bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative Analysis of Five Kinetic Models for Prediction of Methane Yield
Authors: Roberts S. , Mathaka N. , Zeleke M. A. , Nwaigwe K. N.
Published: March 2023

A work on the analysis of five kinetic models for predicting methane yield is presented. The selected five common models for predicting methane yield include Gompertz, logistic, first-order, Richards and transfert models. Anaerobic digestion of orange and banana peels was simulated using the selected models. A comparative analysis of the models was carried out to determine the best-fit model. When predicting the methane yield of banana peels, all models reached a maximum of 99.23% and the model which was most accurate was the Gompertz model with 76% cumulative deviation and the least accurate model was the transfert model with 274.7% cumulative deviation. The prediction of methane yield on orange peels was 99.49% accurate for all models having the most accurate model being the Gompertz and first-order kinetic model with a cumulative deviation of 20.67% and the least accurate model being the transfert model with a cumulative deviation of 112%. This work presents the simulation considerations and application for each model.
The effective monoids of some blow-ups of Hirzebruch surfaces
Authors: Andablo-Reyes G. , De La Rosa-Navarro B. L. , Lahyane M.
Published: March 2023

We mainly give a numerical condition to ensure the finite generation of the effective monoids of some smooth projective rational surfaces. These surfaces are constructed from the blow-up of any fixed Hirzebruch surface at some special configurations of ordinary points. Under this numerical condition, we determine explicitly the list of all $$(-1)$$

(
-
1
)

and $$(-2)$$

(
-
2
)

-curves. In particular, we complete a result obtained by Harbourne (Duke Math J 52(1):129–148, 1985) and another result obtained by the third author (C R Math 338(11):873–878, 2004). Moreover, the Cox rings of these surfaces are finitely generated. Our ground field is assumed to be algebraically closed of any characteristic.
CFD-based investigation on the flow of Bingham plastic fluids through $$90^\circ$$ bends
Authors: Csizmadia P. , Till S. , Paál Gy.
Published: March 2023

In this paper, CFD-based results are presented on the estimation of losses in bends with validated numerical models for single-phase, incompressible Bingham fluids. Five fittings were investigated: $$90^\circ$$

90
∘

bends of different R/D ratios between 1 and 10. Bingham plastic fluids were studied with Hedström numbers in the wide range from 1 to $$10^9$$

10
9

. Loss coefficients are given as the function of the generalized Reynolds number ($${\textrm{Re}_\textrm{gen}}=$$

Re
gen

=

0.1–17 800) and the generalized Dean number ($${\textrm{De}_\textrm{gen}}=$$

De
gen

=

0.1–12 600). The paper presents friction factors as well that were consistent with the literature. It was shown that at low generalized Dean numbers of $${\textrm{De}_\textrm{gen}}< 40$$

De
gen

<
40

, the losses of the bends were caused purely by the wall friction and can be estimated from the $${\textrm{De}_\textrm{gen}}$$

De
gen

. In a broad range of higher $${\textrm{Re}_\textrm{gen}}$$

Re
gen

and $${\textrm{De}_\textrm{gen}}$$

De
gen

numbers, the loss coefficients were separated at the basis of the Hedström numbers. This phenomenon was mainly observable in the case of high curvature and was attributed to the flow patterns. Our study investigated this range with the bend of $$R/D=1$$

R
/
D
=
1

in detail: flow patterns in the bend and at the upstream side of the fitting were examined. An approximating equation and the fitting parameters were also given for loss coefficients.
Strong dictatorship via ratio-scale measurable utilities: a simpler proof
Authors: Nebel Jacob M.
Published: March 2023

Tsui and Weymark (Econ Theory 10:241–256, 1997, https://doi.org/10.1007/s001990050156) have shown that the only continuous social welfare orderings on the whole Euclidean space which satisfy the weak Pareto principle and are invariant to individual-specific similarity transformations of utilities are strongly dictatorial. Their proof relies on functional equation arguments which are quite complex. This note provides a simpler proof of their theorem.
Die Ausbreitung von Schall aus der Perspektive von Grundschulkindern – eine phänomenographische Studie
Authors: Veith Sonja Isabel
Published: March 2023

