bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Selenium Supplementation in the Treatment of Autoimmune Thyroiditis: An Overview of Systematic Reviews
Authors: Wang Yong-Sheng , Liang Shan-Shan , Ren Jun-Jie , Wang Zi-Yi , Deng Xin-Xin , Liu Wen-Di , Yan Yi-Long , Song Gui-Hang , Li Xiu-Xia
Published: July 2023

Objective: The available evidence on selenium supplementation in the treatment of autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) was inconclusive. This research serves to assess the effects of selenium supplementation in the treatment of AIT. Methods: Online databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to 10 June 2022. The AMSTAR-2 tool was used to assess the methodological quality of included studies. The information on the randomized controlled trials of the included studies was extracted and synthesized. The GRADE system was used to assess the certainty of evidence. Results: A total of 6 systematic reviews with 75 RCTs were included. Only one study was rated as high quality. The meta-analysis showed that in the levothyroxine (LT4)-treated population, thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab) levels decreased significantly in the selenium group at 3 months (SMD = −0.53, 95% CI: [−0.89, −0.17], p < 0.05, very low certainty) and 6 months (SMD = −1.95, 95% CI: [−3.17, −0.74], p < 0.05, very low certainty) and that thyroglobulin antibody (Tg-Ab) levels were not decreased. In the non-LT4-treated population, TPO-Ab levels decreased significantly in the selenium group at 3 and 6 months and did not decrease at 12 months. Tg-Ab levels decreased significantly in the selenium group at 3 and 6 months and did not decrease at 12 months. The adverse effects reported in the selenium group were not significantly different from those in the control group, and the certainty of evidence was low. Conclusion: Although selenium supplementation might reduce TPO-Ab levels at 3 and 6 months and Tg-Ab levels at 3 and 6 months in the non-LT4-treated population, this was based on a low certainty of evidence.
Concepts of Lactate Metabolic Clearance Rate and Lactate Clamp for Metabolic Inquiry: A Mini-Review
Authors: Emhoff Chi-An W. , Messonnier Laurent A.
Published: July 2023

Lactate is known to play a central role in the link between glycolytic and mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, as well as to serve as a primary gluconeogenic precursor. Blood lactate concentration is sensitive to the metabolic state of tissues and organs as lactate rates of appearance and disposal/disappearance in the circulation rise and fall in response to physical exercise and other metabolic disturbances. The highest lactate flux rates have been measured during moderate intensity exercise in endurance-trained individuals who exhibit muscular and metabolic adaptations lending to superior oxidative capacity. In contrast, a diminished ability to utilize lactate is associated with poor metabolic fitness. Given these widespread implications in exercise performance and health, we discuss the concept of lactate metabolic clearance rate, which increases at the onset of exercise and, unlike flux rates, reaches a peak just below the power output associated with the maximal lactate steady state. The metabolic clearance rate is determined by both disposal rate and blood concentration, two parameters that are mutually interdependent and thus difficult to parse during steady state exercise studies. We review the evolution of the in vivo lactate clamp methodology to control blood lactate concentration and discuss its application in the investigation of whole-body lactate disposal capacities. In conclusion, we assert that the lactate clamp is a useful research methodology for examining lactate flux, in particular the factors that drive metabolic clearance rate.
Preparation of Nanopaper for Colorimetric Food Spoilage Indication
Authors: Al Tamimi Zainab , Chen Longyan , Ji Xiaoxu , Vanderlaan Gary , Gacura Matthew D. , Piovesan Davide
Published: July 2023

In this study, we are reporting the fabrication of a nanocellulose (NFC) paper-based food indicator for chicken breast spoilage detection by both visual color change observation and smartphone image analysis. The indicator consists of a nanocellulose paper (nanopaper) substrate and a pH-responsive dye, bromocresol green (BCG), that adsorbs on the nanopaper. The nanopaper is prepared through vacuum filtration and high-pressure compression. The nanopaper exhibits good optical transparency and strong mechanical strength. The color change from yellow to blue in the nanopaper indicator corresponding to an increase in the solution pH and chicken breast meat storage data were observed and analyzed, respectively. Further, we were able to use color differences determined by the RGB values from smartphone images to analyze the results, which indicates a simple, sensitive, and readily deployable approach toward the development of future smartphone-based food spoilage tests.
Weakly Supervised Forest Fire Segmentation in UAV Imagery Based on Foreground-Aware Pooling and Context-Aware Loss
Authors: Wang Junling , Wang Yupeng , Liu Liping , Yin Hengfu , Ye Ning , Xu Can
Published: July 2023

