bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Combination of Acetate, Propionate, and Butyrate Increases Glucose Uptake in C2C12 Myotubes
Authors: Otten Britt M. J. , Sthijns Mireille M. J. P. E. , Troost Freddy J.
Published: February 2023

Background: Dietary fibers are subjected to saccharolytic fermentation by the gut microbiota, leading to the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs act as signaling molecules to different cells in the human body including skeletal muscle cells. The ability of SCFAs to induce multiple signaling pathways, involving nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), may contribute to the redox balance, and thereby may be involved in glucose homeostasis. The aim of this study is to investigate whether SCFAs increase glucose uptake by upregulating the endogenous antioxidant glutathione (GSH) in C2C12 myotubes. Methods: C2C12 myotubes were exposed to 1, 5, or 20 mM of single (acetate, propionate, or butyrate) or mixtures of SCFAs for 24 h. Cytotoxicity, glucose uptake, and intracellular GSH levels were measured. Results: 20 mM of mixture but not separate SCFAs induced cytotoxicity. Exposure to a mixture of SCFAs at 5 mM increased glucose uptake in myotubes, while 20 mM of propionate, butyrate, and mixtures decreased glucose uptake. Exposure to single SCFAs increased GSH levels in myotubes; however, SCFAs did not prevent the menadione-induced decrease in glucose uptake in myotubes. Conclusions: The effect of SCFAs on modulating glucose uptake in myotubes is not associated with the effect on endogenous GSH levels.
Inborn Errors of Immunity Predisposing to Herpes Simplex Virus Infections of the Central Nervous System
Authors: Skouboe Morten Kelder , Werner Marvin , Mogensen Trine H.
Published: February 2023

Herpesvirus infections can lead to a number of severe clinical manifestations, particularly when involving the central nervous system (CNS), causing encephalitis and meningitis. However, understanding of the host factors conferring increased susceptibility to these diseases and their complications remains incomplete. Previous studies have uncovered defects in the innate Toll-like receptor 3 pathway and production of type I interferon (IFN-I) in children and adults that predispose them to herpes simplex encephalitis. More recently, there is accumulating evidence for an important role of IFN-independent cell-autonomous intrinsic mechanisms, including small nucleolar RNAs, RNA lariat metabolism, and autophagy, in restricting herpesvirus replication and conferring protection against CNS infection. The present review first describes clinical manifestations of HSV infection with a focus on neurological complications and then summarizes the host–pathogen interactions and innate immune pathways responsible for sensing herpesviruses and triggering antiviral responses and immunity. Next, we review the current landscape of inborn errors of immunity and the underlying genetic defects and disturbances of cellular immune pathways that confer increased susceptibility to HSV infection in CNS. Ultimately, we discuss some of the present outstanding unanswered questions relating to inborn errors of immunity and HSV CNS infection together with some perspectives and future directions for research in the pathogenesis of these severe diseases in humans.
Relationship between Biofilm Production and High Somatic Cell Count in Streptococcus agalactiae Isolated from Milk of Cows with Subclinical Mastitis
Authors: Bonsaglia Erika Carolina Romão , Rossi Rodolfo S. , Latosinski Giulia , Rossi Bruna Fernanda , Campos Fernanda Cristina , Junior Ary Fernandes , Pantoja José Carlos F. , Rall Vera Lucia Mores
Published: February 2023

Streptococcus agalactiae (S. agalactiae) is one of the main agents that causes mastitis in dairy cows, mainly inducing the subclinical form, which is characterized by a high somatic cell count (SCC). The aim of this study was to correlate the increase in SCC caused by S. agalactiae in cows with subclinical mastitis to the presence of genes related to adhesion and invasion in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC) and biofilm formation. Considering the 145 isolates tested, 57.2% presented the capsular type Ia and 42.8% presented type III. We identified the virulence genes among the isolates and determined nine genetic profiles. The most common profile was identified in 69 isolates (47.5%): Ia, fbsA+, fbsB-, pI1-, pI2a-, pI2b+, and hylb+. All isolates produced biofilm, with 58.6% classified as strong producers, 29% as moderate producers and 12.4% as weak producers. No statistical correlation was found between the presence of virulence genes and increased SCC or biofilm production. However, biological evidence was observed between increased SCC and biofilm production. One isolate from each profile was randomly subjected to adhesion and invasion assays, and all of them adhered to BEMC, but none were able to invade. Our results showed that different genetic profiles do not provide advantages for bacteria to invade BMEC in vitro. In addition, biofilm production appears to be related to high SCC.
Liposomal Delivery of MIW815 (ADU-S100) for Potentiated STING Activation
Authors: Ji Nan , Wang Minjia , Tan Chalet
Published: February 2023