Schall ist ein spannendes, aber auch anspruchsvolles Thema für den Sachunterricht der Grundschule. Insbesondere die Ausbreitung von Schall ist ein zentraler Aspekt im Hinblick auf ein physikalisches Verständnis, diese ist jedoch sehr abstrakt in ihrer Wahrnehmbarkeit. Dementsprechend ist es für die Unterrichtsplanung hilfreich, die Vorstellungen der Schüler:innen zu kennen und diese Erkenntnisse strukturiert aufbereitet zu haben, um die Herausforderungen eines physikalischen Verstehens konsequent in den Blick nehmen zu können. Ziel dieser Studie war es die Erlebensweisen von Grundschüler:innen zur Schallausbreitung zu erheben. Im Rahmen dieser Studie wurden 24 Grundschulkinder in Interviews befragt, in denen sie sich u. a. auch mit verschiedenen Experimenten zu Schall auseinandersetzten. Die so gewonnenen Daten wurden im Anschluss mit Hilfe der Phänomengraphie ausgewertet. Auf diese Weise entstanden sieben Kategoriensätze zu den inhaltlichen Schwerpunkten Richtung, Geschwindigkeit, Lautstärke, Hören und Medien (Luft, Wasser, feste Hindernisse) bei der Ausbreitung von Schall. Diese enthalten jeweils eine Reihe von verschiedenen Erlebensweisen. Im Vergleich zu früheren Untersuchungen mit Grundschulkindern konnte eine größere Vielfalt an möglichen Erlebensweisen gezeigt werden, die oft auch fachlich differenzierter sind. Im Hinblick auf die Ergebnisse aus vorangegangenen Studien mit älteren Lernenden konnten einige Gemeinsamkeiten in der Wahrnehmung von Schall festgestellt werden. Durch die Darstellung in einem didaktisch strukturierten Ergebnisraum wird eine spätere Integration der Ergebnisse in die Planung von Unterricht und Material zu dieser Thematik ermöglicht.
Trauma Informed Interventions to Reduce Seclusion, Restraint and Restrictive Practices Amongst Staff Caring for Children and Adolescents with Challenging Behaviours: A Systematic Review
Authors: Kelly Peter , Saab Mohamad M. , Hurley Emma J. , Heffernan Sinéad , Goodwin John , Mulud Zamzaliza A. , O Malley Maria , O Mahony James , Curtin Margaret , Groen Gunter , Ivanova Svetla , Jörns-Presentati Astrid , Korhonen Joonas , Kostadinov Kostadin , Lahti Mari , Lalova Valentina , Petrova Gergana , O Donovan Aine
Published: March 2023

Engaging with children and adolescents in mental health settings who are exhibiting behaviours that challenge can often result in the use of seclusion, restraint and coercive practices. It is recognised that more therapeutic ways to engage this population are needed, adopting trauma informed interventions may provide a solution. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesize the evidence in relation to the effect of trauma-informed interventions on coercive practices in child and adolescent residential settings. The review is guided by elements of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. Results were synthesized and reported narratively. Nine studies met the eligibility criteria for this review. There was a lack of homogeneity amongst the studies. The trauma-informed interventions used were typically multi-faceted, underpinned by a variety of approaches and sought to bring about changes to clinical practice. Most studies (n = 8) reported significant reductions in the use of restrictive practices following the implementation of a trauma informed approach. The use of a trauma-informed approach, underpinned by an organisational change or implementation strategy, have the potential to reduce coercive practices with children and adolescents. However, the included interventions were insufficiently described to draw strong conclusions.
A new machine vision detection method for identifying and screening out various large foreign objects on coal belt conveyor lines
Authors: Dai Lili , Zhang Xu , Gardoni Paolo , Lu He , Liu Xinhua , Królczyk Grzegorz , Li Zhixiong
Published: March 2023

Large foreign object transporting by coal mine conveyor belt may lead to production safety hazards. To reduce safety accidents during coal mining, a large foreign object detection method based on machine vision is proposed in this paper. An adaptive weighted multi-scale Retinex (MSR) image enhancement algorithm is proposed to improve the captured image quality of the belt conveyor line. An improved multi-scale template matching algorithm is designed by combining the frame difference and area methods to screen and identify large foreign objects mixed in coals. The multi-layer perceptron (MLP) network optimized by the Gray Wolf algorithm is introduced to identify the large objects. Experimental results show that the identification accuracy reaches 98.8% for the large foreign objects. Furthermore, industrial field test is carried out in the Gaoyang coal mine, and the filed test results demonstrate that the identification accuracy of the proposed method is more than 95%. Hence, the proposed method meets the industrial detection requirements and can be used in practices for detecting the large foreign objects.
Theoretical and numerical simulation investigation of deep hole dispersed charge cut blasting
Authors: Li Chengxiao , Yang Renshu , Wang Yanbing , Kang Yiqiang , Zhang Yuantong , Xie Pin
Published: March 2023

Drilling and blasting methods have been used as a common driving technique for shallow-hole driving and blasting in rock roadways. With the advent of digital electronic detonators and the need for increased production efficiency, the traditional blasting design is no longer suitable for deep hole blasting. In this paper, a disperse charge cut blasting method was proposed to address the issues of low excavation depth and high block rate in deep hole undercut blasting. First, a blasting model was used to illustrate the mechanism of the deep hole dispersive charge cut blasting process. Then, continuous charge and dispersed charge blasting models were developed using the smooth particle hydrodynamics-finite element method (SPH-FEM). The cutting parameters were determined theoretically, and the cutting efficiency was introduced to evaluate the cutting effect. The blasting effects of the two charging models were analyzed utilizing the evolution law of rock damage, the number of rock particles thrown, and the cutting efficiency. The results show that using a dispersed charge improves the cutting efficiency by about 20% and the rock breakage for the deep hole cut blasting compared to the traditional continuous charge. In addition, important parameters such as cutting hole spacing, cutting hole depth and upper charge proportion also have a significant impact on the cutting effect. Finally, the deep hole dispersed charge cut blasting technology is combined with the digital electronic detonator through the field engineering practice. It provides a reference for the subsequent deep hole cutting blasting and the use of electronic detonators in rock roadways.
Sustainable and responsible mining through sound mine closure
Authors: Chugh Yoginder P. , Schladweiler Brenda K. , Skilbred Chet
Published: March 2023