In recent years, tragedies caused by forest fires have been frequently reported. Forest fires not only result in significant economic losses but also cause environmental damage. The utilization of computer vision techniques and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for forest fire monitoring has become a primary approach to accurately locate and extinguish fires during their early stages. However, traditional computer-based methods for UAV forest fire image segmentation require a large amount of pixel-level labeled data to train the networks, which can be time-consuming and costly to acquire. To address this challenge, we propose a novel weakly supervised approach for semantic segmentation of fire images in this study. Our method utilizes self-supervised attention foreground-aware pooling (SAP) and context-aware loss (CAL) to generate high-quality pseudo-labels, serving as substitutes for manual annotation. SAP collaborates with bounding box and class activation mapping (CAM) to generate a background attention map, which aids in the generation of accurate pseudo-labels. CAL further improves the quality of the pseudo-labels by incorporating contextual information related to the target objects, effectively reducing environmental noise. We conducted experiments on two publicly available UAV forest fire datasets: the Corsican dataset and the Flame dataset. Our proposed method achieved impressive results, with IoU values of 81.23% and 76.43% for the Corsican dataset and the Flame dataset, respectively. These results significantly outperform the latest weakly supervised semantic segmentation (WSSS) networks on forest fire datasets.
Hyperspectral Anomaly Detection Using Spatial–Spectral-Based Union Dictionary and Improved Saliency Weight
Authors: Lin Sheng , Zhang Min , Cheng Xi , Zhao Shaobo , Shi Lei , Wang Hai
Published: July 2023

Hyperspectral anomaly detection (HAD), which is widely used in military and civilian fields, aims to detect the pixels with large spectral deviation from the background. Recently, collaborative representation using union dictionary (CRUD) was proved to be effective for achieving HAD. However, the existing CRUD detectors generally only use the spatial or spectral information to construct the union dictionary (UD), which possibly causes a suboptimal performance and may be hard to use in actual scenarios. Additionally, the anomalies are treated as salient relative to the background in a hyperspectral image (HSI). In this article, a HAD method using spatial–spectral-based UD and improved saliency weight (SSUD-ISW) is proposed. To construct robust UD for each testing pixel, a spatial-based detector, a spectral-based detector and superpixel segmentation are jointly considered to yield the background set and anomaly set, which provides pure and representative pixels to form a robust UD. Differently from the conventional operation that uses the dual windows to construct the background dictionary in the local region and employs the RX detector to construct the anomaly dictionary in a global scope, we developed a robust UD construction strategy in a nonglobal range by sifting the pixels closest to the testing pixel from the background set and anomaly set to form the UD. With a preconstructed UD, a CRUD is performed, and the product of the anomaly dictionary and corresponding representation coefficient is explored to yield the response map. Moreover, an improved saliency weight is proposed to fully mine the saliency characteristic of the anomalies. To further improve the performance, the response map and saliency weight are combined with a nonlinear fusion strategy. Extensive experiments performed on five datasets (i.e., Salinas, Texas Coast, Gainesville, San Diego and SpecTIR datasets) demonstrate that the proposed SSUD-ISW detector achieves the satisfactory AUCdf values (i.e., 0.9988, 0.9986, 0.9939, 0.9945 and 0.9997), as compared to the comparative detectors whose best AUCdf values are 0.9938, 0.9956, 0.9833, 0.9919 and 0.9991.
Adaptation of a Neuro-Variational Algorithm from SeaWiFS to MODIS-Aqua Sensor for the Determination of Atmospheric and Oceanic Variables
Authors: Correa Khassoum , Machu Eric , Brajard Julien , Diouf Daouda , Sall Saïdou Moustapha , Demarcq Hervé
Published: July 2023

The Sahara desert is a major global source of dust that is mostly transported southwest over the ocean off West Africa. The presence of this dust impacts the remote sensing of ocean surface properties. These aerosols have absorbing properties that are poorly accounted for in the standard ocean color data processing algorithm. This can result in an overestimation of the atmospheric contribution to the ocean color signal and consequently an underestimation of the oceanic contribution. A two-step algorithm initially applied to the Sea-viewing Wide field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) data was adapted to the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS-Aqua) sensor in the Northwest African region. The Northwest African region is a very productive region, where pelagic resources are an important socio-economic sector. Improving atmospheric correction of ocean color products is, thus, of particular interest for this oceanic region. The two-step approach of classifying the top-of-atmosphere radiance spectra for a better estimate of aerosol type on the one hand, and using an optimization method to fit the parameters of these aerosols and chlorophyll-a concentration (Chla) on the other hand, allows for a better representation of the optical thickness, a correction of the marine reflectance spectrum, and an increase in the spatio-temporal coverage of the area. To the extent that the properties of the water color signal are improved by this data processing, the Chla estimates should also be improved by this approach. However, it is difficult to conclude on this point from the available in situ observations.
Principal Component Regression Modeling and Analysis of PM10 and Meteorological Parameters in Sarajevo with and without Temperature Inversion
Authors: Pasic Mirza , Hadziahmetovic Halima , Ahmovic Ismira , Pasic Mugdim
Published: July 2023

