bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Locating Insulation Defects in HV Substations Using HFCT Sensors and AI Diagnostic Tools
Authors: Ortego Javier , Garnacho Fernando , Álvarez Fernando , Arcones Eduardo , Khamlichi Abderrahim
Published: August 2024

In general, a high voltage (HV) substation can be made up of multiple insulation subsystems: an air insulation subsystem (AIS), gas insulation subsystem (GIS), liquid insulation subsystem (power transformers), and solid insulation subsystem (power cables), all of them with their grounding structures interconnected and linked to the substation earth. Partial discharge (PD) pulses, which are generated in a HV apparatus belonging to a subsystem, travel through the grounding structures of the others. PD analyzers using high-frequency current transformer (HFCT) sensors, which are installed at the connections between the grounding structures, are sensitive to these traveling pulses. In a substation made up of an AIS, several non-critical PD sources can be detected, such as possible corona, air surface, or floating discharges. To perform the correct diagnosis, non-critical PD sources must be separated from critical PD sources related to insulation defects, such as a cavity in a solid dielectric material, mobile particles in SF6, or surface discharges in oil. Powerful diagnostic tools using PD clustering and phase-resolved PD (PRPD) pattern recognition have been developed to check the insulation condition of HV substations. However, a common issue is how to determine the subsystem in which a critical PD source is located when there are several PD sources, and a critical one is near the boundary between two HV subsystems, e.g., a cavity defect located between a cable end and a GIS. The traveling direction of the detected PD is valuable information to determine the subsystem in which the insulation defect is located. However, incorrect diagnostics are usually due to the constraints of PD measuring systems and inadequate PD diagnostic procedures. This paper presents a diagnostic procedure using an appropriate PD analyzer with multiple HFCT sensors to carry out efficient insulation condition diagnoses. This PD procedure has been developed on the basis of laboratory tests, transient signal modeling, and validation tests. The validation tests were carried out in a special test bench developed for the characterization of PD analyzers. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the procedure, a real case is also presented, where satisfactory results are shown.
Performance Study of F-P Pressure Sensor Based on Three-Wavelength Demodulation: High-Temperature, High-Pressure, and High-Dynamic Measurements
Authors: Guo Maocheng , Zhang Qi , Zhu Hongtian , Liang Rui , Zheng Yongqiu , Zhu Xiang , Wang Enbo , Li Zhaoyi , Xue Chenyang , Hai Zhenyin
Published: August 2024

F-P (Fabry–Perot) pressure sensors have a wide range of potential applications in high-temperature, high-pressure, and high-dynamic environments. However, existing demodulation methods commonly rely on spectrometers, which limits their application to high-frequency pressure signal acquisition. To solve this problem, this study developed a self-compensated, three-wavelength demodulation system composite with an F-P pressure sensor and a thermocouple to construct a comprehensive sensing system. The system produces accurate pressure measurements in high-temperature, high-pressure, and high-dynamic environments. In static testing at room temperature, the sensing system shows excellent linearity, and the pressure sensitivity is 158.48 nm/MPa. In high-temperature testing, the sensing system maintains high linearity in the range of 100 °C to 700 °C, with a maximum pressure-indication error of about 0.13 MPa (0~5 MPa). In dynamic testing, the sensor exhibits good response characteristics at 1000 Hz and 5000 Hz sinusoidal pressure frequencies, with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) greater than 37 dB and 45 dB, respectively. These results indicate that the sensing system proposed in this study has significant competitive advantages in the field of high-temperature, high-speed, and high-precision pressure measurements and provides an important experimental basis and theoretical support for technological progress in related fields.
Formal Language for Objects’ Transactions
Authors: Adda Mo
Published: August 2024

The gap between software design and implementation often results in a lack of clarity and precision. Formal languages, based on mathematical rules, logic, and symbols, are invaluable for specifying and verifying system designs. Various semi-formal and formal languages, such as JSON, XML, predicate logic, and regular expressions, along with formal models like Turing machines, serve specific domains. This paper introduces a new specification formal language, ObTFL (Object Transaction Formal Language), developed for general-purpose distributed systems, such as specifying the interactions between servers and IoT devices and their security protocols. The paper details the syntax and semantics of ObTFL and presents three real case studies—federated learning, blockchain for crypto and bitcoin networks, and the industrial PCB board with machine synchronization—to demonstrate its versatility and effectiveness in formally specifying the interactions and behaviors of distributed systems.
Development and Techno-Economic Analysis of a Tracked Indirect Forced Solar Dryer Integrated Photovoltaic System for Drying Tomatoes
Authors: Elwakeel Abdallah Elshawadfy , Gameh Mohsen A. , Oraiath Awad Ali Tayoush , Eissa Ahmed S. , Elsayed Salah , Elmessery Wael M. , Mostafa Mostafa B. , Alhag Sadeq K. , Al-Shuraym Laila A. , Moustapha Moustapha Eid , Elbeltagi Ahmed , Salem Ali , Tantawy Aml Abubakr
Published: August 2024

