bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ecofriendly Elimination of Ni (II) Using Fabricated Nanocomposite Based on Chitosan/Silver Nanoparticles/Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Azzam Eid M. S. , Elsofany Walaa I. , Abdulaziz Fahad , AlGhamdi Hind A. , AL alhareth Abdullah Y.
Published: June 2023

Nickel ions are hazardous heavy metals that are non-biodegradable and can lead to allergic sensitivity and dermatitis. Nanomaterials are chosen for their effective elimination of impurities from water structures based entirely on the variety of therapy and degree of purification. The target of this work was the combination of the properties of biopolymers such as chitosan, silver nanoparticles (SNPs), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in one ecofriendly compound for Ni (II) uptake from the aqueous solution. To attain this target, the endeavor was made by creating a nanocomposite based on chitosan/SNPs/CNTs. The characterization of the structure of the fabricated nanocomposite (Chit-SNPs-CNTs) was carried out using different techniques. The removal of Ni (II) was examined by studying the adsorption of Ni (II) ions onto the fabricated nanocomposite by batch adsorption using UV, XRD, XPS, and ICP techniques. Moreover, we investigated the effect of the contact time, pH of the solution, and mass of the adsorbent on the efficiency of the adsorption of Ni (II). The results show that the adsorption capacity of Ni (II) increased by increasing the contact time with a neutral pH. The maximum removal of Ni (II) ions (99.70%) was found using 0.3 g of the (Chit-SNPs-CNTs) nanocomposite. In addition, the results indicate that the fabricated nanocomposite has a high adsorption effectivity, which is associated to the function of the chitosan, SNPs, and CNTs in upgrading the adsorption efficiency. Finally, the results in the existing work indicate that the ecofriendly nanocomposite organized here gave excessive effectivity closer to the elimination of Ni (II).
The Preparation, Structural Design, and Application of Electroactive Poly(vinylidene fluoride)-Based Materials for Wearable Sensors and Human Energy Harvesters
Authors: Zhang Weiran , Wu Guohua , Zeng Hailan , Li Ziyu , Wu Wei , Jiang Haiyun , Zhang Weili , Wu Ruomei , Huang Yiyang , Lei Zhiyong
Published: June 2023

Owing to their biocompatibility, chemical stability, film-forming ability, cost-effectiveness, and excellent electroactive properties, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and PVDF-based polymers are widely used in sensors, actuators, energy harvesters, etc. In this review, the recent research progress on the PVDF phase structures and identification of different phases is outlined. Several approaches for obtaining the electroactive phase of PVDF and preparing PVDF-based nanocomposites are described. Furthermore, the potential applications of these materials in wearable sensors and human energy harvesters are discussed. Finally, some challenges and perspectives for improving the properties and boosting the applications of these materials are presented.
Formulation and In-Vitro/Ex-Vivo Characterization of Pregelled Hybrid Alginate–Chitosan Microparticles for Ocular Delivery of Ketorolac Tromethamine
Authors: Fathalla Zeinab , Fatease Adel Al , Abdelkader Hamdy
Published: June 2023

Innovative hybrid chitosan–sodium alginate (Ch–Ag) microparticles (MPs) were fabricated using both the ionic gelation method as well as the pre-gelation technique. The hybrid Ch–Ag MPs were studied for size, zeta potential, morphology, mucoadhesion, in-vitro release, corneal permeation, and ocular irritation using lens and corneal epithelial cell lines. The average particle size ranged from 1322 nm to 396 nm. The zeta potential for the prepared formulations showed an increase with increasing Ch concentrations up to a value of >35 mV; the polydispersity index (PDI) of some optimized MPs was around 0.1. Compared to drug-free MPs, ketorolac-loaded Ch–Ag MPs demonstrated a drug proportion-dependent increase in their size. SEM, as well as TEM of KT-loaded MPs, confirmed that the formed particles were quasi-spherical to elliptical in shape. The KT release from the MPs demonstrated a prolonged release profile in comparison to the control KT solution. Further, mucoadhesion studies with porcine mucin revealed that the KT-loaded MPs had effective mucoadhesive properties, and polymeric particles were stable in the presence of mucin. Corneal permeation was studied on bovine eyes, and the results revealed that Ch-based MPs were capable of showing more sustained KT release across the cornea compared with that for the control drug solution. Conclusively, the cytotoxicity assay confirmed that the investigated MPs were non-irritant and could confer protection from direct drug irritation of KT on the ocular surface. The MTT cytotoxicity assay confirmed that KT-loaded MPs showed acceptable and reasonable tolerability with both human lens and corneal epithelial cell lines compared to the control samples.
Influence of Rapeseed Oil on Extruded Plant-Based Meat Analogues: Assessing Mechanical and Rheological Properties
Authors: Saavedra Isusi Gabriela Itziar , Pietsch Valerie , Beutler Philipp , Hoehne Sebastian , Leister Nico
Published: June 2023