The specific geographic location of Sarajevo, which is located in a valley surrounded by mountains, provides the opportunity to analyze the relation between the concentration of PM10 and meteorological parameters with and without temperature inversion. The main aim of this paper was to develop forecasting models of the hourly average of PM10 values in the Sarajevo urban area based on meteorological parameters measured in Sarajevo and on the Bjelasnica mountain with and without temperature inversion by using principal component regression (PCR). Also, this research explored and analyzed the differences in the values of the meteorological parameters and PM10 in Sarajevo with and without temperature inversion, and the difference in temperatures between Sarajevo and Bjelasnica with temperature inversion using statistical hypothesis testing with a total of 240 hypothesis tests performed. The measurements of meteorological parameters were taken from 2020 to 2022 for both Sarajevo (630 m) and the Bjelasnica mountain (2067 m), which allowed for the identification of time periods with and without temperature inversion, while measurements of PM10 were taken only in Sarajevo. Data were collected during the heating season (November, December, January, February and March). Since analyses have shown that only January and November had time periods with and without temperature inversion during each hour of the day, a total of seven cases were identified: two cases with and five cases without temperature inversion. For each case, three PCR models were developed using all principal components, backward elimination and eigenvalue principal component elimination criteria (λ<1). A total of 21 models were developed. The performance of the models were evaluated based on the coefficient of determination R2 and the standard error SE. The backward elimination models were shown to have high performances with the highest value of R2= 97.19 and the lowest value of SE=1.32. The study showed that some principal components with eigenvalues λ<1 were significantly related to the independent variable PM10 and thus were retained in the PCR models. In the study, it was shown that backward elimination PCR was an adequate tool to develop PM10 forecasting models with high performances and that it could be useful for authorities for early warnings or other action to protect citizens from very harmful pollution. Hypothesis tests showed different relations of meteorological parameters and PM10 with and without temperature inversion.
Challenges of Digital Waste Marketplace—The Upvalue Platform
Authors: Soares Margarida , Ribeiro André , Vasconcelos Tomás , Barros Manuel , Castro Carla , Vilarinho Cândida , Carvalho Joana
Published: July 2023

Waste management is a major challenge for contemporary societies, requiring urgent attention since population growth combined with widespread consumerism and industrialization has led to an alarming increase in waste production. To avoid harmful environmental impacts and the misuse of resources, it is urgent to combat this scourge. A potential solution involves the creation of industrial symbioses, characterized by the practical application of circular economy principles. The use of collaborative platforms is a possible way to promote industrial symbiosis. Addressing these pressing concerns and responding to these challenges, the Upcycle4Biz project envisions establishing a digital platform called Upvalue, conceived as a marketplace where companies can exchange waste and by-products. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the challenges and benefits associated with the development of this innovative platform, as well as a presentation of the platform itself.
Differences between Public-Sector and Private-Sector Project Management Practices in Hungary from a Competency Point of View
Authors: Blaskovics Bálint , Maró Zalán Márk , Klimkó Gábor , Papp-Horváth Viktória , Csiszárik-Kocsir Ágnes
Published: July 2023

Both sustainability and strategic goals are realized in the course of implementing projects and in this way, projects are crucial for companies. Despite the growing importance of projects and the vast resources allocated to them, the success rates achieved by these projects are still considered low. Numerous reasons have been identified in the literature for why a project might succeed or fail, and it has also been revealed that a competent project manager is a key factor in this process. However, papers have mainly focused on analyzing the required competencies in general, while the sector involved is rarely considered. Thus, this paper investigates, within an exploratory framework, the success and failure rates of projects and project management competencies in Hungarian public- and private-sector organizations by using the Mann–Whitney test. Based on the results, the authors reject the idea that public-sector organizations perform better than those in the private sector, but the analysis of the data also revealed that there were differences in the perceived importance of skills in the two sectors. Customer orientation and business acumen were considered significantly more important in the private sector than in the public sector, based on the sample available. This study also revealed possible correlations among the knowledge areas and skills required. In addition to contributions to the understanding of project success, this paper can also help to improve the project management frameworks applied in public and private companies. Furthermore, the findings can be adapted for projects that require a special attribute, such as sustainability.
Subjective Socioeconomic Status in Small-Scale Aquaculture: Evidence from Central-Southern Chile
Authors: Baquedano-Rodríguez Marjorie , Rosas-Muñoz Juan , Castillo-Cruces Javier
Published: July 2023

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a multidimensional concept that involves objective markers, such as income, education, and occupation, along with subjective data, which indicate how people perceive their socioeconomic position. Gaps and the lack of linear relationships in objective SES data have supported the need to include subjective markers. This study evaluates the effect of certain critical predictors on the subjective SES of small-scale aquaculture producers in Central-Southern Chile, addressing a gap in research. We explore the impact of income, education, occupational settings, social capital, and subjective health status on self-reports of current and future subjective socioeconomic status. We use primary data collected through a government-funded project. The fieldwork included a face-to-face survey implemented between February and March 2017 with 225 participants, all located in the Bio-Bio or Lagos regions of Chile. Bi-probit regression models were applied to test how the current and future subjective SES is affected by the following variables: engaging small-scale aquaculture production, having a secondary occupation, harvesting two or more different resources, maintaining extended social networks to cope with economic problems, subjective health status, average monthly income from aquaculture or fishery, perceptions about how difficult it is to find alternative work, and education as means for personal and occupational development. The results show that engaging in small-scale aquaculture positively affects current and future subjective socioeconomic status. Income is a robust predictor of present and future socioeconomic status. Education loses relevance on subjective SES later in life, whereas social capital gains importance.
Does Volunteer Service Foster Education for A Sustainable Future?—Empirical Evidence from Chinese University Students
Authors: Chen Ling , Li Degang , Li Yong
Published: July 2023