Fresh tomato fruits (TFs) contain a high moisture content of 90–94%, which makes storage and transportation over long distances difficult. Lately, numerous investigators have employed diverse solar dryers (SDs) in conjunction with stationary solar collectors (SCs) to dry tomatoes; however, the effectiveness of this technique is limited due to the sun’s constant motion throughout the day. Consequently, the current study set out to create an SD that is outfitted with an autonomous sun tracking system and an internet of things (IoT)-based photovoltaic system connected to an SC to continually track the sun and increase the quantity of energy absorbed. Furthermore, we investigated some operating parameters that impact the SD’s performance, taking into account three tomato slice thicknesses (STs) (4.0, 6.0, and 8.0 mm) and three air velocities (1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 m/s). The obtained data demonstrated a notable rise in the efficiency of the SD integrated with the automatic SC tracker throughout the course of the day when compared to the fixed SC, where the latter’s efficiency improved by 21.6%, indicating a strong degree of agreement. The results demonstrated a notable 20–25% reduction in drying time and a 4.9 °C increase in air temperature within the SC integrated with an automatic solar collector tracker (ASCT) at 2:00 p.m., as compared to the SC integrated with a fixed SC. The results of this study also demonstrated that there were no appreciable variations in the air speeds used to dry the tomatoes; however, the thickness of the tomato slices (TSs) had a significant impact; using 4 mm thick tomato slices resulted in a 50% reduction in drying time. Furthermore, the highest efficiency of the PV system was discovered to be 17.45%. Although the two solar dryers have very similar payback times, there are more dried tomatoes available in the markets.
The Impact of Digitalization on the Categories of Users of Library Services in the Period of Aging and Population Decline: A Case Study of Sapporo, Japan
Authors: Seta Fumihiko
Published: August 2024

In relation to the restructuring of public facilities in the phase of aging and subsequent population decline, the digitalization of public services will reduce the cost of maintenance and management of public facilities and contribute to sustaining or even improving standards of services. This study compares attributes of users of physical and digitized electronic libraries, using the results of an original questionnaire survey conducted in Sapporo metropolitan area, Japan, analyzed via statistical methods. The results showed that electronic libraries provide their services to some different groups of citizens compared with physical libraries. Electronic libraries have a clear tendency to provide services to the working population, which means the service reaches more taxpayers who have contributed to the funding of public facilities but have not used them. On the other hand, the influence of age is not simple for physical and electronic library use, although there is certainly a trend toward higher use among younger age groups. The digital divide among the elderly is not clearly observed for the use of electronic libraries, which means that the digitalization of library services can be used by various categories of citizens, including the elderly, even in an aging society.
Strategic Optimization of Operational Parameters in a Low-Temperature Waste Heat Recovery System: A Numerical Approach
Authors: Vizitiu Ștefănica Eliza , Abid Chérifa , Burlacu Andrei , Vizitiu Robert Ștefan , Balan Marius Costel
Published: August 2024

In the transition to sustainable energy consumption, waste heat recovery and storage systems become key to advancing Europe’s energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions, especially by harnessing thermal energy from low-temperature sources like wastewater. This study focuses on optimizing a heat recovery system that uses heat pipes for effective heat extraction and coconut oil as a phase change material for efficient thermal storage. A total of 12 numerical simulations were conducted to analyze the outcomes of varying operational parameters, including the diameter of the heat pipe, condenser size, secondary agent flow rate, coil length, and primary agent inlet temperature. The numerical findings indicate that reduced flow rates, in combination with smaller condenser diameters and increased primary agent temperatures, greatly improve the efficiency of heat absorption and transfer. Following a 4 h test period, the most successful outcome resulted in a melting fraction of 98.8% and a temperature increase of 18.95 °C in the output temperature of the secondary agent. In contrast, suboptimal conditions resulted in only a 2.21 °C rise and a 30.80% melting fraction. The study highlights the importance of component sizing and optimization, noting that strategic modifications and appropriate phase change materials can lead to highly efficient and scalable systems.
Overcoming Barriers to Managing Urban Green Spaces in Metropolitan Areas: Prospects from a Case Study in an Emerging Economy
Authors: Bressane Adriano , Loureiro Anna Isabel Silva , Medeiros Líliam César de Castro , Negri Rogério Galante , Goulart Ana Paula Garcia
Published: August 2024

