bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ten Years of Industrie 4.0
Authors: Kagermann Henning , Wahlster Wolfgang
Published: June 2022

A decade after its introduction, Industrie 4.0 has been established globally as the dominant paradigm for the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry. Amalgamating research-based results and practical experience from the German industry, this contribution reviews the progress made in implementing Industrie 4.0 and identifies future fields of action from a technological and application-oriented perspective. Putting the human in the center, Industrie 4.0 is the basis for data-based value creation, innovative business models, and agile forms of organization. Today, in the German manufacturing industry, the Internet of Things and cyber–physical production systems are a reality in newly built factories, and the connectivity of machinery has been significantly increased in existing factories. Now, the trends of industrial AI, edge computing up to the edge cloud, 5G in the factory, team robotics, autonomous intralogistics systems, and trustworthy data infrastructures must be leveraged to strengthen resilience, sovereignty, semantic interoperability, and sustainability. This enables the creation of digital innovation ecosystems that ensure long-term adaptability in a volatile economic and geopolitical environment. In sum, this review represents a comprehensive assessment of the status quo and identifies what is needed in the future to reap the rewards of the groundwork done in the first ten years of Industrie 4.0.
User Story Quality in Practice: A Case Study
Authors: Kuhail Mohammad Amin , Lauesen Soren
Published: June 2022

(1) Background: User stories are widely used in Agile development as requirements. However, few studies have assessed the quality of user stories in practice. (2) Methods: What is the quality of user stories in practice? To answer the research question, we conducted a case study. We used an analysis report from a real-life project where an organization wanted to improve its existing hotline system or acquire a new one. We invited IT practitioners to write requirements for the new system based on the analysis report, user stories, and whatever else they considered necessary. The practitioners could ask the authors questions as they would ask a customer in a real setting. We evaluated the practitioners’ replies using these IEEE 830 quality criteria: completeness, correctness, verifiability, and traceability. (3) Results: The replies covered only 33% of the needs and wishes in the analysis report. Further, the replies largely missed other requirements needed in most projects, such as learnability and maintainability. Incorrect or restrictive solutions were often proposed by the practitioners. Most replies included user stories that were hard to verify, or would have caused a cumbersome user interface if implemented independently. (4) Conclusion: In this project, relying on the user stories would have been a disaster. Although the user stories could have been improved, they wouldn’t cover the necessary requirements in the project.
Control Strategy for Offshore Wind Farms with DC Collection System Based on Series-Connected Diode Rectifier
Authors: Xie Lijun , Cheng Fan , Wu Jing
Published: June 2022

The DR-HVDC (Diode rectifier-based HVDC) transmission topology was recently proposed for integration on large offshore wind farms due to its low investment cost and high reliability. To further reduce the investment, a DC collection topology based on the series-connected diode rectifiers (DR) is proposed, where no offshore platform is needed. However, units of series-connected topology (SCU) show coupling issues, such as overvoltage, energy curtailment, and fault isolation. First, the coupling mechanism is analyzed, and a suitable operation mode for SCUs is selected to ensure the safe operation of the DC system. Then, the linear relationship of active power and output DC current and DC voltage of SCUs is analyzed, and a novel coordinate control strategy for DC wind farms is proposed, where an onshore converter adapts a DC current controller and wind turbines adapt a mediate output voltage control strategy. The mediate output voltage control strategy includes a triple loop with power loop, mediate output voltage loop, and current loop. Also, the DC open line fault, DC grounding fault, and AC grounding fault of the onshore grid are investigated, and a protection strategy is proposed. A 160 MW wind farm with a DR-SCU DC collection system is built in PSCAD/EMTDC to verify the validity of the proposed control strategy under unequal wind speeds, DC fault, and onshore AC fault, and the results validate the performance of the proposed strategy.
Knowledge Map Analysis of Industry–University Research Cooperation Policy Research Based on CNKI and WOS Visualization in China
Authors: Li Junjie , Sun Xuehang , Dai Xin , Zhang Junying , Liu Bangfan
Published: June 2022

