bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Management of Railway Power System Peaks with Demand-Side Resources: An Application to Periodic Timetables
Authors: Gabaldón Antonio , García-Garre Ana , Ruiz-Abellón María Carmen , Guillamón Antonio , Molina Roque , Medina Juan
Published: February 2023

The objective of this paper involves the analysis of opportunities for the management of Railway Systems’ demand using Physical-Based models and aggregation tools well-known in “conventional” Power Systems to develop and enlarge the portfolio of Distributed Energy Resources. This proposed framework would also enable the use of railway flexible resources to their use in Power Systems. The work considers trends for the development of railway transportation units through the adoption of technologies that increase the flexibility of railway units. For instance, we mean a set of resources such as onboard generation in dual units, energy storage and generation in last-mile units, and auxiliary loads. Their inherent flexibility can contribute to increasing the management possibilities of the overall net demand. The proposed scenario under study faces some of the energy concerns of periodic timetables: fast and high-power peaks in demand unknown in conventional Power Systems. The simulation results present the achieved flexibility and its potential: a decrease in peak demand by around 20% and an increase in energy recovery by 10%, lagging new investments in infrastructure. These results improve the social and economic benefits of railway transportation on the overall energy and environmental objectives while reducing energy concerns due to the increasing use of railways and boosting the sustainability of the transportation system in the coming decades.
A Review on Sustainable Method to Evaluate Heat and Moisture Transfer in Clothing Material
Authors: Su Yun , Fan Yuwei , Liu Guangju , Tian Miao , Li Jun
Published: February 2023

Clothing as a tool connecting the human body and environment provides thermal and moisture comfort, and protective performance in cold, moderate, and extremely hot environments. Some methods have been proposed to analyze the heat and moisture transfer of clothing materials in various industrial fields. The numerical model as a sustainable method has made considerable progress in recent decades since it provides an efficient and cost-effective way of characterizing new designs or testing new materials. However, no comprehensive review paper focuses on the numerical model of moisture transfer in clothing materials, let alone the numerical model of heat and moisture transfer. This study aims to investigate the development of the numerical model of heat and moisture transfer. The models of heat transfer in clothing materials are briefly reviewed in this study, and then a comprehensive report on the moisture transfer and the coupled mechanism with the heat transfer in clothing materials is summarized. In addition, the keywords in the sustainable method on the heat and moisture transfer were displayed at various phases for analyzing the status of development and application of the sustainable method. This work suggests future development of the sustainable method to address research gaps and serves as a sharing and easy-to-operate platform for researchers, clothing designers, and manufacturers to enhance their knowledge for achieving thermal and moisture comfort, and developing new clothing products.
An Analysis of Public Service Satisfaction of Tourists at Scenic Spots: The Case of Xiamen City
Authors: Shao Ting , Yang Peiting , Jiang Hongbo , Shao Qigan
Published: February 2023

The outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic has greatly hindered the development of the tourism industry. It is urgent for the city to improve the quality of public service in scenic spots, so as to attract more tourists and achieve sustainable development. With a literature review and reference to some guidance, the evaluation indicator system of public service satisfaction of scenic spots was constructed based on the analytic hierarchy process. Then, we distributed two questionnaires to complete the study. The first is the expert questionnaire for the evaluation indicator system. We used YAAHP software to process the questionnaire data and calculated the weight of each indicator, which provided a basis for the following analysis. The second is the questionnaire distributed to tourists of Xiamen. Then, we used the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to analyze the satisfaction of public services in scenic spots. The outcomes show that tourists are overall satisfied with the public services of scenic spots in Xiamen. However, there are still some problems, such as lagging information service, inadequate security, and supervision in the scenic spot. Therefore, the city and scenic spots should improve the level of smart tourism service, strengthen the construction of hardware and software facilities, and focus on the protection of tourists’ rights and interests.
A Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Models: A Case Study in Predicting Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Iftikhar Hasnain , Khan Murad , Khan Zardad , Khan Faridoon , Alshanbari Huda M , Ahmad Zubair
Published: February 2023

In the modern world, chronic kidney disease is one of the most severe diseases that negatively affects human life. It is becoming a growing problem in both developed and underdeveloped countries. An accurate and timely diagnosis of chronic kidney disease is vital in preventing and treating kidney failure. The diagnosis of chronic kidney disease through history has been considered unreliable in many respects. To classify healthy people and people with chronic kidney disease, non-invasive methods like machine learning models are reliable and efficient. In our current work, we predict chronic kidney disease using different machine learning models, including logistic, probit, random forest, decision tree, k-nearest neighbor, and support vector machine with four kernel functions (linear, Laplacian, Bessel, and radial basis kernels). The dataset is a record taken as a case–control study containing chronic kidney disease patients from district Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. To compare the models in terms of classification and accuracy, we calculated different performance measures, including accuracy, Brier score, sensitivity, Youdent, specificity, and F1 score. The Diebold and Mariano test of comparable prediction accuracy was also conducted to determine whether there is a substantial difference in the accuracy measures of different predictive models. As confirmed by the results, the support vector machine with the Laplace kernel function outperforms all other models, while the random forest is competitive.
How Do Left-Behind Families Adapt to the Salinity-Induced Male Out-Migration Context? A Case Study of Shyamnagar Sub-District in Coastal Bangladesh
Authors: Chumky Tahmina , Basu Mrittika , Onitsuka Kenichiro , Raihan Md Lamiur , Hoshino Satoshi
Published: February 2023