Urban green spaces (UGS) are vital for the quality of life in cities. However, managing these spaces in metropolitan areas is increasingly challenging. There is a critical gap regarding the specific challenges and strategies employed by municipalities of varying sizes in emerging economies. Most existing research focuses on developed countries, leaving a void in understanding how these economies manage UGS under different constraints. This study delves into the challenges and strategies associated with managing UGS in the metropolitan region of São Paulo (MRSP), Brazil, comparing the experiences of the municipalities to provide empirical evidence that can inform policy making and urban planning practices in similar contexts. A structured questionnaire was distributed to environmental departments across 39 municipalities in MRSP. The survey included questions on population size, priority given to UGS, challenges faced and strategies adopted to overcome barriers. Chi-square tests were used to analyze the association between municipality size and the identified challenges and strategies. This study found that larger municipalities face significant barriers related to high population density and land use conflicts, which are less pronounced in smaller municipalities. However, strategies adopted to manage UGS were similar across all municipalities. Policy makers should focus on promoting vertical green spaces, expanding urban greening programs, and ensuring equitable resource allocation. Public–private partnerships and community involvement in planning processes are crucial for sustainable UGS management. Integrating UGS policies with broader urban development plans is essential for creating cohesive urban environments. Further research should conduct comparative studies across multiple metropolitan regions in different countries to provide a more comprehensive understanding of UGS management globally. This study integrates insights from urban ecology, landscape architecture, and public policy, emphasizing the interdisciplinary approach required for effective UGS management. The findings offer practical guidance for urban planners and landscape architects to design sustainable urban landscapes.
Utilization of the Fungus Pycnoporus sp. for Remediation of a Sugarcane Industry Effluent
Authors: Farfán Clara , Lozano Verónica Laura , Borja Claudia Nidia , Alvarez Dalinger Florencia , Muñoz Camila , Moraña Liliana
Published: August 2024

Lignocellulosic fungi are highly versatile organisms with valuable applications in bioremediation processes, including the biodegradation of agro-industrial effluents. In this work, the use of a native strain of the white-rot fungus, Pycnoporus aff. sanguineus, in the bioremediation of the sugar industry waste called vinasse was studied, originating from the San Martín del Tabacal Sugar Mill, located in the north of the Salta province, Argentina. We studied, under controlled laboratory conditions, the bioremediation process of three concentrations of vinasse (5, 10, and 25% in distilled water) with a native isolated strain. The results showed biomass growth at all three tested concentrations, with a maximum at the highest vinasse concentration (25%), while the percentages of color and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal indicated that the most efficient treatment was with 10% vinasse. The results obtained are promising for the treatment of effluents from the sugar industry using white-rot fungi, considering the valuable subproducts of Pycnoporus spp. biomass.
Impact of ISO Certifications on Corporate Financial Performance: Evidence from Istanbul Stock Exchange-Listed Manufacturing Companies
Authors: Durak Uşar Damla
Published: August 2024

The literature has reached a consensus that ISO standardization enhances the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance of companies, which in turn has a positive effect on corporate financial performance (CFP). There is less understanding in terms of the effect of different certifications and underlying mechanisms between the effect of the ISO certification on the CFP. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of different ISO certifications on the CFP of Turkish companies listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange (BIST). Based on audited financial statements of a population of 148 manufacturing companies listed during 2010–2022 and using the generalized method of moments (GMM) technique, this study shows that the number of ISO certifications has a positive impact on return on asset (ROA) and Tobin’s Q, however, no direct effect on operational efficient and R&D intensity. While there is no effect of the occupational health and safety management systems certification on ROA and Tobin’s Q, the analysis brought forward that ROA seems to be positively affected by the standards referring to environmental, energy, quality, and information security management systems certification while Tobin’s Q is positively affected by the last two certifications.
Presence of Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria and Resistance Genes in Soil Exposed to Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent
Authors: Franklin Alison M. , Kariyawasam Subhashinie , Andrews Danielle M. , McLain Jean E. , Watson John E.
Published: August 2024

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a world-wide health issue, and anthropogenic antibiotics entering the environment is cause for concern with regard to impacts on environmental bacteria. As water resources have become scarcer, reuse of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent has increased, creating a conduit for environmental antibiotic pollution. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of spray-irrigating effluent on the incidence of AMR in soil organisms in agricultural lands (Astronomy Site, Pennsylvania State University). This study performed culture work to assess resistance of Gram-negative and Gram-positive soil bacteria to four antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, ciprofloxacin, and ampicillin) and molecular work (qPCR) to quantify genes associated with AMR (sulI, sulII, ermB, and intI1). Compared to a control site, Gram-negative bacteria at the Astronomy Site appeared to have increased resistance to sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. Higher numbers of resistance genes by depth (below 35 cm) and by location were consistently observed at the Astronomy Site with copy numbers of some genes up to 106-fold higher than the control site. Increased quantities of sulI and intI1 in the top 0–5 cm of the soil profile appeared to be dependent upon the amount of effluent irrigation received, whereas the presence of sulII and ermB showed the opposite patterns. Overall, long-term reuse of WWTP effluent to spray irrigate cropped lands does appear to alter and possibly increase AMR in soil environments; however, additional work is necessary to determine potential impacts on human, wildlife, plant, and soil health.
An Evaluation of Urban Resilience Using Structural Equation Modeling from Practitioners’ Perspective: An Empirical Investigation in Huangshi City, China
Authors: Si Yanning , Liang Lizhi , Zhou Wenguang
Published: August 2024