This paper provides an overview of planning requirements, including regulatory, and implementation approaches for achieving ecologically sound reclamation and restoration of mines upon closure in the USA. Mine closure includes mined-out areas, decommissioning of plants and structures, and appropriate monitoring of post-mining land, water, and air resources. Although the discussion provides general guidelines, each mine closure site presents unique challenges. The overall chemical composition of coal and associated strata with mineable coal seams, structural characteristics of the deposit, weather patterns, environmental conditions, processing and scale of mining of the deposit, and public and private infrastructure must be considered. Future land use and water resource requirements are also important considerations. The planning and closure activities must ensure that the resultant site has the appropriate post-mining land and water resources use, and the site does not pose any future environmental and health and safety risks. These requirements suggest that closure activities should be integrated with the mining activity planning process from the start. This paper discusses mine closure issues and describes several practices for a surface coal mine in the Western USA.
Changes to Corporate Restructuring Laws in the Czech Republic During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Lasák Jan
Published: March 2023

In the course of the Covid-19 global pandemic, corporate restructuring laws worldwide underwent a stress test as the financial health of companies significantly deteriorated. In response to public demand, legislators in the Czech Republic adopted various bail-out programmes and bail-in measures in order to provide debtors who ran into temporary problems in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic with additional protection against individual creditors to help solve their financial troubles. This paper outlines the various bail-in and bail-out measures that were introduced during the critical phase of the pandemic in 2020–2021 and analyses the extraordinary measures that were adopted in the Czech Republic. After the pandemic, once the temporary emergency measures were lifted, the number of insolvency petitions and proceedings surprisingly decreased in comparison to previous years. This may suggest that financial aid programmes in the Czech Republic may even have been too generous. While public debt in the Czech Republic increased dramatically during the pandemic as a result of the governmental bail-out/financial aid programmes, the ‘helicopter money’ contributed significantly to accelerating the increase in the country’s inflation rate.
The EU Green Bond Standard: A Plausible Response to the Deficiencies of the EU Green Bond Market?
Authors: Pyka Michal
Published: March 2023

The article elaborates on the EU Green Bond Standard, a cornerstone of the Proposal for a Regulation on European green bonds that was put forward by the European Commission in July 2021. Within the analysis, three research questions are posed. First, the article deals with the question of whether the EU Green Bond Standard is really needed; particularly, whether there is a need for EU regulatory intervention on the EU green bond market. Second, it examines the method of regulation which was adopted for the EU Green Bond Standard. Specifically, does this standard differ and offer any added value compared to private standards for the issuance of green bonds? Finally, the article discusses the impact of the EU Green Bond Standard on the EU green bond market. Within this section, the questions of fragmentation and regulatory competition between public (EU) and private regimes are dealt with. The article ends with proposals for modifications of the EU Green Bond Standard. It has been suggested that the EU Green Bond Standard should have a mandatory character for all issuances of green bonds on the EU green bond market. Private standards should not be replaced by the EU Green Bond Standard but only reconciled with it. With regard to its content, the EU Green Bond Standard should constitute a mixture of public and private obligations; yet, some necessary regulatory space should be left for private standards.
Investigating the origins of differentiated vulnerabilities to climate change through the lenses of the Capability Approach
Authors: Cappelli Federica
Published: March 2023

The paper traces the evolution the concept of socioeconomic vulnerability to climate change has followed in the academic and scientific debate and examines its effects on wellbeing. The recent recognition of vulnerability as a social construction has shifted the focus of the analysis to the dimension of adaptive capacity, restoring a political economy significance to the study of vulnerability. The social origin of vulnerability is related to the presence of structural inequalities, rooted in structural economic and political relationships and reinforced by historical cultural values and praxes. Structural inequalities and power relations in place within a society shape access to resources and capabilities that can enable individuals or population groups to prevent and cope with impacts from extreme weather events, ultimately defining vulnerabilities. Widespread vulnerabilities to climate change can compromise wellbeing in several ways, including an increase in food insecurity, health issues, outbreak of armed conflicts and mass migrations. In addition, the same individual or population group can be vulnerable in more than one wellbeing dimension and, once a dimension is affected, their own vulnerability to other threats is likely to increase.
Berufliche (Nicht‑)Passung als Determinante für Teilnahme an und Timing von betrieblicher Weiterbildung
Authors: Schimke Benjamin
Published: March 2023