Sustainable development is an extremely important global vision of the current era, and higher education plays a significant role in deeply immersing young people in this prospect. As an important part of labor education for contemporary Chinese university students, volunteer service has proven to be a sustainable and valuable talent training process. Different from the grand narrative and simple political perspective of previous studies, this paper selects the relevant data of a university in Beijing as a sample to conduct a “black box disassembling” micro study. By building three sets of data, the authors were able to adopt difference-in-differences, analysis of variance, and hierarchical regression methods to study the comprehensive improvement of university students’ inner ability and sense of responsibility after participating in voluntary services. Results show that participation in more voluntary services will improve students’ performance and employment quality, mostly promote students’ teamwork ability, and differentially enhance students’ comprehensive, personal, and collective senses of responsibility, thus facilitating education for a sustainable future and, accordingly, economic development. The study reveals the formation mechanism of the sustainability value of voluntary service in more detail, complements the absence of Chinese sample data in international studies, and lays an effective foundation for more comprehensive micro studies in the future.
Promoting Climate Change Awareness with High School Students for a Sustainable Community
Authors: Mebane Minou Ella , Benedetti Maura , Barni Daniela , Francescato Donata
Published: July 2023

Climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity, and understanding and addressing climate change represent important goals in creating a sustainable community. As several studies have underlined, in order to enhance eco-friendly behaviors, it is pivotal to understand people’s emotional reactions to climate change and develop actions that build a planetary sense of community. In this context, the present pilot study aims to propose a new psychological environmental intervention program seeking to increase students’ awareness of climate change and related emotions and to promote students’ empowerment. It was carried out in Italy, from January to April 2022, involved 25 high school students, and was conducted by environmental scientists and community psychologists who were experts in affective education and empowerment. The program was composed of two different modules: the first module focused on sustainable development and climate change’s effects on the environment and health as well as positive and negative emotions related to climate change; and the second was a participatory laboratory on actions that can be taken to protect the environment. An assessment of the intervention showed its efficacy in terms of the students’ competences as environmental citizens, their comprehension of emotions related to climate change, and the development of climate change projects. Given the small sample size and the pre-experimental nature of our contribution, future studies on a larger scale and with a control group are needed to confirm our preliminary results.
Studying the Joint Effects of Perceived Service Quality, Perceived Benefits, and Environmental Concerns in Sustainable Travel Behavior: Extending the TPB
Authors: Gelaidan Hamid , Al-Swidi Abdullah , Hafeez Muhammad
Published: July 2023

The importance of the sustainability concept has gained increasing attention from scholars and practitioners. In this context, the aim of this study was to examine the determinants of intention to continue to use the new Metro in Qatar, which is considered a sustainable mode of travel. Therefore, in this paper, a special attention was paid to certain variables, such as environmental concern, perceived quality, and perceived benefits. A quantitative method approach was employed, in which data were collected based on self-administered questionnaires. A total of 1334 Qatar residents responded to the survey questionnaire, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used for hypothesis testing. The results confirmed the direct effects of perceived behavioral control, social influence, and attitudes on the intention of residents to continue to use the Metro network in their travel. Moreover, perceived behavioral control was found to play a mediating role, enhancing the indirect relationship between perceived benefits and intention to continue to use the Metro network. More importantly, environmental concerns significantly and positively affected the attitudes and perceived behavioral control of travelers; furthermore, these variables presented a mediated influence—through service quality—on the intention to continue to use the Metro network. This study enriched the sustainability behavior literature by examining the influences of crucial factors. Thus, this study is considered of great value for policy-makers who hope to maximize the awareness level of environmental sustainability among the population, in order to encourage them to embrace changes in their lifestyle towards becoming more environmentally responsible.
Comparative Analysis of Direct Operating Costs: Conventional vs. Hydrogen Fuel Cell 19-Seat Aircraft
Authors: Marksel Maršenka , Prapotnik Brdnik Anita
Published: July 2023