As urbanization accelerates and climate change intensifies, cities are increasingly facing risks from natural disasters and human activities. Enhancing urban resilience and strengthening cities’ ability to adapt and recover from disasters have become hot topics globally. Although urban resilience evaluation has been studied from different dimensions, the study of urban resilience from a practitioner’s perspective has received less attention. In this study, based on 1464 valid samples of practitioners in Huangshi City, a structural equation model (SEM) was applied to evaluate urban resilience. The evaluation indicators framework was selected from the economy, ecology, society, and infrastructure dimensions. The findings show that (1) the SEM model provides a scientific basis for establishing an index system for the comprehensive evaluation of urban resilience, and the corresponding correlation coefficients help determine the relative contribution of each indicator. (2) Social resilience accounts for the largest proportion of the entire evaluation system, followed by infrastructure resilience, ecological resilience, and economic resilience. (3) Taking Huangshi City as an empirical research case, the results show that the resilience assessment method based on SEM is feasible, with the resilience of Huangshi City showing an upward trend from 2013 to 2022. Finally, some plausible measures to improve urban resilience based on the evaluation results are discussed.
Exploring the Impact of Cultivated Land Utilization Green Transformation on Agricultural Economic Growth: Evidence from Jiangsu Province in China
Authors: Yu Xiaodong , Wang Qi , Tian Minji , Ji An
Published: August 2024

Against the backdrop of the green transformation of the national economy, this paper takes Jiangsu Province as a case study to explore spatiotemporal characteristics of cultivated land utilization green transformation (CLUGT) and its impact on agricultural economic growth (AEG). In this study, a composite index method and a panel regression model are employed, and the findings of this study indicate that: (1) From 2001 to 2021, the CLUGT index exhibited a modest upward trend, registering an average annual growth rate of 7.12%. (2) The CLUGT displayed significant spatial heterogeneity in the study area. High and medium-high-level areas demonstrated significant clustering, primarily concentrated in the central and northern regions of Jiangsu, while low and medium-low-level areas were primarily located in the southern part of the province. (3) The CLUGT exerted a positive impact on AEG. Specifically, for each one-unit increase in the CLUGT index, the AEG index rose by 0.575. Further analysis indicated that for every one unit of increase in the functional and mode transformation dimensions of CLUGT, the AEG index increased by 0.391 and 0.368, respectively, whereas a one-unit increase in the spatial transformation dimension of CLUGT was associated with a 0.169 decrease in the AEG index. Based on these findings, the study advocates for policies that champion the functional and pattern transformation of CLUGT and prioritize the spatial governance of cultivated land to enhance the contribution of CLUGT to AEG.
Multi-Objective Optimization of Highway Work Zones Considering Safety, Mobility, and Project Cost
Authors: Shahin Fadi , Elias Wafa , Toledo Tomer
Published: August 2024

The presence of highway work zones has a major effect on safety, mobility, and project expenses. The objective of this study is to develop a multi-objective optimization model to address these challenges by considering all three factors simultaneously. The model employs a Genetic Algorithm to identify the Pareto front and elucidate the trade-offs between safety, mobility, and cost. It evaluates various decision variables related to site geometry, work management, and temporary traffic control measures, exploring numerous potential combinations and offering decision-makers a comprehensive array of solutions. A case study demonstrates the model’s efficacy. Initially, approximately 829,440 feasible solutions were identified, which were effectively reduced to 263 by imposing additional constraints such as specific safety levels, maximum project costs, or traffic delay thresholds. The findings highlight significant cost variations: crash costs ranged from saving USD 973,473 to increasing costs by USD 1,328,322; mobility costs ranged from USD 184,491 to USD 3,854,212; and project costs ranged from USD 1,424,634 to USD 1,574,894. These variations underscore the substantial influence of crash costs and the benefits of location-based scheduling, which improves cost estimate reliability by capturing the effects of working hours and project duration. This research builds upon previous studies by incorporating three distinct objectives rather than focusing on a singular solution. By addressing safety, mobility, and project cost separately, the framework yields multiple solutions, each impacting the objectives differently. This multifaceted approach enhances its utility as a robust decision-making tool for stakeholders involved in highway work zone management and planning. This study concludes that multi-objective optimization is crucial for providing realistic and diverse solutions, ultimately improving decision-making processes in highway work zone operations.
Ecological Water Requirement of Natural Vegetation in the Tarim River Basin Based on Multi-Source Data
Authors: Huang Mianting , Mu Zhenxia , Zhao Shikang , Yang Rongqin
Published: August 2024