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonists can improve the anticancer efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade by amplifying tumor immunogenicity. However, the clinical translation of cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) as STING agonists is hindered by their poor drug-like properties. In this study, we investigated the design criteria for DOTAP/cholesterol liposomes for the systemic delivery of ADU-S100 and delineated the impact of key formulation factors on the loading efficiency, serum stability, and STING agonistic activity of ADU-S100. Our findings demonstrate that the cationic liposomal formulation of ADU-S100 can be optimized to greatly potentiate STING activation in antigen-presenting cells.
High-Performance Polarization Imaging Reconstruction in Scattering System under Natural Light Conditions with an Improved U-Net
Authors: Lin Bing , Fan Xueqiang , Li Dekui , Guo Zhongyi
Published: February 2023

Imaging through scattering media faces great challenges. Object information will be seriously degraded by scattering media, and the final imaging quality will be poor. In order to improve imaging quality, we propose using the transmitting characteristics of an object’s polarization information, to achieve imaging through scattering media under natural light using an improved U-net. In this paper, we choose ground glass as the scattering medium and capture the polarization images of targets through the scattering medium by a polarization camera. Experimental results show that the proposed model can reconstruct target information from highly damaged images, and for the same material object, the trained network model has a superior generalization without considering its structural shapes. Meanwhile, we have also investigated the effect of the distance between the target and the ground glass on the reconstructing performance, in which, and although the mismatch distance between the training set and the testing sample expands to 1 cm, the modified U-net can also efficaciously reconstruct the targets.
Determination of a Key Pandemic Parameter of the SIR-Epidemic Model from Past COVID-19 Mutant Waves and Its Variation for the Validity of the Gaussian Evolution
Authors: Schlickeiser Reinhard , Kröger Martin
Published: February 2023

Monitored differential infection rates of past corona waves are used to infer, a posteriori, the real time variation of the ratio of recovery to infection rate as a key parameter of the SIR (susceptible-infected-recovered/removed) epidemic model. From monitored corona waves in five different countries, it is found that this ratio exhibits a linear increase at early times below the first maximum of the differential infection rate, before the ratios approach a nearly constant value close to unity at the time of the first maximum with small amplitude oscillations at later times. The observed time dependencies at early times and at times near the first maximum agree favorably well with the behavior of the calculated ratio for the Gaussian temporal evolution of the rate of new infections, although the predicted linear increase of the Gaussian ratio at late times is not observed.
The Role of Protein-Rich Extracts from Chondrus crispus as Biostimulant and in Enhancing Tolerance to Drought Stress in Tomato Plants
Authors: Domingo Guido , Marsoni Milena , Álvarez-Viñas Milena , Torres M. Dolores , Domínguez Herminia , Vannini Candida
Published: February 2023

The application of seaweed extract-based biostimulants is a promising approach for achieving sustainable agriculture, with an enormous potential of improving crop yield and mitigating climate change effects. Abiotic stressors, such as drought, are major factors resulting in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) yield losses and seaweed-based biostimulants have been proposed as an eco-friendly strategy to counteract this negative impact. Chondrus crispus is a common red seaweed widely used as source of carrageenans, not yet explored as a plant biostimulant. In this study, a protein hydrolysate-rich C. crispus extract, by-products of the carrageenan extraction, was tested on tomato plants under well-watered condition and water shortage. The foliar application of the protein-rich C. crispus extract conferred drought tolerance to tomato plants resulting in less noticeable visual stress symptoms. Treated plants showed higher shoot height and biomass under both well-watered and water deficit conditions, evidencing the double effect exerted by this new biostimulant, as plant growth promoter and drought stress protector. The treatment with the biostimulant had an effect on levels of abscisic acid and proline, and triggered the expression of Solyc02g084840, a drought marker gene. Finally, a label-free mass spectrometric approach allowed us to identify phycoerythrins and phycocyanins as major bioactive proteins contained in the extract. Altogether, these results indicate that the foliar application of protein hydrolysate-rich extracts from C. crispus improved tomato plant growth and tolerance to drought stress, suggesting a new opportunity for further applications in the agriculture and horticultural sectors.
QTL Mapping for Important Agronomic Traits Using a Wheat55K SNP Array-Based Genetic Map in Tetraploid Wheat
Authors: Ma Chao , Liu Le , Liu Tianxiang , Jia Yatao , Jiang Qinqin , Bai Haibo , Ma Sishuang , Li Shuhua , Wang Zhonghua
Published: February 2023