Successfully replacing meat with plant-based options will require not only replicating the texture of muscular fibres, but also imitating the taste, aroma, and juiciness of meat as closely and realistically as possible. This study examines the impact of rapeseed oil on the textural properties of meat analogues. Pea protein and soy protein are chosen as model systems to assess the effect of rapeseed oil. Optical, mechanical, and rheological characterisation tests are conducted to investigate the oil droplet distribution, the gel strength, Young’s modulus, and the length of the LVE region. The hypothesis is that oil droplets will act as active fillers in the protein matrix, and thus, diminish the strength of the protein gel network. The results of this study show that rapeseed oil droplets act as inactive fillers, as they are not bound to both examined protein matrices. Soy protein extrudates display minimal changes, while pea protein extrudates are significantly affected by the addition of oil. For example, oil addition decreased the G′ in the LVE region of pea protein meat analogues by 50%, while soy protein samples showed no significant changes. Despite the similar interfacial activities of the investigated proteins, the decreased encapsulation efficiency of pea protein was confirmed by the higher amount of extracted oil from the respective extrudates.
BSFCDet: Bidirectional Spatial–Semantic Fusion Network Coupled with Channel Attention for Object Detection in Satellite Images
Authors: Wei Xinchi , Zhang Yan , Zheng Yuhui
Published: June 2023

Due to the increasing maturity of deep learning and remote sensing technology, the performance of object detection in satellite images has significantly improved and plays an important role in military reconnaissance, urban planning, and agricultural monitoring. However, satellite images have challenges such as small objects, multiscale objects, and complex backgrounds. To solve these problems, a lightweight object detection model named BSFCDet is proposed. First, fast spatial pyramid pooling (SPPF-G) is designed for feature fusion to enrich the spatial information of small targets. Second, a three-layer bidirectional feature pyramid network (BiFPN-G) is suggested to integrate the deep feature’s semantic information with the shallow feature’s spatial information, thus improving the scale adaptability of the model. Third, a novel efficient channel attention (ECAM) is proposed to reduce background interference. Last, a new residual block (Resblock_M) is constructed to balance accuracy and speed. BSFCDet achieves high detection performance while satisfying real-time performance, according to experimental results.
Lightweight Object Detection Algorithm for UAV Aerial Imagery
Authors: Wang Jian , Zhang Fei , Zhang Yuesong , Liu Yahui , Cheng Ting
Published: June 2023

Addressing the challenges of low detection precision and excessive parameter volume presented by the high resolution, significant scale variations, and complex backgrounds in UAV aerial imagery, this paper introduces MFP-YOLO, a lightweight detection algorithm based on YOLOv5s. Initially, a multipath inverse residual module is designed, and an attention mechanism is incorporated to manage the issues associated with significant scale variations and abundant interference from complex backgrounds. Then, parallel deconvolutional spatial pyramid pooling is employed to extract scale-specific information, enhancing multi-scale target detection. Furthermore, the Focal-EIoU loss function is utilized to augment the model’s focus on high-quality samples, consequently improving training stability and detection accuracy. Finally, a lightweight decoupled head replaces the original model’s detection head, accelerating network convergence speed and enhancing detection precision. Experimental results demonstrate that MFP-YOLO improved the mAP50 on the VisDrone 2019 validation and test sets by 12.9% and 8.0%, respectively, compared to the original YOLOv5s. At the same time, the model’s parameter volume and weight size were reduced by 79.2% and 73.7%, respectively, indicating that MFP-YOLO outperforms other mainstream algorithms in UAV aerial imagery detection tasks.
Relay Selection for Dual-Hop Cooperative Ambient Backscatter Communication Systems
Authors: Yang Ping , Kuang Weichao , Wang Shanjin
Published: June 2023

Previous works only focus on the optimization design for the dual-hop cooperative ambient backscatter communication (AmBC) system with single-relay selection. The impact of relay selection on the outage performance of dual-hop cooperative AmBC systems is still missing. Motivated by this, in this paper, we investigate the outage performance of a dual-hop cooperative AmBC system with single-relay selection, where the backscatter link shares the receiver with the cellular link and the harmful direct-link interference (DLI) is mitigated by using successive interference cancellation (SIC). In the system considered, the selected relay has dual functions. One is to forward message for the cellular link, and the other is to act as the radio-frequency (RF) source for the backscatter device (BD). Specifically, after proposing two novel single-relay selection schemes (RSSs), namely reactive RSS and proactive RSS, we derive the closed-form outage probability (OP) expressions for both RSSs, which can be performed in a distributed manner. To gain more insights, the asymptotic OPs at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are explored and the outage performance comparison between the reactive RSS and proactive RSS are also provided. Results show that the proposed reactive RSS is outage-optimal among all possible single-relay selection schemes. The theoretical analysis is validated by Monte Carlo simulations. The results also show that the relay selection scheme, the number of relays, the location of BD, and the reflection coefficient of BD have great impact on the outage performance of cooperative AmBC systems.
Standalone Sensors System for Real-Time Monitoring of Cutting Emulsion Properties with Adaptive Integration in Machine Tool Operation
Authors: Peterka Jozef , Jurina Frantisek , Vozar Marek , Patoprsty Boris , Vopat Tomas , Simna Vladimir , Bozek Pavol
Published: June 2023