The field of industry–university research cooperation policy is about to enter a new stage. It is necessary to systematically sort and summarize the literature, both at home and abroad, that has been produced in recent years. Through knowledge map analysis of the current situation regarding the development of industry–university research cooperation policy, from both domestic and foreign perspectives, taking the core documents included in the Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure database as samples, and through visual research on the time context, author, organization, theme, and other key nodes of industry–university research cooperation policy research, with the help of CiteSpace and NoteExpress measurement software, we can draw the following conclusions. Domestic research is relatively focused on colleges and universities; that is, industry–university research cooperation as a mechanism to cultivate innovative talents and improve scientific research and enhance social services, while foreign countries pay more attention to the technological utilization and technological innovation of enterprises and their accompanying economic benefits. Domestic and foreign research have their own characteristics, and the research quality of the two is equal. Generally speaking, research on the policy of domestic university research cooperation should focus on the following three points in the future: It must be closely related to the functions of colleges and universities, the nature of enterprises, and social needs; we must attach great importance to empirical research; and we must pay attention to cross-organizational research.
An Application of Axiomatic Design to Improve Productivity in the Circular Economy Context—The Salt Production Example
Authors: Gabriel-Santos António , Fradinho João , Mourão António , Martinho Alberto , Cavique Miguel , Vieira Gonçalo , Gonçalves-Coelho António
Published: June 2022

Sustainability and a circular economy (CE) are crucial for the development of society. The CE approach should start by designing new products or processes or retrofitting existing ones to achieve the best efficiency and extend their life cycle. Designs that enable CE require the guidance of a design theory. Axiomatic design (AD) theory allows for the classification of designs and achieving the targets if appropriate requirements are adopted. This paper aimed to show that sustainability and productivity can be made compatible by ensuring functional independence, as defined in AD and using the circular economy concept. The paper presents how a salt washing machine could be improved concerning its performance. The analysis of the existing design showed fewer design parameters than the functional requirements. A viable enhancement was the addition of one design parameter, which made it possible to control the separation and washing independently. The resulting machine retrofitting increased the production rate by 20% to 30%—the productivity and the quality of the final product was also improved. The washing process now used less water and energy. Moreover, the brine feeding system was also redesigned, so that the brine was now reused, the land use was reduced as was the operating time, and the operators now worked in a more friendly environment. The industrial case study presented in this paper is an example of how innovative engineering design that fits the design science research (DSR) with the generation of knowledge. The objective of this design solution was to increase the efficiency of the entire process and consequently increase the productivity and sustainability.
Can the Rational Design of International Institutions Solve Cooperation Problems? Insights from a Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Toscano-Valle Adela , Sianes Antonio , Santos-Carrillo Francisco , Fernández-Portillo Luis A.
Published: June 2022

Global governance challenges highlight the role of international institutions as problem-solving structures. Institutional design is, more than ever, relevant in this context. The academic literature on this issue is characterized by the existence of consolidated debates such as that of rationalism vs. constructivism, with a focus on making specific contributions to the rational design of international institutions. Koremenos, Lipson, and Snidal (2001) elaborated upon a series of cause-effect conjectures linking cooperation problems, considered independent variables, with institutional design features, considered dependent variables. This research aims to highlight the empirical evidence of the existing debate on this work by conducting a systematic review. Twenty-one quantitative research studies were collected through a screening and selection procedure and were subject to systematization. The findings showed asymmetric approaches to the rational design project, and agreements were the type of international institution that received the most attention from academia. Rationalism was supported by most of the body of literature. However, a broad subgroup of articles complemented this rational approach with other variables or schools of thought, such as those of constructivism and historical institutionalism. The results have relevance for the international institution design literature, as future avenues of potential research are underlined.
Estimating Education and Labor Market Consequences of China’s Higher Education Expansion
Authors: Wen Qiao
Published: June 2022

China initiated a large-scale higher education expansion program in 1999. During the first three years of the expansion, postsecondary enrollment nationwide doubled. Leveraging the quasi-experimental nature of the program, I link administrative records on province-year level college admission quotas with individuals’ education and labor market information in 2013 from the Chinese Household Income Project, and employ a two-way fixed-effect model to estimate the expansion’s impacts on individuals’ education and labor market outcomes, and then use the expansion-induced variation in college access as an instrument for college education to estimate causal returns to college. Results show that the expansion substantially boosts individuals’ education outcomes, including completed years of schooling, and the probabilities of attending college and obtaining any postsecondary degrees. The expansion also improves individuals’ labor market outcomes, including probability of working, job stability, and hourly wage. My 2-stage least squares estimators imply that returns to education remain substantial in 2013. Returns to attending college and obtaining any postsecondary degrees are estimated to be 54–76 and 59–90 percent respectively. My analysis reinforces that enhanced access to college could raise individuals’ educational attainment and boost nations’ average level of human capital, and eventually benefit their labor market outcomes.
GIS and Remote Sensing-Based Approach for Monitoring and Assessment of Plastic Leakage and Pollution Reduction in the Lower Mekong River Basin
Authors: Tran-Thanh Dan , Rinasti Aprilia Nidia , Gunasekara Kavinda , Chaksan Angsana , Tsukiji Makoto
Published: June 2022