The knowledge regarding male out-migration due to climate change and large-scale, rapid-onset disasters and their impacts on the left-behind families is well known. However, research on the adaptation strategies for the families left behind due to disaster-induced male-out seasonal migration is rarely carried out. Thus, this study attempts to explore the coping and adaptation strategies adopted by the left-behind families in the salinity-induced male out-migration context. Analyzing the factors affecting the adaptation behaviors is also a major objective of this study. The study was carried out in Shyamnagar sub-district of coastal Bangladesh, where male-out seasonal migration for both rapid and slow-onset disasters is evidenced. The data regarding the adaptation measures were explored through different participatory rural appraisal techniques. Primary data were collected from 213 women from the left-behind families through a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics as well as multiple linear regression for analyzing the factors affecting adaptation behaviors were applied. The results revealed that the left-behind families, especially the women and children, adopted a total of 35 coping and adaptation strategies in five different aspects, such as economic adaptation, social adaptation measures, environmental measures, educational measures, and health-related measures. Migrant husbands’ age and their education, the household’s alternative income sources’ availability, receiving loans, disaster history, and migration history variables contributed most significantly to the adaptation behavior. This study provides a new perspective on seasonal male out-migration and the adaptation strategies of the left-behind families, which could be helpful for disaster-induced human migration management and enhancing the resilience of vulnerable communities.
Downscaling of Hourly Climate Data for the Assessment of Building Energy Performance
Authors: Balog Irena , Caputo Giampaolo , Iatauro Domenico , Signoretti Paolo , Spinelli Francesco
Published: February 2023

In Italy, the calculation of the energy needs of buildings has been mainly based on quasi-steady state calculation procedures. Nowadays, the increasing interest in more detailed energy analysis for high-efficiency buildings requires more accurate calculation methods. In this work, starting from the hourly data of UNI 10349, the downscaling of a typical meteorological year was carried out by applying different mathematical and physical models for the main climate variables considered in the energy balance of a building to be used in dynamic simulation tools. All results were validated with one-minute measurements observed at the ENEA Research Centre in Rome, Italy. The results showed an MBE% of 0.008% and RMSE% of 0.114% using the interpolation spline method for the temperature, while, for the global horizontal irradiance, applying the novel sinusoidal–physical interpolation method showed an MBE% of −0.4% and an RMSE% of 31.8% for the 1 min observation data. In this paper, an easily implemented novel model for downscaling solar irradiance for all sky conditions that takes into account the physical aspects of atmospheric phenomena is presented.
Study on Certification Criteria of Building Energy and Environmental Performance in the Context of Achieving Climate Neutrality
Authors: Istil Seyda Adiguzel , Górecki Jarosław , Diemer Arnaud
Published: February 2023

Increased greenhouse gas emissions have led to a global warming threat. As a result, countries have tended to focus their decision-making attention on energy-saving strategies. Specifically, the concept of green building has been developed for the construction sector. It aims to create energy-efficient structural activities (new constructions, repairs, or renovated constructions) that will be carried out in line with the determined criteria. With the concept of green building and the need to establish criteria and standards to ensure energy efficiency, green building certification systems have come to the fore. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) certification systems have been developed. This article investigates the achievements of the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) category of LEED-certified projects in Türkiye and Europe. A comparison study of countries was carried out, based on the fourth version of the LEED BD+C framework that was developed for new green building projects. The study’s primary goal is to show the linear correlation between market value and IEQ. It was revealed that the gross domestic product does not affect IEQ applications. Although Türkiye was ranked first in applying for IEQ credits, its economic development level is lower than that of other European countries.
Effect of Aggregate Mix Proportion on Static and Dynamic Mechanical Properties and Pore Structure of Alkali-Activated Slag Mortar with Sludge Pottery Sand
Authors: Shi Yuhang , Ma Qinyong , Ma Dongdong , Huang Kun , Gu Yuqi
Published: February 2023