The Tarim River Basin is one of the most ecologically fragile regions around the world in the arid areas of Northwest China. The study of natural vegetation ecological water requirement (EWR) is the basis for the promotion of regional ecological conservation and sustainable development of ecosystems when extreme environmental events occur frequently, which is of great significance for the formulation of scientific and rational ecological conservation strategies. In the study, we improved the vegetation EWR calculation method by introducing a dynamic soil moisture limitation coefficient (KS) and a dynamic vegetation coefficient (KC) that is coupled with a resistance correction factor (Fr) based on the Penman-Monteith method and analyzed its spatio-temporal variation characteristics. Additionally, this study utilized the latitude of ecosystem resilience (LER) to clarify the thresholds for vegetation EWR throughout the growing season in the study area and to analyze the water surplus and deficit (WSD) at different threshold levels. The results of the study show that: (1) Over the past 21 years, the EWR for vegetation has shown a downward trend, with the change in EWR for arbor-shrub forests being more significant than that for grasslands. The average EWR for arbor-shrub forests and grasslands is 36.76 × 108 m3 and 459.59 × 108 m3, respectively. (2) The minimum ecological water requirement (EWRmin) and optimal ecological water requirement (EWRopt) for natural vegetation were 360.45 × 108 m3 and 550.10 × 108 m3, respectively. (3) In EWRmin conditions, the alpine plateau area as a whole showed a water surplus, and the plains area as a whole was in a state of water scarcity, but the precipitation in the study area as a whole could meet the basic survival needs of the vegetation. (4) In EWRopt conditions, the plains and local alpine plateau areas are in a state of water scarcity, the area of water scarcity is gradually increasing, and the regional precipitation is unable to fully realize the objectives of ecological conservation and vegetation restoration.
The Role of 6G Technologies in Advancing Smart City Applications: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Sharma Sanjeev , Popli Renu , Singh Sajjan , Chhabra Gunjan , Saini Gurpreet Singh , Singh Maninder , Sandhu Archana , Sharma Ashutosh , Kumar Rajeev
Published: August 2024

The deployment of fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks has already laid the ground-work for futuristic smart cities but along with this, it has also triggered the rapid growth of a wide range of applications, for example, the Internet of Everything (IoE), online gaming, extended/virtual reality (XR/VR), telemedicine, cloud computing, and others, which require ultra-low latency, ubiquitous coverage, higher data rates, extreme device density, ultra-high capacity, energy efficiency, and better reliability. Moreover, the predicted explosive surge in mobile traffic until 2030 along with envisioned potential use-cases/scenarios in a smart city context will far exceed the capabilities for which 5G was designed. Therefore, there is a need to harness the 6th Generation (6G) capabilities, which will not only meet the stringent requirements of smart megacities but can also open up a new range of potential applications. Other crucial concerns that need to be addressed are related to network security, data privacy, interoperability, the digital divide, and other integration issues. In this article, we examine current and emerging trends for the implementation of 6G in the smart city arena. Firstly, we give an inclusive and comprehensive review of potential 6th Generation (6G) mobile communication technologies that can find potential use in smart cities. The discussion of each technology also covers its potential benefits, challenges and future research direction. Secondly, we also explore promising smart city applications that will use these 6G technologies, such as, smart grids, smart healthcare, smart waste management, etc. In the conclusion part, we have also highlighted challenges and suggestions for possible future research directions. So, in a single paper, we have attempted to provide a wider perspective on 6G-enabled smart cities by including both the potential 6G technologies and their smart city applications. This paper will help readers gain a holistic view to ascertain the benefits, opportunities and applications that 6G technology can bring to meet the diverse, massive and futuristic requirements of smart cities.
Estimation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Taxis and the Nonlinear Influence of Built Environment Considering Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity
Authors: Yuan Changwei , Ma Ningyuan , Mao Xinhua , Duan Yaxin , Zhao Jiannan , Ding Shengxuan , Sun Lu
Published: August 2024

The fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission patterns of taxis are in accordance with the urban structure and daily travel footprints of residents. With taxi trajectory data from the intelligent transportation system in Xi’an, China, this study excludes trajectories from electric taxis to accurately estimate GHG emissions of taxis. A gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT) model is employed to examine the nonlinear influence of the built environment (BE) on the GHG emissions of taxis on weekdays and weekends in various urban areas. The research findings indicate that the GHG emissions of taxis within the research area exhibit peak levels during the time intervals of 7:00–9:00, 12:00–14:00, and 23:00–0:00, with notably higher emission factors on weekends than on weekdays. Moreover, a clear nonlinear association exists between BE elements and GHG emissions, with a distinct impact threshold. In the different urban areas, the factors that influence emissions exhibit spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Metro/bus/taxi stops density, residential density, and road network density are the most influential BE elements impacting GHG emissions. Road network density has both positive and negative influences on the GHG emissions in various urban areas. Increasing the road network density in subcentral urban areas and increasing the mixed degree of urban functions in newly developed urban centers to 1.85 or higher can help reduce GHG emissions. These findings provide valuable insights for reducing emissions in urban transportation and promoting sustainable urban development by adjusting urban functional areas.
A Study on the Mechanism of Female Participation in Rural Development of Yunnan on Their Capacity Building for Sustainable Development—Based on Cognitive, Emotional and Behavioural Perspectives
Authors: Gao Suwei , Chen Fan , Jiao Jianyi , Zhang Yangdan
Published: August 2024