In diesem Betrag wird die in Deutschland erste systematische Untersuchung der Teilnahme an betrieblicher Weiterbildung und des Timings der Maßnahmen vor dem Hintergrund formaler Über- und Unterqualifikation und der Fähigkeits-Aufgaben-Passung dargestellt. Die Analysen basieren auf Daten der Erwachsenenkohorte des „Nationalen Bildungspanels“ (NEPS). Die Befunde legen nahe, dass die Passung zwischen dem formalen Qualifikationsniveau der Beschäftigten und den Anforderungen der Stelle ein wichtiger Prädiktor für die Wahrscheinlichkeit der Partizipation an betrieblicher Weiterbildung darstellt. Eine Passung zwischen Fähigkeiten und beruflichen Aufgaben ist dagegen sowohl mit der Teilnahmechance als auch mit der Zeit, die in einem neuen Beschäftigungsverhältnis bis zur ersten Teilnahme an arbeitgeberfinanzierten Kursen verstreicht, assoziiert. Die empirischen Befunde weisen auf eine Komplementaritäts- und Substitutionsbeziehung zwischen formaler Bildung und non-formaler Weiterbildung hin.
Phylogenetic analysis of Plenodomus lingam and Plenodomus biglobosus isolates in Hungary
Authors: Bagi Bianka , Palkovics László , Petróczy Marietta
Published: March 2023

Blackleg (stem canker) of crucifers is a globally important disease caused by multiple genetic subclades of the fungi Plenodomuslingam (syn.: Leptosphaeria maculans) and Plenodomus biglobosus (syn.: Leptosphaeria biglobosa). In our study, we monitored the geographical distribution of these two pathogen species from rapeseed growing areas in Hungary. Multiplex PCR identified 48.7% of the isolates as Plenodomus biglobosus, which indicates the non-recent introduction of the pathogen into Hungary. In addition, multi-locus analysis revealed low genetic diversity within the species, as all isolates were clustered to the Plenodomuslingam ‘brassicae’ and Plenodomus biglobosus ‘brassicae’ subclades. The low genetic diversity of a population generally means reduced adaptation potential, which is essential information in breeding and in developing more effective management strategies.
Hochschild homology, and a persistent approach via connectivity digraphs
Authors: Caputi Luigi , Riihimäki Henri
Published: March 2023

We introduce a persistent Hochschild homology framework for directed graphs. Hochschild homology groups of (path algebras of) directed graphs vanish in degree $$i\ge 2$$

i
≥
2

. To extend them to higher degrees, we introduce the notion of connectivity digraphs, and analyse two main examples; the first, arising from Atkin’s q-connectivity, and the second, here called n-path digraphs, generalising the classical notion of line graph. Based on a categorical setting for persistent homology, we propose a stable pipeline for computing persistent Hochschild homology groups. This pipeline is also amenable to other homology theories; for this reason, we complement our work with a survey on homology theories of directed graphs.
The ATLAS EventIndex
Authors: Barberis Dario , Alexandrov Igor , Alexandrov Evgeny , Baranowski Zbigniew , Canali Luca , Cherepanova Elizaveta , Dimitrov Gancho , Favareto Andrea , Fernández Casaní Álvaro , Gallas Elizabeth J. , Montoro Carlos García , González de la Hoz Santiago , Hřivnáč Julius , Iakovlev Alexander , Kazymov Andrei , Mineev Mikhail , Prokoshin Fedor , Rybkin Grigori , Salt José , Sánchez Javier , Sorokoletov Roman , Többicke Rainer , Vasileva Petya , Villaplana Perez Miguel , Yuan Ruijun
Published: March 2023

The ATLAS EventIndex system comprises the catalogue of all events collected, processed or generated by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN LHC accelerator, and all associated software tools to collect, store and query this information. ATLAS records several billion particle interactions every year of operation, processes them for analysis and generates even larger simulated data samples; a global catalogue is needed to keep track of the location of each event record and be able to search and retrieve specific events for in-depth investigations. Each EventIndex record includes summary information on the event itself and the pointers to the files containing the full event. Most components of the EventIndex system are implemented using BigData free and open-source software. This paper describes the architectural choices and their evolution in time, as well as the past, current and foreseen future implementations of all EventIndex components.
Using distributed ledger technology for digital forensic investigation purposes on tendering projects
Authors: Ramazhamba P. T. , Venter H. S.
Published: March 2023

The South African Local Government (SALG) uses the tendering system to procure goods and services. Some of these tendering projects are aimed at promoting socio-economic and industrial policies. Hence, the tendering system used by SALG should be fair, transparent, competitive, cost-effective, equitable, and free from corruption. However, the mismanagement of the tendering system might lead to interruption of operations, late service delivery, rising costs, and most importantly, fraud and corruption. The use of paperwork to share project information might lead to the mismanagement of the tendering project because it might contribute towards illicit altering of project information during the process. The purpose of this study is to develop a Blockchain prototype that might be used to securely share project information with all the parties interested in the tendering project. It is recommended that the adoption of the proposed solution will enable various organisations to have access to real-time data, allowing them to have access to the entire project history regardless of their geographical location. Access to real-time data would promote real-time auditing and digital forensic investigations because both auditors and investigators will have access to credible digital evidence or project information of their interest in real-time.
Investigation of Nanoscale Scratching on Copper with Conical Tools Using Particle-Based Simulation
Authors: Sharma Anuj , Kulasegaram Sivakumar , Brousseau Emmanuel , Esien Kane , Read Dan
Published: March 2023