The overexploitation of river sand will reduce the stability of the river. Using sludge pottery sand (SPS) as a substitute for fine aggregate in mortar can reduce the weight of building mortar and achieve pollution control and resource regeneration. Based on the consideration of energy-saving and carbon reduction, the combination of alkali-activated slag cementitious material and SPS with potential pozzolanic activity to prepare sludge pottery sand alkali-activated slag mortar (PSAM) can replace the traditional silicate river sand mortar. The static and dynamic peak stress of PSAM was tested, and the energy dissipation characteristics of PSAM specimens under the dynamic load were analyzed by using the wave acquisition system of a split Hopkinson pressure bar. The results show that the SPS with 0.15~2.36 mm has better mechanical properties. The increase in the mixing ratio with the SPS with 2.36~4.75 mm will gradually reduce the static and dynamic compressive strength of the specimen, and also reduce the density of the specimen. SEM images and binary pore morphology images showed that the increase in SPS size will lead to a large number of coherent pores inside the specimen, which will increase the air content of the specimen, but at the same time reduce the absorption capacity of the specimen to the wave, so the dynamic energy absorption peak of PSAM appears to decrease significantly. The image of ultra-high-speed photography revealed the mechanism of crack propagation of the PSAM specimen. The development of the crack is positively correlated with the dynamic energy absorption performance when the specimen is completely broken.
Assessment of Agricultural Drought Vulnerability with Focus on Upland Fields and Identification of Primary Management Areas
Authors: Shin Hyungjin , Lee Gyumin , Lee Jaenam , Kim Sehoon , Song Inhong
Published: February 2023

Robust water management systems are crucial for sustainable water use, particularly considering rapidly changing, ever-improving water supply system technologies. However, the establishment of specific management standards in upland fields is challenging, as several types of crops are cultivated in upland fields. Hence, the timing and required amount of water vary greatly, further rendering drought response challenging. In this study, we evaluated the agricultural drought vulnerability of South Korean upland fields, considering the lack of water resources, to establish preliminary drought damage prevention measures. The Technique for Order of Preference method was used for the drought vulnerability assessment, and the assessment indicators used were annual rainfall, number of dry days, upland field area, available soil water capacity, and groundwater usage. The 20 areas of highest vulnerability comprised large cultivation areas with minimal subsurface-water usage, except for areas where the number of dry days appeared to be the major factor for drought vulnerability. Damage caused by recurring droughts accumulated over time; thus, upland-field-oriented management may be required and can even be used in cases where insufficient drought information is available. Future studies can use the proposed method while considering assessment factors that describe upland field conditions.
Effect of Audio Control Technology on Lettuce Growth
Authors: Wang Su , Xiao Qingqing
Published: February 2023

The excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers reduces the quality of crops, harms human health, and causes environmental pollution, thus hindering the sustainable development of agriculture. In the process of realizing ecological agricultural production, audio control technology has increasingly become an area of concern. As a physical agricultural technology, it has become a combination of music acoustics and agricultural science. However, the research on the ecological role and function of audio control technology is still relatively lacking. In view of this, the authors studied the effects of audio control technology (specific frequency sound wave and different types of music) on the growth of lettuce, and showed that the specific frequency sound wave treatment produced by the plant acoustic frequency technology generator significantly increased the growth of lettuce compared with the condition of silent environment processing. Treatments of different types of music (electronic music, rock music, and classical music) promoted lettuce growth, especially the significant increase in the output of edible parts under the influence of electronic music. The research results further showed that the specific frequency sound wave treatment produced by the plant acoustic frequency technology generator enhanced the chlorophyll content of lettuce leaves (1.98 ± 0.15 mg/g), thus promoting photosynthesis. Different types of music had different effects on the photosynthesis of lettuce leaves; electronic music treatment increased the chlorophyll content of lettuce (1.48 ± 0.07 mg/g), and had the greatest impact.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Brand Advocacy among Consumers: The Mediating Role of Brand Trust
Authors: Fatma Mobin , Khan Imran
Published: February 2023

Despite the increasing interest in the area of corporate social responsibility (CSR), there is a very limited understanding of the mechanism of perceived CSR and its effect on consumer behavioral outcomes. Additionally, there is limited evidence on the role of brand trust in influencing brand advocacy. The aim of this study is to examine the direct and indirect influence of consumer perception of CSR on brand advocacy behavior. This research proposes a framework and examines the relationship between CSR and brand advocacy behaviors, including the role of brand trust. This study is quantitative in nature. Data were collected from 336 consumers of retail banks in India. The results were analyzed using the SEM through AMOS 22.0. This present research made a contribution to the CSR literature by taking the important role of brand trust in the relationship between CSR and brand advocacy behavior.
Facile Formulation of New Innovative Eco-Friendly Hybrid Protective Coating for Mild Steel in Acidic Media
Authors: Almufarij Rasmiah S.
Published: February 2023