Rural women’s development is a problem related to current and future rural development, as well as the development of society as a whole. This paper takes the theory of planned behaviour as the basis, researches the mechanism of women’s rural development participation with the five indicators of participation behaviour, determines the indicators of rural development participation with the theory of informed behaviour; explores the relationship between the external environment, women’s family economy, human capital, social network and family roles and the persistent poverty and determines the indicators of sustainable and responsible capacity; and constructs a hypothetical model of the influence mechanism of rural development participation on the sustainable and responsible capacity building. It also constructs a hypothetical model of the influence mechanism of rural development participation on sustainable and responsible capacity building; conducts a questionnaire survey and collects data from women in the former poverty-stricken areas of Yunnan Province; empirically analyses and verifies the hypothetical model using structural equation modelling and, finally, puts forward policy recommendations, which will serve as important references for poor rural women to improve their sustainable development capacity. The results of the empirical study indicate that the impact of participation indicators on sustainability is that cognitive participation, emotional participation and behavioural participation of female subjects all positively affect sustainability. Cognitive participation affects behavioural participation, and increasing the cognitive level of rural development participation helps increase female rural development participation. Cognitive participation and affective participation also affect sustainability through behavioural participation but not exclusively through behavioural participation. In the analysis of the role of the external environment, the external environment directly affects the effect of rural development participation on the sustainable development capacity. According to the results of the data analysis, the external environment plays a significant positive moderating effect on the economic dimension and human capital in rural development participation and sustainable development capacity. The innovations of the study on the impact mechanism of rural women’s rural development participation on sustainable development capacity building are expanding the research perspective and research methods for studying rural women’s rural development participation, constructing a scale of rural development participation and sustainable development capacity building measurement indicators and exploring the impact mechanism of rural development participation on sustainable development capacity building of rural women in Yunnan.
Research on the Competitiveness and Complementarity of Agricultural Trade between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Authors: Peng Hongbi , Yang Feng
Published: August 2024

Agricultural trade is the foundation of world trade and an important link in economic and trade relations between countries or regions. Exploring the competitiveness and complementarity of the agricultural trade between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, could provide a theoretical basis for tapping the growth potential of the agricultural trade between China and ASEAN and expanding the trade relationship. According to the theory of comparative advantage, trade complementarity theory, and intra-industry trade theory, and based on UN Comtrade data from 2013 to 2022, this study uses the Regional Revealed Comparative Advantage Index, the Trade Complementarity Index, and the Intra-Industry Trade Index to measure the competitiveness, complementarity, and intra-industry trade level of China–ASEAN agricultural trade, including HS01-24 commodities. The results show that the agricultural trade between China and ASEAN is both competitive and complementary. The competitiveness of China’s agricultural exports to ASEAN is greater than that of ASEAN’s agricultural exports to China, and the complementarity of the former is less than that of the latter. Both sides have their own comparative advantage products, and there is also a strong competitive relationship in some agricultural product fields. The bilateral agricultural trade is mainly intra-industry trade, and the level is relatively high, while some strongly competitive agricultural products urgently need to transform from inter-industry to intra-industry trade. China and ASEAN should participate in bilateral trade based on the comparative advantages of their own agricultural products; ASEAN should improve the quality of agricultural products to enhance international competitiveness; China should tap into the market demand for ASEAN agricultural products to enhance the complementarity of its agricultural exports to ASEAN; and the two sides should formulate different policies for different types of agricultural products.
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Nigeria: A Review
Authors: Okafor Chukwuebuka C. , Ajaero Charles C. , Madu Christian N. , Nzekwe Chinelo A. , Otunomo Festus A. , Nixon Nduji N.
Published: August 2024

