance of 30 cm. Additionally, at the anterior location at a distance of 30 cm, 42% of patients emitted ≥ 25 µSv/h up to 38.00 µSv/h. Furthermore, at 1.5 h after the tracer injection, 7% of the dose rates exceeded 25 µSv/h. There was a significant reduction in mean dose rates for all positions as distance and time increased (p-value < 0.05). As a result, radiation levels decreased with increased distance and time as a result of radiation decay, biological clearance, and distance from the source. In addition, increasing the distance from the patient for all positions reduced the radiation dose, as was substantiated via exponential regression analysis. Additionally, after completing the bone scintigraphy, the patients’ dose rates on discharge were within the current guidelines, and the mean radiation doses from 99mTc-MDP were below occupational limits. Thus, medical staff received less radiation than the recommended 25 μSv/h. On discharge and release to public areas, the patients’ mean dose rates were as follows: 1.13 µSv/h for the left lateral position, 1.04 µSv/h for the right lateral, 1.39 µSv/h for the anterior, and 1.46 µSv/h for the posterior. This confirms that if an individual was continuously present in an unrestricted area, the dose from external sources would not exceed 20 µSv/h. Furthermore, the patients’ radiation doses were below the public exposure limit on discharge.
Exploring Psychologists’ Interventions for Transgenerational Trauma in South Africa’s Born Free Generation
Authors: Crankshaw Amy Thandeka , Dwarika Veronica Melody
Published: September 2023

An acknowledgement that the legacy of apartheid lives on in the minds of South Africa’s born free generation necessitates an exploration of psychologists’ interventions for transgenerational trauma. This research aimed to contribute to research on this subject by interviewing South African psychologists with the ultimate objective of assisting professionals who formulate interventions. Firstly, the ways in which psychologists identify transgenerational trauma were explored. This provided a foundation for exploring the psychologists’ interventions for transgenerational trauma and contributed to a discussion of how interventions could be enhanced. Thematic analysis of the semistructured interviews revealed that stuckness paired with guilt, grief resulting from silence and certain manifestations of identity and relationship issues are identifiers of transgenerational trauma. The findings also pointed to the utility of certain approaches to individual, group, family and community interventions. Recommendations for enhancing psychologists’ interventions for transgenerational trauma in Gauteng’s born free generation revealed the imperative for psychologists to actively engage in professional and personal growth, predicated on the complexity of the challenges within.
A Systematic Review on the Viruses of Anopheles Mosquitoes: The Potential Importance for Public Health
Authors: Hernandez-Valencia Juan C. , Muñoz-Laiton Paola , Gómez Giovan F. , Correa Margarita M.
Published: September 2023

Anopheles mosquitoes are the vectors of Plasmodium, the etiological agent of malaria. In addition, Anopheles funestus and Anopheles gambiae are the main vectors of the O’nyong-nyong virus. However, research on the viruses carried by Anopheles is scarce; thus, the possible transmission of viruses by Anopheles is still unexplored. This systematic review was carried out to identify studies that report viruses in natural populations of Anopheles or virus infection and transmission in laboratory-reared mosquitoes. The databases reviewed were EBSCO-Host, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scopus and PubMed. After the identification and screening of candidate articles, a total of 203 original studies were included that reported on a variety of viruses detected in Anopheles natural populations. In total, 161 viruses in 54 species from 41 countries worldwide were registered. In laboratory studies, 28 viruses in 15 Anopheles species were evaluated for mosquito viral transmission capacity or viral infection. The viruses reported in Anopheles encompassed 25 viral families and included arboviruses, probable arboviruses and Insect-Specific Viruses (ISVs). Insights after performing this review include the need for (1) a better understanding of Anopheles-viral interactions, (2) characterizing the Anopheles virome—considering the public health importance of the viruses potentially transmitted by Anopheles and the significance of finding viruses with biological control activity—and (3) performing virological surveillance in natural populations of Anopheles, especially in the current context of environmental modifications that may potentiate the expansion of the Anopheles species distribution.
Assessing the Urban Vacant Land Potential for Infill Housing: A Case Study in Oklahoma City, USA
Authors: Cianfarani Francesco , Abdelkarim Mohamed , Richards Deborah , Kedarisetty Rajith Kumar
Published: September 2023

Vacant land in residual urban areas is a crucial resource to tackle the current climate and housing crises. In this study, we present the development of a geodatabase to determine the occurrence of vacant land in the urban core of Oklahoma City, USA (OKC), and assess its potential for infill housing. As a starting point, we define urban vacant land through a literature review. We present a description of the case study’s social and urbanistic context by highlighting its relevance to this study. We explain the methodology for the development of the geodatabase to quantify residual urban land in OKC’s urban core. We examine the spatial distribution and recurring characteristics of vacant parcels using QGIS, Python scripting for Rhinoceros 3D, and aerial imagery. We find that small parcels have higher vacancy rates than average-sized parcels and there is a correlation between higher vacancy rates and proximity to downtown and brownfields. Finally, we discuss the implications of the findings by assessing the urban vacant land potential for residential development and its contribution to OKC’s housing provision. Under all the proposed scenarios, the considered developable vacant land in the urban core could entirely fulfill the need for new housing units for the entire city.
Host Responses to Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection
Authors: Agac Ayse , Kolbe Sophie M. , Ludlow Martin , Osterhaus Albert D. M. E. , Meineke Robert , Rimmelzwaan Guus F.
Published: September 2023