This research deals with the formulation, characterization, and evaluation of new anticorrosive protective coatings. The study objective is to protect mild carbon steel in acidic media by adherent nonporous polymeric coatings formulated from polystyrene and shrimp shells. Solid wastes of shrimp shells are dried into a fine powder and sonicated in toluene. The obtained suspension is refluxed with polystyrene. The hot-melt coatings are applied to the metal surface by the hot dipping technique. The shrimp shells improve the performance of polystyrene. These eco-friendly, low-cost anticorrosive coatings are formulated from solid waste (SW) of shrimp shells and polystyrene (PS) with no aiding additives. Intense vibrational bands in the infrared spectra and the high thermal stability of the coating samples confirm the compatibility of the coating constituents. The results of the evaluation of coating performance by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization techniques show that the coating is protective for mild steel in the aggressive acidic media of 1.0 M HCl. The coating protects the metal surface without affecting the corrosion mechanism. Polarization curves show that the coating film retards both the anodic metal dissolution reaction and the cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction, acting as mixed-type inhibitors. The percent protection (%P) increases with the increasing weight percent (wt.%) of PS and the SW of shrimp shells. A %P up to 99% is achieved for the coating composition of 2.0 g/L PS + 0.02 g/L SW. The %P obtained by impedance and polarization measurements are in good agreement. The prepared multi-functional polymeric coating forms an adherent nonporous coating film on the metal surface. Impedance plots show that the coating samples are insulating dielectric coatings that electrically insulate the metal surface from the aggressive acidic media. The coating protects the metal surface by the adsorption mechanism. Shrimp shells fill the pores and increase the stiffness of the polymeric coating film of polystyrene. The obtained results in this study will be useful for all industrial sectors and academic research in the field of corrosion control of metals and alloys.
Happy and Engaged Workforce in Industry 4.0: A New Concept of Digital Tool for HR Based on Theoretical and Practical Trends
Authors: Salvadorinho Juliana , Teixeira Leonor
Published: February 2023

Industry 4.0 is moving towards Industry 5.0 and now has the challenge of placing the human factor at the center of technological innovation, in order to promote sustainable human resource management. For this, encouraging a happy and engaged employee within the organization is essential. It is known that tools that promote happier and more engaged people are enablers of more productive practices and more innovative actions, leading to more competitive companies. In line with these concerns, this study proposes a concept of a technological tool, named BoosToRaise, to promote and monitor workforce engagement. To achieve this goal, a mix-method that includes a systematic literature review and applications benchmarking was used. Thus, the concept of the tool emerged with a set of features in line with the engagement predictors found in the literature—Employee Role, Employee Skills and Career Management, Supervision Support, and Social Relationships—complemented with some use-cases already present in applications currently on the market. Furthermore, this concept presents itself as a differentiating Industry 5.0 accelerator that brings together functionalities that integrate Coaching and Gamification. Thus, in terms of contributions, this paper expands the existing discussion on people in Industry 4.0, not only by providing a systematization of the findings present in the literature and practical applications on this topic, but also by creating a new concept that will culminate in an applicational and practical tool to boost human resources through engagement and happiness at work.
Development and Implementation of Photovoltaic Integrated Multi-Skin Façade (PV-MSF) Design Based on Geometrical Concepts to Improve Building Energy Efficiency Performance
Authors: Tran Tien Nhat , Seomun Gu , Lee Ruda , Lee Hyomun , Yoon Jongho , Kim Dongsu
Published: February 2023

This study presents the influence of multi-skin façade (MSF) design with photovoltaic (PV) systems on the thermal behaviors and power generation potential when installed on the entire southern façade of an office building model. This study considers various flexible changes in MSF system design based on geometrical concepts. For the simulation model development, this study uses the medium-sized prototype office building model, developed based on the ASHRAE 90.1-2019. A total of 24 different patterns are created based on a pyramid configuration: triangular pyramid (TP) and rectangular pyramid (RP). Changing the tilt angle for PV integrated surfaces is the main method used to compare the power generation efficiency of different MSF configurations. Results from this analysis indicate that the proposed PV-integrated MSF system with generated patterns tends to reduce cooling and heating demands. The system also presents increased PV power generation performance compared to vertically installed PV systems (i.e., the base case). The designed pattern has the highest performance in the RP configuration, 49.4% and 46.6% higher than the base case when compared based on energy yield and energy yield per unit area parameter, respectively. Increasing the cavity depth and installing the PV-integrated roof surface angle to coincide with the local latitude can achieve efficient power generation for the TP configuration, provided that only one unit is required for a pattern. As for the RP configuration, reducing the cavity depth and combining the number of units (up to nine units) on the pattern surface can achieve the best-performing power generation, while the heating and cooling demands of the perimeter zone are not significantly impacted. The results show the influence of geometrical design aspects of MSF systems on energy efficiency and the potential to generate energy from PV systems. This study is a part of developing an energy-efficient design method for multi-skin façade systems for commercial buildings.
Negotiating Land in Rurban Bengaluru, South India
Authors: Schwind Michael , Altrock Uwe
Published: February 2023