Nigeria is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change (CC) impact. Thus, there is a need to mitigate emission and implement strategies to adapt to the impacts of CC. This study is a review of publications on CC mitigation and/or adaptation in Nigeria. The aims are as follows: to identify commonly adopted climate change adaptation strategies (CCAS) and their determinants; and to identify the climate change mitigation strategies (CCMS) that are widely deployed to reduce emissions in Nigeria. Relevant keywords were used to search for publications in Scopus and Google Scholar. Our dataset shows that from 1999 to the present, there has been an exponential growth in the number of publications on CCAS and CCMS. In total, 75.2% of the papers were on CCAS, 19.6% were on CCMS and 5.2% combined CCAS and CCMS. Many of the papers on CCMS were on ‘Energy’ and ‘Agriculture’. Other sectors identified from the included studies pertinent to mitigation in Nigeria included ‘forestry’, ‘waste management’, ‘industry’ and others. Most (80.7%) of the CCAS papers were related to ‘Agriculture’, showing the most important sector where CC-adaptive capacity is required in Nigeria. In all, 45% of the papers on CCAS were on ‘Social’ adaptation, followed by ‘Structural measures’ (42%), with the smallest amount being on ‘Institutional’ measures (13%). The relatively fewer number of papers on institutional CCAS highlights the need for more research. This is because institutional measures which include policies, legal and fiscal support are important to build resilience to climate change impact. The greatest determinant influencing the adoption of CCAS is ‘Education’. A higher number of publications on ‘Agriculture’ for both CCMS and CCAS underscores the importance of the sector and the need to develop its mitigation and adaptive capacity strategies. Our results and findings were also compared and discussed in line with similar works on CCMS and CCAS in Africa.
Characterization of Forest Soil Acidification in Wenzhou Daluoshan and Zhejiang Wuyanling National Nature Reserve
Authors: Zhang Yujie , Zhou Jiangmin , Ren Han , Chen Hualin
Published: August 2024

Forest soil acidification is a global environmental problem, and forest ecosystems play an important role in terrestrial ecosystems. To provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable development of areas, this study selected Daluoshan and Wuyanling National Nature Reserve, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China and determined the characteristics of soil acidification in the two forested areas and the relationship between forest soil acidification and soil physicochemical properties. The forest soil pH value of Daluoshan was 4.25–5.40, and that of Wuyanling was 4.14–5.71. There was a significant difference between the mean soil pH values of the two woodlands (p < 0.01). The two forest soils were dominated by strongly acidic soils, and the top layer of the soils was susceptible to disturbances by environmental factors. With the increase in altitude, different layers of soil in the forests in the two woodland areas showed deepening acidification. Regarding the different plant types and slope directions, the soils under trees in the forests showed the most serious acidification, followed by the soils under shrubs and herbs. Compared with the soils on the leeward slopes, the soils of the forest sites on the windward slopes showed a more severe situation of soil acidification. Redundancy analysis between forest soil acidity indicators and soil physicochemical properties in the two forest sites showed that the main environmental factor affecting soil acidity indicators was salt base saturation, and soil pH and active state Cr, Ni, and Pb showed negative correlations in both forest sites.
Heritage as a Driver of Sustainable Tourism Development: The Case Study of the Darb Zubaydah Hajj Pilgrimage Route
Authors: Moscatelli Monica
Published: August 2024

Heritage plays a pivotal role in sustainable tourism development along pilgrimage and historical routes, shaping the identity and character of these places. This study aims to investigate the relationship between heritage and tourism along the Darb Zubaydah pilgrimage route in Saudi Arabia, exploring strategies for developing sustainable tourism that preserves cultural and natural heritage while promoting local economies and community engagement. This research employs a mixed-method approach, integrating data collection and observational research along the Darb Zubaydah route, the main historic Hajj pilgrimage route connecting Kufa in Iraq to Makkah in Saudi Arabia. The chosen case study is analyzed through four heritage sustainable criteria: cultural, environmental, spatial, and economic development, through a cross-sectional analysis of the aspects related to safety measures and risk management. The results demonstrate that including the four criteria in the development of the pilgrimage route leads to defining strategic solutions to enhance this tourist trail for pilgrims, promoting the cultural landscape and heritage by strengthening the sense of identity via a sustainable approach. This study wants to contribute to Vision 2030 to enhance the development of tourism by revitalizing the Islamic, Arab, and national cultural heritage, offering insights into sustainable tourism practices that can be applied to other cultural routes globally.
Application of the Triple Laplace Transform Decomposition Method for Solving Singular (2 + 1)-Dimensional Time-Fractional Coupled Korteweg–De Vries Equations (KdV)
Authors: Gadain Hassan Eltayeb , Bachar Imed , Mesloub Said
Published: August 2024

The main aim of this article is to modify the space-time fractionalKdV equations using the Bessel operator. The triple Laplace transform decomposition method (TLTDM) is proposed to find the solution for a time-fractional singular KdV coupled system of equations. Three problems are discussed to check the accuracy and illustrate the effectiveness of this technique. The results imply that our method is very active and easy to utilize while analyzing the manner of nonlinear fractional differential equations appearing in the joint field of science and mathematics. Moreover, this method is fast convergent if we compare it with the existing techniques in the literature.
The Well-Posedness of Incommensurate FDEs in the Space of Continuous Functions
Authors: Shiri Babak , Shi Yong-Guo , Baleanu Dumitru
Published: August 2024