This paper presents a novel cutting fluid monitoring sensor system and a description of an algorithm framework to monitor the state of the cutting emulsion in the machine tool sump. One of the most frequently used coolants in metal machining is cutting emulsion. Contamination and gradual degradation of the fluid is a common occurrence, and unless certain maintenance steps are undertaken, the fluid needs to be completely replaced, which is both un-economical and non-ecological. Increasing the effective service life of the cutting emulsion is therefore desired, which can be achieved by monitoring the parameters of the fluid and taking corrective measures to ensure the correct levels of selected parameters. For this purpose, a multi-sensor monitoring probe was developed and a prototype device was subsequently created by additive manufacturing. The sensor-carrying probe was then placed in the machine tool sump and tested in operation. The probe automatically takes measurements of the selected cutting emulsion properties (temperature, concentration, pH, level height) in set intervals and logs them in the system. During the trial run of the probe, sensor accuracy was tracked and compared to reference measurements, achieving sufficiently low deviations for the purpose of continuous operation.
Optimising Time-Frequency Distributions: A Surface Metrology Approach
Authors: Malnar Damir , Vrankic Miroslav
Published: June 2023

Time-frequency signal processing offers a significant advantage over temporal or frequency-only methods, but representations require optimisation for a given signal. Standard practice includes choosing the appropriate time-frequency distribution and fine-tuning its parameters, usually via visual inspection and various measures—the most commonly used ones are based on the Rényi entropies or energy concentration by Stanković. However, a discrepancy between the observed representation quality and reported numerical value may arise when the filter kernel has greater adaptability. Herein, a performance measure derived from the Abbot–Firestone curve similar to the volume parameters in surface metrology is proposed as the objective function to be minimised by the proposed minimalistic differential evolution variant that is parameter-free and uses a population of five members. Tests were conducted on two synthetic signals of different frequency modulations and one real-life signal. The multiform tiltable exponential kernel was optimised according to the Rényi entropy, Stanković’s energy concentration and the proposed measure. The resulting distributions were mutually evaluated using the same measures and visual inspection. The optimiser demonstrated a reliable convergence for all considered measures and signals, while the proposed measure showed consistent alignment of reported numerical values and visual assessments.
Immersive Virtual Reality to Improve Functional Capacities in People with Multiple Sclerosis: Study Protocol
Authors: Campo-Prieto Pablo , Cancela-Carral José Mª , Rodríguez-Fuentes Gustavo
Published: June 2023

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune, inflammatory, and chronic neurodegenerative disease caused by myelin loss in the central nervous system. One strategy that shows evidence of numerous benefits is therapeutic exercise, but these therapies, based on repetitive physical actions, can sometimes be unmotivating for patients. Our proposal suggests that an exergame programme with immersive virtual reality (IVR) is feasible for people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) and will improve their physical function through more motivational sessions. We present a protocol for a single-blind randomised controlled trial to assess the feasibility and impact on functional capacities of an 8-week IVR programme (ExeRVIEM protocol) in pwMS. Balance, gait, risk of falling, functional mobility and lower limb strength, fatigue, handgrip strength, and reaction times will be evaluated. The control group will maintain the usual activities scheduled in the centre, and the experimental group will add the ExeRVIEM protocol (two sessions per week). Therapies based on the combination of exercise and IVR explored in this study may offer new treatment approaches and open new lines of research in this field by improving the functionality of pwMS, as well as motivating patients and encouraging their adherence to treatment.
Jet Flame Risk Analysis for Safe Response to Hydrogen Vehicle Accidents
Authors: Park Byoungjik , Kim Yangkyun , Park Jin Ouk , Lim Ohk Kun
Published: June 2023

With an increase in the use of eco-friendly vehicles such as hybrid, electric, and hydrogen vehicles in response to the global climate crisis, accidents related to these vehicles have also increased. Numerical analysis was performed to optimize the safety of first responders responding to hydrogen vehicle accidents wherein hydrogen jet flames occur. The influence range of the jet flame generated through a 1.8-mm-diameter nozzle was analyzed based on five discharge angles (90, 75, 60, 45, and 30°) between the road surface and the downward vertical. As the discharge angle decreases toward the road surface, the risk area that could cause damage moves from the center of the vehicle to the rear; at a discharge angle of 90°, the range above 9.5 kW/m2 was 1.59 m and 4.09 m to the front and rear of the vehicle, respectively. However, at a discharge angle of 30°, it was not generated at the front but was 10.39 m to the rear. In response to a hydrogen vehicle accident, first responders should perform rescue activities approaching from a diagonal direction to the vehicle front to minimize injury risk. This study can be used in future hydrogen vehicle design to develop the response strategy of the first responders.
The Impacts of Executive Equity on Green Corporate Innovation
Authors: Sun Yingjie , Zhao Lvyujia , Lin Chun
Published: June 2023