Recently, there have been calls to decenter theories of the urban to theorize the rural as a formative force. While recognizing that the urban remains structurally dominant, scholars point towards the interconnectedness of the urban and the rural under present capitalist transformation processes. We proposed to study recent urban–rural entanglements through the heuristic of rurban assemblages. We focused on rural groups and how they negotiate their integration and disintegration into the urban cosmos while remaining embedded within their rural context through the lens of land. This article adds to the debate on the contradictory meanings and uses of land in the context of land dispossession and commodification for urban and industrial development. The work specifically paid attention to the reshaping of subject–land relations and analyzed how implicit or explicit references to the city and the countryside permeate the construction of values and uses of land among the old and new social groups in the metropolitan region of Bengaluru, South India.
Research on Public Space Micro-Renewal Strategy of Historical and Cultural Blocks in Sanhe Ancient Town under Perception Quantification
Authors: Ding Wenqing , Wei Qinqin , Jin Jing , Nie Juanjuan , Zhang Fanfan , Zhou Xiaotian , Ma Youhua
Published: February 2023

The public space environment of historical and cultural blocks is inseparable from human activities, which affects tourists’ behavior and perception activities. Through the evaluation of tourists’ environmental behavior perception, the relationship between spatial characteristics and tourists’ perception is fully considered, which plays an important role in the protection and development of public space in historical and cultural blocks. This paper takes the historical and cultural block of Sanhe Ancient Town in Hefei as the research area, focusing on the public space of the block. Through the analysis of the semantic differential method and eye movement legal quantitative analysis, from the angle of psychological perception and visual perception, we carried out an analysis of the historical and cultural block’s public space, and built the double sense of a comprehensive evaluation system of parsing the historical and cultural blocks with the whole situation of public space and the rule of the performance. The results show that: (1) the visual perception preference for spatial elements is in the order of architectural structure > green landscape > architectural decoration > commercial activities > participants > pavement > street furniture > others. (2) There is a significant correlation but not a complete convergence of psychological perception and visual perception. (3) Buildings, structures, and space formats play a key role in creating a sense of space scale, with the former playing a positive role and the latter a negative role. (4) The visual attraction of a green landscape is strong and can improve the visual quality of space. The research found that there are evaluation differences between the visual perception and psychological perception of spatial elements, which are significantly correlated but not fully convergent. Through quantitative analysis and the interpretation of tourists’ perception from different perspectives, we can take relevant improvement and optimization measures for many deficiencies of public space in historical and cultural districts.
EMSI-BERT: Asymmetrical Entity-Mask Strategy and Symbol-Insert Structure for Drug–Drug Interaction Extraction Based on BERT
Authors: Huang Zhong , An Ning , Liu Juan , Ren Fuji
Published: February 2023

Drug-drug interaction (DDI) extraction has seen growing usage of deep models, but their effectiveness has been restrained by limited domain-labeled data, a weak representation of co-occurring entities, and poor adaptation of downstream tasks. This paper proposes a novel EMSI-BERT method for drug–drug interaction extraction based on an asymmetrical Entity-Mask strategy and a Symbol-Insert structure. Firstly, the EMSI-BERT method utilizes the asymmetrical Entity-Mask strategy to address the weak representation of co-occurring entity information using the drug entity dictionary in the pre-training BERT task. Secondly, the EMSI-BERT method incorporates four symbols to distinguish different entity combinations of the same input sequence and utilizes the Symbol-Insert structure to address the week adaptation of downstream tasks in the fine-tuning stage of DDI classification. The experimental results showed that EMSI-BERT for DDI extraction achieved a 0.82 F1-score on DDI-Extraction 2013, and it improved the performances of the multi-classification task of DDI extraction and the two-classification task of DDI detection. Compared with baseline Basic-BERT, the proposed pre-training BERT with the asymmetrical Entity-Mask strategy could obtain better effects in downstream tasks and effectively limit “Other” samples’ effects. The model visualization results illustrated that EMSI-BERT could extract semantic information at different levels and granularities in a continuous space.
Production of Strange and Charm Hadrons in Pb+Pb Collisions at sNN = 5.02 TeV
Authors: Chang Wen-Bin , Wang Rui-Qin , Song Jun , Shao Feng-Lan , Wang Qun , Liang Zuo-Tang
Published: February 2023

Using a quark combination model with the equal-velocity combination approximation, we study the production of hadrons with strangeness and charm flavor quantum numbers in Pb+Pb collisions at sNN= 5.02 TeV. We present analytical expressions and numerical results for these hadrons’ transverse momentum spectra and yield ratios. Our numerical results agree well with the experimental data available. The features of strange and charm hadron production in the quark–gluon plasma at the early stage of heavy ion collisions are also discussed.
Applications of Laguerre Polynomials for Bazilevič and θ-Pseudo-Starlike Bi-Univalent Functions Associated with Sakaguchi-Type Functions
Authors: Cotîrlǎ Luminiţa-Ioana , Wanas Abbas Kareem
Published: February 2023