Determination of plastic leakage sources and pathways is essential in plastic pollution mitigation. Finding ways to stem land-sourced plastic waste leakage requires understanding its sources. Spatial analysis conducted in a geographic information system (GIS) environment and remote sensing investigation uncovered insights into the distribution of plastic leakage in the lower Mekong River basin (LMRB). The main objectives of this approach were: (i) to map plastic leakage density using multi-source geospatial data; and (ii) to identify plastic leakage source hotspots and their accumulation pathways by incorporating hydrological information. Mapping results have shown that plastic leakage density was highly concentrated in urban areas with a high intensity of human activities. In contrast, the major pathways for plastic leakage source hotspots were the high morphometric areas directly influenced by facilities, infrastructure, and population. The overall efforts in this study demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed novel method used for predicting plastic leakage density and its sources from land-based activities. It is also accomplished using multi-geospatial data with GIS-based analysis to produce a graphical model for plastic leakage waste density in each region that non-technical personnel can easily visualize. The proposed method can be applied to other areas beyond the LMRB to improve the baseline information on plastic waste leakage into the river.
The Optimization of Gelatin Extraction from Chicken Feet and the Development of Gelatin Based Active Packaging for the Shelf-Life Extension of Fresh Grapes
Authors: Fatima Saeeda , Mir Mahnoor Iqtidar , Khan Muhammad Rehan , Sayyed R. Z. , Mehnaz Samina , Abbas Sawaid , Sadiq Muhammad Bilal , Masih Rashid
Published: June 2022

Synthetic plastics are causing serious environmental and health problems due to which the concept of developing biodegradable food packaging has gained considerable attention. In this study, extraction of gelatin from chicken feet was optimized followed by characterization of gelatin. Chicken feet gelatin was used to develop biodegradable nanocomposite films by the incorporation of chitosan (CS) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs). Gelatin nanocomposite films were used to increase the shelf-life of fresh grapes by determining the browning index, weight loss, and microbial profile of fresh grapes. A high yield (7.5%) of gelatin and Bloom strength (186 g) were obtained at optimized extraction conditions (pretreatment with 4.2% acetic acid and extraction at 66 °C for 4.2 h). Electrophoretic analysis of gelatin revealed the presence of α (130–140 kDa) and β chains (195–200 kDa), whereas a Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectrometer confirmed the presence of amide A and B and amide I, II, and III. Incorporation of ZnO NPs in a gelatin–CS matrix improved the barrier and the mechanical and the thermal properties of films. Gelatin nanocomposite films with 0.3% ZnO NPs significantly reduced the weight loss (23.88%) and the browning index (53.33%) of grapes in comparison to control treatments. The microbial count in artificially inoculated grapes wrapped in gelatin nanocomposite films remained below 4 log CFU/mL until the fifth storage day in comparison to control treatments. The gelatin from poultry byproducts such as chicken feet can serve as an efficient biopolymer to develop biodegradable food packaging to enhance the shelf-life of perishable food products.
The Impact of Environmental Information Disclosure on Environmental Governance Satisfaction
Authors: Yang Yongliang , Shen Liwen , Li Yuwen , Li Yi
Published: June 2022

Recently, environmental information disclosure has increasingly become a popular rural environmental governance policy. Environmental governance satisfaction can reflect the government’s policy effect, and it is also residents’ subjective evaluation of environmental quality. This paper uses field questionnaire data in rural areas and establishes an ordered logit model to study the relationship between environmental information disclosure and residents’ satisfaction. The empirical results show that rural environmental information disclosure has a significant positive impact on residents’ satisfaction with environmental governance. Further research found that the impact process occurred through the mediating variable of residents’ evaluation of the surrounding ecological environment. In addition, residents’ knowledge of environmental protection has a moderating effect on the relationship between environmental information disclosure and satisfaction. Therefore, in rural environmental governance, local governments can increase environmental information disclosure to improve residents’ satisfaction and participation.
Evaluation of Exclusive Pedestrian Phase Safety Performance at One-Level Signalized Intersections in Vilnius
Authors: Juozevičiūtė Dainora , Grigonis Vytautas
Published: June 2022