Executive stock incentives, as an important tool for attracting talent and achieving long-term development goals, have a profound impact on the development of green innovation in enterprises. Based on this, this article uses data from Chinese listed companies from 2007 to 2020 and employs a two-way fixed effects model and a two-stage least squares method to explore the impact of executive stock incentives on green innovation in China. The study found that executive stock incentives have a significant positive impact on green innovation in enterprises. This promotional effect is more pronounced in non-state-owned enterprise groups characterized by operating losses, reduced institutional holdings, and fewer negative media reports. Mechanism analysis suggests that increasing the intensity of executive stock incentives can enhance profitability, increase tolerance for failure, and promote increased investment in green innovation. Finally, based on the conclusions, relevant policy implications are drawn.
Exploring the Multiple Paths to Improve the Construction Level of Digital Government: Qualitative Comparative Analysis Based on the WSR Framework
Authors: Wang Shuguang , Sun Xuefu , Zhong Shen
Published: June 2023

The construction of digital government is an essential premise and foundation to improve a national governance system. Based on the Wuli–Shili–Renli (WSR) framework, this paper applies fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to data from 31 Chinese provinces to investigate how six conditional variables (information-infrastructure construction, organizational construction, financial support, digital-policy support, public demand, and digital talent) jointly affect the construction level of digital government (CDG). The results show that none of the six conditions is necessary for the CDG, and three paths exist to enhance the CDG. Information-infrastructure construction and digital-policy support play a more significant role in digital-government transformation than other variables. As a subjective and controllable approach, digital policy may significantly affect the CDG in the short term. Based on the findings above, we propose policy recommendations for strengthening the elements of coordination, enhancing the construction of information infrastructure in each province, and enhancing the digital-policy support system. This study provides a new research framework and theoretical perspective for improving global digital-government construction.
Organic Milk Production Sector in Poland: Driving the Potential to Meet Future Market, Societal and Environmental Challenges
Authors: Zuba-Ciszewska Maria , Kowalska Aleksandra , Brodziak Aneta , Manning Louise
Published: June 2023

During the pandemic, health and environmental issues were re-evaluated, stimulating interest in organic food. Organic milk is more beneficial than conventional milk in terms of the health-promoting substances (e.g., vitamins, fatty acids), particularly regarding its protein and lipid fractions. Poland is the main producer of cow’s milk in the EU, but only 0.2% of this production is organic. To identify the antecedents and obstacles to increasing organic milk production in Poland, the aim of this study is to explore the low level of organic cow’s milk output in Poland compared with sector leaders in the EU. We analyzed statistics on milk production, including unpublished data collected by the Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection, Poland, with the use of descriptive statistics and frequency distributions. Over the period 2010–2020, the number of farms producing and selling organic milk and the number of farms with organic pastures and meadows decreased significantly in Poland. A limited number of certified farms sell their milk as organic. If all production of organic milk was sold as organic, the supply would have increased by 56% in 2020. Organic milk processing is highly concentrated which is an obstacle to the development of organic milk farming. Due to its high instability and the spatial differences in the locations of sellers (producers) and buyers (processors) and inconsistent production volumes, the supply of organic cow’s raw milk does not meet the demand from Polish dairies. Cooperation between producers and processors is essential. Providing organic dairy farms with production and market advice, as well as technical support, is crucial for the development of farms and the organic milk sector as a whole, as is, to a certain extent, evidenced by Austria. The specific nature of the raw milk market requires the procurement of organic milk on a lasting basis regarding guarantees of purchase and farmgate prices. In this way, the continuity of organic raw milk supply would be secured and the sector of organic dairy products should grow.
Sustainable Development of Industrial Renovation: Renovation Paths of Village-Level Industrial Parks in Pearl River Delta
Authors: Zhang Shiran , Yang Jiaping , Ye Changdong , Chen Weixuan , Li Yixuan
Published: June 2023

Driven by manufacturing supply reform and regional industrial transformation and upgrading, village industrial parks are key areas for deepening urban renewal. The complex relationship between various property rights actors is a key factor limiting the sustainable development of village industrial parks, and thus attracts considerable research. However, existing research is limited to individual cases and lacks systematic approaches to provide effective guidance for the renovation of village industrial parks. In addition, the paper summarises the participation pathways and characteristics of 12 typical cases of village industrial parks in the PRD. This is particularly true for rural industrial parks. The study identifies five scenarios based on the renewal of village collective ownership (government warehousing, land lease to developers, land lease to operating companies, land lease to enterprises, independent management); five situations based on the renewal of market enterprises’ rights of use (regular leasing, government support, abolition on expiry, introduction of enterprises, autonomous management); and four situations based on the renewal of government management rights (land expropriation, unified lease management, policy stimulation, supervision and management). The results are valuable for the research of urban regeneration and sustainable development in the context of government ownership.
Modernizing Medical Waste Management: Unleashing the Power of the Internet of Things (IoT)
Authors: Mohamed Nurul Hamizah , Khan Samir , Jagtap Sandeep
Published: June 2023