The aim of the present article is to introduce and investigate a new family LΣ(δ,η,θ,t;h) of normalized holomorphic and bi-univalent functions that involve the Sakaguchi-type Bazilevič functions and Sakaguchi-type θ-pseudo-starlike functions associated with Laguerre polynomials. We obtain estimates on the initial Taylor–Maclaurin coefficients and the Fekete–Szegö problem for functions in this family. Properties of symmetry can be studied for this newly family of functions.
Quasi-Monomiality Principle and Certain Properties of Degenerate Hybrid Special Polynomials
Authors: Alyusof Rabab
Published: February 2023

This article aims to introduce degenerate hybrid type Appell polynomials HQm(u,v,w;η) and establishes their quasi-monomial characteristics. Additionally, a number of features of these polynomials are established, including symmetric identities, implicit summation formulae, differential equations, series definition and operational formalism.
On Some Regular Two-Graphs up to 50 Vertices
Authors: Maksimović Marija
Published: February 2023

Regular two-graphs on up to 36 vertices are classified, and recently, the classification of regular two-graphs on 38 and 42 vertices having at least one descendant with a nontrivial automorphism group has been performed. The first unclassified cases are those on 46 and 50 vertices. It is known that there are at least 97 regular two-graphs on 46 vertices leading to 2104 descendants and 54 regular two-graphs on 50 vertices leading to 785 descendants. In this paper, we classified all strongly regular graphs with parameters (45,22,10,11), (49,24,11,12), and (50,21,8,9) that have Z6 as the automorphism group and constructed regular two-graphs from SRGs (45,22,10,11), SRGs (49,24,11,12), and SRGs (50,21,8,9) that have automorphisms of order six. In this way, we enumerated all regular two-graphs on up to 50 vertices that have at least one descendant with an automorphism group of order six or at least one strongly regular graph associated with an automorphism group of order six. We found 236 new regular two-graphs on 46 vertices leading to 3172 new SRG (45,22,10,11) and 51 new regular two-graphs on 50 vertices leading to 398 new SRG (49,24,11,12).
A Bivariate Extension to Exponentiated Inverse Flexible Weibull Distribution: Shock Model, Features, and Inference to Model Asymmetric Data
Authors: El-Morshedy Mahmoud , Eliwa Mohamed S. , Tahir Muhammad H. , Alizadeh Morad , El-Desokey Rana , Al-Bossly Afrah , Alqifari Hana
Published: February 2023

The primary objective of this article was to introduce a new probabilistic model for the discussion and analysis of random covariates. The introduced model was derived based on the Marshall–Olkin shock model. After proposing the mathematical form of the new bivariate model, some of its distributional properties, including joint probability distribution, joint reliability distribution, joint reversed (hazard) rate distribution, marginal probability density function, conditional probability density function, moments, and distributions for both Y=max{X1,X2} and W=min{X1,X2}, were investigated. This novel model can be applied to discuss and evaluate symmetric and asymmetric data under various kinds of dispersion. Moreover, it can be used as a probability approach to analyze different shapes of hazard rates. The maximum likelihood approach was utilized for estimating the parameters of the bivariate model. A simulation study was carried out to assess the performance of the parameters, and it was noted that the maximum likelihood technique can be used to generate consistent estimators. Finally, two real datasets were analyzed to illustrate the notability of the novel bivariate distribution, and it was found that the suggested distribution provided a better fit than the competitive bivariate models.
Intelligent Hybrid Modeling of Complex Leaching System Based on LSTM Neural Network
Authors: Dong Shijian , Zhang Yuzhu , Zhou Xingxing
Published: February 2023

In order to improve the leaching efficiency of gold ore and reduce the environmental treatment cost of residual sodium cyanide, continuous stirred tank reactors are often connected in a cascade manner. A gold leaching system is a multiphase chemical reaction system, and its kinetic reaction mechanism is complex and affected by random factors. Using intelligent modeling technology to establish a hybrid prediction model of the leaching system, the dynamic performance of the process can be easily analyzed. According to the reaction principle and the theory of substance conservation, a mechanism model is established to reflect the main dynamic performance of the leaching system. In order to improve the global convergence of the optimization target, a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm based on simulated annealing is used to optimize the adjustment parameters in the kinetic reaction velocity model. The multilayer long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network approach is used to compensate for the prediction errors caused by the unmodeled dynamics, and a hybrid model is established. The hybrid prediction model can accurately predict the leaching rate, which provides a reliable basis for guiding production, and also provides a model basis for process optimization, controller design, and operation monitoring. Finally, the superiority and practicability of the hybrid model are verified by a practical leaching industrial system test. The prediction model of key variables in the leaching process is established for the first time using the latest time series prediction technology and intelligent optimization technology. The research results of this paper can provide a good reference and guidance for other research on complex system hybrid modeling.
A Comprehensive Methodology for the Development of an Open Source Experimental Platform for Control Courses
Authors: Aviles Marcos , Rodríguez-Reséndiz Juvenal , Pérez-Ospina Juan , Lara-Mendoza Oscar
Published: February 2023