A system of fractional differential equations (FDEs) with fractional derivatives of diverse orders is called an incommensurate system of FDEs. In this paper, the well-posedness of the initial value problem for incommensurate systems of FDEs is obtained on the space of continuous functions. Three different methods for this analysis are used and compared. The complexity of such analysis is reduced by new techniques. Strong existence results are obtained by weaker conditions. The uniqueness and the continuous dependency of the solution on initial values are investigated using the Gronwall inequality.
Separable Reversible Data Hiding for Encrypted 3D Meshes Based on Self-Organized Blocking and Most Significant Bit Prediction
Authors: Sui Liansheng , Zhang Pengfei , Xiao Zhaolin , Zhou Nan
Published: August 2024

As a booming technique that allows secret data extraction and information carrier recovery without any loss, reversible data hiding in different carriers has attracted more and more concerns in the field of information security. In this paper, a separable reversible data hiding technique for encrypted 3D meshes is proposed based on self-organized blocking and most significant bit (MSB) prediction. The content-owner traverses all faces of the mesh in the ascending index order. Through self-organized blocking, adjacent vertices are concentrated in different small sets. The central vertex is considered as the reference and the others as embedded vertices in each set. Then, multiple most significant bits between the central vertex and others are adaptively predicted and reserved as embeddable bits for secret data embedding. Because vertex coordinates in each set have a high space correlation and most vertices participate in the prediction process, a huge number of most significant bits can be marked as embeddable bits to embed secret data. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can obtain the highest embedding rate compared with representative methods. To our best knowledge, the average embedding rate of the proposed method is about 28 bits per vertex (bpv) higher than the recently proposed method. Most importantly, instead of recovering meshes with higher quality, original meshes with high visual symmetry/quality can be recovered.
Intramuscular Botulinum Toxin as an Adjunct to Arthrocentesis with Viscosupplementation in Temporomandibular Disorders: A Proof-of-Concept Case–Control Investigation
Authors: Guarda Nardini Luca , Manfredini Daniele , Colonna Anna , Ferrari Cagidiaco Edoardo , Ferrari Marco , Val Matteo
Published: August 2024

Background: The reduction in joint load is a potential beneficial factor in managing osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). This paper aims to compare the effectiveness of the intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin (BTX-A) as an adjunct to TMJ arthrocentesis plus viscosupplementation with arthrocentesis plus viscosupplementation alone in the management of TMJ osteoarthritis. Methods: A pilot clinical retrospective study examined TMJ osteoarthritis treatments. Patients were divided into two groups: Group A received BTX-A injections and arthrocentesis with viscosupplementation, while Group B received only arthrocentesis with viscosupplementation. The study assessed outcomes based on mouth opening (MO), pain at rest (PR), pain at mastication (PF), and masticatory efficiency (ME) at various time points (baseline (T0), 1 week (T1), 2 weeks (T2), 3 weeks (T3), and 4 weeks (T4)) up to 2 months after treatment. Results: The study included two groups, each with five patients. Group A received five weekly sessions of arthrocentesis plus viscosupplementation and a single BTX-A injection during the first arthrocentesis appointment. Group B underwent the five-session protocol of arthrocentesis plus viscosupplementation alone. MO, PF, PR, and ME improved quickly in T2 in both groups, but the improvement was of greater importance over the following weeks and lasted longer in Group A. Conclusions: Arthrocentesis with viscosupplementation associated with BTX-A was found to be more effective than arthrocentesis alone in improving clinical outcomes. This suggests that patients with TMJ osteoarthritis and myofascial pain may benefit from reduced muscle tone and joint load.
Exploring Virus Diversity in the Potato leafhopper (Empoasca fabae), an Economically Important Agricultural Pest
Authors: Thekke-Veetil Thanuja , Lagos-Kutz Doris , Domier Leslie L. , McCoppin Nancy K. , Hartman Glen L. , Clough Steven J.
Published: August 2024

The potato leafhopper (Empoasca fabae, PLH) is a serious pest that feeds on a wide range of agricultural crops and is found throughout the United States but is not known to be a vector for plant-infecting viruses. We probed the diversity of virus sequences in field populations of PLH collected from four Midwestern states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Minnesota. High-throughput sequencing data from total RNAs extracted from PLH were used to assemble sequences of fifteen positive-stranded RNA viruses, two negative-stranded RNA viruses, and one DNA virus. These sequences included ten previously described plant viruses and eight putative insect-infecting viruses. All but one of the insect-specific viruses were novel and included three solemoviruses, one iflavirus, one phenuivirus, one lispivirus, and one ambidensovirus. Detailed analyses of the novel genome sequences and their evolutionary relationships with related family members were conducted. Our study revealed a diverse group of plant viruses circulating in the PLH population and discovered novel insect viruses, expanding knowledge on the untapped virus diversity in economically important crop pests. Our findings also highlight the importance of monitoring the emergence and circulation of plant-infecting viruses in agriculturally important arthropod pests.