The rapid technological advancements of modern times have brought about the need for an innovative and contemporary approach to medical waste management procedures. This arises from the inadequacy of conventional manual techniques in ensuring the safety of employees and the environment from infections. The increasing amount of waste produced each day can exacerbate the situation if no action is taken to address the current issue. This article presents a systematic review of the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) in medical waste management, utilizing the PRISMA approach. The adoption of the IoT in waste and medical waste monitoring is analyzed for its potential to enhance the overall waste monitoring procedure and contribute to achieving net-zero goals. Empirical evidence from studies conducted in the last five years has revealed the benefits of employing waste bin sensors as a digital surveillance tool for real-time waste status monitoring. While a few researchers have proposed the use of the IoT in medical waste monitoring, the application is currently limited to either monitoring storage facilities, waste transportation, or disposal processes, specifically. These limitations are discussed to understand the barriers that hinder further development. Among the selected analyzed studies are published articles and conference papers that offer solutions for addressing waste management issues and facilitating further development. This paper also aims to identify IoT technologies for monitoring waste and medical waste management. The digitalization of medical waste can ensure that the entire monitoring procedure is conducted directly and in real time. The collected data can be easily shared, and the condition of the waste can be updated periodically.
A Study on the Development of China’s Financial Leasing Industry Based on Principal Component Analysis and ARIMA Model
Authors: Lin Weiwei , Shi Yanping
Published: June 2023

The sustainable development of China’s financial leasing industry is a growing concern among scholars. This paper analyzes the development data of China’s financial leasing industry from 2008–2021, using the dimensions of scale, speed, efficiency, structure, and quality. By employing principal component analysis, we construct the development index of China’s financial leasing industry and analyze the reasons for changes in the development level of the industry from the internal structure of the index. The study finds that scale serves as a key factor in the development of China’s financial leasing industry. While the contribution value of the structure factor shows fluctuations, the contribution values of the return and risk factors remain relatively stable. Using the ARIMA (Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average) prediction model based on the principal component analysis, we establish the prediction model of the financial leasing industry change in the coming years. The study reveals that the financial leasing industry has entered a period of transformation, where the growth rate of its scale has dropped. Furthermore, this paper offers proposals to address the increasingly prominent asset-liability maturity mismatch problem, promote business structure optimization, enhance the contribution value of the structure factor and the income factor, and facilitate sustainable, higher-quality industry development.
A Review of Radiative Heat Transfer in Fixed-Bed Particle Solar Receivers
Authors: Dai Guilong , Huangfu Jiangfei , Wang Xiaoyu , Du Shenghua , Zhao Tian
Published: June 2023

A highly efficient receiver is required because re-radiation loss increases dramatically with increased working temperature. Among a large number of receivers, the fixed-bed Particle Solar Receiver (PSR) represents a new pathway to high temperature with maximum overall thermal efficiency. The incoming solar radiation can penetrate deeper into the fixed-bed PSR filled with semi-transparent quartz and ceramic particles (spheres or Raschig rings), resulting in an increased volumetric effect. Reports show that an optimized PSR can realize overall receiver efficiency of around 92% at outlet temperatures above 1000 K, and achieve the annual temperature above 1000 K over 65% annual operating hours integrated with a concentrated solar power (CSP) system. To fully understand radiative heat transfer characteristics and provide deep insight into thermal efficiency, radiation energy is classified as incident solar radiation and radiative heat exchange in two parts. The transfer mechanism, the solution method and the progress of the investigation for each section are summarized and discussed in detail. Then, challenges and future directions, including an innovative design method, an improved experimental approach and an effective simulation method are proposed to put forward this receiver to be a preferred substitute in advanced, high-temperature power cycles.
Distribution of Biogenic Gas Reservoirs and Optimization of Favorable Zones in the Sanhu Area, Qaidam Basin, China
Authors: Zhang Yunbo , Miao Miao , Xu Jie , Jia Zhengliang , Li Qing , Lin Yanhua , Wang Mingjian , Wang Rui
Published: June 2023

Based on the drilling results of the Taishen-1 well in the Sanhu area in the Qaidam Basin, the study proposed new findings on the conditions of source rock, reservoir, and overlaying strata, as well as accumulation characteristics for biogenic gas. Further, the controlling factors of biogenic gas accumulation as well as two favorable zones for exploration were identified based on the comparison of drilling results and geological findings in adjacent areas. The result of the study showed that: (1) the biogenic gas source rock in the Sanhu area is lacustrine dark mudstone, and the LLTOC (lower limit of total organic carbon) in Q1+2 (the Qigequan Formation) and N (the Neogene) is 0.25% and 0.40%; (2) the ‘self-generation and self-storage’ source-reservoir combination developed across all the formations due to the absence of faults and the development of mudstone; (3) the controlling factors of gas accumulation in the studied area include the limit of burial depth, the methane yield, and climate conditions. The failure of the Taishen-1 well owes to the fact that the gas generated failed to support the demand for gas accumulation; (4) influenced by the southward movement of gas-containing groundwater from the high potential area in the north, the biogenic gas reservoirs are distributed in the northern slope and the central sag of the Sanhu depression, and the lower limit of exploration depth of the biogenic gas reservoirs is about 2119 m; (5) two favorable zones were selected for natural gas exploration: the Upper Tertiary thermogenic gas-bearing Yahu-Sebei area and the biogenic gas-bearing Tainan-Sebei area.
Optimum Design of an Electric Vehicle Charging Station Using a Renewable Power Generation System in South Korea
Authors: Ihm Jieun , Amghar Bilal , Chun Sejin , Park Herie
Published: June 2023