This article presents the methodology for developing a control laboratory project that provides practical experience based on the ABET criteria. The project is structured around a portable and cheap ball and beam whose integrated system is made using printed circuit boards as the first task. For the expression of the plant, students are guided to execute the essential stages of the control system design, from system modeling, through the design of the basic or advanced control strategy in the MATLAB and Arduino environment, to the implementation and validation of the closed loop. The proposed methods are clear and direct, greatly fostering the understanding of feedback control techniques and enabling students to gain extensive knowledge in practical implementations of control systems. The methodology is easy to interpret and modify in order to adopt it to any computer, allowing for the implementation of new practical tasks in control courses. Additionally, application examples and student-focused comments are included. This paper describes, in detail, the implementation and development of six laboratory practices for control courses, which have been developed based on ESP32 and other existing equipment.
Transmission of Asian Zika Lineage by Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus Mosquitoes in Florida
Authors: Zimler Rebecca A. , Alto Barry W.
Published: February 2023

The Asian lineage of Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne pathogen originally from Africa, caused an epidemic into Brazil in 2015 and subsequently spread throughout the Americas. Local transmission in the U.S. is a public health concern, especially for Florida where the mosquito vectors Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus are widespread, abundant, and there is a high potential for virus introduction due to imported cases. Here we evaluate relative susceptibility to infection and transmission of Zika virus among geographic populations of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus in Florida. Both species have been implicated as ZIKV vectors elsewhere, but both virus and vector genotype are known to influence transmission capacities and, hence, the risk of outbreaks. We test the hypothesis that Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus show geographic differences in midgut and salivary gland barriers that limit ZIKV transmission, using local populations of the two vector species recently colonized from three regions of Florida to compare their susceptibility to ZIKV infection, disseminated infection, and transmission potential. Susceptibility to infection was higher in Ae. aegypti (range 76–92%) than Ae. albopictus (range 47–54%). Aedes aegypti exhibited 33–44% higher susceptibility to infection than Ae. albopictus, with Ae. aegypti from Okeechobee, FL having 17% higher susceptibility to infection than Ae. aegypti from Miami, FL. Similarly, disseminated infection was higher in Ae. aegypti (range 87–89%) than Ae. albopictus (range 31–39%), although did not vary by region. Enhanced infection and disseminated infection in Ae. aegypti were associated with higher viral loads in mosquito samples than in Ae. albopictus. Transmission rates did not vary by species or region (range 26–47%). The results support the hypothesis that Ae. aegypti, but not Ae. albopictus, exhibited regional differences in midgut infection barriers. Our observation of higher vector competence for Ae. aegypti than Ae. albopictus, together with this species greater propensity to feed on humans, lends support to the notion that Ae. aegypti is regarded as the primary vector for ZIKV and public health concern in continental U.S.
Development and Evaluation of Bacteriophage Cocktail to Eradicate Biofilms Formed by an Extensively Drug-Resistant (XDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Vashisth Medhavi , Jaglan Anu Bala , Yashveer Shikha , Sharma Priya , Bardajatya Priyanka , Virmani Nitin , Bera Bidhan Chand , Vaid Rajesh Kumar , Anand Taruna
Published: February 2023

Extensive and multiple drug resistance in P. aeruginosa combined with the formation of biofilms is responsible for its high persistence in nosocomial infections. A sequential method to devise a suitable phage cocktail with a broad host range and high lytic efficiency against a biofilm forming XDR P. aeruginosa strain is presented here. Out of a total thirteen phages isolated against P. aeruginosa, five were selected on the basis of their high lytic spectra assessed using spot assay and productivity by efficiency of plating assay. Phages, after selection, were tested individually and in combinations of two-, three-, four-, and five-phage cocktails using liquid infection model. Out of total 22 combinations tested, the cocktail comprising four phages viz. φPA170, φPA172, φPA177, and φPA180 significantly inhibited the bacterial growth in liquid infection model (p < 0.0001). The minimal inhibitory dose of each phage in a cocktail was effectively reduced to >10 times than the individual dose in the inhibition of XDR P. aeruginosa host. Field emission-scanning electron microscopy was used to visualize phage cocktail mediated eradication of 4-day-old multi-layers of XDR P. aeruginosa biofilms from urinary catheters and glass cover slips, and was confirmed by absence of any viable cells. Differential bacterial inhibition was observed with different phage combinations where multiple phages were found to enhance the cocktail’s lytic range, but the addition of too many phages reduced the overall inhibition. This study elaborates an effective and sequential method for the preparation of a phage cocktail and evaluates its antimicrobial potential against biofilm forming XDR strains of P. aeruginosa.
Host Response of Syrian Hamster to SARS-CoV-2 Infection including Differences with Humans and between Sexes
Authors: Castellan Martina , Zamperin Gianpiero , Franzoni Giulia , Foiani Greta , Zorzan Maira , Drzewnioková Petra , Mancin Marzia , Brian Irene , Bortolami Alessio , Pagliari Matteo , Oggiano Annalisa , Vascellari Marta , Panzarin Valentina , Crovella Sergio , Monne Isabella , Terregino Calogero , De Benedictis Paola , Leopardi Stefania
Published: February 2023