In this paper, a comparative analysis of direct operating costs between a 19-seat conventional and hydrogen-powered fuel cell aircraft is performed by developing a model to estimate direct operating costs and considering the evolution of costs over time from 2030 to 2050. However, due to the technology being in its early stages of development and implementation, there are still considerable uncertainties surrounding the direct operating costs of hydrogen aircraft. To address this, the study considers high and low kerosene growth rates and optimistic and pessimistic development scenarios for hydrogen fuel cell aircraft, while also considering the evolution of costs over time. The comparative analysis uses real flight and aircraft data for the airliner Trade Air. The results show that the use of 19-seat hydrogen fuel cell aircraft for air transportation is a viable option when compared to conventional aircraft. Additionally, the study suggests potential policies and other measures that could accelerate the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell technology by considering their direct operating costs.
The Influence of Safety Culture and Climate on Safety Performance: Mediating Role of Employee Engagement in Manufacturing Enterprises in Ethiopia
Authors: Abeje Mesfin , Luo Fan
Published: July 2023

Manufacturing enterprises face a strategic challenge in managing risks, as safety concerns can result in huge costs for employee wellbeing and business success. However, there is no clear link between using diverse instruments to assess and measure safety performance and the culture and climate of safety in the workplace, which is likely due to differing perspectives on the topic. This study explores the influence of safety culture and climate on safety performance and on the mediating role of employee engagement in the Ethiopian manufacturing sector. This study was conducted using a quantitative research methodology 368, where three hundred and sixty-eight respondents from five large-scale industrial manufacturing enterprises were selected through purposive sampling. A combination of techniques was used, including structural equation modeling, growth paths, and correlation matrix, and these were performed using the SPSS/AMOS v. 24 software suites. These methods established a causal relationship between safety culture, safety climate, and safety performance. The study’s main finding is that safety culture significantly impacts safety performance, which is followed by safety climate. Additionally, employee engagement played a significant mediating role between safety culture and safety performance, as well as between safety climate and safety performance. Based on these results, policymakers and practitioners in large-scale manufacturing enterprises in Ethiopia should prioritize improving the safety culture and climate of their workplaces to enhance safety performance and overall safety.
ESG Modeling and Prediction Uncertainty of Electronic Waste
Authors: Duman Gazi Murat , Kongar Elif
Published: July 2023

Driven by a variety of factors, including the advent of digitalization, increasing population and urbanization, and rapid technological advancements, electronic waste (e-waste) has emerged as the fastest growing waste stream globally. Effective management of e-waste is inherently aligned with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) frameworks and is typically examined within this context. Accurate quantification of the current and future accumulation of e-waste is a key step towards ensuring its proper management. Numerous methodologies have been developed to predict e-waste generation, with the grey modeling approach receiving considerable attention due to its ability to yield meaningful results using relatively small datasets. This study aims to introduce a novel forecasting technique for predicting e-waste, particularly when limited historical data are available. The proposed approach, the non-linear grey Bernoulli model with fractional order accumulation NBGMFO(1,1) enhanced by Particle Swarm Optimization, demonstrates superior accuracy compared to alternative forecasting models. Additionally, the Fourier residual modification method is applied to enhance the precision of the forecast. To provide a practical illustration, a case study utilizing waste mobile phone data from Turkey is presented.
Remote Sensing-Based Revegetation Assessment at Post-Closure Mine Sites in Canada
Authors: Gordon Sam , Xu Xiaoyong , Wang Yanyu
Published: July 2023

The environmental legacy of post-closure mine sites poses a significant risk to the sustainability of mining operations and natural resource development. This study aims to advance the understanding of sustainable mine site reclamation behavior in Canada by using multi-temporal Landsat satellite images to examine the long-term land cover changes at post-closure mine sites. Six representative post-closure mine sites were selected for the evaluation and comparison. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis, Landsat image classification, post-classification change detection, and Regrowth Index (RI) analysis were conducted to assess the speed and extent of landscape and vegetation recovery at the target mine sites. A significant vegetation recovery was quantified for the mine sites that have experienced active reclamation activities. In contrast, the post-closure mine area undergoing only passive revegetation typically demonstrated a slow and minor increase in vegetation over time. The actively revegetated mine sites can typically be restored to a vegetation cover level that equals or is better than the pre-mining situation. This work confirms that active reclamation and revegetation at post-closure mine sites is critically important in sustainable mining. The quantified mine site reclamation behavior and the relevant sustainable practices would be useful for evidence-based sustainable resource management in Canada.
Supply and Demand for Planning and Construction of Nighttime Urban Lighting: A Comparative Case Study of Binjiang District, Hangzhou
Authors: Zhang Lingyan , Huang Shan , Zhu Yunchen , Hua Chen , Cheng Mingjun , Yao Song , Li Yonghua
Published: July 2023