Wheat yield is highly correlated with plant height, heading date, spike characteristics, and kernel traits. In this study, we used the wheat55K single nucleotide polymorphism array to genotype a recombinant inbred line population of 165 lines constructed by crossing two tetraploid wheat materials, Icaro and Y4. A genetic linkage map with a total length of 6244.51 cM was constructed, covering 14 chromosomes of tetraploid wheat. QTLs for 12 important agronomic traits, including plant height (PH), heading date (HD), awn color (AC), spike-branching (SB), and related traits of spike and kernel, were mapped in multiple environments, while combined QTL-by-environment interactions and epistatic effects were analyzed for each trait. A total of 52 major or stable QTLs were identified, among which may be some novel loci controlling PH, SB, and kernel length-width ratio (LWR), etc., with LOD values ranging from 2.51 to 54.49, thereby explaining 2.40–66.27% of the phenotypic variation. Based on the ‘China Spring’ and durum wheat reference genome annotations, candidate genes were predicted for four stable QTLs, QPH.nwafu-2B.2 (165.67–166.99 cM), QAC.nwafu-3A.1 (419.89–420.52 cM), QAC.nwafu-4A.1 (424.31–447.4 cM), and QLWR.nwafu-7A.1 (166.66–175.46 cM). Thirty-one QTL clusters and 44 segregation distortion regions were also detected, and 38 and 18 major or stable QTLs were included in these clusters and segregation distortion regions, respectively. These results provide QTLs with breeding application potential in tetraploid wheat that broadens the genetic basis of important agronomic traits such as PH, HD, AC, SB, etc., and benefits wheat breeding.
A New Essential Oil from the Leaves of Gynoxys rugulosa Muschl. (Asteraceae) Growing in Southern Ecuador: Chemical and Enantioselective Analyses
Authors: Maldonado Yessenia E. , Malagón Omar , Cumbicus Nixon , Gilardoni Gianluca
Published: February 2023

An essential oil, distilled from the leaves of the Andean species Gynoxys rugulosa Muschl., is described in the present study for the first time. The chemical composition was qualitatively and quantitatively determined by GC–MS and GC–FID, respectively. On the one hand, the qualitative composition was obtained by comparing the mass spectrum and the linear retention index of each component with data from literature. On the other hand, the quantitative composition was determined by calculating the relative response factor of each constituent, according to its combustion enthalpy. Both analyses were carried out with two orthogonal columns of nonpolar and polar stationary phases. A total of 112 compounds were detected and quantified with at least one column, corresponding to 87.3–93.0% of the whole oil mass. Among the 112 detected components, 103 were identified. The main constituents were α-pinene (5.3–6.0%), (E)-β-caryophyllene (2.4–2.8%), α-humulene (3.0–3.2%), germacrene D (4.9–6.5%), δ-cadinene (2.2–2.3%), caryophyllene oxide (1.6–2.2%), α-cadinol (3.8–4.4%), 1-nonadecanol (1.7–1.9%), 1-eicosanol (0.9–1.2%), n-tricosane (3.3–3.4%), 1-heneicosanol (4.5–5.8%), n-pentacosane (5.8–7.1%), 1-tricosanol (4.0–4.5%), and n-heptacosane (3.0–3.5%). Furthermore, an enantioselective analysis was carried out on the essential oil, by means of two cyclodextrin-based capillary columns. The enantiomers of α-pinene, β-pinene, sabinene, α-phellandrene, β-phellandrene, linalool, α-copaene, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, and germacrene D were detected, and the respective enantiomeric excess was calculated.
Assessing the Stability of Herbicide-Tolerant Lentil Accessions (Lens culinaris Medik.) under Diverse Environments
Authors: Balech Rind , Maalouf Fouad , Patil Somanagouda B. , Rajendran Karthika , Abou Khater Lynn , Rubiales Diego , Kumar Shiv
Published: February 2023

Assessing the adaptability and stability of herbicide-tolerant lentil accessions to two broad-spectrum post-emergence herbicides in multi-environment trials has become a must in a breeding program to improve its selection. The adaptability and stability of 42 herbicide-tolerant lentil accessions were investigated using five stability parameters under eight different environments. Significant Genotype–Environment (GE) interaction was found for days to flowering (DFLR), days to maturity (DMAT), and seed yield per plant (SY). The analyzed stability parameters such as Cultivar superiority, Finlay–Wilkinson, Shukla, Static Stability, and Wricke’s Ecovalence ranked the tested accessions differently, confirming the importance of using a combination of stability parameters when evaluating the performance of a group of accessions. GGE biplot of the SY trait accounted for 60.79% of sums of squares of the GE interaction and showed that cool and high rainfall environments are ideal for testing the agronomic performance of tolerant accessions. The GGE biplot of SY showed that IG4605(19), IG195(6), and IG156635(12) were specifically adapted to one mega environment, whereas IG70056(38) was identified as a superior line having a high and stable yield. These lines should be included in lentil crossing programs to develop herbicide-tolerant cultivars adapted to diverse environments.
Applicability of Point- and Polygon-Based Vegetation Monitoring Data to Identify Soil, Hydrological and Climatic Driving Forces of Biological Invasions—A Case Study of Ailanthus altissima, Elaeagnus angustifolia and Robinia pseudoacacia
Authors: Visztra Georgina Veronika , Frei Kata , Hábenczyus Alida Anna , Soóky Anna , Bátori Zoltán , Laborczi Annamária , Csikós Nándor , Szatmári Gábor , Szilassi Péter
Published: February 2023