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has highlighted the importance of having proper tools and models to study the pathophysiology of emerging infectious diseases to test therapeutic protocols, assess changes in viral phenotypes, and evaluate the effects of viral evolution. This study provided a comprehensive characterization of the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) as an animal model for SARS-CoV-2 infection using different approaches (description of clinical signs, viral load, receptor profiling, and host immune response) and targeting four different organs (lungs, intestine, brain, and PBMCs). Our data showed that both male and female hamsters were susceptible to the infection and developed a disease similar to the one observed in patients with COVID-19 that included moderate to severe pulmonary lesions, inflammation, and recruitment of the immune system in the lungs and at the systemic level. However, all animals recovered within 14 days without developing the severe pathology seen in humans, and none of them died. We found faint evidence for intestinal and neurological tropism associated with the absence of lesions and a minimal host response in intestines and brains, which highlighted another crucial difference with the multiorgan impairment of severe COVID-19. When comparing male and female hamsters, we observed that males sustained higher viral RNA shedding and replication in the lungs, suffered from more severe symptoms and histopathological lesions, and triggered higher pulmonary inflammation. Overall, these data confirmed the Syrian hamster as a suitable model for mild to moderate COVID-19 and reflected sex-related differences in the response against the virus observed in humans.
Immunoinformatics Approach to Design a Multi-Epitope Vaccine against Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Authors: Naz Shumaila , Aroosh Aiman , Caner Ayse , Şahar Esra Atalay , Toz Seray , Ozbel Yusuf , Abbasi Sumra Wajid
Published: February 2023

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL), a neglected vector-borne disease caused by protozoan parasite Leishmania major (L. major), is a major public health concern, and the development of new strategies to reduce the disease incidence has become a top priority. Advances in immunoinformatics and in-silico epitope prediction could be a promising approach to designing a finest vaccine candidate. In this study, we aimed to design a peptide-based vaccine against CL using computational tools and identified ten B-cell-derived T-cell epitopes from the glycoprotein gp63 of L. major. All of the potential immunodominant epitopes were used to design a vaccine construct along with a linker and an adjuvant at the N-terminal for enhancing its immunogenicity. Additionally, many characteristics of the proposed vaccine were examined, and it was confirmed to be non-allergenic, non-toxic, and thermally stable. To assess the vaccine interaction with the innate immune toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), a 3D structure of the vaccine construct was developed. Molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation were used to confirm the binding and to assess the stability of the vaccine-TLR4 complex and interactions, respectively. In conclusion, our multi-epitope vaccine will provide a gateway to analyze the protein function of a potential vaccine candidate against CL.
Incremental Net Benefit and Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio of COVID-19 Vaccination Campaigns: Systematic Review of Cost-Effectiveness Evidence
Authors: Santoli Giuseppe , Nurchis Mario , Calabrò Giovanna , Damiani Gianfranco
Published: February 2023

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination has been the most effective tool to prevent COVID-19, significantly reducing deaths and hospitalizations worldwide. Vaccination has played a huge role in bringing the COVID-19 pandemic under control, even as the inequitable distribution of vaccines still leaves several countries vulnerable. Therefore, organizing a mass vaccination campaign on a global scale is a priority to contain the virus spread. The aim of this systematic review was to assess whether COVID-19 vaccination campaigns are cost-effective with respect to no vaccination. A systematic literature search was conducted in the WHO COVID-19 Global literature database, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus from 2020 to 2022. Studies assessing the COVID-19 vaccination campaign cost-effectiveness over no vaccination were deemed eligible. The “Drummond’s checklist” was adopted for quality assessment. A synthesis of the studies was performed through the “dominance ranking matrix tool”. Overall, 10 studies were considered. COVID-19 vaccination was deemed cost-effective in each of them, and vaccination campaigns were found to be sustainable public health approaches to fight the health emergency. Providing economic evaluation data for mass vaccination is needed to support decision makers to make value-based and evidence-based decisions to ensure equitable access to vaccination and reduce the COVID-19 burden worldwide.