Demand planning-oriented research on nighttime urban lighting provides a foundation for formulating strategies to eliminate dark areas and reduce light pollution. In this paper, Binjiang District of Hangzhou was investigated. Four factors, namely land-use type, road grade, parcel volume, and nighttime crowds, were evaluated. Based on the spatiotemporal geographic data and the urban lighting planning of Hangzhou, a calculation method for the supply and demand of urban lighting at night in Hangzhou was constructed. In this process, the current state of lighting brightness in different areas of the district were calculated and compared with the results of the total lighting demand to analyze reasonableness. The research results show that according to the actual lighting demand classification, the first to fifth levels of lighting control zones accounted for 1.84%, 19.69%, 49.61%, 21.74%, and 7.12% of the total statistical land area of the district, respectively. Focus should thus be placed on the second, third, and fourth levels of lighting control zones when covering lighting demand. Importantly, areas with unreasonable supply and demand for lighting construction accounted for 20.8% of the total statistical land area, indicating that the nighttime lighting demand and carbon emissions in the Riverside District should be adjusted and optimized. This paper proposes a research method to compare supply and demand for the planning and construction of nighttime urban lighting, which can improve the science on lighting demand measurement.
Mandatory Environmental Regulation, Enterprise Labor Demand and Green Innovation Transformation: A Quasi-Experiment from China’s New Environmental Protection Law
Authors: Liu Jiamin , Ma Xiaoyu , Zhao Bin , Cui Qi , Zhang Sisi , Zhang Jiaoning
Published: July 2023

To improve the human living environment and maintain the balance of the ecosystem, the Chinese government implemented a new environmental protection law (NPL) in 2015. Based on data for Chinese A-share listed companies and prefecture-level cities from 2005 to 2020, a difference-in-difference model is used to empirically explore the impact of the mandatory environmental regulation on labor demand (LD) and green innovation transformation (GIT) for heavy pollution enterprise (HPE). The results indicate that NPL leads HPE to reduce LD and achieve GIT, compared to non-HPE. This finding still holds by a series of robustness tests. Lower financial constraints and higher fintech can alleviate the negative impact of the NPL on the LD of HPE and enhance the positive impact of the NPL on the GIT of HPE. From regional heterogeneity, NPL causes HPE to increase their labor in the eastern region but reduce labor in the middle and western regions. NPL positively affects the GIT and shows a “U” shape from the east-middle-west regions. From enterprise heterogeneity, NPL mainly has a significant dampening effect on the LD for old and high staff cost enterprises and has a greater positive impact on the GIT for these both types of enterprises. Meanwhile, there is a gradually increasing lag in the impact of NPL on LD and GIT. Our findings provide new perspectives for the government to implement the policy of NPL and for enterprises to transform development.
High Circular Dichroism Optical Chiral Metasurfaces Based on Bound States in the Continuum
Authors: Gao Ziang , Wang Pu , Yu Shilin , Xu Zhengshan , Zhao Tonggang
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we suggest a design for a chiral metasurface at optical frequencies that shows a high level of circular dichroism (CD) of 0.94. By breaking the in-plane asymmetry and exciting the quasi-bound states in the continuum (quasi-BICs), a high Q-factor was obtained, which greatly enhances the interaction between light and matter. Then, the multipole decomposition was confirmed to analyze its mode of excitation. The proposed design may provide new possibilities for high-performance optical devices.
Assessing Asymmetrical Rates in Multivariate Phylogenetic Trait Evolution: An Extension of Statistical Models for Heterogeneous Rate Estimation
Authors: Jhwueng Dwueng-Chwuan
Published: July 2023

Understanding the rate of evolution provides insight into how rapidly species have historically evolved. We investigate the often-overlooked concept of asymmetry in evolutionary rates. We observe the variation in the rates at which different traits within the same organism, or the same traits across different organisms, evolve. Influenced by factors such as environmental pressures and genetic constraints, this asymmetry might lead to inconsistent rates of biological changes. To capture these diverse rates, we propose three advanced statistical models, transcending the traditionally employed Brownian motion model. These models—the phylogenetic multivariate Ornstein–Uhlenbeck model, the early burst model, and the mixed model—were applied to body length, forelimbs, and head length in salamanders. The results from our substantial dataset show these models’ effectiveness in highlighting the asymmetrical patterns of trait evolution, enhancing our understanding of the complex dynamics in species evolution. Therefore, our study underscores the importance of considering asymmetry when studying evolutionary rates.
Tracking Defects of Electronic Crystals by Coherent X-ray Diffraction
Authors: Le Bolloc’h David , Bellec Ewen , Kirova Natacha , Jacques Vincent L. R.
Published: July 2023

In this article, we review different studies based on advanced X-ray diffraction techniques—especially coherent X-ray diffraction—that allowed us to reveal the behaviour of such symmetry-breaking systems as Charge Density Wave (CDW) and Spin density Wave (SDW), through their local phase. After a brief introduction on the added value of using coherent X-rays, we show how the method can be applied to CDW and SDW systems, in both static and dynamical regimes. The approach allowed us to probe the particular sliding state of CDWs systems by observing them through their phase fluctuations, to which coherent X-rays are particularly sensitive. Several compounds stabilizing a CDW phase able to slide are presented, each with a different but clearly pronounced signature of the sliding state. Two main features emerge from this series of experiments which have been little treated until now, the influence of CDW pinning by the sample surfaces and the propagation of periodic phase defects such as charge solitons across the entire sample. Phase models describing the spatial and temporal properties of sliding CDWs are presented in the last part of this review.
Year-Round Presence of Microcystins and Toxin-Producing Microcystis in the Water Column and Ice Cover of a Eutrophic Lake Located in the Continuous Permafrost Zone (Yakutia, Russia)
Authors: Gabyshev Viktor A. , Sidelev Sergey I. , Chernova Ekaterina N. , Vilnet Anna A. , Davydov Denis A. , Barinova Sophia , Gabysheva Olga I. , Zhakovskaya Zoya A. , Voronov Ivan V.
Published: July 2023