This work aims to identify the effectiveness of one-level signalized intersections with exclusive pedestrian phases in terms of vehicle-pedestrian crashes resulting in pedestrian injury or fatality. The work analyzes and evaluates specific exclusive pedestrian phases without diagonal crossing possibility at one-level signalized intersections in the city of Vilnius. Anonymized data on traffic accidents from the Lithuanian Police Department Accident Register were used for safety analysis purposes. The traffic accident data cover all traffic accidents with dead or injured persons. The traffic accident data was analyzed with the help of QGIS for selected time intervals (before and after analysis). The density of traffic accidents was calculated with the help of the comparative analysis method at 11 signalized intersections in Vilnius City, where an exclusive pedestrian phase without diagonal crossing was implemented. An exclusive pedestrian phase with diagonal crossing is usually implemented to increase pedestrian safety at a signalized intersection with a high pedestrian intensity. The analysis carried out indicates that the specific exclusive pedestrian phase without diagonal crossings in Vilnius reduced pedestrian traffic accidents by up to 100%. No traffic accidents occurred after the installation of the exclusive pedestrian phase at intersections where there were no pedestrian accidents prior to the installation.
Red Junglefowl Resource Management Guide: Bioresource Reintroduction for Sustainable Food Security in Thailand
Authors: Singchat Worapong , Chaiyes Aingorn , Wongloet Wongsathit , Ariyaraphong Nattakan , Jaisamut Kitipong , Panthum Thitipong , Ahmad Syed Farhan , Chaleekarn Warut , Suksavate Warong , Inpota Mitree , Chaisongkram Chavin , Kaewsalubnil Naris , Muangmai Narongrit , Chamchumroon Wiyada , Matsuda Yoichi , Duengkae Prateep , Srikulnath Kornsorn
Published: June 2022

The domestication of wild animals represents a major milestone for human civilization. Chicken is the largest domesticated livestock species and used for both eggs and meat. Chicken originate from the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus). Its adaptability to diverse environments and ease of selective breeding provides a unique genetic resource to address the challenges of food security in a world impacted by climatic change and human population growth. Habitat loss has caused population declines of red junglefowl in Thailand. However, genetic diversity is likely to remain in captive stocks. We determine the genetic diversity using microsatellite genotyping and the mitochondrial D-loop sequencing of wild red junglefowl. We identified potential distribution areas in Thailand using maximum entropy models. Protected areas in the central and upper southern regions of Thailand are highly suitable habitats. The Bayesian clustering analysis of the microsatellite markers revealed high genetic diversity in red junglefowl populations in Thailand. Our model predicted that forest ranges are a highly suitable habitat that has enabled the persistence of a large gene pool with a nationwide natural distribution. Understanding the red junglefowl allows us to implement improved resource management, species reintroduction, and sustainable development to support food security objectives for local people.
Risk Perceptions and Amplification Effects over Time: Evaluating Fukushima Longitudinal Surveys
Authors: Hagen Bjoern , Opejin Adenike , Pijawka K. David
Published: June 2022

Despite the vast body of literature addressing public risk perceptions of technological disasters such as nuclear accidents, longitudinal studies comparing pre- and post-disaster attitudes are scarce. This study examines (a) how perception factors such as concern, risk, political saliency, trust, and attitudes toward energy policies related to nuclear power changed over time and among different populations, and (b) if social amplification and ripple effects were present after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster in Japan. The article compares 2010 survey data collected before the nuclear accident with data collected in 2013 and 2016. The analysis shows a clear trend regarding concern over nuclear power. Levels of concern and political saliency increased in the aftermath of the nuclear disaster but declined in 2016. These findings indicate amplification effects between the pre-disaster survey in 2010 and the first follow-up survey in 2013. However, the 2016 data indicate the Fukushima accident only had a significant short-term impact on public risk perceptions. The data also indicate high levels of uncertainty regarding trust and future energy policies. The high levels of uncertainty present an opportunity for nuclear power supporters and opponents alike to shape Japan’s future energy policy through well-crafted communication and outreach programs.
Application of Cement Paste in Mining Works, Environmental Protection, and the Sustainable Development Goals in the Mining Industry
Authors: Đurđevac Ignjatović Lidija , Krstić Vesna , Radonjanin Vlastimir , Jovanović Violeta , Malešev Mirjana , Ignjatović Dragan , Đurđevac Vanja
Published: June 2022

Cement paste is an already well-known material used in ore mining. It is mainly used to fill excavation areas and the tailings from the surface return to underground mines. In this way, the amount of deposited material and degradation of the surface of the terrain are reduced. The paste itself can be used as an artificial barrier between mining works and underground watercourses. Significant economic and environmental benefits can be expected from using cement paste, which would contribute to sustainable development. The basic materials that make up cemented paste backfill (CPB) are flotation tailings, cement, and water. For CPB to be adequately and safely applied to the filling of excavation spaces and indirectly to the protection of the groundwater, environment, and sustainable development of the mining industry, it must meet certain physical–mechanical, physicochemical, and deformation properties. This paper presents the results of synthesized and analyzed samples of different compositions based on flotation tailings (from the production of ZiJin Copper in Bor, Serbia), cement, and water. The methods used for chemical and mineralogical tests include inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and nephelometric turbidity units (NTUs; turbidimetry). The results prepared with CPB consisting of 5% cement, 24% water, and 71% flotation tailings were the most acceptable.
A Quantitative Study on the Identification of Ecosystem Services: Providing and Connecting Areas and Their Impact on Ecosystem Service Assessment
Authors: Liu Qing , Du Guoming , Liu Haijiao
Published: June 2022