Invasive tree species are a significant threat to native flora. They modify the environment with their allelopathic substances and inhibit the growth of native species by shading, thus reducing diversity. The most effective way to control invasive plants is to prevent their spread which requires identifying the environmental parameters promoting it. Since there are several types of invasive plant databases available, determining which database type is the most relevant for investigating the occurrence of alien plants is of great importance. In this study, we compared the efficiency and reliability of point-based (EUROSTAT Land Use and Coverage Area Frame Survey (LUCAS)) and polygon-based (National Forestry Database (NFD)) databases using geostatistical methods in ArcGIS software. We also investigated the occurrence of three invasive tree species (Ailanthus altissima, Elaeagnus angustifolia, and Robinia pseudoacacia) and their relationships with soil, hydrological, and climatic parameters such as soil organic matter content, pH, calcium carbonate content, rooting depth, water-holding capacity, distance from the nearest surface water, groundwater depth, mean annual temperature, and mean annual precipitation with generalized linear models in R-studio software. Our results show that the invasion levels of the tree species under study are generally over-represented in the LUCAS point-based vegetation maps, and the point-based database requires a dataset with a larger number of samples to be reliable. Regarding the polygon-based database, we found that the occurrence of the invasive species is generally related to the investigated soil and hydrological and climatic factors.
Leakage Model of Tubing and Casing Premium Connection Based on Sinusoidal Contact Simulation between Rough Surfaces
Authors: Xu Honglin , Zhang Zhi , Xiang Shilin , Yang Bin , Shi Taihe
Published: February 2023

This paper proposed a semi-theoretical model to quantitatively predict leakage rate of tubing and casing premium connections. The geometric parameters of the sealing surface profile approximated by a sinusoidal micro-convex surface were first obtained based on the random normal distribution sampling method. With the actual area prediction formula for elastic–plastic contact of an axisymmetric sinusoidal micro-convex body based on the equivalent simulation principle, the circumferential leakage width and radial average leakage height of the micro-leakage channel between sealing surfaces were then acquired with the surface roughness and geometric mean contact pressure. At last, the actual micro-leakage rate of the premium connection was derived by considering the non-uniform contact pressure distribution between sealing surfaces. An example was investigated to validate the model and reveal the sealing and leakage characteristics, and anti-leakage measures were proposed. The results show that average contact pressure, circumferential leakage width, and radial average leakage height between sealing surfaces were non-uniformly distributed. The leakage rate of a premium connection decreases exponentially with an increase in radial interference between sealing surfaces. In order to reduce leakage rate, it is beneficial to increase radial interference and lower sealing surface roughness.
Correction of Light and Heavy Hydrocarbons and Their Application in a Shale Oil Reservoir in Gaoyou Sag, Subei Basin—A Case Study from Well SX84
Authors: Zhi Qi , Lu Shuangfang , Zhang Pengfei , Huang Hongsheng , Wang Junjie , Lin Zizhi
Published: February 2023

To accurately evaluate the shale oil resources in the Funing Formation of the Gaoyou Sag, Subei Basin, light and heavy hydrocarbon correction models of S1 were developed based on the rock pyrolysis of liquefrozen, conventional, and oil-washed shales. The improved ΔlogR technique was applied to establish the TOC, S1, and S2 logging evaluation methods. The results showed that the S2 values after oil washing were significantly lower than before. The difference between these two S2 (ΔS2) values is the heavy hydrocarbon correction amount of S1, which is about 0.69 S2. There was almost no loss of light hydrocarbons during liquefrozen shales’ pyrolysis tests; the ratio of liquefrozen to conventional S1 values is the light hydrocarbon correction factor, which is about 1.67. The corrected S1 is about 3.2 times greater than the conventional shale-tested value. The S1 and TOC are obviously “trichotomous”; a TOC greater than 1.5% and corrected S1 larger than 4.0 mg/g corresponds to the enriched resource. The logging estimated results show that the total shale oil resources in the E1f2 of the Gaoyou Sag are about 572 million tons, of which the enriched resource is about 170 million tons.
Effect of Rational Fertilizer for Eggplants on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollutants in Agricultural Water Bodies
Authors: Luo Peiyuan , Xin Changchun , Zhu Yuanhao , Liu Yang , Ling Junhong , Wang Tianzhi , Huang Jun , Khu Soon-Thiam
Published: February 2023

Excessive fertilizer application in the cropping industry leads to excessive nitrogen and phosphorus in surrounding water bodies, which causes farmers to increase economic cost and damage the environment. To address the problem, we built a crop-soil runoff soil column test system, setting eight fertilizer application levels for eggplants. Then, crop yield, soil fertility and pollutant concentrations in the receiving water bodies were measured. The process of fertilizer application on the water quality of surrounding receiving water bodies and the rationality of fertilizer application were analyzed. The results showed that crop yield, soil fertility, and pollutant concentrations in the receiving water increased with the increase in fertilizer application. The crop yield stabilized when the fertilizer application amount was higher than 0.12 kg/m2; the concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in the water increased significantly with the increase in fertilizer application, where particulate nitrogen (PN) and organic phosphorus (OP) were the key pollutants. In addition, crop growth had an interception effect on pollutant migration. The concentration of pollutants in the water was significantly lower in the late crop growth period (after flowering) than in the early. The crop had the best interception effect on pollutants when the fertilizer application was 0.12 kg/m2. The concentrations of TN and TP in the water were 29.7% and 22.3% after the flowering period, being lower than those before the flowering period. Therefore, a reasonable value of 0.12 kg/m2 is recommended for fertilizer application in this article. It can provide a reference for the fertilization system of eggplant planting in North China and theoretical support for the realization of clean production in small rural watershed planting.
Runoff Responses of Various Driving Factors in a Typical Basin in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Area
Authors: Feng Zhaohui , Liu Siyang , Guo Yikai , Liu Xiaojie
Published: February 2023