This study aimed to test the hypothesis of the year-round presence of toxigenic Microcystis and cyanotoxins in the water and ice of the shallow eutrophic Lake Ytyk-Kyuyol located in the continuous permafrost zone. Three independent approaches—mass-spectrometry, molecular methods and light microscopy—were applied in the study. The cyanobacterial biomass ranged from 1.0 × 10−4 to 4.8 mg L−1. Microcystis flos-aquae and M. aeruginosa were the dominant morphospecies in plankton throughout the observation. In environmental DNA, the presence of M. aeruginosa was supported and mcy gene regions responsible for microcystin biosynthesis were detected through a BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) search and phylogenetic estimation based on newly obtained 16S rRNA, 16S–23S ITS rRNA, mcyA and mcyE nucleotide sequences. The intracellular microcystin concentration ranged from <0.1 to 803 ng L−1, and the microcystin quota in the Microcystis biomass was extremely low. For the first time, it was shown that Microcystis cells containing mcy genes and microcystins presented permanently in the water column, both during the ice-free period and under ice, as well as inside thick ice covers within 7 months of severe winter. We hypothesized that minor pelagic and ice populations of Microcystis could participate in increasing cell density in the spring. However, further studies are needed to confirm the viability of the overwintering Microcystis colonies in the water and inside the ice of Lake Ytyk-Kyuyol.
Carrying Capacity and Assessment of the Tourism Sector in the South Aegean Region, Greece
Authors: Vandarakis Dimitrios , Malliouri Dimitra , Petrakis Stelios , Kapsimalis Vasilios , Moraitis Vyron , Hatiris Georgios-Angelos , Panagiotopoulos Ioannis
Published: July 2023

Since the early 1950s, Greece has been a popular travel destination providing high-quality tourism services. This was amplified by its diverse landscape, extended sandy beaches, scattered archaeological sites, people’s mentality, and adequate infrastructure. In particular, the south Aegean Archipelago attracts more than six million (6,000,000) visitors annually, approximately 27% of tourist arrivals in Greece. The carrying capacity assessment of the South Aegean region aims to improve the already high standards of the offered tourist services. Seventeen appropriate variables were analyzed to assess and increase tourism attractiveness by alternative products for long-term and sustainable management. Furthermore, the outcomes of the carrying capacity indicators application provide specialized solutions to control the over-tourism impact, mitigate the natural environmental degradation, and establish a roadmap for sustainable development in the study area. The required data were interpreted based on the PAP/RAC 1997 and WTO, enriched with more suitable variables from national and international literature to determine the carrying capacity. Therefore, the selection of seventeen (17) most representative indicators was unavoidable. Finally, the calculation of the different indexes showed that Mykonos and Thira are far above the indicator scale limits and are facing over-tourism issues. Additionally, the numbers of tourists concentrated in the abovementioned islands may accelerate the environmental degradation and, as a result, the tourist product will be downgraded. The set of these seventeen indicators works best since low, obfuscated, or no environmental data are available for the South Aegean region from the official state agency. Alternative tourist development and the extension of the tourist season based on local climatic conditions must be applied to ease the over-concentration and, consequently, the degradation of the tourist product. The large islands do not seem to face significant problems. However, the calculation of CCA will contribute to the decongestion of tourism concentration together with environmental decompression, leading to sustainable development in the South Aegean region.
Marine Calcareous Biological Ooze Thermoluminescence and Its Application for Paleoclimate Change since the Middle Pleistocene
Authors: Zhang Ping , Liu Haisheng , Hou Shengli , Wang Nanping , Fang Nianqiao
Published: July 2023

Natural thermoluminescence (TL) from the core of MD81349 marine calcareous biological ooze samples in the Ninetyeast Ridge of the equatorial northeast Indian Ocean and from the core of IODP306-U1312B in the high latitudes of the North Atlantic Ocean was studied. The spurious TL intensity of 395 °C at its peak is dose independent when the heating rate is 6 °C/s in a nitrogen atmosphere. TL signals have exhibited a significant correlation with the marine isotope stages (MIS) in the two oceans since the mid-Pleistocene era. High TL intensity corresponds to a negative δ18O in the interglacial stages, and low TL intensity corresponds to a positive δ18O in the glacial stages. The TL of both cores from the two oceans reveal that global climate has experienced eight cold and warm cycles since the mid-Pleistocene era. In this study, a single-frequency spectrum analysis of the MD81349 and U1312B TL cores in the last 300 ka is performed. Near the equator of the northeast Indian Ocean, the short cycles of 38 ka and 5 ka are more significant, while the cycle of 8 ka is more significant in the North Atlantic Ocean. In addition, a correlation analysis shows that the TL has a significant positive correlation with the trace element 135Ba and a significant negative correlation with 47Ti. The impurity ions (e.g., Ba2+, Mn2+ and Ti2+) doped in carbonate act as activators and suppressants, respectively. A time series of the TL of the calcareous biological ooze tests provide an important record of climate change. The source of the TL signal is also discussed.
Numerical Simulation of a Three-Stage Electrical Submersible Pump under Stall Conditions
Authors: Wang Yuqiang , Wang Zhe , Song Xiangyu , Bai Ling , El-Emam Mahmoud A. , Zhou Ling
Published: July 2023