The spatial location relations between service-providing areas and service-demand areas determine the effective provision level of ecosystem services. Some scholars use the term ecological service flow to conceptualize the transmission path, transmission characteristics, and service benefits of the provision-oriented service type between service-providing areas and service-demand areas. A few scholars have characterized the transmission range and spatial unit characteristics of single or several ecosystem service types, such as production services and regulation services between the providing area and demand area based on landscape, region and global scale. The current literature lacks quantitative studies on the spatial location relations between providing areas and demand areas of ecosystem services and the actual level of ecosystem service provision at the municipal scale based on the demand for ecosystem services faced by cities. This study takes Jinan, China, as the research area, quantifies the providing areas, connecting areas and demand areas of seven services—namely, the air purification service, climate regulation service, flood prevention service, water pollution prevention service, water supply service, soil erosion prevention service, and habitat supply service—and analyzes the spatial relation characteristics of each element. On this basis, the Hellwig model is used to quantitatively analyze the impact of service-providing area and service-connecting area on regional overall ecosystem service assessment. The results prove that service-providing areas and service-connecting areas are the key units that affect the level of regional ecosystem service provision. The evaluation of regional ecosystem service provision level is inseparable from the identification of service-providing areas and service-connecting areas and the study of their attributes, characteristics, and spatial relations. Service-providing areas and service-connecting areas should be differentiated when developing strategies to optimize and improve the level of regional ecosystem service provision. Different optimization measures should be formulated according to the differences in unit attributes and service barriers in different areas. The results provide guidance for the optimization of ecosystem services to ensure the efficient and sustainable provision of regional ecosystem services and improve the actual benefits of service-demand groups or service-demand areas.
Intelligent Digital Platform for Community-Based Rural Tourism—A Novel Concept Development in Peru
Authors: Maquera Gladys , da Costa Bruno B. F. , Mendoza Óscar , Salinas Raúl A. , Haddad Assed N.
Published: June 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven the rapid evolution and digitization of different tourism sectors through Industry 4.0. However, Community-based Rural Tourism (CRT) has not experienced the same technological advancement. Thus, considering tourism as a powerful socioeconomic driver, this research is based on the relevance of the CRT for the development of rural areas through job creation, preservation of historical-cultural and architectural heritage, and appreciation of the local market. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to present a concept development model of an intelligent digital platform (IDP), where tourism products and services are visualized, articulated, and integrated with the different actors of the CRT, offering a personalized tourist experience. The concept was developed based on Business Process Management and Business Model Canvas (BMC). Thus, through meetings and interviews, it was possible to extract essential information to obtain the necessary know-how for the development of the concept. It was concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic has established a new business scenario, intensifying and accelerating the use of digital tools and ICTs in several sectors, including tourism. However, the use of ICTs in CRT is still incipient. As Peru is a country where rural tourism has a strong tradition, but there are no specific platforms for CRT, which makes the broad dissemination of rural experiences difficult, a BMC template has been developed to integrate the expected objectives, and the application of the proposed framework serves as a guide for other platforms with different niches markets in the tourism sector.
A Hybrid Framework Model Based on Wavelet Neural Network with Improved Fruit Fly Optimization Algorithm for Traffic Flow Prediction
Authors: Zhang Qingyong , Li Changwu , Yin Conghui , Zhang Hang , Su Fuwen
Published: June 2022

Accurate traffic flow prediction can provide sufficient information for the formation of symmetric traffic flow. To overcome the problem that the basic fruit fly optimization algorithm (FOA) is easy to fall into local optimum and the search method is single, an improved fruit fly optimization algorithm (IFOA) based on parallel search strategy and group cooperation strategy is proposed. The multi-swarm mechanism is introduced in the parallel search strategy, in which each subswarm is independent and multiple center positions are determined in the iterative process, thereby avoiding the problems of reduced diversity and premature convergence. To increase communication between fruit fly subswarms, the informative fruit flies selected from subswarms are guided by the randomly generated binary fruit fly to achieve the crossover operation in the group cooperation strategy. Then a hybrid framework model based on wavelet neural network (WNN) with IFOA (IFOA-WNN) for traffic flow prediction is designed, in which IFOA is applied to explore appropriate structure parameters for WNN to achieve better prediction performance. The simulation results verify that the IFOA can provide high-quality structural parameters for WNN, and the hybrid IFOA-WNN prediction model can achieve higher prediction accuracy and stability than the compared methods.
Eximious Sandstorm Image Improvement Using Image Adaptive Ratio and Brightness-Adaptive Dark Channel Prior
Authors: Lee Ho Sang
Published: June 2022