Changes in land use and landscape caused by human activities, rapid socioeconomic development and climate change disturb the water cycle process and impact the runoff. This study analyzed the runoff responses to different driving factors in a typical basin in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region of North China combined with methods such as geographically and temporally weighted regression, landscape pattern indexes and Budyko theory. The results indicated that the runoff and runoff depth were higher in the central and south part and were lower in the northwest of the basin. Furthermore, the average runoff increased at the later stage of the study period. Artificial surface and land use intensity exerted positive impacts on runoff and runoff depth in most areas. The complex and diverse landscape with a high shape index blocked runoff to some extent. Moreover, runoff depth would increase by 0.724 mm or decrease by 0.069 mm when the rainfall or potential evaporation increased by 1 mm. In addition, population density and the economic development in both rural as well as urban areas put a heavy burden on runoff and water resource in this basin. From above it could be concluded that the impacts on runoff due to environmental change brought by human activities could not be neglected though the runoff was also greatly affected by climate change. This study reflected the runoff responses to driving factors in a typical basin of North China, which will provide reference for water resource protection and give enlightenment to water management.
Mapping of Soil Liquefaction Associated with the 2021 Mw 7.4 Maduo (Madoi) Earthquake Based on the UAV Photogrammetry Technology
Authors: Wang Wenxin , Liu-Zeng Jing , Shao Yanxiu , Wang Zijun , Han Longfei , Shen Xuwen , Qin Kexin , Gao Yunpeng , Yao Wenqian , Hu Guiming , Zeng Xianyang , Liu Xiaoli , Wang Wei , Cui Fengzhen , Liu Zhijun , Li Jinyang , Tu Hongwei
Published: February 2023

The 2021 Mw 7.4 Maduo (Madoi) earthquake that struck the northern Tibetan Plateau resulted in widespread coseismic deformation features, such as surface ruptures and soil liquefaction. By utilizing the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry technology, we accurately recognize and map 39,286 liquefaction sites within a 1.5 km wide zone along the coseismic surface rupture. We then systematically analyze the coseismic liquefaction distribution characteristics and the possible influencing factors. The coseismic liquefaction density remains on a higher level within 250 m from the surface rupture and decreases in a power law with the increasing distance. The amplification of the seismic waves in the vicinity of the rupture zone enhances the liquefaction effects near it. More than 90% of coseismic liquefaction occurs in the peak ground acceleration (PGA) > 0.50 g, and the liquefaction density is significantly higher in the region with seismic intensity > VIII. Combined with the sedimentary distribution along-strike of the surface rupture, the mapped liquefaction sites indicate that the differences in the sedimentary environments could cause more intense liquefaction on the western side of the epicenter, where loose Quaternary deposits are widely spread. The stronger coseismic liquefaction sites correspond to the Eling Lake section, the Yellow River floodplain, and the Heihe River floodplain, where the soil is mostly saturated with loose fine-grained sand and the groundwater level is high. Our results show that the massive liquefaction caused by the strong ground shaking during the Maduo (Madoi) earthquake was distributed as the specific local sedimentary environment and the groundwater level changed.
Suitable LiDAR Platform for Measuring the 3D Structure of Mangrove Forests
Authors: Niwa Hideyuki , Ise Hajime , Kamada Mahito
Published: February 2023

Investigating the three-dimensional structure of mangrove forests is critical for their conservation and restoration. However, mangrove forests are difficult to survey in the field, and their 3D structure is poorly understood. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is considered an accurate and dependable method of measuring the 3D structure of mangrove forests. This study aimed to find a suitable LiDAR platform for obtaining attributes such as breast height diameter and canopy area, as well as for measuring a digital terrain model (DTM), the base data for hydrological analysis. A mangrove forest near the mouth of the Oura River in Aza-Oura, Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, was studied. We used data from terrestrial LiDAR scanning “TLS” and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) LiDAR scanning “ULS” as well as data merged from TLS and ULS “Merge”. By interpolating point clouds of the ground surface, DTMs of 5 cm × 5 cm were created. DTMs obtained from ULS could not reproduce the heaps of Thalassina anomala or forest floor microtopography compared with those obtained from TLS. Considering that ULS had a few point clouds in the forest, automatic trunk identification could not be used to segment trees. TLS could segment trees by automatically identifying trunks, but the number of trees identified roughly doubled that of the visual identification results. The number of tree crowns identified using TLS and ULS was approximately one quarter of those identified visually, and many of them were larger in area than the visually traced crowns. The accuracy of tree segmentation using the canopy height model (CHM) was low. The number of canopy trees identified using Merge produced the best results, accounting for 61% of the visual identification results. Results of tree segmentation by CHM suggest that combining TLS and ULS measurements may improve tree canopy identification. Although ULS is a promising new technology, its applications are clearly limited, at least in mangrove forests such as the Oura River, where Bruguiera gymnorhiza is dominant. Depending on the application, using different LiDAR platforms, such as airborne LiDAR scanning, UAV LiDAR scanning, and TLS, is important. Merging 3D point clouds acquired by different platforms, as proposed in this study, is an important option in this case.
Pactolo Bar: An Approach to Mitigate the Midas Touch Problem in Non-Conventional Interaction
Authors: Freitas Alexandre , Santos Diego , Lima Rodrigo , Santos Carlos Gustavo , Meiguins Bianchi
Published: February 2023