This paper focuses on investigating the stall phenomenon of a three-stage electrical submersible pump using numerical methods by examining the internal and external characteristics of the pump under design conditions and critical stall and deep stall conditions. The energy losses inside the impeller and diffuser are also discussed. The internal flow at all pump stages under stall conditions is analyzed, highlighting differences and correlations. Under critical stall conditions, multiple vortices appear in the impeller channel of the first stage, while the flow in the secondary and final impeller remains smooth. Flow separation occurs in the diffusers at all three stages. Under deep stall conditions, the inlet setting angle causes all stages to enter a synchronous stall state. The range and intensity of vortices in the diffusers of all stages are further increased, seriously affecting the mainstream. This paper provides valuable insights for the research of internal flow and optimal design of electrical submersible pumps.
Large Uncertainties in CO2 Water–Air Outgassing Estimation with Gas Exchange Coefficient KT for a Large Lowland River
Authors: Dristi Anamika , Xu Y. Jun
Published: July 2023

Aquatic CO2 emission is typically estimated (i.e., not measured) through a gas exchange balance. Several factors can affect the estimation, primarily flow velocity and wind speed, which can influence a key parameter, the gas exchange coefficient KT in the balancing approach. However, our knowledge of the uncertainty of predictions using these factors is rather limited. In this study, we conducted a numeric assessment on the impact of river flow velocity and wind speed on KT and the consequent CO2 emission rate. As a case study, we utilized 3-year (2019–2021) measurements on the partial pressure of dissolved carbon dioxide (pCO2) in one of the world’s largest alluvial rivers, the lower Mississippi River, to determine the difference in CO2 emission rate estimated through three approaches: velocity-based KT, wind-based KT, and a constant KT (i.e., KT = 4.3 m/day) that has been used for large rivers. Over the 3-year study period, river flow velocity varied from 0.75 ms−1 to 1.8 ms−1, and wind speed above the water surface fluctuated from 0 ms−1 to nearly 5 ms−1. Correspondingly, we obtained a velocity-based KT value of 7.80–22.11 m/day and a wind-speed-based KT of 0.77–8.40 m/day. Because of the wide variation in KT values, the estimation of CO2 emission using different approaches resulted in a substantially large difference. The velocity-based KT method yielded an average CO2 emission rate (FCO2) of 44.36 mmol m−2 h−1 for the lower Mississippi River over the 3-year study period, varying from 6.8 to 280 mmol m−2 h−1. In contrast, the wind-based KT method rendered an average FCO2 of 10.05 mmol m−2 h−1 with a small range of fluctuation (1.32–53.40 mmol m−2 h−1,), and the commonly used constant KT method produced an average FCO2 of 11.64 mmol m−2 h−1, also in a small range of fluctuation (2.42–56.87 mmol m−2 h−1). Based on the findings, we conclude that the effect of river channel geometry and flow velocity on CO2 outgassing is still largely underestimated, and the current estimation of global river CO2 emission may bear large uncertainty due to limited spatial coverage of flow conditions and the associated gas exchange variation.
Short Standing and Propagating Internal Waves in an Ice-Covered Shallow Lake
Authors: Bogdanov Sergey , Zdorovennov Roman , Palshin Nikolai , Efremova Tatiana , Zdorovennova Galina
Published: July 2023

The intensity of vertical heat and mass transfer remains among the challenging topics in the study of ice-covered lakes. Presumably, internal waves (IWs) make a significant contribution to the heat transfer in the water column. However, the mechanisms of mixing enhancement by generation, interaction, and breaking of IWs of different scales, especially short-wavelength ones, have not been sufficiently studied. Furthermore, the experimental data required for estimating the key parameters of IWs (wavelengths, propagation velocities) are rather fragmentary, which makes it difficult to quantify the turbulent transfer caused by IWs. This paper presents the estimates of these IW parameters based on data obtained in the winter months of 2014 and 2016 in a small boreal ice-covered lake. Having analyzed horizontally spaced thermistor chain data, we managed to detect the presence of short standing and propagating IWs, and to estimate their length (from several meters to several tens of meters) and phase and group velocities (from several mm/s to several tens of mm/s). Also, their vertical mode structure was detected. It was shown that IW generation events were characterized by a high degree of spatial localization, and the IW energy was unevenly distributed through the water column.