Sandstorm images have a color cast by sand particles. Hazy images have similar features to sandstorm images due to these images having a common obtaining process. To improve hazy images, various dehazing methods are being studied. However, not all methods are appropriate for enhancing sandstorm images as they experience color degradation via an imbalanced color channel and degraded color distributed around the image. Therefore, this paper proposes two steps to improve sandstorm images. The first is a color-balancing step using the mean ratio of the color channel between red and other colors. The sandstorm image has a degraded color channel, and therefore, the attenuated color channel has different average values for each color channel; the red channel’s average value is the highest, and that of the blue channel is the lowest. Using this property, this paper balances the color of images via the ratio of color channels. Although the image is enhanced, if the red channel is still the most abundant, the enhanced image may have a reddish color. Therefore, to enhance the image naturally, the red channel is adjusted by the average ratio of the color channel; those measures (as with the average ratio of color channels) are called image adaptive ratio (IAR). Because color-balanced sandstorm images have the same characteristics as hazy images, to enhance them, a dehazing method is applied. Ordinary dehazing methods often use dark channel prior (DCP). Though DCP estimates the dark region of an image, because the intensity of brightness is too high, the estimated DCP is not sufficiently dark. Additionally, DCP is able to show the artificial color shift in the enhanced image. To compensate for this point, this paper proposes a brightness-adaptive dark channel prior (BADCP) using a normalized color channel. The image improved using the proposed method has no color distortion or artificial color. The experimental results show the superior performance of the proposed method in comparison with state-of-the-art dehazing methods, both subjectively and objectively.
Dynamic Behavior of a Fractional-Type Fuzzy Difference System
Authors: Jia Lili , Wang Changyou , Zhao Xiaojuan , Wei Wei
Published: June 2022

In this paper, our aim is to study the following fuzzy system: xn+1=Axn−1xn−2+Bxn−3D+Cxn−4, n=0,1,2,⋯, where {xn} is a sequence of positive fuzzy numbers and the initial conditions x−4,x−3,x−2,x−1,x0 and the parameters A,B,C,D are positive fuzzy numbers. Firstly, the existence and uniqueness of positive fuzzy solutions of the fuzzy system are proved. Secondly, the dynamic behavior of the equilibrium points for the fuzzy system are studied by means of the fuzzy sets theory, linearization method and mathematical induction. Finally, the results obtained in this paper are simulated by using the software package MATLAB 2016, and the numerical results not only show the dynamic behavior of the solutions for the fuzzy system, but also verify the effectiveness of the proposed results.
Long-Term Strategies for the Compatibility of the Aviation Industry with Climate Targets: An Industrial Survey and Agenda for Systems Thinkers
Authors: Pickard Chris , Pasqualino Roberto
Published: June 2022

Aviation is responsible for nearly 2.5% of the world’s anthropogenic carbon emissions. Despite a commitment to reduce these emissions, it is a challenging industry to decarbonise. Very little is known about the attitudes of those working in aviation towards climate change and whether they are motivated to support decarbonisation initiatives. This uncertainty highlights several threats to the industry, with cascading impact on the economy and inequality. To deal with these challenges, this study explores long-term strategies to support compatibility between the evolution of the aviation industry and climate constraints. Using surveys, in-depth interviews, and thematic analysis, this research investigates the views of professionals towards climate change, and the role that they perceive aviation plays. The results of the interviews allow the development of a system map composed of ten self-reinforcing and three balancing loops, highlighting ten leverage points to inform strategies for the industry to respond to threats. This research concludes that the aviation industry should encourage a new generation of sustainability-aware innovators to decarbonise aviation. It also concludes that collaboration both internationally and within the industry is essential, as is the need to encourage an open-minded approach to solution development. It also presents the modelling results in terms of the multilevel perspective technological transition framework and suggests ways forward for modelling using the risk–opportunity analysis.
Prediction of RF-EMF Exposure by Outdoor Drive Test Measurements
Authors: Wang Shanshan , Mazloum Taghrid , Wiart Joe
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we exploit the artificial neural network (ANN) model for a spatial reconstruction of radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure in an outdoor urban environment. To this end, we have carried out a drive test measurement campaign covering a large part of Paris, along a route of approximately 65 Km. The electric (E) field strength has been recorded over a wide band ranging from 700 to 2700 MHz. From these measurement data, the E-field strength is extracted and computed for each frequency band of each telecommunication operator. First, the correlation between the E-fields at different frequency bands is computed and analyzed. The results show that a strong correlation of E-field levels is observed for bands belonging to the same operator. Then, we build ANN models with input data encompassing information related to distances to N neighboring base stations (BS), receiver location and time variation. We consider two different models. The first one is a fully connected ANN model, where we take into account the N nearest BSs ignoring the corresponding operator. The second one is a hybrid model, where we consider locally connected blocks with the N nearest BSs for each operator, followed by fully connected layers. The results show that the hybrid model achieves better performance than the fully connected one. Among N∈{3,5,7}, we found out that with N=3, the proposed hybrid model allows a good prediction of the exposure level while the maintaining acceptable complexity of the model.
Does Destination, Relationship Type, or Migration Status of the Host Impact VFR Travel?
Authors: Zentveld Elisa , Yousuf Mohammad
Published: June 2022

Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel hosts play a key role in influencing the trip characteristics of their VFR travel parties and the decisions and activities within those travel parties. However, how those trips are shaped in terms of travel decisions and activities is not well understood. This is the first quantitative study examining the hosting of VFRs by examining how migration, relationship type (VF versus VR), and destination type impact the characteristics and activities of VFR travel parties. The objective was to examine the extent of influence of different characteristics of VFR hosts on individual VFR travel decisions and activities. Estimation models were developed and tested through regression analysis to examine the impact that the characteristics of hosts have on decisions and activities within VFR travel. Such findings have provided a systematic framework for examining the multifaceted role of VFR hosts. The generalisability of the estimation models developed and tested in this study can be replicated and adapted in future studies.
Cadmium Caused Different Toxicity to Photosystem I and Photosystem II of Freshwater Unicellular Algae Chlorella pyrenoidosa (Chlorophyta)
Authors: Wang Shuzhi , Wufuer Rehemanjiang , Duo Jia , Li Wenfeng , Pan Xiangliang
Published: June 2022

Heavy metals such as Cd pose environmental problems and threats to a variety of organisms. The effects of cadmium (Cd) on the growth and activities of photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII) of Chlorella pyrenoidosa were studied. The growth rate of cells treated with 25 and 100 µM of Cd for longer than 48 h were significantly lower than the control, accompanying with the inhibition of photosynthesis. The result of quantum yields and electron transport rates (ETRs) in PSI and PSII showed that Cd had a more serious inhibition on PSII than on PSI. Cd decreased the efficiency of PSII to use the energy under high light with increasing Cd concentration. In contrast, the quantum yield of PSI did not show a significant difference among different Cd treatments. The activation of cyclic electron flow (CEF) and the inhibition of linear electron flow (LEF) due to Cd treatment were observed. The photochemical quantum yield of PSI and the tolerance of ETR of PSI to Cd treatments were due to the activation of CEF around PSI. The activation of CEF also played an important role in induction of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). The binding features of Cd ions and photosystem particles showed that Cd was easier to combine with PSII than PSI, which may explain the different toxicity of Cd on PSII and PSI.
Soil and Freshwater Bioassays to Assess Ecotoxicological Impact on Soils Affected by Mining Activities in the Iberian Pyrite Belt
Authors: Andreu-Sánchez Óscar , García-Lorenzo Mari Luz , Esbrí José María , Sánchez-Donoso Ramón , Iglesias-Martínez Mario , Arroyo Xabier , Crespo-Feo Elena , Ruiz-Costa Nuria , Roca-Pérez Luis , Castiñeiras Pedro
Published: June 2022

This study aims to use geochemical, mineralogical, ecotoxicological and biological indicators for a comprehensive assessment of the ecological risks related to the mobility, ecotoxicity and bioavailability of potentially harmful elements in the Lousal mining district. Particularly, toxicity was evaluated using four assays: algae, cytotoxicity assays with HaCaT cell line (dermal), earthworms and Daphnia magna. The geochemical and mineralogical characterization of the studied area shows that the mine wastes underwent intense weathering processes, producing important contamination of the adjacent soils, which also led to the release and mobilization of PHEs into nearby water courses. Total PTE results indicate that the soils affected by mining activities were highly contaminated with As and Cu, while Zn and Pb content ranged from low to very high, depending on the analyzed samples. Cadmium levels were found to be very low in most of the soil samples. The test using Daphnia magna was the most sensitive bioassay, while the Eisenia foetida test was the least sensitive. Except for the LOS07 soil sample, the rest of the soils were classified as “High acute toxicity” and “Very high acute toxicity” for aquatic systems. The results in HACaT cells showed results similar to the ecotoxicological bioassays. The application of biotests, together with geochemical and mineralogical characterization, is a very useful tool to establish the degree of contamination and the environmental risk of potentially harmful elements.
Safety of Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant Treatment in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Młyński Mikołaj , Sajek Mikołaj , Heleniak Zbigniew , Dębska-Ślizień Alicja
Published: June 2022