New ways of interacting with computers is driving research, which is motivated mainly by the different types of user profiles. Referred to as non-conventional interactions, these are found with the use of hands, voice, head, mouth, and feet, etc. and these interactions occur in scenarios where the use of mouse and keyboard would be difficult. A constant challenge in the adoption of new forms of interaction, based on the movement of pointers and the selection of interface components, is the Midas Touch (MT) problem, defined as the involuntary action of selection by the user when interacting with the computer system, causing unwanted actions and harming the user experience during the usage process. Thus, this article aims to mitigate the TM problem in interaction with web pages using a solution centered on the Head Tracking (HT) technique. For this purpose, a component in the form of a Bar was developed and inserted on the left side of the web page, called the Pactolo Bar (PB), in order to enable or disable the clicking event during the interaction process. As a way of analyzing the effectiveness of PB in relation to TM, two stages of tests were carried out based on the collaboration of voluntary participants. The first step aims to find the data that would lead to the best configuration of the BP, while the second step aims to carry out a comparative analysis between the PB solution and the eViacam software, whose use is also focused on the HT technique. The results obtained from the use of PB were considered promising, since the analysis of quantitative data points to a significant prevention of involuntary clicks in the iteration interface and the analysis of qualitative data showed the development of a better user experience due to the ease of use, which can be noticed in elements such as the PB size, the triggering mechanism, and its positioning in the graphical interface. This study benefits in the context of the user experience, because, when using non-conventional interactions, basic items such as aspects of the graphic elements, and interaction events raise new studies that seek to mitigate the problem of the Midas Touch.
Differential Privacy Preservation for Location Semantics
Authors: Yan Liang , Li Lei , Mu Xuejiao , Wang Hao , Chen Xian , Shin Hyoseop
Published: February 2023

With the rapid development of intelligent mobile terminals and communication technologies, location-based services (LBSs) have become an essential part of users’ lives. LBS providers upload and share the collected users’ location data. The more commonly used methods for location privacy protection are differential privacy and its extensions. However, the semantic information about location, which is an integral part of the location data, often contains sensitive user information. Most existing research methods have failed to pay enough attention to protecting the semantic information in the location data. To remedy this problem, two different scenarios for location semantic privacy protection methods are proposed in this paper to address single-point and continuous location queries. Simulation experiments on real social location check-in datasets, and comparison of three different privacy protection mechanisms, show that our solution demonstrates good service quality and privacy protection considering location semantics.
Semi-Autonomic AI LF-NMR Sensor for Industrial Prediction of Edible Oil Oxidation Status
Authors: Osheter Tatiana , Campisi Pinto Salvatore , Randieri Cristian , Perrotta Andrea , Linder Charles , Weisman Zeev
Published: February 2023

The evaluation of an oil’s oxidation status during industrial production is highly important for monitoring the oil’s purity and nutritional value during production, transportation, storage, and cooking. The oil and food industry is seeking a real-time, non-destructive, rapid, robust, and low-cost sensor for nutritional oil’s material characterization. Towards this goal, a 1H LF-NMR relaxation sensor application based on the chemical and structural profiling of non-oxidized and oxidized oils was developed. This study dealt with a relatively large-scale oil oxidation database, which included crude data of a 1H LF-NMR relaxation curve, and its reconstruction into T1 and T2 spectral fingerprints, self-diffusion coefficient D, and conventional standard chemical test results. This study used a convolutional neural network (CNN) that was trained to classify T2 relaxation curves into three ordinal classes representing three different oil oxidation levels (non-oxidized, partial oxidation, and high level of oxidation). Supervised learning was used on the T2 signals paired with the ground-truth labels of oxidation values as per conventional chemical lab oxidation tests. The test data results (not used for training) show a high classification accuracy (95%). The proposed AI method integrates a large training set, an LF-NMR sensor, and a machine learning program that meets the requirements of the oil and food industry and can be further developed for other applications.
Comparison of Information Criteria for Detection of Useful Signals in Noisy Environments
Authors: Berlin Leonid , Galyaev Andrey , Lysenko Pavel
Published: February 2023