In this study, a modeling approach based on smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) was implemented to simulate the nanoscale scratching process using conical tools with different negative rake angles. The implemented model enables the study of the topography of groove profiles, scratching forces, and the residual plastic strain beneath the groove. An elastoplastic material model was employed for the workpiece, and the tool–workpiece interaction was defined by a contact model adopted from the Hertz theory. An in-house Lagrangian SPH code was implemented to perform nano-scratching simulations. The SPH simulation results were compared with nanoscale scratching experimental data available in the literature. The simulation results revealed that the normal force was more dominant compared to the cutting force, in agreement with experimental results reported for a conical tip tool with a 60° negative rake angle. In addition, the simulated groove profile was in good agreement with the groove profile produced in the aforementioned experiment. The numerical simulations also showed that the normal and cutting forces increased with the increase in the scratching depth and rake angle. Although the cutting and ploughing mechanisms were noticed in nano-scratching, the ploughing mechanism was more dominant for increased negative rake angles. It was also observed that residual plastic strain exists below the groove surface, and that the plastically deformed layer thickness beneath a scratched groove is larger for more negative values of the tool rake angle and higher scratching depths.
Formation of Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures on Reaction-Bonded Silicon Carbide by Femtosecond Pulsed Laser Irradiation
Authors: Meshram Tushar , Yan Jiwang
Published: March 2023

Reaction-bonded silicon carbide (RB-SiC) is an excellent engineering material with high hardness, stiffness, and resistance to chemical wear. However, its widespread use is hindered due to the properties mentioned above, making it difficult to machine functional surface structures through mechanical and chemical methods. This study investigated the fundamental characteristics of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs) on RB-SiC via femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation at a wavelength of 1028 nm. Low-spatial-frequency LIPSS (LSFL) and high-spatial-frequency LIPSS (HSFL) formed on the surface along directions perpendicular to the laser polarization. SiC grains surrounded by a large amount of Si show a reduced threshold for LIPSS formation. By varying laser fluence and scanning speed, HSFL–LSFL hybrid structures were generated on the SiC grains. Transmission electron microscopy observations and Raman spectroscopy were carried out to understand the formation mechanism of the hybrid LIPSS. A possible mechanism based on the generation of multiple surface electromagnetic waves due to the nonlinear response of SiC was proposed to explain the hybrid structure formation. Furthermore, the direction of laser scanning with respect to laser polarization affects the uniformity of the generated LIPSS.
Treatment Decision in Aortic Stenosis—Look at the Valve but Do Not Forget the Ventricle
Authors: Nuis Rutger-Jan , Ribeiro Joanna M. , Lopez-Jimenez Francisco , Vahanian Alec , de Jaegere Peter P. T.
Published: March 2023

In patients with aortic stenosis, current guidelines recommend valve replacement therapy in case of severe valve narrowing in combination with symptoms and/or left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction < 50%). It is increasingly recognized that left ventricular ejection fraction offers a crude interpretation of a complex disease entity that is in need of refinement to optimize the timing of valve replacement therapy and patient outcome. In this state-of-the-art review article, we discuss the pathophysiological transition from left ventricular hypertrophy to other types of cardiac remodeling and myocardial fibrosis in response to progressive narrowing of the aortic valve, and how new imaging developments and biomarkers may help identify patients with a dismal outcome at earlier stages of disease. Also, the digital transformation of health care and novel analytical methods such as artificial intelligence that can help improve treatment decision is evaluated. This is in combination with the increased use of minimally invasive treatment modalities that may fulfill the goal of offering valve replacement in patients with aortic stenosis at earlier stages of disease and prior to the onset of symptoms but nevertheless at risk of left ventricular deterioration.
Troubleshooting Noise and Vibration Issues of a Metro Braking System
Authors: Megna Gianluca , Bracciali Andrea
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The braking system used on a recently upgraded metro vehicle showed very high low-frequency noise and vibrations levels in service affecting passengers’ comfort and leading to both brake calliper lever failures and to premature wear of brake pads. The characteristics of the phenomenon were such that it was classified as a groan noise type. As brake pads with different characteristics were tested trying to attenuate the issue without success, the paper describes the approach adopted by the authors to tackle the issue.

Methods

The dynamic behaviour of all the components involved during the braking phase (wheelset, callipers, brake discs and part of the bogie frame) was analysed by numerical simulations and tests during service, finding a coincidence of the natural frequencies of the wheelset and the brake support. As this resonance was believed to be the root cause of the problem, a number of structural modifications were proposed.