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections are a constant public health problem, especially in infants and older adults. Virtually all children will have been infected with RSV by the age of two, and reinfections are common throughout life. Since antigenic variation, which is frequently observed among other respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 or influenza viruses, can only be observed for RSV to a limited extent, reinfections may result from short-term or incomplete immunity. After decades of research, two RSV vaccines were approved to prevent lower respiratory tract infections in older adults. Recently, the FDA approved a vaccine for active vaccination of pregnant women to prevent severe RSV disease in infants during their first RSV season. This review focuses on the host response to RSV infections mediated by epithelial cells as the first physical barrier, followed by responses of the innate and adaptive immune systems. We address possible RSV-mediated immunomodulatory and pathogenic mechanisms during infections and discuss the current vaccine candidates and alternative treatment options.
Effects of Restoration and Conservation of Riparian Vegetation on Sediment Retention in the Catchment Area of Corumbá IV Hydroelectric Power Plant, Brazil
Authors: Fachinelli Natália Pezzi , Pereira Amaro Olímpio
Published: September 2023

Vegetation cover and land use are important factors related to the capacity of ecosystems to provide soil loss regulation and sediment retention services, which are highly relevant for sediment management in watersheds draining into reservoirs with multiple water uses. One way to ensure the protection and recovery of vegetation by landowners in Brazil is the implementation of the federal Native Vegetation Protection Law (NVPL), which designates environmentally sensitive areas as Areas of Permanent Preservation (APPs), aiming to conserve water resources and prevent soil erosion. The benefits of riparian vegetation in the catchment of Corumbá IV Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP), located in the Brazilian Cerrado, were analyzed considering landscape reconfigurations from a baseline condition (year 2011) in order to account for the recovery of riparian vegetation by the agricultural sector, as foreseen in the NVPL. The Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) model from the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Environmental Services and Tradeoffs) package was used to map and quantify variations in sediment export and sediment retention throughout the catchment. The reduction in annual sediment export in the drainage basin of the Corumbá IV reservoir reached −27% in the scenario where the total deficit of riparian APPs occupied by pasture or agriculture in the baseline map (41.000 ha) are recovered. While 14% of riparian APP are occupied by crops versus 86% occupied by pasture in the drainage basin of the Corumbá IV HPP, the recovery of riparian zones occupied by agricultural activities resulted in the greatest benefits in sediment retention for the reservoir. The methodology employed in this study can support the prioritization of sectoral efforts for the restoration and conservation of native vegetation, considering the highest returns in benefits perceived by water users affected by sediment input in reservoirs. The study’s results reinforce the importance of conserving vegetation in riparian areas and their surroundings for sediment retention, highlighting the role of these areas as assets in providing water-related ecosystem services. For future developments, it is suggested to assess the interconnections among the energy, water, and food sectors to better understand the barriers and challenges to the maintenance and improvement of water-related ecosystem services in the catchment area of Corumbá IV HPP.
Some aspects of the impact of noise on the health of the population of the city of Vladivostok
Authors:   Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «Pacific State Medical University», Federal Budgetary Health Institution «Center of hygiene and epidemiology in Primorsky Territory», Vladivostok, Russia, Ivanova I. L. , Vazhenina A. A. ,   Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «Pacific State Medical University», Yamilova O. Yu. ,   Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «Pacific State Medical University», Gritsina O. P. ,   Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «Pacific State Medical University»
Published: September 2023

In this work, sociological, laboratory, medical and statistical research methods. The population of the city of Vladivostok was chosen as the object of the study from 2019 to 2022. For the study, the points of measurement of noise generated by a commercial port, motor transport, railway near residential buildings and social facilities located in close proximity to the noise source were determined in the conditions of the existing residential development. During the study period, 202 measurements of the actual noise level were carried out.Based on the calculations of the levels of risk to public health, the existing noise levels in the territory of the city of Vladivostok, the probability of an adverse effect from the nervous system and hearing aid is estimated as a moderate risk to health, from the cardiovascular system is close to extreme. Based on the results obtained, measures are needed to organize constant monitoring of the noise load on the residential territory of the city of Vladivostok. It is recommended to develop measures to reduce the noise load taking into account the medium and short term (1–3 years). When assessing the impact of traffic noise on the health of the population of the city of Vladivostok, within the framework of social and hygienic monitoring, it is necessary to take into account the combined effects of chemical and physical factors. Based on the results obtained, measures are needed to organize constant monitoring of the noise load on the residential territory of the city of Vladivostok.
Ulcerative colitis in the practice of a family doctor
Authors:   FSBEI HE Volgograd State Medical University, Skvortsov V. V. , Vinogradova M. V. ,   FSBEI HE Volgograd State Medical University, Avvakumova S. M. ,   FSBEI HE Volgograd State Medical University
Published: September 2023

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease that is caused by a genetic predisposition and occurs under the influence of unfavorable environmental factors on the intestinal microflora. Having an inflammatory nature, it manifests itself in the form of erosive hemorrhagic and ulcerative destructive changes in the mucous membrane of the rectum and colon. The prevalence of ulcerative colitis is widespread, but it is especially common in economically developed countries. Issues of timely diagnosis cause difficulties among practicing physicians. This is explained by the fact that ulcerative colitis manifests itself not only with classic intestinal symptoms, but also often debuts with various extraintestinal manifestations. Modern medicine provides doctors with many methods for high-quality diagnosis of this pathology. This article presents current aspects of the pathogenesis, clinical picture, diagnosis, and treatment of ulcerative colitis from the perspective of evidence-based medicine.