This paper considers the appearance of indications of useful acoustic signals in the signal/noise mixture. Various information characteristics (information entropy, Jensen–Shannon divergence, spectral information divergence and statistical complexity) are investigated in the context of solving this problem. Both time and frequency domains are studied for the calculation of information entropy. The effectiveness of statistical complexity is shown in comparison with other information metrics for different signal-to-noise ratios. Two different approaches for statistical complexity calculations are also compared. In addition, analytical formulas for complexity and disequilibrium are obtained using entropy variation in the case of signal spectral distribution. The connection between the statistical complexity criterion and the Neyman–Pearson approach for hypothesis testing is discussed. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is shown for different types of acoustic signals and noise models, including colored noises, and different signal-to-noise ratios, especially when the estimation of additional noise characteristics is impossible.
Application of Encapsulated Quorum Quenching Strain Acinetobacter pittii HITSZ001 to a Membrane Bioreactor for Biofouling Control
Authors: Wang Yongmei , Feng Xiaochi , Wang Wenqian , Shi Hongtao , Xiao Zijie , Jiang Chenyi , Xu Yujie , Zhang Xin , Ren Nanqi
Published: February 2023

Quorum quenching (QQ) is a novel anti-biofouling strategy for membrane bioreactors (MBRs) used in wastewater treatment. However, actual operation of QQ-MBR systems for wastewater treatment needs to be systematically studied to evaluate the comprehensive effects of QQ on wastewater treatment engineering applications. In this study, a novel QQ strain, Acinetobacter pittii HITSZ001, was encapsulated and applied to a MBR system to evaluate the effects of this organism on real wastewater treatment. To verify the effectiveness of immobilized QQ beads in the MBR system, we examined the MBR effluent quality and sludge characteristics. We also measured the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and soluble microbial products (SMP) in the system to determine the effects of the organism on membrane biofouling inhibition. Additionally, changes in microbial communities in the system were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. The results indicated that Acinetobacter pittii HITSZ001 is a promising strain for biofouling reduction in MBRs treating real wastewater, and that immobilization does not affect the biofouling control potential of QQ bacteria.
What Influences Older Urban Poor’s Attitude towards Online Job Search? Implications for Smart Cities Development
Authors: Asavanirandorn Chonticha , Pechdin Watchara , Ngamsomsak Ritthikiat , Bhula-Or Ruttiya
Published: February 2023

There is an increasing number of older adults being encouraged to come back to the workforce in search of better financial security in their later years. At the same time, the job market nowadays has increasingly depended on technology to recruit new workers, especially in Smart Cities, a concept that has been recently introduced to developing countries. As a result, the use of the Internet for job searches has become increasingly important for older adults living in urban environments, especially those with limited resources. However, there has not been an in-depth paper exploring the various factors that may affect the older population’s ability to use this new development to their advantage. This study offered a closer look at the social and economic factors that influence acceptance of using the Internet to look for a job among older urban poor in Thailand. By understanding the influences that shape their attitudes and behaviors towards online job searches, it is then possible to guide the development of Smart Cities and offer better assistance to older adults who wish to use the Internet for employment opportunities. We applied a logit regression model on data collected from individuals aged pre-retirement and retirement (n = 1505) in two Thai cities with significantly different economic development levels. The results showed that gender, religion, family arrangement, and income had a significant impact on older adults’ online job search activities, especially when it came to women, people of the Islamic faith, people living with partners, and high-income individuals. Urban planners are recommended to take these aforementioned factors into account while formulating the Smart Cities development plan.
Intermodal Terminal Subsystem Technology Selection Using Integrated Fuzzy MCDM Model
Authors: Krstić Mladen , Tadić Snežana , Elia Valerio , Massari Stefania , Farooq Muhammad Umar
Published: February 2023

Intermodal transportation is the use of multiple modes of transportation, which can lead to greater sustainability by reducing environmental impact and traffic congestion and increasing the efficiency of supply chains. One of the preconditions for efficient intermodal transport is the efficient intermodal terminal (IT). ITs allow for the smooth and efficient handling of cargo, thus reducing the time, cost, and environmental impact of transportation. Adequate selection of subsystem technologies can significantly improve the efficiency and productivity of an IT, ultimately leading to cost savings for businesses and a more efficient and sustainable transportation system. Accordingly, this paper aims to establish a framework for the evaluation and selection of appropriate technologies for IT subsystems. To solve the defined problem, an innovative hybrid multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) model, which combines the fuzzy factor relationship (FFARE) and the fuzzy combinative distance-based assessment (FCODAS) methods, is developed in this paper. The FFARE method is used for obtaining criteria weights, while the FCODAS method is used for evaluation and a final ranking of the alternatives. The established framework and the model are tested on a real-life case study, evaluating and selecting the handling technology for a planned IT. The study defines 12 potential variants of handling equipment based on their techno-operational characteristics and evaluates them using 16 criteria. The results indicate that the best handling technology variant is the one that uses a rail-mounted gantry crane for trans-shipment and a reach stacker for horizontal transport and storage. The results also point to the conclusion that instead of choosing equipment for each process separately, it is important to think about the combination of different handling technologies that can work together to complete a series of handling cycle processes. The main contributions of this paper are the development of a new hybrid model and the establishment of a framework for the selection of appropriate IT subsystem technologies along with a set of unique criteria for their evaluation and selection.
Exploring the Smart Street Management and Control Platform from the Perspective of Sustainability: A Study of Five Typical Chinese Cities
Authors: Xiang Fanding , Cheng Haomiao , Wang Yi
Published: February 2023