The use of novel oral anticoagulants in patients with impaired renal function or undergoing immunosuppressive therapy is limited due to the risk of drug-to-drug interactions and anticoagulation-related adverse events. This article aims to assess the current data on the safety of direct-acting oral anticoagulant-based therapy in the population of kidney transplant recipients and patients with impaired renal function. The most important factors affecting the safety of treatment are the incidence of bleeding events, thromboembolic events, deaths and drug-to-drug interactions. The available data were compared to the findings on warfarin-based anticoagulation. Findings on the use of novel oral anticoagulants in kidney transplant recipients are limited yet promising in terms of safety and efficacy of use. However, current recommendations state that the co-administration of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants with several immunosuppressive agents is contraindicated.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Walkability in the Main Urban Area of Xi’an
Authors: Yuan Kun , Abe Hirokazu , Otsuka Noriko , Yasufuku Kensuke , Takahashi Akira
Published: June 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the mobility of individuals everywhere. This has been especially true in China, where many restrictions, including lockdowns, have been widely applied. This paper discusses the impact of the pandemic on walkability, an important factor in promoting urban neighborhoods, in the main urban area of Xi’an, China, one of China’s four great ancient capitals. Based on the street view data obtained before and after the pandemic, the paper quantitatively compares changes in specific components of selected streetscapes through a deep learning (DL) street view analysis. The aim is to identify the impact of the pandemic on walkability and determine the elements that influence increased walkability in Xi’an’s historical area, using a walkability evaluation model based on a regression analysis involving three factors (streetscape components, walkability check scores, and street connectivity of space syntax for every image). Although Xi’an’s urban structure did not change significantly, the pandemic has clearly impacted street vitality, especially in terms of reducing pedestrian flow and commercial value. Based on study results, the street environment has great room for improvement, especially in the city’s historical blocks, by reconsidering safety measures to pedestrians and the important role of atmospheric aspects on the streets.
Genotype Uniformity, Wild Bird-to-Poultry Transmissions, and Farm-to-Farm Carryover during the Spread of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N8 in the Czech Republic in 2021
Authors: Nagy Alexander , Černíková Lenka , Stará Martina , Hofmannová Lada , Sedlák Kamil
Published: June 2022

In 2020–2021, the second massive dissemination of a highly pathogenic avian influenza of the H5Nx subtype occurred in Europe. During this period, the virus caused numerous outbreaks in poultry, including in the Czech Republic. In the present study, we provide an insight into the genetic variability of the Czech/2021 (CZE/2021) H5N8 viruses to determine the relationships between strains from wild and domestic poultry and to infer transmission routes between the affected flocks of commercial poultry. For this purpose, whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of 70 H5N8 genomes representing 79.7% of the cases were performed. All CZE/2021 H5N8 viruses belonged to the 2.3.4.4b H5 lineage and circulated without reassortment, retaining the A/chicken/Iraq/1/2020 H5N8-like genotype constellation. Phylogenetic analysis suggested the frequent local transmission of H5N8 from wild birds to backyard poultry and extensive spread among commercial poultry farms. In addition, the analysis suggested one cross-border transmission event. Indirect transmission via contaminated materials was considered the most likely source of infection. Improved biosecurity and increased collaboration between field veterinarians and the laboratory are essential to limit the local spread of the virus and to reveal and interrupt critical routes of infection.
Was the Reduction in Seasonal Influenza Transmission during 2020 Attributable to Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions to Contain Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Japan?
Authors: Wagatsuma Keita , Koolhof Iain S. , Saito Reiko
Published: June 2022

We quantified the effects of adherence to various non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on the seasonal influenza epidemic dynamics in Japan during 2020. The total monthly number of seasonal influenza cases per sentinel site (seasonal influenza activity) reported to the National Epidemiological Surveillance of Infectious Diseases and alternative NPI indicators (retail sales of hand hygiene products and number of airline passenger arrivals) from 2014–2020 were collected. The average number of monthly seasonal influenza cases in 2020 had decreased by approximately 66.0% (p < 0.001) compared to those in the preceding six years. An increase in retail sales of hand hygiene products of ¥1 billion over a 3-month period led to a 15.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.9–20.0%; p < 0.001) reduction in seasonal influenza activity. An increase in the average of one million domestic and international airline passenger arrivals had a significant association with seasonal influenza activity by 11.6% at lag 0–2 months (95% CI: 6.70–16.5%; p < 0.001) and 30.9% at lag 0–2 months (95% CI: 20.9–40.9%; p < 0.001). NPI adherence was associated with decreased seasonal influenza activity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, which has crucial implications for planning public health interventions to minimize the health consequences of adverse seasonal influenza epidemics.