Results and Conclusions

After a careful selection process that included robustness and sensitivity analyses, the accepted modification proved to be effective in solving the issue and was applied with satisfaction to the whole fleet.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Rural regional economic data management based on blockchain technology
Authors: Zuo Yan
Published: March 2023

In the process of continuous development of rural economy, big data management plays an important role. Rural economic data mainly include rural labor force, added value of agriculture, forestry, fishery and animal husbandry, agricultural product output and per capita net income. Using big data to manage economic data can not only integrate and analyze a large number of data, build an economic management analysis database, but also predict and warn related risks in time and provide reasonable and effective economic management suggestions, thus ensuring the smooth operation of the economy. However, there are some shortcomings in data reliability, data quality and data management efficiency in rural regional economic data management, which have a great impact on the long-term stable development of the economy. This paper makes a systematic analysis of rural regional economic data, uses the blockchain consensus mechanism to quickly manage and analyze different types of economy in rural areas, and improves the speed of economic data analysis through smart contracts. This paper makes a comparative analysis of rural regional economic data management before and after adopting blockchain technology. In view of this phenomenon, according to the development demand of data management, this paper uses blockchain technology to effectively analyze and study the big data management of rural regional economy, and makes a comparative analysis through the tests of data operation efficiency, data quality, data management security and sharing degree. The experimental data show that the efficiency of data operation is as high as 1100 times per minute after the combination of blockchain technology, and the minimum manual modification ratio of node data is 0.24. This shows that the data quality of technical means is guaranteed. The data leakage rate per hour is at least 66%, and the data sharing volume is maintained at about 8000 views/hour and 7000 references/hour. The improvement of quality and efficiency can ensure the effectiveness of data management and improve the speed of economic development in rural areas, thus promoting good economic development. This paper uses blockchain technology to manage rural economic data, which has certain reference value for rural economic development.
The who, what, and how of virtual participation in environmental research
Authors: Holzer Jennifer M. , Baird Julia , Hickey Gordon M.
Published: March 2023

As a group of social scientists supporting a large, national, multi-site project dedicated to studying ecosystem services in natural resource production landscapes, we were tasked with co-hosting kick-off workshops at multiple locations. When, due to project design and the Covid-19 pandemic, we were forced to reshape our plans for these workshops and hold them online, we ended up changing our objectives. This redesign resulted in a new focus for our team—on the process of stakeholder and rightsholder engagement in environmental and sustainability research rather than the content of the workshops. Drawing on participant observation, surveys, and our professional experience, this perspective highlights lessons learned about organizing virtual stakeholder workshops to support landscape governance research and practice. We note that procedures followed for initiating stakeholder and rightsholder recruitment and engagement depend on the convenors’ goals, although when multiple research teams are involved, the goals need to be negotiated. Further, more important than the robustness of engagement strategies is flexibility, feasibility, managing expectations—and keeping things simple.
High-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection for mycophenolic acid determination in saliva samples
Authors: Sobiak Joanna , Resztak Matylda , Banasiak Joanna , Zachwieja Jacek , Ostalska-Nowicka Danuta
Published: March 2023

Background

For therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of mycophenolic acid (MPA), which is frequently proposed, saliva might be a suitable and easy-to-obtain biological matrix. The study aimed to validate an HPLC method with fluorescence detection for determining mycophenolic acid in saliva (sMPA) in children with nephrotic syndrome.

Methods

The mobile phase was composed of methanol and tetrabutylammonium bromide with disodium hydrogen phosphate (pH 8.5) at a 48:52 ratio. To prepare the saliva samples, 100 µL of saliva, 50 µL of calibration standards, and 50 µL of levofloxacin (used as an internal standard) were mixed and evaporated to dryness at 45 °C for 2 h. The resulting dry extract was reconstituted in the mobile phase and injected into the HPLC system after centrifugation. Saliva samples from study participants were collected using Salivette® devices.

Results

The method was linear within the range of 5–2000 ng/mL, was selective with no carry-over effect and met the acceptance criteria for within-run and between-run accuracy and precision. Saliva samples can be stored for up to 2 h at room temperature, for up to 4 h at 4 °C, and for up to 6 months at − 80 °C. MPA was stable in saliva after three freeze–thaw cycles, in dry extract for 20 h at 4 °C, and for 4 h in the autosampler at room temperature. MPA recovery from Salivette® cotton swabs was within the range of 94–105%. The sMPA concentrations in the two children with nephrotic syndrome who were treated with mycophenolate mofetil were within 5–112 ng/mL.

Conclusions

The sMPA determination method is specific, selective, and meets the validation requirements for analytic methods. It may be used in children with nephrotic syndrome; however further studies are required to investigate focusing on sMPA and the correlation between sMPA and total MPA and its possible contribution to MPA TDM is required.

Graphical abstract
Effect of heme oxygenase-1 on the differentiation of human myoblasts and the regeneration of murine skeletal muscles after acute and chronic injury
Authors: Głowniak-Kwitek Urszula , Caballero Asier Laria , Bronisz-Budzyńska Iwona , Kozakowska Magdalena , Andrysiak Kalina , Stępniewski Jacek , Łoboda Agnieszka , Dulak Józef
Published: March 2023

Background

Impaired muscle regeneration is a hallmark of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a neuromuscular disorder caused by mutations in the DMD gene encoding dystrophin. The lack of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1, Hmox1), a known anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective enzyme, was shown to aggravate DMD pathology.