In the context of “smart cities” and stock-based development, street renewal focuses more on quality and sustainability in China. To improve the efficiency of current smart technology applications, a comprehensive whole-life cycle system needs to be established in street space. After sorting out the application of smart technologies in the street design guidelines (SDGs) for typical cities in China, the compilation and application of smart technologies for sustainability were categorized into five areas: smart transportation, convenient living, life enrichment, the protection of vulnerable people, and environmental monitoring. Based on theoretical support and realistic needs, a smart street management and control platform (SSMCP) was built. The SSMCP is divided into four layers: the basic information layer for the background, the technology platform layer for the core processing, the institutional protection layer for the guarantee mechanism, and the scene application layer for spatial interactions. The results can provide a scientific reference for improving the sustainability of street space and implementing a “smart cities” project at the street level.
When Will First-Price Work Well? The Impact of Anti-Corruption Rules on Photovoltaic Power Generation Procurement Auctions
Authors: Hao Peng , Guo Jun-Peng , O’Neill Eoghan , Shi Yong-Heng
Published: February 2023

Along with the prevalence of photovoltaic (PV) procurement contracts, the corruption between auctioneers and potential electricity suppliers has attracted the attention of energy regulators. This study considers a corruption-proof environment wherein corruption is strictly suppressed. It elaborates a mechanism to explore the impact of corruption-proof measures on PV procurement auctions. It adopts incentive compatible constraints based on revelation principle to reflect PV firms’ optimal utilities. It employs first-price and first-score auctions and uses the Bayesian Nash equilibrium to provide a description of market outcomes. The results show that several strategies have different impacts on social welfare, PV firms’ utility, and the benefits of corruption. First, a first-price auction cannot act as a suitable policy because it may encourage corruption. Second, the first-score choice is desirable for social welfare to fit the forthcoming high-quality and low-price surroundings. Third, the first-score strategy maximizes PV firms’ utility and total income. The implications suggest that regulators ought not to employ first-price auctions in the future PV market from the perspective of social welfare. Another disadvantage of the first-price approach is that it enables the PV firm to maintain the utmost benefit from corruption.
Building Information Modeling Execution Drivers for Sustainable Building Developments
Authors: Famakin Ibukun O. , Othman Idris , Kineber Ahmed Farouk , Oke Ayodeji Emmanuel , Olanrewaju Oludolapo Ibrahim , Hamed Mohammed Magdy , Olayemi Taiwo Matthew
Published: February 2023

The need for continuous global improvement in the construction industry’s current state is inevitable. This pursuit for advancement is to benefit all concerned stakeholders in the construction industry, and innovation has been acknowledged as this improvement measure. Interestingly, Building Information Model (BIM) is a typical example of such innovation in the construction industry. It circumvents human errors, lessening project costs, strengthening productivity and quality, and reducing the project delivery time. This analysis investigates the factors influencing BIM implementation in construction in developing nations. A comprehensive literature review was performed to determine what factors contribute to BIM adoption. These drivers were categorized using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was also used with a questionnaire survey of 100 Nigerian building engineering professionals. Findings from the model highlight the most critical drivers of sustainable BIM deployment. The study’s conclusion will serve as a guideline for policymakers in developing nations that want to finish successful projects by avoiding BIM implementation drivers and improving the accomplishment of building projects via the usage of BIM.
Carbon Neutrality Challenge: Analyse the Role of Energy Productivity, Renewable Energy, and Collaboration in Climate Mitigation Technology in OECD Economies
Authors: Zhang Xiuqin , Shi Xudong , Khan Yasir , Hassan Taimoor , Marie Mohamed
Published: February 2023

Carbon neutrality has been widely acknowledged as a challenge to environmental mitigation and global climate change policy. The current study examines the association between collaboration in climate change mitigation technologies (CMTs), energy productivity (EP), natural resources rent (NRR), renewable energy consumption (REC), and environmentally related tax (ET) on CO2 emissions for a panel dataset of 30 OECD economies from 1990 to 2020. This paper employs panel data econometric techniques such as AMG, CCEMG, and CS-ARDL. The empirical outcomes show that CMTs, EP, REC, and ET have a negative effect on CO2 emissions, indicating that their increase will bring about the reduction of carbon emissions, whereas NRR has a positive impact on CO2 emissions, suggesting that its increase will raise CO2 emissions. Most interestingly, REC and EP play a leading role in all selected variables by decarbonizing and effectively converting conventional energy into clean, green energy in the process of energy production and utilization. Finally, the OECD countries are anticipated to transition their energy from conventional resources to renewable sources, which will be validated by the increase in energy productivity and the adoption of clean and green technology in the short term.