In the context of global warming and fossil fuel depletion, electric vehicles (EVs) have become increasingly popular for reducing both carbon emissions and fossil fuel consumption. However, as the demand for EV charging power rises along with the expansion of EVs, conventional power plants require more fuel, and carbon emissions increase. This suggests that the goal of promoting EV adoption to mitigate climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels may face significant challenges. Therefore, there is a need to adopt renewable energy generation for EV charging stations to maximize the effectiveness of EV distribution in an eco-friendly way. This paper aims to propose an optimal renewable energy generation system for an EV charging station, with a specific focus on the use of an actual load profile for the station, the consideration of carbon emissions and economic evaluation, and the study of a specific case location in Korea. As a case study, an EV charging station in Korea was selected, and its renewable energy fractions (REF) of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% were considered for comparison of carbon emissions and economic evaluation with the help of HOMER software. In addition, the system with 25% REF was analyzed to find the best operating strategy considering the climate characteristics of the case site. The results show that the system configuration of PV/ESS is the most economical among all the REF cases, including PV, WT, and ESS, due to the meteorological characteristics of the site, and that the system with REF below 25% is the most optimal in economic terms and carbon emissions.
Feasibility Study of Managed Aquifer Recharge Deployment on the Island of Vis (Croatia)
Authors: Patekar Matko , Soža Mojca , Pola Marco , Nakić Zoran , Bašić Mihaela , Terzić Josip , Borović Staša
Published: June 2023

Over the last decades, the quality and quantity of the Mediterranean freshwater resources have significantly deteriorated due to climate change, unsustainable utilization, user conflicts, and seawater intrusions. On the small and remote island of Vis, where similar issues prevail, the need for alternative water management solutions has yielded managed aquifer recharge (MAR) as a promising option for increasing the safety and resilience of the local and autonomous water supply. By performing a cost–benefit analysis (CBA) to evaluate the feasibility of the deployment of an infiltration pond method in the Korita well field, the results evidenced a positive financial performance and sustainability of the proposed MAR solution. In addition, the overall economic benefits of the project, quantified through the willingness-to-pay method, significantly exceeded its costs, as evidenced by the high benefit/cost ratio of 2.83. The most significant uncertainty related to the infiltration pond method is represented by the high sensitivity to changes in the applied hydrological assumptions (i.e., the evaporation coefficient and number of annual infiltration pond recharges). This study aims to contribute to the understanding of interrelated socio-economic factors of MAR projects in karst aquifers, and represents the first of its kind in Croatia.
Validation of Decision Criteria and Determining Factors Importance in Advocating for Sustainability of Entrepreneurial Startups towards Social Inclusion and Capacity Building
Authors: Korpysa Jaroslaw , Singh Uma Shankar , Singh Swapnil
Published: June 2023

The main goal of the study is to assess the decision criteria and the determining factors for the sustainability of entrepreneurial startups in order to contribute towards social inclusion and capacity building. Both concepts are in the development phase and are the outcome of entrepreneurial ecosystem and individual behavior and traits. The current study observed the research problem as entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial startups are the continuous phenomena required for every economy. The lack of an efficient ecosystem and incompetent trait of an entrepreneur brings the entrepreneurial startup to failure. Therefore, an assessment of decision criteria and determining factors categorizing them by their importance may provide the requirements to lead to a successful entrepreneurial startup, contributing to social inclusion and capacity building. The study solved the research problem by statistical assessment of decision criteria and determining factors and categorizing them by their importance may provide the requirements to lead to a successful entrepreneurial startup. The research is built on research questions, objectives, a conceptual model, and a hypothesis, which are tested based on the data collected. The collection of data was done through a survey questionnaire on a sample of established entrepreneurs. The study concludes that the five components of decision criteria are region, competition, funding opportunities, tax system, and country economic situation, whereas eight determining factors, consciousness and reliability, pursuit of results, flexibility, stress resistance, skills of identification and exploitation of potential market opportunities, leadership, creativity and innovation, and delegation of decision-making, are required for a successful entrepreneurial startup to be able to work towards social inclusion and capacity building.
A Novel Methodology for Classifying Electrical Disturbances Using Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Guerrero-Sánchez Alma E. , Rivas-Araiza Edgar A. , Garduño-Aparicio Mariano , Tovar-Arriaga Saul , Rodriguez-Resendiz Juvenal , Toledano-Ayala Manuel
Published: June 2023