Methods

We evaluated the role of HO-1 overexpression in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived skeletal muscle cells (hiPSC-SkM) in vitro and in the regeneration process in vivo in wild-type mice. Furthermore, the effect of cobalt protoporphyrin IX (CoPP), a pharmacological inducer of HO-1 expression, on regeneration markers during myogenic hiPSC differentiation and progression of the dystrophic phenotype was analysed in the mdx mouse DMD model.

Results

HO-1 has an impact on hiPSC-SkM generation by decreasing cell fusion capacity and the expression of myogenic regulatory factors and muscle-specific microRNAs (myomiRs). Also, strong induction of HO-1 by CoPP totally abolished hiPSC-SkM differentiation. Injection of HO-1-overexpressing hiPSC-SkM into the cardiotoxin (CTX)-injured muscle of immunodeficient wild-type mice was associated with decreased expression of miR-206 and Myh3 and lower number of regenerating fibers, suggesting some advanced regeneration. However, the very potent induction of HO-1 by CoPP did not exert any protective effect on necrosis, leukocyte infiltration, fibrosis, myofiber regeneration biomarkers, and exercise capacity of mdx mice.

Conclusions

In summary, HO-1 inhibits the expression of differentiation markers in human iPSC-derived myoblasts. Although moderate overexpression of HO-1 in the injected myoblast was associated with partially advanced muscle regeneration, the high systemic induction of HO-1 did not improve muscle regeneration. The appropriate threshold of HO-1 expression must be established for the therapeutic effect of HO-1 on muscle regeneration.
Development, Implementation, and Process Evaluation of Bukhali: An Intervention from Preconception to Early Childhood
Authors: Draper Catherine E. , Thwala Nomsa , Slemming Wiedaad , Lye Stephen J. , Norris Shane A.
Published: March 2023

The Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative, an international consortium developed in partnership with the World Health Organization, is addressing childhood obesity from a life-course perspective. It hypothesises that an integrated complex intervention from preconception, through pregnancy, infancy and early childhood, will reduce childhood adiposity and non-communicable disease risk, and improve child development. As part of the Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative in South Africa, the Bukhali randomised controlled trial is being conducted with 18–28-year-old women in Soweto, where young women face numerous challenges to their physical and mental health. The aims of this paper were to describe the intervention development process (including adaptations), intervention components, and process evaluation; and to highlight key lessons learned. Intervention materials have been developed according to the life-course stages: preconception (Bukhali), pregnancy (Bukhali Baby), infancy (Bukhali Nana; birth—2 years), and early childhood (Bukhali Mntwana, 2–5 years). The intervention is delivered by community health workers, and includes the provision of health literacy resources, multi-micronutrient supplementation, in-person health screening, services and referral, nutrition risk support, SMS-reminders and telephonic contacts to assist with behaviour change goals. A key adaption is the incorporation of principles of trauma-information care, given the mental health challenges faced by participants. The Bukhali process evaluation is focussing on context, implementation and mechanisms of impact, using a mixed methods approach. Although the completion of the trial is still a number of years away, the documentation of the intervention development process and process evaluation of the trial can provide lessons for the development, implementation, and evaluation of such complex life-course trials.
Digital technologies for net-zero energy transition: a preliminary study
Authors: Cao Liwei , Hu Peiyu , Li Xiang , Sun Hui , Zhang Jinrui , Zhang Chuan
Published: March 2023

This paper reviews current progress and future challenges of digital technology applications for energy system transition in the context of net-zero. A list of case studies for such digitization enabled optimal design and operation of energy systems at various temporal and spatial scales are reviewed in the paper, including model predictive control, enterprise-wide optimization, eco-industrial park data management, and smart city. The key technological innovations across these applications, such as virtual representation of physical entities, ontological knowledge base, data-driven high dimensional surrogate model based parameterization are also inspected in the paper. Future challenges in terms of data privacy and security are also discussed as potential barriers for digitalization enabled net-zero energy system transition.
Insecticidal activity, and SAR studies of semicarbazide, thiosemicarbazide, urea and thiourea derivatives against Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.)
Authors: Gad Mohamed A. , Alqurashi Esam A. , Alsenani Nawaf I. , Abd El Latif Fawy M. , Aref Safwat A. , Ahmed N. A. , Abdelhamid Antar A. , El-Saghier Ahmed M. M.
Published: March 2023

In this article, series of semicarbazide, thiosemicarbazide, urea and thiourea derivatives have been successfully prepared via an easy synthetic strategy. The chemical structure of the prepared compounds have been confirmed based upon spectral and elemental data. The compounds showed excellent insecticidal activity against Spodoptera littoralis which causes a harmful damage to the cotton crop which represent a principal figure in economics of North Africa countries. Among all the prepared compounds, methyl-4-{[(4-chlorobenzoyl)carbamothioyl] amino}benzoate 7 showed the highest insecticidal activity against S. littoralis, with LC50 values of 9.882 for 2nd instar larvae & 102.66 for 4th instar larvae, respectively.