Electrical power quality is one of the main elements in power generation systems. At the same time, it is one of the most significant challenges regarding stability and reliability. Due to different switching devices in this type of architecture, different kinds of power generators as well as non-linear loads are used for different industrial processes. A result of this is the need to classify and analyze Power Quality Disturbance (PQD) to prevent and analyze the degradation of the system reliability affected by the non-linear and non-stationary oscillatory nature. This paper presents a novel Multitasking Deep Neural Network (MDL) for the classification and analysis of multiple electrical disturbances. The characteristics are extracted using a specialized and adaptive methodology for non-stationary signals, namely, Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD). The methodology’s design, development, and various performance tests are carried out with 28 different difficulties levels, such as severity, disturbance duration time, and noise in the 20 dB to 60 dB signal range. MDL was developed with a diverse data set in difficulty and noise, with a quantity of 4500 records of different samples of multiple electrical disturbances. The analysis and classification methodology has an average accuracy percentage of 95% with multiple disturbances. In addition, it has an average accuracy percentage of 90% in analyzing important signal aspects for studying electrical power quality such as the crest factor, per unit voltage analysis, Short-term Flicker Perceptibility (Pst), and Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), among others.
Quantum Phenomena Inside a Black Hole: Quantization of the Scalar Field Iniside Horizon in Schwarzschild Spacetime
Authors: Gusin Pawel , Radosz Andrzej , Augousti Andy T. , Polonyi Janos , Zaslavskii Oleg B. , Ściborski Romuald J.
Published: June 2023

We discuss the problem of the quantization and dynamic evolution of a scalar free field in the interior of a Schwarzschild black hole. A unitary approach to the dynamics of the quantized field is proposed: a time-dependent Hamiltonian governing the Heisenberg equations is derived. It is found that the system is represented by a set of harmonic oscillators coupled via terms corresponding to the creation and annihilation of pairs of particles and that the symmetry properties of the spacetime, homogeneity and isotropy are obeyed by the coupling terms in the Hamiltonian. It is shown that Heisenberg equations for annihilation and creation operators are transformed into ordinary differential equations for appropriate Bogolyubov coefficients. Such a formulation leads to a general question concerning the possibility of gravitationally driven instability, that is however excluded in this case.
Special Issue “Efficacy and Safety of Antiviral Therapy”
Authors: Colpani Agnese , De Vito Andrea , Madeddu Giordano
Published: June 2023

This comprehensive collection of papers contains a wide range of studies and observations centered on antiviral therapies, with a particular focus on HIV and other viral infections such as monkeypox and SARS-CoV-2 [...]
Stifle Joint Arthrodesis for Treating Chronic-Osteoarthritis-Affected Dogs
Authors: Lee Shin-Ho , Roh Yoon-Ho , Lee Dong-Bin , Cho Jae-Hyeon , Kim Chung-Hui
Published: June 2023

A two-year-old male Pomeranian dog was presented to a veterinary hospital due to the side effects of a surgical correction for patellar luxation. Stifle joint arthrodesis (SJA) was performed on the patient’s right leg using autologous bone-grafting techniques. The right femur and tibial joint were angled 120–130°, and an SJA plate was fixed on the front of the two bones. After performing joint fusion of the right limb, medial-patellar-luxation-(MPL)-corrective surgery was performed to cut the tibial tuberosity on the left leg, and the fixing force was increased using the figure-of-eight-tension-band-wiring technique. Results were recorded regarding the dog’s ability to walk and trot in the right hind limb; these results were evaluated for 27 days after surgery. It was difficult for the patient to walk because weight-bearing had not been carried out for 3 days after the surgery; short strides and partial weight bearing were possible 5 to 7 days after surgery. After 10 days, the patient was able to move while bearing weight with a slight disruption. With regard to trotting, the patient showed intermittent normal steps 5 to 7 days after surgery, but the disruption continued. After 14 days, trotting was possible, and it was observed that movement could be maintained during everyday activities.
Reservoir Reliability as Affected by Climate Change and Strategies for Adaptation
Authors: Chaves Henrique Marinho Leite , da Silva Camila Correa , Fonseca Maria Rita Souza
Published: June 2023