Graphical abstract
The practice and prospect of smart cities in China’s urbanization process
Authors: Wang Shifu , Chen Dantong , Liu Lianbi
Published: March 2023

With the rapid development of information technology, the construction of smart city in China has become an indispensable part and support force of new urbanization. By reviewing the practice of smart city in China and reflecting on the experience of smart city construction, this paper puts forward that the construction of smart city should go beyond the perspective of technological progress to build a people-oriented society, and proposes the forward-looking construction of smart city in the new era: building a more intelligent urban society in the process of China’s urbanization.
A Regional Air‐Sea Coupled Model Developed for the East Asia and Western North Pacific Monsoon Region
Authors: Jin Jiangbo , Dong Xiao , He Juanxiong , Gao Xin , Zhang Banglin , Zeng Qingcun
Published: March 2023

In this study, we developed a regional coupled model for the western North Pacific (WNP) and East Asian region. The atmospheric/oceanic component of the coupled model was the Weather Research and Forecasting and the Regional Ocean Modeling System, coupled through the National Center for Atmospheric Research Coupler version 7 (CPL7). An evaluation is provided through the simulation of the climatology and interannual variability of the summer monsoon climate from 1982 to 2015. The coupled model is also compared with a solely atmospheric run, which is driven by the observed sea surface temperature (SST) as the surface boundary. The results show that the coupled model has good capability in modeling the climate in the WNP and East Asian domain, including the climatology of summer precipitation and circulation, the subseasonal (month‐to‐month) variation in the western Pacific subtropical high and associated precipitation, and the seasonal cycle of the East Asian rain belt. One merit of this model is its ability to simulate the northward and eastward shift from early to late summer. With respect to the interannual variability, the model captures the spatial pattern of the leading mode of summer precipitation, with a north–south dipole mode in the studied region. The model also reproduces the larger SST variability in the northern part of this region. The temporal correlation coefficient between the coupled simulation and observation was 0.70 for the precipitation and 0.53 for the SST leading mode. The coupled model also captures the precipitation–SST relationship, which results from reasonably considering the air–sea coupling processes in the coupled run.
Warming and Drought Weaken the Carbon Sink Capacity of an Endangered Paleoendemic Temperate Rainforest in South America
Authors: Perez‐Quezada Jorge F. , Barichivich Jonathan , Urrutia‐Jalabert Rocío , Carrasco Enrique , Aguilera David , Bacour Cédric , Lara Antonio
Published: March 2023

Measurements of ecosystem carbon (C) fluxes in temperate forests are concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere, leaving the functionally diverse temperate forests in the Southern Hemisphere underrepresented. Here, we report 3 years (February 2018 to January 2021) of C fluxes, studied with eddy‐covariance and closed chamber techniques, in an endangered temperate evergreen rainforest of the long‐lived paleoendemic South American conifer Fitzroya cupressoides. Using classification and regression trees, we analyzed the most relevant drivers and thresholds of daily net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and soil respiration. The annual NEE showed that the forest was a moderate C sink during the period analyzed (−287 ± 38 g C m−2 year −1). We found that the capacity to capture C of the Fitzroya rainforests in the Coastal Range of southern Chile is optimal under cool and rainy conditions in the early austral spring (October–November) and decreases rapidly toward the summer dry season (January–February) and autumn. Although the studied forest type has a narrow geographical coverage, the gross primary productivity measured at the tower was highly representative of Fitzroya and other rainforests in the region. Our results suggest that C fluxes in paleoendemic cool F. cupressoides forests may be negatively affected by the warming and drying predicted by climate change models, reinforcing the importance of maintaining this and other long‐term ecological research sites in the Southern Hemisphere.
Higher Frozen Soil Permeability Represented in a Hydrological Model Improves Spring Streamflow Prediction From River Basin to Continental Scales
Authors: Agnihotri Jetal , Behrangi Ali , Tavakoly Ahmad , Geheran Matthew , Farmani Mohammad A. , Niu Guo‐Yue
Published: March 2023

Despite plentiful evidence of frozen ground effects on snowmelt infiltration from lab experiments at pedon scales, streamflow observations show a weaker or no effect in terms of timing and magnitude at larger scales. We aim to understand this conflicting phenomenon through modeling using the Noah land surface model with multi‐physics (MP; Noah‐MP) options and the Routing Application for Parallel computatIon of Discharge (RAPID) over the Mississippi River Basin. We conduct 16 experiments with combinations of two supercooled liquid water (SLW) parameterization schemes and four soil hydraulic property schemes in Noah‐MP driven by two gridded precipitation products of the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) and the Integrated Multi‐satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) Final. We then use RAPID to route Noah‐MP modeled surface runoff and groundwater discharge to predict daily streamflow at 52 United States Geological Survey gauges from 2015 to 2019. A model with the highest permeability performs better than other schemes on daily streamflow predictions by 20%–57% throughout a water year and 29%–113% for the spring as measured by the mean Kling‐Gupta Efficiency of the 52 gauges. Different SLW schemes demonstrate negligible effects on streamflow predictions. Models forced by IMERG show a better prediction skill compared with those forced by NLDAS at most of the gauges. Both precipitation products confirm that a scheme of higher permeability yields more accurate streamflow predictions over frozen ground. Future models should represent preferential flows through macropore networks to improve the understanding of frozen soil effects on infiltration and discharge across scales.