Reservoir operational reliability indicates how satisfactorily the structure meets the water demand without failure. However, due to the stochastic nature of its operation, every combination of reservoir storage capacity and draft has an associated probability of failure (i.e., of having an empty reservoir). The objectives of this research were to design a method to assess reservoir reliability under present and future climate conditions, and to apply it to the Descoberto reservoir, with a capacity of 86 hm3 and a design draft of 182.9 hm3 yr−1, located in central Brazil. The scenarios were the historic (1986–2005) and future RCM projection ensembles (2031–2050 and 2061–2080, RCP 4.5 and 8.5). Projected runoff was obtained with the Gardner model, and the reservoir budget was assessed by the concatenated behavior analysis (CBA). The reliability of the Descoberto reservoir, which was 100% during the historic period, was reduced to 15–50%, depending on the future climate scenario analyzed. The proposed adaptive measures, involving the reduction of reservoir draft and the increase in reservoir storage, were capable of maintaining a 100% reservoir reliability under the new climatic conditions, but with associated costs. The proposed method can be applied to other upstream reservoirs, providing water managers and stakeholders with a simple and robust reliability assessment and climate adaptation tool.
Opportunity to Improve Public Perceptions of Arthropods and Arthropod-Related Benefits
Authors: Harris Bethany , Braman Kristine
Published: June 2023

The general public may not recognize the value of conserving insects and spiders in home landscapes. We surveyed individuals to assess public perceptions of 10 arthropods—nine common insects and one common spider species—and to determine whether arthropod-related attitudes could be altered. Additionally, we collected data on survey respondent gender, age, and level of entomology education and found that level of entomology education was strongly associated with respondents' perceptions about arthropods. Moreover, 60% of respondents were willing to change their attitudes after learning about an arthropod's benefits. By promoting arthropods at outreach events, Extension educators could alter arthropod-related attitudes among the general public.
Prairie Strips for Sediment and Nutrient Control and Biodiversity
Authors: Schuck Nancy , Helmers Matthew , Youngquist Timothy , Johnson Mark
Published: June 2023

Installation of prairie strips is a new conservation best management practice (BMP) that involves using a species-rich mix of native prairie grasses, forbs, and legumes. "Prairie strips" are planted along the contours of an agricultural field at the 10% level to manage potentially polluting runoff and are promising for control of nitrogen and phosphorus. Researchers used whole watersheds to replicate findings, providing a high degree of rigor in the study of this new BMP. Moreover, cooperating farmers and landowners have successfully used farm programs to subsidize prairie strip plantings. Besides sediment and nutrient control, an additional benefit is high plant biodiversity, which leads to more diverse and healthier wildlife and pollinator populations.
Assessing Extension Agents' Nematology Knowledge Needs and Related Resource Preferences: Implications for Trainings on Complex Agricultural Topics
Authors: Gentry Mia , Edgar Leslie , Graham Donna , Kirkpatrick Terry
Published: June 2023

Plant pathology researchers have identified a need to expand knowledge of nematology, and nematode control options in Arkansas are limited. Thus, relevant in-service trainings are warranted. In response to the plant pathology researchers' findings and findings promoting the use of technology in training Extension agents, we explored agricultural agents' nematology-related knowledge needs and their perceptions and preferences regarding relevant resources and training delivery methods. We found that county agents in Arkansas need nematology training and resources, have positive perceptions of existing training methods and materials, and are comfortable with job-related technologies, such as the Internet, computers, smartphones, and tablets. These results provide support for developing technology-based training to address nematology and other complex agricultural production topics.
Crop Consultants as "Climate Consultants": An Extension Opportunity for Climate Change Communication
Authors: Bernacchi Leigh , Wulfhorst J. D.
Published: June 2023

Extension personnel can augment climate change communication and efforts to decrease climate-related agricultural risks by engaging with producers' trusted information sources, including crop consultants. Through a survey of inland Pacific Northwest wheat producers and in-depth interviews with area crop consultants, we examined relationships among producers, crop consultants, and climate change education and adaptation. We found that crop consultants are poised to communicate climate change information to producers, given their strong relationships with producers, practice of promoting adaptive management based on science, and ability to connect climate change to immediate on-farm practices. However, success in leveraging crop consultants to achieve widespread climate change adaptation will depend largely on Extension's presenting the topic to them in accessible ways.
Improving the Impact of Extension Through the Use of Anticipation Guides
Authors: Smith Rebecca , Lemley Stephanie
Published: June 2023

In this article, we present the anticipation guide as a tool for preparing Extension audiences to learn the main points of Extension materials. Anticipation guides improve learner comprehension by appealing to an individual's natural curiosity and helping the individual focus on key ideas. Anticipation guides can be used with all types of Extension materials and across all Extension programs. We describe how to create anticipation guides for use with Extension materials and explain how to use them effectively and easily. We also provide examples of anticipation guides based on various Extension topics.
Fitbit and Fitabase Technology: Tracking and Evaluating Youth Physical Activity
Authors: Castle Lisa , Dunker Tara , Chai Weiwen , Krehbiel Michelle
Published: June 2023

With the health of today's youth a national priority, professionals need tools for accurately assessing activity patterns and motivating behavior change. Fitness technology may be a promising tool for promoting positive behavior change. The afterschool program WeCook: Fun with Food and Fitness focused on improving food preparation skills, nutrition knowledge, and physical activity levels of youths. As part of the program assessment, each participant wore a Fitbit near the beginning and end of the program. Fitabase, an online research platform, was used for aggregating and analyzing data. We discuss a model for incorporating these technologies.